After Puno, we made our way to Arequipa, but we didn´t know what to expect from another big city in Peru. We came in at night and dealt with another crazy cab ride where I think we had at least three near accidents. I was starting to think it would be more of the same until we got the main part of the city where there is a stunning Plaza de Armas along with San Francisco Street which is remniscent of any main drag of bars and restaurants in European cities. As our guidebook said, it looks like a city right out of southern Spain (I´ve never been to Spain, but it sounded really good).
In the morning we started exploring the city and we all loved it. Its Spanish-style architecture reminded me a lot of the places that I like in New Orleans. The main Cathedral is made of a very light stone that makes it shine during the day. Every day is sunny and the city just lights up. On any afternoon you can find the main square full of people chatting, reading, writing, or just contemplating whatever people contemplate. Basically all aspects of the city just gave off extremely positive vibes.
Outside of the man-made beauty, Arequipa sits on the foothills of two snow-peaked mountains, Chochani and Misti. Misti is an active volcano and I have an amazing view of both from my hostel. While I was backpacking in Europe I got the feeling in a few cities that if I had the time I would love just stay there for a month and explore; I got that same feeling here and I had the time. So, when Daniel and Kacey left I asked the manager of my hostel if I could stay there and work for a month and he said yes. So, now I am the hostel bartender and token American guy. Living and working with the Peruvian staff also serves as free Spanish lessons. I wanted to improve before I started travelling on my own.
I also am going to start volunteering at a school for a couple hours a day teaching English. It sounds like fun and a good use of a few hours every afternoon.
While Daniel and Kacey were still here though we went on a fun day trip to Colca Canyon. Its about four hours outside of Arequipa and it is the deepest canyon in the world. It boasts that its depth is about twice that of the Grand Canyon. The most impressive aspect was a lookout point called Cruz del Condor where you can see Condors soaring above the canyon all day. In the hour or so we were there I think we saw about 15-20 condors. They have a wingspan of about 3 meters and actually get very close to you. They were extremely impressive to see up close and in the wild.
So, now I´m living here and planning the next leg of my trip. It was sad to see my travel buddies leave, but its also fun to be on my own.
Just a side note, we did see the Loquito on our way back to Puno and our cab driver just sped up and he jumped out of the way. No bread for him, but he got a sol out of us which is enough to buy bread in any town.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Puno
When you think of a city built on the shores of Lake Titicaca, you probably imagine crystal clear water, great views, and quaint little boats fishing or taking tourists to its many islands...or at least that what I thought. Its turns out that Puno is just a gross little city. The tour guide on our bus from Cusco told us that the majority of Puno´s economy comes from the black market. What this basically means is that instead of their markets being full of fresh food and handmade crafts, they have bootlegged DVDs and crappy electronics. One of the stores that we passed sold gag novelty teeth, fake designer perfumes, and dental insturments. It wasn´t all bad though. Our first night we splurged for an eight dollar filet mignon dinner.
We made the most of our stay in Puno by leaving on day trips. Our first and only full day we went to a tiny Peninsular village called Llachon. We wanted to take a boat there, but we were only offered tours that we didn´t want. No one wanted to give us a straight answer about how to get there by boat. Even when we went to the local docks, it was just people trying to sell us tours. Eventually we gave up on the boat ride and decided to see if we could rent a taxi for the day. This turned out to be the highlight of the trip to Puno for me.
The ride was about an hour and a half through beautiful landscapes. On part of the road where there was construction we just off-roaded for about 20 minutes. About two thirds of it was on a gravel road passing cattle farms. We also saw a couple hawks flying and swooping at something in the fields. We even met a real-life bridge troll or a loquito as our taxi driver called him.
When we were nearing Llachon, from out of nowhere a tiny, stooped man just jumped directly in front of our taxi. His eyes were pure madness as Daniel said and he demanded that we give him bread. He only speaks Quechua by the way, so I really didn´t know what was going on until our driver explained it to us. Our taxi driver had obviously dealt with him before and rolled his window down to give him a bit of money. He yelled that he couldn´t eat that so the cab driver promised that we would come back with bread from the village. The loquito let us pass, but our driver said that if you don´t give him anything he will throw rocks and try to damage your car.
Once in Llachon, we got climbed up to a lookout point that overlooks the lake and afterwards walked down to the beach to dip our feet in it. I think we were the first gringos that had been in Llachon for a while because even the sheep grazing in the pastures were looking at us sideways. The domininant language there was obviously Quechua and it seemed like a place where almost everyone made their living off the land. Its nice to get out of cities sometimes and see the rural side of a country.
