Tuesday, July 31, 2001
Friday, July 27, 2001
Quimantu Concert in Bridport.
During a few days holiday taken from work recently I went to Bridport Arts Centre to see the live concert of a favourite Andean group - Quimantu. Colin and I decided to make a day of it and spend some time in Weymouth as well.
We set out mid morning and although the weather forecast wasn't too brilliant we were lucky that it didn't rain on the journey down. The sun came out here and there and it was a pleasant drive - especially when we went through a pretty village called King Stag and saw a large herd of deer running in nearby parkland. They looked so beautiful that I would have loved to have stopped and taken photographs but even had we been able to stop quickly, by the time I got the camera out they would have been too far away.
We arrived in Weymouth about lunchtime so our first stop was one of my favourite pubs in Sutton Poyntz for lunch. Sutton Poyntz is a picture postcard village with a stream running through and weeping willow trees along the banks of the stream and lots of ducks. When we came out of the pub afterwards, we spent some time with the ducks, many of whom were quite tame.
Our next stop was Quipu - a shop selling Peruvian crafts in the Brewers Quay complex in the town - this shop is like a magnet for me whenever we visit Weymouth because it is full of the most fascinating Peruvian things, as well as good music of course, and I managed to find three albums that I didn't already have in my collection.
From there we went to visit Colin's daughter for a couple of hours and I especially enjoyed cuddling his latest grandchild, baby Lucy aged four weeks. Then at 5 pm we set off for Bridport which was a pleasant drive of about 16 miles from Weymouth. We were very early but went to the Arts Centre anyway to check how early we could get in. We could hear Quimantu practising when we went in and caught a glimpse of Mauricio and Rachel through the door on our way back out again. We still had an hour to kill so went for a stroll around the town and had a quick snack in a wine-bar, arriving back at the Arts Centre in time to get a drink before the concert. Being early birds we were able to choose a table right in front of the stage from which to watch the concert.
I had been looking forward to this concert for over a month and when it began I wasn't disappointed. The concert was in two parts with an interval in the middle and probably two hours of wonderful music which we both enjoyed immensely. It was great to hear many favourite songs but also there were several previously unknown to me so I was hoping these might be on a new CD. Mauricio Venegas was in good form, keeping us humorously entertained between songs and the whole concert was absolutely wonderful.
One big surprise was to see that one of the six musicians on stage was a friend - Ronal who lives in France. I first met him in August last year when he accompanied Claire and Aquiles and me to Edinburgh. He was in England on holiday at that time and had decided to join up and play music with them at both Southport and Edinburgh festivals. Because he returned to France whilst we were still in Edinburgh I lost touch with him after that, so was very surprised to see him again in the Quimantu line-up.
During the concert I took several photographs and these will be added to this story in two or three weeks time when the film is developed. I even had my photo taken with Mauricio in the foyer after the concert, plus had a long chat with Ronal and the others. I was very sorry to learn from them that Inti Illimani - another great favourite Chilean band - will be disbanding in the New Year after more than 30 years. John Williams and Paco Pela are going on tour with Inti Illimani to Chile next month and after that the group Inti Illimani will be no more. I'm sure that countless fans worldwide will be as sad about this as I am once the news is widely known. When John Williams returns to England, the latest Quimantu CD will be finalised as he is collaborating with them on one or two tracks.
Quimantu are still on tour throughout November and we will be going to see them once more before the tour is over at the Jacqueline Du Pre Music Building in Oxford on Friday 23rd November. I phoned and booked these tickets the next day after seeing them at Bridport.
Also hopefully on Friday 7 December another Andean band - Kausary - will be performing at the Michael Tippett Centre here in Bath and I hope that anyone reading this who lives locally will decide to come along and see them. Their interpretation of Peruvian music is really fantastic.
We followed this excellent trip to see Quimantu with a visit to London the following week to meet up with Peruvian friends there. For once the train was bang on time and we had a great journey to London - Colin with his nose stuck in a local paper and me with music through headphones and a good book - and in no time at all we arrived. I had dressed up warmly - just in case - but had to take my sweater off while still on the station platform as it was so warm and sunny. In addition to the sweater I also had a poncho, gloves and scarf in a backpack for later in case it was needed. None of it was needed until much later in the day as it was warm enough to walk around just in a tee-shirt all day, which was pretty good going for November.
