TOURISTS...feel sorry for one next time..... I do

....after the Tipon trek....

it has been round and about Cuzco now seeing the city through the eyes of a local...
after 6 weeks...one quite isn't a tourist is one?
Well i'm still tagged one each time I go to the tourist area....people peddling all the time...it's the peak tourist season


Even when Mlevi...
BTW...am dropping that name....as I'm no longer worthy of it.... 1 beer a week does not do the name proud....

...goes to the non tourist areas....always a target....maybe even worse

The first one that really got me was the visit to

San Pedro market...

a few blocks from my new home....

I decided to buy some nuts...almonds, brazil, raisins...to keep up my healthy eating...
after agreeing to the price in my now reasonable spanish...after the nuts were tasted and packed away, the mami(market lady ) doubled the price....!!!!!

Not amused, I paid up and thought...now am wiser....
buying fruit should be straight forward....price agreed, paid and off I went....
But no...the second mami followed me to the exit and demanded 3 soles more...she had made mistake...I guess they figure you do not want a scene...so cough out more.

Reminds me of the first time at the market the woman who claimed (after 1 hour) that I had given her a fake note and followed us all around..!!!!

So all that put me off shopping ...for a bit...
Next i got hit, again, at a market..El Molino...big market that sells everything...

We got there after getting lost on a matutu...this was a posh mat...not like one last Sat where you fold over twice and hold your breath....


We were in search of walking sticks for the next hike...

so after we ask around, this 'nice guy' offers to bring them...we had an idea of the price....after serious negotiations from 40 to 35 soles for two sticks...money changed hands....walking around we soon came to a stick vendor....25 soles.....!!!!
Yea....too late...should have known better...FOOLISH TOURISTS!!!!

(Even the taxi guys without doubt put on an extra half sole.....)

We had 2 beers that day from my now "local" overlooking the plaza de Armas

I am determined not to buy anything..unless food for survival and in the supermarket....and enjoy the preparations for the Inti Raymi festival

Next week shall be low keyed as I continue to try to teach English to the gals...at a Nun ran school(est. in 1825 and has 1400 gals....) and ran in the efficiency that only Nuns with a certain conviction do...Even if their English is no better,at least 2,000 people in Cusco have a good idea of Kenya...
My classes have 40 X 5 groups X 5 in each family....not bad publicity for Kenya....?



But yesterday a little shoe shine boy talked me into cleaning my trainers....they were not dirty but thought he at least is making a honest living....until even he asked how much i wanted to pay given that shoe paint is expensive.....LOL!!!!

There are times, there a 3 people queuing to sell you stuff...!!!!

That's when I say I do not speak English or French.... I evoke my African roots and say I speak Swahili only.....it works...

PLAIN FACTS ABOUT PERU

Today is election day....either Keiko or ollanta

All is very calm and would not even guess that is happening...anyway, not left my chambers, so the whole city could be on fire unbeknown to me..
useless info: Massive volcunis eruptions in Chilli at the moment.

Maybe it's calm due to the ley seca, 'dry law"...i.e no ulevi 48 hours before voting...pombe will be sold from Monday again... lack of alcohol is meant to keep emotions at bay...

Saw the following info on Peru and thought to share

Peru is one of the most valuable countries on the planet due to its high landscape diversity, living resources or biodiversity, its mineral wealth and invaluable contribution of its people to the world's welfare, without Peru, this would be poor and famished world...

(My thoughts...MT)so why is Peru itself poor and famished...? Though there is much talk about poverty, there are actually no street children...

The ones you see will either be polishing shoes..

or carrying a baby goat/puppy for a photo op...at a fee...

PERU IN STATISTICS

Peru covers an area of 1'285216 sq km. Its population in 2008 reached 28 million. The official language is Spanish, but also 45 other native languages are spoken. The first men arrived to Peru about 20000 years ago and brought the dog..... and fire.

(MT..now i know why there are hundreds of street peros (dogs)....

