Day 12-14

Sorry I haven't updated in a few days, I have been kind of busy. Well I guess I will start from the beginning and we will try and sift through this mass of information. If you need a break I suggest you take it haha. I will include an intermission for your convenience, for food gathering and bowel movements.

Sunday: Well this story actually begins on Friday haha. So as you all know I decided to walk to and from the school to get some exercise also to practice for my trek. Well What ended up happening is while I was walking everyone decided they wanted to go to the Peruvian circus on Saturday So they pooled money and then sent someone to buy the tickets before they sold out. Well needless to say I wasn't included in the plan. Well Saturday came around and I watched them all leave. In truth I wasn't bothered much I had a nice relaxing evening at home, and I figured that everything seems to happen for a reason so I was sure something would happen to make up for it. On Sunday, I decided to be productive. I still need to visit the local museums in Cusco and so I mapped out a plan and left the house to catch a ride into Plaza de Armas, well on the way I found out there is a church about a block from my house haha “Irony”. Anyway I decided to swing in for a few minutes, get a little spiritual time in, then leave. Well I guess word spread around the church that there was someone that didn't speak very good Spanish. On my way out I was almost to the gate when a woman stopped me and spoke to me in English, She was very nice, and wanted to ask me a bunch of questions about why I was there and where I was from... You know the usual, I'm glad to see that no matter where you are, Mormons are still very inviting and happy to quiz you on your entire history haha. Well come to find out her son actually goes to school at UVU in Orem, which is where I got my AS Degree, well when she found that out she just ate it up! haha, She was very excited, and told me they were having a barbaque that night and she wanted me to come and meet her son. Well, I was really hoping to go to town and check out some of the cites but something told me I just couldn't pass up a free meal with a Peruvian family, so I agreed to come for dinner. When we got to their house, I met their son Markus. We actually had a ton in come on, and found out that we knew a few of the same people. Markus is majoring in graphic design and is really interested in computers haha... I know I know... matter how far I travel the stupid machines seem to be following me haha. Anyway, after watching Markus and his father, spend about 20 minutes trying the BBQ going I asked if they had ever done it before, they admitted to being “Noobs” and weren't very good at starting fires haha. Well I offered to help but his father is a very nice man, and has true Peruvian hospitality. He said as his guest it would be wrong for me to have to work at all, and that I was just to enjoy myself. Well I did just that, because about 10 minutes later he decided to enlist the help of flammable liquids haha. Before I could warn him he dumped a munch into the flames, after him and his son put his hair out we had a pretty good BBQ haha.

The Aedo family were extremely nice, and I was touched by their hospitality to a complete stranger. They feed me more than I could eat, and gave me their contact information before leaving and told me that if I ever needed anything I was of course welcome to stay with them. If they read this thank you very much! Now I have saved the best part of this story for last haha, During dinner I happened to mention that my friends had gone to the circus the night before and that I was unable to attend. Well the family started to chuckle, and when I asked why, Markus's father informed me that he was the creator, and director of the show haha. So I may not have gotten to go to the show, but i did get to eat dinner with its creator and after hearing his story of why he moved back to Cusco and made this show, I am much happier with the dinner. Mr. Aedo is very passionate about his country and wants to share its amazing culture with the world!

INTERMISSION

Monday: Monday was the start of my trip to the Sacred Valley, our tour guide was fantastic and we actually did our tour in reverse to what most other tour companies do. The guide explained to us that this was because that means there will be less people at the ruins when we were there, so we would get a more personal experience. For the most part his plan worked quite well haha.

First on our tour visited Chinchero, which was a beautiful little village at th base of an extensive set of Inca agricultural ruins. Our guide showed us the different types of Inca construction, including royal stone construction, religious stone construction, and agricultural stone construction. Another interesting fact is that the word “Inca” actually means “king” so the world knows this people as the Incas but they were actually called something else. But most of this knowledge was lost when the Spanish Conquistadors came and decimated the Incan people. When the Spanish came, in the 1500s they smashed the temples and other buildings of the Inca empire down and on top of the ruins they built Spanish Churches (Catholic) and other buildings. There is an excellent example of this at Chinchero. at the top of the ruins is a Catholic church built on the foundation of the Incas Temple. Inside the church is filled with stunning artwork and immense golden alters. Also almost every inch of the ceiling and walls are decorated with murals. Sadly photos aren't allowed in the church but it is truly a stunning site to be hold. After visting the ruins we went back into town where some local women showed us the art of textile making. Using sheep and Alpaca wool. it was very interesting, and their dye techniques are nothing short of ingenious.

Onward to Ollantaytambo, One of the most renowned Inca ruins currently in existence. Ollantaytambo is special because it not only has a vast collection of ruins behind the town, but the town is a living museum. From the main square to thee left and back a ways people are still living in the original houses as the Incas, also the cities main buildings are housed in what used to be the royal palace of the Incas king. The ruins are primarily agricultural stone construction, but at the top is a wonderful collection of religious stone work, where their temple and sun dial used to be. Using the mountain ranges around the city the Incas built a sun dial to indicate the seasons. Also the stone used for this master piece had to come from the next mountain range over. The Incas cut the stone from the wall of the mountain and let it roll down to the base of the Urubamba river. Then the blocked off the river and forced it to bend around another path. Once the path was clear the moved their stones across the empty river bed, and when they were on the other side they unblocked the river and let it flow naturally again. The ingenuity of this ancient people is absolutely fascinating to me! It is a true shame that the Spanish came to this land. Another focal point of Ollantaytambo is a fountain that the Incas built on the edge of town. At first glance this simple fountain doesn't look like much, but as our guide showed us it is the a fantastic show of Inca intellectual power and mathematical prowess. The stone on this fountain was carved at with such procession that when a person runs their finger across the water, the physics of the water force it to bend and follow the stone down its face. When the person runs their finger across the water again its natural flow is restored. This works “EVERY” time.

ANOTHER INTERMISSION

Sorry that intermission was actually for me haha. had to hit up “el baño” haha.

After Ollantaytambo we had dinner and went to the hotel. Which was very nice. Actually to be honest it was too nice haha. My room alone had three beds, and all of them had down comforters. I felt extremely guilty staying there because for the last 2 weeks I have been working with families that often don't even have one bed. And if they do the entire family sleeps on it together.

Tuesday: In the morning we had an excellent breakfast and got a late start to the day. There was only one stop on our list for the day, Pisaq. Probably the most well know of Incan city ruins. It is by far one of the most extensive, its sheer size is overwhelming. Pisaq is also famous for its local market, which is a massive expanse of shops that tourists can go though and find pretty much anything they desire. Our tour was again different from most of the others. Most tours start at the front of the ruins and walk up to the top, then the turn around the head back down. Ours how ever used a loop. We climbed the terraces which was something like 500 steps. ( Incas were very athletic haha) When at the top we circled the ruins and followed the trail down to an old storage facility the Incas used for their harvest. Then we used the old Incan trails to follow the mountain back around behind the ruins and down the backside which is also covered in planting terraces, and down right into the the heart of Pisaq, the market! It was absolutely beautiful and we were the only ones on the trail. Being alone and knowing that each step you take has been taken already by and ancient culture that at its time was the pinnacle of human evolution is quite humbling.

After the market we made our way back to Cusco, where I took a much needed rest.