Liz and Richard in South America 2006

Chinchero

On to Chincerho and a visit to a weaving co-operative, which is run by a non profit NGO to ensure the native weaving techniques are passed along and to augment incomes for local farm wives.

We never buy any souvenirs (OK, we did buy the Roman Masks) but we were so enchanted with the style and grace of the weavers that we purchased a half finished wall hanging - the half finished part is important as the piece still includes the loom bars, llama femur shuttle and waist band.   It's hard to describe - but the reason we  wanted it was it demonstrates the incredible intricacy of the work.

You can't quite see how lovely the piece is - but this is a picture of the weaver with the piece we purchased - her son could qualify for a film cameo!

Yes we're tourists and this whole environment is set up to appeal to tourists, but you don't have to be in Highlands Peru long to realize how hard they work and how precise they are.

The weavers are so precise and fast that we can't figure out why the Peruvian government doesn't have them assembling circuit boards for Intel at three times their current daily wage.  There is some form of missed opportuity here that we don't understand....but we did learn more later.

Following is our favourite picture of Raul......a great guy shown here eating part of a spectacular lunch that the weavers were cooking as part of Little Christmas

As we drove across the Sacred Valley with Raul and Angel (our driver that day as David was elsewhere) we cranked up our Dire Straits and Santana CDs and all sang like fools!

On to Lake Titicaca

The following photos characterize the obvious theme of our highland Peruvians narative....we have great affection for a world in transition:

- the lady herding her sheep and ox across the bridge ahead of the semi-trailer
- the splendor of the countryside
- pigs foraging by the road
- farmers tilling potato fields by hand.....while tourists raft down rivers at the foot of their fields

Leaving Cusco we traveled for 6 hours across the Alto Plano (peaking at 12,000 feet) to Puno on Lake Titicaca, with David and his lovely wife Isabella.  Along the way we stopped at Incan Temple ruins that are notable for the rare use of columns and the great height of the buildings.  Like Darwin Finches, the Incans were evolving.

As the altitude climbed, cattle were replaced by llamas and alpacas.  It was a rare restaurant menu that did not include alpaca.  No, Virginia, the do not taste like chicken.  They taste like very tough lamb....with emphasis on the 'very"

Lake Titicaca is cold and wet, and at 11,000 feet + and almost on the equator it stays that way pretty much all the time.  In addition to David, we acquired a local guide (Santiago) and a boat driver (Calisto).....the boat appeared to be held together with faith and optimism.  All starting of the engine required much tinkering with wires, pouring of fluids and beseeching pleas to higher altitude deities...but we had much fun and learned a lot more than expected. (Calisto and Santiago below)

Our guide David had proposed this portion of the trip when we first contacted him.....initially we said we weren't interested, but in a conversation with him he convinced us it would be an amazing part of our trip - he was right.

Remember long ago in grade school when cultural studies was called "Geography" - you probably learned about the people who lived on reed islands in Lake Titicaca.  Well...they are still there, living on floating islands of reeds.  It is a life totally foreign to anything we pampered westerners have known.  Cooking is done in clay pots on the reeds. In the shots below we are standing on an approximately 2 foot thick matt of floating reeds.  The ground waves as you walk.  Their diet is primarily small fish and the cores of a particular reed that resembles palm hearts

Their homes are very basic reed huts.  The whole family lives, sleeps and eats in a 10' x 10 area, which, with the rains and lake below, seems never to be dry.  But note, the solar panel.  Again, the juxtaposition of the old and new

We love big birds and the lady who hosted our visit to Uros (her name is Lina) had a clipped fish eagle.  He was magnificent - quasi tame but still lethal - but a delight to be with

A note to our bird loving friend Jane.  We seriously considered buying the bird.  He is spectacular.  There's obviously a thousand importation laws and moral constraints that should make this purchase impossible, but when you're holding the bird on your fist - rationale thinking seems to vaporize.  The Medaevil love of hawking suddenly made visceral sense.  From his armored talons to his hooked beak, he epitomized everything we lost on our transition to suburban life.

The people who live on the reed islands of Uros also grow crops on the floating islands - note the potatoes growing in an old reed boat

Could we live as they do?  Most probably not.  Are they crazy or inferior?  Definitely not.  There is a modern town a half hour boat ride away.  They can leave if they want to.  Our guide Santiago grew up on Uros and left, but plans to go back.  This is not Colonial Williamsburg or Upper Canada Village or Disneyworld.  This is where they live, and many choose to stay. We were discarding cultural absolutes as we went.  Western civilization could disappear and they would carry on as they have for centuries.

