I woke up at 8 feeling hammered. I rolled out of bed for breakfast. I think I scared the other guests, I looked so bad. Went back to bed until noon. Finally got up and got a banana smoothie. Sat in San Blas square where an indian woman selling textiles sat down next to me and started chatting. She is from Chinchero and knew all about the fair. She pulled out a mini-loom she was carrying and showed me how she uses it. I bought a small pouch used to gather coca leaves for my collection.
Around 1:30 I returned to the scene of the crime. The square is even more packed and I am lucky to find a place to sit for lunch. Just after I sat down a group of men wearing masks and dressed like cowboys comes dancing in carrying bottles of beer. As they dance they start shaking up the beer, spraying it everywhere. Luckily I am under a large umbrella. Another group of women and girls, in old fashioned dresses with petticoats and wearing pretty girl masks,comes in next. Then the procession leaves. There are 3 statues of San Cristobal on large alters. Each statue is elaborately dressed in beautifully embroidered robes. San Cristobal is the patron saint of the Andean indians so today`s procession is a really big deal. Each alter takes 20+ men to carry and they leave to the music of a marching brass band. My plate of food arrives and it is enough for 2 people. The people across the table from me have also ordered a massive amount of food. A woman standing near me is holding the head of a guinea pig, picking small bits of meat from it.
I eat and eat, yet barely make a dent. Finally I throw in the towel and my beer arrives. By the time I finish my beer I am in the shade and its kind of cold out of the sun. So I walked down the hill aways into the sun to warm up. Then I went back to the hotel to get my coat.
Returning to the church I am just in time for the return of the procession. They have been carrying the alters for over 3 hours and the hill back to the church is long and steep.The men carrying the alters look beat. It is obviously an act of religious devotion. One by one they set them down, then carry them back into the church until next year. I run into Juan Pablo. He offers to buy me a beer. I said later. He said no, now. So we split a couple of beers while he tells me about the church and the procession. The church sits on the site of an Incan temple and behind it is an Incan wall at least 20 ft high. Suddenly he moves me back and a huge string of fireworks explodes close by. It is deafening and I turn my back and cover my ears. He suggests we go for a walk around the crowd. The plaza is not that big but by the time I make it most of the way around he has disappeared. Almost immediately I run into some more of their friends I met last nite. They are with about a dozen friends all around mid 20`s. We make our introductions and pick up where we left off last nite. They have a particular way of social drinking here. Everyone shares the same 4 oz beer glass. One person pours himself a drink and passes the bottle to the person next to him. Then that person pours himself a drink and passes the bottle. This continues until the bottle is empty and the next one is opened. I bought the third one. Soon we are joined by more people. At one point I looked down and there must be a dozen 1 liter bottles on the ground waiting to be drunk. Everyone is really nice and friendly, and this time there are several cute girls. A band starts playing and they are pretty good latin music. They try to show me their style of dancing but I am hopelessly white. I went to piss and everyone is lined up on the side of the road pissing into the gutter. It is running like a river. Finally around 1 the band finishes and the crowd thins out. But wait! There`s more! Off to one side a disco band is set up in one of the stalls. After party! Some of my friends are still hanging in there and we are joined by some more people who have been busy with the procession all day and are fresher. Another 1/2 hour and I am toast. I stumble back to the hotel and crash hard.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Quemada de Castillas
I left the hotel Sat nite around 8:30 with no real plan. I heard a brass band at the nearby church and went over to investigate. When I got there the party was in full swing. The plaza was lined with food stalls and places selling beer. I saw some 30-40 ft tall structures made of bamboo. Oh boy! I have seen these in Mexico. They are large elaborate static fireworks displays. There are at least 1/2 dozen of them. I asked a woman working on one when they were going to burn them. 10PM she said. Perfect! So I found a vacant table next to where the band was playing and got a beer. A 1.1 liter bottle is under $3. I drank 2 of these while waiting. Sure enough, right around 10 they started. The first one had lots of pinwheels and sparks flying everywhere. Luckily I saved my last joint for tonite. After the first one I met a group of guys standing behind me.We started talking as the rest of the displays were lit. One had little airplanes on it and rotated like a carnival ride. Several had horizontal pinwheels on top that took off like flying saucers in a blaze of sparks, falling back to earth into the crowd. At the end were a bunch of aireal fireworks. They don`t shoot them very high, so burning embers sometimes hit the ground. My new friends, Edwin, Bertol and Juan Pablo, invite me for a beer. Bertol keeps warning me to watch out for criminals. He says they give his town a bad impression. I say no, its all the men pissing in the street that give a bad impression. We continue drinking, moving from stall to stall as they shut down and kick us out. They keep telling me not to worry, they are good guys. I assured them it was OK, that they were obviously not bad guys. Edwin is very curious about the US and English only, anti immigrant policies. I tell him those people are all racist facists. I had planned to go back to Chinchero tomorrow but they tell me I should stay in town for the big procession Sunday afternoon. I finally had to piss. There were 2 portapotties there but were mainly there for decoration. Everyone is pissing on the wall or in the gutter. By the end of the nite there are puddles everywhere, altho it hasn`t rained in weeks. We keep drinking until 1:30, when I notice we are the last drunks there. Edwin has already slipped away. I notice the cops are starting to give us the hairy eyeball and we call it a nite. I didn`t feel that fucked up until I left. There was a long stairway down to my street and when I got there I noticed I was hammered. I made it down OK and was out like a lite as soon as I got in bed
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Feria de Chinchero pt 2
Back to Chinchero. Today at the stage they are having the Miss Chinchero contest. About 15 teenage girls in regional dress are taking turns walking up to the judge and showering him with flower petals. They have all made their own outfits. Only a couple are what we would consider cute. I go eat lunch, this time a bowl of soup. The meat in it is tripe so I pick it out. There is a display area of local produce. There must be over 100 types of potatoes. Some are purple, pink, red and yellow and have fantastical shapes like they are from outer space. Also several types of dried beans. Back to the beauty contest they are asking them questions in Quechua. Nothing to see here. I wander over to where some men are building the cage for the guinea pig races. How cute. Eventually its time for the cock fights. They are a joke. Out of 5 only 2 are real cockfights. The other ones the cocks just strut around looking at each other for a few minutes, then go at it half heartedly. While this is happening the cuy race takes place but is too packed to see anything. One guy has 2 guinea pigs dressed up un typical clothing, one male and one female. Its way too cute. Around 4 I`ve seem enough and don`t want to freeze my ass off again. A cab takes me to the main road where I soon get a collectivo(shared car) back to town for $2. He drops me off in an area I haven`t been to before. Its the commercial, non tourist part of town and its hopping on Sat evening. Its nice to get out of the tourist zone and see how the real people live
Feria de Chinchero
I took the bus to Chinchero for their yearly fair. The fairgrounds are set up on a large plain next to a lake. Its at least 50 acres. Inside is a stage, demonstration areas, a livestock area, some carnaval games and large inflateable slides, a food court, and a primitive bull ring. There is a competition of regional dances going on all day at the stage. I check out a couple and then go eat. The food court is all run by little Andean women from various villages. All the food is prepared in large pots over an open fire. I get a delicious dish of fried trout. They sit me at a small table where a local woman is eating. I soon notice that the women are looking at me and laughing. I think they are saying something like "Who`s your new boyfriend" in Quechua to the woman sharing my table.
I went back to the dance competition and spent several hours there. Each group got 8 minutes. Some of the dances were hilarious. Many involved young couples dancing, then lieing on top of one another pretending to beat the crap out of each other, then switching positions, then rolling around on the ground. Others had men picking up women over their shoulder, then running together, bumping the women`s butts together. The funniest one had the villagers setting up a garden. A guy in a chicken suit comes out and starts stomping on the veggies. They tackle him and tie his legs together, but he keeps at it, knocking people over and running amok. They beat him up some more and the crowd loves it. I am in hog heaven. Finally they switch to social groups. The local cuy cultivation society comes out. Most are women with half dressed in drag, as various types of guys. No one seems that bugged about it.