The next day we went to the floating reed islands in Lake Titicaca. They were extremely touristy but still amazing. People have been living on this series of islands for 500 years. They were originally created to escape the Spanish conquistadors. The indigenous people learned how to tie together blocks of reed roots which float naturally. Once you have enough of these blocks, it can support an unbelievable amount of weight. Almost everything on the islands is made of dried reeds. On one of the larger islands there is even a school and hospital.
Those were pretty much the highlights of Puno.
We made the most of our stay in Puno by leaving on day trips. Our first and only full day we went to a tiny Peninsular village called Llachon. We wanted to take a boat there, but we were only offered tours that we didn´t want. No one wanted to give us a straight answer about how to get there by boat. Even when we went to the local docks, it was just people trying to sell us tours. Eventually we gave up on the boat ride and decided to see if we could rent a taxi for the day. This turned out to be the highlight of the trip to Puno for me.
The ride was about an hour and a half through beautiful landscapes. On part of the road where there was construction we just off-roaded for about 20 minutes. About two thirds of it was on a gravel road passing cattle farms. We also saw a couple hawks flying and swooping at something in the fields. We even met a real-life bridge troll or a loquito as our taxi driver called him.
When we were nearing Llachon, from out of nowhere a tiny, stooped man just jumped directly in front of our taxi. His eyes were pure madness as Daniel said and he demanded that we give him bread. He only speaks Quechua by the way, so I really didn´t know what was going on until our driver explained it to us. Our taxi driver had obviously dealt with him before and rolled his window down to give him a bit of money. He yelled that he couldn´t eat that so the cab driver promised that we would come back with bread from the village. The loquito let us pass, but our driver said that if you don´t give him anything he will throw rocks and try to damage your car.
Once in Llachon, we got climbed up to a lookout point that overlooks the lake and afterwards walked down to the beach to dip our feet in it. I think we were the first gringos that had been in Llachon for a while because even the sheep grazing in the pastures were looking at us sideways. The domininant language there was obviously Quechua and it seemed like a place where almost everyone made their living off the land. Its nice to get out of cities sometimes and see the rural side of a country.
The next day we went to the floating reed islands in Lake Titicaca. They were extremely touristy but still amazing. People have been living on this series of islands for 500 years. They were originally created to escape the Spanish conquistadors. The indigenous people learned how to tie together blocks of reed roots which float naturally. Once you have enough of these blocks, it can support an unbelievable amount of weight. Almost everything on the islands is made of dried reeds. On one of the larger islands there is even a school and hospital.
Those were pretty much the highlights of Puno.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Inca Trail
This is going to be a long one so I hope you´re prepared. It took me a while to really digest the hike, but I think now I can give a decent description of what it was like. I think its important to begin by introducing the cast of characters.
The guides :
Mauro - Mauro was our primary guide. He has been leading hikes on the Inca Trail for about six years. It takes three years of training at a private school for tourism in Cusco and another year of English to become a guide, so he was extremely qualified. While the rest of us were panting for breath, he was barely breaking a sweat and throughout the walks he would provide interesting info about the history and religious significance of the various sites and agriculture. He had a hint of used-car salesman in his demeanor and his explanations could get lengthy at times, but overall he was an excellent guide.
Rosa - Rosa was our secondary guide but could have easily led a hike by herself. She provided great commentary on the flora and fauna, but also had an emotional attachment to the group. She understood that the hike to Machu Picchu meant a great deal to all of us and tried her best to make it an experience we would never forget. I think for a lot of us, she was one of the main highlights of the hike. As Patrick Sr. said, ¨Rosa is just a class act.¨ She might have been the only female guide on the trail, but she carried herself in a way that commanded respect.
The Gringos:
Three Irishmen - These guys were great. Patrick Sr (65), Patrick Jr(30s), and Ronin (late 20s). It was one of Patrick Sr´s dreams to hike the Inca trail and two of his sons came with him to make it a family trip. It was pretty cool to watch them have the experience as a family. Although Patrick Sr was 65, he basically outhiked everyone else in the group. It was kind of embarrassing for us able-bodied twenty-somethings, but the man was a machine so give us a break.
