It is Easter Sunday.  We make our way to Plaza de Armas.  The Cathedral is a very busy place this morning.  Leslie, Greg and I went into the Cathedral to see the inside.  As Stu was wearing shorts, he was not allowed to enter.

People in traditional dress are congregating in the Plaza.

The other fancy church at the edge of the Plaza.  The construction of this church caused a controversy at the time as the Archbishop felt that the Cathederal should be the grandest church.  The Pope was involved and sided with the Cathederal, but since there was no email, by the time the message arrived in Cusco, the new church was almost finished.

This is the fountain in the Plaza.  It is Inca Pachacutec an Incan Emperor.

Here are some of the other boys hanging in the Plaza.

There are some street performers putting on a show near by.  Here they are tossing one of their group into the air.

After lunch we head for a walk into a Barrio above our hotel.  Trying to regain some stamina.  At the top of one flight of steps we see this carving.  I am not sure of the significance of the number 7 in the angels hand.

At the top (at least the top for us 😉 )  We have an amazing view of Cusco.

Heading back down a lot of steps.

This is from the bottom.

This is Cusco’s answer to the Love Lock fence.  One Lock 😉

We come across these 2 vans at the bottom of the hill.  They are selling crafts and have signs indicating they are on their way to Alaska!

Another great day!!

We have tickets on the Andean Explorer for today.  This is a Peru Rail train that travels between Puno and Cusco.  It is a throwback to the Orient Express.

There are 3 passenger cars that have a capacity of 35 passengers each.  Our car still has a few empty seats, so we are guessing that there are less than 100 passengers on the train.

It is very posh 😉 .  There are very helpful and professional staff on board.

There is an observation/bar car at the end of the train.  As you can see there are lots of windows and the end of the car is open.

In this car they have local entertainment.  Musicians and folk dancers perform for us.

After the first round of entertainment,  it is time for lunch.  This is the appetizer, Smoked trout on a Quinoa Blintz with creme fresh and a caper sauce.

The main course for us is Beef Bourguignon.  Leslie is having a Quinoa dish that is described as risotto like.  This is accompanied with our choice of a very nice red or white wine.

Of course there is dessert!  Chocolate mouse.

A toast to a wonderful journey!

We head back to the Observation Car for some fresh air and scenery.

More from the last car.

Looking out the back down the tracks.

We pass some small towns with their markets right along the tracks.  Anything you might want!

Next thing we know it is Tea Time.  More tasty food.

About 6:30 after over 10 hours we arrive in the Imperial City of Cusco.  What a wonderful experience.  As we were spending time in the Observation Car we had lots of local children running to wave at us with huge grins.  A few were not as friendly, we did see at least one tongue sticking out at us.  Oh well, you can’t please them all.

I spend most of the morning catching up on TheTravellingFish.

After I am done I wander about Puno and find this Good Friday procession around Plaza de Armas.

As the procession turns the corner they head towards the Cathedral where they eventually carry the crucifix inside.

I need to find something that I would like to eat.  Nothing much is appealing.  I come to a restaurant where we enjoyed lunch the other day.  They have a very nice patio and frozen lemonade that is appealing.  I order the lemonade and coca and muna tea that is supposed to be helpful for altitude sickness.  I enjoyed both beverages at the same time.  🙂  I ordered another of each and a bowl of tomato soup.  That rounded out my lunch.

Feeling better now.

Still feeling a bit rocky, I have decided not to go on the all day tour to the floating Island of Uros and the island of Taquile.

The people of Uros are called Kolla people.  They live on islands made of buoyant reeds and welcome tourists to their homes gladly.

Here are some of the boats constructed of reeds as well as their homes.  They cover the ground with multiple layers of reed mats.

These boats do resemble inflatable boats that we may have in North America, but they are constructed entirely of reeds.

Another closer shot of the boats  🙂  Quite amazing actually.

These are some of the men weaving the reeds.

You rarely see a child in Peru without a hat.  These children are not unlike any children, except for their dress and that they live on a floating island.  They still like to play with dolls.  😉

This is a look at part of the island community.

Then they were off to Taquile.  As it turns out I could probably have done the Uros Island portion and I am quite disappointed that I missed this interesting place.  The journey to Taquile is over 2 hours out and again over 2 hours back.  This is what would have done me in.

