Onward to Cusco - Inca City of the Sun God

Saturday, March 26, 2016, WTRD 78

This morning, we are up early and leaving for Cusco City.  Unlike most of our trips where our small group of 10 have a private mini bus to ourselves, we take our small bus to a terminal in Puna to join a large tourist bus that will take us to Cusco.

This is a 50 passenger bus, we hold tickets 39- 50.  We must have gotten the last tickets, and our group is in the very back.  The bus has a toilet for number 1 only in an emergency, a guide, and a hostess who serves free soft drinks, water, and tea.  None of us is looking forward to the ten hour bus ride to Cusco.  I don't think any of us realized the vast distances between the ancient sites we have been visiting.

Turns out that the drive was quite enjoyable, with many opportunities for drive-by candid photography of everyday people,

stops for restrooms, and at least five tourist stops to museums,

Inca Priest holding a sacrificial head

Cattle - Good luck and symbols of fertility

city centers,

pastoral settings,

Inca archeological sites,

Inca Temple

Food Storage Facilities

 and churches.

Decked out for Holy Week

We are at the end of the Holy week.  In one church we stop in, a group of local Catholics including the priest are celebrating early with a bottle of rum and a shared shot glass in front of one of the processional displays in the church.

Happy Hour with a Bottle of Rum

Everywhere we stopped, Mamas and their children in highland Peruvian costume (not their normal clothing) were selling and opportunity to take a photo with them, along with all kinds of touristy wares.  The guide was very knowledgeable and his English understandable.

Alpaca Love....To Eat Hair and Hats

We arrived in Cusco late in the day and transfer from the large bus to a small mini bus than can negotiate narrow streets.  By the time we checked into our hotel the sun was setting.  Our hotel is on an incredibly narrow street with side walks of less than a foot wide.

We are instructed to be very, very careful while walking on this street because of the heavy traffic, and be especially alert and try to step into a door frame when a tourist bus goes through because the extended side mirrors could take us out.

Because there is no place to park and when the bus stops to unload us and our luggage, we stop traffic until the bus is emptied.  We scuttle out of the bus as if it were on fire, and the guide, driver, and hotel staff in bucket brigade style toss out the luggage.  We are evacuated in less than three minutes, and there is a long line of traffic behind us.

We check into the hotel at 5:40 and reconvene at 6:30 for an evening orientation walk and dinner.  Our guide has made arrangements for a doctor to visit one of our group who is still quite ill.  We return from our walk to the main square and dinner at local restaurant.  Intrepid tours, sister to Peregrine tours promotes responsible socio-economic tourism. In India, we knew that part of our tour fee helped a women's cooperative paper making factory.  We had the opportunity to visit the factory.

Here in Cusco, this particular restaurant matches the donation from Intrepid/Peregrine tours and a part of our tour fees  plus a portion of our dinner bill to an abandon women and children's center in the highlands. Unfortunately, it is too far and too difficult for us to visit, but we know that by eating here, we are helping these women and children.

Cusco on Easter Eve.

There are many people milling about the square tonight.  Tomorrow they will go to mass and Holy week will come to an end.

All is well with the Worrall Travel R's in the city of the Incas

Lake Titicaca on Good Friday

Friday, March 26, 2016, WTRD 77 
We are up at 5:00 and down to breakfast by 5:45.  Two of the original folks who ate the guinea pig are feeling better today, eating a light breakfast.  One of them is staying in bed today. Two others who were up all night are down for breakfast with the intent on going come hell or high water.

Today we tour Lake Titicaca by slow motor boat stopping off to visit the floating islands.  

Six rivers flow into the lake, one out of the lake in Bolivia.  The water comes from the mountains, but originally was a part of the sea.  Lake water contains 1 gm of salt per liter which is not good for the people, animals, for the crops.  They depend on rainwater, and this year because of El Nino, there is little water and the crops have suffered.

A young woman and her baby are looking for a ride out to the islands.

Reeds are thick around the shore line.  Our boat traverses through a cleared water path until we reach more open water on Lake Titicaca and reach the floating islands.

