trailing the incans

we left our hotel after enjoying the hotel's extensive breakfast (complete with nutella and pillowy little croissants) before meeting the taxi driver the hotel had helped us arrange. we left cusco, traveling up over 12,000 ft (thank you, snapchat) on our way out of town. for miles we saw little besides rolling hills, the occasional goat, and a few people in traditional dress (women in braids and skirts with bright sweaters) walking along the road. there were a few llamas too, when we passed by villages. the houses we saw were mostly few and far between but a good portion of them were entirely painted with the names of presidential candidates. i wonder if they get paid to do that. it seems a little.. extreme.

they're much farther than they look

our first stop was the stepped terraces of moray. to get in we had to buy a pass for a number of archaeological sites within the sacred valley - which cost almost as much as our tickets to machu picchu! (gotta make money somehow, right?) we figured we wouldn't have time to see more than a couple but we did want to explore some of the sacred valley on our way. as i mentioned, we didn't have tons of time to linger - and my mom couldn't have hiked all the way to the bottom and back up - so we contended ourselves to walk around the edges. the terraces here were used for farming - specifically to test out certain crops that the incans may have then planted closer to home. we later learned that the incans would have eaten corn and quinoa but also lots of different beans.

panning out

our second stop was, i thought, far more visually impressive although arguably less archaeological significant. the salt pans of maras at first seem tiny because you're so far above them. in actuality each one is about 6-8 feet square and covered in tiny salt crystals. you can walk in between them, along the crystalline walls of the pans, which was rather surreal. it reminded me of a cross between mammoth hot springs and the leather tanneries of marrakech. i wish we'd had a little longer to explore but just being there (and, yes, sampling the salt) was a worthwhile experience in itself. on our way out i made sure to buy some salted chocolate for the office.

chica

from there it was still a short drive to ollentaytambo, where we had barely enough time to scarf down our lunch before being dropped at the train station. the lunch was tasty - sopa criolla with noodles, egg, and tasty broth and my first chicha morada, a lemonade-type drink made from blue corn - and the town itself looked rather nice, if a bit touristy. it's too bad we didn't have longer to explore. we were told to be there early for the train so of course we didn't want to take any chances. we seemed to be about the first tourists there but before long the waiting area was full of fellow travelers looking in vain for a place to charge their phones (it pays to get there early!)

by the time the train was in the station the clouds had rolled in and it looked like it might rain. we took our seats in the vistadome train which i think ended up being a bit overblown. (again, you gotta make money somehow) it was basically a normal train with transom windows which didn't afford you a view of much except the clouds. and the lights were on inside the train which means the view is obscured by the reflection. they did give you a drink and a little quinoa pizza, which was a nice touch. the view was fairly stunning, with mountains rising impossibly high all around us and the river beside us. we followed the river the whole way to aguas calientes, the little town in the valley closest to machu picchu.

we left the tiny train station and immediately found ourselves in the middle of a labyrinthian market that seemed like something out of morocco or india. we were disoriented but eventually found our way out with some direction. the little town of aguas calientes exists solely to accommodate tourists visiting machu picchu so as you can imagine it's full of hotels, restaurants, and little shops with snacks and souvenirs. from the train station, most of the buildings are uphill. the whole town is built up around the river - presumably the agua of aguas calientes, although i can't imagine it's terribly warm. the incline, particularly with luggage, was tough for my mom with the altitude and her asthma, but we took it slow and she made it. after settling in we made arrangements for the next day - including a search for a rather elusive ATM (for all the tourists you'd think there would be more. i guess they're hoping you'll use a currency exchange place) with an exorbitant fee ($13!), buying our MP tickets, getting our bus tickets, and booking a tour guide. we were planning on an early night as we had (yet another) early morning ahead of us but we did venture out for a small dinner.

we were up the next morning at 4 after about six hours of sleep. the hotel was rather noisy - according to my mother; i never wake up - which is annoying. it's definitely not the nicest of hotels we've stayed in but it was fine for one night. at the advice of guide books we elected to catch the very first bus, or groups of buses, in hopes of getting views of early morning light and missing the rain. we had worried that it would be totally overcast or, worse, rain while we were up there but as we waited in line we noticed a little peek of sunshine coming through the clouds so we were hopeful. we later learned that the weather changes so quickly up there in the mountains - it's so high it has its own micro-climate. by the time we reached the top - only about 10 minutes after we boarded the bus - the skies had started to clear and i was thinking we might get some views with rays of sunshine peeking through. i rushed ahead, at my mom's suggestion, while she took her time climbing the many steps to the lookout spot. i made it up fairly quickly - actually perhaps a little too quickly. i never really felt winded from the altitude (we were at about 8000 ft there) but i did notice my heart beating faster than it usually would have.