On arrival at Paddington our first destination was Piccadilly Circus to find the Malaysian restaurant. Using the Rainforest restaurant/bar and shop to fix our position on, I found the restaurant without difficulty (Colin had missed it by one street on his visit a few weeks earlier). We decided to go in just for bowls of soup and save our appetites for later. We ended up having several beers as well. We had only intended to have one with the soup but because the lady had to move Colin for a few moments to get to a cupboard by our table, she gave him a free beer for being so nice about it and we ended up having three each! Also we enjoyed our soup so much we booked up there and then to return that evening.
From there we walked to Covent Garden which only took about 15 minutes. When we got there we could not believe the amount of police and the crowds. When we enquired we were informed the extra police presence was because Prince Charles was in the market but we didn't actually see him ourselves. In addition to everything else going on at the market there was also a farmers market - with food stalls both within an inner screened off section and all around the outside of the market building.
However we didn't go in just then as I wanted to find Aquiles and Claire. Just before arriving at Covent Garden I had put on my poncho, which was my best one purchased in Bolivia - not because it was cold but because I wanted Aquiles to see me in it! With the Bolivian textile backpack and Peruvian textile handbag I looked more "Andean" than they did! We found them a few minutes later and I managed to snap one photo of them playing which was just as well, because as soon as we arrived and they had finished the song they stopped playing. They seemed really pleased to see us and whereas because I was with Colin, I had only planned to stay a while with them and then go on our way, we ended up remaining together for the rest of the day. We chatted for a while and I could hear an Ecuadorian band playing a bit further down and the music sounded fantastic, Andean but with a different slant. After about 40 minutes, Aquiles said they would just play for another half an hour before packing up the equipment, so Colin and I decided to have a look around the market at this point - me heading straight for the other band and looking at their CD, which I immediately bought.
After that Colin and I spent the next hour in the market - where we were thoroughly searched by the police, along with everyone else, I suppose because Prince Charles was still there somewhere at that point. We thoroughly enjoyed tasting the samples of everything on offer and bought an assortment of items as well.
By the time we got back to Aquiles and Claire they had finished playing and had already packed up their equipment and luckily did not have to take it all home. Because Claire was playing classical music elsewhere the following day, Aquiles would be playing with the Ecuadorian guy and was able to stash all his equipment in his van. We asked Aquiles if he would like to have a drink with us before we disappeared and both he and Claire said they would also like to come with us to the restaurant that evening! So I phoned the restaurant on my mobile phone and changed the reservation from two to four people and Aquiles said he knew a brilliant pub to take us to and we set off towards it. On the way we went through Leicester Square and we spotted Carlos and Julio and went over to talk to them. There was also a fourth member of the band - a new guy on percussion - so it looks like when they next come to Bath I will be putting four of them up! They were telling me they hoped the date at the auditorium where I work could be fixed for Friday 7th December. They had just arrived and Johnny had gone to park the car so after chatting for a few minutes we told them we would come back and listen to them for a while after leaving the pub before continuing on to the restaurant.
The pub was an excellent one and we spent the next couple of hours there and I was delighted to see Colin enjoying their company as much as I do. I was amazed a bit later on as well to realise that Aquiles had actually persuaded him to join us in Peru in February 2003 - he had succeeded whereas all my efforts to persuade him had failed! All four of us will be staying in Aquiles' home in Cusco and will definitely walk the Inca Trail, as well as seeing as many of my favourite bands as possible in Cusco nightclubs. Aquiles knows that I would especially love to see the bands Totem and Amazonas. Colin and I will need to get ourselves into a fitness regime for three or four months before going, in order to be fit enough to cope with the Inca Trail, but what an adventure and what fun it will be to experience it with Aquiles and Claire.
We left the pub about 7 pm and walked back to Leicester Square where Johnny's band were in full swing and we listened for 20 minutes until they stopped for a break. It was great to chat to Johnny for about ten minutes at that point until we went on our way to the restaurant. In Leicester Square all was in readiness for the London Film Festival and Claire and I had fun teasing Aquiles that maybe next time his name would be up there in lights. (He is really pleased that he was chosen to appear in a forthcoming film).
