High Mountain Town of Weavers

Today, we went high into the mountains to a very small town that subsists by the men being porters on the Inca Trail and the women weaving and taking care of the families. The entire village seemed to come out to greet us and we had the great fortune to be able to visit with one family who was close to our Peruvian guide, Aurelio.

The family also raises Guinea Pigs and eats them about twice a month as an important source of protein.

The girls learn to weave at very young ages.

The photo on the right shows a mother carrying her young daughter. Babies are carried in sack-like shawls on the mother's back. When the babies grow older, they are carried as this mother is doing.

The babies are swirled around if they need to be nursed or comforted, and then swirled around to the back again so the mother can work. Women will spin yarn as they talk and even as they walk.

Cusco Market

Today, we spent time together in the Cusco market.  All except Zack who caught the dreaded stomach upset from something he might have touched, eaten or drank and had to spend the day in the hotel - we use Purel a zillion time a day.  

At the market, you would think you would catch something just walking through and handling the wares.  It's not exactly sanitary. 

 But it's a thrill  to the senses and lots of fun.

Everything from foods of all kinds 

to soft goods like textiles and clothing and even musical instruments

 are sold there.  

Incan Crop Circles

The Incas were brilliant farmers.  Despite the high altitude and harsh conditions, they managed to grow enough crops to feed a population of over 17 million.  The Moray crop circles shown above were an experiment in farming. By using these circles going deep into the earth, at the various levels going down, the Incas were able to grow crops that would normally need warmer climates.  Rand noticed that the crop circles were built in natural sink holes and noted that there are deep earth thermals that add extra warmth to these crop circles.  The Incans also imported better soil from far away to use for their farming.  It helps to get things done when you have the power of the masses to help out.

Fields of Barley

Golden fields of barley with snow-capped Andes behind.  Beer is a big seller in Peru and it is heavily taxed, bringing in needed revenues to the communities.  You see a lot of Barley growing

Cusco - Museum of Pre-Columbian Art

Incan Stonework - so impressive!

Don't these stones look like the fake stone at Disneyworld? Well, they are real, and were built by the Incas, entirely by hand-labor, thousands of years ago.

The Incas built as well, or better than, other illustrious civilizations like the ancient Egyptians or the Mayans.  The Incas used all manpower, too, because the only pack animals they had (until the Spanish invaded and brought horses, etc) were llamas and alpacas, which are not strong enough to pull massive stones through the jungle.  Instead, thousands of native Incas did the task, pulling the tremendous stones on logs or stone rollers from the quarries into Cusco.

Rand would have made a magnificent Incan - he is so strong!  Here he is in the Temple of the Moon, a piece of impressive Incan architecture and construction.

Peru is in an earthquake zone and the Incas knew how to construct massive edifices that would withstand big earthquakes.  The stones are masterfully cut to fit together in a perfect, tight interlocking weave. Each stone is pillowed. They are a masterpiece to behold

Cusco Peru - Shaman Lucas

This morning, we had our trip blessed by a famous Peruvian Shaman named Lucas. Lucas made a package of many different symbolic substances that we will bury in Mother Earth in a ceremony tomorrow.  Rand and I heard that Lucas was especially well known for his coca leaf readings, and that people journeyed from far away to seek a reading.  After the group blessing, we asked Lucas if he would give us each a coca leaf reading and he obliged.  Zack came with us to translate and then Tim and Robby were curious enough to join us. Eventually, Lucas read everyone's coca leaves!  The good news is that we all have wonderful futures ahead of us.

Cusco, Peru -

Cusco, Peru - Night Life

Some snapshots of our fun first evening in Cusco - we started by going to Norton's Pub, a bar that had a balcony over Plaza de Arme.  We sat on the narrow balcony having a drink and watching the people and the festivities going on below us.  We had a great time!

After the sun went down,

 we went inside and played darts for a while.  Rand is a dart master and Ellen is happy just to hit the board

We had a wonderful dinner at Boca Restaurant in Cusco last night. Delicious Argentinian wine, Peruvian delicacies like heart, kidneys on the antipasto platter, Guinea Pig on the menu (no takers), Alpaca, which we decided was tough and not very good.  I stuck with vegetarian and had delicious herbs and flavors in my curried lentil soup and grilled vegetable platter.  

Cusco, Peru - Around Town

A few images from our first day in Cusco. 

Cusco, Peru - arrival

It was a long, long trip from San Diego to Cusco, including a layover of 5 + hours in Lima between Midnight and 5AM (giving Rand just enough time to find a driver and explore Lima and environs while the boys napped in the airport).  Our early morning flight then brought us over the Andes into the beautiful town of Cusco, at 11,300 ft elevation.

We are staying at a wonderful Orient Express Hotel called the Monasterio in Cusco.  

They greeted us warmly with coca tea (supposed to help us acclimate more easily to the altitud

e.  Here Zack and Robby are sipping their tea.

The hotel is a beautiful and comfortable combination of luxury, ancient art and traditions (artwork and Cloisters madrigals/chants in the public spaces) and modern conveniences (oxygen piped into our rooms).

We had a delicious breakfast at the hotel and then took morning naps before starting our first day in Cusco.