Ollataytambo and Pumamarca

Ollataytambo is a city with ruins that is about half way between Cuzco and Machu Picchu. It is small and very quaint town, but comes alive with toursits. People are proud because it is one of the only places that Spanish conquistadors lost a major battle. We ended up spending several nights there. We discovered a cafe that is run by a co-operative of local people where excellent food is served, woven products are sold and the profits go back into local communities. We liked it so much we ate 75% of our meals there and spent many hours reading magazines and books.

What remains on the mountain sides today is a the forstress with military baracks, the ceremonial area with a huge temple to the sun and another water purification/ritual area all among terraces. At the base of the mountain would have been the suburbs and living area. On the opposite hillside is storehouses.

The symbolism here is remarkable and visible to the untrained eye. At one point Jay happily exclaimed, "I see it!" referring to the image of a condor in the rocks. Llamas and people are the common iages seen in the rocks. Because of the fortress` location it was an ideal spot for astronomy. As a result they have discovered that the light shines at very specific, important spots at the solistices and equinoxes ( important seasonal changes marked by rituals.) During these celebrations the terraces were thought to be used for dancing.

We took a day trip to a remote ruin called Pumamarque. It was about a 2 hour walk through the country side. We saw two other tourists at the site. It was hard to guess what this spot would have looked like when it was in action. The stone work was very different with mortar being used to support much smaller rocks. The walls were much higher and wood was used to support door frames. With in the walls were several buildings clustered together and lots of open space.

What caught our attention was the kids. They`d set out the handicrafts their moms had made and waited. Since we were the only ones there they took matters into their own hands. Before long they were clambered all over the walls, throwing cow patties at each other and playing hide and seek. After a hard week of walking 2 hours to and from school each way it was time to unwind.

The Sacred Valley

The Inca`s are quite fascinating and have left tangible legagies behind. We`ve seen some really great work and learned some amazing facts from our guides.

¨That valley has more advantages than all the others that are in Peru and for that reason the Inca Kings.... had it as their garden and the place of their delights and recreation.¨ ....Garcilaso

At the foot of a chain of many mountains lies the every changing Rio Urubamba. This river is what unites the valley; its` surronding villages, mulitple markets, majestic ruins and mulititudes of fields. Strarting near Cuzco covering over a 100km till it reaches the grand Machu Picchu is the Sacred Valley. This area is famous because of all the creative works that have been left by the Incas. Last week we were able to visit some of the most popular destinations. We got a real flavour of what they did, how they did it and how well thought out it was so that it could last for over a 600 years, though the Spanish did their best to destroy the handiwork.

Moray
What is special about Moray is that it is in a more remote area surronded by hills. Following the natural depression in the ground they made funnel shaped terraces. Some believe that it was a natural labratory to experiment with different types of crops, a place where they where able to develop and aadapt varieties of plants to different altitudes. From the top layers to the bottom is about a 5 C temperature difference which would be similar to the variation between the valley and mountain tops. There was very little water so they created a special irrigation system. In time they were able to create the optimal conditions for growing crops of each spicies.

There are 3 of these different circular areas. The biggest one has been restored. It was neat to wander around and wonder what it looked like when crops were in season. They are just starting to plant corn and it will be ready in 8 months!! All the work is done by hand or primitive tools and animals.

Salineras
Salinas is a fancy word for salt flats. High up in a mountain is a hot spring that is channels its`way down into a small stream of heavily salt laden water. The water is diverted into thousands of hand made salt pans. They are shallow pools about the size of a car. Each pool is owned by a family and they work it. It takes about 1 month for the water to evaporate. During that time it is stirred up regularly with people`s feet or a wooden board. The sun is really hot and there is no way to get protection away from it.

Sometimes the salt crystalizes and forms chuncks. Most times the families remove it while there is still some water. Large baskets or seives are used to gather the piled salt and take it to another area where it will dry. This drying process takes another month. The first batch is mixed with iodine and sold at the market to be used for human consumption. The 2nd and 3rd batch is of a lesser quality so it it used for animal licks and such. The colour of the salt chagnes from white to brown as the quailty changes.

