Monday 8 March 2010

Condor - Puma - Serpent

Cuzco is amazing! After the frenzy of big metropoles like Lima and Rio this is an oasis of peace, culture and history. I love every single bit of it - the old cobbled streets, the omnipresent Inka culture (textiles, ceramics, jewelry etc), local people who are dressed in the most amazing national clothes and ladies wearing the most enviable beatuiful top hats.

Machu Picchu, as you may have heard, is closed. So not the most fortunate time of visiting Cuzco. Howwver, everyone who is here seems to be happy with the situation - this area has so much to offer and you can always come back to MP. (And the off-season offers three more things: 1) less tourists, 2) lower prices, 3) because of the frequent rain - everything is so much greener!! )

Spent all day today on a Sacred Valley Tour, visiting Inca ruins and local rural villages and their Sunday markets. I´ve been waiting for this moment for SO long, that again am in tears - this time of positive emotions and excitement.

p.s. Condor, Puma and Serpent are the three worlds in Inka philosophy.

Day 2
Afraid Im going to repeat myself - Cuzco and its surroundings are still amazing, Im falling in love with it more and more! (And even after having spent the last 3 huors repairing a car on our way back from visiting one of the valleys)

Also, am thoroughly enjoying the new backpackers place and rhythm. As everyone already warned me, Im indeed meeting so many new people! You could almost do without a Lonely Planet guide as everyone shares their experiences and gives tips. Love it! Its also comforting to see that there are so many other people traveling in the same way.

Tomorrow Im going to visit the local Potato Park which is run by a Cuzco organisation Andes, supported by IIED. Amara - a young and talented Geman journalsit who is writing about this area for the German Geo magazine and with whom Im sharing the dorms - will join us.Hopefully the weather tomorrow will stay as untypically beautiful and sunny for this rainy season as it has been over the last two days!!

(Of course, there could be very much said bout the local Inca culture and ruins, textile producton and farming, local habits etc... But that seems like such a long story that I will save it for another time. The main thing - it´s just so enjoyable!!!)

1 comment:

  1. Glad to hear about positive tears. I guess that's what travelling is about. I wish you a lot more teary-eyed moments and am looking forward to hearing about them. :)))

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