Thursday

Today is the official last day of the trip as we return to Lima. Two people, Lise and Vicky, were staying in Cusco two more days. Ron had an earlier flight out than the rest of us and so Pepe said we all would leave the hotel at 6 am to keep Ron company and see him off. The real reason was the strike that was planned for the Cusco region was to start at 7 am and the roads would be blocked. So we got to the airport early and just sat around. After we got to Lima three travelers, Susan, Elaine and Bill had flights at 11:30 tonight so they had arranged for a cab to take them around to some of the museums. That left 8 of us to go to the hotel for the final night. And the Lord of Sipan delivered once again. We were upgraded to the Casa Andina Private Collection hotel, just a couple of blocks from the one we stayed at previously but much nicer.

Most of us have the American Airlines flight to Miami at 9:40 so we get to leave for the airport at 6 am once again. We have decided to boycott the driver and try and grab some breakfast before we leave as breakfast opens at 6 am. And a great trip comes to an end. Lots of friendships made and many memories.

Wednesday

Today was the second day at Machu Picchu. Half of the group went on a mystic tour suggested by Ron and arranged through Ric and InkaNatura. We asked the guide what the route was and asked if we could scale down the difficulty of the stairs for some of the folks. We had about an hour lecture on the beliefs of the Incas and when they performed ceremonies. I was sitting in my folding chair that had a back - I could have rented it out several times. Even though it was expensive it was well worth it. While in the room with the lecture the guide prepared us for an offering ceremony by pouring some Agua Florista in his hands and then having us breath deeply three times. He then ran his hands lightly along our temples, side of the face and shoulders.

We then went to see the different stonework at the Temple of the Sun and then out to the grass plaza to find a place to prepare the offering. Herbert brought a poncho to use as a sort of table cloth and then he placed two small squares with tassles on the ends and asked us to choose one. We all chose the blue one which turned out to be the male square. He then straightened it out and then sprinkled some of the Agua Florista around the edge of the mat. He then opened a package of coca leaves and started to sort them into good and bad piles - good ones were whole, single and various sizes. The bad ones were broken, stuck together or just plain ugly. He then picked out 4 groups of three leaves to offer to the 4 compass points. He took each one individually, said an incantation, kissed the leaves and then placed them in the corners. Then we got up one by one to select 3 leaves and then hold them toour foreheads to think about what we would want. Herbert came around to each person, took the leaves, said another incantation, instructed us to kiss the leaves and then placed them carefully on the square.

The next object to go into the offering was a stone - white for female and black for male. If you were married you could put one in for yourself and one for your spouse. Everyone in the group was single. The next item was the red and black bean that we picked out individually and put on the square. Herbert then folded two edges in and tied the other two together, placing one final coca leaf under the knot. He asked us to take a handful of leaves to leave in the niche as well. We then went to the Temple of the Condor and Herbert placed the offering inside the belly of the condor and we put the leaves in the niche outside. By then it was 1 pm and we had to be back at the hotel at 2 pm to go to the train station.

We got back to the hotel at 1:40 and I had time to go up to the spiritual store I found yesterday to try and find some agua florista and I scored. It has a nice floral scent and not too overpowering. I also grabbed a bag of M&M peanuts for lunch and went back to the hotel. A normal train ride and then a long bumpy bus ride in a 15 passenger van (three in the front row). The trip back to Cusco was over 2 hours and we had to then get transportation from the train station to our hotel. We arrived at the hotel at 8:35 pm. We decided to dump our things in the room and then come down for dinner at 8:50. Some elected to stay in the hotel and grab snacks from across the street. 4 went to explore exciting menus, and the rest of us went to a grill place with great food. I am very tired and we have to get up at 5 am to leave at 5:45 for the airport to fly back to Lima. The trip is almost over. Two people, Lise and Vicky, are staying 2 more days in Cusco and some of us wish we could do that as well. Ron is taking an earlier flight to Lima to catch his connecting flight home, some are leaving for home at 11:30 or so and the rest of us leave on the 18th. Time to repack and sleep.....