The salt reminded us of snow!

Chinchero

We had to use our imagination alot for this site. It is composed of a church ( which was closed because it was Sunday,) the ruins and a museum. Terraces decorated the hillsides of course. The museum was run by a really great older gentleman who was keen on sharing information with us. The exhibits were mostly of unbroken artifacts that had been discovered in a tomb, inlcuding large ceramic jugs that were used to prepare the famous Chicha drink ( made from fermented corn.) They had pictures of the tomb but you couldn`t see it from with in the ruins which was a little strange. Included in the museum where tools and musical instruments that would have been used during that period.

The colonial church`s foundation was built using the Inca stones. As is so often the case the Spanish destroyed the Inca`s work, salvaged the materials and built something more their own style. This meant the palace was wrecekd and a Catholic church replaced it. The original walls surronding the city square are still intact as well as many rocks carved into seats and staircases. No one really knows the significance of it all but the views of the snow capped mountains was fabulous.

We ended up wandering around town. It was buzzing with activity. It seemed like a church potluck and flad raising party was going on. There was the usual, big Sunday market which was wrapping up as we passed through. There was an overwhelming number of people selling handicrafts. We also stopped at a waeving co-operative. The ladies who ran the show were thrilled to explain the process and show us their work. We bought a few things included a woven belt from an elderly, single woman who supports herself through her work as she has no children.

The wool must first be clean. They use some natural plant and grate it into a little water. Before you know it, everything is sudsy and clean. After being dried the white wool is spun onto a giant spool. It now looks like string. But it has to be dyed. Finely crushed bugs, cactus, stones and other plants are mixed with water and sometimes salt ( changes the colour slightly.) The wool is saturated in the solution and it is boiled to retain the colour. Another step of drying and spinning. Except this time the spinning reinforces its` strength. They had two sticks about 6 ft apart from each other and the wool is wrapped around them making a figure 8 with the ´x`part being in the middle. After many rounds and maybe a few colour chagnes this matrix is transfered to the back strap loom which has several wooden barsa cross it to keep everything in line. It is quite the arrangement and requires lots of skill to weave an intricate pattern. As they work they often rub everything down with a llama bone. This makes it tighter and more water proof.

Sacsayhuamán (mnemonically read as sexy woman)

Just a short but steep walk outside the city of Cuzco is what is believed to be a fortress covering a huge area, thougth you only see about 20% of what it used to be. Rumour has that the site was built as the puma head, with the rest of the city being the puma`s body. Many of the huge stones ( the biggest sizes we`ve seen yet) are arranged in a zig zag pattern and are supposedly the puma`s teeth. We didn`t see the puma head shape but the grandeur of the ruins is hard to miss as everything is so massive!

Alot of what remains appears as a jumble of rocks. A large field seperates the area into differnt sections. At one time there was a circular tower on the grounds but unfortunatley the Spanish harvested a large quantity of rock from the walls to build the cathedral and a several other massive churches in Cuzco. Some of the walls go up a certain height and beyond that the stones are missing. There is an extensive system of underground passages which supposedly connects the fortress to other Inca ruins within Cuzco and may have been related to diferent rituals.

Qenko

Following the road out of town you reach these ruins. This site seems to have cermeonial and religious purposes. Three was an important number to the Incas because it represented the different worlds ( the present, after life and the underworld.) They believe this set of ruins represents these stages and was used as a passage way to get to different worlds.

What you see is tunnels and strange planes, forms and modulations cut into the rocks. Around are other rock structures still being discovered and the usual terraces. There is a very obvious tunnel that has a huge rock platform, niches and tables. They believe this is where sacrifices and mummification took place.

The Old Inca Capital - Cuzco

It is easy to lose yourself if you take a step back in time in this area... In fact the stones themselves tell the stories of what has happened. Anybody heard of the Incas? Learning about them has been really neat. We`ve spent hours at ruins trying to imagine what life was like. But more on that to come.