Finally around dark its over and a band starts and I get a beer. Ther`s no ice in sight and my beer is warm. Its freezing and the beer is warming me up. I drink about half and go check out the band. One of the girls is wearing a miniskirt in this cold. They breed them tough up here! They suck so I get a cab home. Its $20 because the guy is local and does`t really want to go to Cuzco. I happily pay because I,m freezing my ass off even in a flannel shirt, long john top and leather jacket. Arriving back in Cuzco it feels like the tropics.
For dinner I went to an Amazonian restaurant. They don`t have a menu, only 2 entrees that the waitress tells you about.One is a fish cooked in banana leaves. Its tasty but kind of fatty. Afterward I have a long discussion with the owner, a young Peruvian woman, about music. She loves the blues, knows about Bessie Smith, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters etc. Cool to see how American culture travels
The bartender at Km 0 said tonite was going to be a good band. I hung out until they started. They were really good but by then I hit the wall. The cold air must have taken me out of it and I was in bed by midnite.
I went back to the dance competition and spent several hours there. Each group got 8 minutes. Some of the dances were hilarious. Many involved young couples dancing, then lieing on top of one another pretending to beat the crap out of each other, then switching positions, then rolling around on the ground. Others had men picking up women over their shoulder, then running together, bumping the women`s butts together. The funniest one had the villagers setting up a garden. A guy in a chicken suit comes out and starts stomping on the veggies. They tackle him and tie his legs together, but he keeps at it, knocking people over and running amok. They beat him up some more and the crowd loves it. I am in hog heaven. Finally they switch to social groups. The local cuy cultivation society comes out. Most are women with half dressed in drag, as various types of guys. No one seems that bugged about it.
Finally around dark its over and a band starts and I get a beer. Ther`s no ice in sight and my beer is warm. Its freezing and the beer is warming me up. I drink about half and go check out the band. One of the girls is wearing a miniskirt in this cold. They breed them tough up here! They suck so I get a cab home. Its $20 because the guy is local and does`t really want to go to Cuzco. I happily pay because I,m freezing my ass off even in a flannel shirt, long john top and leather jacket. Arriving back in Cuzco it feels like the tropics.
For dinner I went to an Amazonian restaurant. They don`t have a menu, only 2 entrees that the waitress tells you about.One is a fish cooked in banana leaves. Its tasty but kind of fatty. Afterward I have a long discussion with the owner, a young Peruvian woman, about music. She loves the blues, knows about Bessie Smith, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters etc. Cool to see how American culture travels
The bartender at Km 0 said tonite was going to be a good band. I hung out until they started. They were really good but by then I hit the wall. The cold air must have taken me out of it and I was in bed by midnite.
Thursday
I went down to buy my plane ticket to Arequipa only to find the direct flight was sold out and the flights thru Lima were expensive. I foolishly bought an overnite bus ticket. Didn`t do much of anything all day. That nite I went to London Town bar and saw a really rocking cover band that did mostly 70`s and 80`s metal. They played Deep Purple Smoke on the Water and made me want to play my old album as soon as I get home.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Pachamama Raymi
Instead of going down the hill when I left the hotel I decided to check out the nearby church. It looked like something might be going on there. As I approached it I saw that the road was completely blocked by a line of riot police. A demonstration was moving up the hill towards the church. Peruvian police have one main method of crowd control: live ammunition. I didn´t stick around. When I got to the main drag I saw a poster advertising an event taking place in 30 minutes. I grabbed a cab and went to the top of town where Pachamama Raymi was about to take place. August 1 is Quechua New Year and this is a ceremony to celebrate it. Pachamama is Quechua for mother earth, revered thoughout S America.In a large field a 50 foot square is roped off. Inside is a blanket filled with fruit, bread, soda, beer ,wine and various other types of food. Near the middle is a large hole about 5 ft in diameter. The dirt from the hole is decorated in flower petals and yellow confetti. At one edge is a stack of firewood ready to burn. People continuosly enter the square to add to the offering. Eventually they clear the square and the ceremony begins. The MC is a middle aged professorial type who looks a lot like All Shaft No Head. He is assisted by a woman in traditional dress and 5 or 6 men. One of the men blows a large conch shell and the ceremony begins. The MC gives a long address extolling the virtues of mother earth. One of the men in traditional garb walks around the square sprinkling everyone with what seems to be rose water.The helpers move around the crowd passing out coca leaves, which everyone starts chewing. Another lights the fire. After more incantations the MC walks around with a bundle of flowers shaking it at everyone. One of the helpers gets a small fire going in a clay pot and starts to move around the circle as people place coca leaves on the burning pot. Soon the air is heavy with the scent of burning coca leaves. The woman puts a bundle of coca leaves on the fire. It smells like fresh pine needles burning. The MC goes around the square with a bundle of flowers again, this time with a bottle of wine,sprinkling everyone as he passes. Next he goes around the crowd throwing yellow confetti all over everyone. All Shaft would love this shit!
A large crowd has gathered and is starting to get restless.The MC wraps up this segment by blessing the hole and pouring some chibcha into it. There is a small gate in the roped off area and it is open to admit about a dozen prople. They go for the blanket and take a few things to the hole. Everyone gets on their knees and places their offering into the hole. Its not really an offering. They consider it more a payment to Pachamama. They leave and another group is admitted. Things get a little hectic as some people by the rope jump the gun to enter the square. Order is partially restored and groups of people are admitted about a dozen at a time to throw stuff into the hole and throw coca leaves on the fire. There are at least 200 people waiting and this takes a while. The attendands keep it moving while exhorting people not to throw plastic or trash into the hole. Don´t want to defile Pachamama! Finally everyone has had their chance and the MC wraps it up by making a final ritual offering of the remains of a bucket of chicha. One final incantation is made and the attendants start to push dirt into the hole. Soon they are joined by dozens of people, all on their knees shoving dirt into the hole. Everyone is in a joyous mood, hugging one another and saying Feliz Ano. All in all its a very spiritual ceremony, way more authentic than anything the burners have devised.
I walk up to the large white statue of Christ with his arms streched out that overlooks the town. All the harriettes love Jesus cause he´s hung like this! From here I can see the way down. I descend down to town for lunch.
I went to a Sichuan restaurant and got one of the few Chinese items on the menu:pork in garlic sauce. it wass not that great, kind of salty but a change from all the Peruvian food I have been eating. There is another ceremony at 5 in one of the squares and I have some time to kill. I head to the Irish pub on the Plaza de Armas and drink a couple of beers while watching the Olympics. Leaving at 5 I run into a religious procession around the Plaza de Armas. Over a dozen men are carrying a large statue of the Virgin on a large altar.
They are followed by a few dozen people and a band. A block away the Pachamama Raymi ceremony is starting. Its a sterilized version with very few offerings, no hole and a chiminea -like clay pot instead of a fire. Coca leave are passed out to the crowd. A politico adresses the crowd over a PA system. Its much hokeyer than the previous ceremony and everyone lines up to put their coca leaves into the fire. Its getting cold so I head back to the hotel.
For dinner I went back to the pizza place. A large group enters right before me and goes upstairs. I sat down and soon placed my order. The brat for the previous nite comes up to me and says"Hasta la vista, baby" Soon a young couple comes in. They are friends of the owner and the brat goes over to pester them. The pizza is delicious, but there is no sauce. I went to a live music bar for a beer and hit the wall just as the band was starting. They are garage band level and start with Hendrix´ Foxy Lady. I split and crash hard as soon as get to my room. Its 11PM
A large crowd has gathered and is starting to get restless.The MC wraps up this segment by blessing the hole and pouring some chibcha into it. There is a small gate in the roped off area and it is open to admit about a dozen prople. They go for the blanket and take a few things to the hole. Everyone gets on their knees and places their offering into the hole. Its not really an offering. They consider it more a payment to Pachamama. They leave and another group is admitted. Things get a little hectic as some people by the rope jump the gun to enter the square. Order is partially restored and groups of people are admitted about a dozen at a time to throw stuff into the hole and throw coca leaves on the fire. There are at least 200 people waiting and this takes a while. The attendands keep it moving while exhorting people not to throw plastic or trash into the hole. Don´t want to defile Pachamama! Finally everyone has had their chance and the MC wraps it up by making a final ritual offering of the remains of a bucket of chicha. One final incantation is made and the attendants start to push dirt into the hole. Soon they are joined by dozens of people, all on their knees shoving dirt into the hole. Everyone is in a joyous mood, hugging one another and saying Feliz Ano. All in all its a very spiritual ceremony, way more authentic than anything the burners have devised.
