Another great day!

Another great day exploring Cusco with a trip to the Inca Museum. We just took it easy today, ending with a fantastic dinner at a new restaurant overlooking the city.
It was a nice, relaxing day.

Tomorrow we head to the Sacred Valley and then start the 4 day trek over the Inca Trail to Matchu Pichu. We will be out of contact until we return to Cusco late Sunday.

Ruins by Horseback

Laurie asked if anyone would be interested in visiting the ruins on horseback? Thinking it might be fun, four of us booked the tour for Monday afternoon. The guide for the afternoon picked us up at our hotel at 1 pm and we were on our way.

First things first, we needed to pick our horse for the afternoon. Randy and Ryan both said they had little riding experience so would like a gentle horse. Laurie stated she was very expereinced so wanted a horse with a little spunk. I didn;t comment on my experience and just said I would take a gentle horse, knowing that I probably have the most experience riding of the group, but lets face it, it has been a few years.

Mounted up, we were off for a leisurely ride across the mountain to the Temple of the Water at the start of the Inca trail. The horses knew the trail well and followed behind our guide, Gabriel, with little direction from the riders. Except for Ryan's horse, who alwats wanted to take a short cut. Of course Ryan has only been on a horse 3 times in his whole life, so he wasn't overly confident in showing the horse who was the boss.

After about 1 1/2 hours of riding we reached the start of the Inca trail. Horses aren't allowed on the trail so we all dismounted and left the horses tied to trees. Gabriel led us along the path and then down into the Temple of the Water. An underground river that emerges deep below the trial running through a long cave. Did we want to trek through the cave or climb back up the hill the way we came? Before I knew it we were desending down into the cave, just as it was starting to rain. This wasn't an easy desent and Laurie and I slid down the initial steep part on our butts as Gabriel guided our feet placements until we reached level ground. I was scared at first and then so very proud of myself. The rest of the trip through the cave was much easier as we simply had to walk over the rocks sticking out of the water not to get our feet soaked. It did take some carefull placement of our feet, a few long stretches and of course holding onto the sides of the cave where possible. We all made it through with out getting wet. So much fun!!

Then it was the climb back up hill to where the horses waited. Normally not a problem but remember we are at 3800 meters above sea level. Any climb takes your breathe away. Slow and steady we were back on the trail and ready to mount the horses for the ride back. Because it was raining Gabriel said we would ride back the same way we came. The other route would be to slippery.

Our next stop was at the Temple of the Moon. Another cave, that once inside revealed a sacrificial round table made of solid rock, several meters into the cave. A small opening at the top of the cave provides light for the ceremonies. Still today on every full moon a ceremony is held, facilitated by different religious leaders from around the world. The difference is today they offer fruit, food and spices rather that virgins or llamas. The site is a fairly new find and there is still lots of excavation taking place.

Back on our horese it was time to finish the ride. What an amazing afternoon. A bit cold, we headed back to our hotel for warm showers before heading out for dinner. I am thinking we will all have sore butts in the morning...lol

Exploring Cusco

Sunday morning we were up and ready to explore the city. First we headed over to the Plaza De Armas in the center of town and lol and behold there was a parade going on. So we sat on the steps of the Cathedral and watched the parade go by. Just another time where we were caught up in the excitment of the day, with absolutley no idea what was happening. We later learned that the celebration was called the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The parade included groups of small children dressed as nurses, soldiers, and clowns, numerous women's groups and bands. We watched for over a hour as the bands kept coming. What would appear to be school bands, army bands and service groups. Lot's of excitement in the plaza.

Then it was time for brunch so we headed over to Paddy's Kitchen. Paddy's Kitchen claims to be the highest Irish owned pub in the world at over 11,000 ft above sea level. The breakfast was the biggest breakfast I have ever seen. 4 slices of toast covered by 2 fried eggs, topped by 4 slices of bacon and 4 saugages, with a side of beans. NO I didn't eat it all, only about 1/3rd and I was still full for the entire day.

Time to wander the streets. Every street was lined with small shops much like in the markets in Mexico. "Come see my store senior, do you want a massage, have your picture taken with the baby llama, buy my art senior". In the end we had our picture taken with the llama but held of buying anything else.

At 2pm we met up with 2 friends from our tour group for more exploring. The cathedral was magnificant with gold plated statues throughout. For the next 2 hours we walked the main road of Cusco, going in and out of the numerous markets and people watching. It was a gorgeous day and we were enjoying the sunshine.

We had been exploring Cusco for over 7 hours and it was time to head back to the hotel for a few hours of rest before supper. Supper at 8, was in a small Australian owned restaurant. Obviously a favorite with the tourists as the restaurant filled with backpackers, all willing to share their stories.

Another amazing day!