Tuesday

The hotel we stayed at last night was beautiful and I am so sorry we only got to see it briefly in the sunlight. I was asleep very quickly as I was very tired, but then woke up around 2 am and had to throw up. Only once and I felt much better. Slept the rest of the night well and then packed for the trip to Machu Picchu. We had to take a bus to km 82, even closer than when I came in 1994 due to the mudslides. The weather this time was beautiful - sunny and warm with a bit of a breeze. Last time I was here in November and the hills were much greener. More tourists this time as well. It is hard to describe Machu Picchu in words. Tomorrow some of us will go on a mystic tour and I am excited about that. We had lunch at the Santuary Lodge at the entrance and I went to get a room pricelist. Rooms start over $850 and go to $1700 or more.

After lunch I decided to come back to the hotel and purchase some postcards to send out as I have not done that yet. I also found a cute stone condor, a little crude but not very expensive either. While I was writing up the cards I started to fall asleep so I finally took a nap.

We left our guide Carlos today and we might see him again at the airport in Lima when we return there Thursday. The trip is almost over.

Monday

We started the day with a change of plans. At 9 am when we were about to leave to go to the cathedral there was a note from Pepe that said our plans had changed because the strike was no longer happening today, just on the 17th. We were going to not have the whole day in Cusco but rather had to pack for both Machu Picchu and leave the bulk of things in the hotel. We finally got to the cathedral and then walked up to the San Blas plaza and did a little bit of shopping. There has been very little time to do any shopping on this trip. At 1:30 we were leaving for the tour of 4 Incan sites around Cusco, return to the hotel to pick up the 3 folks that wanted to rest and then go to Ollaytantambo. This allows us to sleep in until 6 am rather than 4 am for the bus to Machu Picchu. There was a bit of traffic around our hotel and it took us longer than we thought. We finally got going around 5. Just before we got to the hotel we had to wait about 10 minutes for access to the road along the train tracks - a one way road. And then Wilbur our amazing driver backed up the street to the hotel. We had dinner here and a celebration for Helen since it was her birthday. Tomorrow is Machu Picchu and it will be great to see it again.

Sunday

Last night we had no internet service so I will start with the events of Saturday. We were supposed to leave at 8:30 but actually left at 9 am. We passed by a llama, alpaca and guanaco ranch but it was difficult to see the animals because the fence was made out of plants. We also saw the Incan gates to the Cusco region but I do not remember if that was before or after the ranch. We stopped in a small town to use the bathroom and had a bit of a problem finding one to use - the first place was a simple hostel and the water was not running so you had to use a bucket to flush. Half the group went looking and found the police station, where Patricia entered and one of the officers was using the urinal and told her to come on in.

We took a slight wrong turn to the bridge but finally made it around 1:30. As we were driving over the concrete bridge about 150 feet from the keshwa chaca, there were two men installing the ropes from the base to the handles and tying the 4 ropes that make up the floor together. We had a wonderful lunch prepared for us and the tents were already set up and two tall tents for the toilets. About 3 pm we went to the bridge and saw them finishing the bridge with the floor. The floor was made of sticks and branches of pine. It smelled like christmas. 15 minutes later the first dignitaries walked across the bridge and then everyone else was allowed to walk across for a donation suggested at 1 sol, about 33 cents. We let most of the people there go across and by 4:30 we started walking down to cross the bridge. At the base of the bridge were 4 shamans that had been drinking and offering items to the spirits since the start of construction on Thursday I believe. As we were standing in line to cross one of the shamans made an offering of coca leaves, llama fat, and other things I do not know. I think 10 out of the 14 of our group had decided to go across and so we finally were ready. It was a bit wobbly but not too bad. Carlos was given all our cameras and was taking picures of each one on the way out. We had to wait about 20 minutes to let the folks that crossed before us cross back. Carol crossed back first and then videoed everyone else.



After I got back across I was just looking at the shamans and one of them looked me directly in the eye and motioned to stroke his hair - I think he admired my white hair. Patricia told me tonight at dinner she had noticed several people staring at my hair. Hardly any grey hair to be seen. Ron did not get a chance to ask his question about his future from the shamans.

We had been warned numerous times it would be cold at night and practically everyone had cold feet most of the night. I had to get up twice to potty but I did not think it was all that cold, although my feet were like ice cubes. We had some dogs barking next to us from the people that owned the land we were camping on and my ipod came in handy. There was frost on the tents in the morning and part of my water bottle froze.









