For our final day in Cusco, Peru, Raul led us on a guided walking tour of San Blas. As Trip Advisor describes it, “This traditional old quarter of Cusco is the city’s most picturesque district characterized by narrow and steep streets, colonial houses built with walls of Incan stone and numerous art workshops.”
I know I will be repeating myself, but it was another gorgeous day! And it was a wonderful way to enjoy our final hours before our group lunch and trip to the airport for our flight home.
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view. These pictures appear in the sequence they were shot.)
Under Homer Simpson, the sign translates as, “Anything beyond 12 steps is not worth it.”
A final visit to the Plaza de Armas
We enjoyed a final meal together before heading home. Our appetizers were beautifully presented and tasty:
If you read my previous 15 posts, you know how much Bruce and I enjoyed exploring Peru. What a wonderful, fulfilling experience! We are grateful to Raul and our fellow travelers in the group for making it so memorable for us.
For my final post, I will be sharing my slide show of Peru. It will take some time to put together but stay tuned!
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!
This had already been such a culturally rich day! So many thoughts and feelings about what we had experienced were bouncing around in my head, but little did I know at the time, there was so much more to come…
We still had much of the afternoon and evening ahead of us, so Raul, our tour leader, offered to take our group to Mercado San Pedro. Bruce and I were the only takers, so the three of us hopped on a local bus to visit Cusco’s largest market.
Although Mercado San Pedro has over 2,000 reviews on Trip Advisor and has been written up in several blogs, Bruce and I appeared to be the only tourists in most of the areas Raul showed us. In addition to the indoor stalls, the market encompasses several streets, so I’m guessing the tourists never make it out to those back streets where the locals shop. But this is where the action was, where I was inspired to shoot photos, and where the awesome assault on my senses was mind-blowing—on top of what was a mind-blowing day (as detailed in my previous post).
This is what travel is all about for me and Bruce; those experiences that awake the senses and have me exclaiming, “Wow, check that out!” incessantly. My friend Al said it perfectly in his comment about my last post, “…Travel is about more than just sightseeing, it’s about being aware of and absorbing the customs and cultures of the people and that has an effect on broadening our personal world-view.”
Pictures can’t possibly tell the full story, because they are only visual. What’s missing are the sounds, smells, and conversations that also took place, in addition to all the other un-photographed sights we took in during our exploration.
We are grateful to Raul for generously giving of his free time to share this meaningful and memorable experience with us!
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
We arrived to a chaotic, bustling street scene that was buzzing with local shoppers.This is one of the back streets behind the indoor market. Look at all that produce!
The prices are in Peruvian currency: 1 Sol = .26 cents US. 1 KG = 2.2 pounds, so these papayas were a deal!
These large avocados cost about .30 cents each!
These strawberries, and ALL of the produce you see on these streets is set up each day by individual sellers. At the end of the day, whatever doesn’t sell is packed back up, loaded onto trucks, and brought back home. Many of these farmers can’t afford their own truck, so they have to pay a driver to haul them and their produce to market each day.
Scenes in the indoor market:
All of the stalls looked similar to this– a mish-mash of all sorts of items stacked up high. I can only imagine what it would look like following an earthquake… And, yes, Peru has earthquakes!
CHOCOLATE!
MORE CHOCOLATE!!
Bruce, Raul, and a vendor who sold me pistachio nuts to give Raul; one of his favorite treats.A mural on the side of the market
Dusk in Cusco
For a light dinner, Bruce and I found a bakery selling chicken empanadas. These were delicious and only USD $1.85 each!
Coming up next: PERU #15: SEEKING OUT THE SOUTHERN VALLEY & SACSAYHUAMAN
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.
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…
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
On most tours of Peru, seeing Machu Picchu is a one-and-done experience. You get one opportunity, so you better hope the weather is good that day. Our Overseas Adventure Travel tour had us scheduled for the afternoon with the opportunity to return early the following morning to see the ruins in different light conditions with far less tourists. There was the hope, too, that if the weather was bad during the afternoon visit, it would be better (or at least different) the next morning.
