Tag Archives: Cuzco

PERU #15: SEEKING OUT THE SOUTHERN VALLEY & SACSAYHUAMAN

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Another day of hiking and exploring was scheduled, so I was hoping (once again) for good weather.  And (once again!), we were greeted with another gorgeous day!

We ventured off south of Cusco to explore Tipon (elevation 11,400 feet), the site of ancient Inca waterworks where a maze of irrigation channels and ritual baths were built in the 1300’s.  Amazingly, water still continues to flow in these channels.

I hiked up above the archaeological park so I could get a panoramic view—and what a view it was! 

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Zooming in from high up above our group. Bruce is third from the left.
I continued to climb higher above the ruins and was greeted by this elaborately carved warning sign on what NOT to do.
The spectacular view was worth the climb!
That tiny person waving from down below was Bruce.
Water still flows through the irrigation channels built centuries ago.

After hiking around the site and learning about the history from Raul (an amazing fountain of knowledge!), we visited the small town of Oropesa, known for making a special bread called pan chuta.  The huge wheel-shaped loaves, made with wheat, eggs, flour, lard, and sugar (and other ingredients, depending on the baker), are traditionally offered as a gift to the host when visiting a home in the Cusco area.  If you want to know which shops have fresh bread available for purchase, just look for a bright yellow bag tied to a stick out front.  The town has 90 bread ovens in use, so chances are you will score on a loaf.

After watching how it was made at a small bakery, Raul bought some for us to taste—a wonderful snack after our morning hike!  It was so soft and delicious—especially the bread with dulce de leche in the center.  A loaf of this tasty, cake-like bread cost only 10 Peruvian Sol; $2.63 at today’s exchange rate.  Without the dulce de leche, the cost of a loaf is half of that.

As we made our way out of town, Raul noticed a man making traditional bricks by hand, so he had our bus driver stop so we could watch the process.  This guy worked fast!  We timed it from start to finish, and it took just 32 seconds to make a brick, which costs .60 Sol to purchase—about .15 cents. 

The man explained to Raul that straw is mixed in with the adobe mud for stability and strength.  Time is money, so the more he works without a break, the better. To keep from getting hungry and thirsty while making the bricks, he chews on coca leaves, common with Peruvian laborers.

What an interesting, impromptu stop!  Along with visiting the bakery, it was a great experience seeing how the locals work and earn their living. On this tour, we had so many of these opportunities (described in my previous posts), and Raul could not have been a better guide to enable these experiences.

On our way to our next stop, we passed by the public university where Raul was educated.  He explained how typically about 500 students compete for only 30 available seats each year by taking a two-hour, 100-question test; the top 30 get in.  The reason it is so competitive is that private universities are very expensive for most Peruvians.  Kudos, Raul, for making the cut!

After enjoying lunch at a restaurant with a panoramic view of the city below, we visited Sacsayhuaman, the historical capital of the Inca Empire and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This ancient fortress, located in the hills on the outskirts of Cusco, is at an elevation of 12,142 feet, the highest elevation I had hiked in Peru.  We were well-adjusted to elevation by that point, but several members of our group decided to enjoy the views from the bottom.  I couldn’t wait to take off and explore on my own after Raul shared interesting facts about the construction and history of the archaeological site. 

How on earth the Incas built it in the 1400’s is a mystery; archeologists don’t even know.  The largest of the massive limestone boulders weighs 400,000 pounds!  Somehow, the workers carefully cut them so they would fit tightly together like a puzzle without mortar.  They are so tight a piece of paper can’t fit between them!

The longest of the three walls is 1,310 feet and about 19 feet high.  If you were to view Sacsayhuaman from the air, you would see the shape resembles the head of a puma. 

These rocks depict a puma’s paw:

A steep hike up the fortress rewarded me with a fabulous panoramic view.

After returning to the hotel, I still had some walking in me, so I wandered over to the market across from the hotel.  It was very quiet; only a few tourists roamed the aisles.  It was a wonderful opportunity to do some photography and enjoy the bright colors that surrounded me. 

A large wall mural painted on the back wall of the market
Another wall mural
I bought some place mats from this sweet lady. I remember her fondly when we enjoy our evening meal!

Next up:  PERU #16:  SPECTACULAR SAN BLAS

PERU #13: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ISKUCHACA AND CHINCERO VILLAGES

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What I enjoyed so much about this tour of Peru was the wonderful mix of exploring amazing historical sites such as Machu Picchu, learning about the Incas, seeing how the locals work and live, and interacting with them.  The “Day in the Life” experience on each Overseas Adventures tour is all about those last two in the mix, so this was my kind of day!