Cuzco is the closest major city to Machu Picchu (the most famous Incan ruins) so there are tourists every where. We like that our hostal is a little out of the way because them we can get away from all the hub bub. Locals have realized that they have a captive audience so they`ve created some opportunities for themselves. Aside from the usual shops and agencies you are offered a massage on the main street corners, people sit on the sidewalks to sell their hand-made wool products or jewlery and artists cruise the main plaza selling their paintings from large folders. Others dress up in traditional clothes and wander around with a llama in hopes that you`ll tip them when you take a picture. It makes you stop and think twice about what you want to support. But despite how many people are out try to sell us various things, here we never feel the high pressure we-only-care-about-your-cash-gringo-so-hand-it-over attitude that was so often present in the jungle city of Iquitos.

There are the usual ammenities .... resturants that serve food just like home ( which we enjoyed when Jay was a little under the weather, there`s nothing like chicken soup) and luxury hotels that cost from $100 to $400 per night for a double. But once you walk beyond the tourist circuit you see life as it really is. And honestly that is what we appreciate alot more. To get into the ruins you need to buy a tourist ticket for $45. We`ve realized that though the ticket includes entry into 16 different sites ( including museums and cultural things) only about half of them are worth taking time to visit. We`ve seen a lot of museums that were disappointing. Last night we watched a dance performance that was awesome. We discovered the local market and bought strawberries and passionfruit to make into smoothies. We wandered the aisles littered with everything from dehydrated potatoes to llama fetuses ( they bring good luck when you bury it under your new house) to wheels of cheese and slabs of chocolate to bulk bags of spices. Plus there were all sort of vendors preparing fast food. All sorts of sights, sounds and smells!

With it's narrow winding streets, ancient Incan stones still supporting major buildings and friendly locals there is a lot that is attractive about Cuzco. We regularly walk past the smooth, gently rounded carved 12 sided stone that is one of the Inca`s famous works in the city. We have developed a knack for avoiding the most touristy and gringoized activites and areas of the places we visit - and it has taken every trick we know to stay clear of the hordes of busses and tour groups that zip around this ancient city. The most grumpy people we've met our whole trip have been tired middle-age gringo tourists struggling to navigate Cuzcos many steep streets. This has helped us appreciate the many friendly locals that we have met here. Cuzco well deserves it's reputation as one of the major attractions in Peru, though the parts that we find ourselves enjoying most about this city are not on the overpriced, overly restrictive 'Tourist Ticket'. Our thanks go out to the countless Cusqueñans who have offered us friendly conversation, laughter, advice and their beautiful smiles!!

The Land of Adeventures - Arequipa

Arequipa is a dessert town that is often over looked by toursits. They come for a day or two before passing onto Cuzco. As usual we stayed longer than most, for about a week in total. We have enjoyed the festivites as they celebrated their 468th birthday. We didn`t take our camera out into the crowds too often. Alot of what we see is sort of becoming normal to us ( how strange!!!) We visited a few museums but mostly just wandered around enjoying the warm weather ( mid 20s,) the people, the food and the park ( here they call them La Plaza De Armas.) It`s been laid back, giving us plenty of time to recuperate and catch up with people. The hostel we`ve stayed at had a wonderful kitchen that is fully equiped though they only have a single stove element and we`ve taken advantage of that.

Here`s a few things about parties in Arequipa .....

• So in Canada it is common to see people throw candy off of floats during parades. You can`t imagine what they were throwing to the crowds!!! Dried guinea pig, fruits and veggies were some of what got tossed in our direction. You gotta be quick if you are going to snag a cauliflower or watermelon from mid air!!


• The last part of one of the parade was about 20 donkeys dressed up and being led around. And just behind them was the stoop and scoop crowd. As soon as the parade was done people mill about everywhere so we were impressed with how prompt the cleaning job was. Very thoughtful!!!


• Most of the groups in the parade were people dressed in traditional costumes. Couples danced togther, with the women often waving hankerchiefs towards the sky. The clothes and dances are a way of telling what region a person is from, their social status and other such things. It is fabulous to watch. They go all out.
  