This island is in Lake Titicaca and has some beautiful views.

This island is apparently thriving with it’s plentiful agriculture.

I am feeling better this morning.  After sleeping most of yesterday I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to sleep last night.  Wrong.  Out like a light again!!

After a bit of breakfast we all went for a walk.  The street that our hotel is on is being repaired a couple of blocks away, so we make a left turn and find ourselves at the bottom of another big stairway.  I am not strong enough for this today, so Leslie and I opt to walk toward the lake while Stu and Greg head up the stairs.  Ironmen!!!

From their walk they see this other monument that we think is of a Puma.  There might be a Snake one as well as the Condor, the Puma and the Snake are considered the Inca Trinity.

Another view of the city from above.

Leslie and I find ourselves at the lake and walk along walkway where we see a herd of sheep walking through the city.  Stu and Greg are on their way down at the other end of the lagoon and see them as well.

We are going on a tour of Sillustani this afternoon.  I am going, but will reserve the right to stay with the bus if the sights are too far for me.

Sillustani was  cemetery built in the 8th century by a civilization that occupied the area before the Incas.  The people known as Kolla people created huge burial towers for the Chiefs and Priests.

The site is quite a way so I am staying in the staging area and watch as the group heads off.

Down in my area there is this cute little guy.  He is an Alpaca.  Such a cute face!

Here are some new adobe bricks drying in the sun.  The structure behind is recently constructed from these bricks.

From up on the hill Stu has taken this shot of one of the burial towers.  Those are people standing to the left so you can see the scale of them.

Down below a herd of Llamas and Alpacas with marsh land behind.

Here is a closer view of one of the towers.

There is also a lake up there.  It looks pretty big.

Great shot of the Ross’s here!

Here is Stu back from the mount!

On our way back to Puno we stop in at a little homestead, I guess you would call it.  We noticed on the way here many little compounds along the road.  They are surrounded by walls and have many little buildings.  They are very well kept and the owners are obviously proud of them,  (which is not something we have seen a lot of).  They remind us of Hobbit Houses.

The people here have a great respect for the Bull.  They are placed on top of the entrance gate, sometimes on the tops of the roofs.

This is a different species of Alpaca.  It is called Alpaca Suri.  It has long wool that looks like dreadlocks.  Our tour guide Omar from the other day called them Bob Marley Alpacas!

One of the main crops in this area is Quinoa.  Here they are displaying different types of Quinoa and some other crops they depend on in this area.

After this stop we are on the road back to Puno.   We are planning a full day tour to the Islands of Uros and Tortora tomorrow.  As it happens I am sick again, so decide that I will stay back and catch up on the blog and rest.  This sucks!

Hopefully the drop of almost 500 meters when we get to Cuzco will help me feel better.  Stu and I are looking at alternatives for the Inca Trail at this point.  Day 2 is a tough day, but the way I feel now I don’t think I can manage Day 1.  There are a couple of different options we can explore when we arrive in Cuzco.

One day at a time!!

Well well, it seems that I have altitude sickness.  After a Happy Hour of Coca tea and an early night.  I had a bad night slight headache, and vomiting.    Not fun!!

I spent the day in bed and slept most of it.  Here are some highlights from Stu, Greg and Leslie’s day.  🙁  So sad I missed it.

They decided to walk towards a large condor viewpoint or Mirador that we have seen from down in the city and at the lake shore.  I did mention the hills before.  Here is another example.

They reached the bottom of the monument and couldn’t see anything from here, so decided to walk up a bit.

They come to this sign telling them how far it is.  This does not however, tell them how many steps up it is.

Yeooza!!  That’s a lot of steps!!  Makes me queasy even looking at it now.

From what I hear, there are platforms with benches every so often, so a nice spot for a rest before continuing on up.

The view is obviously worth the effort.

This is the Condor at the end of trek, with Greg and Leslie.

Quite a structure!!

On the way back down you can see the nice little plazas along the way.

Very proud of these guys for this effort.   This climb was about 200 meters, about half of day 1 of the Inca Trail.  I wish I could have joined them.  But best to take care of myself.

We woke up refreshed after our long travel day yesterday.  We are at 3,800 meters or 12,550 feet above sea level here.  This will be the highest we go except for a pass on the Inca Trail that is 4,200 meters or 13,776 feet.

