shelleyk

Babs-Thanks so much for skipping Margee's part of the report and continuing with your piece of the report. I am really enjoying reading about your adventure. I was so excited when you mentioned that you would be able to get to Machu Picchu. I am really sorry if it did not work out. I know you must be disappointed if you did noit get there, but the rest of you trip so far sounds like it was wonderful. I give you a lot of credit for doing that hike on the island. I am hoping that we do not get altitude sickness as neither Jim nor I can take Diamox. I am looking forward to the rest of your report.

BabsB

March 22, 2010 Moray and Salineras de Maras

We got up bright and early because we have to return to Cusco to change our Lan Peru tickets back to our original itinerary. We were so early that KB Tambo was not serving breakfast yet. We wandered down the street to Heart Café and they were not open either. We did stop at the ATM in the plaza and got sols and dollars. David Choque wanted to be paid in dollars.

We walked into another restaurant that smelled like they had mopped the floor with a dirty, stagnant mop and I told Margee I could not eat there. We ended up next door where the owner was placing tables and chairs out on the sidewalk. It was a warm, pretty, sunny morning so breakfast outside suited us fine. We were now a bit short on time so we asked if he could have coffee for us in about 15 minutes and he replied yes. We actually ordered pancakes to go with our coffee. I ran back to KB Tambo to leave word for Fidel and Tiger that we were breakfasting on the plaza. By the time I got back to the restaurant our food arrived. We had just the right amount of time to eat and pay our bill before Fidel and Tiger arrived. They apologized for being late but we told them their timing was perfect.

Back in the car we return to Cusco. It is about an hour and ½ drive and this was the third time to see the scenery. Fidel took us to the Lan Peru office and Margee grabs a number while Fidel and I search out a restroom at the hotel across the street. It was not a very long wait until our number popped up on the screen. The best part of our transaction was walking up and sitting down at the service representative’s desk. It went downhill from there. We were to soon learn that she needed a HUGE sign on her forehead that said “IN TRAINING”.

Margee tries patiently to explain to her that all we want to do is to go back to our original itinerary, and here is a copy of what we want. She fussed on the computer, over and over and over and over. It was unbelievable. We have no idea what she was doing. We don’t think she did either. She asked for help from the gal sitting in the next window but all she got was abbreviated assistance that did not move things along at all.

Finally she figured out that she could switch our tickets back as there was still room on the flights. OK, now we are getting somewhere though this has taken an hour. Of course we want printed confirmation of the change; her word that it’s OK is not enough. Confirmation was not so easy for her. This probably took another 30 minutes. Now we are due a refund but she can’t put the money back on the credit card, she has to give us vouchers. Vouchers are another item she has not been trained on yet. At one point, she is so frustrated that she is wiping her eyes and I think not only is she traumatizing us we are traumatizing her. Margee nicely but pointedly asked the gal in the next window to help her because at this point we have been sitting here for two hours, but no help was provided. She could not figure out how to process the vouchers and at one point asked us if she could meet us at the airport and deliver the vouchers to us. I was not born yesterday and I knew if we walked out of that office without the vouchers that would be the end of it. She would hit the delete button and that would be that. So I told her NO, she needed to figure out to process them. Finally, she passed the vouchers over. I bet she went on break after we left and had a good cry, we certainly wanted to. What a nightmare. Lan Peru was not a good experience. We took big cleansing breaths as we walked out the door with patient Fidel and we decided to put it behind us.

During all this turmoil, a nice American couple asked if we needed assistance. We had purchased the Lan Peru tickets with Wells Fargo points and they said they were familiar with the program. I explained that our problem was not with Well Fargo but with Lan Peru but it was nice of them to offer assistance. These nice folks are affiliated with the Methodist Church and are with a group providing health and dental services to people living around Lake Titicaca. I asked if they ever had pre-med students assist them and they said they did. I jotted down their info to give to my son Chris in case he is interested in volunteering before he heads off to medical school. Too bad that Chris is interested and I lost the information!

We walked out of Lan Peru and thanked Fidel and Tiger for waiting on us. We were all hungry by now so Tiger drove us to the San Blas area and we ate lunch at Pacha Papa. Margee and I both had pizza and we shared. The two boys had something off the “tourist menu” that looked really good and we treated both of them to lunch for so patiently waiting while we arm wrestled Lan Peru. The food and the atmosphere were delightful. In fact, we liked San Blas so much that we decided we would come back when we returned to Cusco in a few days.

We are on our fourth trip on the road out of Cusco. We are a bit bored with it so we decide to have a doggy counting contest. On a five mile stretch of road Margee counted all the doggies on the left side of the car and I counted all the doggies on the right side. If a dog was crossing the road, he would be counted on the side of the road he was headed to. Fidel and Tiger thought we were crazy but it didn’t take long before they got into the act. I counted 67 and Margee counted 50. We would see one here and one there, then all of a sudden there would be a pack of 5. Someone we met along the way told us if they have a blue collar on they have been vaccinated by a volunteer group. We never saw any blue collars and most of the dogs were in pretty bad shape.

We have our revised plane tickets; we have a full stomach, finally it was time to have some fun. First stop is Moray, the concentric ring terraces probably developed by the Inca as an agricultural experiment. Each ring terrace has a different micro climate, and the temperature differs by 1.5 degree Celsius each level. It was kind of fun to climb up and down the Inca steps to each level. Inca steps are big rocks that jut out from the side of the wall. They are rather precarious but I figured out that if I kept my center of gravity low it was easier to climb down them. Climbing up was pure jaw clenching work. Of course, I was huffing and puffing but determined to climb to the bottom. I figured if I could climb UP to the top of Pachatata on Amantani, I could like climb DOWN to the bottom of Moray. LOL! Fidel took me a different route going back up and it turned out to be easier. Being the great guide he is, he kept encouraging me along with “Your Awesome!” Margee, being the smarter one of the two of us, watched me from above.