I walk up to the large white statue of Christ with his arms streched out that overlooks the town. All the harriettes love Jesus cause he´s hung like this! From here I can see the way down. I descend down to town for lunch.
I went to a Sichuan restaurant and got one of the few Chinese items on the menu:pork in garlic sauce. it wass not that great, kind of salty but a change from all the Peruvian food I have been eating. There is another ceremony at 5 in one of the squares and I have some time to kill. I head to the Irish pub on the Plaza de Armas and drink a couple of beers while watching the Olympics. Leaving at 5 I run into a religious procession around the Plaza de Armas. Over a dozen men are carrying a large statue of the Virgin on a large altar.
They are followed by a few dozen people and a band. A block away the Pachamama Raymi ceremony is starting. Its a sterilized version with very few offerings, no hole and a chiminea -like clay pot instead of a fire. Coca leave are passed out to the crowd. A politico adresses the crowd over a PA system. Its much hokeyer than the previous ceremony and everyone lines up to put their coca leaves into the fire. Its getting cold so I head back to the hotel.
For dinner I went back to the pizza place. A large group enters right before me and goes upstairs. I sat down and soon placed my order. The brat for the previous nite comes up to me and says"Hasta la vista, baby" Soon a young couple comes in. They are friends of the owner and the brat goes over to pester them. The pizza is delicious, but there is no sauce. I went to a live music bar for a beer and hit the wall just as the band was starting. They are garage band level and start with Hendrix´ Foxy Lady. I split and crash hard as soon as get to my room. Its 11PM
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Chinchero
Tuesday I decided to take a hike around Chinchero. It´s a small town known for its weaving. It sits on a high plateau at 12,000 ft. Its an agricultural area of rolling plains. I got a cab to the bus and was soon en route. It took just as long to climb out of Cusco as the ride thru the countryside to Chinchero.
The town has few tourist services but there are a few rudimentary restaurants. The first one I went to seemed deserted so I went down the street. There is no menu, you get what they have that day. Shortly after sitting down I am brought a bowl of quinoa soup. I haven´t even spoken to anyone. They know you are there to eat. They offer 2 choices. I order one and soon a plate appears with a mysterious cut of meat,some rice and creamed potatos. The meat is like rubber. I eat a little and some rice and split.
I went to the town hall to see if I could get some information about the upcoming festival that week end. All I could find out was that the bull fight was on Sunday.
I then set off on my hike. I had passed thru this area going and coming from Ollantaytambo and had scouted out a possible route from the road. People familiar with the area said there should be no problem hiking from Chinchero to the nearby town of Maras, from where I could catch a combi or bus back to Cusco. Should take around 3 hours.The hike started with a long straight death march down a rocky country road past the local sewage treatment area, a couple of open ponds of sewage. Finally the road made a slight curve. I stopped to take a leak and some photos. Continuing on I passed a woman collecting cow pies barehanded. There is little firewood in this area. Climbing a low ridge to a small village I realise I have left my camera on the side of the road. I hurry back about a half mile to find it still lying there. Luckily this is a fairly deserted area. I follow the road around some hills and down along a small ravine.There are some farm houses but very few people around.This area looks a lot like northern California, with rolling golden hills covered by patches of Eucalyptus trees .The sun is out and its very mild, despite the high altitude. Descending further the view opens out to a beautiful pastoral area dotted with farms. A large lake appears and that is one of my landmarks. My road curves away in the opposite direction but I can see another road below going the right way. I ask a woman working by the side of the road if that is the way to Maras. She replies yes and sends me down the hill on a short cut thru her farm. I am soon hiking along this road enjoying an awesome view of the nearby snow capped peaks. Another mile or so brings me to a small town. Entering this town it seems like the set of a spaghetti western. A deserted dusty street flanked by dust covered houses. Not a person in sight. The dogs don´t even bother to get up to bark. A deserted truck is parked in front of a padlocked store. Further up the road I see the only sign of life, a young boy playing in the dirt. I stopped and gave him the toy car I received at the birthday party. Soon I come to a crossroads. One of the roads is paved. I follow it for a mile or so and come to the main highway. I have been hiking for 2 1/2 hours so I call it a day and wait for a combi. Within 10 minutes a late model van with only a couple of passengers stops. I am soon dozing as we return to Cusco. The ride back costs all of $2.
That nite I took it easy. A meal of saltado of alpaca and a couple of beers at Km 0 and I´m ready for bed
The town has few tourist services but there are a few rudimentary restaurants. The first one I went to seemed deserted so I went down the street. There is no menu, you get what they have that day. Shortly after sitting down I am brought a bowl of quinoa soup. I haven´t even spoken to anyone. They know you are there to eat. They offer 2 choices. I order one and soon a plate appears with a mysterious cut of meat,some rice and creamed potatos. The meat is like rubber. I eat a little and some rice and split.
I went to the town hall to see if I could get some information about the upcoming festival that week end. All I could find out was that the bull fight was on Sunday.
I then set off on my hike. I had passed thru this area going and coming from Ollantaytambo and had scouted out a possible route from the road. People familiar with the area said there should be no problem hiking from Chinchero to the nearby town of Maras, from where I could catch a combi or bus back to Cusco. Should take around 3 hours.The hike started with a long straight death march down a rocky country road past the local sewage treatment area, a couple of open ponds of sewage. Finally the road made a slight curve. I stopped to take a leak and some photos. Continuing on I passed a woman collecting cow pies barehanded. There is little firewood in this area. Climbing a low ridge to a small village I realise I have left my camera on the side of the road. I hurry back about a half mile to find it still lying there. Luckily this is a fairly deserted area. I follow the road around some hills and down along a small ravine.There are some farm houses but very few people around.This area looks a lot like northern California, with rolling golden hills covered by patches of Eucalyptus trees .The sun is out and its very mild, despite the high altitude. Descending further the view opens out to a beautiful pastoral area dotted with farms. A large lake appears and that is one of my landmarks. My road curves away in the opposite direction but I can see another road below going the right way. I ask a woman working by the side of the road if that is the way to Maras. She replies yes and sends me down the hill on a short cut thru her farm. I am soon hiking along this road enjoying an awesome view of the nearby snow capped peaks. Another mile or so brings me to a small town. Entering this town it seems like the set of a spaghetti western. A deserted dusty street flanked by dust covered houses. Not a person in sight. The dogs don´t even bother to get up to bark. A deserted truck is parked in front of a padlocked store. Further up the road I see the only sign of life, a young boy playing in the dirt. I stopped and gave him the toy car I received at the birthday party. Soon I come to a crossroads. One of the roads is paved. I follow it for a mile or so and come to the main highway. I have been hiking for 2 1/2 hours so I call it a day and wait for a combi. Within 10 minutes a late model van with only a couple of passengers stops. I am soon dozing as we return to Cusco. The ride back costs all of $2.
