Urubamba - Day 5

Wednesday, May 27

Our focus today was on the Urubamba Valley, from its early times to present day life.

The sun was shining beautifully this morning and was perfect for a lazy raft ride on the Urubamba River.

I say lazy because, since this is the dry season, the river is not fast and it was more of a float trip. But more time to relax, enjoy the scenery and take pictures.

Afterwards we went to the nearby Ollantaytambo ruins where Pepe gave us a complete tour of the well-preserved site.

It was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti who conquered the region and built a town and ceremonial center in the 15th century.  It is characterized by these terraces which were used as a kind of retaining wall for the mountain rather than for farming.

We walked up more than 200 steps to reach the top where we saw the ruler's throne and the Temple of the Sun, from whom the emperor received his divine power. Everything we climbed faced Mount Pinkuylluna on the right where the sun rose.

This view from the back shows where the people farm today, with a glacier in the background.

Afterwards, we stopped in a "bar" for a cultural experience. I use the term bar loosely because bars are often set up in the kitchens of people's homes. The only alcohol that is sold is "chicha," a mild beer made from fermented corn. It is home brewed in large batches and must be consumed within a day or two. Customers know when a bar is open because the "proprietor" puts a long stick with a flag or some other kind of marker in front.

We tasted the chicha, which was kind of sour, but our hostess made one with strawberries and sugar and it was quite tasty.

This particular bar was quite enterprising. In a room next door to the kitchen she was raising guinea pigs, and she had a small gift shop on the premise.

Then we left for our lunch hosted by a local resident.

This was an interactive experience. I won't go into much detail or show pictures, although the whole experience was very interesting. First we watched how Emma, our hostess killed the guinea pig (quickly with a twist of the neck), removed the fur (leaving on the skin), and prepared it for frying. Then we learned how to make Peruvian tortillas, with corn flour, potatoes, eggs, and seasonings and then fried like a roll. Lunch was delicious with potato soup, a pasta dish, lupine beans, rice, and, of course, "cuy," the Peruvian name for the animal. We all tried a small piece and it tasted like chewy chicken. Then we all gave her hostess gifts we had brought from home.

One more stop for the day was to an artist's studio. His name is Seminario, but unfortunately, he was not there. But his work is exquisite and he employs 50 local people in his workshop. He originally was an architect but decided to become an artist. He started out selling sculptured clay houses on the street in Cusco and the rest is history.  

Loved this picture of his studio - it looks so typical of an artist.

Tonight, before we went to dinner, Pepe hosted us at the bar with a lesson on how to make Pisco Sours. They resemble whiskey sours because an American on tour invented it years ago and it stuck. Then we went to a local restaurant and enjoyed one of Peru's most popular dishes, "pollo a la brasa"(rotisserie-style chicken) which was very good. Tomorrow - Machu Picchu!

Lima to Cuzco - Day 4

Tuesday, May 26

Today was an unbelievably packed day. We were up and headed for the airport by 6:30 am. Our flight to Cuzco was comfortable and we arrived at 10:30. We boarded our private bus and drove through Cuzco (we'll be back later) to Qenko. This is an archaeological site with naturally occurring rock formations. It is believed to be a place of worship and where sacrifices took place. This photo shows the amphitheater and, on the right, a monolithic rock which may have resembled a puma or other spiritual symbol. There is evidence the stone was worshipped.

We did get a lovely view of Cuzco from the ruins.

We continued our journey by bus to the Urubamba Valley, which is at 9,000 ft elevation, to reduce our chances of altitude sickness from Cuzco, which is at 11,000 ft. 

Along the way we discovered these villagers who were having an annual market to sell (or trade) livestock.

Loved the woman selling her chicken and guinea pigs.

And I love accessorizing a traditional outfit with a Mickey Mouse baseball cap.

We stopped to eat our box lunches overlooking the Urubamba River Valley. Below we could see the village of Taray, with its neatly drawn streets and squares. Pepe said this was one of the villages created by the Spanish to provide better control over the indigenous people.

We then continued to drive through the valley and Pepe pointed out the farming in these communities, particularly the quinoa. Although it is a staple of the Peruvian diet, it is becoming expensive because of the world demand.

A highlight of the day was visiting the Inka Pisac ruins.