first view

that first view was as magnificent as i had imagined. there were a few other people who had made their way up there but it was still enough space to peacefully take in the view. it's one of those places that's surreal to be in because you've seen the image so many times. but also you feel as though you're completely isolated - surrounded by enormous mountains for miles on every side. it's amazing to think that anyone would have built anything somewhere so remote. just getting all those huge stones to that spot was dangerous and time consuming - it took them 100 years to build the site. my mom and i enjoyed the view for a good while before moving on.

llama llama

we walked down along the many terraces (of course used for farming), through the main gate and in towards some of the temple areas. the prevailing theories were that this was either a university or a site for astrological purposes. they know the men's and women's living quarters were separated and that the king would have visited twice a year, on the solstices. there's a sundial in one of the temples that indicates the solstices. their lives were dominated by two seasons - summer, the rainy season when they'd plant the crops and winter, when they could build. there were some nice examples of that typical incan masonry - the huge blocks smoothed out to fit with no mortar - but there were other structures that were used with smaller stones also. we had some close encounters with some of the many llamas who roam the grounds - partly for the gratification of tourists i'm sure but they also serve the useful purpose of trimming the grass in an area that would otherwise be nearly impossible to maintain. they don't seem to mind being touched but they don't care much about posing for photos.

clouds rolling in

our guide did a nice job of explaining structures as we passed them along with telling us a bit about how the incans lived and the kinds of things they would have eaten, including the central role of coca that remains important in peru even today. down on the lower portion of the site we saw some of the residential areas and another temple - the temple of the condor this time. there's a large rock formation which is supposed to resemble the bird with a pit below. based on the skeletons they found at the bottom they assumed this space was used for ritual animal sacrifices (no humans). nearby were also two shallow pools carved out of rock. eventually they determined these were used for looking up at the stars without having to actually look up. not long after we arrived the clouds that were still in the sky rolled away and it was sunny and even warm for the majority of the time we were there. it was hard to guess at what they weather was going to be like so we were glad we hadn't brought our heavier sweaters and even more glad that it didn't rain. our guide left us after he had guided us through the ruins and let us explore on our own. i walked along the terraces a bit more and back up to the initial spot where you get that quintessential view of huyana picchu (the mountain beyond the site that some crazy people climb up). i wanted to take a few more minutes to drink in the view, not knowing when i'd be back here again. this time there were quite a few more people around and it was a little less tranquil.

terrace tea

by the time we made our way back down to town it was only midday since we'd gotten such an early start. we still had a few hours to kill before our train back to cusco so we decided to relax in a little french cafe with some pastries and coffee. we lingered quite a while and eventually realized that it had started to rain. we were thankful we weren't up at machu picchu then - although we couldn't be sure it was actually raining up there. eventually we made our way back to the hotel and had some tea on the terraces as we passed the time watching the rain. we gave ourselves plenty of time for a late lunch before we had to make it to the train. the walk back to the station was much easier - downhill this time. i was anxious to sleep on the train but the staff seemed bent on making sure that didn't happen. one thing after another - music, then a fashion show of traditional peruvian clothes, and when they weren't doing anything they seemed to blow the horn every fifteen minutes. we arrived back in poroy - for some reason the train doesn't quite go all the way to cusco - and we were glad to see our earlier taxi driver we had arranged to meet. finally about 20 minutes later we were back in our lovely hotel and i went down to take advantage of the spa.

piles for miles

the next day we got to sleep in until all of 7 and got a cab to take us to pisac. on the way we stopped at a few incan ruins to try to make use of our expensive passes but maybe we were a bit blasé after all the impressive sites we'd already seen. after a short drive we made it to pisac, a nearby town in another valley. we happened to be there on market day, and we'd heard it was one of the best so we were eager to explore. the market took up all of the large main square, with produce at the front and textiles and other goods in the back section. we made our way towards the back, poring over brightly colored alpaca blankets and scarves and trying to decide what we should get. we strolled up and down the stalls, slowly crossing off items on our list of christmas presents. i settled on a couple of pillowcases and a wall hanging for me, both in a lovely reddish orange.

