I definitely came up against many an obstacle keeping me from seeing the Inca sights that surround the city of Cuzco, most notably Machu Picchu. As some of you may have heard by now, there was record breaking rainfall that has caused flooding, mudslides and general mayhem around Cuzco and surrounding area. During my time in Peru, I had to remind myself that for every bit of annoyance I had due to delayed buses, cancelled trips and extra days spent in places, there were people stranded without food and shelter and had to be airlifted off of Machu Picchu, people who lost their homes and their buisnesses and tragically even a few who have lost their lives. My thwarted travel plans are minimal by comparison and I can only send my thoughts and prayers to those in need.
While I wasn’t able to see many of the Inca sights around Cuzco, I did explore the city and had a blast doing so. It’s a beautiful city that teems with spanish tiled houses that scale the mountain side in which it resides. Initially, simply walking around was a bit of a chore due to the altitude (3500 m) but once my lungs decided to kick into high gear, it became an exciting challenge. The city does tend to be a tourist trap, as it’s the main portal to Machu Picchu, but the picturesque setting, cathedrals, museums and plazas make up for being asked to buy a necklace or mitts at every single corner! The cold weather is also a little jarring after spending so much time on the beach. I wasn’t the only traveller who felt this way, as was evidenced by the matching Alpaca sweaters, mitts and socks that adorned every person at my hostel. I quickly followed on the Alpaca bandwagon after one night in the freezing cold city. I suppose the constant rain didn’t help either...
One thing I am quite grateful for is the quality of the Peruvian cuisine. The tourist restaurants served up all of the popular treats for the foreigners (meaning lots of pizza of course!), but the local dishes turned out to be a welcome surprise. Quinoa and/or Corn soup became a favorite of mine due to the cold weather. Quinoa is an ancient grain that is used in many Central and South American countries. Of course, Llama meat is an interesting dish. It comes grilled, fried, baked and even as a pizza topping. I find it best washed down with an Inca Kola, their version of crème soda. Finally, my most interesting dish had to be baked Cuy...in english, Guinea Pig. I assure you, it’s just as disturbing as it sounds! It is served baked whole, head still attached. While I usually say that I will try anything twice, this is one dish for which I will make an exception: Once is enough! While the actual taste wasn’t that bad, a cross between rabbit and dark turkey meat, the act of munching down on what most of us consider a fluffy little pet was more traumatic than I thought it would be. The nice waiter gave me a free Pisco Sour, the national drink, to wash it down though. Overall though, Peru may be number one in terms of food so far.
From there, I headed down to Puno which is situated on Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigatable lake. To get there I took the Inca Express, a tour company that lets you see all the sights from Cusco to Puno. We stopped at various ruins, a magnificent Catherdral in Andahuaylillas lined from floor to celing in 24 carat gold leaf (no pictures allowed, sorry) and had a buffet lunch in the small town of Sicuani. Again, while slightly touristy, it was a great way to see the beautiful countryside and take in the culture I may have otherwise missed.
The actual city of Puno, while pleasant enough, for me was really just an access point to Lake Titicaca. I took a day trip to the floating islands of Uros and also to Taquile island. I booked my trip through All Ways Adventures, which I highly recommend, and was treated to a lively chat with the elderly owner and his wife. They had recently visited Ontario and were eager to disccuss their love of Canada and practice their english. What should have been a 10 minute ticket purchase turned into a hour long conversation! The were lovely people however and I was happy to talk. The next morning, as if the 6:30 pick up time wasn’t early enough, I managed to get up and ready to go a whole hour early. Needless to say, I went back to bed for my extra hour of sleep! Uros is essentially a floating city made up of 40 or islands that are made by layering reeds horizontally across each other. They are rebuilt every year by the small tribe that inhabits that particular island. Most islands house only a handful of residents that live very simply in huts made of, you guessed it, reeds. Tourism has made it possible for them to earn a small amount of money from selling goods and many have used this money to buy solar panels to run lights and small heaters in their huts. Despite these advances, mostly they spend their days fishing, gathering plants and making clothing.
From there we headed to the island of Taquile. This cute little terraced island is also home to a traditional group of Quechua-speaking people who continue to work the land as their ancestors did. They do live in more modern homes however and have access to electricity, running water and other modern conviences. They have a rich history of weaving, done by the men, that is evident in their hats that act as a social indicator of their marital status. The women are equally adorned in brightly colored woven clothing, also made by the men! Here we were served a lunch of trout and quinoa soup. Very delicious. We did have to work for it however, by climbing to the top of this mountainous island up a steep stone path. After lunch we got to climb down 500 or so stone steps to the boat below.
While I hated to say goodbye to Peru, my next stop was Buenos Aires and with it my new passport! I now have a full valid passport that I don’t have to explain to every customs agent at every border. What a relief. Being in Buenos Aires, after months spent in Central America and other less advantagous places, was like stepping into another world. The city is as busy as any I’ve ever been in and feels more like Europe than South America, especially due to the arcitecture. It becomes apparent very quickly however that Buenos Aires has a personality unlike any other. Tango music blares from every store front and cafes and bookstores line the streets.
I saw the usual smattering of tourist attractions: the Obelisco, Casa Rosada (most known for the balcony on which Eva Peron energized crowds), Floralis Generica (a giant metal flower that opens and closes with the sun)and all of the other churches, plazas and bulidings that make BA one of the most inviting cities in the world. The most enjoyable activity I found however, was simply exploring the many distinct barrios (neighbourhoods) that make up the city.
I spent sunday afternoon at the Dorrego antiques fair searching through the jewelery, sifonazos, silverware, records and countless other forgotten objects all to the sounds of tango music drifting in the background. Surrounded by cafes, live music and dancing and endless hoards of people, I easily lost three hours.
Wandering down avenida Lavalle, I stumbled in and out of too many book stores to keep track of. While many of them had english sections, looking at old spanish novels was just as interesting. My spanish is improving, but I'm not quite ready to tackle a full length novel just yet!
Perhaps my favorite visit was to the Recoleta Cemetary. Most famous for being the final resting place of Evita, the streets of the walled necropolis are lined with towering marble tombs that act as the final home to Argentinian elite. Statues, plaques and even stain glassed windows adorn many of the mausoleums, some which have coffins within sight. Truly an odd mixture of the extravagant and macabre.
Of all the places I've visited so far, this would easily be the first one I'd want to visit again. And with that, I headed off to Rio for Carnival. Now that's a whole other blog post....