Noteworthy are the agricultural terraces carved into the steep hilłside.

They enabled greater food production than would normally be possible.

We also saw the Inka tombs, holes dug into the side of the mountain where bundled mummified bodies were buried. 

We took a short hike to the doorway of the "hitching post to the sun." This was an important ceremonial center and Pepe showed us how the door could be blocked off to prevent entrance. Also note this door is a trapezoid -as are many doors and windows in Inka construction. This enabled the buildings to better withstand earthquakes.

Several traditional Andean weavers ply their craft while they sell their wares outside of the ruins.

 

Two more impromptu stops on our way to our final destination. One  to see a woman roasting guinea pig on a stick. A full meal with the pig is about $11.

Another stop was in a small village next to where we are staying. They were celebrating "the Crossing of the Crosses" which is held about this time each year in these villages.  It coincides with the appearance of the "Southern Cross" constellation in the night sky. (We can't see it in US.) It is visible in early winter (May), and signifies the end of the harvest. The celebration includes 7 crosses and a parade.

We had an early dinner at our hotel The Urubamba and turned in early.

Lima - Day 3

Monday, May 25

This day was dedicated to exploring Lima's history, culture and religion. 

We started off on a bus tour of the city with a lovely young tour guide named Vanessa who told us some more interesting facts about the city.

Although it is situated on the Pacific coast, the city's beaches are not very useable. They are narrow and stony. Secondly, the water is very cold and is only 56 degrees year round. This is due to a current that flows from Antartica. Surfers love the waves here but they all wear wet suits.

Our first stop was to Larco Museum.

We were supposed to go to the Archeological Museum but it is closed on Mondays. This is a private museum run by a wealthy family who collected many artifacts from the previous centuries. Much of it was pottery. Our guide pointed out that people lived here 16,000 years ago but only had pottery as of 4,000 years ago. Even then, much of it was used for religious ceremonial purposes rather than everyday life. We saw a few interesting pieces from pre-Columbian times.

There were only a few textiles, but one was of particular interest. It was a small piece, about 3" x 6" and made with vicuña thread. The thread count was 300 stitches to an inch! I did read that from 1300-1500 AD, weavings were considered as valuable as gold and silver.

We also saw a "quipus," which was an accounting system using cords and knots. Some say it might resemble the binary code system but no one knows for sure. Unfortunately, the Spanish burned most of them.

There were also exhibits of gold and silver, especially some used in burials. Included was a Huari mummy of a 5-year-old child from the 8th century which has never been opened.

Our tour ended at the  Erotica Museum with items from the Moche period. The natives celebrated their sexuality and made sculptures depicting various sexual acts.

From the Larco, we took the bus to the center of Lima where we visited The San Franciscan Monastery.

Noteworthy about this site was a trip through the underground catacombs containing the crypts of wealthy people up to the early 19th century.

Then we walked along the city streets to the Plaza Mayor. Along the way we were stopped by several women in traditional Andean attire selling "chicklets" (gum) and other trinkets. (Notice the child on her back.)

Then I saw a very tired

musical group waiting to give another street performance. It made me think about what Pepe said about "informal" work. Everyone has to do something to eat. Peru has no welfare.

The Plaza Mayor was beautiful with its large open square and flanked by the Cathedral of Lima, the President's residence and other neo-colonial buildings.

We returned to the hotel for lunch on our own.

Then at 3, Pepe took some of us to Huaca Pucllana, a massive pre-Inka Adobe pyramid site.

Built by the Limoans between 200 and 700 AD, it was just used for religious ceremonial purposes and the people lived around it. The construction was composed of flat hand-formed bricks that were dried in the sun and then stacked vertically. A layer of mud was spead over the stacked bricks and another layer was added.

The preservation and restoration of this site has only been going on since 1981. It is a massive site but was once much bigger.

Tonight we went to a restaurant for a traditional Peruvian meal and to watch some dancing.

Lima - Day 2

Sunday, May 24

We were greeted by the sun this morning, but it was short-lived. Although rain is unlikely here, Lima is often draped in a low, moist cloud, known as "garua" from May to October -- and it moved in by noon. Such a sky makes one forget that Lima is a desert, in fact, one of the driest in the world. Thank goodness for the rivers that run from the Andes mountains to the ocean.