Back in the car, we went to Salineras de Maras. This site is way off the beaten track and it was interesting that we headed down the road right after the school children got out of school. Some of the children had bicycles so were way down the road while the walkers straggled all along the stretch. The road to Salineras de Maras stretches 3 ¾ miles from the main road and there were kids all along the way. Some of them had quite a walk and in wet weather I can imagine the road would just be mud.

AT Salineras de Maras, the Inca had set up thousands of individual salt pans that form terraces on a hillside. Water runs down the hill in carefully created ditches and spreads out to all of the salt pans. As the water evaporates, the salt crystals form. Unfortunately, the workers do not collect enough salt to sell in quantity. Most of their product is sold on location as tourist souvenirs. It was interesting but I wish we had seen it when it was actually being worked but we were there in the off season. We each bought a small bag to bring home.

It had been a long day so we headed back to Ollantaytambo and found that we had been moved to a larger room. They receptionist asked us in the morning if we wanted a larger room and we really didn’t make a decision expecting to be back fairly early. Well, they decided for us and moved our stuff. All of it, even the razor and shampoo in the shower. Neither one of us cared so the move worked out just fine though we did feel a little guilty that we didn’t have everything packed up ready to go.

We had dinner at the hotel and I ordered a beef burrito and Margee ordered the chicken burrito. They brought out beans, really good guacamole, tortillas that were more like crepes but very tasty, cheese, salsa, and our meat. We piled it up on our plates and dug in. It was delicious. To celebrate our successful Lan Peru transaction, we ordered a bottle of red wine. We drank half with dinner and took the rest back to the room for another meal.

After dinner we were heading back to our room when we met Mr. Seattle Longshoreman. We chat with this dreadlocked guy for awhile in the hallway until he invited us to join him and his wife back in the restaurant. We did and we spent another pleasant hour talking about where we had been, where we were going, and what are the chances of getting to Machu Pichu. Zero chance as far as we were concerned but they had plenty of time and we planning as they went along.

We stopped at the desk to confirm our bicycle ride in the morning. We were not on the schedule so the receptionist said she would try to work it out for us and we should be ready to go at 9:00 am in the lobby. This time we made it back to our room and our beds.

BabsB

March 23, 2010 Downhill Heaven, Uphill Hell

Bright and early we got a knock on our door. It was the receptionist telling us they found a guide for our bike ride and we need to be ready by 9:00 am. The restaurant was serving so we had an energizer breakfast and were ready and waiting in the lobby at the appropriate time. A young man walked up to the door and looked in at us. He said a confused “Hi, bike tour?” We don’t think we were what he expected. He was not what we expected so we started off on the same footing. Evidently whoever had contacted him about guiding the bike ride told him we were two tourists who had eight years of mountain biking experience and were looking to go on a ride. Margee and I have ridden bikes all our lives but in no way are we experienced mountain bicyclists.

He introduced himself as Richard and the taxi driver was Percy. He confided that he was worried about keeping up with the anticipated experienced mountain bike riders. Instead he found that we were “ladies of age” (I love the way some thing’s translate) and that we were a responsibility instead of a challenge. We later learned that he did not take his responsibility very seriously.

Into the taxi we go. The back is loaded with three dismantled bicycles, helmets, gloves and leg guards. It bugged me a lot that the seat belt did not work in the back seat. The buckle had broken and replaced. The problem was that the replacement buckle did not fit the latch. It was a scary one hour ride up the mountain road. I decide to play with Richard a little bit so asked Margee to ask him in Spanish if he could teach me how to ride a bike. His look of utter dismay was priceless and both Margee and I started laughing. I really don’t think he saw the humor of it.

Richard finally mentioned that we were not going all the way to the top of the mountain which was fine with me. During the drive, Margee, Richard and I discussed whether we would ride all the way down on the road or go off road. He pointed out a section of off-road trail and Margee asked how steep the side of the mountain was. Richard explained it was an abyss. Margee did not know what this meant but I sure as heck did. It is a steep cliff and I am not riding a bike next to it. Abyss does not have a good connotation what so ever. Margee pushed the issue and asked if there isn’t some easy off-road trail we could go on for a little bit. I am thinking that going down the nice smooth road is an excellent idea.

We arrive at the top of the mountain, which is not really the top, and thank goodness we brought our coats. It was very windy and cold! Richard is putting the bicycles together and we are trying not to freeze. Percy is going to stay close by to us in the taxi as we ride down the mountain. He would pass us then we would pass him on the side of the road, back and forth all the way down. Richard told us we would take it slow. Off we go and he is leading the way down the hill. I am behind him and am constantly on the break. He must have known this because they squealed loud enough to wake the dead. If I was to take my hand off the brake I would have rolled right on by him. I didn’t say anything, he would not have understood me if I had, but Margee finally had enough and yelled at him in Spanish to speed it up. He did and it was much more enjoyable. We wanted to stop occasionally to take pictures so Margee told him when we yelled “photo” that what we wanted to do. He glumly went along with it.

This road had more switchbacks then a plate of spaghetti. Back and forth, round and round just like a roller coaster. The scenery was beautiful and we saw little houses with gardens, farmers working their small fields and dogs that thought chasing us was great sport.