Well, we hit back-to-back grand slams! What a gorgeous morning! Exploring one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in uncrowded conditions under sunny, blue skies was magical!
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Look closely; that’s a rabbit napping in the nook!
We saw alpaca this morning, too, and they were adorable!
Following our steep, switch-back drive down the mountain from the ruins, we enjoyed a delicious lunch together before exploring the town of Machupicchu (aka Aguas Calientes). Situated on the Urubamba River (aka Vilcanota River), the town is just 3.7 miles from the ruins of Machu Picchu, so it is a busy tourist destination. I thought it had a great vibe, though. Sure, there are tons of restaurants and shops to serve the tourists, but it is beautiful in some respects, too. Surrounded by lush, tropical mountains, the town is hilly, and the river runs right through it.
See those switch-backs beyond the ruins? The bus ride tested my stomach– and my nerves! The drivers were amazing, though.
The train runs in the middle of town (and in front of our hotel).
This was the view from our hotel room window. We left the windows open to enjoy the relaxing sound of the water:
Our lunch at a local restaurant was beautifully presented and delicious!
There are also amazing stone sculptures scattered throughout the town, and Raul took us on a walking tour to see them. These are only some of the many we saw:
Raul also took us to see the cemetery, which was quite different than what we normally would see in the U.S.A. There were high walls of cubicles with a casket in each one. Family members decorate the front of the cubicle with the favorite things of their deceased loved one. While we were there, parents were decorating the cubicle of their deceased daughter in memory of her birthday. They were arranging beautiful flowers, and they stopped to talk with Raul and our group. Their daughter had died in her sleep at the age of 22, and they never learned why it happened. There was no hospital in the town and an autopsy was never done. It was very sad, but we were grateful they shared their story with us.
Traveling to Machu Picchu required a return to Ollantaytambo to catch the train. On our way there, we stopped to visit a woman who makes Chicha (corn beer), a very popular fermented beverage in the region, especially since regular beer is not sold in local stores. She sells a large glass of corn beer at her bar for 50 cents and strawberry corn beer for $1.
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
We learned about the process of making the beer, which begins by removing corn from the cob and spreading it out on plastic sheets. Water is added, and then it is packaged up, covered, and placed in a cool shady spot to ferment for three days. After tasting both flavors, we all agreed it was, uh, an acquired taste. But if you go to Peru and want to buy some, just look for a Chicheria. If it is available for sale, there will be a red flag on a stick out in front of the store.
The beer is fermented in those large clay pots (in the back).
I noticed they also raise guinea pigs, their national delicacy.
At the bar, the favorite activity while drinking corn beer is playing Sapo, a coin toss game:
Our group continued back to Olantaytambo, arriving early enough for Raul to take us on a walking tour of the town before boarding our train. We had previously hiked the ruins and saw the craft market, so Raul took us through other areas of the village where we could see how the locals live and meet a few along the way.
The train ride to Machu Picchu was beautiful, gradually becoming more tropical as we got closer. What a spectacular day! Our research on Machu Picchu had left us with very low expectations for good weather, since we had learned it is often foggy (or rainy) with anywhere from low to no visibility. We figured our luck had to run out at some point. Except for the rain we had in Lucerne, Switzerland, back in May, we had experienced unbelievably fantastic weather during our travels this year. Surely, we would arrive in Machu Picchu and see… nothing.
But we didn’t! When we disembarked the train in town, the sky was blue and full of beautiful “Simpson” clouds (named after the white cartoon cumulus clouds that appear at the beginning of “The Simpsons” TV show.) Glorious!
Next step in the journey: Hop on a bus and head up the hairpin switch-back road to the ruins! We were almost there!