BTW, now that am familiar with the streets and it's inhabitants...each pero has his spot and pack of amigos...also I've never noticed any poo droppings...I wonder why...?




Cusco is actually very clean,

my shoes never get dusty...don't understand why the very many mobile shoe shiners are often cleaning shoes..



LANDSCAPES AND ECO-SYSTEMS DIVERSITY

Peru has a very high ecological diversity of climates, ecological areas of production and productive ecosystems.

It is the second country in Latin America (after Brazil) and fourth in the world in tropical forests; owning 13% of the Amazon basin. In total area of forests is the eighth on the planet.

At its territory have been identified eleven eco-regions, which comprise: the cold sea, the tropical sea, the pacific coast desert, the equatorial dry forest, the pacific tropical forest, the highland steppes, the puna grassland, the high plateau Paramo, the high jungle or cloud forest, the low jungle or tropical rain forest and the pal tree savanna.

Of the 117 Life Zones recognized in the world, 84 are in Peru. Of the 32 types of weather of the earth, in Peru there are 28.

Its geography is worldwide recognized as home for ecosystems with high diversity of species such as the cold sea of the Peruvian flow, the dry forests in the northern coast, the puna grassland, the high jungle and the Amazon rainforest, where diversity in species reaches its maximum expression. The high diversity of ecosystems has allowed the development of many human groups with their own cultures and remarkable technological, culinary and cultural achievements.


It has the largest snow mountains of the tropics:

The Cordillera Blanca.











CULTURAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY
Peru has 14 linguistic families and at least 44 different ethnic groups. Of these, 42 inhabit the Amazon. These aboriginal groups have important knowledge regarding the uses and properties of many plants...

(MT....)The coca leaf grows mainly in Peru and `Columbia... while the same is used to make cocaine..it is also used in everyday stuff such as tea, candy to help with altitude sickness...you do not get high consuming it this way...am brining loads back for evidence

...and animals (4400 known useful plants and varieties of minerals)
In one hectare of traditional crop of potatoes in the highlands is possible to find from three to ten species of this tuber...This exceeds all species and varieties that are cultivated in North America.

(MT...)The papa, or potato is eaten at almost every meal and cooked in various ways
Def opening a Peruvian rest....when back...

(MT...) Keiko Fujimori, presidential candidate, is the daughter of an ex (peruvian) president who is currently in jail (in Peru) for corruption....can you guess the first she's going to do should she win today????!!!!

Went up 2 legged, returned an Octopus!!!

After Pisco sours, Cusquenas with the gals...Mlevi went off to bed oblivious of the day ahead...

At 7am, we set off with my teacher and owner of the school in a communal taxi...school owner in the boot.....LOL...(don't you just hate being the boss at times like this...??) towards Chincero..another route to the Sacred Valley..as opposed to the Sexywaman one.

45 minutes, later, we jumped into a really filthy, stinky taxi for a 20 minute ride to the start of the trek...All looked harmless and I felt relaxed and unbwogable......

I could mange a 4 hour hike..

As we started to climb, the uneasy feeling of Islas on Titicaca lake came back....I was struggling to breath, nose was out of control...and I wondered why my companions had walking sticks....When I did enquire how long the walk was.... i was in shock...9KM....of this ...

Vaya!!! Kumbe getting fit had not been in vain....the path was nicely marked at every 50 meters....that became my motivation...kept a watch of the diminishing distance...struggling 400 meters behind the other two..
The empty quite space was great...nothing, no one..just he mountains, you, your food, drink and bag...
I began to wonder which would be better....to carry 2 liter of water, half a chicken, chips and fruit in me belly or in in my bag!!!!

Just to be with your thoughts and up there and will yourself on every step was great....plus..it's one of those situations...you get in one way and must come out the other...

Finally at 11.00am, half way at 4,700M above SL... snow peaked mountains...I felt ecstatic... I could do anything...Sigona half way banda climb ...no biggie...
Mlevi celebrated by having half the chicken...