Richard pointed out painted red rocks on the side of the road. These were the entrances t o the off-road bike trails. They have a huge off-road bike race on this mountain each year and Richard has qualified to race in. Down the mountain we go and everything is going fine. I enjoy speeding by those darn red rocks. Richard pulled over onto a gravel area and we see a red rocks and a small trail heading off. Richard advises that we can ride on a little easy part of the trail right here. I am looking at this easy trail and saying NOOOOOOOO! I don’t want to; I am fine on the road. Well no one listened to me. Richard goes first and he does some fancy bike work of braking and balancing down the hill. He made it look easy. Margee is behind him and if he can do it, she can do it. She heads down the hill and is braking, balancing and maneuvering. As she gets to the bottom she has to turn to avoid hitting Richard who has not moved off the trail far enough. She hit a muddy, rocky area and she wiped out. She thought she fell in slow motion, it looked like slow motion to me, but she still wiped out.

I am at the top of the hill waiting for her to get up. She didn’t get back up but she did yell at me not to ride the bike down. I’m thinking to myself “no kidding”. I am not riding this bike down the hill, so I dropped it, and trotted down safely. She managed to get herself up and is hobbling around. Her knee is bleeding and she tore her pants a little bit. She was pretty upset and her adrenaline was pumping so we let her walk around for a minute before we doctored her up. Richard hands me two small packets that I think are antibiotics. I tear one open and smear it on her knee. Of course, then I look at the packet and realize that I had just put suntan lotion on her boo boo. The other packet is antibiotic so I wipe her knee off and apply the second goop. I then got out my own first aid kit and found a band aid to put on. She walks around some more to calm down. I thought it was her knee that hurt the most but it turns out it was her ankle that hurt more, it just wasn’t bleeding.

Back to the asphalt we went. Under my breath I told Richard to stay on the road. He may not have understood my English but he definitely understood my meaning.

We are going down, down, down and down. At some point I figured out that the gears on my bike did not shift. It did not matter as long as I was coasting downhill but once we hit a level or uphill portion I would have problems. I mentioned it to Richard (via Margee) a couple of times and he played with the gears and said it was fine. I could only get into two speeds. All downhill rides must come to an end and this one did. As I expected, the gears would not shift and I could hardly peddle the bike up the hill. I am puffing and wheezing and am definitely having a problem. On the best of days this would be a tough hill to walk up so I know I can’t possibly ride a malfunctioning bicycle up it. I got off the bike and pushed it. Margee rode by and offered to switch bikes. I was game for anything besides walking the last five miles so I agreed. She agreed that it did not shift very well while hers was a well oiled, well tuned machine. Figures. In the meantime we catch up to Richard and I told him I was done. I had had enough fun for the day. Please call the taxi back and give us a ride into town. It is at this point that Richard tells us he does not have a cell phone on him. Both Margee and I were stunned. What if one of us had been really hurt, he had no phone to call for assistance. He really didn’t take his job or his responsibility very seriously. He rode down the hill and found a phone and called Percy to come pick us up. Percy drove up and they loaded the bikes in the taxi and we piled in. We are not happy with Richard.

We got back to town and pulled up in front of the hotel and in a blink of an eye, Richard disappeared. We haven’t even gotten out of the taxi and he is gone. I think they went inside the hotel to talk to the boss and cover their rears. We saw Richard three more times before we left town and not once did he ask how Margee’s knee was. In fact the first time, he totally ignored us. In my phone book you would find him listed under the letter J.

To celebrate our bicycle ride survival we finished off the bottle of wine at lunch. We ordered the chicken and beef sandwiches at KB Tambo and they were delicious.

After lunch we went to the Ollantaytambo ruins. We decided not to hire a guide and just wander around at our own pace. We hiked around a bit but didn’t make it to the top. I didn’t care then and I don’t care now but it was fun and interesting and we took some really pictures.

We shopped some more at the market and Margee bought a very nice tapestry and some other things for folks back home. After that Margee went to the Internet café across the street and I walked around and took pictures. Since we had a late lunch we decided to go to the Heart Café and have dessert. I ordered apple crumb cake with ice cream. Margee wanted decaf coffee which they did not have. What they served me was not edible. It looked like it had been baked/burned a week ago and left out on the counter the whole time. I didn’t complain or return it, but I certainly couldn’t eat it. I just could not put it in my already iffy stomach. So much for dessert.

caligirl56

Babs-Thanks so much for this wonderful report. I've been looking forward to and enjoying every installment. The bike adventure sounds like way too much "fun". We will be in Peru in just a couple of months and your report is invaluable--lots of good information. Thanks again!

BabsB

Thanks caligirl56, I am glad you are enjoying the report.

fball

Your report is great! We are staying at KB Tambo in June for 5 nights & I had been considering doing the bike ride. My children were discouraging me as I have a propensity to hurt myself. After reading this, I think we will either pass on the bike ride or make a point to NOT have Richard for a guide. Would it have been an ok experience if you had had a better guide & a better bike? If so, I will still consider it. Looking forward to the jungle part of your trip...

Wanda1

Enjoying your report. We will be in Ollantaytambo this Saturday to begin our adventure. Really looking forward to spending 3 days in this village. The only difficulty we have had is that PeruRail only allows ll lbs. carryon bag for trip to MP on their train! We will be traveling with one backpack each for a 2 week trip. This will be an experienence.

Your episode at the Lan Air offices reminds me of our ordeal at the China Air office in Lhasa, Tibet. We purchased our round trip tickets thru Expedia from Katmandu to Lhasa, but China Air wouldn't honor them in Lhassa on our return trip. The Chinese representatives screamed at the top of their lungs at our guide back and forth (the most bizarre thing ever) and after 2 hours we ended up having to run to an ATM and buy one way tickets back to Katmandu. Yes when traveling you roll with the punches than deal with the credit card companies from home!