Road to Cusco

Saturday, October 8th we travelled from Puno to Cusco. A 7 1/2 hour bus ride with the promise of one stop at the top of the pass. We arrived at the bus terminal in Puno at 8am, where we were told to purchase a few snacks and beverages for the trip.
A bottle of water, a bag of cheese crackers and a container of Pringles chips each and we were ready to board the bus. Then we came upon the oldest looking woman I have every seen. Please let us take a picture. For a few soles she agreed.

Quickly we had to catch up to the group to board the bus. A double decker with very comfortable seats and leg rests. Perfect for the long road ahead of us.

The scenary through the countryside revealed various social classes. Very poor towns with dirt roads and very small homes made completely of adobe bricks. Animals roaming freely among the buildings. Most homes appeared to be no taller than 6 feet
if that. Children playing much to close to the side of the road as the bus past through at 55km/hr. Then there were the more affluent areas with larger homes with clay roofs. The outhouses were all made of blue medal. A few cars and bikes could be seen and the yards had green grass rather than the dirt/mud yards in the poor towns. We also past through 4 small cities.

There was always something to see. In one town the question was "could the bus really make it down the road without scratching the side of the bus?". The road looked hardly wide enough to pass through. Then there was the 1/2 ton truck with
stockracks. Two levels of sheep packed into it so tightly that the sheep could hardly move. Men hoeing their plot of land with an old fashion wooden hoe pulled by a cow. Plots of land fenced by adobe bricks. Women sitting outside of building trying to sell vegetables. Children working the fields.

We did get our one stop at the top of the pass. La Raya is 4335 meters above sea level. A five minute stop for a quick potty break and time to barter with the natives trying to sell llama knit wear, hats and wall hangings. Hardly enough time to even see everything they had to offer. Randy fixed his attention on a llama hat for me. Initially the women wrote 820 soles on her hand to which I immediately said no and started to walk away. Then it was 700. We were being called to the bus and she said 100. At 80 soles we had the hat and were jumping on the bus as it started to pull away. I am thinking that somewhere we had a communication breakdown. She couldn't have possibly meant 820 soles if she was prepared to sell it for 80 soles. FYI. 3 soles per 1 Canadian dollar. Anyways I now have a new, very warm hat.

For most of the last half of the drive it poured rain, so we both tried to get in some sleep. It does appear that we are a bit more tired than normal but all the literature indicates that in the high elevations you may find this.

We arrived in Cusco about 3:30pm and initially found the city very dirty, rough and poor looking, but after passing through the outskirts a beautiful city opened up before us. Cusco has become a popular tourist city over the last 20 years, with amazing churches, museums and culture. Lots of markets to be explored and restaurants to try.

Tonight we had are first albaca burger and fried yuccu. Fried Yuccu is a ball of mashed potatoes mixed with a variety of spices, then deep fried. The dinner was delicious.

After dinner it was back to the hotel. You wouldn't think we would be tired by 10 pm after riding on the bus all day, but we were. Tomorrow we would start exploring Cusco.

A Homestay

Words can't describe the beauty of Taquile Island or the sights we were about to see as we travelled to the small community on the peninsula where we would spend the evening with a family of the village. Upon arriving at the village each member of our tour group was introduced to their host family. Emilda (Mama) greeted us with open arms and a big hug. Then she proceeded to lead us up the hill to her home. It was quite the hike and we were both puffing as reached our home for the evening. Emilda showed us to the guest room that had been made especially for hosting Gap Adventures guests and the very modern Bano. Then Emilda introduced us to her 10 year old son Romulo, who would take us down to the school for a game of soccer. Along the way Romulo pointed out each animal and tried to teach us the Spanish and Aymara words for them. If we didn't pronounce it correctly he would repeat the word until we got it right. Funny thing Donkey was Donkey in all three languages.

At the school a soccer game between the tourist and the locals took place. After feeling a bit sorry for the tourists a few locals were designated to change teams. I am not sure that really helped though. The locals dressed in sandals and dress pants surely had the advantage over our players dressed in hiking boots or runners and shorts. The playing field was a cement courtyard outside the school so I am sure from an advantage point we should have had it. So in the end we had to blame the elevation for our poor performance. As darkness started to approach the score was 3 all and we finally had to call it quits. Just to clarify I sat on the sidelines taking pictures for everyone, while Randy worked up a sweat representing the Coutts family on the soccer team.