I was motivated...half way there and from here it could only be downhill, RIGHT....????

As we trekked on...I started to get a niggling in the right knee. I was offered a walking to help along...but I was of the opinion, that I was invincible...the descent was rapid the next 3km...as we picked up rivers heading to Huchuy Qosqo (small cusco) it got ever steeper..

I had not even realized that we were headed to the Sacred Valley to see pre-inka ruins..... I was now really suffering and the only way out was to opt for 3 legs.... quick lessons in walking zigzag, grip, posture (otherwise wrong result...sounds familiar from another sporting life...) and I plodded on..

I could see the ruins...just down below, but...that must have been the longest 1km of my life......

I just collapsed onto grass upon arrival

and felt soooooo....greaaaat,






but one thing worried me and seriously... we were the only ones there, save 2 care takers...these were famous pre-inka ruins...where were tourists, villagers...MOST IMPORTANT, THE TRANSPORT????....A stinky taxi was suddenly so desirable....

"where was the transport outta here?" Mlevi asked...

No one was really keen to answer, but I was vaguely informed it was below the edge of the ruins...

Not wanting to be a bad guest...Mlevi settled down to the rest of the pollo (chicken), a rest and a look around the ruins....2 skeletons were found 2 yrs ago in the ruin walls...these inka walls were esp thick...12inches...or 3 times what we see now... This discovery should have been exciting for tourists...so where were they... I was to find out later.

At 3pm... we set off after my condition was discussed...the care taker said that they have had cases of tourists unable to walk..so they offer help:
1. A small steel strecther
2. Strap the incapable tourist with a plastic sack to their back....

Wow...choices, choices....for sure not the gunia (sack) on the back of some small peruvian fellow...dignity if everything even at times like this....so I thought...
even the stretcher...ummmmh I decided to brave it....A gal must always look good, you never know who you might meet....:-)

They asked how much I weighed...decided to use my last known "light" weight....LOL... and hope to get away with it....

Finally, I got to see where the transport "below the ruins" was......!!!!! UTTER DISBELIEF!!!

SHOCK! 4km below (1and a half hour walk...if able bodied....)...

OOOOOKKKKK, let's see how far Mlevi can get.... at this point in time, I acquired another pair of limbs....making me 5 legged

This man and I clung to each other for the next one hour or so....Literally the descent was the deadliest part of all the trek

Another guy followed carrying the stretcher....in wait...another took my bag....making me an eight limbed creature... infact 9 limbed plus the stick.....

By now my camera battery had died...just like owner..so you will have to wait fro the final photos of mlevi on stretcher from companion's camera

After 1KM....image caved in to reason at a point where ...my "guy" told me that the image of Jesus's face was on the rock...right in front of us...I really tried to see it...but...failed.
I non the less decided this was the sign from divine powers above ...to get on the stretcher.....so I did...I lay there and tried to weigh nothing...cursing the chicken and chips I had earlier indulged in.... Mlevi placed her life the hands of these men, and prayed...a slip from one of them...the fall down would not be pretty...

500 meters helps in reliving pain...and so I got off and pushed on clinging to my guy...another 1km, and another stretcher ride.......and we neared the village, the bridge over Rio Wilkamayu (Urubamba) and the transport....oh transport...

When I saw the I km sign, I almost hugged the stone marker....

Wow.....!!! Had just done a 13km hike, up to 4,700m, then descended 4 km there after....

****** ******* *******
I did over hear the guys discuss my weight...and they had more or less got my "heavy" weight....right...
but they got my age wrong...by 15 yrs younger.....

Ha! Ha! Ha! not a bad deal....?

Tupac Rules

My first post in spanish...have to show my efforts so far

Yo llego a Peru hace cuatro semanas, una estoy en Lima, y ahora tres en Cusco. Le país me gusta mucho y la agente es muy sympatica, pero es muy, muy frio!!!