It was a day full of cultural discoveries, beginning with a visit to Izcuchaca (elevation 11,000 feet), a village in the Anta Province of Cusco.  The popular and most cost-effective mode of transportation in Peruvian villages is by moto taxi, so we did what the locals do.  Our bus dropped us off in town, and Raul hailed several moto taxis for our group of 16 to take us to the local mercado (market).  These three-wheeled covered motorcycles are cheaper than a car taxi—about 25 cents a ride.  Want to buy one of these three-wheelers?  A new one will set you back about $2,600.

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

How about warm homemade corn beer? That large Coca Cola bottle of plain beer will cost you about 50 cents. Double it for strawberry.

I enjoy wandering through a local, (non-touristy) market where I can observe, explore, do photography, and interact with the vendors using what little Spanish I can speak.  At this market, there was a busy soup counter filled with workers on their lunch break enjoying huge bowls of hearty chicken soup for about $2.75. 

To put the cost of food in perspective, the minimum monthly wage in Peru is about $304—not a lot to live on.  As a result, poverty is high; the official poverty rate in Peru is 32-35%, but 60-70% in rural areas.  There is no welfare system, so both parents must work for a family to survive, leaving their children to fend for themselves with not much parental attention. 

As I wandered the market while Bruce went off in another direction, a few curious looks came my way, but nobody bothered me.  We found Peruvians in general to be a bit shy and quiet, but friendly when approached with a few words of Spanish.

This 76-year-old man runs a cycle taxi service.

Next on the “Day in the Life” agenda was visiting a family at their home in the Chacan community.  This family of farmers has four bulls for breeding, pigs, guinea pigs, and a burro.

They grow their own corn and other produce that they take to the market on Sundays to sell. They can’t afford their own truck, so they pay a driver to pick them up with their produce.  They also can’t afford to buy a tractor for working the fields, so they rent one for about $25 per hour.

After touring their farm, we had the opportunity to ask the family questions with Raul as our translator. They were so warm and friendly and seemed to really enjoy having us at their home.

On our way to our next destination, we stopped at a viewpoint where locals were selling their wares:

Next, we visited the “Medicine Man,” an Andean Shaman who performed a healing ceremony.  Although Peru is a Catholic country, about 75% of its people practice going to a Shaman.

Offerings were given to the Pachamama (Mother Earth) by packaging and burning them, and the Shaman wished for good health and safe travels for each of us. 

This was a very culturally full day, but we weren’t finished yet!  We experienced all of that before lunch!

Our next stop was Chinchero Village at a textile weaving co-op where they prepared lunch for us and demonstrated the textile dyeing and weaving processes.  The women of the co-op all wore black skirts which represents Pachamama.

During the demonstration, they explained how the wool is cleaned using jicama that is grated in water.  It is strained and agitated, washed, and then dried in the sun before being dyed.  Natural fruits, plants, parasites, or lichen are used for the dyes.  Purple corn, for example, is used to dye wool purple, and cactus beetles are used to make red dye.  Salt is added to fix the color into the wool. 

This beautiful hanging we bought from the weaver was made with a design representing serpents (white) and puma claws (in between the white serpents).  The colorful stripes represent the Cusco flag.  It took this weaver four months to make and it cost about $150.  She was also the cook for our lunch!

Chirimoya fruit
Lucamer fruit

We returned to Cusco to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon and evening on our own, but Raul made us an offer we couldn’t resist—the topic of my next post.

Next up:  PERU #14: MIND-BLOWING MERCADO SAN PEDRO

PERU #12: COLONIAL CUSCO

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We bid “adios” to Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes and took the train back to Ollantaytambo.  Our tour bus met us there to drive us to Cusco (“Cuzco” in Spanish) where we would be staying for the remainder of the tour.

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

It was a lovely day for a drive!

Cusco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is at an elevation of 11,200 feet, so there were times Bruce and I could feel our respiration rate increase as we hoofed it around town during our free time. 

Now a city of about 428,000 people, it is the capital of the Cusco province.  Back in the 13th to 16th centuries, it was the capital of the Inca Empire.  That all ended when the Spanish came…

I like the colorful flag of Cusco.

Raul led us on a walking tour of Cusco to explore what the Incas had called “the navel of the world.”  The city was laid out in the shape of a puma, which was sacred to the Incas.

The heart of the city is Plaza de Armas, and its centerpiece is the colonial 17th-century cathedral.

