It's been a few weeks since I last wrote and some new things have happened . . . my friend Francoise just returned to New York after visiting for a week. Originally, I was going to go to Mollendo (a beach town near Arequipa) with my uncle Ricardo this week and then have another visitor next week, my friend Bhavna from London. But they cancelled, both Ricardo and Bhavna couldn't get off from work for their respective vacations. So here I stay in Cusco.
I'm planning to leave in 2 weeks (March 1) to head up to Ecuador for about 2 months. I have some friends from school who are also heading up there and we're hoping to splurge a little on a week long cruise to the Galapagos. Everything I've heard has been consistent, the Galapagos Islands are one of the best excursions you can take in South America. What makes the islands so great is the wildlife, which have never had natural predators so they're not afraid of humans. This means that you can see them up close and swim amongst them without a problem. The Galapagos tend to be a bit more expensive than many places down here, but we're going there off-season, so we should be able to get a little break on the price.
I've almost made it to the end of all the grammar in my Spanish lessons, which I took 3 more weeks of between Basil and Francoise's respective visits. I'm at the point where I have all the grammar crammed in my head, but I have to put it into practice so that it becomes more natural. Because of this, I've decided not to take lessons for a few weeks (I'll probably take another week up in Quito, where my school has another outpost) and just concentrate on my own study and practice with my family. This means that I have to try to read spanish-language newspapers and novels, practice speaking and writing in all the different tenses, and translate radio programs and popular music to improve my ear. My language skills are getting better, but I just have to work a little harder to be able to get closer to my dream of fluency.
Well, I'll write more in the next couple weeks before I head out on my trip and get you caught up. But for now I will conclude:
MY TRAVELS WITH BASIL, part 2
PHOTOS
After taking the bus back from Puno and our little island adventure, we arrived in Cusco at 3am, not knowing if we were going to be able to pick up again later that day, Friday, and head off to Machu Picchu. Hastily leaving behind the bus at Cusco's Terminal Terrestre and all the passengers who were going to continue to sleep on it until morning, we jumped into a taxi and returned home to catch as many zzzz's as we could.
The next day we arranged with Ricardo (who works for Peru Rail) to get evening tickets to Aguas Calientes (who's real name is Machu Picchu Pueblo) from Ollantaytambo, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas and the last stop before our destination (about an hour and a half away). We ate lunch in Cusco and jumped on a bus to Ollantaytambo. After viewing the Inca ruins there, we caught the train, arrived in Aguas Calientes, and checked into our simple-but-sufficient hotel.
We woke the next morning and ate quickly, ready to really take on our Machu Picchu adventure. We strolled down to the bus station, taking time to play with a very vivacious dog who loved to play catch with a smooth stone that it adored. The trip up the mountain is a winding road that consists of about 11 or 12 switch-backs until you finally reach the entrance gate of the ruins.
After entering, we took the first turnoff path to the left which takes you up to the Hut of the Caretaker of the Funerary Rock, which oversees the entire compound and is where all famous pictures of Machu Picchu are taken (you know the one, with the mountains rising behind the ruins). As it was the rainy season, the mist moved quickly from a valley to our left up over the mountain, obstructing the view of the ruins from time to time. It really was rather exciting to see so much mist rising and falling quickly in the valleys that surround the monument, it's one of those views that's so impressive that you really can just perch yourself up there and watch for a few hours.
We took the path down and walked through the ruins, referencing our tour book to explain all the different important components: the Ceremonial Baths, the Temple of the Sun, the Sacred Plaza, etc. Honestly, walking through ruins is interesting, but after a while it all looks the same.
The most exciting and adventurous thing that I wanted to do on this trip that I didn't have time to do three years ago was to climb the large mountain that rises up behind the main site, Huayna Picchu. It's about a 2-hour trek up and back and they make you sign in and out at the entrance gate, so that they can keep track of everyone. It isn't that dangerous, but you have to be in relatively good shape, people have been known to fall off.
The climb up is definitely taxing, at times having to hold onto rope supports on the side of the trail and climbing up steep, muddy staircases made of rock, even having to crouch through a cave at one point. Before we started up, I thought the trail only takes you to a set of ruins near the top. But you actually go all the way to the precipice of the mountain, a spectacular view with Machu Picchu below, surrounded by mist-filled valleys. We perched ourselves on our own rock slab and just enjoyed the moment before heading back down.
Having finished most of the ruins, we headed back down to Aguas Calientes, stopping for lunch at a French-Peruvian restaurant before catching our train. As my uncle Ricardo works for the company that provides food and concessions on the trains, he had a little undercover work for us. The day before, he had handed us each a $100 dollar bill and instructed us buy as much Peru-oriented merchandise on the train as we could, without asking for receipts, and then return the merchandise after our trip. Apparently, they had heard reports that some of the employees were taking the price tags off the merchandise and selling them for a few dollars more, pocketing the difference.
As this was a higher class train than the one we had taken the night before (it was the Vistadome, not the Backpacker, but certainly not as posh as the highest priced Hiram Bingham, which costs $430 round trip and must be like riding on the Orient Express), we were treated to an unexpected sight: a fashion show. Each car has a handsome pair of attendants, male and female, who, when we reached a certain plateau near the end of the trip, turned up some music (from traditional Peruvian to Madonna) and started to model various alpaca clothing. Basil and I acted the part of tourists needing to buy gifts for home and bought as much as we could with our money. I'm happy to report that the attendants in our car passed the test, providing receipts without being asked and charging us the appropriate prices.
Back in Cusco for the final day of Basil's trip, we decided to make a meal for my family. We usually have a woman who helps my grandmother make meals most days (Monday through Saturday), but Sunday is the day we need to fend for ourselves. We often take turns making a meal and this was my first time. Peruvian food typically starts with a soup and then a main course, all with some sort of complex recipe. Since moving here, I have missed the simplicity of many modern american meals (at least the ones that I make), so we decided to make one of my favorite pasta-oriented creations: angel hair pasta with garlic, tomato, basil (the herb, not the man), and olive oil with a side of steamed broccoli.
It was an experience, since we are not used to cooking for so many people, at this altitude, or without many basic american culinary instruments. We miscalculated the time it takes to boil water at an altitude of 11,000 feet. This, combined with lack of usable burners, pushed back our 1pm lunch back to 2pm. My grandmother enjoys pretty much anything that is done for her, especially if it means that she has a day off from cooking, so she enjoyed our meal. But I think my grandfather, who's used to a bit more complicated dishes, didn't seem to enjoy it that much. He didn't say anything, but I could tell. Needless to say, by the next day the steamed broccoli had been turned into some sort of broccoli salad.
Well, that's pretty much it for Basil's Peruvian adventure. The next day I went back to school and he returned to Los Angeles to start work on the re-shoots for the Will Ferrell film 'Anchorman'. His visit was short, but fun and very appreciated.
