I'm finally HOME!! I had an amazing time but after 48 hours of traveling and stressing I was so excited to touch down in Portland. So to end my trip to Peru I will tell of the crazy time I had trying to make my way to the northeast.
I a fight out of Cusco at 3:50 so I got the airport around 2:30, since I had already checked in online all I had to do was check my bags. On the way here I checked 1 bag but it was over 50lbs so they charged me $100 but this time I did my research and found that from S. America I was allowed 2 50lbs bags so I checked 2 bags and didn't have to pay a dime. This doesn't make any sense. I got to Lima around 5, picked up my bags then went to the check in counters to check in for my international flight, which you apparently can't do until 2 1/2 hrs before your flight. So I waited around for 2 friends who were coming in on the next flight from Cusco. All of us then waited until Mary and I could check in for our flight to Miami. Then the 3 of us walked upstairs to get something to eat, Lauren couldn't check in for a while and the food court is outside security so it wasn't a problem. As it got closer to our flight we packed up and went through immigration and security, then went and sat at the gate. There we were told that the plane was delayed for 2 hours, it was supposed to leave at 11:30 so now it would be 1:30. Well needless to say we didn't leave until 4am. During this time I had re-booked my connection from Miami to NY to 12:30 then taking the evening flight to Portland and arriving at 6:30pm. Well when we got to Miami we had go through customs, pick up our bags then stand in line and get new luggage tags since we all missed our original connection. Well, because of this we all missed our re-booked connection. So now I was put on the 3:30pm flight to Miami and the 9:30pm to Portland. I left Miami and got to NY where I had to witch terminals. At the US Airways ticket counter I found out my Portland flight had been cancelled and the next one wouldn't be until 7:30am the next morning. Great...... So, after calling my mom, I called a hotel, booked a room and waited for the shuttle. After a long time it finally came and took other people and me to the Holiday Inn. I checked in and found out the shuttle starts at 4am and runs every 20 minutes. I went up, took a shower, set my alarm and went to bed. The next time I woke up, I rolled over and saw that it was 7:00!!! My alarm never went off and now I would miss this flight. After a slight panic attack I took the shuttle over to the airport where I was first told that I would have to be wait listed for the 11:50am flight but if I didn't get on that one I would be able to get on the 2:30pm one. Then some how the airport people worked their magic and got me a seat, thank god!!! Now all I had to do was pray that this flight wouldn't be cancelled because of poor weather in the Northeast. As it got closer, they kept saying that it was on time so I was hopeful. Then they came on and said that it was overbooked and that they were looking for 2 volunteers to give up their ticket, if that plane was going out I was going to be on it. They finally started boarding, I got on and took my seat, I was now getting to Portland if I had to fly the plane myself. We took off a little late but landed right on time, where we had to wait 30 minutes while we waited for our gate to open up. Eventually we were able to get off the plane and as I walked down over the stairs, I finally saw what I had been missing for 5 weeks, MOMMA!! There were hugs, kisses and tears:) We walked over to the baggage area and I was told my bags had come on the flight I had missed and thankfully they had. They were sitting by the office, all I had to do was so my tickets and we were off!
It feels so good to be back home, with all the things I missed, my mom, DD, flushing toilet paper, free tap water, my bed and a warm shower. After 48 hours of traveling it's so nice to be stress free here on Songo Pone:) I loved Peru and don't regret a thing but it's always nice to come home.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
After 6 years of obsession, I finally made it!!
Machu Picchu has been the number 1 thing on my bucket list for close to 6 years. I first fell in love during high school Spanish class and have never looked back. I new one day I would step foot at this wonder of the world but I never imagined it would happen so soon. It was a weekend I will never forget.....