We then had a very pleasant time at the restaurant. Aquiles said we should order wine as it was a special occasion and he was really impressed with the food. We were all in fine form teasing each other, and I think Colin now finally realises why I enjoy their company so much. After the restaurant we all walked to the underground station where we parted company, leaving each other with the promise that they would come to Bath about three weeks later. Claire is playing with classical musicians at the church in Milverton (where Colin and I went to see her earlier in the year) and they will come down that weekend.
The next exciting andean events to look forward to are Quimantu again in Oxford on 23rd November and hopefully a weekend in Paris with my musician friend Leo and his family at the beginning of December, as well as Kausary at the Michael Tippett Centre on 7th December.
We set out mid morning and although the weather forecast wasn't too brilliant we were lucky that it didn't rain on the journey down. The sun came out here and there and it was a pleasant drive - especially when we went through a pretty village called King Stag and saw a large herd of deer running in nearby parkland. They looked so beautiful that I would have loved to have stopped and taken photographs but even had we been able to stop quickly, by the time I got the camera out they would have been too far away.
We arrived in Weymouth about lunchtime so our first stop was one of my favourite pubs in Sutton Poyntz for lunch. Sutton Poyntz is a picture postcard village with a stream running through and weeping willow trees along the banks of the stream and lots of ducks. When we came out of the pub afterwards, we spent some time with the ducks, many of whom were quite tame.
Our next stop was Quipu - a shop selling Peruvian crafts in the Brewers Quay complex in the town - this shop is like a magnet for me whenever we visit Weymouth because it is full of the most fascinating Peruvian things, as well as good music of course, and I managed to find three albums that I didn't already have in my collection.
From there we went to visit Colin's daughter for a couple of hours and I especially enjoyed cuddling his latest grandchild, baby Lucy aged four weeks. Then at 5 pm we set off for Bridport which was a pleasant drive of about 16 miles from Weymouth. We were very early but went to the Arts Centre anyway to check how early we could get in. We could hear Quimantu practising when we went in and caught a glimpse of Mauricio and Rachel through the door on our way back out again. We still had an hour to kill so went for a stroll around the town and had a quick snack in a wine-bar, arriving back at the Arts Centre in time to get a drink before the concert. Being early birds we were able to choose a table right in front of the stage from which to watch the concert.
I had been looking forward to this concert for over a month and when it began I wasn't disappointed. The concert was in two parts with an interval in the middle and probably two hours of wonderful music which we both enjoyed immensely. It was great to hear many favourite songs but also there were several previously unknown to me so I was hoping these might be on a new CD. Mauricio Venegas was in good form, keeping us humorously entertained between songs and the whole concert was absolutely wonderful.
One big surprise was to see that one of the six musicians on stage was a friend - Ronal who lives in France. I first met him in August last year when he accompanied Claire and Aquiles and me to Edinburgh. He was in England on holiday at that time and had decided to join up and play music with them at both Southport and Edinburgh festivals. Because he returned to France whilst we were still in Edinburgh I lost touch with him after that, so was very surprised to see him again in the Quimantu line-up.
During the concert I took several photographs and these will be added to this story in two or three weeks time when the film is developed. I even had my photo taken with Mauricio in the foyer after the concert, plus had a long chat with Ronal and the others. I was very sorry to learn from them that Inti Illimani - another great favourite Chilean band - will be disbanding in the New Year after more than 30 years. John Williams and Paco Pela are going on tour with Inti Illimani to Chile next month and after that the group Inti Illimani will be no more. I'm sure that countless fans worldwide will be as sad about this as I am once the news is widely known. When John Williams returns to England, the latest Quimantu CD will be finalised as he is collaborating with them on one or two tracks.
Quimantu are still on tour throughout November and we will be going to see them once more before the tour is over at the Jacqueline Du Pre Music Building in Oxford on Friday 23rd November. I phoned and booked these tickets the next day after seeing them at Bridport.
