Wow, completely different sleeping experience here in Cusco. No mosquito/insect bites, no mosquito nets, no a/c or fans on all night, no oppressive heat/humidity and the neighbourhood fairly quiet except for the barking dogs. I still miss the sounds of the jungle though....Of course the high today will be around 20 degrees Celsius with low humidity.
Well, I must have picked up an intestinal bug/virus as I have extreme diarrhea since 07:20 so that means no activity until I can feel better or confident I don't need a toilet nearby. No appetite either although I am thirsty. I take an Imodium but it won't help with my situation. Maybe I ate something? I have been very careful with what I drink. Hey, maybe I titled yesterday's blog "The Shit Show" incorrectly given my circumstance today? 😏
Our tentative plan for today was to make the 3 hour 15 minute one-way drive to Rainbow Mountain, but that won't be happening. Also, Lana indicated she read you need to be on a tour. I did more research to confirm you can do your own tour of Rainbow Mountain especially with your own rental car. The other name for the mountain is Vinicunca which is located in the Andes. I make a decision that 7.5 hours of driving in one day is probably not tolerable for Lana or myself. We will focus our time on the Sacred Valley of the Incas for the next three days.
Excellent map of the surrounding area of Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
This is the view from our sixth floor apartment from one of our many windows as we are in a corner suite. From flying into Cusco yesterday and seeing the views today from our apartment the city of Cusco is nestled between the hills and mountains and many people live in the steep hills.
This is our car rental. It will do the job and is all we need. You need a smaller car in this city and surrounding area given the size of the streets and roads and the way people drive here. I think Lana is pondering the meaning of life or checking for car jackers? She says she's just happy her heat stroke symptoms are dissipating and her hair is no longer frizzed out from the humidity (think Diana Ross lookalike, just not as beautiful LOL)
This is a homage to Hollywood I think?
Maybe this is Hollywood's sister city? Lana says more likely a city crest or emblem.
We attempted to find the Cosituc office which is the only place to find the Boleto Turistico passes necessary to see many attractions in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Scroll down to see a pass. Basically, it was quite a process to get the pass. The first Google Map location took us to the correct street, but the wrong number. Then we drive to another office that says it is open 7 days/week. We arrive and using our translator app, speak to the guard there who tells us we need to go back downtown--about 2 blocks from where we just were. Lana here--now normally this would be no big deal but driving in Cusco is not for the faint of heart. Rules of the road are completely different here! The car in front gets the right of way even if they race up and cut you off. People cross the road anywhere, anytime. And there's no traffic lane lines so everybody just drives wherever their car fits into. I think you get the picture. Oddly Randy's driving style fits right in here!!! Me--my heart has jumped into my chest a thousand times and there's a dent in the floor on the passenger side from me "panic braking". Good thing I haven't eaten any solid food in 4 days otherwise I would have crapped my pants.
All of what Lana says is true. We eventually on our third try find the correct office. This official office is near the Plaza de Armas but the proper 101 address. Lana has great parking karma so we again found street parking fairly close. Short walk in the sun. Got our two 10 day passes and then need to get to the car and drive to Pisaq. Incredibly busy in this Cusco neighbourhood as we gain altitude up the steep windy road. We do discover that this is the very famous Saqsaywaman ruins so full of tourists and locals given it is a Sunday. Gotta pass those slow cars...
The terrain is pretty dry although a fair amount of trees. We got away late from Cusco so I was even in more of rush. You climb quite high and then all downhill into Pisaq.
My observation about drivers in Peru: basically it is a game of chicken on the road. The more aggressive drivers (there are a lot of them) will cut out in front of you, try to force their car in and the more passive drivers just let them in. I believe the average Canadian driver wouldn't last five minutes. Sorry, but I kinda fit right in here as Lana said!
Very sunny down in the valley. Pisaq is surrounded by tremendous Andean mountains on all sides and a river flowing through the town. The roads are full of white Turistico vans usually driving slower and more careful. Gotta pass them too!
This is the entrance to the town of Pisaq (2972 metres) and provides a great map of all the destinations in and around this peaceful town located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The town is surrounded by the steep and formidable Andes mountains. Many things to see around town and above town.
This is our Boleto Turistico Pass which is required for any Sacred Valley attraction that charges an entrance fee. The cost was 130 Sol each and you need to pay in cash. You can only purchase at an official Cosituc office which are found downtown Cusco. You cannot purchase a ticket at each attraction as you must have a pass. This is a 10 day pass. The shorter 2 or 3 day passes only cover a few attractions so are of no real use. (Hole Punch for Pisaq Hilltop Citadel)
Google Maps screenshot of Cusco (at bottom) to Pisaq (top right corner) 34 kms distance and estimated 52 minutes. Given the distance and the time that shows exactly how slow the driving is with all the curves/hairpin turns in the road.
We drive through the main section of town and find a parking 'spot' on the side of the road and then walk back into the central market area. These narrow streets are full of casual and more formal stalls/shops. You will negotiate a price of course. You can buy almost anything here such as but not limited to: weavings, jewelry, rocks, gems, ponchos, clothing, hats, Andean instruments, ceramics and a wide range of gifts and souvenirs. There is another tourist area that is a distance away and on the main drag of the town, but full of traffic and noise. The central market is much quieter and peaceful and less polluted.
This is the central market area of Pisac known for its traditional Cultural products--lots of Alpaca scarves, blankets, woven items, sweaters and other trinkets for example etc.