After breakfast we wander around to see the city.  This recycle bin is one of the first things we see.  Very nice to see it and that it is being used!

Not long after we see this sign.  The spelling isn’t 100% and we aren’t sure where the store even is 😉

We come to the square that is very close to our hotel.  The dress of the people here is quite different than in Cabanaconde and Chivay.

The ladies wear these odd little bowler type hats.  We aren’t sure how they stay on sometimes as they can be quite tiny.  The braids are adorned with what appear to be woolen tassels.  They also wear very full skirts and we assume underskirts or crinolines that make them appear very very wide.

Here are a couple of other ladies hanging around the park.

We find this Cathederal across from the Plaza de Armas.  We have discovered that most towns have a Plaza de Armas.  It translates to Parade Square.

While there Leslie and I do a little shopping with this lady.  We are sporting our new head gear.  Prices here are very reasonable.  10 Soles for these hats ($4 CAD).

We hear marching band music and find that a parade is coming.  So we stop to see what this one is all about.

It is all about Tuberculosis awareness.  It seems that TB is a big problem in Peru.  Nicole, this photo is for you.  This is the lab folks.  This guy is carrying a Styrofoam microscope!!

Many of the streets here are one way for vehicles.  The problem is when there is a light controlled intersection they place the lights so that only the cars can see.  So if you are walking against the flow of traffic you will never know which way has a green light.

We make our way down Ave Titicaca to the Lake.  Here we see many paddle boats, but with some different takes on the characters.  Here is a pelican.

This is some kind of dragon???

 Here are the day trip boats that take you out to the floating islands.  Lots in port today which tells us that it is really the slow season  Behind the boats you can see a white building on the island.  This is a 5 start hotel.  Prices are about $140 CAD per night.  Not too bad  😉

Stu and Lake Titicaca.

In the afternoon Stu decides to go for a walk and climbs up this hill.  No easy feat at any altitude, very difficult at this one!!  Kind of like San Francisco??

Time for Happy Hour.  Apparently alcohol worsens the affects of the altitude, so this what Happy Hour is today.  No Pisco Sours, No Beer, TEA!!  This is Coca and another herb that I forget the name of.  It looks a lot Thyme.

Coca Tea for Leslie and Cinnamon and Clove for Greg.

After dinner we get back to our hotel for another early night.

This is a short post for this day.  It was a long bus day with not much of interest happening.

Quechua is an Amerind language with about 8 million people in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Argentina. Quechua was the language of the Inca empire which was destroyed by the Spanish in the 16th century.

We checked out of our Hotel the Kuntur Wasi, which I have since learned  is “Condor House” in Quechua.  They present each one of us with a Diploma of Honor for visiting the Colca Canyon which they claim is the deepest in the world.  I have read that it is the second deepest.  But oh well 😉

We make a stop at lake that has flamingos.  I take this photo from the bus.  If you click and make it large you can see some light coloured birds, they are the flamingos.  There are dark ones that I believe are ducks and some type of gull.  Too blustery out there for me.

Stu and I started our walk a bit after Greg and Leslie today.  We are trying to balance giving our bodies time to get used to less oxygen with keeping ourselves fit.  We are heading up to the ruined church on the hill.  We see these piglets in a sty shortly after we start up.

As we walk these two guys are look down at at us, very interested.

We are on the way to the ruined church in the background.  A couple of crosses and doors into nothing any longer.

This is the view of the town square from our trail.

Here is my ecology rant.  We move off of the main trail to the church to look over the valley.  A very beautiful valley.  There, not for the first time or the last time I see a discarded empty plastic bottle marring the landscape.  It may be careless tourists or it may be careless locals, no way to tell.  The beauty of the background is spoiled by the trash we see.

We reach the top of the hill.  Stu declares he is at the top of the world.  We have a lot longer to go in 10 days!!

This is the view of Cabanaconde from the top.  Not a very large community.

Over to the left you can see the rim of Colca Canyon.

This is the proof that I made to the top of this hill 😉 .

Down below us is a bull ring,  We don’t know how often it is used today, but we did see horses and cattle inside today eating the grass.  No need for groundskeepers.

We are now walking towards Colca Canyon.  The path at times is very difficult.  More like a dried river bed.  Lots of rocks.