Our favorite stop on the tour was Museo Maximo Laura, which exhibited the vibrant collection of Laura’s tapestries.  Check out the link, and I’m sure you will agree the museum is colorful eye candy!  We were amazed at the explosion of colors and intricate designs of these labor-intensive works of art.

Thankfully, the signs posted encouraged its guests to take photos and post them on social media.  I was overjoyed to do so!  Sharing Maximo Laura’s work with you is my pleasure.

More scenes around Cusco:

Santo Domingo Convent
The view from the convent

We wrapped up the beautiful day by returning to the plaza for an evening stroll.

Next up:  PERU #13: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ISKUCHACA AND CHINCERO VILLAGES

PERU #7: THE SACRED VALLEY SURPRISE & PISAC RUINS

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Our time in Lima turned out to be so much more enjoyable than we expected, and we knew it was only going to get better from there—assuming we could adapt to the dramatically increased altitude we were about to experience.  Altitude sickness could hit anybody, no matter how fit and healthy you are.  The only thing we could do is stay very hydrated, abstain from alcohol, and follow the other medical recommendations I had researched.  Not only would we be seeing Machu Picchu on this tour, but we would be visiting other ruins and towns at even higher altitudes, so it was important to stay disciplined. 

Seeing these high-altitude destinations requires flying into Cusco, which is at an elevation of 11,200 feet—quite an increase from sea level!  We would be returning to stay in Cusco at the end of our tour, but on this day, our final destination was Urubamba (elevation 9,420 feet), in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.  Sleeping at a lower elevation was the recommended way to ease our transition to the high altitudes of the Andes, so Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) planned the itinerary perfectly.

Before arriving in Urubamba, however, we would be making stops along the way to see Inca ruins.  At one point, we encountered a blocked road full of people– something we had not expected given the sparse population of the area.  We saw a crowd and wondered what had happened.  Nothing happened; it was another parade!  After encountering a surprise parade in Lima, we never thought it would happen again, but it did; and it was fabulous!

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

The parade and festival was celebrating Virgen del Carmen, an annual celebration that draws thousands of Peruvians and tourists to Pisac .  Raul, of course, knew all about it, but he wanted to surprise us.  He was hoping our timing would be right for the parade, and it was spot-on.   Encouraging us to jump out of the bus and join in on the fun, I didn’t hesitate.  I grabbed my camera and told Bruce I would meet him at the end of the route where the bus would catch up to us.  It was too crowded and chaotic to stick together, and the bus wasn’t going anywhere until the parade concluded.  So, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!  And that we did!

What a joyous, colorful, and noisy celebration!  The participating folkloric dance groups were dressed in amazing handmade costumes, competing for the top prize.  Each year, many hours are spent making each new costume by hand with every sequin and applique sewn on individually.  What a feast for the eyes!  The entire experience was a great introduction to the culture of the Sacred Valley.

Notice her brown hat as well as the white and black hats worn by the women above? The color indicates the class and status of each woman and where they are from. This woman’s brown hat indicates she is from the Andes.

After we piled back on the bus, we ascended along a switchback road above the Vilcanota River to explore the Pisac Ruins.  A well-preserved ancient Inca complex, it is one of the top historical sites to visit in the Sacred Valley and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

So far, so good!  The high altitude hadn’t registered with my body yet, so I was able to climb up to the top of the ruins at 11,400 feet to enjoy the beautiful vista of the Sacred Valley.

During our hike, we were greeted by some very mellow and tame resident alpacas!  They have become so used to people; they were unfazed:

The purpose of the terraced complex was to keep an eye on and control the tribes who lived below.  In the following picture, note the holes in the hillside.  These holes were burial sites where the dead were buried in a fetal position:

On the way to our hotel, Raul had the bus driver pull over and asked this woman selling roasted guinea pig if she would come aboard to show us. Guinea pig is a delicacy in Peru; however, I grew up with my sister’s pet guinea pigs…

In the late afternoon, we arrived in Urubamba at the beautiful Villa Urubamba Hotel.  I will post more pictures in my next blog, but this is the musician who entertained us at dinner this evening.  I enjoyed his music so much, I bought his downloads, which I will use in my slide show which will appear in my last Peru blog post:

Eder Alvarez Alejos of NativAndina

Fortunately, the altitude never made either of us sick.  I had a headache that first night—nothing a couple of Tylenol couldn’t cure by the next morning.  A few others in our group weren’t so fortunate!

Coming up next:  PERU #8: RAFTING THE URUBAMBA RIVER, EXPLORING OLLANTAYTAMBO INCA FORTRESS, AND A HOME-HOSTED LUNCH