We left our hotel at 9:00 by bus. Our first stop was along the shores of Lake Titicaca. An elderly mestizo couple were hard at work.
The woman was tying bunches of reeds together to make a mattress. Her husband was making rope from the reeds for her project. They had been married for over 70 years and had 6 children who now live in Arequipa. Since there isn’t much help for poor seniors, this couple farms, fishes and makes mattresses in order to eat and live.
During out visit the man’s cell phone rang. It was one of his children calling. Cell phones are relatively inexpensive. A phone with a card for a month costs about 10 soles or $3.33.
Here Dan is learning how to trim the reeds to finish the mattress. It takes the mestizo about a half hour to finish one mattress. After she has four completed, they will go to the market and sell the mattress to a vendor. They will get about 10 soles per mattress. The vendor then will sell the mattress for 18 soles. The middle man makes the profit without the work. Our next stop was a walking tour in the town of Puno. Walking past this costume shop, our local guide Fausto wanted us to stop and take a closer look. Costumes are a big part of the culture. For festival parades and dances, the people will rent costumes. New costumes are quite hefty in price, maybe $500 or more per renting with older ones cheaper. Even dresses for quinceanera, a catholic girl’s celebration for her 15th birthday, are rented. It seems hard to imagine in a country where so many are poor to put money out for celebrations. Our guide Fausto is holding up a costume for Tricia. Looks like it will fit perfectly! Two men from our group trying out these costumes. They did not rent them. The public cemetery was our next stop. It costs about $500 to buy a vault for 5 years. In order to keep the coffin, you would have to repay the fee every five years. There were a lot of fresh flowers since it had been Mother’s Day just a few days ago. These vaults were in disrepair. They were sold with a one-time fee. Obviously it pays to have money in Puno!The witches’ market was our next destination. Here is where you can buy things to offer for sacrifices. In the box to the left of the blue lid were alpaca fetuses. Shamans use them in their offerings to Father Sun and Pacha Momma, Mother Earth. Another alpaca fetus to use as a sacrifice. Gross, isn’t it?Of course there were lots of guinea pigs or cuy and chickens. A live guinea pig costs 11 soles where a freshly dressed one sells for 15 soles. Mattresses for sale at a stall at the market. 18 soles, please. Any interest in a lamb’s head for soup?Fresh fish for tonight’s supper?Tricycle taxis were everywhere in Puno. Everyone in our tour group got to take a ride in a bike-taxi. I don’t think you need a drivers license for these vehicles. Sharon and I enjoyed our “wild ride”. . .navigating busy intersections was a nightmare. Fortunately we finished our ride without a mishap!
After our time in the market we walked to a restaurant nearby for lunch. After lunch we had time to shop or go to a museum before meeting up again for our bus back to our hotel. Right before we boarded our bus, Short Beth bargained with a street vendor for a sweater and got one for 30 soles, about $10. Before we boarded our bus, 4 more of us bought sweaters, too. Thanks, Short Beth for the initial bargaining!
We had a great meal at our hotel, the Jose Antonio, on our last evening in Puno.
On Wednesday morning, we left at 7:15 to get to the Puno airport for our flight to Lima. Our flight went well. We found it interesting to learn that you could take water bottles on the internal flights in Peru. Once we arrived at the Jose Antonia Hotel in the MIraflores District of Lima, we had lunch and immediately went on a tour of the Barranco District. This district is the home of many of Lima’s musicians, artists, photographers, and designers.
Bibliotheca or library at Barranco’s main square. Posing with a retired trolley car in Barranco District in Lima.
After our walking tour of the Barranco District, we went back to the hotel. 12 of us had a late flight that night at 1:00 am. We did not need to leave our hotel until 8:30 pm. I choose to rest in my day room at the hotel. I went with Short Beth and Jana for a hamburger at a nearby fast food restaurant. It really was “slow” food because it took a long time. Biting in and expecting the familiar taste of a burger, I was sorely disappointed. It looked like beef, but it sure didn’t taste like a hamburger. Hope it wasn’t made from cuy!
My almost 9 hour flight to Atanta, then 2 hour flight to Philadelphia went as scheduled. Frank picked me up from the airport and we were home by 4:15 pm. What a trip! With my Real Affordable Peru trip now completed, two “must sees” are checked off my bucket list – Machu Picchu and the Floating Islands. Surprisingly the most striking memories of the trip were the “Day in the Life” experiences interacting with the Peruvians.