That nite I took it easy. A meal of saltado of alpaca and a couple of beers at Km 0 and I´m ready for bed
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Shopping
I went to buy my Machu Picchu tickets. I missed the street twice. They should have said look for the building with the long line outside. I waited in line for a while and finally got to the ticket window. I got my 2 dates I wanted and was told now wait in the other line to pay. Just like Mexico. Next stop Peru Rail to make sure I can get there on those days. Good thing too. My first pick for return time was booked but the next later one wasn´t. Then the the artesan market for souveniers. I have a whole laundry list to buy. Most of the stalls have all the same shit but I am able to complete most of my shopping. Heading back to the hotel I stopped at a chicharoneria. In Mexico chicharones are fried pork skins. Here it´s fried pork. I got an order and they brought out 2 large chunks of meat. I cut into the first one and it was pork ribs. Yum! They were crispy on the outside but moist and tender on the inside. Returned to the hotel to down load my shit and headed back out for more shopping. I went to one of the main markets and walked around checking out all the different produce. I came across a booth selling caldo de raña: frog stew. There is also a tub of live frogs and some skinned ones. I go to take a photo and the woman waves me off.I bought a cute straw women´s sun hat. Walking around the market district I saw some suckling pigs. That woman also waved me off. I wandered into a courtyard and saw several cages full of guinea pigs. I didn´t even bother to try a photo. On the way back I found a shop selling religious items and got a nice St Miguel statue for Gwen.
I went to dinner at a hole in the wall restaurant with a large wood fired oven. I swore to myself that I would not eat any pizza on this trip, as most countries(US included) have dubious quality pizza at best. But Peru has all the ingredients here plus a tradition of wood fired ovens. The personal size pizza looks perfect but I have already ordered stuffed pepper. It took forever. While I was waiting the owner´s 7 yo son was running around bugging all the customers. He came down the stairs and said" Daddy someone said I have a girlfriend!" I said "Probably 3" and we laughed. He stuck his tongue out at me. He came down and started bugging me. He was puckered up trying to give me a kiss. I said "Kiss your girlfriend" I sent him upstairs to bug the people there. Later he came back and crawled under the table to sit next to me. He said"I think you want to give me an enormous kiss" "I´m not that kind of guy" I replied. Then he was talking about Barbie. "Who is Barbie?" I asked. "Me" He replied."Don´t say that!" I said.
At Amazonia Aquariums we had a gay employee. He said when he was in first grade the kids called him Barbie and he was queer as a 3 dollar bill. The kid crawled in my lap and whispered "Joto". That´s it you´re out of here. Can you say child sexual abuse?
Finally my food arrives and I realize why it took so long. The pepper is filled with peas, carrots and ground beef. Nothing is pre- prepared, meaning they have to boil the veggies,cook the meat, then make the stuffed pepper. It´s delicious. I´m going back tonite for the pizza.
I´m partying in the hood tonite so I go a few doors down from the restaurant to a hip bar called Km 0
A hippie was playing guitar accompanied by a guy playing a wooden box with a hole in it like a guitar. They were really rocking out for 2 guys. They are named after a little known ruin near Ollantaytambo. After the set the guy explains to me where it is and what its for. Its like an overseer´s site that can see 2 differnt agriculural areas at once.
I went to dinner at a hole in the wall restaurant with a large wood fired oven. I swore to myself that I would not eat any pizza on this trip, as most countries(US included) have dubious quality pizza at best. But Peru has all the ingredients here plus a tradition of wood fired ovens. The personal size pizza looks perfect but I have already ordered stuffed pepper. It took forever. While I was waiting the owner´s 7 yo son was running around bugging all the customers. He came down the stairs and said" Daddy someone said I have a girlfriend!" I said "Probably 3" and we laughed. He stuck his tongue out at me. He came down and started bugging me. He was puckered up trying to give me a kiss. I said "Kiss your girlfriend" I sent him upstairs to bug the people there. Later he came back and crawled under the table to sit next to me. He said"I think you want to give me an enormous kiss" "I´m not that kind of guy" I replied. Then he was talking about Barbie. "Who is Barbie?" I asked. "Me" He replied."Don´t say that!" I said.
At Amazonia Aquariums we had a gay employee. He said when he was in first grade the kids called him Barbie and he was queer as a 3 dollar bill. The kid crawled in my lap and whispered "Joto". That´s it you´re out of here. Can you say child sexual abuse?
Finally my food arrives and I realize why it took so long. The pepper is filled with peas, carrots and ground beef. Nothing is pre- prepared, meaning they have to boil the veggies,cook the meat, then make the stuffed pepper. It´s delicious. I´m going back tonite for the pizza.
I´m partying in the hood tonite so I go a few doors down from the restaurant to a hip bar called Km 0
A hippie was playing guitar accompanied by a guy playing a wooden box with a hole in it like a guitar. They were really rocking out for 2 guys. They are named after a little known ruin near Ollantaytambo. After the set the guy explains to me where it is and what its for. Its like an overseer´s site that can see 2 differnt agriculural areas at once.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Sorochi
I wake up at dawn gasping for breath,my heart pounding. My first thought is "get me to sea level!". I try to relax but am still short of breath. I get dressed and go to the lobby for a cup of coca tea. I nurse my mate de coca, feeling hungover, and go back to bed. It seemed to have some effect, if only psychological. I go down to breakfast and then back to bed until noon. All my walking and drinking the last 2 days has caught up with me and I have developed a mild case of sorochi,altitude sickness. My symptoms are lack of energy and appetite. Around 2:30 I drag myself a couple of blocks to a restaurant for a bowl of vegetable soup. I have another cup of coca tea and spend the rest of the afternoon napping and watching Olympic soccer. Finally after dark I feel hungry and go to a nearby restaurant. I got a delicious plate of homemade ravioli. It hits the spot and I walk back up the hill feeling much better. I had another cup of tea by the fireplace in the lobby. I watched TV until midnite then had a great nites sleep, punctuated by weird dreams. I woke up this morning feeling fine
Parrillada
Saturday morning was my first full day in Cusco. I spent the morning and half the afternoon wandering aimlessly checking out the town. I run across a young boy in full ropa typica leading a llama. He says take my picture. I tell him I don´t have my camera but here´s 1 sol($.40) anyway. He asks me where I´m from and I tell him USA. He says that´s the biggest country in the world,right? I say no, the richest. Russia is the biggest. He seems puzzled. I went back to the room for a bit then left in search of lunch.
I walked a couple of blocks down the hill and heard music blaring from an open door and a sign that said parrillada $10sols. So I paid my 10 sols and went in. Inside was a primitive compound surounded by some 2 story houses that have to be at least 200 years old. A parrillada is like a BBQ and some women are cooking meat on a large griddle over a wood fire. s/10 buys a plate with a chicken leg, a pork chop and a scary sausage with a couple of potatos. I pull up a bench and sit down and they bring my plate. It´s pretty tasty and I buy a large beer to wash it down. Everyone here is a local and I am quite the curiosity. A middle aged woman keeps catching my eye and toasting me. Everyone is drinking from tiny 4 oz plastic cups. She invites me over to the table where she is sitting with 3 other women. Her name is Ampara and she is really friendly. And already fairly lit. She wants to fix me up with her aunt, Juanita, who is actually younger than her. I ask if this is a family or neighborhood party and she says no, it´s a fund raiser for their religious organization. They belong to a sect that worships an Andes version of Christ of the Mountain. Apparently it doesn´t prohibit drinking. I buy another beer. I meet her husband and 15 year old daughter. We drink more beer. I tell them I have never married but that I had a novia of 15 years. I said de instead of para so she thought I mean my girlfriend was 15. She starts telling me how much she loves her daughter. Much later this error comes to light. They buy more beer. The beers are 1.1 liter bottles and everyone constantly refills their little cups. I meet some more people. I am flirting with Juanita, a 43 yo widow of 8 years. Day turns to night. I dance with Ampara and Juanita. Ampara is getting really fucked up.We drink more beer. I love this stuff, partying with the locals. All the women are checking me out. Finally around 8 the party breaks up and I head back up the hill feeling pretty buzzed. A fun afternoon.
I must have eaten dinner but for some reason i can´t remember what it was. Then I went back to the rock club, London Town. I got there a little early and got a seat at the bar. The bar is where the dance floor should be. After about 15 minutes the band starts. They are a kick ass local band that plays rock/ska/latin. They are a 7 piece with drum,percussion,bass,guitar,keyboard,trumpet and lead singer. They are very high energy. The bar is full of hip,young , locals and very few tourists. Everybody smokes. After an hour my eyes start burning. During the second set I met a couple of locals who spoke English. I am sort of a novelty to them but they can tell I´m really into the music.
