After nearly a month, Megan and I are finished school and ready to leave Cusco. We fly out tomorrow morning for Buenas Aires. Megan is researching tango shows and cafés as I write this :)
We actually finished school nearly a week ago, but we had one more thing to do, that no trip to Cusco is really complete without: visit Machu Picchu!
We took a guided tour that technically ended at Machu Picchu, but really seemed like two separate trips: 3 days walking thru the Lares Valley and seeing how the locals lived and camping in villages, and one day in Machu Picchu after a night in the best hotel we're likely to see in South America.
The trek was interesting, and our guide's relationships with the locals really gave us a view into their lives. The fully-supported nature felt a bit odd to us, tho, and we probably won't do another similar trek. Machu Picchu was (of course) spectacular, even after having seen many of the other ruins in the Cusco area.
One thing my pre-trip reading hadn't prepared me for was the incredible number of granite walls in the Machu Picchu/Ollantaytambo area. Unfortunately most are covered in a hanging garden of jungle foliage - if it was a bit drier there I might have to move there!
Lots of pics are up on my picasaweb site.
--Dave, Cusco
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Off to the salt mines...
We decided we needed a weekend away from our year away. Cusco is just a wee bit too frantic sometimes...
So we hopped on a local bus to Urubamba, and wandered around until we found a hotel. It was a "one night only" location, but for $10 no problem. Urubamba is a non-tourist town, which was a refreshing change after Cusco. We finally felt like we were really travelling in Peru. Our first local bus and our first (and second) Pisco Sours.
Saturday we awoke early to find: nothing. The locals don´t go out for breakfast, so neither did we. Thankfully we managed to find the bakery and provisioned ourselves with buns and cookies for the day´s hike. There was some intense negotiation in Spanglish before we managed to get a cab ride to the start of our hike, but we ended up exactly where we wanted to be, despite not knowing exactly where that was.
45 minutes of hiking brought us to the salt mines at Salineras. Inanticipation of a long day´s hike thru the high desert, we´d started with 5 liters of water. This was a bit of over-preparing, as thereis an ice cream stand at the salt mines. You can also buy water, snacks,and a full alpaca-wool suit in stylish bright red and orange.
Salineras
Happy Megan: first shade since we started and ice cream!
The tourist-attraction shops are a sharp contrast to the workers in the salt mines, who manually fill and extract huge bags of salt using nothing but human and donkey muscle-power.
We shared a taxi with a visiting american doctor to the start of our next hike, 5 kilometers along a gentle trail surrounded by farms in the foothills of the andes. Despite a near-miss with a bull and some large pigs (Megan no le gusta pigs) we made it to Moray, an ancient Inca site thought to be an experimental agricultural nursery.
After Moray it was taxis and Buses to our next village, the slightly more touristy town of Pisac. Above the current town are some magnificent Incan ruins, also called Pisac. We spent the night in another "economical"location, with a fantastic view across the Sacred Valley. The next morning we got a leisurely start, had breakfast, and started up the hill. Imagine two Grouse Grinds at 11,000 feet. We was winded! Exploring the ruins was well worth the climb though.
Dave´s shirt, after hiking to the salt mines and Pisac.
Guess who was carrying the backpack!
After the climb down we still had to contend with the bus back to Cusco. Standing the whole way, and barely room to inhale. But only 80 cents!
Back to school this morning - next weekend Machu Pichu!
-- David y Megan, Cusco
So we hopped on a local bus to Urubamba, and wandered around until we found a hotel. It was a "one night only" location, but for $10 no problem. Urubamba is a non-tourist town, which was a refreshing change after Cusco. We finally felt like we were really travelling in Peru. Our first local bus and our first (and second) Pisco Sours.
Saturday we awoke early to find: nothing. The locals don´t go out for breakfast, so neither did we. Thankfully we managed to find the bakery and provisioned ourselves with buns and cookies for the day´s hike. There was some intense negotiation in Spanglish before we managed to get a cab ride to the start of our hike, but we ended up exactly where we wanted to be, despite not knowing exactly where that was.
45 minutes of hiking brought us to the salt mines at Salineras. Inanticipation of a long day´s hike thru the high desert, we´d started with 5 liters of water. This was a bit of over-preparing, as thereis an ice cream stand at the salt mines. You can also buy water, snacks,and a full alpaca-wool suit in stylish bright red and orange.
Salineras
Happy Megan: first shade since we started and ice cream!
The tourist-attraction shops are a sharp contrast to the workers in the salt mines, who manually fill and extract huge bags of salt using nothing but human and donkey muscle-power.
We shared a taxi with a visiting american doctor to the start of our next hike, 5 kilometers along a gentle trail surrounded by farms in the foothills of the andes. Despite a near-miss with a bull and some large pigs (Megan no le gusta pigs) we made it to Moray, an ancient Inca site thought to be an experimental agricultural nursery.
After Moray it was taxis and Buses to our next village, the slightly more touristy town of Pisac. Above the current town are some magnificent Incan ruins, also called Pisac. We spent the night in another "economical"location, with a fantastic view across the Sacred Valley. The next morning we got a leisurely start, had breakfast, and started up the hill. Imagine two Grouse Grinds at 11,000 feet. We was winded! Exploring the ruins was well worth the climb though.