While so many of the mestizos we spoke to were poor monetarily, they seemed upbeat and content. Working for a living is what they do to survive. It has been a fascinating journey exploring Peru. I am thankful I had the opportunity to do so.
Wonder where my next trip will take me? Australia, an African safari, or maybe Tuscany… Stayed tuned for more adventures, I am sure!
Besides Machu Picchu, I was really looking forward to visiting the floating islands where the Uros people have lived for over 2,000 years. Can you imagine living on a island of reeds? I couldn’t wait to meet these people and their islands!
Today there was a strike in Peru. The farmers were protesting for higher wages. While we in the US deal with peaceful protesters regularly, Peruvian protestors cause a lot of problems. Fearing we would have trouble getting stuck in traffic, Pepe changed the order of our touring. Today we would leave our hotel by boat to visit Uros and Taquile Islands, thus completely avoiding the highways. This turned out to be a wise decision since we heard later from one tourist that her bus get held up on the side of the road for twelve hours; the tourists ran out of water and food and were without bathroom facilities. Sounds dreadful!
About 1,200 Uros people still live on about 90 artificial islands that are about 3 miles from Puno. Lake Titicaca is 12,500 feet above sea level making it the highest navigable lake in the world. When Uros migrated to Lake Titicaca about 2,700 year ago they built moveable floating islands to get away from their enemies.
In the 1980’s the first visitors came to the islands. A school opened on the islands in 1992. Two months ago floating toilets got installed on each island by the Peruvian government. They also now have solar panels in the homes that provide about 4 hours of energy a day. There is one primary school for the islands. Students must travel to Puno for high school.
Here is one of the floating islands with tourist and reed boats docked in front. If an island has an arch it allows tourist to visit. We visited Condor Island. It had two condors made from reeds on the front of the island. Thirteen family members live here. They used to live on a bigger island, but they did not get along with some other families so they solved the problem by cutting the island in half. Here the president of Condor Island is showing us how they tie 6 1/2 feet deep cubes of reeds together then anchor them to make the base of the island. The reeds are anchored to the lake bed by long sticks and lots of rope. In time the depth of the reeds gets smaller and then a new island will need to be made. They can last 30 years or more. The houses are just set on the island so that can be easily moved when fresh reeds need to be replaced on the top every few weeks.
We were shown the foods they eat: fish, dried birds and plants and even the stalk of the tortora reed. I took a bite of the reed. It was rather bland and crunchy. We were also broken into small groups to tour the inside of a home. The woman above showed us her home. There was one bed for the family of four: her husband, herself and her two children. This woman’s son started to cry so she put him on her back and he immediately stated to smile.
Those who wanted could pay 10 soles (about $3.00) to take a reed boat ride. For a while the president and his niece rowed the boat. Of course, I opted for a ride. Seated above our Beth, Beth, Joann and Sharon. At first the president and his niece rowed the boat. Then after a while the president jumped down onto a motor boat hooked onto the back to finish our ride to a neighboring island. Yes, the Uros are changing!
A mother from Condor Island was taking her children to school on a motor boat. Change is inevitable. It made me wonder how long the Uros will keep living on their floating islands.
Our next destination was Taquile Island which was a two hour boat ride away from the floating islands. About 2,000 people life on the island. The people were conquered by the Spanish and had to wear Spanish style clothing which they continue to wear today. Their society is based on the Inca moral code of “do not steal, do not lie, and do not be lazy”. Tourism is a big business with 40,000 visitors a year.
When we arrived on the island, it was pouring down rain. Climbing to the top on a stoned pathway was quite a challenge. We were supposed to have lunch at a house half way up the hill. However, since it was the Festival of the Cross yesterday, the family that was supposed to provide our lunch were still getting over their big celebration. Inside the house is smelled of beer. There were coca leaves, empty beer bottles and a hung over Taquileño. No lunch was going to be found here.
Pepe and our local guide Fausto had to regroup to another plan. Fausto took some of our group to a restaurant on the top of the hill while Tom, Marilyn, Tall Beth and I stayed in another building with Pepe to await box lunches from the restaurant.
In 2005 Taquile and its Textiles were nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The men of the island are noted for their finely knitted hats and the women for their distinct pattern of textiles.
Taquile Island is noted for it excellent rainbow trout. I was tender and delicious. Of course there were side dishes of potatoes and rice!My favorite picture taken from the island looking down on Lake Titicaca. Our local guide Fausto explained the tradition of the knitted caps. Single men wore one with white and a red pattern, while the one he is holding is worn by a married man. Young boys learn the tradition of the knitted hats; when they marry they must present their father-in-law with a hat so tightly knitted that it will hold water or else the marriage is off!Here are the Spanish outfits that the people of island still wear today.
