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Published: January 27th 2007
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Wanchaq Market
Wanchaq Market: The market right across the street from our house. Hey Everyone!
Sorry for taking so long to post again, we're too lazy to go to an internet cafe and Rafo's computer was having some trouble running Travelblog. How is everything in your parts of the world? Peru is as gorgeous as ever, we've had mixed weather, a little bit from everyone. Here's a brief overview since we last posted:
SATURDAY (January 13th):
Elena took a two hour bus ride and half hour taxi ride with other students from school to Maras, a place in the Sacred Valley where the Incas had agricultural fields. The fields are arranged in stacked circular rows, and could only be used during the rainy season. The Incas dug a massive hole in the Earth to make a canal for water to flow through and then covered it back up again. The fields are still utilized today, and I was able to see men working in the fields, but they only spoke Quicha. The site was absolutely incredible, when I looked around the fields all I could see were the Andes mountains, and some so incredibly high the tops were covered in snow.
After this we took another taxi to the Salineras, a
Procession Near Our House.
A large multitude of people ran by our house at lunch. No idea why. natural salt mine. We walked through the mine for about an hour, marveling at the valley around us. We eventually came out to a small road where we caught a bus to a local restaurant, where they had the biggest plates of food I have ever seen, the food was piled a least a foot off the plate, and I ended up sharing with three other people.
After lunch we went to a local ceramic shop that is supposedly quite famous. The building was absolutely gorgeous with all types of exotic animals. After this we walked to the local bus station where we had another two hour bus ride home.
SUNDAY (14th):
We went to the “Black Market” again to buy watches so now we are always on time (almost). Not much else happened that day, 6 hours a day of Spanish gets pretty exhausting.
MONDAY-FRIDAY (15th-19th):
We started a new week of Spanish classes, which means new teachers. Not much exciting happened throughout the weeks besides our classes, Elena continues to try to run, and on Thursday Elena went and played soccer with teachers and other guys from school (I was the only girl, and
Hail Storm.
The hail storm was apparently the largest in well over ten years. the smallest person). We played for two hours during which time I scored a goal, and saved quite a few goals, of course (I’m not really that conceited). Tom has caught some sort of cold/stomach bug, so regretably he has been somewhat out of action. (Elena still leads 3-0 in the vomit competion though - Tom) He’s exceedingly frustated about it, because he has been very careful with what he eats and drinks, and has been washing his hands like a fiend. Friday he went to a local doctor, who gave him a bunch of meds and told him to chug some gatorade. By Sunday he was all better. Also, Friday we had a massive hail storm, the roof started leaking and the entire living room flooded. Elena managed to sleep through it. Tom, Monica, and a bunch of neighbors worked tirelessly to save the house from utter and complete devestation! Ok, maybe it wasn't quite that bad.
SATURDAY - SUNDAY (20th and 21st)
Another laid back weekend. Six hours of Spanish classes a day wipe us out. Saturday we went to Jacks, a local restaurant frequented by foreigners. Tom went to the Black Market to buy some
Hail Storm II.
The storm last over an hour. movies, which most of the rest of the weekend was taken up watching.
MONDAY-FRIDAY (22nd to 26th)
Third week of Spanish lessons, we both feel we are learning a lot. We have definitely fallen
into a routine, which means there is not too much exciting to report. Seemingly as soon as Tom recovered from his illness, Elena and Vivi got sick with something completely different. They both have developed a cough and sore throat. On Thursday Elena went to the doctor, who gave her some medicine which will hopefully cure it swiftly.
We have decided to keep staying at Rafo's for the next two weeks. He has offered us a much cheaper deal, and we felt that all the advantages of staying here made it well worth the price. We have found a tour to Manu, in the center of the Amazon. It is considered to have perhaps the highest concentration of biodiversity on Earth. We're going for four days and three nights, though a substantial part of the first and last day will be spent on the bus between Cuzco and the Manu. We are leaving on the third of February, the Saturday after Spanish classes
Hail Storm III.
Some of the hail was golf-ball sized. finish. The most pressing thing we need to do right now is get a Yellow Fever vaccination and pills for Malaria.
We are also planning our trips to Macchu Picchu, Lake Titikaka, and Bolivia. Lake Titikaka and Bolivia will take place in the weeks after we get back from the Amazon. We don't need a tour for Lake Titikaka and Bolivia, so we are doing the scheduling and planning for ourselves. The same women who is scheduling our trip to the Amazon is also planning our trip to Macchu Picchu in the final week of April. We are going hike there along the Valle de Lares, an alternative route to the Inca Trail. It is both cheaper and less visited by tourists.
That's all we can think of for now, we miss you all.
Tom and Elena
P.S. We're not really in Tajikistan....yet.
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