• As best as we can figure out the parade is actually judged. Close to the end of the route a booth is set up and local politicians or people sit and watch as groups pass. They put on their best act and sometimes it takes quite a while. But everyone behind them waits patiently. It would be neat if there was some monetary gift or recognition.
• Some groups have live music as people play local instruments. Plus there are the usual bands tht play all sorts of tune.
• Local companies, even banks participate in parades. Workers wear their uniforms ( a big deal out here) and march. It is one guys job to make sure that they march in line. Some groups are professional and have it down pat, others need the instruction. We were watching from a great vantage point. It was comical to see the parade in motion and this guy trying to straigthen them out.
• Everyone particpiates, the young and the old. Often the older people are musicians and babies are carried on moms` backs.
  

Exploring the Colca Canyon

So we just spent a few days exploring the Colca Canyon. Did you know that it is the second deepest canyon in the world? And nope the deepest is not the Grand Canyon ( in fact it`s only half as deep) but another neighbouring canyon in Peru. It was a three day tour that involved walking down to the bottom on the second day and sleeping there in tents for the night. We climbed back to the top starting in the moonlight. We were in a group of 10, including a family with two young boys and two other couples ( one from Paris and the other from New York.)

• The first day we drove to a small village ( the last on the south side of the canyon) but stopped at lots of places along the way. One included the 4900m high pass that was laden with Inuckshucks. I don`t know what the Spanish word is but they were rock offerings to the mountain gods. There were hundreds of them.


• Cruz del Condor is the hot spot area because families of condors ( though their numbers are swindling) make their nests in the sometime snowy, rocky outcrops inaccessible to predators. In the mornings and late afternoons the thermal wind currents are perfect for gliding making it a wonderful look out spot. You are standing at 1200m while the north side is 3100m deep. This is the second deepest part of the canyon. In total the canyon is 100 km though the first section is a rolling valley.


• The condors are the biggest bird in the world. They have a 3m wing span and can weigh up to 10 kg. It is impressive to watch them fly because they often adjust their wings or tail weathers and simply ride the currents rather than flap their wings ( they still do that once in awhile.)
• Along the north side of the valley are some functioning terrace gardens. The Pre-Incan civilizations figured out a way to irrigate these dry areas and successfully grow corn, potatoes and wheat. Thought they were made over 1500 years ago 60% of them are still functioning. They would carve models of the hillside into a rock and the proposed irrigation to determine if the water would drain the way they expected.
  
• We saw a variety of animals and plants. In one day of driving we saw 3 out of 4 types of camelid beasts. Llamas and Alpacas have been domesticated and you see then grazing away in fields. Llamas are a little bigger and a hardier animal particularly because they don`t mind eating from dry, poor pastures. They have long ears and their fur is the most rough of the bunch. Alpacas have a cuter face with curly facial hair ( very similar to a sheep)!! They prefer well watered grasslands. The yummy grasses make their coats very fine. Vicuñas are very dainty and have the smallest heads and the best wool. They are wild and roam about as they please. We also saw these burrowing rodents that look a lot like rabbits. They are called Viscachas.
• The Yareta plant is one of the slowest growing plants in the world, with a whooping 1cm a year. It is very tough and looks like algae or something like that growing on a rock. The sap that it produces is used as a resin for local remedies. There are all sorts of different types and sizes of cacti. We even tried some of the fruit. One was sweet and the sour type looked just like the inside of a kiwi. They are both rough on the outside.
• We also stopped at the rock gardens the fist day. It was a collection of rock that had been molded into all sorts of crazy shapes and sizes by the water and erosion.


• Our first and last meal with the tour were buffets at local restaurants in a small town named Chivay. They were a great place to sample the local dishes. We even tried Alpaca meat. Potatoes are a big deal around here so there were all sorts of types and flavours.
  
• This was also the village were we went to the hot springs. It was a well earned treat after hiking out of the canyon. It was a little strange being in a hot pool while the sun radiated down on you in the 20 plus weather. Though it must have done some good as the mineral laden water is known for it`s curative powers.


