More on that later. We started off the day by hiring our own driver to take us off the tour bus path. Germand was fantastic and a nice guy. W didn't expect it, but we stopped for photo ops along the way. Since we were going places that most tours didn't stop, there were absolutely no people when we pulled over. We saw vistas of Cusco, village valleys, techtonic fault lines, snow-capped peaks, Cristo Blanco (Cusco's version of Rio's Christ the Redemptor), and we were so high up, we could clearly see where the tree line ended. I kept taking deep breaths not because I was breathless, but because at 13,000 feet, the air is cool, fresh, and clean. Last time I experienced air like that was as the Continental Divide, and that was lower. I kept taking off my sunglasses to look at the sky because it was so blue I didn't think it was real.
Our first major stop was at Awana Kancha. Llamas and alpacas are raised here, free to roam about, and we were able to feed them On another side, they were sheared, their hair dyed from fresh herbs boiled in a pot, then hand-spun. Local Andean women wove blankets and other crafts from hand and by memory in perfect symmetry. It was stunning. Plus the proceeds from the center are Returned to the community to support education and keeping the ancient craft alive. I had to leave with a table runner to match the 3 large vases I picked up yesterday (if you've seen my home, you know how I decorate).
Next we traveled on to Sacsayhuaman, aka "sexy woman" because it sounds similar. It was a large Incan fortress and a spiritual center until the conquistadores pillaged it for stones to build their churches. I overlooked Cusco and we spent some time taking in the city view.
Upon returning to Cusco and freshening up, we chose dinner at the Inka Grill rumored to be the best cuy (guinea pig) in the area. Not only did it not disappoint but it far exceeded our expectations. The only bad part was that we may not have an opportunity to eat this dish again after this trip. We also sampled the alpaca which was also delish, with a fruit-based sauce. W fed the alpacas, and they fed us.
Tomorrow we start our journey toward Machu Picchu. We'll spend the night at the village nearest the site, then climb up to watch the sun rise. Since our train there and back doesn't have a luggage car, we can only take a small duffel with us. Reconfiguring our packing has been maddening since it feels like every few days we're repacking and moving on, and this is only day 4! W have 12 more to go! We continue to be stunned at how much we've done, and how much more is still left to see.
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