After learning about their textiles and knitted hats, the rain had stopped. It was much easier to descend the stone path to our boat for the ride back to our hotel.
Scene of the reeds that surround Lake Titicaca. Coming up to the dock in front of our hotel, the Jose Antonio along Lake Titicaca.
After a few hours rest, our group boarded a bus to Puno for dinner. Exhausted, I decided to return to our hotel. Pepe arranged for a “safe” taxi for me; I had room service bring me a bowl of chicken soup and a coke. After many days of hectic touring, I needed some R&R.
What a day! I know I will never forget our tour on Condor Island and the “after festival” dilemma on Taquile Island. One-of-a-kind experiences to say the least! Buenos Noches.
It was Mother’s Day and also the eighth day of the Festival of the Cross. Families brought their families’ crosses to leave at the cross in the central plaza of Chucuito. Then there were big family celebrations that included eating and drinking lots of beer into the night. This Inca ruin was a fertility temple. Guess what those two statues are in front of the temple walls.
Yes, these statues are what you think they are. Couples who have just been married or who will be getting married come here for good luck in having a family. Our tour guide thinks these statues were added by a local hotel owner to encourage tourism. Even the steeple of the chapel has a phallic symbol on top!
A saxophone quartet was already playing when we passed this house around 11 am. The party would go on all day long. Cases of beer were being carried into the house. Peruvians are noted for their partying until they are drunk!
We had to be careful not to take many pictures since it was not a tourist area. The sights and sounds were amazing. Mestizos everywhere buying things and making deals.
I had to laugh. Cell phones have come to even rural Peru. This little one was engrossed in a game or video on the cell phone.
We saw a girl’s soccer game near the market. It seemed strange to see the players in skirts playing in bare feet. They looked like they were having a great time.
Our group tried our hand at bartering. Pepe bought a bunch of bananas. Here the mestizo was putting quinoa grains in the blue bag by the handfuls in order to buy the bunch of bananas. When one of our tour group said the wanted choppa, which means extra, the mestizo added another two handfuls of grain. The deal was done! We gave the grain back to her. She was surprised and the other ladies watching wanted to also make a deal with us!
A visit to Copamaya village was next. We got the opportunity to gather with several members of the village. First the mestizos said their names, ages, and said how many children they had. Then we took turns giving our names, where we were from, our ages, and our professions. Our local tour guide, Fausto translated the conversation from their local language to English .
Tall Beth, Jana, and Deb got to try on skirts and jackets just like the ladies in the village. We also got to throw potatoes in the oven made from clumps of clay. The potatoes were then baked for about an hour. Then we got to try one at the lunch that followed.
Short Beth and I sat with these three ladies to eat our lunch. Beth could talk to them in Spanish and translated the conversation in English for me. Potatoes and more potatoes, fava beans, quinoa, patties of breaded cheese and quinoa soup were on the menu for lunch. Before we left the village, our new friends sang a song for us. We sang “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” to them in a round led by Tom in our group. Our group leaving the village. From left to right Marilyn, our local guide Fausto, Tom,Jana, Tricia, Joel, Deb, Dan, Dori, Tall Beth,Joann, Sharon, Short Beth, and Scott. Pepe our guide took the picture. On our way back to the hotel we stopped at Chucuito again to see how the celebrations for the Festival of the Cross were progressing. The town folk were dancing along to music to this band on center stage. Folks from our tour group joined the dancing in the plaza. I joined in as well. I danced a number with the mestizo on the left. He was very jovial. I think he had way too much beer!
In the evening we went to a restaurant in Puno that had a dancing show. Dan and Scott joined in with these two dancers on the final number. I think they had a great time.
What a way to end a very full day in and around Puno and Lake Titicaca! Tomorrow we will be heading to the Floating Islands and Taquile Island. Since the Floating Islands were one of my “must see” places in Peru, I was excited. More adventures tomorrow!
This morning we headed by bus to the archeological park, Tipon. It is a large area of ruins southeast of Cuzco near the town of Tipon. It has a lot of wide terraces that were irrigated by a system of water channels fed by a spring. Archeologists have found petroglyphs here that date back to 4,000 B.C. Native people were living here up until the early 1400’s.