Our tour was 2 days and 1 night, which in my opinion is the minimum amount of time, I would much rather have stayed an extra night. The closest town to Machu Picchu is Aguas Calientes, which is most easily reached by train and where all the tourists stay before and/or after their trip to Machu Picchu. We took Peru Rail but there are two other companies that run the same route. We left from the station in Ollantaytambo which is about 1 hour and half from Cusco. Our train left at 1pm but we had to be there at 12:30 so we left the Casa around 9, stopped at a pottery studio then continued on. We were early so we picked up some snacks, I got a Choclo (huge kernel corn and cheese) then boarded. On the way there we took the cheapest train which was still nice, we got a snack and a drink even though it's only maybe a 2 hour trip. Someone from the hotel we were staying at, Killa Inn, was at the train station to pick us up. He took us just a short walk to the Inn, we checked in and went to our rooms. The beds were extremely nice and the bathrooms, modern and plenty of hot water (I mean the town is called Aguas Calientes). Some of us went to do a little shopping, I picked up a couple of souvenirs (but really it was all the same stuff sold in Cusco) then we met up to go to a Mexican place, it was really bad and expensive. We had over an hour before we had to meet our tour guide for Machu Picchu so we went back to the hotel and played cards. Our tour guide was right on time (surprising) and he told us to be ready at 5:30am the next morning, this is when the first set of buses leaves from the town and although they come every 5 minutes we wanted to be up there early to watch the sun come up. After that we decided to go to a French place, called Indio Feliz because some people hadn't eaten. It was much, much, much better than the food we had earlier. I had the tomato soup, which was fantastic and Lauren got a pasta plate that came with "add your own" muchrooms, pesto, red sauce and cheese. Everyone loved the food and it was very fast. All of us went to bed early since we had to get up so early for the big day:)
I woke up at 4:30, took a shower, got dressed and lugged my belongs downstairs to the lobby. I put one bag in storage and kept my backpack with water, snacks and camera. I had breakfast at the hotel then we all met our tour guide and walked to the "bus stop" its just a road where like 10 or so buses line up to bring the thousands of tourists that visit Machu Picchu up the winding, mountain road. Once we got there, there was already a line, so we took advantage of the only bathrooms in the whole complex. The line went quickly because there were 4 people checking tickets. When all of us were in, we started the tour. At this point you still can't really see Machu Picchu, the view that is always shown on postcards and souvenirs anyway. After a short walk, up stairs, I finally saw what I had come all the way to Peru to see, MACHU PICCHU!! We took pictures, which was difficult with all the people, and watched as the sun came up over the mountains. Our tour was about 3 hours long and included many of the important places within the city, such as the sun temple, sun dial, temple of the three windows and the main gate. The mountain seen in the famous view of Machu Picchu is called Huayna Picchu, which one must now pay to climb. The mountain behind the photographer and is rarely seen in photos is called Machu Picchu mountain, this is free but takes 2 hours, we were told to hike. We had to leave at noon in order to catch our train so our 2 choices, with the amount of time we had, were either the Inca bridge or the Sun Gate (the gate to Machu Picchu from the Inca Trail). We decided to go to the Inca bridge, this was a drawbridge made by removing a part of the path on a sheer rock face and placing logs that could be removed if necessary. Afterwards we still had an hour and a half till we had to leave but only Ethan and I stayed, the rest make the trek down to have lunch. I wanted to take advantage of every moment I had. So we relaxed on one of the grassy terraces, got very close to multiple llamas and because of a lack of sun screen got a little crispy. Eventuality we had to leave or risk missing the train so we sadly packed up and headed back down. We stamped our passports at the entrance on the way out, took the bus down and met up with the others at the hotel to pick up the things we had stored there. Then off to the train station and onto the train, this time we were taking the Vistidome back, which had nicer seats, more leg room, better food and drink and entertainment. There was a dancer from the Paucartambo festival on our car as well the attendants preformed a fashion show, they do things weirdly here in Peru.
We met up with our driver to go back to Cusco at the train station. And just like that my trip to Machu Picchu was over, I still can't believe that I was there. I came, I saw, I conquered!