Sunday after breakfast we divided the things we either brought or had purchased by an InkaNatura rep into 4 piles for the 4 communities that make this bridge. We also siphoned off a few things for the family that owned the land as a thank-you. Items included clothing, soccer and volleyballs, hula hoops, toothpaste, pens, crayons, books, toothbrushes, all sorts of stuff. After we sorted I went to the bathroom and thought the man was shaving his sheep, but he was actually butchering it. We then gave the items to the family and went to see the festivities just up on the hillside. We were allowed to sit in plastic chairs where the dignitaries sit underneath a pop-up tent. It was great to be in a comfortable chair out of the direct sun. There were dancing competitions and they started with the kindergarden children. They were so cute. Then the grammer school kids followed them. Around noon an announcement was made and Pepe and Carlos were able to thank the people for keeping up the tradition and allowing us to observe the building of the bridge. We then left for lunch.

After lunch we got back in the bus and negotiated our way through the parking lot street. Wilber did a great job of driving. We had planned to make several stops and changed our bathroom stop to a health facility because it is Sunday and the places we used yesterday would be blocked by the Sunday market. We then stopped and climbed a tufu volcano. Our resident geologist Bill was excited because he had only seen them in textbooks. It was probably 30 feet high. Our last stop was to be the Inca gates but it was too dark. It will be nice to have some time to roam the city tomorrow.

Friday

We went to the Sacred Valley today instead of touring the city of Cusco because of a strike planned and announced for June 14 - 17. I am not sure if the strike, where they block the roads so there is no traffic, was to only be the 14th and the 17th or all 4 days. Anyway, our first stop was to overlook a stream that had flooded in this years El Nino. A woman and her son were at the vista point with one alpaca and a mother and older baby llama. We then drove past a project that was raising alpacas, llamas and guanacos. It was difficult to see the animals because the fence was made of bushes. We were suggesting they sell the alpaca poop, maybe in the shape of an alpaca. We then went to Pisac and hiked the terraces. The view was beautiful. One third of the group went up and around on a hike and the other two thirds stayed near the entrance and then got on the bus to meet the others at a lower parking lot. I walked up to some of the rooms and there was one spot that did have a fairly narrow path at about 45 degrees. The view was great. We then went to the Pisac market and Carlos, our guide for this southern portion, took us to a silver shop where they showed us the equipment they use to make the pendants and earrings. Some purchased there but the pieces I liked were over my budget, as always. I did find a nice watercolor picture that I purchased. The last time I was in Peru I wanted to buy one but did not. This one is in subdued colors and a nice Peruvian landscape with women and llamas. It is rolled up in a very sturdy cardboard tube for traveling.

We then went to Ollantaytambo and walked around there. Again the group split up and some went up the terraces and others went to the Temple of the Condor. I chose the latter. The Inca stone construction is just amazing and almost unimaginable how well they terraced the hillsides to grow crops and control the water. After Ollantaytambo we went to a womens weaving co-op and got a demonstration of the process of processing the llama and alpaca wool to make items. They showed cleaning the wool, the plants and insects they use to color the wool, and the backstrap loom to weave the thread. I tried on a hat with earflaps since I am going to Alaska right after this trip and of course it was way too small. We had a good laugh.

Tomorrow we head for the Keshwa Chaca - the last Inca suspension bridge. We will be camping tomorrow night. At least this bus ride should only be around 4 hours. Not quite as much time on the bus as when we were in the North.

Thursday

We got the wake up call at 4 am and left the hotel at 5 for the 6:30 flight to Lima and then to Cusco. We had a 4 hour lay over in the Lima airport where we met the final two people on our tour. We now number 14.

Today the plans changed and instead of having an afternoon free (our first since the beginning) we were convinced to go to the main square and the cathedral to witness the procession of the saints. Many churches in town brought their saints 8 days ago in preparation for last sundays Corpus Christi celebration and today they were taken back to their respective churches. We then wandered the square and went to Korichancha, a place where the Spaniards destroyed the Incan temple and built their own religious site. Lots of people and vendors selling stuff. We are definitely into the tourist region of Peru.

Just before walking back to the hotel we were told there would be additional changes to the schedule tomorrow. The day we had planned to go to Pisac and the Sacred Valley there will be a strike of all workers and we will be unable to travel. So we are going there tomorrow. We are fine with the changes and I will let you know tomorrow how the schedule will change.