Monday, November 07, 2005
South America Trip - Day 19 to 21 - Lima, Cuzco and Sacred Valley
Lima:
Spent the day walking around Miriflores the wealthiest part of town. We didn´t feel in danger at all apart from the traffic which is par for the course in South America. Miriflores is right on the coast with some nice parks along the cliffs. One park is called the Parque de Amor (Park of Love) where we saw many locals canoodling. People also paraglide from the cliff. On the beaches below you couldn´t see the water for the surfers. It is perfect for learners because the waves are small, regular and evenly spaced.
We chose to have lunch around 3pm but found all but the touristy i.e. expensive, restaurants open. It took a while to find a decent local place where we had a simple 3 course meal with soft drinks for 7 soles each!
Later on Joy and I took a stroll to the central plaza where there was a mini amphitheatre. We saw a young band playing upbeat tunes with traditional instruments. Following them was a old people´s disco where they got up and danced in front of the crowd.
In the evening we had the welcome briefing for our GAP tour with our guide Manuel.
Cuzco:
Flying from sealevel to 3300 metres had an effect on us immediately. When we left the plane we felt breathless. Another side affect was Lou´s exploding moisteriser tube and deoderant due to the increased air pressure. Following check in at our hotel our guide took us on a walking tour around the town. You could see evidence of the Incas in the lower parts of the Colonial buildings where the Spanish had built on top of the destroyed Inca buildings. The town has very narrow streets which results in some crazy traffic jams.
Unfortunately Mum was feeling sick and stayed back at the hotel in the evening while we enjoyed a delicious meal at a very hip and chilled out restaurant.
Sacred Valley:
Today we went on another tour. The first stop was to visit llamas, alpacas and other similar beasts and see the locals in action weaving their wool using natural dyes and traditional techniques. Next was the Pisaq Inca ruins. This was a small town for the Inca ruling classes at the top of a mountain with all day sun. Our tour guide explained their ingenious aquaduct and agricultural systems. Last stop was Ollantaytambo. This was a fort that was in the process of being built to fight the Spanish but was never completed. During construction the Spanish came up the valley and the Inca had to flee. So you can see huge stone blocks in the process of being prepared to be laid. How they transported and laid the stones is a mystery.
Tomorrow we begin the Inca Trail so will not be able to blog for a few days.
Spent the day walking around Miriflores the wealthiest part of town. We didn´t feel in danger at all apart from the traffic which is par for the course in South America. Miriflores is right on the coast with some nice parks along the cliffs. One park is called the Parque de Amor (Park of Love) where we saw many locals canoodling. People also paraglide from the cliff. On the beaches below you couldn´t see the water for the surfers. It is perfect for learners because the waves are small, regular and evenly spaced.
We chose to have lunch around 3pm but found all but the touristy i.e. expensive, restaurants open. It took a while to find a decent local place where we had a simple 3 course meal with soft drinks for 7 soles each!
Later on Joy and I took a stroll to the central plaza where there was a mini amphitheatre. We saw a young band playing upbeat tunes with traditional instruments. Following them was a old people´s disco where they got up and danced in front of the crowd.
In the evening we had the welcome briefing for our GAP tour with our guide Manuel.
Cuzco:
Flying from sealevel to 3300 metres had an effect on us immediately. When we left the plane we felt breathless. Another side affect was Lou´s exploding moisteriser tube and deoderant due to the increased air pressure. Following check in at our hotel our guide took us on a walking tour around the town. You could see evidence of the Incas in the lower parts of the Colonial buildings where the Spanish had built on top of the destroyed Inca buildings. The town has very narrow streets which results in some crazy traffic jams.
Unfortunately Mum was feeling sick and stayed back at the hotel in the evening while we enjoyed a delicious meal at a very hip and chilled out restaurant.
Sacred Valley:
Today we went on another tour. The first stop was to visit llamas, alpacas and other similar beasts and see the locals in action weaving their wool using natural dyes and traditional techniques. Next was the Pisaq Inca ruins. This was a small town for the Inca ruling classes at the top of a mountain with all day sun. Our tour guide explained their ingenious aquaduct and agricultural systems. Last stop was Ollantaytambo. This was a fort that was in the process of being built to fight the Spanish but was never completed. During construction the Spanish came up the valley and the Inca had to flee. So you can see huge stone blocks in the process of being prepared to be laid. How they transported and laid the stones is a mystery.
Tomorrow we begin the Inca Trail so will not be able to blog for a few days.
Comments:
Post a Comment