After checking into our hotel at 1:30 am, we slept in and had our first orientation at 11. It was on the top of the hotel where I snapped this lovely view of the city.

We met our guide Pepe Campoy and the other 14 participants. Pepe gave us an overview of the tour and told us a little about the country. Peru has 30 million inhabitants, and 10 million (or one-third) live in Lima. There are 3 geographic regions - the desert along the coast, the Andean plateau and the jungle.

Then he took us on a walking tour of the area of Miraflores where our hotel, the Jose Antonio, is located. After walking along Ave. Larco, we came to Kennedy Park, which was well populated on a Sunday afternoon with families, lovers and "entrepreneurs." Pepe told us that many people work "informally." This means that they work for themselves on a cash basis and usually pay no taxes. Often this means "making work." These shoe shine men in the park are an example. Pepe said that in Peru, if you don't work, you don't eat. 

There were also artists selling their wares along the street. I found a delightful small piece for only 20 sol (less than $7) from this gentleman. 

I was also impressed with this man's work.

Then we had lunch at Vista del Mar. My appetizer was yellow potatoes stuffed with shrimp, which was intriguing and delicious. Of course, there was some corn slipped in for texture. And the fish entre was excellent.

Afterwards we split up and I took a walk back on the sidewalk of Malecon Cisneros along the Pacific coast. The shoreline is not your typical beach. It has these high sandy cliffs that drop off down to the narrow beaches.

But the city has done an excellent job of sculpting beautiful parks and commissioning artwork to enhance the walk. Three pieces which stand out are "Intihuatana," the hitching post in Quechua by Fernando de Szyszio, "The Kiss," a monument to love by Victor Delfin and "Silencio" by Jose Tola.

Along the way, I could also see people hang gliding off the cliffs. Too scary for me but I loved watching them.

Tonight Pepe and I went to the Circuito Magico del Agua at Parque de la Reserva. Throughout the park are 13 magical fountains that make an awesome display of water, light and music.

Although the park has been there since 1929, the fountains were opened in 2007 to rejuvenate the aging grounds. At first people complained about the $13 million price tag, but now they love it. On a beautiful Sunday evening, it was packed with families with their children dodging the water in some of the fountains, watching the changing patterns of light and water, and enjoying the music.

There's a tunnel of water which you can walk through and stay relatively dry and another where you can stand between spouts without getting wet.

(See me in the tunnel?)

All this for only 4 sols (less than $1.50). (I didn't even have to pay that -- seniors get in free!) What a great way to end my first day in Peru!

Louisville to Lima

Saturday, May 23

Peru -- another place on my "bucket list" that I finally decided to explore. I think I have wanted to go here for decades and this year I decided to take the leap. Of course, it helps if you have close friends whom you admire who have also made this journey -- and most of them with the same outfitter - Overseas Adventure Travel. I was really convinced last summer when my Family Nature Summit friend Jerry shared his fabulous photos with me. I knew I couldn't wait any longer (still couldn't find someone to join me) so I signed up as a single. No single supplement with OAT. Yeah! And Jerry and I both got a $100 discount from OAT because of his referral of me. (He used his discount to go to Africa!)

Peru is a big place --- it's the size of California, New York, Texas and Maine together -- so most trips just take in the highlights. Obviously, everyone's objective is to visit the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. But this particular trip focuses on the entire Sacred Valley (where the ruins are located).  Of special interest to me are the many villages sprinkled throughout the valley and mountains that are still involved in traditional textile crafts.  We will get to visit some of these villages, observe their processing of the alpaca wool, the dyeing and weaving. We will also be hosted in a home for lunch and visit a school. Part of my packing included gifts for the children and a hostess gift. We even get to raft on the Urubamba River.

So now I'm in the Atlanta Airport, waiting for my flight. I leave at 6 pm and arrive in Lima about midnight, with a 1 hour time difference (it will be 1 am my time.) Hopefully,  my OAT guide will greet me there with a big yellow sign.

We will spend 3 nights in Lima

before heading to Cusco (also Cuzco) for the next 6 nights (with 1 in Agua Calientes.)

I'm off -- leaving Louisville and the horses behind!