Also hopefully on Friday 7 December another Andean band - Kausary - will be performing at the Michael Tippett Centre here in Bath and I hope that anyone reading this who lives locally will decide to come along and see them. Their interpretation of Peruvian music is really fantastic.
We followed this excellent trip to see Quimantu with a visit to London the following week to meet up with Peruvian friends there. For once the train was bang on time and we had a great journey to London - Colin with his nose stuck in a local paper and me with music through headphones and a good book - and in no time at all we arrived. I had dressed up warmly - just in case - but had to take my sweater off while still on the station platform as it was so warm and sunny. In addition to the sweater I also had a poncho, gloves and scarf in a backpack for later in case it was needed. None of it was needed until much later in the day as it was warm enough to walk around just in a tee-shirt all day, which was pretty good going for November.
On arrival at Paddington our first destination was Piccadilly Circus to find the Malaysian restaurant. Using the Rainforest restaurant/bar and shop to fix our position on, I found the restaurant without difficulty (Colin had missed it by one street on his visit a few weeks earlier). We decided to go in just for bowls of soup and save our appetites for later. We ended up having several beers as well. We had only intended to have one with the soup but because the lady had to move Colin for a few moments to get to a cupboard by our table, she gave him a free beer for being so nice about it and we ended up having three each! Also we enjoyed our soup so much we booked up there and then to return that evening.
From there we walked to Covent Garden which only took about 15 minutes. When we got there we could not believe the amount of police and the crowds. When we enquired we were informed the extra police presence was because Prince Charles was in the market but we didn't actually see him ourselves. In addition to everything else going on at the market there was also a farmers market - with food stalls both within an inner screened off section and all around the outside of the market building.
However we didn't go in just then as I wanted to find Aquiles and Claire. Just before arriving at Covent Garden I had put on my poncho, which was my best one purchased in Bolivia - not because it was cold but because I wanted Aquiles to see me in it! With the Bolivian textile backpack and Peruvian textile handbag I looked more "Andean" than they did! We found them a few minutes later and I managed to snap one photo of them playing which was just as well, because as soon as we arrived and they had finished the song they stopped playing. They seemed really pleased to see us and whereas because I was with Colin, I had only planned to stay a while with them and then go on our way, we ended up remaining together for the rest of the day. We chatted for a while and I could hear an Ecuadorian band playing a bit further down and the music sounded fantastic, Andean but with a different slant. After about 40 minutes, Aquiles said they would just play for another half an hour before packing up the equipment, so Colin and I decided to have a look around the market at this point - me heading straight for the other band and looking at their CD, which I immediately bought.
After that Colin and I spent the next hour in the market - where we were thoroughly searched by the police, along with everyone else, I suppose because Prince Charles was still there somewhere at that point. We thoroughly enjoyed tasting the samples of everything on offer and bought an assortment of items as well.
By the time we got back to Aquiles and Claire they had finished playing and had already packed up their equipment and luckily did not have to take it all home. Because Claire was playing classical music elsewhere the following day, Aquiles would be playing with the Ecuadorian guy and was able to stash all his equipment in his van. We asked Aquiles if he would like to have a drink with us before we disappeared and both he and Claire said they would also like to come with us to the restaurant that evening! So I phoned the restaurant on my mobile phone and changed the reservation from two to four people and Aquiles said he knew a brilliant pub to take us to and we set off towards it. On the way we went through Leicester Square and we spotted Carlos and Julio and went over to talk to them. There was also a fourth member of the band - a new guy on percussion - so it looks like when they next come to Bath I will be putting four of them up! They were telling me they hoped the date at the auditorium where I work could be fixed for Friday 7th December. They had just arrived and Johnny had gone to park the car so after chatting for a few minutes we told them we would come back and listen to them for a while after leaving the pub before continuing on to the restaurant.
