Wake-up call rang loud and clear at 4:30 am...there was little traffic on the way to the airport. Anthony feels fortunate to be in Cuzco since it required two boarding passes to get him in the air. The weather greeting us here is spectacular making for even better pictures. there was one long runway in the valley and the descent was quick and picturesque. our first stop was the religious fortress of Saqsaywaman. this was our first taste of exercise at 9,000+ feet! One stone weighed over 50 tons in the construction. After snapping photos of llamas and alpacas the students enjoyed a 5-course lunch at a festaurant overlooking Cuzco. a few of them bought CDs from a band whose leading member played the panpipes...they also enjoyed Chicha morada, a Purple corn drink made since ancient times. It was frothy but smooth.
The students were shown the differences between authentic and imitation alpaca wool and a couple bought some nice gifts for their parents...(can't reveal who at the moment.) The rest are saving their money for the Pisac Market which is where we are driving to now, passing Incan terraces which have been farmed for hundreds of years.
Urubamba is our staging point in the Sacred Valley. We leave on a train for Machu Picchu at 6:30 tomorrow morning and will be staying at a hostel tomorrow night. Our residence in Urubamba is quaint--individual cottages nestled in a garden compound near the edge of the city. The students are making Nutella and peanut butter sandwiches for the hike tomorrow, stocking up on 2.5L bottles of water and snacks for the long day and steep hike ahead. Only two have experienced altitude sickness...as soon as Olivia threw up she felt instantly better. Our tour guide brought an oxygen tank to the hotel but no one has felt badly enough to take him up on it. We may change our minds tomorrow after "the hike of 4,000 steps!"
No comments:
Post a Comment