Here is a picture of the countryside from the parking lot at Tipon. The park is 3,400 meters above sea level. Two irrigation canals meet here to form this waterfalls that feed into a lower one. It is amazing to see how these pre-Incas fit these rocks together. Mortar was used on these walls. Marilyn and I are posing in front of this lower level falls. The irrigation system was used to water the crops planted on the terraces.
I was amazed to see that there were even rocks jutting out to make steps so they could access the different leveled terraces. I did not go past the second terrace. Coming down there were steps which did not have any railings. At the top level there was a bath and petroglyphs.
Our next stop was a restaurant located on a hill above the Cuzco. The mestizo on the right was playing pan pipes giving the distinct sound of Latin American music. I had grilled alpaca and French fries. Just about every meal we have had potatoes in one form or another. The alpaca tasted a lot like beef. It was tasty but a bit tough. I could have used some A-1 steak sauce. Here is a view from the patio of the restaurant of Cuzco. Can you find the see football stadium in this picture?After our lunch we drove to Saqsaywaman archeological site. It is pronounced like “Sexy Woman”. Cuzco and this site were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983.Alpaca were grazing below the terraces. They were rather shy and did not want us to pet them. The walls slanted in and were cut to fit next to each other which have kept these walls standing after earthquakes. The small rocks on the top row were added to protect the stone from falling.
Sacsayhuamán means “eat your fill, hawk”. It is about a mile and a quarter from Cuzco’s square and is about 12,000 feet above sea level. It is surrounded by mountains and covers an area of about 12 square miles. Archeologist believe that it took 20,000 men to cut and move these gigantic stones to this site. The stones are cut so that they fit together without any mortar at all. Some stones are so huge it is estimated that they weigh nearly 300 tons. How did the these people move these massive rocks?
Tonight we had a briefing at the hotel and our farewell dinner at a restaurant located in a elegant hacienda a few blocks from our hotel. The base tour of Peru was ending and those taking the extension to Lake Titicaca were flying to Puno in the morning. Thirteen of us will be continuing on while Mary Beth and Michael were heading back home. All of us agreed that what we had seen and experienced exceeded our expectations and that Pepe had done a great job of leading our group.
On Saturday, we flew from Cuzco to Puno, a 45 minute flight. We then got onto a bus that took us first to a house for lunch then onto another archeological site, Sillustani.
A house we passed on our way to lunch. A gas station along our route to Sillustani.
We stopped at a house to have lunch. There were neighboring children who greeted us and alpacas, too. On the roof of the house was a decoration of two bulls and a cross; the mestizos feel it brings them good luck. They also put rubber tires on their roofs to keep lightning from striking.
Sullistani is a pre-Inca burial site on the shores of Lake Umayo. The tombs were towers built above ground and held mummies of their important leaders also with gold and other items needed for the afterlife. Some gold has been found by archeologists, but many of the tombs had been looted. The towers are made of huge stones which are bigger at the top. This “city of the dead” dates from pre-Inca times to the Inca occupation in 1400’s.
We returned to our hotel just outside of Puno. It is a new hotel along the shores of Lake Titicaca. It also has excellent wifi. Tomorrow we will explore some villages around Puno for some more “Day in the Life” experiences. Since this is my favorite activity, I can’t wait. Stay tuned for more adventures!
We left by 8 this morning to ride to the countryside to catch a glimpse of the lifestyle of the mestizos, people of mixed Spanish and native blood. Our first stop was at the market square of Izcauchca. To me it seemed like we were stepping into a whole new world from Cuzco. I’ll let the pictures tell the story.
