Cusco, Pisaq

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Driver picked us up at 8am, his car all cleaned out, playing Peruvian music on his stereo, crucifix hanging from the rear view mirror which he would touch occasionally and then make the sign on the cross on himself. He needed some money for gas - adelente (thank goodness for rosetta stone spanish lessons) then we were on our way to Pisaq, up and over the mountain and into the Sacred Valley. We stopped at a llama farm outside of town where they demonstrate the weaving and dyeing process. All the ladies there speak Quechua not Spanish and so did our driver. He would speak to them and then translate to Spanish for us! ha ha but we mostly did understand. On to Pisaq ruins, a huge mountain of Inka terraces and stairs. The sun was brutal, luckily there are people selling everything you need just when you think of it, a strap to hold your water bottle, a hat, a large glass of freshly squeezed oj and a huge cob of maize to eat after the hike. ( I want one of these oj presses, they´re making fresh squeezed juice everywhere with them, looks like a metal meat grinder - why do we drink that concentrate garbage at home?)
Pisaq was physically too difficult for us both, we were unable to breathe and our heads were pounding with the altitude, we trekked up and down the mountain, amazed at the enormity of it all, unable to capture it in photos but we did take lots. Pisaq market in the town after hiking the mountain then back to Cusco to collapse again in bed for a nap. By the time we woke up early evening, I was really sick and just couldn´t venture out for dinner but hadn´t eaten since breakfast. I stumbled around following Doug looking for a restaurant, carrying a plastic bag for the inevitable emergency. As my bag filled up I decided I had to go back to the hotel and Doug could bring me some food. We stopped first at a farmacia and bought sorochi pills. At that point, I wasn´t above taking an over the counter drug in a third world country, the altitude was killing me. It´s like a migraine that´s so bad, the pressure in your head and lack of oxygen makes you nauseated and my heart rate, normally really low, was racing even as I lay in bed resting. I swear, not 30 minutes after taking it I was better and next day we were both taking them for the duration of our time in Cusco. And we would need them for the marathon at higher altitude next day.

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Photos

Our hotel - Rumi Punku
- has an Inka doorway.

Inside the hotel.
All so anonymous on the outside, the buildings have beautiful courtyards on the inside.

Typical Street .. !?
Very steep in places, lots of the streets are actually stairs, some are made for cars but really shouldn't be.

Famous 12 angle stone.
Amazing Inka stonework, with Spanish Colonial building on top.

Cusco's Cathedral.
again, Spanish building on top of Inka foundations.

Standing on the terraces.
Hard to imagine how big they are until you see it this way.