¡Feliz Año Nuevo!
Trip Start
Jun 06, 2008
1
10
39
Trip End
Feb 09, 2009
Cusco,
Peru
Monday, June 23, 2008
Before leaving La Paz we made quick visits to the Moon Valley, to the city centre - where we ALMOST met the President Evo Morales - and to the Witch Doctors` Market. There we found many charms for sale that do everything from increase your fertility to assist you in your routine sacrifices to Mother Earth. The sometimes grizzly range of items for sale there included naturally aborted llama fetuses, but alas, there was no room in our backpacks for these
Clare in underground pub
. We also encountered some free entertainment in the form of a bus driver who side-swiped a parked police car while half of Bolvia`s police force was marching along that very street to celebrate the new year. What an Einstein! Although the trip into Bolivia and back was rather long and drawn out sitting in a bus, the mountain views were spectacular, and we did see three flocks of pink flamingoes among the various species of water birds in the wetlands.
Yesterday was a full-day bus ride from Puno to Cusco, stopping at numerous architectual attractions along the way, but not seeing anything that matched the stunning scenery en route. We followed a crystal clear river through a valley with massive mountains, some of them snow-capped, rising on either side. In keeping with the tradition established in Bolivia, our bus was side-swiped by another bus during our driver`s attempt to overtake it, but the only damage sustained was a broken hub cap. It did keep us alert for the rest of the drive, however.
Our hotel in Cusco is rather odd, and apart from the spiders in the beds and the blood stains on the bathroom walls, is thoroughly decorated with various religious icons that include crucifixes above the beds, and portraits of Madonna and child watching us from everywhere we look
Niños dressed for parade
. ¡There is even one watching us now! But the food has been good, and that is something which must not be ignored.Tony had an amazing stroke of good luck last night, when he walked away from an ATM in the city square with his card still in the machine and the screen requesting the user to make another transaction. Fortunately the next user was a friendly and sympathetic tourist, who terminated the action, removed the card, and chased us down the street to return it. The kind tourist said she had been robbed since arriving in town, and wanted to make sure it didn`t happen to us also. Being stuck in a foreign country with no money and no ATM/credit card would not have been a good situation, and hopefully a lesson had been learned (and will be retained!) from the experience.
We are only two days from beginning a three-day hike through the mountains, which will start and finish at a place called Ollantaytambo - worth a visit just for the name, we reckon. We will have more to tell after then, no doubt.
Love and best wishes,
Tony and Clare.
Comments
ahead of you!
Hi you two. Fascinating to hear of your travels - and travel woes!!! Not too many of them thank goodness. Just been perusing your itinerary. At this moment you will most probably be at Machu Picchu, how was the amazing 'old peak'!! Had a gander on the internet to see what you will be experiencing, Clare, I can imagine you will be blown away by it all. Are you going to have a dip in the thermal springs in the town of Aguas Calientes? It's so unbelievable that you are so high, you know we are high here at almost 900metres, to think you are about 24,000 if I've worked that out right. You would have adjusted by now yes? Enjoy it to the full both of you. Looking forward to the next instalment. Love Mum and Mark