BabsB

fball, the bike ride was really a blast except for the "incident". Try to talk to KB, the owner, when you arrive. Grab him the first time you see him as you may not see him again. Discuss your concerns and you should be OK. No matter what, stay on the road! Wanda, ask the hotel in Olly if they will keep your excess baggage while you go to MP. We travelled really light but 11 pounds is extremely meager. I think I have read elsewhere on this site that the rule is not enforced, BUT don't take my word for it as we never made it to MP and have no first hand experience.

fball

Thanks for the advice, Barb. I think I will set up the bike trip by email with KB & see if I can arrange a different guide for us & completely functioning bikes. There are 5 of us so I don't want anyone stuck on a crummy bike. KB has been pretty responsive by email & I've spoken with him by phone.

Wanda1

The hotel would be happy to keep our excess luggage, but we are going straight to Cuzco from MP in the evening.

BabsB

Margee finished up our Colca Canyon tour journal so I am going to post it now though it is out of date order. Here goes:

March 15 and 16, 2010 Colca Canyon

An early wake-up call had us eating breakfast on the lovely terrace of our hotel overlooking some gardens with many trees –one in particular with a birdcage suspended housing some colorful parakeets. The breakfast was a nice buffet with the typical eggs, sausage, breads and also included a variety of grains and yogurt that made for a nice hearty cereal concoction. A variety of juices were available and the coffee was delicious. A great start to a great day. We were sharing the terrace with several high school kids who were traveling on a spring break from an elite boarding school in Colorado Springs. We ran into them a few more times on our excursion. We were all headed on a tour to the Colca Canyon.

While they boarded a bus, our guide and driver escorted us to a typical mini van and soon we saw that we were its only passengers. We enjoyed a nice amount of conversation with our very pleasant guide who shall remain nameless due to our inability to remember her name! Nevertheless, she spoke English well enough and had lots of anecdotal information to share as we rode along. As we journeyed to the outskirts of town, we stopped at a small market to buy water and a bag of coca leaves. We were going to be ascending to altitudes of over 16,000 feet as we crossed the Andes and traveled to the famous lookout point to await a view of the infamous Andean Condors. We had been taking meds to ward off altitude sickness, but the locals recommended chewing the coca leaves as well.

Upon leaving town we stopped briefly to photograph a magnificent view of the volcano. As we left the paved roads, the real adventure began as we endured the bumpiest and most uncomfortable roads imaginable. It was four hours of unpaved roads that jostled us about until I thought my kidneys would dislocate. On the positive side, we traveled along seeing amazing vistas. The terrain changed dramatically with each passing hour. What started as flat fields with small family farms dotting the fertile land soon turned into vast open prairies where herds of alpaca, llamas and vicunas roamed and grazed. These same grasses called ichu are the primary source of material for the thatched roofs and mud bricks that are used for the homes’ construction.

At one point we reached the summit where four major volcanoes could be seen. We stopped along the road and walked a short distance to a fascinating area where small stone altars were erected by individuals who then placed coca leaves atop and made a wish to the god of the earth for a safe journey. As the leaves blew away, we were assured that our wish was taken “heavenward”. We stopped a little further up the road to see the plaques naming the four volcanoes and also saw some artisans selling their weavings. A little girl was dressed in the traditional clothing and she smiled readily for pictures.

We continued to gain altitude and see rugged mountainsides until our van stopped again at the place they call Mirador de los Andes. It is where the traveler crosses from the western side of the Andes to the eastern side. More artisans with lots of embroidered fabrics, rugs and general handicraft were displayed. A young boy was walking with an alpaca on a rope posing for pictures with the tourist. I was convinced that the animal was about to spit since it kept chewing and chewing while I stood next to it. Someone had just warned me that they often do such gross behaviors and to be careful. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough!

As we got closer to the town of Chivay I get thinking that we would soon have decent roadways but we weren’t that lucky. The welcoming arches marking the town entrance were the first pavement and if I’m not mistaken, that was cobblestone. Our hotel was beyond Chivay another 20 minutes further and more poor roads to get to a small village called Coporaque where a beautiful lodge awaited us called La Casa de Mama Yacchi.

What a treasure in the rough it was! The setting was stunning with views galore. The stone structure and beautifully landscaped flower gardens made for a serene reprieve from the violent jostling of the long trip. We entered to find a beautiful lobby and large open dining area a flight of stairs down. The bay windows and wood beamed vaulted ceiling made for a dramatic impression. We were directed to our room down a hall and beyond the man painting fresh varnish on the door and hall area. Our first impression upon entering was that of toxic fumes. However, the room looked and smelled fine.

As we checked things out, we were delighted to look out the window and see our neighbor, the hotel llama named Manchito, tethered to a stake and enjoying the grass only 10 feet from our window. We quickly returned to the dining room for a lunch buffet which was beautifully presented in Peruvian style with earthenware dishes and colorful table décor. The hostess and waitress were dressed in traditional garb with veils and sashes.

After lunch we opted to take a walk and tour the area with our guide. She walked us down a path that was pathetically strewn with litter yet bordered the most beautiful acres of vibrant crops such as beans and barley and potatoes. In our conversation it was noted that we were interested in schools and she offered to take us to see a little day care center subsidized by the government. Being a little later in the day, we found only a few children remaining but nevertheless, it was quite an eye opener to enter and see a functioning child care center. My first thought was that it mirrored what I had been seeing in the country in general. The poor conditions and lack of sanitary conditions saddened me. The ladies in charge were very delightful and you could see that they loved the kids. The kids were sweet but quite shy and lacking a good face scrubbing. The toys and materials were equally in need of a good scrub. We took pictures and walked around to see the nap room and the bathrooms. Before leaving we decided to make a donation since we had not brought anything in the way of materials with us to give. I think we left them thirty or forty dollars to buy whatever the children needed. It felt good to do at least that much. The caregivers were very grateful.