THE STATUE ABOVE IS IN CUSCO, TUPAC AMARU WAS A PERUVIAN HERO AND MARTYR (That how it's spelt....???)

I guess most of the readres are anglophones, so, carrying on in Spanish is no good...

So far I have done 4 weeks....wow. can't imagine that

As you can see, mlevi's is getting there... 60 hours of intensive spanish has paid off..another 60 to go

so far..it's still amazing....have been to see a place to work as a volunteer...but "no me gusta"....have to climb up a steep hill...view is great...but Mlevi thinks this is not a good option...cause

It's dark by 5.50pm and we finish at this place at 6pm..the hood is rather dodgy and do not fancy catching a mat(tico) in Peru in the dark....so drop that option

So looked at another option, and this is a gal's school, catholic....very nice and am happy to start there...Sister Esther, the in charge is great....! Seems like my destiny to hang out with nuns and Fathers..lol!!!

This last week, it' been relaxing,enjoyed street performances...plus watching the preparations for the Peruvian independence day in June.

moving domiciles this weekend.....Mlevi will be alone...in an apartment...
Being with the family was great, but I look forward to flying solo and seeing Cusco through my own eyes

Highlight of the week was the gals

teaching Mlevi how to make Pisco sour...

Mlevi thinks one subject too dark in this photo....LOL!!!

Off to some place kesho...cannot pronounce name for now...under the influence of vino blanco, cusquena beer and of course pico sour... so if this blog is incoherent....you can understand...


!!!!!VIVA MLEVI Y PERU!!!! Hasta luega

Flight From Puno

After that so very wonderful weekend on the lake, we came knack to Puno...to return to Qusco the following day...

A hot shower and bathroom were high priority before we went off to look at the shops, for dinner... and a drink

The restaurant was nice and cosy with a fire....

The pub Rock and Regea had excellent music...Mlevi has now graduated to drinking the large Cusquena...same as 2 small ones....

Getting back to the hotel, just before 9 and looking forward to 3 hours sleep...was not to be!!!
The receptionists knocked on the door to say we must leave "NOW!!!!" The protestors were gong to block the road to Cusco...so God knew when the next transport out of Puno would be...

Wow, talk of action, in 5 minutes we were outa there....and at the bus station...only to find there was no space on the tourist bus that night....after hassling (my mate did that) we got no where...tempers were flying by now..tourists were panicking

Eventually we bought a ticket on the regular bus..... The bus terminal is very well set up compared to Mlevi's Machakos bus terminal...

After the confusion of getting on the wrong bus....we set off at 10.40pm...let's just say...it was basic...the real thing....All huddled up, we roughed it until we arrived at 6.30...and thank god for that...these roads are not a joke..windy and narrow

....Went into Puno in style but literally Fled from it....

The protests are getting stronger each day... as the elections approach....this could be the reason they are intensifying..... Let's hope for the best....

Kesho it's back to class and a normal few weeks or so before
the next epic adventure to MACCHU PICHHU

World's Highest........ TITICACA LAKE

It was rally exciting to leave QUSQO (Cusco)on Friday 7.00am, headed for a 10 hour drive down to PUNO then onto the Highest navigable lake in the world....Titcaca/Titikaka....3810 metres above sea level.
Mlevi made this trip with Swiss house mate...

The Tourist bus was excellent....very comfortable...along the way, we made stops and visited places of interest....

The first stop was at an old colonial church in Andahuyhillas....the church was undergoing restoration....a very painstakingly slow process...but worth it as the art work on the walls simply should not be lost...

We then stopped by a pre-inca site(forget the name of area)..which even today looks totally untouched by the today's schinanigans...I could easily picture myself seating in the same spot 400 yrs ago..in this tranquil endroit....only then I would have been Inka...

We caught up with, and left behind, the train which shuttles from Cusco to Puno 3 times a week (10 hours ride...non stop)...Sounds like a familiar story from Mlevi's background...