Our tour was 2 days and 1 night, which in my opinion is the minimum amount of time, I would much rather have stayed an extra night. The closest town to Machu Picchu is Aguas Calientes, which is most easily reached by train and where all the tourists stay before and/or after their trip to Machu Picchu. We took Peru Rail but there are two other companies that run the same route. We left from the station in Ollantaytambo which is about 1 hour and half from Cusco. Our train left at 1pm but we had to be there at 12:30 so we left the Casa around 9, stopped at a pottery studio then continued on. We were early so we picked up some snacks, I got a Choclo (huge kernel corn and cheese) then boarded. On the way there we took the cheapest train which was still nice, we got a snack and a drink even though it's only maybe a 2 hour trip. Someone from the hotel we were staying at, Killa Inn, was at the train station to pick us up. He took us just a short walk to the Inn, we checked in and went to our rooms. The beds were extremely nice and the bathrooms, modern and plenty of hot water (I mean the town is called Aguas Calientes). Some of us went to do a little shopping, I picked up a couple of souvenirs (but really it was all the same stuff sold in Cusco) then we met up to go to a Mexican place, it was really bad and expensive. We had over an hour before we had to meet our tour guide for Machu Picchu so we went back to the hotel and played cards. Our tour guide was right on time (surprising) and he told us to be ready at 5:30am the next morning, this is when the first set of buses leaves from the town and although they come every 5 minutes we wanted to be up there early to watch the sun come up. After that we decided to go to a French place, called Indio Feliz because some people hadn't eaten. It was much, much, much better than the food we had earlier. I had the tomato soup, which was fantastic and Lauren got a pasta plate that came with "add your own" muchrooms, pesto, red sauce and cheese. Everyone loved the food and it was very fast. All of us went to bed early since we had to get up so early for the big day:)
I woke up at 4:30, took a shower, got dressed and lugged my belongs downstairs to the lobby. I put one bag in storage and kept my backpack with water, snacks and camera. I had breakfast at the hotel then we all met our tour guide and walked to the "bus stop" its just a road where like 10 or so buses line up to bring the thousands of tourists that visit Machu Picchu up the winding, mountain road. Once we got there, there was already a line, so we took advantage of the only bathrooms in the whole complex. The line went quickly because there were 4 people checking tickets. When all of us were in, we started the tour. At this point you still can't really see Machu Picchu, the view that is always shown on postcards and souvenirs anyway. After a short walk, up stairs, I finally saw what I had come all the way to Peru to see, MACHU PICCHU!! We took pictures, which was difficult with all the people, and watched as the sun came up over the mountains. Our tour was about 3 hours long and included many of the important places within the city, such as the sun temple, sun dial, temple of the three windows and the main gate. The mountain seen in the famous view of Machu Picchu is called Huayna Picchu, which one must now pay to climb. The mountain behind the photographer and is rarely seen in photos is called Machu Picchu mountain, this is free but takes 2 hours, we were told to hike. We had to leave at noon in order to catch our train so our 2 choices, with the amount of time we had, were either the Inca bridge or the Sun Gate (the gate to Machu Picchu from the Inca Trail). We decided to go to the Inca bridge, this was a drawbridge made by removing a part of the path on a sheer rock face and placing logs that could be removed if necessary. Afterwards we still had an hour and a half till we had to leave but only Ethan and I stayed, the rest make the trek down to have lunch. I wanted to take advantage of every moment I had. So we relaxed on one of the grassy terraces, got very close to multiple llamas and because of a lack of sun screen got a little crispy. Eventuality we had to leave or risk missing the train so we sadly packed up and headed back down. We stamped our passports at the entrance on the way out, took the bus down and met up with the others at the hotel to pick up the things we had stored there. Then off to the train station and onto the train, this time we were taking the Vistidome back, which had nicer seats, more leg room, better food and drink and entertainment. There was a dancer from the Paucartambo festival on our car as well the attendants preformed a fashion show, they do things weirdly here in Peru.
