After over one month in Peru I figured it was time to go on a tourist tour of the Inca Sacred
Valley...what a disappointment! If you ever come, don't take tour buses, take private tours: they're worth the few extra bucks (and I know a good tour guide). Simone and I left yesterday morning around 8:30 and in the typical orgnized travel style by 1:30 pm we had seen a market and had lunch. Later in the day we saw Ollantaytambo, an Inca temple for the Sun, with a guide giving us less information than a cheap guidebook, and a church in Chinchero and Inca walls we were told nothing about. Hopefully part of our tour will be reimboursed because we didn't even enter the archaeological sites in Pisac, Q'enqo and others, and Wednesday we should go and see the rest.
Valley...what a disappointment! If you ever come, don't take tour buses, take private tours: they're worth the few extra bucks (and I know a good tour guide). Simone and I left yesterday morning around 8:30 and in the typical orgnized travel style by 1:30 pm we had seen a market and had lunch. Later in the day we saw Ollantaytambo, an Inca temple for the Sun, with a guide giving us less information than a cheap guidebook, and a church in Chinchero and Inca walls we were told nothing about. Hopefully part of our tour will be reimboursed because we didn't even enter the archaeological sites in Pisac, Q'enqo and others, and Wednesday we should go and see the rest.Overall I've been living the tourist life in the last few days, going out to eat, exploring the barrio San Blas in Cusco, which is beautiful, and walking around. I even went to Mama Africa, the most famous gringo club in town, with Simone. It's kida cool, packed with gringos and bricheras (Simone wouldn't believe the beautiful Peruvian woman with the navel-deep shirt cut aiming for the old guy is a brichera!). My search for an interesting gringuito is not working, probably because I never go out in Cusco--except with Simone, who to his (and my) desperation obviously looked like my boyfriend. I had a strong "London-missage" moment yesterday when the two guys from London on the Sacred Valley tour pulled out an umbrella when it started raining! The hilariousness of the scene is probably not obvious to you, but definitely was to all Peruvians and people living here!
Saturday was Corn Fest in Huayllabamba, the world capital of corn. We planned to leave Cusco at 10 and left at 12:30. PST, i guess (Peruvian Standard Time). Geoff, Maria's husband, told me he'll never get used to it: I hope I won't either, as much as I can appreciate diversity I want to keep considering a 2 hour delay a lack of respect to the person waiting for me. I am normally late, but sometimes I miss the British punctuality.
We eventually made it to Huayllabamba, too late for lunch at Rosa's, church, and the festival in Urquillos. Anyway we made it to the festival in Huayllabamba, where people from all the communities were performing the traditional dances in traditional dresses (pics coming soon). Really interesting! Simone and I were the only gringos there, quite different from the organized tour of the Valley.Tomorrow morning I am meeting the Mayor to clarify the Andean product project issues, I'm gonna need strength...
1 comment:
Good luck with your meeting and may patience be your virtue!
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