El Cumbe Inn Cajamarca

<br> We arrived back in Cajamarca -it is so nice to travel back to familiar spot and you know where everything is. It almost felt like coming home after we had lived and worked here for 2 months only 1 month ago. We settled back into our favorite Hostal Tejas, although the friendly staff had moved on since we were last there. We ate breakfast and lunch at the place were we used to go to write lesson plans - Zarcos. The food is good, the owners are friendly, the place is clean, the bill ...

cajamarca - a city high up in the mountains. took a 6 hr overnight to chiclayo (arriving at 4am) and then 9 more delayed hours on a super bumpy crazy road to get here. the people are super friendly though and our place is only 35 soles (12 bucks) and the food is cheap. did a day tour of some crazy stone formation things and some ...

... 200 year anniversary of the discovery of America. Flanking the plaza are the cathedral and the Iglesia de San Francisco. You'll notice that the cathedral has no bell towers. Built in the late 1600's, the bell towers were never finished because the Spanish Crown levied a tax against finished churches! In fact, the Iglesia de San Francisco only finished its towers in the 20th century and so avoided paying taxes.

... museum displaying artifacts found at a burial site near there. Near? Well, it takes 8 hours on horseback to get there!<br>Egnar arranged for a van because he decided he'd like to take his wife and young son to Cajamarca as well. We left at 6 a.m. and made it to Leimebamba by 8:30. There we ate some breakfast before heading to the museum.<br>In 1996, a group of farmers stumbled across 6 chullpas (ancient Andean burial grounds) on a ledge 100 ...

... however, remain wonderfully warm and open, always interested in where we´re from and how President Obama is doing. None of them have asked us how President Bush is getting along yet... Tonight we met Alcides, a man we will be driving with to Chachapoyas, a journey through the Andes Mountains that begins tomorrow morning, with several stops along the way. This road is narrow, windy and thrilling, according to ...

... days we take in a few more historic sites.one day we visit the thermal inca baths. which would have been used by the king and his army whilst they passed through this valley, and probably before he marched them to their deaths against the spanish. they are only a short collectivo ride out of town, and because we visit on sunday, half the valley is visiting too. we hook up with a south african guy who looks as lost at trying to find the enterance in. we laugh out loud at the fact ...

... because of the little puppy's running around!! 3rd stop- Cheese! We went to a diary and saw how their local cheeses are made-little bit of sampling too, lovely!! Onwards to Celendin, a small weird place in the Andes, where we spent a night and met Penny. Next was the terrifying but incredible bus journey to Chachapoyas. The roads were as wide (just) as the bus and climbed higher and higher ...

... us two days ago, except this time by taxi, or this small community of craft workers that has a zoo attached to it. We originally decide to go for the Cumbe Mayo, but after another quarrel over the taxi cost in which Wojteks hat fell into a dirty puddle, a moment that is still in contention today and that I have no further comment on, Wojtek stormed off and me and Ewa went to the community zoo thing the ´Porcon´. It´s well ...

... so harrowing as when she took the food that Wojtek offered, straight off his plate. The same happened the next day, and the grim reality of the third world is brought right to the front door of your conscience. There was an incident involving the inquiring about vodka, in which I used the sign international sign language for ´she likes a drink´. Which got a wry smile from the waiter and we went for our beds. Sleepy sleeps...

... of any guerrilla warrior that even shocked me into jumping aside. Wojtek, he was just behind us on his own, so after we passed, he got all the attention. In general though, they would start barking 50 meters from their house and stop 50 meters afterwards. Being the only one confident that they wouldn´t harm us if we just walked steadily passed, I put myself between them and the Poles. Ewa was so terrified by these moments that at one ...