This lady starts her day at 4 am. She hard boils eggs then comes an hour by motor taxi to set up her stand here at the town square. She sells about 50 dishes of eggs a day and makes a profit of 10 soles which is about $3.33. Maria sells her dish of eggs for one soles, about 33 cents.This woman was selling a non alcoholic cinnamon flavored chicha. If you can’t stay to drink it from one of her glasses she can fill a plastic bag to go. Here Joanne is sampling some of the chicha. Mestizo women walked through the square with their babies on their backs. There was no shortage of colorful motor taxis. We then went walking in the town. Here is their version of a hardware store. This lady was rich compared to most vendors we saw. She had a “convenience store” in one room of her house. Need a fresh chicken for tonight’s dinner? This woman was selling chickens that she killed and dressed that morning. The chickens sit out on that table all day until she sells out. In a bakery, this Mestizo was not only baking breads, but also potatoes and meats. Notice cuy (guinea pig) on the front of the tray. There were sausages behind the cuy. This man has been a baker all his life. His four sons have finished or attend the university in Cuzco and do not want his bakery. . He will pass on his business on to one of his workers. We stopped at a hat store. Hats are a tradition here started by the Spanish who required each tribe to wear a specific kind of hat in order to tell where they lived. This tradition has continued even today. Pepe gave us an assignment. He put each of us into a group to go shopping in the market. I was with Joanne, Scott, Sharon, and Beth. We were told to find out the prices of various items and to buy a half of kilo of red, yellow and green pepper with the one sole he gave us. Then with one more sole we were to flag a motor taxi and return to the central plaza. What a riot! Here Joanne is asking for the peppers and making the purchase.Beth, Sharon and I made it back to the square. Riding in the tuktuk was fun. Notice the driver was happy to give us a lift! We stopped at Maria’s house. She and her husband have a farm where they grow organic quinoa. Here she is showing us bags of gathered quinoa ready to sell.Here is Maria’s kitchen. She has three children who were all at school during our visit. They all go to the local public school.
Some mestizos from Chinchero were picking potatoes. We stopped to help. Here I am gathering potatoes. Tricia, Marilyn and Tom were busy at work as well. This mestizo was making lunch for the potato pickers. Guess what they were having? Baked potatoes!Our next stop was at the local primary school. Each one of us sat across from one of the first grade students. We had to tell our names, where we were from, and our occupations. Then we used a worksheet with pictures of a truck, an airplane, etc. to practice the Spanish word and the English word for that item. The students were eating a government supplied breakfast. I was amazed that there were charts in the classroom written in cursive. We use printing in first grade in our USA schools. Here I am working one on one with my student. She kept smiling and gave me hugs and kisses when we left. Here we are witnessing a Shaman, a medicine man, performing a ceremony honoring Mother Earth. Pepe translated what the Shaman said. He put various seeds, plants, and even candy onto the paper. Here is the finished offering. We all took a turn at holding up three coca leaves, saying a silent wish, and blowing three times before putting our leaves around the offering. The three leaves represent the Father Sun, the Mother Earth and the underground or after life. The offering then was put onto of the logs to burn as a offering to Father Sun. Here the Shaman poured liquids around the fire as part of the ceremony. Posing with the Shaman.
Our next stop was a textile cooperative in the town of Chinchero. Here several women from the village were trained to take the wool through the process of bleaching, spinning, dying and weaving it into the finished material. First we had lunch of a stew, made from faba beans and potatoes, and rice. One of the women explained the process to us, step by step. She asked for volunteers for each step. The women also sang and performed a dance. At the end of our visit we were able to shop. Each woman stood behind her family’s wares. It was awkward to buy from one and not all of them. Selling their handicrafts is a way of making a living in Peru.
We then headed back to our hotel in Cuzco for free time before walking to a nearby Italian restaurant for supper. We had had a very busy day. To me this was our best day yet. The “Day in the Life” first hand experiences were fascinating. I came back with a better understanding of everyday life of the rural mestizos. What a contrast to our way of life in the USA!
This morning we checked out of our hotel and headed to the train station. Again we had first an hour and forty-five minute train ride to Ollantaytambo., then a train ride to Cuzco. The scenery we passed was amazing, first jungle than highlands. We passed the start of the Inca Trail and saw hikers and porters on the trail. I was thrilled to see this first hand since our daughter Kate had done this hike in 2010.
Porters loaded down with tents and supplies needed for the hike. They even cook for the hikers. The Inca trail hike takes 4 days and 3 nights to reach Machu Picchu. This is the sign that marks the starting point of the Inca Trail hike. A group of hikers was starting their hike to Machu Picchu. A scene from my window of the highlands on our two hour bus ride back to Cuzco.
We checked into our hotel and after putting our luggage into our rooms, we headed out to lunch. Everything was pre-ordered, so lunch was quick. Then we went immediately on a tour of the central plaza of Cuzco called Plaza de Armas. The Cuzco Cathedral was next. Pepe took our group through the church highlighting the paintings and the elaborate pulpits. I will never forget the painting of the Last Supper with a guinea pig on a plate. It was painted by an Peruvian artist who used their foods in the picture. He also painted a person next to Jesus without a beard. There is speculation that maybe it was Jesus’ younger brother or Mary Madeline. Also there were statues of Jesus on the cross with a long skirt rather than just a loin cloth that we see in our churches.