Dave´s shirt, after hiking to the salt mines and Pisac.
Guess who was carrying the backpack!
After the climb down we still had to contend with the bus back to Cusco. Standing the whole way, and barely room to inhale. But only 80 cents!
Back to school this morning - next weekend Machu Pichu!
-- David y Megan, Cusco
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Finally, a horseback ride.
Megan's been promising to take me horseback riding for 2 years, and today we finally went! We were planning to visit an incan ruin near Cusco, called Saqsaywaman, but Marina (our fabulous homestay 'mum') suggested that we take a horseback ride and see a few other ruins as well. She also mentioned that most touristas can´t pronounce the name, calling it 'sexy woman' instead. There were a few hiccups (you can´t actually ride all the way) but it was a fabulous day. Weather was "unsettled" - 5 minutes hail, 5 minutes brilliant sunshine, repeat - but the horses kept us warm, and hail doesn´t really get you that wet...
I neglected to take any web-sized pics until after we dropped the horses off, just before we returned to the main ruin.
Sexy Woman this way!
The other ruins that we saw were all smaller, and Megan and I were actually more impressed by the terraced farms and natural andean gorgeousness than the 'piles of rocks.' Once we got to Saqsaywaman, we were a bit more impressed. Most of the stones used here are over 10 feet high!
Megan and some big rocks
Records of the construction are a bit hazy, as the site was trashed during a war in the 17th century, with the general consensus being that it was designed as a temple of the sun.
All the work done way back then has left an amazing legacy, tho: thousands of offwidth boulder problems!
Dave about to get noticed by security
We walked back down to Cusco, and stopped for some mate de coca and yummy chocolate cake. Peruano food is incredible!
The sun was out by the time we were back in town, so we hid all our valuables away and headed home, via the Place des Armes. Surrounded by beautiful old churches, this is the tourist spot in Cusco. I´m pretty sure that 20 soles vanished from my pocket while we chilled out here yesterday. Cheap lesson in keeping an eye out...
Place des Armes
Old Church. TBD: find the name...
I neglected to take any web-sized pics until after we dropped the horses off, just before we returned to the main ruin.
Sexy Woman this way!
The other ruins that we saw were all smaller, and Megan and I were actually more impressed by the terraced farms and natural andean gorgeousness than the 'piles of rocks.' Once we got to Saqsaywaman, we were a bit more impressed. Most of the stones used here are over 10 feet high!
Megan and some big rocks
Records of the construction are a bit hazy, as the site was trashed during a war in the 17th century, with the general consensus being that it was designed as a temple of the sun.
All the work done way back then has left an amazing legacy, tho: thousands of offwidth boulder problems!
Dave about to get noticed by security
We walked back down to Cusco, and stopped for some mate de coca and yummy chocolate cake. Peruano food is incredible!
The sun was out by the time we were back in town, so we hid all our valuables away and headed home, via the Place des Armes. Surrounded by beautiful old churches, this is the tourist spot in Cusco. I´m pretty sure that 20 soles vanished from my pocket while we chilled out here yesterday. Cheap lesson in keeping an eye out...
Place des Armes
Old Church. TBD: find the name...
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Learning un poco de Español
We've spent two days in school now, Megan's spanish is getting prety good, and Dave actually knows a word or two. Our brains are full after 4 hours of class as well as meals in spanish with our homestay family. They are extremely patient with us during our 'conversations' at meals. 
Our home for the next two weeks.
Iglesia de Santo Domingo from Avenida del Sol
Our home for the next two weeks.
We have learned from our family that Peru is in a recession and work is very difficult for most people to find. Tourism is an important source of income. For our family, boarding spanish students has been the primary source of income for the last seven years. Otherwise, work is only sporadically available.
Today we went for a walk through Cusco before school, and saw some amazing weaving (no pictures allowed, sorry) and then walked to an old church. We discovered that we were able to breathe almost normally, after two days' acclimatisation.
Iglesia de Santo Domingo from Avenida del Sol
--Megan y David, Cusco
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Mmmm, Coca Tea
We arrived yesterday, after 36 hours in transit (including 10 hours in the lima airport).
A bit tired still, but so far no altitude problems(coca tea is yummy:).
Our homestay is wonderful! Comfy bed, super-friendly family, great food, ...
Also a dog and a kitten. Me gusta!
It´s a bit chilly at night here (at 10,800 feet). Last night we slept with two heavy blankets, two sheets, long johns (Megan) and a down sleeping bag! But it´s sunny today and warmer.
Off to explore, pictures coming soon...
-- Megan y David, Cusco
A bit tired still, but so far no altitude problems(coca tea is yummy:).
Our homestay is wonderful! Comfy bed, super-friendly family, great food, ...
Also a dog and a kitten. Me gusta!
It´s a bit chilly at night here (at 10,800 feet). Last night we slept with two heavy blankets, two sheets, long johns (Megan) and a down sleeping bag! But it´s sunny today and warmer.
Off to explore, pictures coming soon...
-- Megan y David, Cusco
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