Our walk was leisurely but everything at that altitude felt somewhat strenuous. I remember feeling quite tired upon return. We washed up and decided to have a glass of wine before dinner and capitalize on the inviting fireplace. It was very enjoyable and the little area had wonderful artifacts of traditional Peruvian culture—especially some musical instruments.

Our evening dinner was delicious and the dining room seemed especially lively with the arrival of the Colorado high school group. Barb was quick to say that we better get up to the buffet as it wouldn’t last long once they hit it. The staff was attentive and explained the different dishes. I tried most everything and loved them—especially the soups.

We were cautioned that this would be one of our colder stops so we dressed “up” for bed in the long underwear and warm layers. I was overheated and slept poorly. They attributed it to the altitude but I think it had to do with getting up at a ridiculous hour to start the next day’s travels. We were so tired at breakfast, Barb couldn’t even eat. My first pictures note the time as 5 am as we left the hotel.

Another long drive of unbearably bumpy roads brought us to the famous lookout for the Andean Condor. The panoramic vistas along the way left you breathless. We stopped in a small village with a church to use the facilities. There was a man holding a captive Condor and he would perch it on your head for a picture—of course demanding money afterwards. Our guide encouraged us to not support this inhumane treatment of the prized bird. We were back on the road for the final ascent.

We were offered a short walk or a long hike and we quickly opted for the short walk given the altitude issues. The canyon was spectacular and we saw many caves in the canyon walls which served as burial places by the Incas. It was hard to conceive of how they managed to scale these walls and bury their dead. You could see lines suggesting how they carved trails traversing the walls. As we were heading up a path about 300 feet from the look out peak, our guide directed our attention to a couple of Condors overhead. My first impression was that they must be plentiful if we already spotted two before even getting to the best lookout. Little did I realize that those were to be the only two we were to see in the next hour. How I wish I had been quicker with my camera. I got one decent picture. Barb and I then later purchased a few photographs from a vendor on site for a pretty pricey sol or two.

Our ride back to Arequipa was highlighted by two additional travelers riding part way. One American and one Peruvian who seemed to be a “couple” were archaeologists working in Nazca. At one point we had stopped for one last picture of the canyon and the Peruvian gal steps a few feet up the hillside and picks up a piece of pottery and nonchalantly shows us what she’s found. Our guide clarifies that it is authentic from the Inca culture and is hundreds of years old! We then get some explanations as to how the archaeologist evaluates the pottery’s details and how they determine what size the piece was. To our amazement she tosses it back up the hillside claiming that the government red tape involved to register and catalog such a piece is much more laborious than anyone can imagine. At least we got a picture of her holding it!

We arrived at our lunch stop in the town of Chivay a little before noon. Another attractive and extensive buffet awaited us and our ravenous appetites. After all, we had gotten up at the crack of dawn and Barb could hardly talk let alone eat. Perhaps this accounts for her sense of adventure and willingness to try the dish of guinea pig. I could not bring myself but sat mesmerized at her response. Lots of bones was the first comment and little meat to follow. Enough said. I passed on the opportunity. I did enjoy a stew with alpaca meat in a good broth. My favorite highlight was the dessert flan. It was worth going back for seconds.

The remaining hours of our trip were somewhat quiet with one stop for bathrooms and we arrived back at our hotel in Arequipa late in the afternoon. Neither of us can remember eating dinner that night so I think my supply of granola bars served me well. We needed to be up early for our bus to Puno the following morning. It had been a wonderful and full two day excursion to experience the Colca Canyon.

BabsB

And now back to our regularly scheduled installment:


March 24, 2010 School Visit

We went touring with David Choque today. We telephoned him last night because his schedule indicated that we had a 9:30 am cooking class and a 2:00 pm school visit. This didn’t make any sense as the children would be out of school by 2:00 pm and we didn’t want to visit empty rooms. David called the cooking class and rearranged the day so we went to the school first.

Huilloc is about 45 minutes up a very narrow, bumpy, muddy road. In fact, of all the roads we had been on in Peru, this was the one that scared us the most. Obviously the incessant rains had taken its toll on it. There was mudslide after mudslide and some sections were almost impassable. David kept saying he was a good driver but as the car slipped sideways in the mud towards the cliff, we prayed he was right. Road workers were diligently moving tons of mud and rock off the road with shovels. At one point, David stopped and handed money out to them for their hard effort. We arrived in town and found that we are definitely a novelty. David said the town may get visitors every three months or so. There were no vendors. This was the first place we went where someone didn’t try to sell us something. It was wonderful.

David led us to the school and the first classroom we visited was for second graders. The teacher was delightful and welcomed us into the class. She led the children in songs which was wonderful. Margee and I checked out the classroom and took many pictures of the children.

We had purchased a big box of supplies and one point I saw David digging through it, Evidently, he wanted to pick out some of the supplies for this class and the rest for the kindergarten class. It irritated me a bit that he didn’t ask us what we wanted to do. Months previously when I was planning the trip with him he had agreed to take us shopping for school supplies. That didn’t happen as he sent us off on tour with Fidel. We did manage to locate supplies on our own and we bought a large quantity but I felt like he let us down, and then took over the distribution without asking us. Margee and I decided that we did not want to dilute the moment by discussing glue sticks and pencils with him. I did have to draw the line though when he wanted to give the large stapler to one teacher and the box of staples to another. The teachers showed the children what we brought and they clapped with big smiles, that’s what it was all about.