Francis and Hhhun - This Dutch couple was also in pretty impressive. They speed-skated, cycled, and were obviously experienced hikers. When a guide asked Hhhun if she was sure she could carry her large backpack, she scoffed and let him know that she would be alright. Later we found out that she speed-skated something like 200 k in a day so she could obviously hold her own.
Daniel, Kacey, and I - Three fresh-faced American kids at the beginning of the trip and grizzled hiking veterans by the end. We were definitely the babies of the group, but we provided people with good insights about living in New Orleans for the last five years. Its interesting to talk to people abroad about such a failure in American social policy when we experienced it first-hand. Overall, I think we repped well for American youth.
The Porters: Its hard to verbalize how amazing these guys were, but I´m going to try. For each hiking group, there are about 8-12 porters who ¨assist¨ the group. They are mostly farmers who are natives of the Andean highlands and speak Quechua. Although we carry our clothes and sleeping bags/pads, the porters do everything else. On their backs the porters have four days worth of food, all the tents for the group, a massive propane tank for the camping stove, the stove, emergency oxygen tanks, and anything else you could possibly imagine you would need on a 4-day hike. Supposedly, their packs are not supposed to exceed 20 kilos because of a recent regulation from the Peruvian government, but some of those packs had to be heavier. Some of the porters don´t even use packs, the simply throw everything in their bag and somehow tie it to themselves with a blanket. Keep in mind that the average height of a porter can´t be more than 5´3¨ and some opt to hike the trail in sandals instead of shoes.
Every day the porters are about an hour ahead of our group to set up the tent to cook us lunch and dinner. At about 5 am, they woke us up with hot tea to coax us out of bed and had breakfast on the table by 5 30. After we´re done they break everything down and are at the next site ahead of the group. The hikes during the day were pretty grueling, but these men were literally running ahead of us to get to the next site. I´ve never felt like more of a lazy gringo watching them work. The food they cooked was amazing too. We were all expecting bag lunches or something, but Hugo, the lead porter and chef, always had a fantastic meal prepared for us. Every lunch and dinner started with soup and then had a main course and we had tea time every day around 5.
From that description it sounds like we had a really easy time, but the hikes were extremely physically demanding. We all found out pretty quickly that when Mauro said there would be a gradual incline that it meant steep and when he said a steep incline, it just meant vertical. The trail consisted of thousands upon thousands of giant steps that just ripped your calves and knees apart. I thought I was in pretty good shape going into the hike. I had been running an extra few miles a week to get ready, but I have never been more sore at the end of a day than on the Inca Trail.
Out of the four days, day two was definitely the most grueling. It is a 13 k hike, but during the first 5 hours, you climb up 1,200 meters. We started the day at 3,000 meters and Dead Woman´s Pass (the highest point on the Inca Trail) is at about 4,200 meters. After reaching the high point, it is about another three hours down giant steps to get to camp. By the end of the day, the way down feels like nothing compared to the steep incline.
Our group woke up around five like everyday and ate a pretty hearty breakfast, but that is the only meal we had until three in the afternoon. The guides know that it isn´t a good idea to eat before trying to conquer the pass because it will just weigh you down. The last hour or so up to Dead Woman´s pass was one of the hardest tasks I´ve ever had to complete. At that height, getting oxygen to your lungs is impossible and the only thing keeping you going is knowing that at the top you can sit down. There was a point where it felt like I was stopping every 10 ft just to catch my breath. Once you´re at the top though, its all worth it. The view of the valley you just climbed out of is breathtaking even if there isn´t much breath for it to take.
The lack of food did cause some unrest in the group though. Hhhun and Francis, who seem to live a pretty regimented life in terms of exercise and eating schedule were very upset about it. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches though. You have to be flexible and trust that the guides run the hike a certain way for a reason. There were a couple people who were too exhausted to even eat lunch, but I think after a little rest everyone was just happy that we had all accomplished our goal to get over the pass in one piece. I think we all learned something about how far we could push ourselves physically and mentally.
Day three was the longest of the 4 days, 17 k I think, but after day two it felt like a breeze. As our bodies adjusted to the altitude and constant walking, we could really look around and appreciate the beauty of what you were walking through. About 80% of the trail on day three is the original trail that the Incas used for their pilgrimage to Machu Picchu. The 500-year old stone path is still perfectly intact and you are walking the same path as only the most priveleged Inca had the oppurtunity to experience. The back-drop of the mountains while you slowly descend into jungle is more stunning than anything you´ve even seen. The best analogy we could think of was that it felt like you were walking through a scene in Lord of the Rings. Absolutely amazing.
