Sexy waman in the Sacred Valley

WOOOOOOW...!!!! That does not even half describe the view of the Urubamba river snaking it's way through through sacred Valley and ending up in Macchu Pichu...

It's truly stunning, totally serene and the valley looks untouched by all else that goes on above.

This was on our way to Pisaq for the afternoon...
Inka traditions are of course very present in this area..the terraced farming of potatoes and miaize

The drive down the windy roads was pretty uneventful...and Mlevi had no idea what was in store in the little town of Pisaq

Like all the towns of a certain era, the streets are narrow, but what is evident here, is the use of wood for the windows and terraces....

El mercado was really the aim...This was Mlevis' first traditional style market...although there were lots of tourists...Pisaq market had the usual colorful and exciting wares...for those from afar

After delighting our eyes and emptying our purses...Mlevi thought it a good idea to support the local muchachas

and ninos.....

who pose happily with their baby goats and new born puppies....(observe photos)for a few soles....shrewd they are....but sooooooo cute

The food market was just as exciting... full of color, noise, people....most important that the senoritas are always bonitas in their hats/sombreros....hats here are big....the heat...style...?

after gorging ourselves with giant boiled maize... which was a bit of a problem as we had packed a lovely chicken salad picnic.... we headed back
nonetheless....we bought some beer and freshly made rustic bread to go along with the meal....the Pilsner beer is a massive one......2 litters....not too much for Mlevi and the entourage though




The Picnic was on the way side before the last stop at SAQSAYWAMAN.....pronounced close to sexy woman....

At this point of Sexy womanis the Cristo Blanco....given by the Palestinians to Cusco for having welcomed them to the community....(my camera batt died....so no images....unless my mate can sambas from his lot)

If you observe the picture you will see the main Cathedral in Cusco at Placa de armas....and I discovered during my subsequent tour of the church next day, that during the inka time...there was tunnel from there up to the Saqsaywaman

...wow... maybe some Inka had a date there quite often with a SEXY WAMAN?

Apart from that, Mlevi finally had a good sample of the local pubs.... At the Leks and Mama Africa, both had great music.....and despite several Pisco sours....mlevi felt great the following day...thus proving the theory that PISCO SOUR leaves no Hang Over....

but I had not done my H/work.... but

on the other hand, I had a 15 minute conversation with the taxi driver today....and managed to ask for chewing gum...
si in spanish.....

Off for my first Salsa Class today...and booked a trip to Lake TITICACA......

the HIGHEST LAKE IN THE WORLD.......

BELLY Button of the Earth

Now that the shock of finding out that Cusco is extremely cold, and have my poncho,hot water bottle and my nose is almost dry, my first 20hours of intense spanish classes are over, I can get on with

settling down to la vida in this city embedded in mountains....right at the centre of the earth

]

To keep fit, Mlevi takes a brisk half hour walk to school, and mostly a climby walk...now I know why I spent the last decade playing golf...so that I would be fit to walk around Cusco...
on the walk to school, quite often the ninos are being fed a breakfast of papes (potatoes) and quail eggs (on the street) before entering the school gates....
The matatus....and these are what kenyan mats were 10 yrs back...have chicas(chicks) for touts...and they shout and do a good job too.
Lots of traffic cops are chicas too... Must say for the amount of traffic..lots of little old cars running around, it's very well controlled... The little taxis (equivalent to piki pikis) are excellent, pick and drop you off from anywhere....transport here is very reasonable in price.

School is another story...not easy being a student again, and enduring 4 hours of intense learning from an enthusiastic teacher...and you are frozen solid..The first sentence la professora emphasized was how to buy "sanitary towels"....did not want to disappoint by telling her that was a phrase I would probably never use...

Afternoons are spent wondering around the city before lunch...prepared by my lovely hosts...the food here is fresh and my hostess cooks very well...I look forward to my lunch as this is the only proper meal, that I'm fed....good for shaking off the kilos..otherwise fresh bread, cheese, butter, fruit or soup for dinner...

I have rediscovered with delight fruits that I had long forgotten about, such as the custard apples...here they are massive....and tasty. Also enjoying a host of other new fruits

My new family is very international...at the dinner table..we move from Spanish, French, German and English...I struggle to keep up with the Spanish...but can now understand 50%, after a week or so....

Missing in the picture are my hostess, Sara...in the kitchen making fresh Star fruit juice, and Tom the swiss doctor/pilot who left at 5am for a weekend at a hot water spa....(good luck to him, cause, it's freezing there and he will be in a tent....!!!!)
In the picture at the head of table is the senora de la casa, Abel...who insists we speak Spanish at table, and Carl, the German English teacher..then there is Florita...helps with cleaning and cooking and my new best friend Chicho...barks at his own reflection from the cooker.....