They wrapped up their set at around 1:30 and I am happy to have some fresh air. Outside is a guy in a giant guinea pig costume accompanied by a chick who looks like a refugee from Eeyore´s birthday party.They are handing out fliers for the local strip club. I walked a block to the Plaza de Armas where there are 2 hopping discos packed with people. There are actually some Peruvian hootchies in black dresses. I check out all the people coming and going from the discos and go into the one that says no one under 23 admitted. It´s packed to the rafters and I work my way towards the bar. The music is actually not obnoxious, kind of a latin beat electronica. Its now after 2 and after a small beer I split. There is a long line outside waiting to enter. A line of taxis is in the Plaza de Armas and I hop in one for a ride back.
I walked a couple of blocks down the hill and heard music blaring from an open door and a sign that said parrillada $10sols. So I paid my 10 sols and went in. Inside was a primitive compound surounded by some 2 story houses that have to be at least 200 years old. A parrillada is like a BBQ and some women are cooking meat on a large griddle over a wood fire. s/10 buys a plate with a chicken leg, a pork chop and a scary sausage with a couple of potatos. I pull up a bench and sit down and they bring my plate. It´s pretty tasty and I buy a large beer to wash it down. Everyone here is a local and I am quite the curiosity. A middle aged woman keeps catching my eye and toasting me. Everyone is drinking from tiny 4 oz plastic cups. She invites me over to the table where she is sitting with 3 other women. Her name is Ampara and she is really friendly. And already fairly lit. She wants to fix me up with her aunt, Juanita, who is actually younger than her. I ask if this is a family or neighborhood party and she says no, it´s a fund raiser for their religious organization. They belong to a sect that worships an Andes version of Christ of the Mountain. Apparently it doesn´t prohibit drinking. I buy another beer. I meet her husband and 15 year old daughter. We drink more beer. I tell them I have never married but that I had a novia of 15 years. I said de instead of para so she thought I mean my girlfriend was 15. She starts telling me how much she loves her daughter. Much later this error comes to light. They buy more beer. The beers are 1.1 liter bottles and everyone constantly refills their little cups. I meet some more people. I am flirting with Juanita, a 43 yo widow of 8 years. Day turns to night. I dance with Ampara and Juanita. Ampara is getting really fucked up.We drink more beer. I love this stuff, partying with the locals. All the women are checking me out. Finally around 8 the party breaks up and I head back up the hill feeling pretty buzzed. A fun afternoon.
I must have eaten dinner but for some reason i can´t remember what it was. Then I went back to the rock club, London Town. I got there a little early and got a seat at the bar. The bar is where the dance floor should be. After about 15 minutes the band starts. They are a kick ass local band that plays rock/ska/latin. They are a 7 piece with drum,percussion,bass,guitar,keyboard,trumpet and lead singer. They are very high energy. The bar is full of hip,young , locals and very few tourists. Everybody smokes. After an hour my eyes start burning. During the second set I met a couple of locals who spoke English. I am sort of a novelty to them but they can tell I´m really into the music.
They wrapped up their set at around 1:30 and I am happy to have some fresh air. Outside is a guy in a giant guinea pig costume accompanied by a chick who looks like a refugee from Eeyore´s birthday party.They are handing out fliers for the local strip club. I walked a block to the Plaza de Armas where there are 2 hopping discos packed with people. There are actually some Peruvian hootchies in black dresses. I check out all the people coming and going from the discos and go into the one that says no one under 23 admitted. It´s packed to the rafters and I work my way towards the bar. The music is actually not obnoxious, kind of a latin beat electronica. Its now after 2 and after a small beer I split. There is a long line outside waiting to enter. A line of taxis is in the Plaza de Armas and I hop in one for a ride back.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Cusco
Friday morning I got up and got a cab to Cusco. It took about 1 1/2 hr to get to the edge of town. My driver tries to make an illegal left turn right in front of 2 policewomen. They turn him around and pull him over. He pleads with them for 10 minutes to no avail. Finally we are back on the road driving in circles as this guy doesn´t really know where the fuck he is going. An hour after getting to town I am dumped off 100 yards short of my hotel. What a dumb ass.
The hotel is really nice. Its on a one lane dead end cobble stone street overlooking the city. My room is beautiful,with large windows offering a panaramic view of the city. The modern decor has a color scheme of white and orange and the room has a bright and airy feel.There´s even a small flat screen TV with 100 channels mounted in the corner.
The neighborhood, San Blas, climbs a hillside above the colonial part of town. It´s a maze of stairways,narrow alleys and one lane cobblestone streets with 2 way traffic. It´s the oldest part of town,dating back to the Incan era. A ten minute walk brings you down to the colonial center, the Plaza de Armas. After a relaxing lunch on a little patio a few blocks from the hotel I head down the hill.
Cusco sits in a high valley at 11,150 ft. The town of 450,000 sprawls down the valley and up the surrounding hillsides. It was the capital of the Incan empire. The Spanish came an razed the town down to the foundations. Here they had to stop as the stones were much too large for them to move. The whole old part of town is built on gigantic boulders,pieced together perfectly without mortar and still as solid as the day they were built. I arrived a the square just as another procession appeared. This is a group of elementary aged kids accompanied by adults all dressed in costume. The band is laying down a funky Brazilian rythem and I follow then to the middle of the plaza where they circle up. Its a group of underpriveliged children and their adult mentors. The separate groups take turns performing little skits. One group names off animals and gets the crowd to join them in imitating their sounds. When dog comes up I give my best Chihuahua bark, much to the amusement of the crowd. After about 1/2 hour the cops run them out of the plaza and I continue exploring downtown. Its the Friday evening of the Fiestas Patrias and the streets are packed with people strolling around. The colonial area is beautiful, with whitewashed houses topped by red tile roofs. There are little squares and churches scattered every few blocks. I found a little cafe and had a delicios meal of pork chop covered in elderberry sauce mixed with the local hot pepper riccoto. Elderberry tastes like a cross between blueberry and cranberry and is so purple it´s almost black. The spicyness of the pepper blends with the sweetness of the berry to make a very delicious taste. Most of the bars are around the Plaza de Armas and a few alleys behind it. I go into one that has English beer on tap and watch the torch lighting. Then I had a little pub crawl . One of the bars is "El Duende" the elf. My friend Duane, whose idea this trip was, is nicknamed Duende so I have to stop here. It´s right by a cool bar with live music so I stay and watch the band. They are kind of generic rock but I haven´ t seen any live music, aside from hippies beating bongos, since I arrived in Peru.
The hotel is really nice. Its on a one lane dead end cobble stone street overlooking the city. My room is beautiful,with large windows offering a panaramic view of the city. The modern decor has a color scheme of white and orange and the room has a bright and airy feel.There´s even a small flat screen TV with 100 channels mounted in the corner.
The neighborhood, San Blas, climbs a hillside above the colonial part of town. It´s a maze of stairways,narrow alleys and one lane cobblestone streets with 2 way traffic. It´s the oldest part of town,dating back to the Incan era. A ten minute walk brings you down to the colonial center, the Plaza de Armas. After a relaxing lunch on a little patio a few blocks from the hotel I head down the hill.