We reach the rim of canyon and Stu walks out to the viewpoint to look down on the Oasis 1,200 meters below.

The trail head is below me.  There are a few hikers making the decent into the canyon on the path below..

This is me at the edge of the canyon

And Stu at the edge of the canyon.

At the bottom of the canyon is Sangalle Oasis.  You can stay here overnight, or just pay them 5 soles ($2 CAD) for the day to use the pools and facilities and start the ascent of 1200 meters later in the day when it is cooler.

This shows the Oasis in the context of the canyon.

Sitting at the edge of the world.

Making our way back the trail is still difficult with the large stones on the path.

This is our room at Kuntur Wasi.  That is a big rock in the corner.  The hotel is built on the hillside, so the rock is part of that ;).

We were to be picked up at our hotel around 7 am.  After past experience we weren’t really expecting them until 7:30.  We meet for breakfast at 6:15 and are finishing up, bathroom breaks etc. when at 6:50 a guy comes through the door saying “Gregory”, “Leslie”, “Patricia”, “Stuart”.  I say “Si”, “Si”, “Si”, “Si” and then he says “vámonos” (Let’s go).

I knock on the bathroom doors to gather the troops.  The driver helps carry our bags and piles them inside the bus, near the door and on one of the single seats and points to a few random seats that we can use.  We are a bit confused as the bus is empty, but does have some things on most of the other seats.  He drives to a Hostel where we pick up more people.  Some from Canada.  It turns out that these people are taking the tour that leaves from Arequipa at 3:00 am.  They were dropped off for breakfast while the driver went to pick us up.

Shortly we are on the road to Cabanaconde.

In about an hour we stop at Cruz Del Condor or Condor’s Cross.  This is an area where the condors are known to congregate to soar on the thermals.  We have heard that sometimes when people stop they are unlucky and do not spot any condors.  Not so for us!!

We were very fortunate today, along with about 30 other bus loads of people.  🙂  Lots of spots for everyone.  Here is a close up of one fellow.  They are not very attractive are they??

This is him a little farther back.  Not attractive but very impressive!!

Stu captured these trying to decide if they were going to take off or not.

This one was just soaring on the thermals.  More attractive in this position 🙂

Here is a photo of the canyon.  Very beautiful!  The terrain is sooo different here than it was in Paracas and Nazca.

The ladies are here too selling their wares.  Alpaca and Baby Alpaca hats, scarves, gloves, sweaters and anything else you can knit!

Here is Stu and I with the Colca Canyon behind us.

We arrive in Cabanaconde before 10 am.  It is even smaller than Chivay.  Elevation at little less at 3,287 meters and a population of about 2,700 according to my Lonely Planet guide book.

This is the main square.  As in most of the little towns we have stayed in it is very well maintained.  The gardens well kept and litter is cleaned up quickly.  The center of the fountain is a condor atop a conical shape that I believe is representing a snow capped volcano.

This is the view of the town from atop a hill with a ruin of a small church.  Our hotel is the one with the orange roof on the right.

Here is Leslie and I coming out of the restaurant where we had lunch today.  “Sopa de Mote” and bottled water.  We are not sure what the translation of the soup was, but it was a large bowl tasty broth with a lot of the local corn, carrots and onions, with a large chunk of potato, squash and beef.  Oh yeah, some sort of greens as well.  Price for 2 Sopa’s and 1 bottle of water 12 Soles, about $5.00 CAD.  🙂

It looks like we could stay here.  The sign is already for us!!  Just have to get the key.

After lunch we walk out to a lookout of the Colca Canyon.  Stunning views.  Cabanaconde is the starting and ending point for Colca Canyon Treks.  There are 3 day / 2 night packages.  Generally they take 2 days to climb down to the bottom to stay at Sangalle Oasis.  Day 3 is a 3 hour , 1,200 meter uphill trek back up to the top.

An edge of the Canyon shot of Greg and Leslie.

and of of us as some clouds are rolling in, which seems to be a daily occurrence in the mountains.

We went for dinner at a hostel just off the main square.  French was the predominant language.  Our order taker was from Leon, France and it seemed like most of the hostel guests were from France as well.  We had a little language confusion between Margarita Pizza and garlic bread (hard to believe , but you had to be there 🙂 ) but we enjoyed our meal.