Well for a typical experience, my hosts and I left in search of Padre Giovanni...the drive was scary...the common taxi...driver guy really had his foot on the accelerator....and it's all windy and hilly.....Before I left, when I joked that it would be ironic to be ran over by a mat in Peru...I now think it was a premonition....there is every chance, that it can happen...
None the less, I put my life in the driver's foot and settled back to enjoy the mountains and lagunas that we drove through....I simply basked in their beauty....
Oh! and not to miss the next sol(shilling), the taxi carries a guy in the boot...has a mattress though and open to the back seat...so not too bad...the guy just lay back and ate his banana

Padre Giovanni was away in Italy...the set up is lovely...at the foot of more mountains and lots of boys learning life skills..very organized...Chances are that if am to get involved, it will be with the muchachas...will follow up with this road to sainthood.

Coming back, I could have been easily on a bus from Kakamega to Khwisero....crowded as standing than sitting ...and you hang on to you possessions with your life....my hostess kept reminding me to hide my jewelry....yea....felt right at home....except the music was all salsa....

Finally much as it may look warm with blue skies...Cusco is in the Andean region of Peru (it snows in parts of this region) it's freezin unlike Lima which is on the Coastal region and it's warm

If ever planning a trip to Cusco...






THINK FREEEEEEEEZING.....

MLEVI MIGHT HAVE TO CHANGE THE NAME MLEVI...CAUSE HAVE NOT INDULGED IN ANY MLEVI HABITS SINCE I GOT HERE....MAYBE CHANGE TO SANTA....LOL

CHARMING CUSCO

Landing in cusco was quite dramatic.....the plane suddenly dropped into a passage between the mountains to access the airport!!! Mlevi was slightly alarmed, but as no one else reacted...well, I let it pass

Enter misinformed mlevi, with all her african summer clothes and pati patis....shock on me....Cusco is freezing cold and in full winter mode at the moment!!!

I WONDER WHERE THESE MISINFORMERS GET THEIR INFO.....Did they never wonder why people here wear ponchos.....neither did Mlevi...Now am wiser

They are now trying to misinform mlevi that coca tea which is the only remedy for an altitiude of 3400mtrs above SL is a drug that is addictive....nonsense...I'm drinking tons daily...and loving it. The altitude takes a lot of getting used to..mlevi can't stay awake in class..poooor teacher...having such a student...who also never does HW as it's too cold to keep hands out

Arriving at my new home was very happy to meet my hosts...lovely couple, great cuisine and met my new best friend..charming little fella

Accommodation is very, very simple...must add this...strange for mlevi...loo paper must never, ever be discarded in loo.....yes even after that one.......!!!! took me 3 days to accept....One thing for sure, I will come back thiner...fed only one meal a day....

Cusco town is like Zanzibar, I guess both being from ancient times...but alot more charming, rich in cultures and delights...I can fully understand why the place is teeming with tourists...lots of local people too.

The cuisine too is great, alot of natural foods, and fruits(10 times larger than what mlevi normally sees...and not GM) ....

and restaurants to serve you just about anything you may fancy.







Now full of cold and a running nose..had to go and get kitted out to survive the weather...a visit to a nearby market with my lovely hostess... was most exciting...the fabrics, colors, artifacts...where do you stop....

Well we stopped when the soles (local money) ran out and when a muchacha followed us(half an hour after purchasing at her stall...) claiming mlevi had given her a fake note...she ..followed us all round the market....Mlevi had been warned of these sly persons and refused to give in to her pleas...

Well...now that I know my way around a bit, and on the look out for problematic people, am so looking forward to my lessons and the delights of the city of Cusco..

before venturing into the jungle, Inka ruins,lakes and oh yes working with the poor children and the Italian Padre Giovanni...oh and to ride on a Llama!!!!

Pictorial Lima

Lima indeed the city of Viceroys

President of Peru lives in this hood...

Entre 3rd world set up

view from Miraflores, Happy people of Brocca and tall Peruvians

CULINARY AND MLEVI DELIGHTS...PISCO SOUR IN GLASS...LEAVES NO HANG OVER

..

WILL THE REAL INK A SMILE...

AND FINALLY....GUESS WHO RULES.....!!!!????

SAINTS AND.....

CUSCO, A STROY FOR MANYNANA

of Stars and Saints

Lima..city full of life and energy

Miraflora modern area, full of life, shoppers, entertaiment..one such was a dance only where the wazee were getting down, apparently thye can come without a partner and find one...talking 70+...how cool is that!!!

and Lacomer...beautiful right on the ocean, more like a pier side mall...but could be anywhere, apart from the stunning hills across

Happy people in Brocca:charming place by the ocean...where a collection of rather happy and high artists sell most beautiful jewellary...pity I didn,t get a photo, but got jewellery, a kiss and lots of attention, seein I was from Africa....sooooo far away they thought...