This church was also on the main square of the plaza diagonal from the cathedral. It is not common to have two churches. This is not the mother Catholic church but is overseen by the Jesuits. Painting of the Last Supper that is in the cathedral. Judas is the one looking away from Jesus. Also notice the person to the right of Jesus. This figure does not have a beard. See the cuy or guinea pig on the plate and The Peruvian vegetables.
This is the beautiful Cuzco Cathedral which is the mother church of the Roman Catholic ArchdioceseIt of Cuzco. It took a hundred years to build and was finished in 1654. An earthquake leveled construction and so they had to start again. When the Spanish conquered the Incas in Cuzco, this church was built on the foundation of the Inca palace. Some feel that this cathedral is the most beautiful one in all of South America. ( In the picture students were practicing marching.)
This is the central fountain in the Plaza de Armas. . The square is where the most important festivals of Cuzco take place such as the Inca Festival and the Festival of Corpus Christi.
Everyone in our group went along with Pepe to a nearby restaurant for supper. Then most of us retired for the evening. Tomorrow we will be going to small villages outside of Cuzco for “A Day in the Life” to learn about the Peruvian culture in the rural areas. O.A.T., Overseas Adventure Travel, feels it is very important to have “hands-on”cultural experiences. Check out tomorrow’s post to find out what we did. Buenas notches!
Today we had a choice to go back to Machu Picchu or to stay at the hotel. Some of our group went for the second hike while some of us choose to stay like I did. I finished my blog post from yesterday then headed out to do some shopping. It’s not easy because you have to divide the soles by three every time to figure out the amount in dollars. Then on top of that you barter which is not my strong suit.
Aguas Calientes is a town in the Urubamba Valley in southeast Peru with a population of about 4,000. It’s the last stop on the Marchu Pichu train. The Urubamba River runs through the center of the town. Aguas Calientes means “hot water” in Spanish because there are hot springs here. It is very hilly and steep. The town blossomed when the railroad to Machu Picchu was finished about 35 years ago. A lot of the construction is new which gives the town a very upscale feel.
Looking down the street from our hotel loaded with stores and restaurants.
Our hotel is built on a hill like as is everything else in the town; the layout is confusing because of all the steps to get to the different levels. My room is on level three which luckily for me was the first floor of rooms. You have to go down steps for the bar and even more steps for the restaurant and lobby, but at least there are hand rails. Machu Pichu and the town would not meet ADA compliance!
The Urubamba River runs through the town, There are bridges connecting the one side of town to the central market area.
Trish and I met up with our group for lunch at a restaurant down the hill from our hotel. Then I went shopping with first Beth and Jana and then another Joann, Scott, and Sharon from our group. There is a beautiful central market and lots of shops and restaurants.
There are dogs everywhere with no leashes just enjoying life. There are carvings all over the town. A few years ago they held a contest inviting local artists to make carvings representing the history of this area. This is the Inca’s Father Sun. This carving was the first place winner.Washlines- Do you remember what they were?Trash and recycling containers in the town are in a shape of a frog. It is a take off from a bar game here i Peru that uses a frogs’ mouths to throw wooden chips into for points.. On our walking tour we passed a soccer stadium where a game was just about to start. Peruvians love their “football”.Outside the stadium were food vendors. We stopped for “a day in the life” experience. This stand was selling freshly made donuts called picarones. Pepe bought three of them and each one of us took a piece to try. They were sticky and very tasty, similar to our PA Dutch funnel cakes.On our walking tour we saw children practicing a traditional dance. I think they enjoy having an audience. For supper we went to a restaurant that had live music. A one-man band was playing Latin American music with a guitar and pipes. The manager of the restaurant treated out whole group to Pisco Sours. Which is traditional Peruvian cocktail . When the Boomba started Joann and Sharon jumped up to dance. Before you knew it Beth and several others from our group joined them. They were the life of the party!
After our dinner we returned to our hotel. We needed to pack since we were leaving at 8 am to take the train then bus back to Cuzco. Yes, I would highly recommend visiting Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. It’s interesting and fun!
This morning we left our hotel in Urubamba. We drove to Ollantaytambo for a tour of the village and it’s plaza. We had toured the archeological park here yesterday and came back now to see the village.
