headaches, pushy women, and food

¡Buenos Noches de Cusco!

So I did not write a post yesterday because I had a killer headache. My head felt like in was in a vice, I am not adjusting well to the altitude. But I won´t let that stop me. I woke up at 5:30 yesterday to be ready for my 6:15 pick up to head out to the floating islands, home of the Uros people.

These islands are made from reeds that grow in Lake Titicaca and once assembled the islands are about 2 meters thick (about 6.5 feet). Every 40 days or so, new reeds are laid down because the reeds on the bottom rot. The homes and boats are made out of the reeds as well. There are a lot of islands and each island is home to a clan, about 7 - 10 families per island. Visiting the islands is very 19th c. World´s Fair. I felt like the tour agencies picked out some native peoples and made them dress up to put on a show for the tourists. The Uros people have luckily taken some control over visitation to the islands and charge money and also have their own boats that will take tourists out. Once on the island the women show off their crafts, for you to buy. We visited two islands and after about walking around the 2nd island for 2 minutes I was back on the boat - taking pictures of the children did not appeal to me. It was kinda weird walking on the islands, almost like walking on a really soft mattress. I had visions of my foot going through a rotted spot and getting sucked down into the freezing waters of the Lake and dying at 4000 meters above sea level, but luckily that did not happen :)

After visiting the floating islands we traveled two hours to the island of Taquile which is home to about 2000 Quechua speaking islanders. Taquile is a real island (no floating here), and is beautiful. It is possible to stay overnight on Taquile with a family and I was going to do this, however after spending one night in Puno freezing my bottom, I said there was no way I was going to stay in a brick hut with a thatched roof and no sleeping bag. I was also too exhausted the night before to rent one. So I went back to Puno for the night. Taquile is a mountain of an island and as soon as you disembark from the boat, you climb up what felt like 10 miles, to the top of the island. It took us about 30 minutes of slow climbing. The islanders live all over the hillside of the island and wake up to a gorgeous view of the snow capped mountains of Bolovia. At the top we wandered around the marketplace watching the men knit - yes the men knit. They walk around with the yarn around their necks, knitting needles in hand, making their own hats. The colors represent different things, Red if they are married, white if they are single. (Sara T. you would have loved watching them knit). I cannot wait for you guys to see the pictures from Taquile, they are simply breathtaking.

After arriving back in Puno it was an early dinner and bed, by 8 p.m. last night, I could not take the pain in my head and wanted to crawl under my 10 blankets in my non-heated hostel and fall asleep...which is what I did.

This morning it was off to the bus station to board a bus for Cusco, 6 hours away. After fighting my way through a bunch of pushy women with big fat bundles tied to their backs (all of the native women carry everything in a bundle on their backs, wrapped with a multi-colored tablecloth), I boarded the 9 a.m bus, leaving of course at 9:30 a.m. I have to tell you, I have never encoutered pushier people in my life. There is no such thing as a line, it´s push through everyone, and the women are the worst. All I can do is remind myself I am in Peru and push them back to buy my ticket, which amuses the poor girl being bombarded behind the counter.

I will be in Cusco for the next several days. This is my embarking point for my trek on the Inca Trail (I leave on the 29th). I have already checked in with my tour agency and have a debriefing with the guide on Monday evening.

Cusco was the center of the Inca empire, which only lasted about 100 years. The surrouding area has the bulk of the Inca remains in Peru, in an area called the Sacred Valley. The city is so beautiful. I thought I loved Ariquipa, I think I like Cusco more. Lots of cobblstone streets, narrow passage ways. The only downfall is there are a million hills, I had to walk up like 200 steps to get to my hostel, with my 40 lb backpack. My hostel has a great view of the city though.

Some of you have asked about the food in Peru - it is nothing to brag about. Typical Peruivans eat pollo y papas fritas (chicken and french fries). You can get 14 of a chicken, fries, soup, and salad for about $2. Another favorite is pizza - there are pizzerias every where. On the coast it is a lot of fish, fried fish and rice, but here in the mountains it´s chicken and pizza. Now traditional food is alpaca and cuy, but every day Peruvians love their chicken.

Chao!