The train was awesome - we had wing chairs and a table with requisite white taablecloth in a private car attached to another car with a bar and viewing region - essentially the back of the train was open to the air.
Here's Beth feeling better!
Talia starting to not feel so great... But check out the car we're in! Very chic!
Beth and I in a typical self-portrait...
The ride was incredible - riding through the Andes into the more fertile regions was absolutely gorgeous. Children were waving to the train, which only runs Wednesdays and Saturdays, some people threw rocks at us, dogs chased the train, everyone was saying "buenos dias" out the back to the people when we were going slowly enough. It was mostly high plains farmland that descended slightly into more fertile and green regions with rivers in the valleys and surrounded by the huge Andes mountains. Of course, the train company wants to milk the tourists for all they are worth, so water, which normally costs 1 sole (about 30 cents), cost 6 soles on the train. There was also live Peruvian music (tips greatly appreciated), and a fashion show of touristy overpriced alpaca goods and jewelry.
Market as seen from the train:
View from the train of the high Andean plains (pre-fertile valleys):
Making the trip even better was the three course lunch. Service was like a dance - the servers all lines up, and then served dishes or removed plates at the exact same time. A little bizarre.
And the best part of the trip was our new best friends, a couple who were seated right next to us from NYC, Justin and Tom. They have an 18-year age-difference, and act like an old married couple, and were just like us. We figured they would be alright travel companions when Tom, as he was being seated and before any introductions had been made, joked that maybe there would be a murder on this train. Anyway, we spent a wonderful and relaxing day talking with them and planning our Cusco adventures. Beth, thankfully, was feeling mucho mejor (much better) at that point, although Talia was starting to feel a bit ill... As long as I have one traveling partner I'm alright, but both girls sick? Oh no!
We arrived in Cusco with plans to meet up wtih our boys the next morning to tour the ruins above Pisac and visit their legendary outdoor market. We were picked up at the station and taken to our gorgeous and quiet hotel - only 16 rooms, the building is from the early 1600's and has been renovated. There is a large courtyard filled with flowers and trees and pottery, and our room has high ceilings and exposed beams, whitewashed walls, and three cute little beds with a total of five wool blankets on each. Thank goodness, because it gets c-o-l-d at night here!
View from outside our front door:
Two views of the courtyard of our cute hotel:
Once we settled in, we walked to the amazing Plaza de Armas (photos to follow, don't worry) and found "gringo alley," a street with so many restaurants that the pimps were going crazy trying to get us inside. Competition is good though, becaue we ended up with a three-course menu for 15 soles ($5). We each had a main course of lomo saltido (I think that's what it's called), essentially a traditional Peruvian dish of stir-friend beef with onions and other stuff, with rice. The "other stuff" in this case were papas fritas, or french fries. Interesting, and very good!
Beth is pretty much healed at this point, except for the cough and the altitude. Ditto for Talia - she's fighting getting sick very hard, and is being a trouper. By some miracle I have escaped illness, altitude or otherwise. Knock on wood.
Yesterday, again, we were up early and hired a private van to Pisac. We picked up Tom and Justin and headed out of town. We stopped to take some photos as we descended into the Sacred Valley - it is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.
View dropping into the Sacred Valley:
History lesson: The Sacred Valley is so named because the son and daughter of the two Inca gods (whose names escape me) were instructed to find the navel of the earth, where their staffs would sink to the hilt. They found that in the Sacred Valley outside of Cusco, and hence the Inca civilization was born. Cusco proper was mainly used for the religious and political leaders - most Incans were farmers and lived outside the city in the Sacred Valley.
Anyway, the SV was a lush, green high altitude valley surrounded by staggeringly high Andean peaks. AS we were driving, Justin (who speaks fluent Spanish) was quizzing the driver, and when Beth asked him to translate "What's the difference between a llama and an alpaca?" he pulled off the road at a local collective llama/alpaca farm and textile center. We were invited into the llama/alpaca pens, fed them alfalfa (which was given to us by local girls in traditional Peruvian garb), given a history lesosn on the symbolism on their clothing (WAY too much to put here), and watched how yarn was made, how weaving was done, and of course ushered into the store. 75% of all the money goes back to the local villages, and we all bought something (albeit something small, hats were $29!).
Close-up of a llama eating alfalfa - this one was certainly assertive!
Beth feeding the llamas - the beginning of the llama obsession:
We dropped into Pisac proper, then back up the hills to the ruins. We hired a private guide for 50 soles, which was amazing. We trekked through regions other tourists skipped, and got the whole story - how there were different neighborhoods, three major paths with single entryways into the regions, how the terraces were used for corn and potatoes, where the religious ceremonies were held and where the llamas were sacrificed at the moon temple (Beth didn't like that part)...
View from the top of Pisac ruins of the terraces with the Sacred Valley in the background:
Natural spring in Pisac, excellent example of Inca stonework, and although I don't have a photo, the water was guided underground at points. Also, there are two divots flanking the water, which were used as handholds...
...as Talia so thoughfully demonstrates here... (I tricked her into this photo, he he)
Pisac ruins...
More Inca stonework - check out the capstone above the door - how heavy do you think that thing must have been?
Talia and Beth in Pisac:
Excellent, excellent photo of Beth and Tom wearing their almost-matching hats:
The "Door Series" (Tom wanted a photo of each of us in this door - I am ordering these to get them framed and put them up on my wall)...
Tom:
Justin:
Beth:
Talia:
Megan:
The crew (sans Justin) with Flat Stanely (that's Eddie, our guide, on the left):
Then we spent an hour at this amazing outdoor market haggling for blankets and jewelry and such. I've never seen a shopper like Tom - he's an art dealer and had a "good year," and they have to buy another bag to fit all their stuff when they fly home. We ate corn , that had the largest kernels I've ever seen, from a local woman, then it started pouring, so back into the van it was.
Back in Cusco, Talia took a siesta and Beth and I hit the Plaza. We ate tamales from a street vendor (1/2 of 1 sole each), then found an Irish bar with English menus playing ESPN. It was all tourists - two British, one Irish, and two other Americans. We had a few beers, found Talia, and grabbed some dinner at a Chinese restaurant wth Hebrew signs on the door. Talk about mulitcultural!
Today was "sleep in day," so I'm waiting for the ladies to finish up getting ready and then we're wandering to the San Blas neighborhood, which is the artsy part with great city views. We'll hit two museums along the way and call that our culture (!), then who knows what we'll be up to this evening...
sounds like you ladies are having a great time! i'm jelouuuuuuuuus! keep up the posts, they are great and insightful. many kisses to the ladies and especially my litle sister xxoo gaby
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