Peru 2009: Sunday

(Urubamba Valley headed towards Chinchero)
Sunday we woke up feeling a lot more rested but since the time zone thing was still a little off we ended up waking up at 5:50 instead of 6:50. We had our free breakfast and watched tv until our tour of the Sacred Valley left at 8:15. You would be surprised at how much English tv they had available. We really didn't watch tv at all except at night when we crashed into the hotel, exhausted but not really ready for sleep. And since the night life in Cusco is pretty limited if you're not the the drinking and dancing type, X-Men 2 with Spanish subtitles and Lord of the Rings dubbed in Spanish it is.

(Church in Urubamba)
Our hotel arranged for a tour of the Sacred Valley. I had done a little research and found out Sunday was the day to go as the best markets were in full swing. Our company came and picked us and another couple from the hotel up and dropped us off in the Plaza de San Francisco for about 45 minutes. Just as we were about to give up hope of ever getting anywhere, two tour company representatives with walkie talkies appeared and took us by taxi to our bus. It all seemed a bit unorganized but the rest of the day went by with smooth sailing.

(Carved cactus in Pisac Markets)
Yes, we were in a typical tour bus full of other Americans and Canadians. Our tour guide, Freddy (although Steve and I thought that couldn't be his real name as we were in Peru) spoke English and referred to us as Ladies and Gentlemen. In fact, it seemed he used that phrase whenever he got stuck with an English word, the equivalent of our using "umm." We heard it a lot.
(Wall, Urubamba)
We headed out into some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen. Beautiful mountains, stunning blue skies, sprawling multicolored fields, it was gorgeous. We stopped a couple of times for hurried photo ops.
(Mountains in Urubamba Valley)
Peru is so interesting. As we were driving through the countryside, we saw people working in fields, hanging laundry to dry and making adobe bricks and then all of a sudden a cow herder would reach into his pocket and pull out a cell phone. This duality of old vs. new, Modern vs. tradition was one of the reoccurring themes of our trip.
(Fruit Stand, Pisac Market)
Our first main stop was the Pisac Market in Pisac. This market was huge. Literally row and row after vendor selling blankets, alpaca sweaters and scarfs, food, knick knacks, hand forged silver jewelry and paintings. It was a lot of fun. Steve helped me learn some useful phrases like "Voy a pensarlo." The best part of the market definitely was the produce area. We bought some corn on the cob, the biggest kernels I have ever seen which they eat with salty cheese instead of butter. I also bought a slice of watermelon, it was so fresh and delicious. The whole market was so bright and colorful and bustling. We bought a few souvenirs, I got a pretty rose quartz necklace and a painting, Steve bought a color traditional plate and an instrument from a man originally from Colorado who could play Hotel California on a pan flute.

(Bowls of Colored Powders, Pisac Market-taken in secret since the vendor wouldn't let me take one for free)
The next stop was lunch in Urubamba. We were dropped off at this beautiful garden buffet. The food was okay, typical buffet, quantity not quality. Although I enjoyed a sweet potato salad and this great pork dish the best. I also tried my first fig and dehydrated potatoes, a common dish in the region because the dehydrated potatoes store so well, I thought they were gross.

(Bag of Onions, Pisac Market)
The next stop was at a place called Descanso, or I rest. There we learned about corn beer, that's right, they make a local beer out of corn. Everyone got a taste, we didn't try it though. The building also had a guinea pig pen with about 100 pigs in it, a local delicacy, more on that later.
(House, Pisac)
The next stop was Ollantaytambo this huge fortress city from the Incas. The complex was an agricultural center and also very importantly placed in the valley. It sits on the cusp of three different valleys, one leading to Cusco, one to Machu Picchu and one to the Amazon. It was the first ruins we explored and Freddy our guide told us some fascinating facts about the buildings. If you look at an Inca city you can easily spot the temples and palaces by the perfect rock placement and the smooth walls. Large stones, perfectly smooth and placed, the best work for the best buildings. Buildings made with smaller stones were residential or granaries. They were also originally covered in plaster and painted. The trek around this place was exhausting, I am so glad I had started getting back into shape before this trip even as it was we were gasping for breath.

(Steve and I in Ollantaytambo)
During our trip we learned a lot about the Spanish Inquisition and the horrors and terrible things they did to the Incas. It was very sad. I bring this up because on this particular spot, they tore down parts of Ollantaytambo to build their own buildings and churches. You could see stones from the fortress in the churches in the city below.

(Me in Ollantaytambo)
Our next stop was Chinchero the highest city in the Sacred Valley at 13,500 feet. Here I really felt the elevation. We visited the small town and the church. The church was another example of the Spanish influence, Catholicism forced on the Inca. All throughout the building were classic Catholic elements mixed with a belief in the sun, earth and moon.
(steve and I in front of Chinchero Church, Chinchero)
There was also a small market and here Steve and I saw our first street food. Overall the food in Peru was excellent but we were a little disappointed in the lack of street food. We had three perfectly cooked meat kabobs with one potato on the end, I had no idea what kind of meat it was. They were so yummy. I also bought a bag of popcorn made from those huge kernels, it was almost like kettle corn, sweet and crunchy.
(Steve and our street food, Chinchero)
After Chinchero, we headed back to Cusco and went to bed.

(Church, Urubamba)
Sorry I have been having trouble getting the picture consistent, my computer screen at home is a lot bigger than mine at work so I have been trying to find a happy medium so you can see the whole picture)