This morning began a whole hour later, such a luxury. We met for breakfast, left our suitcases with the hotel in storage as we had packed our duffels and day packs with the necessities for the one night away and waited with anticipation as we knew we would have to hustle out to the street and quickly load the bus. Cusco is a very old city, the businesses do not have parking so the bus was to illegally stop and let us hop on. We had to be quick or he would get a ticket.
We met our tour guide for the next 4 or 5 days and he introduced us to Jorge (Horhay) who I now want to be my perminant driver as he can do amazing maneuvers with a very long bus on winding cobblestone steets. I am afraid our tour guide had a name that did not stick and I need to confirm it for tomorrow. I feel uncomfortable about this as he is an amzing local man who teaches and does this in his off time. I have finally found that Celia made sure to know it and his name is Adelki. Celia is special, she is gentle and kind and intelligent and I enjoy the moments we spend together
From Cuzco we headed up to take a peek at the ruins above the city, Saqsayhuaman, more commonly called Sexy Woman. We who are returning to Cusco have it as part of our tour on another day. The bus continued on some crazy winding roads through beautiful country sides and Adelki continued to share his culture with us. He is very gifted at doing so.
At one point we stopped along the road for a Kodak moment and saw a llama running up the curvy road with its rope trailing behind. Plodding up behind it was a beautifully traditionally dressed woman.
The first major stop made was at a village that is supported by G tours. The people there are so welcoming and receptive to photos without cost, they seem to love to share what they do. It is basically a village of women who weave and knit alpaca. The patterns are beautiful and the colours varied. Some are coarse, some soft. We were shown how they weave, what natural products are used for dyes and then allowed only 20 minutes to shop around the circle of stalls of all their wares. I managed to pick up a few things for me, fun things for the grandsons and daughter. I of course also had to buy a LLama with a blue saddle and bubble gum pink accents to live in my Miata (aka Audrey). I had a lovely attempt to converse in different languages with a gentleman doing mason work in the square. I told him I had been a builder and he did fine work and he asked if I built in Australia…. seems I have not got a Canadian accent.
When we left we were all a bit peckish after all that spending so we stopped at a personal home/bakery called Pumachayoq. We had hot out of the clay oven Empanadas, they were delicious. It was here that we also learned about the southern cross, the bulls on the roof (a blessing for strength and safety) and that our driver was incredible at navigating the streets.
Jorge proved he was macho by staring down a car followed by a bus as we wound our way up to the archeological site of Pisac. We hiked around learning so much about the incan empire from our guide and then he challenged those taking the Incan Trail to take the stairs to the top. CA, C&W, Dave and I all did it too. It was not easy in the thin air but it sure felt like we had accomplished something getting there. We worked our way back down and to the banos when I had a weird allergic reaction to something and had to take a Reactin when I got on the bus. Oh and this may be TMI, but that was the first stand and hover hole I have ever had to use. What a trip!
I am so enjoying sitting beside Celia this day on the bus. I feel the love from her soul and am so grateful to have met her.
We stopped next for an unbelievable buffet (which all the locals say with a hard T which amuses me) in a gazebo beside alpaca and llamas with pan flute music playing in the background. So peaceful that when we got back on the bus I just felt like sleeping. It seems I have gotten a rep for shopping and possibly, drinking. I have managed to find wee gifts and souvenirs just about everywhere… hey, I am supporting the local economy!
Next we bussed to Ollantaytambo and on the way our guide told us of the story of his family. They were fairly well off actually probably well off by the local standards as they owned a great deal of land. Land means food and food means wealth in this culture. In 1974 the socialist government knocked on the door, told his dad to get every one in the truck and they were taken to the town square and told bye bye, good luck. Left with the clothes on their backs! This is a society of survivors, constantly being conquered or overtaken and yet continuing to thrive and love in this land. There is mandatory education, with nearly zero illiteracy, everyone works as is necessary and the people are kind and welcoming.
This stop began challenging for me as I had recently taken an antiallergen pill and had been drinking a lot of water. the tour started off and I detoured. When I caught up with Nury and Ruth they were on the first layer of the terraces up the mountain. I felt like staying with them but decided to give it try. I stepped into the flow of people on their way up and simply counted 1, 2, 3 as I worked at controlling my breathing through my nose. The next thing I knew after a few rest stops and brething fairly heavily I caught up to the group. As I arrived he was describing to the Inca Trailk group to count the steps 1, 2, 3 in their heads and breath through their noses!
We continued on to the top , stopping to hear what each feature was. This settlement was never lived in as the Incas were still building when the Spanish were approaching so the fled, away from them so as not to draw them towards Machu Picchu. There are still huge stones lying along the way to the settlement that are now called lazy stones as they never made it to the terraces.
There was just so much about this experience. I truely feel as though I have done a mini Incan Trail and in my Peruvian walking shoes !
It was strange variable weather all day from rain to wind to sun.
I was so exhausted by this point I was grateful for the short stop at a market for snacks and then on our way to the hotel. It is beautiful and well supplied, Hotel San Augustin Urutamba. I of course am glad for a nice bed, wifi and a shower.
CA and I met C&W and Ruth for dinner of soup, well actually I had dessert crepes and a lovely man from Texas gave us the remainder of a bottle of red which I am the only one who will drink it, shame about that.
The place seems well equipped but the pool table is missing 5 balls and tips on the cues, the waiter cannot speak English at all… but I have been enjoying my glass of red at a computer spot.
I believe that completes this day as we have said good bye and good luck to our dear companions who leave before we get up in the morning to challenge the Inca Trail while the remainder have other plans.
Just as an addendum to yesterday I forgot about the complete horror of loading on the boat in the jungle to leave, setting down my Starbucks to go cup on the bow, turning to take a picture and the next thing we hit a bump and my precious coffee pours its way down the boat under everyones feet on my side who also have to lift their packs to avoid the catastrophe.
I must explain that I have been travelling with my sons refillable cup that looks like a regular disposable. It has been good for amusement asI seem to be having starbucks in the jungle and many other strange times and places.
I did offer my apologies and to clean the boat but Elvis said he would tell the driver I did it on purpose.
Now it is only 930 pm and I am ready to fall asleep so I must away…
MB in Uruwamba
09/19/13
triumphgal 