The children were adorable and well behaved but they all needed baths, teeth brushing, clean clothes and quite a few needed medical attention. Margee wanted to scrub the tables down they were so dirty. Life is hard when you don’t have running water or electricity and the teachers do the best they can.

We went to the kindergarten class next. There were about 30 three to five year old children sitting around their tables and squirming just like all kindergarten children do. The teacher had them sign a song for us then Margee then asked the teacher to continue on with her normal activities and we would just watch. The teacher had painted tin cans yellow, red, blue, and green and used them for teaching colors. She worked on color recognition with the painted cans and colored plastic soda bottle caps. Margee was worried that the younger children would try to chew on them. The teacher reviewed the colors and the children would select the appropriate bottle cap that matched. Margee commented later that the classroom materials were meager and very primitive but resourceful. There was one little boy balancing his chair on two legs. It wasn’t long before he was sprawled on the floor. There is at least one wild child in every classroom and I picked him out almost immediately and knew what was going to happen.

We toured the room and saw nesting boxes, dollies, and kitchen toys. There were many toothbrushes in a jar next to a tooth brushing poster. The toothbrushes did not have names on them. Margee held up a Spanish copy of Good Night Moon and we both smiled. I wondered if my son’s copy is still on the bookshelf at home.

Our schedule had been rearranged but evidently we didn’t have a lot of time to spend at the school because David hustled us out as we had to get to the cooking class. We arrived at Tres Keros in Urubamba and David knocked on the door. Then he banged on the door. Finally a gal answered and told David that the chef, Richard Behar, had gone to the market to buy ingredients. David called Richard at the market and arranged for us to catch up with him. We got to the market and parked the car. Our backpacks were in the back of the car and I was extremely uncomfortable leaving them there. David said are packs would be fine. We have managed to hang onto them and all our belongings so far this trip and here we are leaving our
stuff out with hundreds of people around. I worried about it the whole time we were in the market.

The market is quite big with an outdoor area and a covered indoor area. It was amazing looking down at it all and I enjoyed it very much. There were so many people selling so many different types of fruits of vegetables. The colors were vibrant and I had a hard time taking it all in. We climbed a set of stairs that overlooked the indoor market and David says to look for


a tall man. I wonder “how tall?” We didn’t see a tall man so David called Richard again and we were directed to the fruit department. We wander over there and meet up with Richard and two other cooking class students, Candice and her son Zeek, from Massachusetts.

Richard walked us around the fruit section and explained that the quality is so poor it can’t be exported to the United States. Then he points out some beautiful apples and told us they came from Washington State. Then he points out some very nice fruit and advises it came from Chile. He explained that the US and Chile use technology such as genetics, fertilizer and insecticides to raise crops while Peru does not have this technological advantage yet. It was nutritious, tasty food for the local people but it could not be sold on the international market.

Both Margee and I noticed that Richard was not treating the vendors very well. He wanted to cut a piece of fruit up so we could try it but he did not want to pay the vendor for it. He complained about the quality and price of EVERYTHING. I enjoyed the market but would have enjoyed walking around the market even more without Richard. Richard is buying a little here and little there and he finally has everything he wants so we head back to the car. I am praying that our stuff is still there and it was thank goodness.

At the restaurant there is one table set up with ingredients with one knife and cutting board. I guess only one of us actually gets to prepare food. This is going to be a demonstration rather than hands on cooking class. Zeek, the 14 year old, jumps in and cuts up the salmon for the ceviche. All the other ingredients had been cut up by Richard’s staff so there was nothing else for us to prepare. Richard tossed ingredients into the bowl with the salmon but did not tell us what the ingredients were. One ingredient was a very smooth, off white paste. I asked what it was and he said it was garlic. I asked if it was cooked, blended or what? He was not real forthcoming with the answer. I kept thinking to myself that this is a cooking class and I would like to know what ingredients you are using so that I can make the dish later. All the ingredients for the ceviche were tossed together and it was set aside to marinate.

Next, Zeek sliced mushrooms. Lots of mushrooms. I am looking at the way the knife is cutting the mushrooms and decided it had to be very dull. At one point when Zeek put it down I checked the edge and it was dull as a putty knife. Margee took her turn at slicing and pretty soon there was a huge bowl of sliced mushrooms. Richard put the mushroom dish together and at this point I am losing interest because I don’t want to guess at each and every ingredient. I want him to explain what he is doing but no amount of coaxing from me is going to convince him to do this.

The next dish is marinated beef on skewers. It is marinated in a red sauce. He scoops the red sauce out of a jar. I ask what is in the sauce and he says it is chilies. So then I have to ask how they had been prepared. He confessed that the chilies had been cooked and blended until smooth. I am pulling teeth to get the most basic of info out of him.

During all of this he is yelling at his staff and negotiating food prices with a group of farmers who came in. On top of this he pulls a couple of cook books out and starts flipping through the pages to show us pictures of the food. The funny thing is that they were not his cook books. They were written by other cooks that he apparently was impressed with. It was very weird.

We sat down at a table and the staff served us the food. They served several dishes that we had not seen during the cooking ‘demonstration’ such as mashed potatoes and fava beans. Richard asked us to guess what the secret ingredient was in the potatoes. We had no idea so he told us he put vanilla in the mashed potatoes. Definitely weird.

There was a yellow sauce on the plate and of course I asked what it was. Richard held up a jar full of yellow sauce but the jar
had a fruit label on it. I asked again what was in the jar and he replied that I could buy it anywhere. Well, no I can’t because I have no idea what was in that jar. I never did figure out what kind of sauce it was.

The food was pretty good but at $69.00 US dollars per person, it was a steep lunch.