We passed some houses that had names painted on them. These are political ads.The little car in the center is a motor taxi. It is a motorcycle adapted with three wheels. It can take two to three people and are pretty common sight here. This is a cobblestoned street in Ollantaytambo. Some of the walls have been restored to the way they were during the Inca and Pre-Inca times. People who live here cannot change the structures because the town is a archeological site. The doorways in the village and in the temple ruins are all made with slanted sides like a rhombus. This has been why so many of the ruins have survived through earthquakes. Peru in along the “ring of fire”.A mother and her child were selling woven designs. From their dress we know that they are mestizos meaning mixed native Indian and Spanish blood. If you want to take their picture you need to ask permission and give them money. This was a two soles picture!A red flag means that house had chicha, a fermented corn beer, for sale. Although I would have liked some, we did not have time for a stop.
After the town tour we drove to Aguas Calientes where we boarded a train. It was an hour and forty-five minute ride to Machu Picchu.
This is our Machu Picchu Train. There is a glacier on the mountain in the background. Corn is a everywhere in Peru. In this area, it is a large kerneled variety.
After our train ride, we boarded a bus to Machu Picchu. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Only a small group of important Incas were allowed to visit this holy place. It was discovered the archeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911, but was not accessible until the 1940’s when the Inca Trail was discovered. This amazing stone city was built on a ridge surrounded by four higher mountain peaks. How could these people who only lived here about 100 years from about 1450 to 1550 AD have accomplished such an engineering feet? Our tour guide feels that they may have built their sacred temple over preexisting ruins considering the tools they had a that time. Having been built on massive stone foundations, the stones for these temples were placed without mortar so perfectly that they have survived earthquakes and centuries of abandonment.
I made it! This has been on my bucket list ever since daughter Kate was here in 2010! Our tour guide Pepe explained the history of Hiram Bingham’s discovery in 1911 and the restoration work done here later. The windows in the temples and the solar clock show that the Incas worshipped their sun god. The Incas used steps to get to their different levels. Llamas are the official grass cutters at Machu Picchu. Luckily none of the llamas we saw used anyone from our group for spitting practice.A picture of the many terraces below the temples and living areas. Of course, it rained on our tour. But there was an upside- a vivid double rainbow., although it is hard to see it in this picure. I had never seen purple before! What a sight!
All in all, pictures just cannot capture this amazing site with its terraces, living areas, fountains, and the Condor and Sun temples. While we don’t know why the Incas abandoned Macchi Picchu there are many theories such drought, diseases, or being conquered by the Spanish. If only they could tell us.
The hike today was quite challenging for me since our tour was three hours with only a short time to sit. Fortunately our assistant tour guide Richard stayed with me on the end of our tour. Hats off to a job well done to him and enabling me to see this amazing place.
After returning on the bus to Aguas Calentes, we had a delicious supper and then walked to our hotel. Not only are the rooms nice, but they have great wifi which enabled me to write this post. Good night! .
We started the day by driving to Ollantaytambo, a town in the Sacred Valley of south Peru, where there is a large Inca fortress and stone terraces Actually there seem to be Inca and Pre-Inca ruins everywhere. They must have been very busy!
The ruins were quite extensive. You could hike all the way to the top to see the Sun Temple but I opted to go down after the second terrace and explore the ruins on the lower level. In the last picture, Short Beth and Jena did a little shopping; she found this adorable hat for her grandson. I thought I’d like one for mine, but unfortunately it was time to leave Ollantaytambo.
Next stop was rafting the Urubamba River. This was right up my alley. It was a leisure float with a few rapids. It was a challenge for me to keep paddling in sink with the Beth and Mary Beth who were in front of me, since they weren’t in sink with each other. Who should I follow? The good news is that our guide was great and we had a great ride to the exit point!From the river, we cold see the Sky Lodge above. This is a hotel on a cliff that costs about $250 to stay one night. To get there you have to climb rope ladders to the top. I could picture my daughter Kate and her boyfriend Dan up for this adventure. Not for me. Everyone made it to the take out spot so Pepe thought it was a good time to take a group picture! If houses have a red flag or symbol hanging in front of the door, it means they sell and serve chicha, a fermented drink made from corn meal. Pepe thought we needed to stop and try some. I thought it tasted like light beer, so I had a second sample.
Pepe sampling the strawberry chicha.
Dori and the chicha maker.
Ingredients to make the chicha.
Jana trying out the frog drinking game.
The home-hosted lunch was next. We were stopping at Emma’s house. Pepe has known her since he was growing up around Urubamba. Emma was one of his neighbors. She is married and has three daughters. The older girls are twins and are in their second year of college studying tourism. The younger daughter was 12 years old.
To me this was the best part of the trip. I really enjoyed meeting a family who lived in Peru. Helping and sharing a meal helped us to interact with one another. While the girls did speak English, having Short Beth fluent in Spanish was a big plus in order to keep the conversation flowing.
