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| Greg in a park by our hotel |
The next stop was St. Francis Museum and Catacombs. The cathedral was absolutely beautiful, but unfortunately we could not take pictures. The next stop was called Huaca Pucllana which is a pyramid they are excavating, and is located right in the middle of the city. Fascinating to see what they have uncovered thus far.
Our last stop was called Love Park. Beautiful benches of mosaic and a huge statue.
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| The poor section of town, which has the best view |
The view from the park into the ocean was beautiful. Lima has great shore line, but the water is always too cold so they never are able to swim. Also, it never ever rains in Lima so water trucks have to water all the trees and grass throughout the City. The City is extremely clean and numerous wild cats sleep in the parks. We found a great little restaurant for dinner and then off to sleep for our flight the next day.
The next day we flew to Puerto Maldonado for our 3 day Amazon jungle excursion. The drive to the river on a small bus was crazy. The roads were dusty and full of huge ruts and the bridges were scary to look at let alone drive on them. We made it to the boat launch and headed down river for about an hour in a wooden boat. The river water was muddy and we saw a few birds, turtles and camen. When we got to our destination, we had to walk up almost 300 steps which were uneven, many parts with no railing and tiring. We stayed at an eco lodge out in the middle of the jungle. Our room was really cool, with 3 walls and one open to the jungle which was only about 12 feet away. We were able to see the squirrel monkeys jumping around in the trees and in the morning we could hear lots of birds and the howler monkeys howling.
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| Wooden boat |
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| Lunch on boat - rice and vegetables in a banana leaf - yummy! |
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| So excited! |
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| Camen |
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| Dining Area |
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| Our bedroom, complete with mosquito nets and hammock |
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| Jungle trail |
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| Tower |
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| White spot at the bottom is Greg! |
The lodge was all open, and had a dining area, a bar, and a seating area with hammocks and couches. It was really amazing for being out in the middle of nowhere. The meals were great and the accommodations really comfortable.
We got up at 4:00 the next morning in order to get on the river so we could see the giant river otters. We had to walk down those stairs in the dark, which was extremely scary. We took the wooden boats to a raft and then rode down a different river. Luck was on our side as we no sooner got on the river and got to see the otters. There were 7 and were having a jolly good time. We saw lots of cool birds and then went fishing for piranhas. Only a few people had luck in catching one. Piranhas are not nearly as dangerous as the movies lead us to believe. Apparently the only time they attack is when they smell blood. The locals swim in these rivers all the time and it's not a problem. We were even luckier on the way back as the river otters were there again.
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| River Otters |
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| River Otters |
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| Flightless Birds |
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| Fishing for Piranhas |
Later that morning we went to a bird blind which overlooked a clay lick where we were looking for macaws. There were only two there, but it was really cool to see them. At different times of the year, there are dozens, but we were happy to at least see two. We found 7 more very high up in the trees on our way back to the lodge.
We also had the best experience ever when about 30-40 squirrel monkeys were climbing above and around us. The trees were swaying and little monkeys were everywhere making noise and jumping all around. It was an amazing experience. In all the excitement I lost my really good sunglasses. Not a good thing to happen on the 3rd day of this trip.
In the afternoon we took another boat ride to visit with the local Shaman. They walked us around the jungle and explained how they used the bark and leaves of different trees to make medicine. The guide gave us all a piece of leaf to chew telling us it was sweet. Once your started chewing, it numbed your mouth and tasted awful. It also made you keep salivating. The guide thought this was all quite funny and explained if he had told us what it was really like none of us would have chewed it. At the end of the tour, we each drank 3 small shot glasses of different medicines. One of them being something similar to Viagra!
We met some very nice people on this trip and it was interesting to hear all the places they had traveled and their experiences. Some we traded emails with and will keep in touch for awhile and exchange pictures. Always great meeting new friends.