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel that was built on a mountain ridge at an elevation of 7,970 ft—a piece of cake to negotiate after adjusting to the higher altitude of Urubamba.
This was our first glimpse of the mountain view before we saw the ruins:
We learned a great deal of fascinating information and history about the Incas and Machu Picchu during our late afternoon visit (as well as during our return visit the following morning). I will spare you the details, however, and just share my pictures instead.
Our research also revealed that we may see an alpaca at Machu Picchu. As Raul stopped in a roped off area to share some of his vast knowledge of the Incas with us, this gal and her baby waited patiently for him to move, so they could walk past him to graze on the grass. They finally gave up and walked behind him, giving us all a good laugh while Raul was oblivious!
I think Raul finally caught on!
How the Incas built these amazing structures back in the 15th century is beyond me! Look at the detail in both this photo and the one below!
Bruce will soon discover the view from the top was well worth the steep climb!
One last photo of the magnificent view at the end of a beautiful day. That’s me in the lower right corner.
After disembarking the bus in Urubamba, Raul led us down a dusty alley to meet with “Elena” (not her real name) on the patio of her home. The “Controversial Topic” for this tour was the coca leaf industry, and we were there to hear about it first-hand.
The coca leaf, the primary source of cocaine, has been listed as a Schedule 1 substance by the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs since 1961, so it is illegal to use. Coca is a native plant in Peru and Bolivia, however, and has played a significant role in traditional Andean culture for centuries; so, these countries are exempt from this law.
Since ancient times, coca leaves have been an important trade commodity between the lowlands, where it is cultivated, and the higher altitudes, where it is widely consumed to relieve altitude sickness, hunger, and fatigue. Natives either chew the leaves or brew it in a tea known as “Mate de Coca.” There is also a high rate of cocaine use and addiction in Peru.
Elena is a cultivator of coca, selling the leaves in markets and bartering the leaves for produce she is unable to grow. She leaves her home along with other family members in Urubamba at 5:00 AM, travels by train, and then car to her field, arriving at 5:00 PM. (Coca must be grown at a 5,000-foot elevation; Urubamba is at an elevation of 9,420 feet.). Each family member harvests for three days, and then brings 3 kilograms by bus, along with other produce, back to Urubamba.
Until Empresa Nacional de la Coca (ENACO) became a Peruvian state company under private law in 1982, Elena and her family earned double the amount of money for the same amount of coca leaves she could sell legally today. Since 1982, however, ENACO has had a monopoly on the commercialization of coca, buying up all the cultivated coca leaves from 31,000 legal producers at a fraction of its former value, and then selling it to the Stepan Company and other companies for medicinal use. (Much of the crops are also exported to Mexican and Columbian cartels.) How did ENACO become a monopoly? President Garcia, the corrupt president of Peru at the time, was responsible for giving ENACO the sole contract.
Unable to live on half the income she was previously making, Elena now cultivates coca illegally, and then smuggles it onto the bus by hiding it on her person. She brings back produce to avoid looking suspicious. If she gets arrested, she pays off the corrupt police. (They have a habit of reporting far less than what they confiscate, selling off the rest.) She then (very carefully) sells or barters it at local markets.
This has been Elena’s life since the age of 18; she is now 70. Speaking with travel groups from Overseas Adventure Travels is how she supplements her income.
Coming up next: PERU #10: FROM OLLANTAYTAMBO TO MACHU PICCHU
When the Incas arrived in the Urubamba Valley in the 1100’s, they discovered a mild climate and fertile soil, which was conducive for growing fruits and vegetables. As a result, they settled in the area, their civilization and culture grew, and the valley became their sacred land.
As we floated down the Urubamba River, we learned about the Incas from our river guide while taking in the views of the surrounding Andes. We could see the terraces the Incas constructed entirely by hand to grow their food—terraces that are still used today.
Those white structures hanging off the side of the mountain are hotel rooms for hikers!