Once the game was declared a tie. It was time to dance. Each member of our group was dressed by their host family in the traditional dress of the village. Then four couples from the villages demonstrated the dance that we would be required to do after they finished. While the dance was a simple three step, it also involved walking in a line across from your partner and swinging a string on pompoms. FOur us not so coordinated tourist it did seem to be a bit complicated but so much fun.. WHen we had completed our lesson, 10 small children then demonstated their version of the dance for us. Just in case we wondered how difficult it should be..lol. The children were adorable and extremely energetic about their performance. Then just to make sure we got it each child grabbed one of us and the dance started again. My partner was maybe five years old and really into the dance. Holding my hands and swinging our arms back and forth for all he was worth as we shuffled around the floor. That was until he was distracted by the other children playing on the sidelines. He would start to move in the direction of the children and then remember that he was supposed to be dancing and he would get back into it, pumping our arms for all he was worth. It was so funny and cute.

Our dance lesson done it was time to head back to our home for dinner. The big question was "did we want to eat in the kitchen with the families?" Of course everyone stated, but they double checked just to be sure. I wonder why anyone wouldn't want that as part of the experience, but my impression was that not all tourists did.

Each room of the house was a separate building made of adobe brick. The kitchen was very simple with a large clay stove in one corner. Pots for cooking lined the top of the stove and the fire was kept burning with wood. Mama sat by the stove and dished out the food to bowls her daughter Luz Marie held. Dinner was for the five of us. Luz Marie, Romulo, Randy and I sat at a small wooden table with benches on two sides. Mama ate her dinner from her spot by the stove. First we had a very large bowl of vegetable soup, where the main ingredient was potato. It was very tasty but much more than I could eat. Then we received a plated of rice covered by another potato based stew. Again very tasty, but filling. We had been advised we would be served a vegetarian meal. Not because it is a vegetarian community as Mama had pork cooking on the stove.

Not able to eat my entire dinner I tried to communicate through sign language that I was very full, touching the top of my head. All of a sudden Luz Marie and Romulo were speaking quickly and Romulo was pushing his sister to go somewhere. A few minutes later she comes back with a big bag of coca leaves. I quickly realized they thought I was saying I had a headache and were bringing me the native remedy. After saying no, no, a second attempt to show I was full worked much better. Pat the tummy and I slowly raised my hand to my head. E|veryone immediately burst into laughter.

The challenge was communication. We were given a small list of English words and there translations prior to arriving at the village, but it certainly wasn't enough to carry on a lenghty conversation. Thank goodness the children were learning some English in school and we had a few basic Spanish words in our vocabulary from out multiple trips to Mexico. Mama asked how old we were and we learned she was 44 but looked way older. Luz Marie told us her age, which I interpreted to be 16. Quietly Romulo corrected me saying 17 under his breathe. What next? Then Romulo built a paper boat, so Randy showed him how to build a paper plane. He either already knew or learned very quickly. A few minutes later we were having plane races across the kitchen. It was pitch black outside and Mama was starting to yawn so we though we would be polite and head off to our room for the night. Only when we we back in our room did we realize it was only 7:10pm. Early even for us but we laughed and crawled into bed. Surprisingly with all the fresh air and high elevation we were asleep in minutes.

Shortly after 5:00am we could hear Mama up preparing for the day. She was serving us breakfast before we left the island that morning. Fresh bread, although more like a biscuit, great jam and 2 hard boiled eggs. We enjoyed breakfast with the family and then Romula took us for a small walk around the hill where we admired the view. The hill looks over Lake Titikaka and Romulo pointed out all the neighbouring islands around the lake. He was very proud of the animals they owned and introduced us to his donkey, the 7 baby pigs, and the 2 baby goats. We were later to learn that the 2 baby goats (1 male,1 female) are the only goats on the island, which accounted for why Mama and Luz Marie where feeding them milk from a baby bottle during supper and breakfast. When we first arrived in the kitchen for supper one goat was trying to take our spot as he jumped on the table. He was quickly scooted off but I think he may have been there before. It was so funny and we laughed as Mama yelled at him.

It was time to leave the island and Luz Marie carrying one of the goats, and Romulo led us back down the hill to the dock. The hosting families made a line so each of the guest could shake thier hands and thank them for their hospitaliy. Luz Marie at the end of the line gave both Randy and I a big hug and we both found ourselves with tears running down our faces as we boarded the boat. We had been very emotionally moved by the entire experience, the genuine kindness and hospitality of our hosts. During our supper with Mama and her family we took several pictures and plan to send them and a small camera to them once we get home.

What an experience! One I am sure we will never forget!

8:15am and we are all back on the boat heading to Reed Islands (floating Islands). I really have no idea what to expect. So we sat back and enjoyed the hour ride to the islands. Arrivng at the islands my mouth simply drops in awe, as all you can see is homes, boats, buildings and islands made from reeds that grow in the lake. I have never seen anything like it. Our boat docks at one island and as we disembark Mary introduces herself and says after the presentation she will take us to her home. Then we are directed to the center of the island where benches made from reeds are placed for us to sit. Henry our guide and a local man then proceed to demonstrate how the islands are made and anchored in the lake. A total of 2000 residents call the islands home. The women make their livings selling their crafts to the tourist. Beautful tapastries of all sizes and shapes. Most tell the story of the islands. Yes we bought 2.