We met up with our driver to go back to Cusco at the train station. And just like that my trip to Machu Picchu was over, I still can't believe that I was there. I came, I saw, I conquered!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Chicha morada, empanadas and the Zoo
Another week is almost over and even though the days were filled with classes and homework, I've been very busy eating :)
Monday was my roommate Poala's last day here so we all decided to go out and have a nice dinner at Incanto, an upscale restuarant in the Plaza. I had a wonderful salad with pears marinated in Pisco (a famous Peruvian liquor, that's quite strong) and goat cheese, for a main course I had a small pizza with shrimp and arugula = delicious! This restuarant also has very good chicha morada (a sweet, purple corn juice), which I'm slightly addicted to since I just about drank a pitcher of it.
The next day, I had art class in the morning and we went to the ceramic studio again and worked on our pots. Then for Spanish class we went to the San Pedro market. I had been here before but I'm not a huge fan of the markets here in Perú just because their dirty and smelly. It's a good experience but I didn't buy anything, except for freshly made popcorn that was like a kettle corn with a sweet, pink coating. For homework we had to write 180 words talking about our experience at the market.
Yesterday, I had a normal day of classes up until Spanish. The girls from NY were going to the Zoo with a woman named Tatiana (who works at the University) and our teacher said we could all go. So we piled into a USIL van and took off towards the Sacred Valley, where the "zoo" is located. I wouldn't really call it a zoo since they didn't have many animals but it was more like a sanctuary because all the animals had been rescued. We saw domesticated animals like llamas, ducks, macaws and dogs as well as the largest bird in the world, the condor and because they're only scavengers (a larger version of the turkey vulture) we were able to go inside their enclosure. But by far the coolest thing there were the pumas or mountain lions, these were worshiped by the Incas but because of that many tourists want to see them and in Lima there's a huge problem of people drugging them and bringing them to nightclubs. They de-claw them and drug them so that tourists can pet and take pictures. The two that I saw were saved from that life but because they are de-clawed and have been drugged for much of their lives it would be impossible to return them to the wild. In another cage was a 9 month old Peruvian bobcat that was so adorable, even though he/she could rip my face off. It was really cool and I'm very glad I went, even though we had to write another 180 words on that for homework.
Today classes were boring but for lunch Ethan and I stopped at this cafe on Av. Sol, close to the house, where we both got empanadas. They were delicious! I had one with spicy pepper, rocoto and meat and the crust was perfectly flaky and tasty and the stuffing was super yummy. Tomorrow Cristian is leaving so some of us are going out and having a goodbye dinner for him.
But TGI almost F because this weekend we are all going to Machu Picchu. Number 1 thing on my bucket list will be crossed off!! We are leaving Saturday, taking the train to Aguas Calientes, spending the night and then having a private tour Sunday. So excited!!
Monday was my roommate Poala's last day here so we all decided to go out and have a nice dinner at Incanto, an upscale restuarant in the Plaza. I had a wonderful salad with pears marinated in Pisco (a famous Peruvian liquor, that's quite strong) and goat cheese, for a main course I had a small pizza with shrimp and arugula = delicious! This restuarant also has very good chicha morada (a sweet, purple corn juice), which I'm slightly addicted to since I just about drank a pitcher of it.
The next day, I had art class in the morning and we went to the ceramic studio again and worked on our pots. Then for Spanish class we went to the San Pedro market. I had been here before but I'm not a huge fan of the markets here in Perú just because their dirty and smelly. It's a good experience but I didn't buy anything, except for freshly made popcorn that was like a kettle corn with a sweet, pink coating. For homework we had to write 180 words talking about our experience at the market.
