Cusco Round 2

Sally and I made it back to Cusco. It seemed like ages since we left since we had done so much in the 6 days we were gone. We went to our hostel to pick up our bags and moved on to our next spot. We had planned to stay there, but the guy was giving me a little bit of grief on the cost of the room. And he didn't have a room for us for 2 nights. So we peaced out to find another place to stay. We luckily found a reasonably-priced hotel with a nice patio and an excellent breakfast.

Cusco Jungle Hotel.

The following day, we got on a minibus to check out the small, nearby town of Chinchero. We looked for the local bus, but couldn't see it anywhere. Before we knew it, we were ushered on a minibus full of other tourists. They were even under the right bus sign. Oh well. After waiting for a little bit (and an attempt to find one that was leaving sooner), we were finally on our way. We got off in Chinchero and went to look for the weavers the town is known for.

After asking around, we ended up at a building full of garments for sale. It looked like the right place. The ladies offered us coco tea right off the bat. My aunt then took the lead and asked about the weaving process. They walked us through what is typically done. First, they showed us the white yarn that has been gathered and how they dye it with natural products. There were various leaves for green, maize for purple, and crushed cactus bugs for red. Their blood I think?There were other natural ingredients for all shades and colors. Some woman were spinning the yarn as we learned more. 

Naturally dyed products.

We saw the boiling pot and they showed us a few ingredients, like lemon, that changed the shades of the various colors. 

Colors galore.

They then proceeded to weave a little bit on their looms. It looks like it would take a long time to create something. 

Weaving away.

Afterwards, my aunt proceeded to buy Christmas presents for everyone. The building housed the work of many ladies and they encouraged us to spread the wealth amongst them. There were a lot of similarities with all the items, so it didn't matter what stall they came from. They were all very sweet ladies. Oh and they fed us a delicious lunch. I think since we (my aunt) spent so much money they figured they could share their meal for a small price. 

The weavers.

After buying out the place, we headed to the ruins where we explored for a couple of hours. With our pass into the Ollantaytambo ruins, we didn't have to pay extra. Good thing as it wasn't cheap to begin with. 

Attempting to climb rocks.

We saw more terraces and more animals. We explored all the cool rocks around. And climbed up and down more stairs. 

The hole is bigger than Sally.

After getting our fill of the ruins and the nearby church, we headed back to Cusco. On the way back from the bus stop, I got really cold and just couldn't get warm. I thought I wasn't wearing enough clothes, but even after bundling up when returning to the hotel and getting under the covers to rest for a bit, I still couldn't get warm. And I wasn't getting hungry. Which is very unusual. Something was definitely up. So I decided to stay in and try to get some sleep. And that is what I did. I felt better in the morning, but not 100%. I made sure to eat some breakfast, mostly fruit since that went down easily. I really have no idea what I had. Seems like I caught some 12-hour flu. I was paranoid that I would be stuck in bed for a week. And just at the end of my trip. I was so happy that I got over it quickly. 

We spent our last day wandering around Cusco. We didn't do too much but check out a few markets and get food. 

Exploring Cusco markets.

Some of the food included this yummy papaya dessert. My appetite had returned. Good thing as I like eating too much. 

Payaya dessert.

As we walked around and throughout the day we noticed an increased police presence around the city. We learned it was because of protests for the upcoming Presidential election. From what I gathered the daughter of a previous President was the main focus. There were a variety of old newspaper articles from her father's presidential term taped up as a reminder of the corruption he was a part of. Who is now in prison. We had gotten the lowdown from our guides on the Lares trek, so were a bit more informed than we normally would have been. Unfortunately there is still a lot of support for Keiko. 

Reminders of the past.

Sally was headed back home and right before we went our separate ways, we came across the scheduled protest. We wanted to see what was going on, so we may have became a part of it. We were at the end of the parade, so we weren't holding anyone up with Sally's suitcase. Later on, when I went to find dinner, I saw more of the protest from the Plaza de Armas. It was definitely interesting to be present for such an important event. However, there has been no decision on who will be the next  President. The election was April 10th, but there will be a runoff in June. So only time will tell. 

Protesting Keiko.

We had a good couple of days in Cusco, but I was ready to move on and go somewhere else. I said goodbye to Sally and got myself on an overnight bus to Puno. I booked a tour for Lake Titicaca and was excited to see another part of Peru. 

Cusco

I made it to Peru. After 3 flights, a stopover in a different country, and little sleep, I arrived in Cusco. I negotiated a taxi ride into the city and was finally seeing my sisters, aunt, and friends. This part of my trip was different from other parts. First, it's been on my list since the beginning. Second, there was a good amount of planning done. There was a group of 8 of us meeting up to do the Lares Trek and Machu Picchu. At first I thought it was just going to be my sisters, Ambreleah and Alysia, and myself. But then our Aunt Sally decided to come. And then our friend Audrey. And then three more people. I hadn't met them before Cusco, but by the end of the trip, we were all friends. It was a good group of people and enough to make our own tour. 

I arrived at the hostel and found that my aunt hadn't arrived yet. She was supposed to be there hours before me. There was a little mix up and apparently she was waiting for me at the airport. I was too excited to see everyone that I rushed out of there, having no idea she was still there. Fortunately she arrived shortly after. We were all together now and anxious to get food. 

We walked towards Plaza de Armas and immediately we were targeted. I know better due to all my traveling, but not so much everyone else. Whenever there is a puppy nearby, my sisters just gravitate towards it. Imagine a baby llama? It was pretty cute. So here we are paying for a photo with local Peruvian women, children, and animals. There would be more of this for sure.

Getting suckered.

We went in search for the Lonely Planet recommended restaurant and got so much food. Ceviche, palta, rice and pollo, and much more. We got a little bit of everything so we could try multiple dishes. Most of which I've forgotten the name of. And of course we got pisco sour. This was my first one in Peru. There is a debate with Chile and Peru on who takes credit for this tasty and refreshing drink. Unfortunately since I was in Chile too long ago at this point, I can't tell you which one was better. Although I think they were pretty similar. 

Peruvian pisco sour.

Later that evening, we checked in with our tour company to pay the balance, and ask any questions we had. We scheduled our full briefing for the following night, where we would get our duffle bags to pack and finalize any last minute details. 

So I had one full day in Cusco before starting our trek. And of course we decided to do a hike. They don't recommend eating certain foods, drinking alcohol, and doing any strenuous exercise beforehand. Well we listened to 2 out of the 3 recommendations. We are all in pretty good shape, so going on a short hike wasn't going to kill us. So off we went. 

However, once we started going up stairs, we definitely felt the altitude. We were at 3,399 meters (11,152 feet). And we started breathing heavy very quickly. Good thing for scenic stops for photo opportunities. 

Working for the view.

We eventually made it up all the stairs and some dirt trails to see Cristo Blanco up close. You would think we were in Rio. But we were not.

Cristo Blanco.

The view down below was pretty amazing and worth the hike up. 

Cusco.

After our hike, we headed back down to find food and rest. I mean, we were starting a 4-day hike the following day. Too bad we couldn't reward ourselves with a cervesa or pisco sour. Once we got to Machu Picchu we would though. 

Plaza de Armas.

Later on, we had our briefing, received our duffles, and had a low-key meal. Of course most of us were up all night getting ready, and the 5:30am pick-up came too quickly. But we were ready to get started. And even though I was a bit sleepy, I was pretty excited to get started. 

Packed and ready to go.