May 22
This morning after breakfast, we are picked up by John and taken to the Bus Station where we will be in a tourist bus that makes its way to Cuzco, with several stops. This is a different bus line - Cusela - that seems pretty nice. We have seats 1 and 2 in the front which are roomy since they are the handicap seats. OK by us!
We have two tour guides on the bus, Eric who will speak German(and English) and Max who speaks English (and Spanish). Our friends from Montreal are with us again. A large group of Germans as well. It will be a ten hour drive, but with 5 stops. Traffic is very busy in Puno, but soon thins.
Nice 4-lane road for a while, with speed bumps, through rural countryside with lots of cattle and haystacks.
First stop at 8:45 is at Pukara where there is a small museum Museo Litico Pukara which displays objects from the pre-Inca site called Kalasaya.
This is Max.
This area was settled 500- 1000 years BC. The symbols of the puma and the frog were prominent in this era, the puma leading the route to the next world, and frogs a connection to this world. Frogs appeared when rain was coming and were a sign to begin planting crops.
The Inca cross design is prominent also, with significance in many ways - the seasons, the underworld/present/afterlife. Some of the statues are believed to have been used in human sacrifices (like this "chopping block").
Pukara is also known for the small ceramic bulls called tortitos which are sometimes seen perched atop houses for good luck.
There is a church here too, constructed around 1776 - amazing to think what was happening at that same time in other areas of the world...
Our driver recommends a silver shop where we purchase a necklace, with some trepidation - Eric sees us there and makes sure we know that this is not pure silver...
After Pukara, 3860 m (12,660') the farms seem much larger, though nothing is fenced.
Road crews that we pass are using pick axes and brooms to do repairs. The road has changed to 2 lanes and seems in pretty good shape overall. Erik passes around a small bottle of what they call "Florida water". It is alcohol with water, essence of several flowers and plants. You put a few drops on your hands, rub them together and then breathe in the fumes. This is supposed to help with nausea and altitude sickness. Not many people seem to have issues, that we hear about, anyway.
We are getting higher and seeing lots of alpacas and sheep, some of which are fenced in now.
The Andes Mountains are the longest mountain range. We are at 4600meters (15,091') and stop for restrooms and to view several glaciers. Nice clear, cool air.
Then we are into a nice green valley with a river, the Rio Urubamba, which eventually flows into the Amazon. We will be following the river as it grows in size.
Next stop is for lunch. Another buffet, with the usual assortment. Pretty flowers around the restaurant.
And Greg wanders around outside and spots this pen of guinea pigs (though we didn't see them on the menu).
An ancient Inca temple at Raqchi, (population 320) is the next stop, where Max does a brief tour and then gives us free time to wander a bit. Only a few walls and outbuildings remain. They have added tile roofing to the remains to keep it from deteriorating.
The temple was built to honor Viacocha - the god of gods, creator of everything and was one of the largest and holiest shrines. Because of earthquakes, doors and windows were trapezoidal. And stones were never set in straight lines one above the other. The wall below was of low importance; those more important were chiseled to fit precisely without any mortar.
The Incas were very aware of astronomy and this and other buildings were built with summer and winter solstices in mind, as well as other features.
Outside of the walls of the temple, storage buildings were built.
Here food supplies were stored for years when el nino or other weather disasters struck. These buildings were all over the Andes, from Columbia to Argentina and everyone was required to contribute to them. Foods were stored dried.
6 "Priests" lived at this temple and there were rooms for visitors. Three types of stone were used in construction - basalt, granite and rhyolite with rhyolite, the hardest, being the top layer.
We are back on the bus about 1:45 and continue through foothills and valleys. Nice trees and grasses, flowing hills and the river.
We have seen quite a few dogs and cats.
Houses throughout the valley, with agriculture prevalent. Many sheep and some cattle. Some men and women working in the fields or as shepherds.
Next stop is a Church, San Pedro Apostol de Andahuaylillas, which is built on the site of an ancient temple.
Adorned with gold leaf inside, it is quite elaborate - but no photos are allowed. The church was built by the Jesuits and used some symbolism from the old religion, with the idea of bringing people in rather than driving them away. There continues to be a combination of new Catholic religion alongside the ancient beliefs. The Virgin Mary, for example, also stands for the Mother Earth Pachumama. Max says he considers himself Inca. Some people today will have two wedding ceremonies - one in the church, and one with ancient Inca rituals.
We arrive in Cusco, a bustling town of 600,000 people. It was the political, religious and administrative capital of the Incas, whose major industry now is tourism. There are nearly 5,000 visitors to Machu Picchu daily! We are dropped at the Munay Wasi Inn - here's the lobby/courtyard from outside our 2nd floor room.
We decide to just eat here tonight and the food is good. Beth has pork medallions with potatoes and mushroom sauce while Greg opts for a fettuccini with chicken and mushrooms. Nothing too exotic.
Peruvian food is many things to many people, with lots of regional specialties. As near as we can tell, it is basic meat and potatoes, often in stew form, and lots of corn, sweet potatoes and quinoa. By the coast, seafood reigns and inland there is trout from the lakes. There is a definite Spanish influence and also chinese/japenese influence especially along the coast where there are many chifas - chinese restaurants. Soups are popular and hearty, especially in the colder highlands. Some areas have spicy food - Greg had one dish where the chef came out and asked how spicy he wanted it - they decided on mild, and Greg was glad that he asked because mild was pretty spicy! Chili peppers provide the heat and come in many colors. Amarillo - yellow - seem most popular. Breads are mostly a little coarse and some cakes quite tasty. And of course, tourism has introduced a myriad of special dishes and fusions.
Tomorrow is a free day for us to explore Cuzco, before we head to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