On day four, you wake up at 3 30 am to be able to get to Machu Picchu by sunrise. As you walk in the twilight of the early morning, no matter what you believe in in terms of spiritual energy, there is something out of your control drawing you to Machu Picchu. Whether its your own body or an energy coming from one of the greatest religious sites in the world, you feel an incredible mental, emotional, and physical high.
The moss on the trees looked like it was glowing with phosphorescence as you walk through the forest, but there is one more obstacle before you get to see Machu Picchu: The Gringo Killer! This is a set of about fifty extremely steep, narrow steps that really wasn´t as hard as the name would suggest. It was damp that morning so the steps were slippery and if you fell, you would have to see Machu Picchu toothless or with something broken.
We got to Machu Picchu in time to see the sunrise but it was foggy! Although that was a bit disappointing, watching the fog roll away as the late morning sun heated up was just as impressive. Every few minutes, you could see more of the city and the incredible mountains that surrounded it. We got a lecture from Mauro that went on a little longer than necessary and also some great insight from Rosa on the most important temples around the city. We also took all the tourist pictures we could.
As the afternoon approaches, the city fills with tourists who arrive by bus or train and everyone who hikes the whole trail collectively scoffs and them. Machu Picchu is everything you´d expect, amazing ruins and beautiful views but its really the four days of discovering your new physical limits, conversing with old and new friends, and reflecting that make it an experience none of us will ever forget.
The guides :
Mauro - Mauro was our primary guide. He has been leading hikes on the Inca Trail for about six years. It takes three years of training at a private school for tourism in Cusco and another year of English to become a guide, so he was extremely qualified. While the rest of us were panting for breath, he was barely breaking a sweat and throughout the walks he would provide interesting info about the history and religious significance of the various sites and agriculture. He had a hint of used-car salesman in his demeanor and his explanations could get lengthy at times, but overall he was an excellent guide.
Rosa - Rosa was our secondary guide but could have easily led a hike by herself. She provided great commentary on the flora and fauna, but also had an emotional attachment to the group. She understood that the hike to Machu Picchu meant a great deal to all of us and tried her best to make it an experience we would never forget. I think for a lot of us, she was one of the main highlights of the hike. As Patrick Sr. said, ¨Rosa is just a class act.¨ She might have been the only female guide on the trail, but she carried herself in a way that commanded respect.
The Gringos:
Three Irishmen - These guys were great. Patrick Sr (65), Patrick Jr(30s), and Ronin (late 20s). It was one of Patrick Sr´s dreams to hike the Inca trail and two of his sons came with him to make it a family trip. It was pretty cool to watch them have the experience as a family. Although Patrick Sr was 65, he basically outhiked everyone else in the group. It was kind of embarrassing for us able-bodied twenty-somethings, but the man was a machine so give us a break.
Francis and Hhhun - This Dutch couple was also in pretty impressive. They speed-skated, cycled, and were obviously experienced hikers. When a guide asked Hhhun if she was sure she could carry her large backpack, she scoffed and let him know that she would be alright. Later we found out that she speed-skated something like 200 k in a day so she could obviously hold her own.
Daniel, Kacey, and I - Three fresh-faced American kids at the beginning of the trip and grizzled hiking veterans by the end. We were definitely the babies of the group, but we provided people with good insights about living in New Orleans for the last five years. Its interesting to talk to people abroad about such a failure in American social policy when we experienced it first-hand. Overall, I think we repped well for American youth.
The Porters: Its hard to verbalize how amazing these guys were, but I´m going to try. For each hiking group, there are about 8-12 porters who ¨assist¨ the group. They are mostly farmers who are natives of the Andean highlands and speak Quechua. Although we carry our clothes and sleeping bags/pads, the porters do everything else. On their backs the porters have four days worth of food, all the tents for the group, a massive propane tank for the camping stove, the stove, emergency oxygen tanks, and anything else you could possibly imagine you would need on a 4-day hike. Supposedly, their packs are not supposed to exceed 20 kilos because of a recent regulation from the Peruvian government, but some of those packs had to be heavier. Some of the porters don´t even use packs, the simply throw everything in their bag and somehow tie it to themselves with a blanket. Keep in mind that the average height of a porter can´t be more than 5´3¨ and some opt to hike the trail in sandals instead of shoes.