Cusco sits in a high valley at 11,150 ft. The town of 450,000 sprawls down the valley and up the surrounding hillsides. It was the capital of the Incan empire. The Spanish came an razed the town down to the foundations. Here they had to stop as the stones were much too large for them to move. The whole old part of town is built on gigantic boulders,pieced together perfectly without mortar and still as solid as the day they were built. I arrived a the square just as another procession appeared. This is a group of elementary aged kids accompanied by adults all dressed in costume. The band is laying down a funky Brazilian rythem and I follow then to the middle of the plaza where they circle up. Its a group of underpriveliged children and their adult mentors. The separate groups take turns performing little skits. One group names off animals and gets the crowd to join them in imitating their sounds. When dog comes up I give my best Chihuahua bark, much to the amusement of the crowd. After about 1/2 hour the cops run them out of the plaza and I continue exploring downtown. Its the Friday evening of the Fiestas Patrias and the streets are packed with people strolling around. The colonial area is beautiful, with whitewashed houses topped by red tile roofs. There are little squares and churches scattered every few blocks. I found a little cafe and had a delicios meal of pork chop covered in elderberry sauce mixed with the local hot pepper riccoto. Elderberry tastes like a cross between blueberry and cranberry and is so purple it´s almost black. The spicyness of the pepper blends with the sweetness of the berry to make a very delicious taste. Most of the bars are around the Plaza de Armas and a few alleys behind it. I go into one that has English beer on tap and watch the torch lighting. Then I had a little pub crawl . One of the bars is "El Duende" the elf. My friend Duane, whose idea this trip was, is nicknamed Duende so I have to stop here. It´s right by a cool bar with live music so I stay and watch the band. They are kind of generic rock but I haven´ t seen any live music, aside from hippies beating bongos, since I arrived in Peru.
Cuy
I woke up Thursday with my hips sore and my quads killing me. It hurts to go up and down the stairs of the hotel. I have no energy either. That hike kicked my ass. I had breakfast at the cafe next door. I have been going here everyday for breakfast and ordering the same thing: oatmeal with a cup of the best hot chocolate I have had in a while. Returning to the hotel I got on line and started posting on the blog.
Once again I hear drums and trumpets. This time its the Independence Day Ceremony in the town square. All the local politicos and bureaucrats are there, marching behind the Peruvian flag. They march up to a small stage they have set up and begin speechifying. The mayor gives an impassioned political speech about how they are being constantly fucked around by the central government. Then there is a parade of just about every branch of government in town down to the street sweepers and mototaxistas, followed by the campesino organzations from outlying villages dressed in colorful regional garb. Finally the police and National Police come goose stepping thru. It looks like half the town has been in the parade, some marching thru 2 or 3 times
Around mid afternoon I drag myself out to lunch. I have decided this is my day to try cuy,guinea pig, a local delicacy. So I went to a nearby restaurant that advertised cuy al horno, roast guinea pig. It´s terrible.
It has tough leathery skin and very little meat. What meat it does have is intensely gamey. The side dishes are little better. So an hour later I was back at the breakfast cafe for lunch pt 2. A bowl of quinoa soup and a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich hits the spot. Then back for a nap. A little before dark I finally snap out of it and go for a beer at one of the 2 bars in town that cater to tourists, Quechua Bar. There are a few primitive local bars but none of them have cold beer. In their defense, it is cool here, so the beer is not totally hot, but room temperature is not very appealing . Quechua Bar is almost always dead. The bar maid is a cute young Quechua girl named Ada. We have been chatting and watching bad Peruvian TV almost every early evening, as the other bar, Ganso´s, doesn´t get going until later. She says they have a strict no local hippie policy. A large tour group of 15 with guide had been there one night drinking upstairs when a hippie came in and tried to sell them dope. The guide flipped out and said "What kind of place are you running here?"so no more hippies. Peruvian hippies are total hippies. There is no half way. They all have huge dreadlocks, walk around barefoot or in sandals, and are filthy. There are little clusters of them everywhere I have been, supplimented by dreadlocked foreign girls sitting in the square selling crappy handmade jewelry. After a couple of beers I´m off to Ganso´s. This bar is a hole in the wall. The far wall is dominated by a wood burning oven with a fantastical sculptured hood. To the left is a couch contantly occuppied by one or two hippies playing the large bongo drums there. The drums also double as a rolling surface and they are not shy about firing it up right here. Up a sketchy stairway is the upstairs room. Its a real hippie haven with all the benches suspended from the ceiling with a rope. Colorful paintings and posters adorn the walls. A wooden fireman´s pole in the corner provides a quick alternative to the stairs. Last nite I was up here and a hippie pulled a huge chunk of weed out of his bag. It was pretty good. Tonite there is a group of 5 American girls having a going away party for one of them. More people join the party and people start piling in until the place is packed, upstairs and down. Its the day before independance day so everyone is out partying. My friend Arturo from Monday is there with his younger brother and his friends. Its a very lively crowd and we drink and bullshit for hours. The young Peruvian guys ask me about buffalo soldiers. They play Marley here constantly and that is one of his better known songs. They are really interested in American Indians, since they are indigenous people themselves. I name of most of the tribes I know and where they are located. They really like the part about the Custer Massacre and know about Geronimo. A tall red head at the bar has been hit on and danced with by almost evey guy in the bar. She asks me to dance and claims she is German and doesn´t speak a word of English. I´m not buying it and start saying some nasty shit to her in English but she doesn´t bat an eyelash. She danced with a few more guys and left alone. I christened her "The Red Baron"-80 men tried and 80 men died. Arturo tells me he lives in Cusco and gives me his email. I still haven´t heard from him. By now the crowd has thinned out after drinking almost every beer in the bar. I head back to the hotel. It´s 3:30 when I ring the bell and wake the owner.
Once again I hear drums and trumpets. This time its the Independence Day Ceremony in the town square. All the local politicos and bureaucrats are there, marching behind the Peruvian flag. They march up to a small stage they have set up and begin speechifying. The mayor gives an impassioned political speech about how they are being constantly fucked around by the central government. Then there is a parade of just about every branch of government in town down to the street sweepers and mototaxistas, followed by the campesino organzations from outlying villages dressed in colorful regional garb. Finally the police and National Police come goose stepping thru. It looks like half the town has been in the parade, some marching thru 2 or 3 times
Around mid afternoon I drag myself out to lunch. I have decided this is my day to try cuy,guinea pig, a local delicacy. So I went to a nearby restaurant that advertised cuy al horno, roast guinea pig. It´s terrible.