There is a bridge, next to the Bucca Grande statue, where your wish comes true if you can hold your breath for the lenghth of the bridge as you wish....I held my breath...
the buildings have charming wooden windows and balconies...and it not unusual to find a musician playing to group a top a hill with a wishing well

Finally tasted Pisco sour....rather strong...more like a gin...only this is made of distilled grapes...lemon, agusturo and egg white....most important mlevi was informed...you do not get a hangover....
The local beer cusceña, not to bad

After the drink in Pizza street....(and believe or not here I did see a tall Peruvian...photographic evidence to follow(PETF) once am technologiacally sorted)
my guide took me to a most charming resto....from the phallic symbols...it was clearly Inca....
The food was a lovely display and great to taste...my guide had cow heart....no bad I tasted...this is the creole/African contribution to Peruvian cuisine....the slaves could only eat the part of the animal that the masters didn´t want...guess who´s had the fun though...Now ironically,the master and tourist are paying loads to eat what was thrown to the...

Going back to the hotel, I believe this woman, and Maradonna, was either loopy, or else she rans around with her own ideas of angels...she said I was an angel, where upon she bequethed me pendants of our lady of Gaudeloupe, Rosa Maria de Lima and San Martin de Porres(first black ...Mullato saint, born in Lima)...

Talking of Mulatto..this America couple asked me if I had heard of their President....after I answered them I was from Kenya......
I could only think of one word.....duhhhhh

Bact to the stroy...I have been suspecting that Mlevi had very angelic qualities...
anyway so the lady gave me the contact of an Italian Padre in Cusco....(she saw that as a big sign...seeing am going over there kesho)
who workes with the poorest children of the 3rd world...and so will I according to Señora loopy....could this be the road to saint hood for mlevi...???
So off I went to San Domingo Church(PETF) on Sunday moring to seek inspiration...This church is the home San Martin and most magnificent
Earlier I had been propostioned by Paul Marcatney(look alike), (Juluis) Ceaser the doorman...who was ready to take me dancing...my first contact was Jesus (pronunced Hesus) and my guide was (king )Artur....
Gals what are you waiting for....plenty of action this end

Cute: the traffic lights show you how much time you have to dash or saunter across the road...neat

Confusing: The driver seat is on the left,and they drive on the left....I mean, I have no trouble crossing the street...or am I just confused......

Useless information:
You see a lot of people polishing their shoes...

Dogs across the bridge

Waking up to a chilly and very grey saturday morning...and i had been told it was a very hot city...Actually I like it very much like this....

Thinking back to my walk yesterday across the city and over the bridge across the highway, and fast flowing river...again a feeling of like rushing by (as on the plane to Lima, the matatus) fast and furious, will crush you, if you don´t adapt to the rythme

The armed police presence was rather intimidating (i would havwe liked to take a photos with them...lol!!!)
Now I know for sure they were guarding the inner city from...the poor and drunk people on the other side.......

Well when I did cross to the otherside, now, I´m told, it´s very dangerous there... the residents there  can be agressive...I guess they were just too shocked to react to me.

An old guy did try to follow me....luckily I did not understand what he kept saying.

Oh!!!! and the number od stray dogs.....but they looked happy, they could cross the bridge at will, being a stray dog comes with it´s benenfits

The biggest frustration was trying to buy a sim card....one person in all could speak some English....well my problem, not theirs...

Today  I shall go east of the hotel, towards the beach....Miraflora...i have the hotel waiter as  a guide, so hopefully, should see some authentic stuff.

My date with the Mexican bounced again....I keep falling a sleep by 7.30 and waking up at 3.30am....body clock still adjusting to 8 hour difference

looking for Royalty

Wow, finaly there

Needless to say I was the only black tall person, from on the Ams-Lima flight...

Something alarmed me about the crowd.....massive..god knows about 700 on the plane..I could sense a certian, urgency, high alert mode...amongst the people
that gave me an insight of things to come
The traffic, hootin, whistle blowing, matatus, oh and loud constant talkin....wow....reminded me of Nigeria

The hotel and the people, very nice

First day and second...overcast most morning, the noise from the traffic, as am in CBD, is constant.
Managed to shop, browse with only a smile and a nod to communicate...cool... kinda nice to hear salsa around the shops

BTW,this is for the chicks readin....women here do not have POTS......must find out if it´s surgery or what????

This morning´s walk more revealing...beautiful buildings...colonial from the spanish kings...so I went off to throw myself back into history and get the sense of things then..
Felt pretty much like old portuguese conquereors and the mulatoos....(how would I know!!!???)

Plenty of armed police presence and stray, but happy dogs....

Looking forward to a night out in Lima..the food and the music

My spanish getting there...photos to follow shortly