Every day the porters are about an hour ahead of our group to set up the tent to cook us lunch and dinner. At about 5 am, they woke us up with hot tea to coax us out of bed and had breakfast on the table by 5 30. After we´re done they break everything down and are at the next site ahead of the group. The hikes during the day were pretty grueling, but these men were literally running ahead of us to get to the next site. I´ve never felt like more of a lazy gringo watching them work. The food they cooked was amazing too. We were all expecting bag lunches or something, but Hugo, the lead porter and chef, always had a fantastic meal prepared for us. Every lunch and dinner started with soup and then had a main course and we had tea time every day around 5.
From that description it sounds like we had a really easy time, but the hikes were extremely physically demanding. We all found out pretty quickly that when Mauro said there would be a gradual incline that it meant steep and when he said a steep incline, it just meant vertical. The trail consisted of thousands upon thousands of giant steps that just ripped your calves and knees apart. I thought I was in pretty good shape going into the hike. I had been running an extra few miles a week to get ready, but I have never been more sore at the end of a day than on the Inca Trail.
Out of the four days, day two was definitely the most grueling. It is a 13 k hike, but during the first 5 hours, you climb up 1,200 meters. We started the day at 3,000 meters and Dead Woman´s Pass (the highest point on the Inca Trail) is at about 4,200 meters. After reaching the high point, it is about another three hours down giant steps to get to camp. By the end of the day, the way down feels like nothing compared to the steep incline.
Our group woke up around five like everyday and ate a pretty hearty breakfast, but that is the only meal we had until three in the afternoon. The guides know that it isn´t a good idea to eat before trying to conquer the pass because it will just weigh you down. The last hour or so up to Dead Woman´s pass was one of the hardest tasks I´ve ever had to complete. At that height, getting oxygen to your lungs is impossible and the only thing keeping you going is knowing that at the top you can sit down. There was a point where it felt like I was stopping every 10 ft just to catch my breath. Once you´re at the top though, its all worth it. The view of the valley you just climbed out of is breathtaking even if there isn´t much breath for it to take.
The lack of food did cause some unrest in the group though. Hhhun and Francis, who seem to live a pretty regimented life in terms of exercise and eating schedule were very upset about it. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches though. You have to be flexible and trust that the guides run the hike a certain way for a reason. There were a couple people who were too exhausted to even eat lunch, but I think after a little rest everyone was just happy that we had all accomplished our goal to get over the pass in one piece. I think we all learned something about how far we could push ourselves physically and mentally.
Day three was the longest of the 4 days, 17 k I think, but after day two it felt like a breeze. As our bodies adjusted to the altitude and constant walking, we could really look around and appreciate the beauty of what you were walking through. About 80% of the trail on day three is the original trail that the Incas used for their pilgrimage to Machu Picchu. The 500-year old stone path is still perfectly intact and you are walking the same path as only the most priveleged Inca had the oppurtunity to experience. The back-drop of the mountains while you slowly descend into jungle is more stunning than anything you´ve even seen. The best analogy we could think of was that it felt like you were walking through a scene in Lord of the Rings. Absolutely amazing.
On day four, you wake up at 3 30 am to be able to get to Machu Picchu by sunrise. As you walk in the twilight of the early morning, no matter what you believe in in terms of spiritual energy, there is something out of your control drawing you to Machu Picchu. Whether its your own body or an energy coming from one of the greatest religious sites in the world, you feel an incredible mental, emotional, and physical high.
The moss on the trees looked like it was glowing with phosphorescence as you walk through the forest, but there is one more obstacle before you get to see Machu Picchu: The Gringo Killer! This is a set of about fifty extremely steep, narrow steps that really wasn´t as hard as the name would suggest. It was damp that morning so the steps were slippery and if you fell, you would have to see Machu Picchu toothless or with something broken.
We got to Machu Picchu in time to see the sunrise but it was foggy! Although that was a bit disappointing, watching the fog roll away as the late morning sun heated up was just as impressive. Every few minutes, you could see more of the city and the incredible mountains that surrounded it. We got a lecture from Mauro that went on a little longer than necessary and also some great insight from Rosa on the most important temples around the city. We also took all the tourist pictures we could.
