Life back in Cusco, post- Inca Trail has been rilllllllly relaxing...
Yesterday John and I did the Circuito Turistico de Valle Sagrado via tour bus from Cusco. It was nice to sit on our small bus, lazily watching the sprawling Andean scenery beneathe ever-changing configurations of sun and clouds outside the window, and hopping off occassionally to explore the ruins and markets that make up the tour:
From the villages of Pisac to Urubamba where we stopped for lunch (mmm.... pollo and Inka Cola!) then onwards to Ollantaytambo then Chinchero (of Peruvian textile fame, where we had a mini demonstration on llama wool weaving and dying in the growing dusk), then back to Cusco by evening.
One would think that after the ruins of the Inca Trail and then Macchu Piccu that I would be a little bit Inca´d out - so to speak. But the hilltop ruins of Pisaq and Ollantaytambo with their amazing stonework and agricultural terracing (for which the Incas are so famous), were still so enthralling. We dutifully followed our guide Mark Anthony up and down the steep, stone stairs for much of the afternoon, out of breathe but gladly soaking it all in. Altogether we were a nice smallish group of about 15 - including 2 solo female travelers who had come from Quebec and the Netherlands and like me, were traveling for about 2 months; 1 nice American from California named Dave; and a young couple from Scotland that were coming upon the end of their 6 month journey through South America and had lots of good advice and words of enthusiasm to offer on Patagonia... where, as you all know, is where I´m headed next (!!).
But for now Cusco it is. And having discovered a *super* high speed Internet cafe, we are enjoying a pretty mellow afternoon and rest of the day. John leaves for La Paz in the morning and I on Wednesday for Santiago, via 10 hour night bus back to Arequipa to catch a Thursday morning flight. But I do plan to end my stay here with a bang, and have just signed up for whitewater rafting trip down a portion of the Rio Urumbaba - allegedly one of the most popular rafting trips in South America and also, very importantly, not too scary this time of year. Only 110 soles (aprx $35 US) includes gear, lunch and ... a post rafting sauna!
So be sure to stay tuned for an update about THAT little next adventure of mine :)
Love always, from Cusco (for now)
Karen
3 comments:
Good to hear from you again. I wish you could share with us some more Incas structures pictures and you. The water rafting sounds like a lot of fun. Be careful, I heard the magnificent Rio Urubamba can be pretty nasty from time to time and try to update us when in Arequipa.
Love you and miss you
Me
Bravo Karen. Congratulations on the completion of yet another phase. And the whitewater rafting sound like a nice bonus (I would probably settle for the sauna. Maybe the lunch too, if hard pressed).
Just noticed Kent Nerburn’s quote you placed on the upper left. Makes me anxious to leave my present dormant condition and go…
Keep exploring, and keep us part of it.
All the best,
Moni
Glad you are back from "water rafting" safe and sound and on the way back to Arequipa.
On to the next adventure !!
Hope to hear from you soon , love to talk to you
mim
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