• The women`s clothing is in a league of it`s own. We have not yet seen anything like it. It is intricately embroidered by hand in bright and colourful shades. Their dresses, ( which have two layers) jackets, blouses, right down to their hats are decorated in this manner. However this is true for the women living on the west side of the canyon. The east side ladies hats are made of straw and embellished with sequins, medallions, flowers or lace. Who knew that something as simple as a hat could be a distinguishing feature?
• At the bottom of the canyon we stayed at a place appropriately named the Oasis. Palm trees were abundant. We enjoyed the ¨in the rock¨pool with cold water coming from a lagoon some 5 km away as well as candle light meals.
• We passed by the Mismi mountain. It is about 5597m high. It is the origin of the Amazon River. It is hard to imagine that the river travels so far. Our guide made an interesting comment about the local water supply. For whatever reason (global warming, pollution, etc..) alot of the high mountains no longer have snow caps. This changed has occurred over the last 7 years!! They are melting more rapidly than before. The mountains are one of the main water sources in Peru. What will happen if they no longer have snow/water?
  

One of the Greatest Mysteries of the Ancient World - Nazca Lines

So what makes this one of the coolest things around is that people can only guess how and why these amazing long straight lines, geometric shapes and images were made in the middle of the desert. The theories ranging from silly ( landing directions for aliens, ancient hot air balloon site) to possible (astrological aids, ceremonial pathways, star maps). They call them geoglyphs. The gravel and pebbles that litter the ground where removed exposing the soil below them. This contrast is what makes the lines. Since it rarely rains they have been well preserved over the years. The best way to view them is from a small 6 person plane. A healthy dose of Gravol is recommended prior to leaving as the pilot dips the plane to both sides as you spiral in to get closer and closer to the image.

The flight takes 30 minutes and costs an outrageous $70/person! You get to see 12 figures. There are 100s of other images found in the area that can be spotted. We saw a hummingbird, hands, a tree, a parrot, a dog, a cat, a whale, an astronaut ( I`m sure that`s what they called it 2000 years ago!) a condor, two trapazoids, a monkey ( with a real cool spiral tail) and .

Before we`d left Lima we`d spent a time at a travel agency booking the whole excursion ( buses, taxi, hostel and the tickets.) It was totally worth it as a local guide took care of us for the day. We arranged to meet at 8:30 that morning if it wasn`t foggy. He called us before 8 and our flight had been postponed. The flights only take off when it is clear. It turned out the first runs didn`t go out till 11:30 ( the planes are taking off every 5 minutes!). Our guide ended up picking us up at1pm and by 2:30 we were on the tarmac. That day over 100 people were turned away and lots of other spent hours waiting at the airport. We visited a museum instead.

Amazing Amazonian Adventures

This is an introduction to the crazy activities we got to do in the jungle ....

• Pet two different wild Caimins ( little alligators)
• Walk in the jungle at night, while searaching for trantulas. Agghhh. Once we found them we got pictures.
• Eat a huge fish for lunch after it jumped into our boat on one of our night excursions. He was attracted to the flood light we had.
• See some of the world`s most poisonous snakes: the Coral Snake (both the water and land spieces) and the Fer-de- Lance snake.
• See and touch lily pads the size of beds
• Watch 3 different types of monkeys play in the trees
• Observe the world`s only type of pink fresh water dolphins as they surfaced the Amazon River. They don`t realy jump up like you`d expect.
• Swim in the incredible Amazon river. It`s strange feeling to jump in when you can't see the bottom and you know there are some powerful critters in there that you don`t want to meet.
• Fish for, catch and later eat pirhanas. They were so small that they just left them all in one to to serve them to us.
• Catch 5 different types of Kingfishers in flight as we bird watched.
• Visit a market that floats in the rainy season. The water level changes a minimum of 2m between seasons.
• Meet some very friendly locals villager as we toured their small, remote jungle village.
• Jay`s foot swell up when it was biten by a type of horse fly that is no bigger than a common house fly back home.
• Watch a possum, iguana, sloth, bats, beautiful tree frogs and loads of amazing birds as they went about their business.