perfect little meal

we walked through a bit of the produce section, noticing again how many women wear the traditional braids and tall brimmed hats. after we'd finished in the market square we popped into a nearby place that's known for serving guinea pig, or cuy. they have a giant stone oven also where they serve empanadas, which seem to be the food of choice in pisac. short on time before we were set to meet our driver again, we elected to go to a less populated cafe. we found a perfect one just off the main square that had fresh empanadas straight from the colonial clay oven, washed down with another chicha morada. pisac did seem like a cool little town, and i'm sure it would've been worth exploring more if we'd had some time.

we wanted to make it back to cusco in time to do the last of our shopping. by the time we got back it was raining so we took a break in our room to wait it out. once it stopped we ventured back out and got some alpaca sweaters, patterned shoes, and a few more gifts. once we got back down to the main square we figured we should finally go into the cathedral. it was huge and each of the three sections seemed completely different and very separated from the others. it wasn't remarkable, but again maybe we had seen so much at that point that we were mentally exhausted. there were some interesting paintings that explained the major earthquake. that night mom figured it was probably her last chance to try guinea pig so we were on a mission to find it. we found a little restaurant that had the meat in taqueño form, which seemed more manageable (usually they're served whole, roasted on a stick). the meat itself was gamey and greasy - not our favorite.

i'm sure there was lots more to explore but for the three days we spent in the sacred valley i think we did pretty well!

cuscotopia

kaboom

our next stop after arequipa was cusco and the sacred valley. another fairly early morning but the hotel was kind enough to pack us a little bag breakfast - yogurt, an apple, and a sad little sandwich. okay, maybe it was more of a bagged lunch. the flight itself was fairly uneventful except that oh yeah, i saw a volcano erupting. i just happened to look out the window, luckily it was in time to catch a glimpse of it.

when we made our way over the andes and landed we were at our highest elevation yet. arequipa had been about 8,000 ft above sea level but cusco was something like 11,000. it was probably in our best interest to do it all gradually. i didn't notice many problems although i did get a little short of breath at times when normally i wouldn't have. we got a taxi and within about 15 minutes we were in the center of town. the outskirts reminded me a bit of nepal at first, a mountainside city with shoe box style houses stacked on top of one another. the historic district was a bit more spread out. our hotel was just about a block and a half from the main square. my mom had booked a different hotel but then decided to splurge for the marriott, worried that she'd have trouble with the altitude. (the marriott is one of those upscale hotels that has oxygen piped in to the rooms). it was pretty fancy, too - the hotel itself was built inside a converted convent, complete with a massive central courtyard (once cloisters). there was an entire spa in the basement - with a sauna, hot tub, and heated pool - and the breakfast tables seemed never-ending.

why is it called the plaza de armas, anyway? what arms?

after quickly getting settled we made our way to the plaza de armas. the weather was beautiful - nice and warm with bright blue skies - but the forecast for the next few days didn't look so good so we thought we'd try to make the most of it. we first went in the templo de la compañia de jesus, a fairly massive structure with a cavernous interior and bright gold altar screen. we couldn't take photos except when we went upt he tower steps and looked out the window on to the square. from here i was trying to find a certain convent but instead we ended up at a convent/museum that explained the lives of the nuns who once lived there. it was nicely down, exploring each facet of their lives with lots of artifacts, including their elaborate embroidery. my mom really enjoyed it - she's always liked learning about life in the cloisters. no photos once again, though.

clouds roll in

incan walls

from here we stopped for a quick lunch of sandwiches, empanadas and truly massive juices (we were each given a carafe that was meant to be a glass). no turkey on the menu (oh did i mention it was thanksgiving?) so we settled for chicken instead. then on to the convento santa domingo, primarily significant because it was built on the remains of qorikancha, the heard of this central incan city and the most sacred shrine, dedicated to the worship of the sun. there was still evidence of the incan civilization - many of the trademark incan stone masonry could be seen in walls and even rooms that were left intact. the genius of incan masonry is that there's no mortar joining the rocks yet nevertheless the walls are quite solid. rather than using some material in between the stones, masons painstakingly wore down the sides of each rock with a smaller stone so that the grooves would fit together perfectly. to the point that you can't fit so much as a pieces of paper between them. the later church was built on top of and around these stone walls. much like the churches built around mosques in moorish spain. the expansive courtyard was filled with tons of groups. our timing wasn't great since in addition to tons of groups the clouds rolled in just as we arrived.