It has tough leathery skin and very little meat. What meat it does have is intensely gamey. The side dishes are little better. So an hour later I was back at the breakfast cafe for lunch pt 2. A bowl of quinoa soup and a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich hits the spot. Then back for a nap. A little before dark I finally snap out of it and go for a beer at one of the 2 bars in town that cater to tourists, Quechua Bar. There are a few primitive local bars but none of them have cold beer. In their defense, it is cool here, so the beer is not totally hot, but room temperature is not very appealing . Quechua Bar is almost always dead. The bar maid is a cute young Quechua girl named Ada. We have been chatting and watching bad Peruvian TV almost every early evening, as the other bar, Ganso´s, doesn´t get going until later. She says they have a strict no local hippie policy. A large tour group of 15 with guide had been there one night drinking upstairs when a hippie came in and tried to sell them dope. The guide flipped out and said "What kind of place are you running here?"so no more hippies. Peruvian hippies are total hippies. There is no half way. They all have huge dreadlocks, walk around barefoot or in sandals, and are filthy. There are little clusters of them everywhere I have been, supplimented by dreadlocked foreign girls sitting in the square selling crappy handmade jewelry. After a couple of beers I´m off to Ganso´s. This bar is a hole in the wall. The far wall is dominated by a wood burning oven with a fantastical sculptured hood. To the left is a couch contantly occuppied by one or two hippies playing the large bongo drums there. The drums also double as a rolling surface and they are not shy about firing it up right here. Up a sketchy stairway is the upstairs room. Its a real hippie haven with all the benches suspended from the ceiling with a rope. Colorful paintings and posters adorn the walls. A wooden fireman´s pole in the corner provides a quick alternative to the stairs. Last nite I was up here and a hippie pulled a huge chunk of weed out of his bag. It was pretty good. Tonite there is a group of 5 American girls having a going away party for one of them. More people join the party and people start piling in until the place is packed, upstairs and down. Its the day before independance day so everyone is out partying. My friend Arturo from Monday is there with his younger brother and his friends. Its a very lively crowd and we drink and bullshit for hours. The young Peruvian guys ask me about buffalo soldiers. They play Marley here constantly and that is one of his better known songs. They are really interested in American Indians, since they are indigenous people themselves. I name of most of the tribes I know and where they are located. They really like the part about the Custer Massacre and know about Geronimo. A tall red head at the bar has been hit on and danced with by almost evey guy in the bar. She asks me to dance and claims she is German and doesn´t speak a word of English. I´m not buying it and start saying some nasty shit to her in English but she doesn´t bat an eyelash. She danced with a few more guys and left alone. I christened her "The Red Baron"-80 men tried and 80 men died. Arturo tells me he lives in Cusco and gives me his email. I still haven´t heard from him. By now the crowd has thinned out after drinking almost every beer in the bar. I head back to the hotel. It´s 3:30 when I ring the bell and wake the owner.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Como Tu Eres, Yo Fui
Wednesday I went for a long hike up the mountain to the old Inca quarry, where the stones for the local ruin came from. Its about a 2 hr hike on a steadily climbing trail along the mountainside. I stop in one of the few shady spots for a lunch break. Then its an hour up a steep switchbacking trail to another quarry. This is on a grassy bench high on the mountainside with stunning views of the valley below and the snow capped Andes, capped by the glacier covered Mt Veronica. The whole area is terraced and there are little stairways and other signs of Inca occupation. This area is a high desert with few trees. I have climbed out of the desert zone into a weird montane ecosystem There are lots of strange succulent type plants and 2 really weird tree type plants with large floral blooms. My guidebook says to look for the boulder with painting on it.Check. Then look for a rocky trail ascending just to the left. Check. Head up this trail and look for the skeleton under a large boulder. WTF? The whole place is covered in large boulders, that´s why they quarried stone here. I figure I´m already here , might as well check it out. Following the rocky trail for about 50 yard I crested a small rise and there he was, not 20 feet from me. An intact skeleton, sitting upright with his knees up by his chest. He is sitting in the entrance to a small cave formed under the boulder. Peering inside I see a large pile of bones with a couple more skulls on top. Creapy! The skeleton is arranged so he is facing Mt Veronica across the valley. The Incas worshiped mountain Gods called apu and this is obviously a religious burial. Has to have been there at least 600 years. If there was ever a spot for joint break this is it. Nothing makes you contemplate your own mortality like staring into the face of a skeleton. He had a message: "Como tu eres,Yo fui"-As you are, I was.Heavy. I hung out here a little longer and by then it was 3 PM, 2 1/2 hours of daylight left to descend. Hasher that I am I don´t want to retrace my steps. I spotted a faint trail leading down. There was some horse shit there, and wherever a horse can go a man can go.
Dropping down into a high steep basin I soon intersect another, larger trail and follow it to a jumble of ruins perched on a rocky ridge. This must be where the workers lived. The trail comes to a rocky promentory. I look over the edge and its a vertigo inducing 2000 ft drop to the river below. From here I can see my trail down, a series of short steep swithbacks. The trail then becomes a long steep sidehill across a near vertical slope. Its all quite awesome. After about 2 hours I am near the bottom. I pass a few primitive houses into a small village,then to a road to a slightly more modern village. A bridge crosses the Urubamba river and the way back is along a railroad track. Its like a hash, 8-9 mile trail ending in a deathmarch on a RR. As I return to town it dawns on me that in my descent I haved walked through a millenia of history. Seeing that skeleton has blown my mind! The woman from the bar Monday nite was all psyched about "walking in the footsteps of the ancients" Hell, I looked him in the face! I don´t need no stinking San Pedro ceremony to expand my mind. The trail led me right into the train station, where the workers wondered where the hell I had come from. I stopped ina nearby restaurant for a cold beer and bottle of water. It feels nice to sit down and is painful to start the last 200 yards back to my hotel. This has to be one of my top 3 day hikes of all time.
Dropping down into a high steep basin I soon intersect another, larger trail and follow it to a jumble of ruins perched on a rocky ridge. This must be where the workers lived. The trail comes to a rocky promentory. I look over the edge and its a vertigo inducing 2000 ft drop to the river below. From here I can see my trail down, a series of short steep swithbacks. The trail then becomes a long steep sidehill across a near vertical slope. Its all quite awesome. After about 2 hours I am near the bottom. I pass a few primitive houses into a small village,then to a road to a slightly more modern village. A bridge crosses the Urubamba river and the way back is along a railroad track. Its like a hash, 8-9 mile trail ending in a deathmarch on a RR. As I return to town it dawns on me that in my descent I haved walked through a millenia of history. Seeing that skeleton has blown my mind! The woman from the bar Monday nite was all psyched about "walking in the footsteps of the ancients" Hell, I looked him in the face! I don´t need no stinking San Pedro ceremony to expand my mind. The trail led me right into the train station, where the workers wondered where the hell I had come from. I stopped ina nearby restaurant for a cold beer and bottle of water. It feels nice to sit down and is painful to start the last 200 yards back to my hotel. This has to be one of my top 3 day hikes of all time.
Feliz Cumpliaños
I went to the train station to buy my train ticket to Machu Picchu. A sign there said check availability before buying train tickets. For once in my life I heeded this advice and went back to the hotel to check on line. Sure enough they were sold out for Thursday, my planned first day. And since I had hotel reservations in Cusco Friday I decided to go to Machu Picchu later and buy my tickets in Cusco. I had no energy, I guess from my action packed day yesterday so I just putzed around all afternoon. The owner of the hostal was having a birthday party for his 2 yo grandson and invited me to join them. I just missed the piñata but arrived in time to see the little kids having a great time playing with the confetti. There were about 12 pre-schoolers and a couple of older kids plus their moms. I take a seat and am soon served a slice of cake. Then they bring me a plate of food. Next its time for Sorpesas!(goody bags). All the kids line up for this. I get one too! Whoo-hoo! It has a toy car in it and some candy and popcorn.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Pumamarca
Monday I was going to go to a village high in the moutains to buy hand woven textiles but the trip left at 8 and I missed it. So I climbed up to the ruins right above town to check then out. Then walked to the entrance of town and followed the old Inca trail thru the entrance gate and down about 1k to the highway overlooking the river. On the way back I watched some guys making adobe bricks. Then went to the foot of town and crossed a bridge to check out the start of a future hike. Afterwards I went back to my room for a post breakfast nap. I was soon awakened by drums and trumpets. That means one thing:procession. I grab my camera and run up to the square in time to catch a small group of people carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary. They are accompanied by a group of pre-school children wearing masks. Soon the kids line up in two lines and begin dancing frantically. It´s just too cute.
After a lunch of wheat soup and beans and rice for $2 I decide to go on a hike. I started up a street in town that followed a small river into the countryside. I continued up the road for a couple of miles until the valley opened out into an area of small fields and orchards. Itis very beautiful and I continue climbing. Finally its getting late and time to turn back before sunset. I asked a woman I saw on the side of the road if there was a trail back down to the main road. She asks if I am going to the ruins of Pumamarca. I didn´even know there were ruins there.I´m only a few hundred yards below them but time is short so I have to skip it. Walking down a steep trail and across the river I come to a small village perched between the road and the river canyon. I thought I might find a cold beer there but there is no store. Turning back to head to town I see a house with a red burlap bag on a pole. That is the sign that they have chibcha there. Its a drink made of fermented corn. A little girl leads me down into a compound to her mother´s house. Her mother is shocked to see a gringo at her door but invites me in. The house has 1 room and no windows and inside are 5 women of various ages. They are quite bemused to see me and offer me a glass. Its a little sweet and a little bitter. But its non alchoholic, as it takes 3 days to ferment to that level. I drank a little as guinea pigs scurried across the floor. It was getting dark and cold soon so Ieft quickly.
Hiking back down the road I soon came to a construction area where a backhoe and several dump trucks are working to clear a landslide. A guy hanging out on the side of the road tells me to wait a minute and I can get a ride back down in the next dump truck . Sure enough the driver stops and gives me a ride. And just in time too,as all I am wearing is a tshirt and its already getting cold.
