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Published: June 18th 2008
... So, the day began early! Early!! Flying into Cuzco was amazingly beautiful. Again we flew through the snow topped Andes, in our small little plane. All of a sudden after turning around a mountain, we were blessed with the sight of Cuzco, and what a sight it is, please refer to photos.
We arrived and the altitude hit us almost immediately. After stepping off the plane we felt light headed and floaty...and the Peruvian band greeting us, added to this hallucinatory feeling. This lasted for about 1/2 an hour, progressing then on to a bit of nausea, general tiredness and shortness of breath.
We then met our second guide, Gonzalo, or better known as ¨Speedy¨. We then arrived at our charming hotel, what a gem! We have also arrived at the start of the ¨Inti Rayma¨ festival. Which is cuzcos main annual event, culminating on the 24th of June, with a great ceremony and party. Luckily we will be back to join these celebrations.
We had our first cup of coca tea at the hotel, which is the traditional remedy for altitude sickness, among other things. This helped....surprising! We then felt charged up, and ready to check
out this beautiful city. And what a city this is....
The mixture of Incan and colonial influences in the architecture and culture add up to such an amazing combination. No wonder this is regarded as such a special place. To name a few wonders, while walking through the cobbled stone streets we saw colonial cathedrals, Incan boulders used to build temples/walls/houses, as well as traditional Peruvian people filling the streets. Everyone is very friendly, but tourist centred, although this is expected and kinda cool.
After attempting to climb a hill (not remarkable) altitude sickness hit everyone... causing doubt about our ability to trek...fingers crossed. Luckily our next stop was the ¨coca shop¨, run by the impressive and passionate Christo. He explained the uses and benefits of this much loved and traditional plant. Unfortunately due to the economic instability, the plant is not only used for tea, but also widespread drug manufacturing. There are many contributing factors to both booming industries, yet seems very controlled by the Peruvian Government. Not only do they make tea, but also yummy biscuits and chocolates. This is to support local communities and NGO´s throughout Peru.
How gorgeous are the kids...! To top
off our wonderful day, we were entertained by the folk dancing from the children of the primary schools throughout the region. This is part of ¨Inti Rayma¨, and the centre square was filled with colour, music and dancing. This was such a privilege to be a part of. We look forward to experiencing future festivities.
Tomorrow we leave Cuzco, and visit a local village community, sharing in their food and culture. The following day we begin our ¨Inca Trek¨..... please wish us luck!
We´ve had an amazing day, and we hope our photos do it justice. Enjoy!
Kath & Amy
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Jackie
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Oh.....I wish I was back there.....such good memories. Good luck on the trek...It is pretty hard yakka, but well worth it!!!!!!