As the afternoon approaches, the city fills with tourists who arrive by bus or train and everyone who hikes the whole trail collectively scoffs and them. Machu Picchu is everything you´d expect, amazing ruins and beautiful views but its really the four days of discovering your new physical limits, conversing with old and new friends, and reflecting that make it an experience none of us will ever forget.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Cusco
I´m a little behind on where I wanted to be with writing this, but I´m going to try to fill in the last week or so with a couple of posts.
Daniel, Kacey, and I arrived in Cusco the morning of May 5th after over twenty hours of flying and sitting in airports. Everything went smoothly buut it was a pretty grueling day of traveling. We immediately went to the hostel we had booked hoping to check in early and get some sleep, but to our dismay we weren´t able to check in to our room for a few hours. It didn´t stop us from sleeping though, we went immediately to the common room and passed out in a few bean bag chairs until check-in time. We all wondered if the other people in the hostel referred to us as the sleepy Americans because we kind of shut down the common room for a few hours with our napping.
After some good sleep and against the advice of people familiar with the stomach problems of altitude sickness, we went out for a giant meal of traditional Peruvian food. The alpaca, lamb, kiwicha (a cous cous like grain) and papas a la Huancaina hit the spot after not having a real meal since the McDonalds we ate in the Lima airport.
As we walked around Cusco we kept seeing posters for a classic rock cover band playing at a bar called Siete Angelitos, and figured that it sounded like a good plan for the rest of the night. A set of the Doors, ACDC, Led Zeppelin, and other assorted bands would be fun no matter who was playing it. We didn´t know we were in store for one of the greatest rock performances of all time.
The bar reminded all of us of the dive bars we´ve enjoyed for the last few years in New Orleans and we got to try our first rounds of authentic Pisco sours. The stage looked like it could only fit a band the size of The White Stripes on it, but somehow they had a guitarist, bassist, lead singer, keyboardist, and full drum set. When the performance started, the lead singer, with hair down to his back and a shirt buttoned down to his navel belted out song after song of poorly pronounced classic rock hits. He couldn´t hit many high notes and obviously didn´t have a firm grasp of English, but what he lacked in talent he more than made up in charisma. With his stage presence and wicked guitar solos provided by the most talented musician of the group they had us and the rest of the crowd singing along with every song. The keyboardist, bassist, and drummer provided a solid We all agreed it was a supremely successful first night.
The next day we went on an all-day tour of various markets and Incan Ruin sites. The highlights were probably the Pisac Market and Ollantaytambo Ruins. I always love the outdoor markets in foreign countries. Pisac was a classic. It had locals selling beautiful hand-made crafts for outrageously low prices and tourists heckling to get them down even lower. Daniel pointed out that haggling was one of his favorite things to do in foreign countries since it is somewhat of a lost art in the U.S.
The Incan Ruin sites were all impressive in their magnitude and quality of work. ollantaytambo was my favorite because it had huge decorative terraces and Incan faces that were naturally formed in the mountain side that rose above the fortress. We also learned about the Incan Imperial style of building. This includes giant boulders cut perfectly like puzzle pieces to fit together without the need for mortar. Incans used this style for important religious buildings and the houses of Nobles. The tours of the sites were all interesting, but they were blown out of the water by the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu which I´ll get to later.
The next day we met up with a family friend of ours named Luz who took us out to a fabulous traditional lunch and gave us advice on various things to do around Cusco. We all had a great time and agreed to meet up later to see one of Luz´s favorite local bands at a bar on the Plaza de Armas. We didn´t think it could compare to our first live music experience in Peru, but they turned out to be even better. They had a flute and zampoña player that absolutely owned the stage. He would switch between multiple insturments during each song and hit notes that I didn´t know were possible. the band was Cusqueñan and played traditional music that was a nice change of pace from the classic rock a couple nights before.
That about sums up the most important highlights of Cusco, It is one of the most picturesque cities I have ever seen. Its set in a lush valley with little houses lining the hills and was a great city to introduce us to Peru. You can really see why the Incas chose it as their capital.
Many thanks to Luz for her hospitality and I´ll write about the Inca trail soon. Pictures will come soon, I can´t seem to get them to load on this computer.
Daniel, Kacey, and I arrived in Cusco the morning of May 5th after over twenty hours of flying and sitting in airports. Everything went smoothly buut it was a pretty grueling day of traveling. We immediately went to the hostel we had booked hoping to check in early and get some sleep, but to our dismay we weren´t able to check in to our room for a few hours. It didn´t stop us from sleeping though, we went immediately to the common room and passed out in a few bean bag chairs until check-in time. We all wondered if the other people in the hostel referred to us as the sleepy Americans because we kind of shut down the common room for a few hours with our napping.