Many stalls that look like this that sell a variety of local handicrafts. Lana admiring the colours and textures.
This woman is using a waist loom (backstrap weaving technique) to weave the hanging decorations hanging behind her. As far as we can tell these are hung in a door way. Weaver wearing traditional local clothing.
The market must get a great deal of rain fall (rainy season) because built throughout is a water gutter system to divert what would be a large amount of flow. This section had a snakehead at the beginning!
Traditional wood burning oven used to make bread, empanadas and roasted chickens. This is a huge oven and looks to be very old. They are selling cheese buns for 4 Sol each.
Up close view of the oven and fresh cheese buns flipped upside down to cool off. A regular stream of customers buying these.
Beside the humungous oven we notice a nice little eatery (Cumbres Alehouse and Eatery) that has fresh baked goods, beer and some decent food items for lunch so we decide to stop in.
Dream catcher similar to those made by Indigenous people in
Canada hanging from the ceiling and one of many in this small five table restaurant/bar.
Randy's order of a chicken burger (35 Sol). Hey, no bun! The chicken was juicy and tender and well seasoned. Fried potatoes were pretty good as well. We both ordered smoothies with different flavours and they were excellent as well. They had a very clean baño (washroom). They have a wifi, but your server takes your phone to type in the password. After being seated the server eventually shows to take our order. Five tables in total. German girls next to us. Our lunch took a minimum of sixty (60) minutes to arrive!!!!!!!!! Yup, mañana time.
Just a picture to give you an idea of the central market area narrow street and stalls/shops.
Our next destination is the famous Pisaq Hilltop Citadel which looms high on a mountain overlooking the town below. We are in a rush now given how long our lunch took and the sun will be setting soon given this is very late in the afternoon. Supposed to be a sixteen (16) minute drive and then a walk after you park your car. It is a paved road and more switchbacks and hairpin turns and nothing but white Turistico vans. The Inca citadel sits at an elevation of 3300 metres.
On arrival where you are supposed to park there must fifty white tourist vans parked and some cars. They are all over the place. We park below this chaos and I u-turn to ensure when we leave we are already facing downhill. There are so many people here and a very long line to gain entry as you must have your Boleto pass ready to be clipped. Sorry, but I wasn't sure about the long line so I walked to almost the front before I realized it was the real line and then cut in... not very Canadian of me....
By the time we continue walking uphill past the entry and past the many souvenir stalls Lana is pretty bagged with the altitude as she simply cannot breathe. She tells me to go and explore and she will wait for me. I take her cellphone as her iPhone takes much better pics. Fortunately, I again have zero problem with the elevation and race past the other tourists. We are so high above the town of Pisaq and the other valley towns below. I love these old Incan ruins and try to imagine the lives of the Inca living here many centuries ago until the Spanish conquistadors decimated the Inca population and other indigenous peoples.
I enjoy my time walking to the very top although it has become very windy and there is now a chill in the air. You have to have a sweater or a jacket now given the change in the weather. As you will see I take a lot of pictures....
First picture and it is the terraces which really dominate this citadel. Lots of food for the Incan population who lived here. They were masters of their domain...
View from a path above the terraces and looking towards another tall mountain.
Yup, we aren't the only tourists up here! This would be a key part of the Hilltop Citadel.
Just to give you an idea of the fine artisan work building these walls at the citadel.
Stairwells, walls, flat spots and all many hundreds of years old and built by the Incas.
I went down below the citadel and to the side to get a view upwards. Impossible not to have other tourists in these pictures. Lots of tour guides leading many groups.
OK, it is late and time to head home. The drive back to Cusco is exactly the same. Lots of passing slower cars, trucks and white tourist vans. Funny, no cars ever pass me! 😏
Some idea of the twisty windy road that goes over the mountains and then down the other side.
You can't make this stuff up!
Lana has done her research and is keen to have something to eat for dinner tonight. We make the relatively short drive to Pizzeria Las Rockas. It is really late by the time we arrive at this pizzeria and it is on the second floor. We are thinking we can grab a quick pizza and take it home to eat. Wow, how foolish of us! This is our second mañana experience of the day with food. After we ordered from the super friendly server it took 45 minutes to arrive! We are talking a Pepperoni pizza and two bottles of bottled water. About five minutes before it was ready the server brought over some complimentary garlic bread pieces which were much appreciated. It still never made up for the extreme wait for a pizza though.
It was a hip place to wait as they played 80's rock videos. Murals on the wall of famous rock and roll guitarists. Friendly and personable staff. When we got home it was around 21:15 which is very late for us to be eating dinner.
As you can see not the greatest neighbourhood, but we found parking across the street.
Wood fired oven so that was a great start to being a good pizzeria.
The trusty Inca Kola which we are learning to enjoy. You can find this everywhere in Peru. The reason Lana took this picture is this is a glass bottle! Not very safe and no longer allowed in many countries so surprising to see still used here.
I don't want to be seen as insulting the city of Cusco or the country of Peru, but this neighbourhood was another example of garbage being simply tossed into huge piles on the side of the road. Does it ever get picked up? At least it must provide a source of food for the thousands of stray dogs roaming the neighbourhoods. In our neighbourhood around 20:00 the barking starts.
For the day my watch records 6800 steps and 20 floors so a pretty active day. The elevation gains recorded by floors doesn't give credit for the much more difficult physical strain at altitude. I enjoyed the day as I got to spend more time on and around Incan ruins! Lana's knee not doing too bad either.
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