rambling san blas

as we were leaving the skies were starting to clear a bit so we thought we'd do some more of our outdoor activities in the city. we hailed a taxi for a ride uphill to san blas, the bohemian area of the city filled with little cafes and artisans' shops. by the time our very quick cab ride was over the skies were blue again and the weather was glorious. from the top of a small staircase we could see over the red rooftops of cusco, enjoying a light breeze. we walked around the main plaza, filled with lovely brightly blue doors and white and yellow walls. even the street signs were lovely, decorated with carved bells and painted flowers. also dotting the plaza were a few groups of women, dressed in traditional peruvian garb walking with llamas. their aim is to get tourists to take a photo of them (i have to admit, baby llamas are quite enticing) and then get a little money from them. occasionally the police chase them off so i imagine it's discouraged.

gorgeous doors

we continued walking around the plaza and up some steps to a little alleyway. definitely the hostel dwellers' destination of choice - streets lined with silver earrings on display, incense burning from within little shops and pleasant little cafes with coffee and wifi. we made use of the latter, relaxing for a bit in a lovely little courtyard as we sipped café con baileys (only to be found in touristy areas to be sure - but does anything say 'vacation' more than bailey's in your coffee?) and wrote some postcards.

elaborate signs

we popped in and out of shops along the street, where i was delighted to discover a shop filled with hand-painted ceramics, a craft i hadn't seen too much of in peru as yet. the pieces were all done by one artist, tater camilo vera vizcarra, recognized by unesco. if you know my predilection for tiles you'll know that i was already done for. i walked away with a lovely little circular tile painted with a hummingbird, which i thought was a nice reminder of my time in arequipa. exploring the area made for a perfectly pleasant afternoon and a very nice introduction to cusco.

downhill we go

we rambled through the area and slowly made our way down a sloping street lined with little souvenir shops and more upscale alpaca stores (which i've seen alternately called cuesta de san blas, hatunrumiyoc, and calle triunfo on the map). a narrow street with well-worn cobblestones, from the top we could see some rooftops and into the main square at the bottom. again the streets were dotted with lovely bright blue shutters and window grills and the occasional flower pot. we popped in and out of shops, looking for scarves, blankets, and little knick knacks, making note of items we might like to buy later and what the going rates seemed to be. when we made it down to the main square it was getting close to dusk. there were plenty of people milling around - families out for the evening, tourists taking photos and several women selling gladiolas (which seem to be a favorite for worshipers who use them as offerings in church altars).

lights on in the plaza

we made our way back to the hotel - with the sun starting to go down it was quickly getting cooler. i didn't stay too long, though, before venturing back out to take some photos of the square as the sun set and the lights came on. getting a good picture was hard since it was already quite dark but i managed to get a few less-blurry shots of the fountain, the cathedral, and the hills beyond. for some reason the church facades themselves are not lit. mom was a little tired of peruvian food so we settled on a restaurant that had some non-peruvian dishes. as for myself i tried an entree that had two dishes i'd been wanting to try - chicharrones (fried pork, quite good) with tacu tacu (little yellow balls of rice and lentils, sort of odd), all accompanied by what i will go on record saying has to be the best juice combo there is - pineapple/mango/passion fruit. mom had some pasta that was surprisingly good. that night i made full use of the spa's sauna, steam room (which had some kind of giant leaves) and hot tub and, in spite of the hotel's size, i was the only person there. (idiots!)

massive doorway

the next day we ventured off into the sacred valley and towards machu picchu, but we we returned a few days later we were able to do a bit of what we'd missed in cusco before. it was a bit rainy, as predicted so we were happy to finish up some shopping, splurging on alpaca sweaters and finding some patterned shoes for me and adorable little booties for my friend expecting a baby. we also went in the cathedral - much like many of the churches we'd been in before (including the ban on photos that i think is rather silly in the age of smart phones) it was cavernous and filled with lots of gold and embellished altar niches. there were a few murals that helped explain the history of the city, punctuated by several major earthquakes. all in all we found cusco to be a perfectly pleasant city with lovely shops, significant architectural and archaeological sites and of course gorgeous carved and colorful doors. a hallmark of many great cities, i'd say.