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I have finally realised the second of my lifelong dreams (walking the Machu Picchu Trail) and when I think back over my 3 months here in Cuzco I realise that, for me, it has been a big learning curve. The experience has shown me just how fortunate we are to live in a country like Australia. Seeing a darker side of life, which is the reality for so many of the local people, makes me very thankful I live in a country like Australia.
When I left home, I thought I would probably be the oldest person in the Hostels and a lot of the time I have been. But I have met so many younger people who are generous, open-minded and sharing and who have interesting points of view on life and travel.
There are some truly unique and beautiful places I have seen and experienced high up in the Andes - a place which has an ancient almost mystic feel. A place which puts the more mundane things in our lives into their true perspective.
Here are just some of the experiences which will be with me always:
Shakti, Alfredo and their lovely little boy Omkhara, who live high up in the forrest over Cuzco. Their home, built by Alfredo, is a truly beautiful round adobe mud brick house under a thatched roof with a lovingly created and tended garden, overlooking the spectacular Inca ruins of Sacsehuayman.
The peaceful and loving energy, beautiful music, good conversations, the Mate tea we shared, Shakti's wholesome and tasty, organically grown food and her wonderfully relaxing yoga classes.
The Hemp Shop, at the top of many stairs, with it's also organic and very tasty food - especially the desserts! Good company, great live music and the best Chai tea I've ever tasted - and that includes the Chai tea I had in India.
Great Salsa music and dancing with the young people from the Casa where I live.
They never went dancing without asking me along. (I did go with them sometimes and they made sure I always danced.) The great tasting (and very alcoholic) Mojito drinks. Cuzco is mad about Salsa music and dance and it is on almost every radio station. Although the newer craze just starting to infiltrate (Regeton) is a little racy for me.
The street attire of the local Cechua ladies', as winter descended on us. They would wear their normal colourful blouses and jumpers over the short skirts with the many petticoats underneath. And the long knitted wool stockings to warm their legs. When this no longer worked, they draped long, checked wool blankets, complete with fringing, around their waists.
The small and quaint Andean Music Museum with it's collection of ancient, through to the more modern, Peruvian musical instruments. Hilda (a medical student who is doing an internship in the hospital here) had her family come from Holland to visit. She has been playing the violin since about 11 years of age and touring with a Dutch orchestra. So she organised a private concert for them with the professor who set up and owns this museum. She invited me and it was a wonderful experience. The professor has travelled into the remote Andean villages to learn how to play these old instruments and their history. The museum was set up so that the folkloric music and instruments wouldn't be lost to the world.
My 7 weeks of Spanish language classes with two very good teachers, who came daily to the Casa for my 2 hour classes. They have the patience of Saints and smilingly put up with my stumbling Spanish as we got into the deeper parts of the Grammar. Thank you Camucha and Ruth for guiding me through Intermediate Levels 1 and 2 and for inviting me to share some lovely social evenings with you. Also for the Certificate of Proficiency which came to me as a result of all your teaching.
The full day tour of The Sacred Valley - a truly lovely valley winding through the Andean Mountains. The contrast between the types of crops, trees, and flowers which flourish in this unique atmosphere. Even though this series of small villages is set along the valley floor in between the colder heights of the Andes, it is very sheltered. This creates an unusual climate in which the riotously coloured tropical plants grow among sub-tropical and the more subdued cold-weather plants. The rushing Urubamba river, unusually brown in colour, with its white 'caps', caused by the forcefully flowing water.
The beautiful and quaint little town of Ollantaytambo which invites one to spend more time there. The narrow gauge rail track winding around the mountains and on up to the town of Aguas Calientes (meaning 'hot springs'), under Machu Picchu itself. The most glorious rainbow atop the snow covered mountains we were travelling through on our way to Chinchero with it's ancient church, dating back to the Spanish Conquistadors.
The modern tour bus which had ploughed into one of the small village houses and finished up half in - half out, at a crazy angle. No one to be seen in the bus, but the owner of the house was trying to clean up the mess. Since the local bus drivers drive like lunatics and all seem to suffer from 'road rage' of one degree or another, not an unusual sight. Hopefully the passengers were only surprised and shook up, but not hurt.
Two of the many 'unusually worded' local signs which I saw along the way:
"Descend your photos." (if the meaning escapes you; "We put your photos onto CD's".)
The "Horse Bag" sign, with the word "Expeditions" hidden by tree foliage. I figured it had something to do with horseback riding.
The day trip we girls took out to the Pisaq Markets. The local bus station was extremely basic; a dirt yard, a few ramshackle kiosks around the inside, plenty of stray dogs, a long queue of locals and tourists, buses which were long past their best days And of course the usual touts from other bus companies and taxi drivers trying to pursuede the passengers that their transport was a better deal. The local couple who strolled casually up to the beginning of the queue, causing everyone in the line to shout; "Senor, cola!, cola!!" ('cola' meaning 'queue' ). Much pointing to the end of the long queue and shaking of fists , which eventually forced them to assume their correct place.
These markets are permanent, very big, colourful, with a vast array of locally made handicrafts and artefacts to tempt the $$s from your pockets. And also very enjoyable to wander through. We parted company after arranging a time and place to meet (a divinely smelling coffe shop.) 3 hours, much enjoyment and many purchases later, we met up for lunch before the precariously winding journey back to Cusco.
The laugh of the day? A short, very round Peruvian gentleman in local costume, his beaming face under one of the pointy caps with ear flaps and tassels - in beautiful white lace crochet!
The long ramble with Dymun and Dave up past Sacseyhuayman ruins and out into the countryside. Past the many small adobe huts, through the local and very vocal, dog populations. The breathtaking views back down to Cuzco, the clear and crisp air of altitude, the absolute quiet, except for the sound of the wind brushing through the trees. These ancient mountains with their almost mystic feel, really allow one to realise the true priorities of life.
And one last special memory - my small Chiquita, a dainty long haired little grey cat with unusual white markings and a sweet nature. She belonged to the Casa, but after I fed her some milk and some of my special Swiss cheese, she became mine. It's not that she wasn't fed regularly, but I don't think the local people realise that mother cats need calcium in their diet. Why should they when they don't have a good diet themselves.
She would come upstairs in the mornings to call me for her breakfast and again late at night for a 'milk-cap'. With a litter of kittens and another one on the way!, I expect she often felt hungry. Mamacita told me that when I was away on the Machu Picchu trek, she spent a lot of time sitting outside my door calling for me. This made me feel guilty, so I found some younger people who had recently moved in and who liked cats, to 'adopt' her when I am gone. Hopefully this has created a tradition among the young guests and Chiquita will enjoy a succession of new 'parents' to spoil her.
So now, there remain only a few days here, before my journey to Quito. Before the almost 1,000km flight out over the ocean to the intriguing Galapagos Islands. Unique and remote, with their fragile and ancient eco-system, yet holding the answers to so many of natures' mysteries for the rest of the world.
And I am so looking forward to it ........
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Beatriz & Tim
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Fascinating story about Chiquita
que experiencias tan maravillosas estas teniendo. Mucho carino B. & T