After some good sleep and against the advice of people familiar with the stomach problems of altitude sickness, we went out for a giant meal of traditional Peruvian food. The alpaca, lamb, kiwicha (a cous cous like grain) and papas a la Huancaina hit the spot after not having a real meal since the McDonalds we ate in the Lima airport.
As we walked around Cusco we kept seeing posters for a classic rock cover band playing at a bar called Siete Angelitos, and figured that it sounded like a good plan for the rest of the night. A set of the Doors, ACDC, Led Zeppelin, and other assorted bands would be fun no matter who was playing it. We didn´t know we were in store for one of the greatest rock performances of all time.
The bar reminded all of us of the dive bars we´ve enjoyed for the last few years in New Orleans and we got to try our first rounds of authentic Pisco sours. The stage looked like it could only fit a band the size of The White Stripes on it, but somehow they had a guitarist, bassist, lead singer, keyboardist, and full drum set. When the performance started, the lead singer, with hair down to his back and a shirt buttoned down to his navel belted out song after song of poorly pronounced classic rock hits. He couldn´t hit many high notes and obviously didn´t have a firm grasp of English, but what he lacked in talent he more than made up in charisma. With his stage presence and wicked guitar solos provided by the most talented musician of the group they had us and the rest of the crowd singing along with every song. The keyboardist, bassist, and drummer provided a solid We all agreed it was a supremely successful first night.
The next day we went on an all-day tour of various markets and Incan Ruin sites. The highlights were probably the Pisac Market and Ollantaytambo Ruins. I always love the outdoor markets in foreign countries. Pisac was a classic. It had locals selling beautiful hand-made crafts for outrageously low prices and tourists heckling to get them down even lower. Daniel pointed out that haggling was one of his favorite things to do in foreign countries since it is somewhat of a lost art in the U.S.
The Incan Ruin sites were all impressive in their magnitude and quality of work. ollantaytambo was my favorite because it had huge decorative terraces and Incan faces that were naturally formed in the mountain side that rose above the fortress. We also learned about the Incan Imperial style of building. This includes giant boulders cut perfectly like puzzle pieces to fit together without the need for mortar. Incans used this style for important religious buildings and the houses of Nobles. The tours of the sites were all interesting, but they were blown out of the water by the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu which I´ll get to later.
The next day we met up with a family friend of ours named Luz who took us out to a fabulous traditional lunch and gave us advice on various things to do around Cusco. We all had a great time and agreed to meet up later to see one of Luz´s favorite local bands at a bar on the Plaza de Armas. We didn´t think it could compare to our first live music experience in Peru, but they turned out to be even better. They had a flute and zampoña player that absolutely owned the stage. He would switch between multiple insturments during each song and hit notes that I didn´t know were possible. the band was Cusqueñan and played traditional music that was a nice change of pace from the classic rock a couple nights before.
That about sums up the most important highlights of Cusco, It is one of the most picturesque cities I have ever seen. Its set in a lush valley with little houses lining the hills and was a great city to introduce us to Peru. You can really see why the Incas chose it as their capital.
Many thanks to Luz for her hospitality and I´ll write about the Inca trail soon. Pictures will come soon, I can´t seem to get them to load on this computer.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Goodbye NOLA
Hi Family and Friends,
After experiencing one of the largest natural disasters, and now one of the biggest man-made disasters in U.S. history, I figured it was about time to leave New Orleans. It has been an incredible five years even though it was book-ended by awful events. I really don't think I could have picked a better place to spend such formative years. Anyone who has been here knows that it is a city you will never forget. It just gets in your blood. I know I will be back, but for now its on to the next step.
For me, that means moving to Peru to explore more of the world. I hope this blog serves as an interesting look into where my adventures take me. Bye New Orleans
After experiencing one of the largest natural disasters, and now one of the biggest man-made disasters in U.S. history, I figured it was about time to leave New Orleans. It has been an incredible five years even though it was book-ended by awful events. I really don't think I could have picked a better place to spend such formative years. Anyone who has been here knows that it is a city you will never forget. It just gets in your blood. I know I will be back, but for now its on to the next step.
For me, that means moving to Peru to explore more of the world. I hope this blog serves as an interesting look into where my adventures take me. Bye New Orleans
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