The next morning we left the lodge, back to the river, back to the bus and flew to our next destination....Cusco. Cusco would be our home for the next two nights in preparation for our trip to Machu Picchu. The altitude in Cusco is 11,200 feet, which can cause chaos in people's bodies. They recommended drinking coca tea, which we later learned is a stimulant used to help your digestive system work properly.
We had a really nice hotel in Cusco in the San Blas area with a room overlooking the city. Funny thing was we got only one mosquito bite sleeping in the Amazon Jungle, but had dozens sleeping in this hotel room because the bathroom window was only open slats, with no screen. It was Mother's Day weekend when we arrived and they celebrate in a big way. There were fireworks going off all day and parties in all the squares, which lasted until 2 a.m., which wasn't a lot of fun when trying to sleep. Cusco has approximately 500,000 residents and 250,000 dogs. The dogs roam the streets during the day and then as dusk comes, you can see them all sitting in their doorways wanting to be let in.
We had a supposed light lunch in a little café where we ordered chicken soup and a club sandwich. The club sandwich was enormous and Greg said Mucho Grande to the waitress, who was a little old lady who spoke no English, but thought he was hysterical.
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| View from our Hotel |
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| One of the parties |
We started the next day with our guide Jose, who we adored. We visited Pisac, Tambumachay, Pukapukara, and Q'Engo, which were all prominent Inca sights.
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| Altar used for sacrifices |
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| Me and Jose |
After hours of Inca talk, we headed to the local markets. An eye opening experience. They have markets for locals and markets for tourists. The local market was women and children selling everything from ducks and guinea pigs (for eating) to every fruit or vegetable possible. The people line the streets and you can buy cheaply from them. In the tourist area, there are stalls with all the same things, but in a much more orderly fashion and priced a little bit higher. There were stalls that sold this chicken soup we have come to love and smoothies which looked great. We were told about pick pockets, and sure enough somebody tried to pick Greg's pocket. No money in the pocket so all she got was two swats on the wrist from him.
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| Voodoo anyone? |
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| Couldn't resist a picture of this one. They eat everything. |
After a full day, we headed back for some much needed rest and another full day in Cusco and the Sacred Valley.
We started our next day with a visit to a beautiful cathedral where we could only take pictures of the outside. The cathedral inside was a mixture of stone, gold flaked covered cedar and mirrors. Very different kind of architecture, but quite beautiful.
The drive into the Sacred Valley was spectacular. The pictures don't do it justice. Everywhere you looked, just spectacular views.
We stopped for lunch in a little town, and I couldn't resist taking pictures of the inside. It was called Blue Llama and there was this cartoon llama in pictures with all kinds of celebrities and also just some comical themes. Really cute. We also got to shop in the local market for souvenirs. The vendors don't have prices, so you have to bargain with them, in Spanish for everything. I don't normally like that part, but since Greg doesn't speak any Spanish, I had the pleasure and it turned out to be so fun. I would banter back and forth and then when they didn't get to where I wanted, I would walk away and the next thing I would hear was Senora, Senora.
Along our drive, we would pass houses with a huge stick and some kind of red bag on top of it near the road. We learned that they brew corn beer, which only lasts 7 days, so when the stick is out, you can stop and buy the beer at any of the homes. Interesting.
After a long, beautiful drive, we arrived in the town of Ollantaytambo where we would spend the night. Very small town, but cute hotel, where once again this year, we would walk into the hotel room which was already occupied. Bizarre!
We visited more Inca ruins, which were spectacular and not expected here.
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| Amazing! |
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| You could actually hike out to here |
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| See the old man's face? |
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| So happy, especially with our matching hats! |
Week one has come to an end, and we are off to Machu Picchu tomorrow. What an amazing week this has been. We have seen and experienced so much it's hard to believe. I learned more about the Incas than I ever knew and it is fascinating. I only wish I had learned more Spanish as it would make this trip a little more fun. Yes, many people speak some English, but it doesn't seem right that I should expect them to know my language and be able to communicate with me.
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