After the demonstration, Mary takes us to her home and dresses us up in the tradional clothing, they all appear to wear every day. The home has 2 beds and a small bench in it. There are hooks for hanging their clothes and little else, except for the small tv and a solar powered generator. Outside the home is a small teepee style hut set up for cooking. Interesting enough they have a small 2 burner propane stove in it and several pots and pans. This island consists of about 4 homes, and a kindergarden school. Children come from several of the floating islands to attend the school. Then it is time to board a boat that looks looks very much like a viking boat with a Spanish influence completely made from the reeds. As we pushed off the women of the island stood on the edge of the island and sang to us. Our group is mostly Canadian so they started out with Alloietta, followed by twinkle twinkle little star and a few other childrens songs. It was so cute and apparent that they had discovered how to impress the tourists. Two people from our island ( one man and one young woman) rowed us around the channel for about 30 minutes and then we head backed to our boat that would take us back to Puno.

I would have never imagined a complete island built on a lake made completely of reeds. Work for the men is maintaining the island as the reeds dry out and need to constantly be replaced. The woman do the cooking , sewing and entertaining of the tourists. Such a simple, basic life but everyone seemed extremely happy and proud.

Back in Puno by noon, we had lots of time to explore. The group decided we would climb the 800 steps to the statue of the Condor perched at the top of the mountain overlooking the town. Slow a steady was the approach. Everything in Puno is uphill so even before reaching the staircase we had climbed uphill for about 30 minutes. The view was worth it. From the lookout you could see the entire town as it spread across the mountainside, perching over Lake Titikaka. The lake is really magnificant. with more time we decided to walk across the mountain to the statue of an Inca Warrior. The path to the Inca was all downhill so much easier on our hearts, but through a poorer part of town for sure. It was broad daylight and there was 7 of us so we felt quite safe. The path down was quite steep but we all made it back to the core of town with no problems.

With 3 hours until dinner we headed to a small pub for a refreshment and a few games of pool. All I can say is I was absolutely no help to Randy when it was our turn, but we did end up having 3 very close games. Everyone was very patient with me as I had to learn how to hold the cue never mind hit the ball. At least I understand physic and angles.lol. A very fun afternoon.

Dinner that evening was at a local Pizzeria. Good but we have had better. Tonight Peru played Paraguay in the World Cup soccer qualifiers and we found ourselves in a Puno sports bar, cheering for Peru. The bar was 2 stories, where you climbed a small set off stairs to a floor with pillows all along the walls to sit on and watch the TV seen through an open railing into the main floor of the pub. There is nothing better than to be sitting in a country watching their soccer team dominate and win the game. Positive energy exploded onto the streets as the Peruvians celebrated the win. For us it was time to head back to our hotel for bed. Tomorrow morning would come too soon!

The last 2 days seems totally surreal. From the visit to Taquile Island, the home stay and the visit to Reed Island, it is hard to believe that people are so poor and live such primitive lifestyles in this day and age of technology but still seem to be so very, very happy! I wonder who has it right?

Taquile Island

Words just can't describe the view!!

Taquile Island

Thursday morning as we left the hotel the street was lined with several rickshaws. If only we could take a ride in one of those. Randy said for sure we will have to rent one when we are back in Puno. Then we were told they were here to take us to the marina. So cool as we rode through the wet streets of Puno. Arriving at the port we purchased groceries to give as gifts to our homestay family later in this evening. $5 for sugar, pasta, coffee, rice, milk, 3 apples and 3 oranges.

The next 2.5 hours were spent travelling by boat across Lake Titikaka to Taquila island. A very quaint island where the inhabitants work in a cooperative to make their island successful. The woman weave the wool and the men knit the clothing for both their personal use and sale to the tourists. AsAt one point there was a sign that indicated women and men knitting. LOL..equal opportunity was coming to the island. To reach the plasa we climbed stairs for 30 minutes taking numerous stops along the way to catch our breathe and admire the scenery. The entire trail was made of large stones creating an amazing yet very steep path to the top of the mountain.Once we toured around the plaza we climbed a more gradual path for another 20 minutes before reaching the restaurant where we would have lunch. The best trout I have ever had in my entire life. Then it was time to desend the 500 steps back down the other side of the mountain to get back on the boat. The scenery was breathetaking! Going down was definitely easier on the heart but you still had to watch your step as the desent was steep. Every where you looked the habitants of the community worked the fields and catered to the tourists dressed in their traditional dress. Randy wanted to purchase the colorful belts the men men wore but we couldn't figure out how the kept them tied in place, so we passed on the opportunity to support the community.