Feb. 26 (I think!) Heading to Machu Picchu

Our room at Pirwa in Cusco had some kind of a store above it and B and I were awakened at 4 a.m. by someone dragging things and banging around up there! Ugh!! Anyway, at 7 we did breakfast at PLUS around the corner and I was extra hungry so had to order a huevo con queso y jamon (how's my Spanish). Then we met with Nadia at the travel agency to book our one night two day stay on 3 islands on Lago Titikaka next to Bolivia. We will take a tour bus for 6 hours down to Puna day after tomorrow. There are indigenous groups that live on these islands and we will do a family stay with one of them|! I can take anything for one night, right?

We also booked two nights at Pirwa hostel in Puno and then a late afternoon 4 hour bus ride down to Arequipa. Then it will be an adventure getting buses and van rides over the border into Chile to Arica before we fly to Puerta Montt in southern Chile. Chile is really getting short shrift as we just don't have much time left before our March 8 cruise sails from Puna Arena in Chile to Ushuaia, Argentina.


Today we rode a bus tour to a market where I bought a few trinkets, then stopped at 3 different Inca ruins. I would like to read more about them. They became very powerful in a very short period of time. The indigenous natives around here didn't have much use for them as their royalty lived in Cusco and they didn't treat the locals very well. So when the Spanish came in, they didn't care much if they overthrew the Incas. The Incas (as well as the Aztecs in Mexico, I was told) believe that a god would come, white skinned, with a moustache and hairy! So when Cortez and down here Pisarro showed up, Atahualpa, the reigning monarch willingly met with him and was promptly tricked, captured and executed! It was almost too easy!


I'm finished a great book for the history of this area by Isabel Allende that I think I mentioned. I guess human nature doesn't change much no matter who the conquering people are! They are all ruthless, whether in the name of Christianity or not! Ugly!


Met interesting couple, Mark and Lorraine, from Quebec, two teachers= her a French as Second Language to immigrants teacher and him a phys. Ed. teacher. on the backpackers train from Olly something or other to Aguas Caliente, the little town just before you reach MP. They go to Nickerson State Park on the cape for frequent vacations. Teachers in Canada work for 5 years, at 90% salary and then take off 6 months and continue to get paid! That's what they are doing here in SA. Seemed to be having a wonderful time, although both were sick for 3 days.

Hike tomorrow!