I did try the cuy, guinea pig. It tasted gamey and the skin was really crunchy. One bite was enough for me.
Outside Emma’s house. Our hosts family introduced themselves and invited us inside their home.
Yes, guides pig was on the menu!
Dropping in a tortilla.
Courtyard of house
Frying the tortillas and guinea pig
Yum, golden fried cuy!
Two of the girls singing a song in Spanish.
Outside of their home
Group shot before we left the family.
Our last stop for the day was optional. We went to Pablo Seminario’s pottery shop. Pablo and his wife Marilu have developed an artistic style of pottery that reflects their culture. They are internationally recognized and have their pieces in well-known museums.
Their pottery was beautiful. Even though it was Sunday, we got to meet Pablo and Marilu. In their gift shop I bought a set of of coasters as a souvenir.
All in all, it was a fun filled day, with a lot of active learning. I have just loved our “Day in the Life” experiences. Great immersions into their culture!
Lima, the capital of Peru, lies along the Pacific coast. It is one of South America’s largest cities with a population of almost 10 million. One-third of the people in Peru live in Lima. It has a desert climate. Traffic is one of the biggest problems in Lima. Recently about one million have immigrated to Peru from Venezuela. Since they are taking away jobs from Peruvians it is getting to be a big problem as well.
Many people who work in Lima are vendors or do other jobs that are considered informal. We watched while we saw a man giving the bus driver information of when the last bus had been there. He was an informal scheduler. Informal workers do not pay income taxes to Peru. Only about 35% of Peru’s workers actually pay taxes. This limits the country’s ability to make improvements to the infrastructure and address other social concerns.
Lima was founded by the Spanish Conquistadors in 1535. It soon became the biggest and wealthiest city in the New World. The historic “old city” is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This morning we started our day with a walking tour in the area called “Old Town Lima.”
The old buildings were painted a shade of dark yellow which was their traditional color. We stopped at Dorita’s stand. She gets up at 4 am in order to cook and be at her stand by 7am. She will work all day until after dinner or until she sells out. This vender sold hard boiled eggs with a sauce. She also starts very early in the morning and stays at her stand until the end of the day or until she sells out. A lot of mestizos from the country relocate to the outskirts of Lima and are squatters in “Shanty Town” until they get established and find better jobs. Many have very little education. The Cathedral of LIma located in central plaza, Plaza de Armas. We toured the catacombs here which were under the church. Other buildings surround the square including the Government Palace and the Municipal and Union Palaces.
After the square we went to the National Museum of Archeology, Anthropology and History. Here we got an understanding of Peru’s history from pre-Inca to the Inca’s with their large collection of ceramics, gold and silver items, and textiles.
Silver earrings worn by pre-Incas. Archeologists have found burial sites where the Incas and pre-Incas mummified their leaders in fetal positions surrounded by pottery, food, gold, and silver for the afterlife. Some of the early peoples must have know about drilling a hole in the skull to relieve pressure within the brain. Skulls were found with holes indicating such procedures.
After lunch we had free time to explore on our own. The two Beths, Jana, and I walked to the coast to see the beach. There are cliffs by the ocean.
On Saturday morning we flew to Cuzco. It has an elevation of almost 11,000 feet and is surrounded by mountains. Cuzco was the capital of the Incas and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Andes from my window on the flight to Cuzco. Dori posing with the Sacred Valley of the Incas in the background. Visiting the archeological park of Pisac. Terraces for growing crops covered the hillside at Pisac. At the top of mountain were relics of dwellings. On this mountain side, there were holes. Mummies in fetal positions were found inside these burial holes. Not many other objects were found probably because of looters. Another view of some of the terraces and the mountain passes surrounding Pisac Archelogical Park. This mestizo was selling her textile belts, bracelets, and other items when we were leaving Pisac Archeological Park. This photo cost me 1 sole.
Pepe had our driver stop the bus when he noticed cactus on the side of the road. The leaves were infested with bugs. Pepe took one and smashed it on a piece of paper to show the red coloring. Peruvians use these bugs to get many different shades of red for dying their yarns to make their colorful textiles.
Next we went to our hotel, Agustos Urubamba Hotel. It was beautifully adorned with flowers everywhere and very nice. However, the wifi here was very weak. Real problems for uploading my blog.
Tomorrow we will be exploring the area around Urubamba and rafting on the Urubamba River. Better get some shut eye.