For dinner that nite I decided to try stuffed pepper at a restaurant next to the hotel. While I am there I met a black woman from Baltimore who was with a group of people fresh in from a conferece in the jungle at Iquitos. What kind of conference do you go to in Iquitos, I asked. Ayausca she responded.Another guy in her group, Allen, overheard me say I was trying all the regional dishes.He says I must visit Iquitos, where he has lived for 20 years. According to him there are 7 women born to every man, due to the high acidity of their diet killing off all the y chromosone sperm.He says I would be a God there. Note to self: go to Iquitos.
I then found one of the few bars there. I walk in and 2 hippies are beating on large bongos. Igo to the bar and order beer and the bartender asks if I smoke. I said yes and he pulls out the roach he was smoking and offers it to me. Have I come to the right place! The hippies playing the bongos proceed to smoke me up. One even has the kind. After scoring a small amount from the bartender I smoke up the hippies. One of them is extolling the virtues of the hallucinagenic cactus San Pedro.He has done a lot of tripping on various drugs and we compare notes. Twist my arm, I´ll try it. About that time an American woman from Pittsburg walks in. She has been a participant in their San Pedro ceremony is is still fried. She is into some sort of esoteric fire rituals I have never heard of. She is blown away by the whole experience. We end up drinking until 1 when I left to return to my hotel. All things considered a stellar day on the tourist trail
After a lunch of wheat soup and beans and rice for $2 I decide to go on a hike. I started up a street in town that followed a small river into the countryside. I continued up the road for a couple of miles until the valley opened out into an area of small fields and orchards. Itis very beautiful and I continue climbing. Finally its getting late and time to turn back before sunset. I asked a woman I saw on the side of the road if there was a trail back down to the main road. She asks if I am going to the ruins of Pumamarca. I didn´even know there were ruins there.I´m only a few hundred yards below them but time is short so I have to skip it. Walking down a steep trail and across the river I come to a small village perched between the road and the river canyon. I thought I might find a cold beer there but there is no store. Turning back to head to town I see a house with a red burlap bag on a pole. That is the sign that they have chibcha there. Its a drink made of fermented corn. A little girl leads me down into a compound to her mother´s house. Her mother is shocked to see a gringo at her door but invites me in. The house has 1 room and no windows and inside are 5 women of various ages. They are quite bemused to see me and offer me a glass. Its a little sweet and a little bitter. But its non alchoholic, as it takes 3 days to ferment to that level. I drank a little as guinea pigs scurried across the floor. It was getting dark and cold soon so Ieft quickly.
Hiking back down the road I soon came to a construction area where a backhoe and several dump trucks are working to clear a landslide. A guy hanging out on the side of the road tells me to wait a minute and I can get a ride back down in the next dump truck . Sure enough the driver stops and gives me a ride. And just in time too,as all I am wearing is a tshirt and its already getting cold.
For dinner that nite I decided to try stuffed pepper at a restaurant next to the hotel. While I am there I met a black woman from Baltimore who was with a group of people fresh in from a conferece in the jungle at Iquitos. What kind of conference do you go to in Iquitos, I asked. Ayausca she responded.Another guy in her group, Allen, overheard me say I was trying all the regional dishes.He says I must visit Iquitos, where he has lived for 20 years. According to him there are 7 women born to every man, due to the high acidity of their diet killing off all the y chromosone sperm.He says I would be a God there. Note to self: go to Iquitos.
I then found one of the few bars there. I walk in and 2 hippies are beating on large bongos. Igo to the bar and order beer and the bartender asks if I smoke. I said yes and he pulls out the roach he was smoking and offers it to me. Have I come to the right place! The hippies playing the bongos proceed to smoke me up. One even has the kind. After scoring a small amount from the bartender I smoke up the hippies. One of them is extolling the virtues of the hallucinagenic cactus San Pedro.He has done a lot of tripping on various drugs and we compare notes. Twist my arm, I´ll try it. About that time an American woman from Pittsburg walks in. She has been a participant in their San Pedro ceremony is is still fried. She is into some sort of esoteric fire rituals I have never heard of. She is blown away by the whole experience. We end up drinking until 1 when I left to return to my hotel. All things considered a stellar day on the tourist trail
Pisac
Sunday I took a combi then a bus to Pisac at the other end of the Sacred Valley. There is a huge handicraft market there.On the bus I met a cute college girl from Baizil,Maria Teresa. She is a volunteer English teacher at a rural school outside of Ollantaytambo. We got off the bus and went our seperate ways but then met a few minutes later at the market. She wants to go see the ruins outside of town but doesn´t know where they are. I consult my guidebook and find they are several kilometers out of town. I hadn´t planned on going there but the prospect of spending more time with a cute girl is enough to convince me.We split a cab which takes us up the mountain to the ruins. It consists of a large area of terraces with some ruins perched precariosly atop a ridge. The place is crawling with tourists and we join them in clamoring about the ruins. After about an hour we return to the entrance only to find our cab is not there.He was supposed to meet us in an hour. We walk around confused, wondering what to do next when Cluadio, our driver, returns. He was back in town eating lunch. We go back to town where she needs to pee and I need to eat. I went to a nice restaurant overlooking the market. It was full of American tourists. I order alpaca steak with elderberry sauce and a bowl of creme of pumpkin soup. A half hour later the soup arrives. After another long wait the alpaca arrives. It is delicious, kind of like a lean version of a NY strip. The whole operation takes 1 1/2 hours and eats the rest of my afternoon. I make a half hearted attempt to find Maria Teresa then return to catch the bus back. Its my day to dry out so on return to my hotel I sit out front and watch all the tourists walk by. There are far more women than men on the tourist trail, mostly in groups of 2-4.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Ollantaytambo
The flight to Cuzco went over a huge area of desert mountains almost devoid of human activity. Then we got to Cuzco. The approach and landing were hairy and I was glad when the plane touched down. The terminal was freezing but it was nice outside in the sun. A short taxi ride brought me to a combi(van) and I was soon crossing the altiplano to the Sacred Valley. This is one of the most fertile areas of Peru. Run off from glaciers feeds the Urubamba River, which is used for irrigation. Soon I was in Ollantaytambo. This is the best presrved Incan village in Peru. It´s an enchanted place. The town has been continually occupied since at least 1440, 100 years before the Spanish arrived. The old town is laid out in a grid in the shape of a trapezoid. The main streets are barely wide enough for a car and the cross streets are even more narrow. The is no vehicular traffic in this section. All the houses are built on ancient Inca walls,still solid 600 years later with no mortar holding the stones together. Unfortunately this is where the road to Machu Picchu ends and you catch a train for the final part. So there is a constant parade of tour buses and vans all day. The town is in a deep valley surrounded by glacier covered peaks. There is a large ruin second only to Machu Picchu on one edge of town which is a major tourist attraction itself. The town is very small; you can walk from one end to the other in 10 minutes.
The town is a mix of tourists from all over, the local people, and highland villagers in ropa typica (traditional outfits), plus a bunch of hippies, so of course I am right at home. My guest house is a 2 minute walk from the town square and is very clean with a flower filled courtyard. Its a deal at $20/nite.
There is not much nitelife as most bars close at 11. But there is a disco open sometimes. I ended up there Saturday nite. I was the only tourist there and half the people looked to be around 16. The weather is sunny and mild in the day but in the afternoon the wind kicks up and the temperature drops rapidly as soon as you lose the sun. Glad I brought my leather jacket.
The town is a mix of tourists from all over, the local people, and highland villagers in ropa typica (traditional outfits), plus a bunch of hippies, so of course I am right at home. My guest house is a 2 minute walk from the town square and is very clean with a flower filled courtyard. Its a deal at $20/nite.
There is not much nitelife as most bars close at 11. But there is a disco open sometimes. I ended up there Saturday nite. I was the only tourist there and half the people looked to be around 16. The weather is sunny and mild in the day but in the afternoon the wind kicks up and the temperature drops rapidly as soon as you lose the sun. Glad I brought my leather jacket.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Google sux
OK Since I m in Peru whereslyle works but whereswanks doesn t. So I ll email some of you to try it. You may not be able to access it from the US.
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