Yesterday, I had a normal day of classes up until Spanish. The girls from NY were going to the Zoo with a woman named Tatiana (who works at the University) and our teacher said we could all go. So we piled into a USIL van and took off towards the Sacred Valley, where the "zoo" is located. I wouldn't really call it a zoo since they didn't have many animals but it was more like a sanctuary because all the animals had been rescued. We saw domesticated animals like llamas, ducks, macaws and dogs as well as the largest bird in the world, the condor and because they're only scavengers (a larger version of the turkey vulture) we were able to go inside their enclosure. But by far the coolest thing there were the pumas or mountain lions, these were worshiped by the Incas but because of that many tourists want to see them and in Lima there's a huge problem of people drugging them and bringing them to nightclubs. They de-claw them and drug them so that tourists can pet and take pictures. The two that I saw were saved from that life but because they are de-clawed and have been drugged for much of their lives it would be impossible to return them to the wild. In another cage was a 9 month old Peruvian bobcat that was so adorable, even though he/she could rip my face off. It was really cool and I'm very glad I went, even though we had to write another 180 words on that for homework.
Today classes were boring but for lunch Ethan and I stopped at this cafe on Av. Sol, close to the house, where we both got empanadas. They were delicious! I had one with spicy pepper, rocoto and meat and the crust was perfectly flaky and tasty and the stuffing was super yummy. Tomorrow Cristian is leaving so some of us are going out and having a goodbye dinner for him.
But TGI almost F because this weekend we are all going to Machu Picchu. Number 1 thing on my bucket list will be crossed off!! We are leaving Saturday, taking the train to Aguas Calientes, spending the night and then having a private tour Sunday. So excited!!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Hoiday Weekend!
Last Thursday was Peru's Independence Day but because their country likes to have a reason to celebrate both Thursday and Friday were holidays, which meant I didn't have school either of those days. We had planned to go to Arequipa and the Colca Canyon but we hadn't booked anything, one friend ended up having to work and then 2 others wanted to stay in Cusco to explore the ruins and museums close by. So we all decided to stay in Cusco which meant we had 4 days to do anything.
All of us wanted to go to Moray (more ruins), which is located in the Sacred Valley but not included on a tour of the Valley so we decided to book a trip there and to the Salineras (salt mines) on Friday. We were supposed to get picked up at La Casa between 8:30 and 8:45am, well around 8:45 they called and said to meet at the agency because it would be quicker. We took a taxi to the square and met at the agency, it took forever but we finally got on the bus and then proceeded to drive around the square for a while, waiting for more people. We left Cusco, probably around 10, this is not unusual for Peru, the people here are always late. Never get somewhere early because it's pointless. On our way to Moray we stopped in Chincero for forever it felt like, to use the bathroom and watch a demonstration of weaving. The whole time to Chincero the tour guide talked on the microphone on the bus, I can't imagine what he could've been talking about and it was hard to hear him anyway because he had the microphone shoved into his mouth. I just put my iPod on and enjoyed the beautiful views. We finally got to Moray, which is amazing, it looks like something out of LOST. Its a huge circle with terraces built as inner circles going deeper and deeper into the ground. This was used as a laboratory for the Incas so they could make things grow at higher altitudes. Soil was brought in from different parts of Peru for each terrace and they say that each one varies 5 degrees in temperature. We were able to walk around and explore then it was off to the salt mines.
The Salineras are pools of water and salt on the side of a mountain. Where the salt comes from, I don't know, how it works I'm not quite sure. But 80% of the pools were original to the Incas and then the other 20% were more recently built. This naturall phenomenon is suppose to produce wonderful salt and is regarded as the best by the people of Cusco. I bought a small pouch of it (if it's actually from the salt mines, who knows) as well as corn kernels and these popped kernals, like popcorn but not fluffy just the hard, crunchy kernel (these are my favorite).
When we got back to town, around 3pm, we were starving and thirsty because there had been no time for lunch. So we decided to go to Patty's Pub, an Irish place by the square. It's definitely not Peruvian food but it provides a menu in an American's comfort zone and is delicious. I had the Shepard's Pie, which I'm not a huge fan of back home but I wanted something homey and comforting and I had heard it was good. And it was, this was down right the best Shepard's Pie I have ever had. I had ground beef and other veggies then two scoops of mashed potatoes then a white, cream sauce. It was amazing, Cristian had the chicken Caesar salad wrap (which is only the second place I've seen serving Caesar salad) which looked delicious as well. We came back to the house and I watched Harry Potter part 1, even in Peru I'm addicted to Harry.