David drove us back to Cusco, so this is trip number 5 on that road. I napped. We checked back into Nino’s Hotel and got the same room we had before. We sent our clothes out to the laundry then walked over to the Folklore show at the Qosqo Native Art Center that was included on our Tourist ticket. The show was entertaining with colorful costumes, lively music and fancy dancing. We treated ourselves to a taxi ride back to the hotel, the taxi needed shocks desperately.

Back at Nino’s we enjoyed tea, coffee and dessert in front of the warm fire for a very nice ending to a hectic day.

fball

Oh boy! What a mixed bag of an adventure! I'm glad we are not planning on attending a cooking class. I guess all you can say is that the really good days make up for those that are somewhat mediocre. Thanks for posting it. I enjoyed reading more about your trip.

BabsB

Thanks fball. We joked between us that we didn't have bad days, some days just had more "texture" than others. I guess the best thing to say is that Margee and I always seemed to find some way to see the humor in things. Having a good laugh can make most anything seem not so bad.

BabsB

March 25, 2010 Sexy Woman and more

David Choque picked us up at 10:00 am for our Cusco tour. It was raining outside so we took our rain jackets. We had definitely expected more rain over the course of the trip but had lucked out as the weather was great. Our first stop was at the Qoicancha Templo del Sol. It had the most beautiful, finely crafted Inca masonry that we have seen. The temple is dedicated to sun worship and used to be covered in gold. It is an Inca fortress on the bottom though the Spanish had demolished most of it. Then the Spanish built the Convent of Santo Domingo on top of the Inca ruins in the 17th century. A section of cloister was removed so that you can see the remains of four Inca temple chambers and the exquisite stone work. The monks kept trying to hide the remaining beautiful Inca masonry by plastering and painting over it so that it would not be ransacked by the Spaniards.

David pointed out a few areas where the Inca stonework had been ripped out so that a convent wall or arch could be built in its place. The difference in workmanship was amazing. There was one small area where the Inca stone was removed and an arch carefully inserted. Evidently the mason decided the Inca workmanship was so good that they may as well incorporate it into their own work.

I enjoyed the tour and the information but did not enjoy the weather. It had turned cold and we were exhaling frost. At the end of the cold tour of the Temple of the Sun, Margee came to our rescue and told David we needed to go back to the hotel and get more clothes, knit hats, and gloves because we were freezing. She also needed camera batteries. He obliged graciously.

After our quick stop at the hotel, we went to Sacsayhuaman which was a short ways out of Cusco. It is a low lying ruin, so did not require much climbing, and it had a stunning view of Cusco. The outer walls are in a zigzag formation with some of the stones at the base estimated to weight 300 tons. David explained the zigzag design was useful in times of defense as the aggressors at the walls would always have their flanks exposed. I enjoyed looking at the areas being worked on by archeologists.

We took a few minutes to enjoy the view and a pleasant surprise was that we could clearly hear a band playing music. It sounded like a huge festival and it was clear as a bell. They were rocking out!

Back on the road to Q’enko we passed by the tall white statue of Christ on the hill next to Sacsayhuaman. Q’enko looks like a pile of rocks with a cave. Inside the cave is a huge alter made out of smooth limestone. We asked David if the Inca sacrificed humans here and he denied it though he said it was possibly used to sacrifice black llamas and black guinea pigs because they were rare and valuable. There were very small steps up to the
slab. David said that old men performed the rituals and they needed small steps to reach the alter. Outside there were smaller alters used by different communities to make their own offerings. They would put fruit and vegetables on their alter along with anything else they wanted to offer up. There was another huge slab in the courtyard. I don’t really want to think about what they did on that huge slab.

On our way out I yelled at David to stop the car. Hanging from a tree next to the road were two effigies of a local boy and a local girl. David explained that boys put the girl up in the tree to tease the girls so the girls put the boy up in the tree to get back at them. It was a cute story.

We returned to Cusco and David dropped us off in front of La Cathedral and went off to park the car. La Cathedral cost 25 sols to enter. David said it used to be included on the tourist ticket but the church decided they would make more money by charging their own fee. We enjoyed David’s tour of the church and ended up by going down into the crypt of Estadio Garcilaso de la Vega the author of Comentarios Rales de los Incas in 1609.

There was going to be a procession so one of the statues of Christ from a side chapel was in the main chapel next to the 884 pound silver altar. Christ was all decked out and ready for the party. Too bad when it was over he would be put back in his little side chapel for another year.

It was now 3:15 and we had not eaten since 9:00 am. We told David that we were fine being left at the plaza as we wanted to do a little shopping and eat. Margee and I decided to cancel our tour with David for the next day as we were toured out. We were going to wander around Cusco and do our own thing. We made arrangements for him to pick us up on March 27th to take us to the airport.

We had a lovely late lunch at an Italian restaurant on the plaza. I have racked my brains and have done an extensive web search but can’t figure out the name of the restaurant. We spent several hours there talking with a young backpacker named Bessie Bishop. Five months out of the year she works on an Alaskan tourist train, the rest of the year she travels. Now that’s the life. Margee had pasta Alfredo and I had pizza. It was relaxing and enjoyable.

We wandered around the plaza and did some shopping. Once it got dark, I especially enjoyed the plaza with all the lights reflecting off the cathedral. Back at the hotel we relaxed in front of the fire and enjoyed hot tea and dessert.

BabsB

March 26, 2010 Cusco

Yesterday we told David we needed a free day so we are on our own today. To start off we walked next door to the Internet café to print off our Lan Peru boarding passes. To bad they didn’t have a printer. The owner directed us to another Internet café down the street so off we went. Something that would take less than 5 minutes at home took over an hour to accomplish but we ended up with our boarding passes and that’s part of the fun of traveling.