Our Amazing Night On Amantani

David recommended spending a night on Amantani with a local family.  The residents supplement their income with tourist visits.....so off we went.

It's 3 hours to Amantani via Calisto's "boat".......where we would spend the night with Juana and Felix (and their 5 children).  The starkness of the lake is hopefully captured below:

Amantani - very rugged landscape - you climb up or down, never horizontal.  No electricity, minimal running water, no refrigeration, sheep everywhere and amazingly hardy people.  While we trudged up the hills, 60 year olds carrying back packs of firewood would regularily pass us. Our house is in the centre above the blue garbage can....yes, just like the rest of Peru, in Amantani there is no litter

There are about 1500 people on Amantani (no Police though!) - and about 100 households take tourists for an evening's stay.  Juana and Felix (our hosts) have guests 3 or so times a year.  Our room was truly a Hobbit House.  The chips on the left lintel were caused by Richard's banging his head!

Our house came with a lovely patio and we ate what the family ate.  The sanitary facilities are behind to the left.  Primitive but, as always, immaculate.  20 sheep, who grazed in front of us, were penned at night behind us.  (So, for the first time, if we couldn't sleep, we COULD go count sheep!)  They're the only odor free sheep ever invented.  For all the simplicity, note the flowers everywhere, the cleanliness, the hearty food.  Juana and Felix live differently from us, but their children go to school (onto university) and they are incredibly healthy.  They live long lives, they don't smoke and rarely drink; and they clearly love each other.  Who is crazy....them or us? 

They don't have guests as a tourist scam - this isn't Disneyworld - they only entertain 2 or 3 couples a year

The most touching element was Juana's kitchen.  She prepares 3 meals a day on an open fire with no chimney.  The saintly ligh above her head is from the hole in the roof that lets the smoke out.  The family eats around the fire for warmth

When there are tourists on the island they have a party - well, we were it that night.....we had to dress up in costume (Richard hates dressing up in costume)...but like the rest of the experience, it was moving.  Note the 10 year old drummer boy.  Of course, 6 foot Liz was an attraction and everyone's favourite dance partner - and for once this trip the tables were turned - people were taking pictures of us!  Our guides became totally Incan once they donned their traditional garb

Uros and Amantani were amazing experiences.....thank you David for opening our eyes, just a little wider

Cusco

Slept for 3 days in Cusco – had some lovely meals and found some good bars…..highlight in a land with hundreds of kinds of potatoes was a bar (Inka Grill on main plaza) with bowls of chips from a dozen different spud types…..Liz was in heaven….plus amazing stuffed deep fried peppers. Camera was dying – no photos

 

Most importantly, had dinner with David´s family. Isabel cooked pork on request. The Peruvians haven´t bred all the fat out of their pork – it was wonderful. Their children are on the cultural cusp (one daughter in med school, son in university to be a guide and the youngest daughter who is 8 wants to be an international lawyer).

 

The Marriott Bubble

 

It was a complicated transfer from Cusco to the Galapagos – had to spend a night in Lima and Quito on the way. Both cities reputed to be unsafe so we took the coward´s route and sealed ourselves in Marriott Hotels (we also had points so that made the decision pretty easy!)

The hotel provided drivers to and from the airports – it was like being teleported to Beverly Hills.

 

Spent more time in Lima - our bartender described it as 6.5 million very poor people and 1 million very rich people. The rich part is very Miami like.

Great restaurants, lovely homes, but razor wire, broken glass embedded onto the top of 6 foot high concrete fences,electrified grills, private security guards and cars waiting for clients. Our drivers all looked like mafia hit men. We tipped out of gratitude and fear! Note the para sailors who would hang outside our hotel room

 

Had a wonderful meal at the seaside restaurant called Casa Nautica - a short cab ride from the Marriott.

 

 

A flight, abus ride, a ferry ride, another bus ride and a last taxi ride and we arrived at our quirky house in the Galapagos -  with its perfect 3^rd floor deck that overlooks the Puerto Ayora harbour to the south and the (hopefully dormant) volcanoes to the north.

 

Bought a new camera in Puerto Ayora – so more pix to follow!