The pub was an excellent one and we spent the next couple of hours there and I was delighted to see Colin enjoying their company as much as I do. I was amazed a bit later on as well to realise that Aquiles had actually persuaded him to join us in Peru in February 2003 - he had succeeded whereas all my efforts to persuade him had failed! All four of us will be staying in Aquiles' home in Cusco and will definitely walk the Inca Trail, as well as seeing as many of my favourite bands as possible in Cusco nightclubs. Aquiles knows that I would especially love to see the bands Totem and Amazonas. Colin and I will need to get ourselves into a fitness regime for three or four months before going, in order to be fit enough to cope with the Inca Trail, but what an adventure and what fun it will be to experience it with Aquiles and Claire.
We left the pub about 7 pm and walked back to Leicester Square where Johnny's band were in full swing and we listened for 20 minutes until they stopped for a break. It was great to chat to Johnny for about ten minutes at that point until we went on our way to the restaurant. In Leicester Square all was in readiness for the London Film Festival and Claire and I had fun teasing Aquiles that maybe next time his name would be up there in lights. (He is really pleased that he was chosen to appear in a forthcoming film).
We then had a very pleasant time at the restaurant. Aquiles said we should order wine as it was a special occasion and he was really impressed with the food. We were all in fine form teasing each other, and I think Colin now finally realises why I enjoy their company so much. After the restaurant we all walked to the underground station where we parted company, leaving each other with the promise that they would come to Bath about three weeks later. Claire is playing with classical musicians at the church in Milverton (where Colin and I went to see her earlier in the year) and they will come down that weekend.
The next exciting andean events to look forward to are Quimantu again in Oxford on 23rd November and hopefully a weekend in Paris with my musician friend Leo and his family at the beginning of December, as well as Kausary at the Michael Tippett Centre on 7th December.
Friday, July 20, 2001
Sunday, July 15, 2001
Russell Chamberlain Takes the Indian Train to the "Lost City of the Incas"
Article reproduced from page 29 of December 2000 issue of Monocle Magazine.
From the Air Cusco resembles a Mediterranean town which, unaccountably, has been set down among the Andes two miles above sea level. The impression continues for a while at ground level with the highly decorated churches and comfortable cafes and restaurants. Then the perspective shifts and you become aware of one culture, the Spanish, set vertiginously upon another, the Inca, with no intervening centuries of transition. It is the presence of the Indians which first brings that home, emphasising the 400-year rift in the social fabric of Peru. It's as though, in England, the rural population was still dressing and speaking like the Anglo-Saxons with the urban people speaking Norman-French and dressed in modern clothes.
And after the shift in the human perspective comes the architectural, with the awareness of the vast stones of the Inca city immediately underlying the Spanish: the streets still following the pre-conquest pattern, the churches built on the foundations of the temples. And looming over all is the fortress of Sacsaywaman where the Spanish smashed the last Inca rebellion in 1536 and put their seal, finally and brutally, on the land of Peru.
I was en route to Machu Picchu, having flown in from Lima. Two trains go there from Cusco: the 'tourist' train and the so called 'Indian' train. The tourist train allegedly leaves at 7 am, but in fact rarely gets away much before nine and goes direct to the base of Machu Picchu in about three hours, decanting the passengers direct into coaches for the ascent of the mountain.
It's perfectly possible to have breakfast in Cusco, an expensive lunch in Machu Picchu and be back for dinner in Cusco. But it's a bit like getting a tube from Victoria Station in London to the Tower of London and feeling you've done London. Nothing can eliminate the impact of Machu Picchu but, viewed in isolation without reference to its geological and historical position is to reduce it to a picture postcard. Abandoned sometime after the Spanish conquest of the 16th century Machu Picchu was a genuine 'lost city' until its discovery by an American explorer, Hiram Bingham, in 1911.
The 'Indian train' is the local stopping train leaving, for some arcane reason, near enough to its appointed time of 6 am. It has to climb an almost vertical cliff to get out of Cusco and does so by chugging endlessly backwards and forwards, covering several hundred yards horizontally to gain a few feet vertically.
At the top of the cliff the train seems to take a deep breath before beginning the immense descent that will take it down from an alpine to a tropic environment. It presented a remarkable variety of casual dangers: a broken window with jagged shards; a large hole in the floor of a carriage in which a child's foot became trapped; a broken lock upon one of the doors. The carriages were connected simply by couplings, passengers passing from one to the other by stepping over the void. And passengers were continually doing so, for the train was packed. The most hair-raising was a blind musician with a child leading him, stepping backwards and forwards over the appalling danger.
