Not Quite the Inca Trek...

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I can safely say I would never choose to repeat the same passage from Huancayo to Cusco that I did last week.

Last tuesday afternoon the 3 of us left a teary eyed family to take a 9 hour car ride through the middle of Peru and arrive in Ayacucho by 8pm. Although choosing to travel by car instead of using a cheaper bus made the ride much safer and cut down on our traveling time, it was not a ride for the weak in stomach. However, we were able to stop anywhere along the way for food or photos.
We tried different fruits which were sold by children standing along the road and saw many tiny villages full of both working and playing people (usually volleyball...it is huge here). We also had the excitement of having to stop 2 times in order to plan out which direction was best to pass through tremendous water flows over the route, which because of the large amount of rain fall within the last month, was higher than usual.
As we drove through the valley we were amazed by how much land these Pervians use for agricultural purposes. Plots of cultivated land were HIGH up in the surrounding mountains where it seemed almost to steep to stand. The land is certainly put to use here.
We passed through the last stretch of mountains in the dark and could see in the vast valley exactly where any small village lay...because of their lights. It was quite humbling as the giant mass of dark space seemed to amost swallow up any sign of human presence.

I think the best view in Ayacucho had to be from our small, beat up hostal. The door from our tiny room opened onto a blacony with a 270 degree view of the city and surrounding mountains. It was wonderful to wake up to, and got me excited for the day. Ayacucho is known as the most "Andean" like city in Peru. I found it full of grit, attitude and beauty. We spent the day doing some city sightseeing which included a hike up a long flight of stairs which led to a giant cross surrounded by a line of white arcs which looked over the entire region. I ventured around the area to eventually find myself sitting with a small group of elder Peruvians who asked me to join them for a drink (a mixture of coca cola and their sweet beer...not very good) while they inquired about my purpose for being there. They were quite fun and seemed to think I was hilarious, (I am sure they had their reasons).

The next 2 days involved just as much travel as the first day, (9 to 10 hours), however we were not nearly as comfortable as we were in the car. We traveled on a double decker bus which we were recently told are trailer homes turned into buses and are possibly the most dangerous transportation to take because they are so top heavy. Lovely! These are the buses that tourist centers recommend, supposedly because they cost more money than others (we learned a little too late). But at least we are all safe.
The narrow bumpy dirt roads leave you with a spinning head and sore bum as you fly around the corners going up and over many mountains. Erika was ill for the entire 2 days and I found myself fighting it as well. Amanda swore that at one point we were on two wheels. These passes are known for possible delays because of landslides, and sure enough we came to a spot where giant boulders lay in the middle of the road. The drivers jumped out and rolled enough of them out of the way in order for us to just barely sneak around the problem. Yea, not ever doing that again.

To split up the 2 days of travel we stayed in the town of Andahuaylas. A cute, inviting village where I found a phone to call Patrick and find out that his residency matched in San Francisco...his first choice! It was quite exciting news to find out in such a small village squished in between 2 mountains.

We now reside in Cusco. A small picturesque city which contains a mixture of the bold inventive architecture of the Inca crossed with the romantic decor of the Spanish. Definitely a city I could come back to. Amanda and I enjoyed a short horse ride to some smaller ruin sites just outside Cusco yesterday and Erika and I did some shopping and people watching today around the city center.

Tomorrow we head out at 5am to begin our 4 day trek up the Inca trail. I am sure the sights and experiences of the next four days will bring another entry.

Buen salud,
Hasta luego.

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Photos

On Treacherous Bus Ride
This man delighted in a small kitten running around the floor of the bus.

Day 1 of 3
Our introduction to the state of the roads in the middle of Peru.

The Roads...
'nough said.

Horseback
Amanda and I touring outer Cusco on horseback. Horses were a relief after 3 days of buses.