From: Me Mac and cheese for 100..how many cans chz sauce? 2014/10/30 12:47:23PM

Final Scenes, Flights and Futbol

One last visit to San Pedro market...

Catching the World Cup at Cusco Airport

Biking the Sacred Valley and Summer Solstice Celebration

We toured part of the Sacred Valley today via bike.  We celebrated the Summer Solstice with thousands in Cusco.

Up and out early today, our pickup scheduled for 6:30am arrived a bit tardy at 7:30.  Any aggravation or frustration was short lived because we had awesome tour guides and an awesome driver.  Onward for a 90 minute drive to the Sacred Valley.

Morning Pickup.

 Quick stop for Bathroom, Snacks, and Scenery.

Ready to go in bright orange with all gear...showing Happy Lamas

Ready to go in our bright orange and full safety gear.

Lee

CJ

Chris and Abby

First Stop: Moray - Inca archaeological site - different levels create different growing conditions.

Claire, Caroline, Jackie

The last section was rather technical.  Big bumps, downhill, thin trail, and a 100 meter drop off available at all times.

Karen's up there.

The Trail ended at Salinas de Maras. Evaporation salt mines in use since Inca times.
Some lunch in the restaurant was also in order.

Rastaurant at Salina de Maras

Exploring the Salt Mine

Testing/Tasting the Salt Water

View of the salt mine from accross the valley

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The trip was not quite over we opted to visit The Chinchero District to see the natural process of coloring and making Peruvian blankets, clothing, and more.  Of course we had to buy a few items and make a donation to help preserve the traditional methods.

Chinchero color demonstration

Chinchero color demo

We were beat after the day of activities, but needed some dinner and also took in the festival in Plaza de Armas celebrating the Summer Solstice (Winter in Peru - The days will be getting longer)

The crowd was unbelievable and, as we exited the plaza, it was like a stampede.  At one point, CJ was off the ground, carried by the crowd, simply being smooshed and riding the wave.  Abby was terribly upset at the situation, the adults were anxious for safety, and Caroline could not stop expressing her thrill for how cool it was.  We broke free as the street opened up and also broke into cheers.  The crowd in front of us turned at our loud outbursts and cheered along, it was hilarious, ridiculous, and an experience for the blog.  You're not going to believe this, but the highlight is still to come.

On our way walking home (well, on our way to get dessert before actually going home) there was a street vendor selling children's music.  CJ, Claire, Caroline and Jackie began to dance to the music. The crowd making their way down Avenida El Sol started to gather and watch. Although the street vendor did not seem amused, we thought it actually promoted his product.  Anyway, have a watch.

Link:  Dancing in the Streets

Corpus Christi celebrations

Mass in Plaza de Armas

In order to receive communion, you raise your hand and push your way to the front, sustaining bumps, bruises and minor injuries. Jackie, Caroline, Annie and Lee were successful but by the time CJ, Claire, and Karen got close, the priest said, "lo siento," as he had no more to offer.

Corpus Christi festival traditional food--every vendor had the same setup

Guinea pigs

Typical platter you receive from the vendors--includes guinea pig, seaweed, sausage with potato and stomach, fish egg things, and some sort of fried corn bread. 

Yum!

After the olfactory overload, our American families squeezed into the "Highest 100% Irish Owned Pub on the Planet 11,156 ft" to watch England get squeezed by Uruguay. Chris and Annie struck up conversations with gents from the next tables--a young lad from Senegal, a Frenchman who's been traveling around S. America for 4 months, and a young German. Halfway into the match a dude wearing a tshirt with the Maryland state flag wandered in. Karen and Lee chatted with a 60 year old British woman (who currently calls Malaga home) who just finished the 4 day Inca Trail trek and claims to have had no problems with altitude sickness at all after flying from Madrid to Lima and straight to Lake Titicaca (12,000+ feet). (I say BS!) 

The elation when England scored. 

Lee -- 2 weeks without a razor

Karen with Corpus Christi sunburn 

 

Back in Cusco

We arrived back in Cusco after four days in the Jungle - Manu National Park.

The trip to Manu was incredible.  10 hour car ride to cover 175km, then a 25 minute boat trip down a river that changes names multiple times.  Our main camp, Erica Lodge, was on the Alto Madre de Dios River

Wednesday in Cusco started with breakfast at our hotel - The Kenamari. Then a walk to Plaza de Armas to see the Cathedral.
No pictures permitted inside, but we did get a shot from the smaller cathedral looking out into the square.

Plaza de Armos, Cusco - Can you find CJ?

More to come...

More Cusco (Jungle recovery day)

Corpus Christi preparations

Voter listings??

Koricancha 

Plaza de Armas and environs

The Cathedral in Cusco (in Plaza de Armas)

Inside is a reproduction of The Last Supper but in this unique version, Christ and the disciples are sharing a guinea pig and the figure of Judas strangely resembles Pizarro (the Spanish explorer who exploited and was cruel to the Incas). 

Corpus Christi mass outdoors at 10am Thursday. 

Plazas de Armas

Unnamed hole in the wall

Unnamed Restaurant - truly a hole in the wall.

Dinner at El Retablo

Jungle! Day 4

Morning shots at Camp Erica before departure:

CJ, Jackie, and Claire ready for our 7:00am departure.

Dining Hall at Camp Erica

 Boat landing at Alataya after our 40 minute trip upstream in the rain.

Boat Landing at Alataya

It rained all night so we were a little worried about getting out of the jungle. When we first left Cusco on Saturday, Jose said we could leave an hour later because "the roads are good." With all the rain and judging from the drive in, I had horrible thoughts of what "not so good" roads would be. It was a 40 minute, soggy boat ride back to Alataya where Manuel was waiting to collect us. The first obstacle was a truck stuck in the mud. No wonder when the road looks like this--

That's the dirt road we were on and on the right is where the ground/road is giving way. The red "flag" says "peligro," or Danger.

Despite the delay, Jose still had time for one last surprise--a stop at an animal rescue. 

Annie holding the baby Anaconda - That's a big deal!

The monkey liked Jackie so much that he cuddled in her arms, nibbled on her necklace, and then pooped on her shoulders. Later, a little while into our return journey we hear the following dialogue:

"I need to go to the bathroom." 

"Just go on Jackie. Everyone else does."

This wild ride back to Cusco covers all sorts of terrain. We went from humid jungle to chilly cloud forest to dry and dusty mountain regions before reaching Cusco. At times, the road is so dusty that it necessitates closing the car windows. Twisty tarmac is a huge luxury after 7 hours of twisty dirt roads. 

We are now nestled into hotel comfort, drying out and considering springing for laundry service as the jungle smell has followed us here. 

Kenamari Hotel - Cusco