Next was our lunch stop (somewhere)....this was my first contact (not on my lunch plate) with an Elpaca...hadn't even realized the animal existed...so soft and cuddly they are and sooooo cute

La Raya...the highest point between Puno and Qusqo provinces....so high it is that the mountains here have snow....amazing contrast against the yellow grass....

The last stop before Puno ws Pukkarra...The museum has interesting history of the extinct (thank god)cannibal community...that practiced human sacrifices...

The stone arrangement, for religious purposes, is very similar to that of Stonehenge in the UK, though the on in Pukkarra is at an earlier era....how uncanny..both great worshippers of the Sun, and Mother Earth but continents and eras apart.

On the roof tops, one can observe a pair of bulls, that I thought cute; these are for protection and prosperity...Many houses I notice have them.

We stayed in Puno for the night...strange town.. no real character,I struggled to get some interesting photos....
There was plenty of action from the protestors who have been blocking roads between the major cities of late...Something to do with miners not happy about the population of the environment during mining between Peru and Bolvia...not very clear to me...That Friday night, there were hundreds of them walking around Puno with their blankets ready for a cold night on the streets.....
The Police could also bee seen placed strategically...waiting...apparently these protests are not violent...

Well, we moved on to have a drink after dinner at a pub

called Deja Vu....a throw back to 400 years....the warm read vino tinto was great after a pico sour and a small Cusquena...Mlevi now really in comfort zone....Great music.

Back at the hotel...we discovered our lodgings were next to a disco.....so boom!!! boom!!It went on until 2pm....and worse for my travel mate....he had some very noisy neighbors on top of his room....1 hour, he timed....Lol

Again, I will repeat...Puno is totally uninspiring...buildings are haphazard...unfinished...something to do with not paying tax....
The ugliest town we saw though, was Julicana...just before Puno.....can't explain....but, not pleasant to the eye.
After a cup of coffee, we headed off to the jetty to catch our to the lake...we were to visit 3 islas


The first was Uros community, where the inhabitants live on artificial, floating islands made of totora reeds.

Reeds are literally life, here...they even eat them, peel like a banana..not very tasty....These islands are created, when the need arises, using reed...when the community expands....This is a community which was made landless by the Incas and so went to the water and had to survive by creating floating islands....awesome...tells you anything is possible

I think though, that today, they are mostly there for touristic reasons....and yea...they are quick to sell you stuff at very high rates....a boat ride (to nowhere) in one of their reed boats...just to get the feel, cost each one 10 soles.........ouch...to put the ouch! into perspective.....a bus ride from Puno to Cusco costs 25 soles, 8hrs compared to a 300 mtrs man powered ride....That was a scum...first class.....

Amantani Island was a 3 hour boat ride away....by now were joined to a group of American Uni students on a Geography trip...

The ride was great..sitting in the sun and experiencing being in the middle of no where.....

one of the students had a birthday...so we enjoyed a cake...cut up by my mate's swiss knife....what would we have done without that precious knife...????

Arriving on this 2nd Island...was should I say, a bit of a SHOCK.....? To get from the jetty to landing platform...was a steep, and i mean steep 100m climb....it was a sign of things to come....we were dived into families and handed over for lunch, a rest and then a climb...to the top of the hill...to see the community's religious place....The island is basic, no running water, but has solar lights...and it's FREEEEEZING at night.....Everything here is back to basics as in any rural african village...so for mlevi, the life style was not a new experience..

I could not believe how my lungs were put to the test.....half way up the house, having stopped several times, and abandoned my bag to my mate, thrown all dignity to the lake, I was very near violently demanding to return to now not so ugly Puno....the climb is steeeeeep.....I was breathing from the depth of my belly..and not to mention the butt....was seriously toned..