Friday some of us got up and agreed to go horse back riding (keep in mind I've never really ridden a horse before). We tried one place but it cost 70 soles so we went up to Sacsayhuaman where we paid 25 soles. It took me three tries to get on the horse, which probably wasn't a good indication of what was to come. There were a lot of us in the group and so we all started down this road. While most of us were clumped together, Lauren's horse decided he wanted to be the leader and took off, not running but going much faster than us. She later named it el diablo (the devil). We got the temple of the moon but all I could think about was that I would have to get back on that horse. Lauren told the kid that she was walking back and I guess he could sense my nerves because he took the reins and walked my horse and me back. I was extremely grateful to get back to the ranch and get off the horse for good. We had lunch and then took a taxi back to the house.
Later that evening Paola and I went to a handicraft market to buy souvenirs then met people to go to the Molino (black market). This was my first time there and it was must nicer than I expected. Even though what their doing is illegal it's tolerated by the police and in fact there was one standing at the entrance when I walked in. We went there mainly to buy pirated movies and TV seasons. You can find pretty much anything and it's all very cheap 6 soles for 2 Harry Potter movies, that's a little more than $2. Yes you take the chance that there bad quality, don't work or not in English but they're so cheap, you can take that chance. We walked around and saw everything from clothes, to shoes, to electronics, home goods to North Face jackets.
Sunday we had booked a tour of the South Valley (Tipon, Pikillaqta and Andahuaylillas). Tipon was great it had all these waterfalls and canals for irrigation. Then we went to Pikillaqta which is the first place I've seen not built by the Incas but by the Wari (or Huari) culture during pre-Inca times. Although it's accepted that the Incas emerged and then took over these cultures such as the Wari, my Art teacher believes that instead the Wari are the Incas and that their culture grew into the great Andean Empire. Then came the church, in Andahuaylillas, which is supposedly a "replica" of the Sistine Chapel. I still have no idea why they think this is a replica of the Sistine Chapel, it looks nothing like it. Yes it has beautiful paintings on the ceiling but of a pattern not figures and images like in the Vatican. Really it's nothing special and doesn't look anything like the Sistine Chapel.
When we got back I made lunch with some of my homemade bread I had bought when we stopped at a bakery. Then proceeded to watch Harry Potter 6 and 7 part 1 (again), made soup for dinner and went out to get cake with Paola and Cristian then came back and watched part of Harry Potter 5 on TV. It was a great weekend and I'm glad I stayed in Cusco and was able to relax and go on some day trips. I only have 2 weeks left here and next weekend we're going to Machu Picchu. It's going to fly by and before I know it I'll be back in Bethel, ME with my momma:)
All of us wanted to go to Moray (more ruins), which is located in the Sacred Valley but not included on a tour of the Valley so we decided to book a trip there and to the Salineras (salt mines) on Friday. We were supposed to get picked up at La Casa between 8:30 and 8:45am, well around 8:45 they called and said to meet at the agency because it would be quicker. We took a taxi to the square and met at the agency, it took forever but we finally got on the bus and then proceeded to drive around the square for a while, waiting for more people. We left Cusco, probably around 10, this is not unusual for Peru, the people here are always late. Never get somewhere early because it's pointless. On our way to Moray we stopped in Chincero for forever it felt like, to use the bathroom and watch a demonstration of weaving. The whole time to Chincero the tour guide talked on the microphone on the bus, I can't imagine what he could've been talking about and it was hard to hear him anyway because he had the microphone shoved into his mouth. I just put my iPod on and enjoyed the beautiful views. We finally got to Moray, which is amazing, it looks like something out of LOST. Its a huge circle with terraces built as inner circles going deeper and deeper into the ground. This was used as a laboratory for the Incas so they could make things grow at higher altitudes. Soil was brought in from different parts of Peru for each terrace and they say that each one varies 5 degrees in temperature. We were able to walk around and explore then it was off to the salt mines.