Floating Family Village

Local Village Mama Welcomes Us 

Our first stop: The Uros originally built the islands from many layers of totora reeds that grow in the lake's shallows to isolate themselves from the rival tribes.  Their are 90 floating islands and 2200 residents.  The main president of the islands today is a Mama.  The reeds that grow in the brackish waters of Lake Titicaca provide the basic building materials for the floating villages.

Children learn early the value and importance of the reeds.

Our boat driver wears a traditional hat...person of importance.

Our Mama delights in dressing us in indigenous clothing.

And No!  Those aren't Blue Boobies.  They are hair ties, but I don't have long hair, so our hostess put the tassels in front!

We went to a local family's floating island and were given an opportunity to visit with them and see a demonstration of how the reeds from the lake are used to make the Island. The reed islands are built by layering  reed upon read.  As the reeds closest to the water begin to rot, more layers are added on top. These reeds are used for making everything on the islands, including the boats which can last up to 12 months.  The islands themselves last about 30 months before the family must build a new island.  The elementary school and a small hospital are on its own islands. High school students attend school on the main land.  These are very high maintenance homes.

The men are off the island today cutting reeds, fishing, and perhaps working onshore.  The Mamas stay at home feathering the nest with reeds, handicrafts, and entertaining visitors.

This little reed boat is a replica of the original houseboats the people lived on before island building.

A single light in the one room reed hut is solar powered.

The Mamas sing to us, sell us their handicrafts, and take us for a paddle on their reed boat.

The little girls are particularly cute.  I teach them how to use the camera, and they have fun taking pictures and looking at the ones I took of them.

The older girl captures a nice photo of Diane.

This was a highlight of our trip so far for us.  We bought a few souvenirs and nearly depleted our sol kitty.  Because several of our fellow travelers are not up to a big lunch, we weren't too worried about saving much for our lunch.

It will take us 2.5 hours to cross from the floating islands to the first island where we will do some walking.  The lake is quite vast, and the Bolivian border runs halfway through the lake.  Even 2.5 hours off shore, we will have only gone offshore a relatively short distance given the length of the lake.  Many of the group are taking the time to nap and recuperate as we cross the gentle waters.  Russ is fast asleep.

Origianlly our itinerary was to  visit the Taquile Island, where knitting is strictly a male domain and women do the spinning. This is a great place to pick up some high quality, locally knitted goods. To reach the main part of the island there is a an uphill trek (approx 1 hour) with great views of the lake. There will also be an optional lunch consisting of a basic set meal where you can taste the nutritious quinua soup and enjoy a muna tea (Andean mint tea).A descent of approx 500 steps brings us back to the boat which will take us all the way back to Puno (approx 3 hours).

But given the weariness of most of our group, our guides have made some adjustments to our itinerary.  We only take a short walk about 15 minutes up a trail to a lookout from a part of the island that has no steps.  From here we can see the snow capped mountains of Bolivia.  

After a brief rest and photo taking, 

Little girl playing in the rocks.

we walk back down and stop at a restaurant where we hear an explanation about the male domain of knitting and are shown some of the traditional hats

 of single and marrid men, and marriage belts that have the brides hair woven into them by the bride's mama.

It is the tradition here for 2 year trial marriages before the wedding.  After 2 years the couple decides to marry or not.  There is no divorce here, so if the couple is not compatible it's time to call it quits.

During the trial marriage, the man knits the hat he will wear as a married man.   If the couple decides to wed, the father of the bride makes the final decision by scrutinizing the knitting skills of the groom's hat.  Every stitch is inspected and in the end taken down to the lake to see if the hat woven by the groom can hold water.  If not, the wedding is off.

Customs around the world are so fascinating.

Only 4 of us opt for lunch, 3 quinoa vegetable soups, and one take away grilled trout.  The rest of the group are still queazy in the presence of food and head back to the boat.  We are all back on the boat two hours ahead of schedule and heading for the mainland.

I think it is siesta time.
All is well with the Worrall Travel R's on Lake Titicaca, Peru