Of Incas and orchid safaris

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Managed to get up and out of bed in good time despite the cold. Amazingly the broken bed had held - I think we all have a new calling in life! Despite the good start we got stuck in a nearby cafe having breakfast so we didn´t actually make it to the site until 11.am. Managed to wangle our way inside for half price thanks to our lovely international student cards! (Honestly, because $6 is far too much to pay for anything - don´t know how I´m going to cope with English prices once I get home!) We went to the museum first and them onto the site where a guide did try to attach herself to us. No point having one really as the museum pretty much said no-one really knows what Ingapirca is or what it was used for. Still, very interesting to walk around despite the requisite groups of school children on trips. It is, apparently, the only construction built by the Inca in an elliptical shape. No idea why but we did all clamber up onto it for photos trying to keep ahead of all the kids so they wouldn´t ruin the pictures. Bel struck up conversation with a load of Canadian tourists who are in Ecuador on an orchid safari. The word safari makes it sound exciting but I can´t imagine they do much chasing around after wild orchids in safari jeeps and camouflage gear. Bit of a weird thing to come halfway acroass the world for in my view. We went up to the craft stalls after exiting the site where I managed to buy two bracelets for $3. I´m getting so much better at this haggling thing! We were hit by a particularly heavy shower so we made a dash for the bus which luckily had just turned up just in time as the rain turned into a really quite vicious hailstorm. Thought this kind of weather belonged in England! Horrible trip back as the fog descended and the driver couldn´t see anything. Slightly disturbingly he also was doing what so many bus drivers here do. Whenever we pass a cross at the side of the road where a vehicle has gone over the cliff, they close their eyes and cross themselves usually just as we are going round the corner! Not quite sure how this really helps to be honest but it does make the ride more interesting!

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Photos

Me and .... something!
The weird elliptical construction that no-one actually knows what it´s for. Very pretty though!

Comments

[Anna]

Orchid Safari
Orchid Safari, hmm? Sounds interesting. I can understand wanting to see orchids in the wild if that happens to be your particular passion but how can they call it a safari?? Safaris include lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) not harmless little wild flowers. I've always been a little dubious about cultural safaris - museums and palaces are sightseeing not safaris - but an orchid safari seems even more bizarre!

[Tim]

hmmm
tell you what this all looks like really strenuous work your doing out there (!) hehe