It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the opportunity to be on the water brought joy to my heart! Although we mostly floated, we had the opportunity to do some paddling over what was billed as “Class 1 Rapids.” That may have been a bit of an exaggeration, but it was still fun!
Our group had split up into three boats, and each guide asked his paddlers to come up with a boat name. I suggested “Buena Onda” for ours, which translates to “Good Vibes.” It was the name Andrea, our Argentina & Chile tour leader, gave to our tour group when we traveled with her back in March. One of the other boats was “Pisco Sour,” named after the favorite regional cocktail, and the other was the “Titanic,”—fitting considering they grounded into some rocks on their way down the river. Fortunately, they fared better than their namesake; at least they didn’t sink.
After our float trip, we stopped at the rafting company’s facility to change into dry clothes. Evidently, they like cats, because they constructed this fabulous cat lodge for them!
Our rafting guide and bus driver with a new friend.
Paddling on the river was followed by hiking at the Ollantaytambo Inca Fortress— just my kind of day! Our entire Peru tour was rated a 4 out of 5 for its “moderately strenuous” level of activity and high altitude, which was perfect for me. I looked forward to hiking around these and the other ruins we visited throughout our tour, even if the air was thin. As a competitive swimmer, I was aerobically fit and I had also prepared by walking fast laps and running stairs while wearing a KN95 mask after my swim workouts. This was a great opportunity to test my fitness.
The spectacular views! We were fortunate to have another sunny day, and the views from the top of the ruins were beautiful! There were only a couple of us from our group that ventured up to the top, so we took turns taking a celebratory photo and stood in awe of what surrounded us.
Back at the foot of the ruins and outside the walls of the national park was a craft market, so I spent the remainder of my free time roaming around shooting photos, while Bruce explored the lower area of the ruins with Raul and a few members from our group.
I’m not a shopper at home, but I love to see the native handicrafts in each country I visit, especially the colorful textiles in Central and South America. They are so photogenic!
Although our day had already been so full of rich culture, history, and excitement, we still had our home-hosted lunch to attend! This is always a favorite activity on an Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) tour, so we looked forward to it. Usually, the group is split up to visit three different homes in smaller group settings; however, that wasn’t possible for this tour due to the lack of available hosts. Instead, we all went to visit the same family at a home with a large enough room to host the entire group.
After meeting the great grandmother, mother, daughters, and great-grandchildren, we assisted with meal preparation and setting the table. In their home, the kitchen is used for all meal preparation except for the cooking which is done outdoors.
The salsa was also prepared outdoors the old-fashioned way, using a rock to chop the ingredients. We took turns giving it a good whack.
Lunch included tasty juice made from black corn, cinnamon, cloves, sugar and key lime. We also had squash soup, delicious vegetable filled tortillas, and guinea pig. Bruce and I gladly offered our shares of guinea pig to Raul. He loves the Peruvian delicacy; we preferred the tortillas and everything else.
After we all bid farewell to the family by presenting them with gifts we had each brought from home, we had one more stop to make before returning to the Villa Urubamba Hotel for a rest before our group dinner.
The granddaughters showing off the new fused glass earrings Bruce had made and given them.
Another activity OAT includes on each tour is meeting with a local for a presentation and question/ answer period on the designated “Controversial Topic.” In Peru, it’s the coca leaf industry, which will be the topic of my next post. Until then, here are scenes photographed on the grounds of the hotel:
Displayed on the wall of our room; they made me smile!
A woman from the area came to the hotel grounds to sell her handicrafts. Here, she is spinning wool the old fashioned way.
She made these dolls and the beautiful costumes they are wearing. I couldn’t resist; I bought the pair, and they sit on our fireplace mantle– Bruce’s recommendation!
Next up: PERU #9: THE CONTROVERSIAL COCA LEAF INDUSTRY
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
Elaine-iaK's Travels: A Traveler's Tales of People, Places, Photos, Pools... and CHOCOLATE! 