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(P) We are presently safe and sound in Cusco, about to head off on the 42km, 4-day trek to the ´lost´city of the Incas...a bit nervous, but very excited too. Have become fairly used to the way of life here (not least of all bumping into llamas strolling along the street, really) - it seems more than a couple of weeks since we left Blighty, and many of you will be pleased to here that it´s winter here so not that hot at all! A "quick" (in Paula´s sense of the word) rundown of our trip so far:
01 May 07 - arrived in Lima, although the capital city I was surprised at how modern it looked and at the first things that stood out to me between the airport and the hostel: adverts for Baileys, Johnnie Walker whiskey, KFC and Pizza Hut - oh dear! Tried a local dish, ´lomo saltado´(stir-fry beef with rice), accompanied by corn - a staple of the Peruvian diet - there are many types including red-coloured.
02 May 07 - Still on BST (-5 hrs) so awoke early. Visited ruins of Huaca Pucllana (400 A.D.), discovered only in 1982. Excavations revealed
a large brick-built complex used for ceremonial purposes - rebuilding project is estimated to take 25 years! At the mini zoo, saw llamas, guinea pigs (ironically a revered animal but also a delicacy here!) and hairless Peruvian dogs. Strolled to the ocean that had a pier just like Brighton. Must mention that Nick got a beer tankard to add to his collection - it's very important, you know.
03 May 07 - Changing of the Guards at the Presidential Palace- strict security so we could not get so near, but despite the banging drums and brass band one of the policemen was chatting on his mobile throughout! Lunched in a local (Limeño) tavern and had "Chicha" drink (made from the red corn mentioned earlier), and sampled 'Inca Kola' - THE national flourescent-coloured fizzy pop, though I´m not convinced the Incas guzzled it...
Afraid we must to bed for an early start (0530) for the Inca Trail starting tomorrow...TBC..
04 - 09 May 07: Arequipa and 3-day trek to the Colca Canyon - Overnight bus journey (14 hours!) to Arequipa, where it happened to be their Saint´s day - celebrating involved fireworks set up
on a precarious bamboo frame connected to the Church - looked a bit like ´Back to the Future´! Wandered around town and market, including the Museum housing ´Juanita´, a mummified girl sacrificed by the Incas to appease the mountain gods in 1400/1500, found preserved by the snow only in the past decade.
Colca Canyon is said to be deeper than the Grand Canyon in the U.S.A. We saw vicuñas (endangered cousin of the llama) from the bus on the way, as well as a restaurant advertsising "head soup" as dish of the day...species unspecified! All sorts carried on the roof of the bus, including a bundle of firewood and a mattress! (
see the short video at the top of this blog). Very fortunate to see 3 condors floating gracefully not far from us soon after we set off on the hike. Stars so clear and bright as we went to bed but were told the shooting stars were clearer at 3am...set the alarm but it was too cloudy - doh! Next morning awoke to picture-postcard views of the canyon and headed to the next village, Malata, with a church only used twice a year when the priest walks 3
hours from the base village to take the services. A local lady explained how they are quite self-sufficient, making pots and tools from the volcanic rock, storing the many types of corn and potatoes, weaving local hats and llama woolen coats.
We were treated to fresh prickly pear (fruit of the cactus) tasting a bit like like kiwi and melon. Cactus is everywhere and a source of income for the villagers - and parasites found on them are sold for their red blood colouring, exported abroad for cosmetics etc. at $50/kilo! Locals make medicine from the plants and trees around them and eat the many fruit and vegetables growing around them - perhaps not a coincidence that the average lifespan is between 100 to 115!
Gruelling 1km climb uphill in the afternoon but hugely satisfied at the end. Entertained by a one-man-band (pan pipes, guitar, drum and singing) during dinner and slept well again...until the mules' wake-up call at 5.30! Headed back to the 'main' town Chivay, where the local women wore bright clothes and hats, the men dark clothes with cowboy hats. We took a short taxi to the hot springs - only a 7-minute journey but
we ran out of petrol enroute and had to change to another car! Scenery spectacular - huge mountains, green and brown colours, but mostly very dusty. Llamas added to the exotic landscape.
09 - 18 May Cusco and Inca Trek On the bus from Arequipa to Cusco, whenever we stopped even briefly in a town, there was a rush of ladies holding up their wares and selling drinks etc. through the windows. The bus took off again before one of them could take her money so she had to run alongside it until she got it!
In Cusco, took a stroll to the main square flanked by the Cathedral and ornate wooden balconies that looked quite Italian to me, as if Juliet would step out on one and call for Romeo... 5-course dinner for less than 2 pounds, and discovered to Spanish for pancakes - "panqueques"! Lazy next morning and good breakfast - took 15 minutes for an egg to boil! To do with the altitude I guess - Cusco is 3326m above sea level. Streets are cobbled and amazingly narrow, dating from Inca times, but it soon became our favourite city so far. At the
Village Square, Cabanaconde
The starting point for the 3-day hike to the Colca Canyon. local market there were live frogs for sale, swimming around in basins right next to frog skeletons - couldn´t work out whether they were sold as food or for some other purpose...Bought some llama-emblazoned knitwear for the cold nights we were expecting on the Inca trail...
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Richie
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Category of tankard
Nick, Just wondering what category of tankard it is? I'm guessing it must be at least a 4 to warrant carting it around South America for a couple of months. Any chance of a pic? Good nachos! Richie.