We made our way to the Plaza de Armas and saw a huge crowd standing around the fountain. There was what we would call a mariachi band posing for a photo shoot. The musicians were all dressed up in their handsome outfits with their fancy hats and beautiful musical instruments lining up for photos. So we took some, along with all the other tourists. Then they started to play music. Unfortunately, about the same time they started to play, a protest march started to walk around the plaza with all the accompanying yelling, hollering and chanting typical to protest marches. It was a group of teachers and students protesting against the government but we never did figures out why.

After visiting several shops on the plaza we hiked up the hill to Barrio de San Blas, the upscale artsy district. We had lunch here a few days ago and decided we wanted to see more of the area. We went into the different shops and Margee purchased enough pencils with boy and girl dolls at the end to give to each of her students. We discovered the girl pencils and asked the vendor if she had boy pencils. She said she would go get some and have them ready for Margee when we headed back down the hill. Upon our return Margee and the vendor agreed on a price and Margee handed over her money. The vendor didn’t want to give her back the change so she threw in a couple of inexpensive items. As we are getting ready to leave, another gal came up to me and said that Margee hadn’t paid enough. Well, I told her that I wasn’t involved in it and she needed to talk to Margee. So she went over to Margee and told her that she had underpaid. Margee told her sorry, this transaction is complete. It was very strange, especially since they threw in extra items so as to not give Margee any change.

We ate lunch at a really good Mexican restaurant called El Cuate. We ordered the tourist meal which included nachos, coca cola, and main course. They did not have any coke and would not substitute any other beverage, not even water. It was funny but I can’t complain because my cheese enchilada was really good. While we ate, a little cocker spaniel came inside the restaurant begging for food. When I finished eating, I took my leftover tortilla outside to give to him but he was long gone. I wrapped it up in napkin and took it with me in case we saw him again.

As we walk around I am looking for a hungry dog to feed. Where is a hungry dog when you need one? Everywhere we went there were hungry dogs except when I had food to offer. We were sitting on a bench in San Blas and finally a dog walked by. I offered the food and believe it or not, he was picky. Excuse me, eat the darn tortilla!

Next stop was a Museum Inka. It had an interesting blend of ceramics, textiles, mummies, etc. Most of the displays had descriptions written in Spanish, but every now and then there would be one written in English. It was hit and miss. I purchased a hand woven bag for my sister from the women weaving in the courtyard. It was definitely a 45 minute museum.

By now we were walked and shopped out so we returned to the hotel. We relaxed for awhile and organized our packs for leaving the next day. We decided to walk back to the plaza for dinner. It was Friday night and the church was open and many folks were headed that way. The restaurant touts were out in force. You couldn’t take five steps without being asked what do you want to eat, how much do you want to spend or Happy Hour Ladies. We made a pick and walked up stairs to the restaurant to find white linen table clothes and only one couple eating there. Margee was not in the mood for white linen and I wanted something more lively. We compromised by going to McDonald’s. It was a perfect choice, inexpensive, fast, and tasty and a nice reminder of home. I had a Big Mac, fries and a coke for 17sols. Margee had a Quarter Pounder, fries and a coke for 11 sols! Our last celebration in Cusco before going to the Amazon tomorrow.

fball

Enjoying the details of your time in Cusco. I'm especially looking forward to the Amazon part of your trip. We will be spending a week with Pantiacolla tours in Manu. Any and all details as to what to bring and not to would be appreciated. I hope you saw lots of wildlife. Keep writing, Barb!
fb

mlgb

I just returned from a different part of the Peruvian Amazon (near Iquitos). Depending on what activities you would be doing, my packing list would include:

For head covering, I found I preferred a mosquito head net to a hat (yes you look dorky but eventually you realize it's much cooler). Also a bandana or sweatband for the forehead.

Something cool and loose to wear around the lodge.

Enough socks and underwear for the stay..extra socks even. It may be that nothing will dry.

Short sleeve T-shirts and Deet/sunscreen for the lower arms. A LOOSE lighweight long sleeve shirt or a sun-reflecting jacket.

I did mostly wear long pants, the nylon travel kind. Walking around gets muddy and there are plants that can cut your legs. We had rubber boots. Even in the canoes there would be mosquitoes at your ankles.

Head Lamp, if your lodge doesn't have electricity. Much handier than a flashlight. I also had a little battery operated light that I clipped to the mosquito netting.

Antihistamine tablets and cream. DEET and sunscreen.

Two water bottles.

Bathing suit.

Water shoes of some type are nice (I used fake Crocs).

Extra batteries for camera and headlamp.

Binoculars.

What not to bring..black clothing, mosquitos like it
Also scented soaps, shampoo, creams, etc.

BabsB

Great list mlgb. I especially agree about the extra socks and the head lamp. The Amazon was very wet and rainy when we were there so consider a rain pancho or jacket. The lodge provided rubber boots but they were not very comfortable, thick socks helped with that. Extra batteries a good idea, our lodge had limited electricity and I forgot to get my batteries to the office at the appropriate time. My iphone, which I used as my alarm clock, died the last night so I kept waking up afraid we would be late for our departure time.

mlgb

You're right, the lightweight rain poncho should be added. I guess I forgot because the last 4-5 days we had no rain!

Another thing I forgot. Bring some ziplock bags and save those little dehumidifier packets (or buy some). Keep your electronics, cameras, watches, etc zipped up with the packets when not in use. Also a ziplock for important papers & even cash, it's amazing how much moisture gets absorbed.

On the positive side, after a week of 80% humidity and bathing in Amazon silt, my skin looked great!