The Salineras are pools of water and salt on the side of a mountain. Where the salt comes from, I don't know, how it works I'm not quite sure. But 80% of the pools were original to the Incas and then the other 20% were more recently built. This naturall phenomenon is suppose to produce wonderful salt and is regarded as the best by the people of Cusco. I bought a small pouch of it (if it's actually from the salt mines, who knows) as well as corn kernels and these popped kernals, like popcorn but not fluffy just the hard, crunchy kernel (these are my favorite).
When we got back to town, around 3pm, we were starving and thirsty because there had been no time for lunch. So we decided to go to Patty's Pub, an Irish place by the square. It's definitely not Peruvian food but it provides a menu in an American's comfort zone and is delicious. I had the Shepard's Pie, which I'm not a huge fan of back home but I wanted something homey and comforting and I had heard it was good. And it was, this was down right the best Shepard's Pie I have ever had. I had ground beef and other veggies then two scoops of mashed potatoes then a white, cream sauce. It was amazing, Cristian had the chicken Caesar salad wrap (which is only the second place I've seen serving Caesar salad) which looked delicious as well. We came back to the house and I watched Harry Potter part 1, even in Peru I'm addicted to Harry.
Friday some of us got up and agreed to go horse back riding (keep in mind I've never really ridden a horse before). We tried one place but it cost 70 soles so we went up to Sacsayhuaman where we paid 25 soles. It took me three tries to get on the horse, which probably wasn't a good indication of what was to come. There were a lot of us in the group and so we all started down this road. While most of us were clumped together, Lauren's horse decided he wanted to be the leader and took off, not running but going much faster than us. She later named it el diablo (the devil). We got the temple of the moon but all I could think about was that I would have to get back on that horse. Lauren told the kid that she was walking back and I guess he could sense my nerves because he took the reins and walked my horse and me back. I was extremely grateful to get back to the ranch and get off the horse for good. We had lunch and then took a taxi back to the house.
Later that evening Paola and I went to a handicraft market to buy souvenirs then met people to go to the Molino (black market). This was my first time there and it was must nicer than I expected. Even though what their doing is illegal it's tolerated by the police and in fact there was one standing at the entrance when I walked in. We went there mainly to buy pirated movies and TV seasons. You can find pretty much anything and it's all very cheap 6 soles for 2 Harry Potter movies, that's a little more than $2. Yes you take the chance that there bad quality, don't work or not in English but they're so cheap, you can take that chance. We walked around and saw everything from clothes, to shoes, to electronics, home goods to North Face jackets.
Sunday we had booked a tour of the South Valley (Tipon, Pikillaqta and Andahuaylillas). Tipon was great it had all these waterfalls and canals for irrigation. Then we went to Pikillaqta which is the first place I've seen not built by the Incas but by the Wari (or Huari) culture during pre-Inca times. Although it's accepted that the Incas emerged and then took over these cultures such as the Wari, my Art teacher believes that instead the Wari are the Incas and that their culture grew into the great Andean Empire. Then came the church, in Andahuaylillas, which is supposedly a "replica" of the Sistine Chapel. I still have no idea why they think this is a replica of the Sistine Chapel, it looks nothing like it. Yes it has beautiful paintings on the ceiling but of a pattern not figures and images like in the Vatican. Really it's nothing special and doesn't look anything like the Sistine Chapel.
When we got back I made lunch with some of my homemade bread I had bought when we stopped at a bakery. Then proceeded to watch Harry Potter 6 and 7 part 1 (again), made soup for dinner and went out to get cake with Paola and Cristian then came back and watched part of Harry Potter 5 on TV. It was a great weekend and I'm glad I stayed in Cusco and was able to relax and go on some day trips. I only have 2 weeks left here and next weekend we're going to Machu Picchu. It's going to fly by and before I know it I'll be back in Bethel, ME with my momma:)
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