The climb to the top after lunch (45mins, about 1.5kms)was slightly better.... was sooooo tempted to horse ride there...but if a 71 yr old in our group could do it...surely it was matter over mind for me....so I clenched me butt, took a deep breath and focused my mind... and when I got there....the view and later the sunset were breath taking....

Later the stars at night were to behold...try to imagine the closest you can get to a star...they were brilliant, numerous...you could almost touch the Milky way....Add on to your picture a near full, perfectly silver moon....

I literally felt ON TOP OF THE WORLD....2 km above the highest navigable lake in the world....VAYA....

CLAIM TO FAME!!! FINALLY

It's not every day that is exciting...

This week was really settling down and doing all the things that people just do on a day to day basis...
Monday: Met up with some choices (at the meeting Place San Blas square) who are doing voluntary work with children in a community just outside Cusco....what struck me was how young they are.....are how not so young I am

Great place for young people to come on a gap year...some of them have been here a year....from USA, UK, Germany...lots of English speakers here and cafes run by guys from the UK....Jack's cafe, is so popular...there is a massive Q for burgers, chips...English style

Coming down from San Blas, there are so many tourists...and locals selling, and selling and selling....people walk around selling things...and anything
Was amused to see a Llama being squeezed into the streets for people to pose with...really, it's a busy little place..lots of characters around too...some who came years ago and never left...

I went into the Compania de Jesus Catherdral and had a guided tour....the alter piece in here is stunning (google it cause no photography allowed)
Some of the facts pointed out were that Cusco was destroyed by an Earthquake in 1959, and most of it had to be rebuilt..this was the second Earthquake... don't remember when the other was.

Also that the Inkas were finally suppressed in 1533 by the Spanish conquistadors...who then ruled for 400 yrs before Peru become independent haven eradicated the Inkas...who were the ruling class, and left behind the Quechuas...or commoners...today Peruvians are a mix of all these people, not forgetting the creoles from Slavery.


Signed up with the group to start this week, but they forget to pick me....so...any way was glad cause I was kinda tired; so I wandered off to the Alliance Francaise...at the reception, I found a guy who could only speak spanish....enjoyed the exhibition...on...Quechua lifestyle...Then as was leaving, stumbled into some French guys at Cafe de Paris, next to AF...one has been here 15 years.....!!!!He ain't going back...France too dangerous and not on he said...they were really cool...the other, the owner of the cafe, offered me a free coffee..it was a good one. Must go back for the pastries which which looked delicious

What they emphasized was DO NOT WEAR ANY JEWELRY THAT CAN BE SNATCHED OFF, caused it will be...finally I decided to heed this message...told to me several times...have now removed all that glitters and kept it away...

Attempted salsa classes on Tues....let's leave it at just that, "attempted"...will be back next week....

Just wondering around the city, the weather was excellent this week...even wore my sandals...but socks at hand..
Been to the clothes stores...in the high street and the local markets as well....some good stuff...there is so much selling here...food, big round breads (big as a car tyre) roast hamsters...teeth and all , ponchos, hats....kila kitu

Mlevi took clothes to be washed at the laundry...they weighed them to determine the cost ...but they didn't weigh them after washing to verify that it's the same load they took....Same logic used for checking golf clubs on arrival...but never verified at finish...
Anyway Mlevi could not figure out whether dirty clothes weigh more than clean ones ...can you?

I was curious as to why there are so few dog poohs on the street....compared to the masses of dogs hanging around......I never see anyone scoop them up as in France...any suggestions????

And I tell you this...I definitely have a status here in Cusco....I am a first for many people..... I can finally LAY MY CLAIM MY FAME
Those who do recognize Kenya, know that we have the best runners in the world....so by association i'm elevated in their eyes....
The flip side is, that I'am a target for off loading sales on...;(

Off to Lake Titicaca for weekend...after purchasing an even warmer jacket and pygamas...Lots of walking to keep me fit.
Also looking forward to the national elections..the lady candidate seems a fav...


Hasta luega and feel free to post suggestions on the comments section...