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I´ll have a Big Pac and Fries Please
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The Bus from Lima set out on time. We have opted for the VIP service, which meant that we sat downstairs on a 2 tier bus, had huge leather seats (Like Lazy Boys) and only 7 other passengers to annoy us. For this we paid and extra 15 soles, or 2 quid each. It was brilliant, especially compared to some of the journeys we had done. Very quickly upon leaving the main city centre, we both began to feel a little ashamed however. As the road dropped down to the sea on one side of us, it rose to huge sand dune looking hills on the other, with a lattice work of what looked to be tin huts and temporary shelters clinging to the steep hillsides - The other side of Peru!. This image went on mile after mile, only disappearing when the moon scape scenary became too steep and uninhabitable to support the structures.
2 hours into the journey the scenary changed once again, this time the buildings were concreate and brick, but the story was the same, they were cracked and decaying, damaged beyond repair and then we saw the tents. At first a few here and there, and then more and more appeared within the rubble, pitched wherever they could, as close to their homes as was humanly safe. People going in and out of the ruins looking for posessions, trucks carrying whole familes and what belongings they still had away from the devastation. This was Ica, one of the main area´s that had been devastated by the 7.9 earthquake. The road became bumpy, the bus slowing to take it steady over the uneven surface. People running by the side of any vehicle which slowed or stopped, in the hope they could get some aid to help. This was what we were warned against, this was the real Peru, the real problems that the country faced, not the relative security we saw within Lima, the KFC and Burger King franchises. And there we were, enveloped in leather seats, on our luxury bus. The guilt was unbelievable. But without the tourism peru would struggle to overcome this horrific tragedy, the tourist money needs to keep coming in to help the economy and to help these people. At these times it must be human nature to justify your actions, as we and others around us seem to do.
Cuzco is 3400 meters above sea level. We arrived at 11am jumped in cab and proceeded to the main square - Plaza de Armas, to find an internet cafe. I left Rachel with the back packs sitting on a bench and ran off to look. We had tried to book some accomadation online before leaving Lima, but had yet to hear back. I logged on.. Nothing.. Nada... Shit!. I went back to find Rachel, only to find her with 2 new friends! A couple of locals who had taken a shine to her. We grabbed our bags and decided to head to the SAS offices first, to pay the balance of our trip on the Inca Trail and then see if they could recommend somewhere for us to stay. We checked in, paid up and also booked a trip into the Sacred Valley for 2 days time, to give us a feel of the INCA thing before we started the trail. We then spent the next couple of days getting to grips with the altitude, eating local delicacies - like Alpaca and Guinea Pig (both lovely!!) and visiting some of the sights. One restaurant, run by a guy from England, had many unusal dishes, including a Big Pac and fries, or Alpaca burger.. Bloody Lovely !! We visited a site at the top of Cuzco, a steep 200 meter climb called Sexy Woman (Saqsaywaman). Only 20% of the original site still exists to wander around. It is huge with buildings and terraces and ampitheatres. It was the site of one of the bloodiest battles, when the Spaniards tried to conquer Cuzco from the Manco Incan. At the end of the battle thousands of Incan lay strewn across this site, the Spaniards having had an amazing victory. All that could be seen after the massacre were loads of Andean Condors, who swooped down to feed on the dead. For this reason and to remember the thousands of Incans who died, 8 Condors were immortalised on the Cuzco Coat of Arms.
Sunday came and we headed out at 8.30 to go on a tour of the Sacred Valley. Called the Sacred Valley due to the amazingly fertile land and numerous mini ecosystems scattered along the valley, which enabled the Incan empire to grew such varied and amazing fruit and veg along their network of terraces. We spent the day visiting many Incan sites and original Incan towns, where today most of new houses still use the original incan foundations. The day was long, and at times cold and strenuous but our guide Martyn Martinez (sounds made up doesn´t it !!) was brilliant. The next 5 days saw us off on the Inca trail (see the next blog). When we got back to Cuzco we decided to chill out and relax from our amazing experience. We took the chance to wander around the local market. Full of everything you could imagine. We walked past Bull noses/jaws, bits of frogs, cuts of meat which don´t need mentioning. Offal of all types, intestines and hearts. If you want to cook with it, here you could find it. We were also told that this was the best place to try fresh juices, and we were not disappointed. Kev had the "Especial" - Various fruits, veg, beer, a raw egg and some other stuff which we didn´t really want to know!. But it was tasty.
Tomorrow we head off to Arequipa, another overnight bus. Time to enjoy our hotel bed one last time. More thumbnails ...
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| 32. | I´ll have a Big Pac and Fries Please - Cuzco, Peru Aug 30, 2007 (  25 ) |
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