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.