Almost as remarkable were the Indian women selling food, ranging from bread to huge, delicious lumps of roast pork. Each woman was wearing the brightly coloured shawl in which, as often as not, the inevitable baby was wrapped up along with the vegetables, bread and the rest, each woman carrying a bundle of wares for sale, achieving miracles of balance clambering in and out of doors - and windows - as the train racketed along. There were few clearly defined stations, the train simply stopping at Kilometre so-and-so, a point distant from Cusco recognisable only by natives. At each stop it was besieged by yet more Indian women selling food and drink.
And here, even in this local train with its predominantly local population, one became uneasily aware of the clash of cultures, of the impact between members of an advanced, affluent technological society and people still in the Middle Ages. It was summed up for me at one stop where a pretty young girl, wearing a traditional skirt and top hat with a child at her breast and offering little cakes with her free hand, was pounced on by a European with an immense camera. Others joined him and for three or four minutes the bewildered girl was surrounded by glittering equipment thrust in her face. Satisfied, the photographers withdrew. Timidly she came forward to offer her wares but the tourists waved her irritably aside, even though their monopoly of her had cost her the precious few minutes of the halt. But there was a grace note. An elderly American lady, somebody's formidable grandmother who had been watching the scene, thrust her head outside the window and cried: 'You are stealing that poor girl's face. You have taken up her time. Give her something.' Shamefacedly, they did.
The local train terminates at Aguas Calientes, a couple of miles short of Machu Picchu, a ramshackle township with the train trundling down the centre of its single main street.
Here, for around 25p I got a bed for the night, sharing a concrete cell with four or five other people. On waking the following morning it was with some surprise that I observed that one of my companions of the night was a woman, a middle-aged lady of impeccable respectability who, pulling a brightly patterned dress over an armour of pink corsetry, departed without a backward glance.
And this hour, shortly after daybreak, explains why one endures the vagaries of the 'Indian train'. It was quite magical, the vast gorge silent except for the rushing Urubamba river, the purple and scarlet heraldry of banana flowers proclaiming that one was really down in the tropics.
At the foot of Machu Picchu the first coaches were waiting to take the handful of passengers up the zig-zagging road to the 'lost city of the Incas.' Photography has all but killed the sense of wonder in travel. It is now impossible to see the Taj Mahal or the Parthenon or Piazza San Marco for the first time, so blurred have their images become through an infinitude of photographs. Machu Picchu is one of the rare places where reality far transcends anything that can be caught on film. The eye is stunned with the vast spaces - the gorge far below yet peaks soaring high above, anthropomorphic, the clouds around them looking like shawls on titans. One realises why the Greeks put Zeus on Olympus.
And suspended between earth and sky is the city itself. No one knows why it was abandoned: many of its buildings remain enigmatic; there is much for the imagination to work on. Then at midday the 'tourist train' arrives in the gorge below. At around 1 pm the city, once as remote as the moon, is swamped with a camera clicking horde and it's a good time to leave and descend to the valley below.
From the Air Cusco resembles a Mediterranean town which, unaccountably, has been set down among the Andes two miles above sea level. The impression continues for a while at ground level with the highly decorated churches and comfortable cafes and restaurants. Then the perspective shifts and you become aware of one culture, the Spanish, set vertiginously upon another, the Inca, with no intervening centuries of transition. It is the presence of the Indians which first brings that home, emphasising the 400-year rift in the social fabric of Peru. It's as though, in England, the rural population was still dressing and speaking like the Anglo-Saxons with the urban people speaking Norman-French and dressed in modern clothes.
And after the shift in the human perspective comes the architectural, with the awareness of the vast stones of the Inca city immediately underlying the Spanish: the streets still following the pre-conquest pattern, the churches built on the foundations of the temples. And looming over all is the fortress of Sacsaywaman where the Spanish smashed the last Inca rebellion in 1536 and put their seal, finally and brutally, on the land of Peru.
I was en route to Machu Picchu, having flown in from Lima. Two trains go there from Cusco: the 'tourist' train and the so called 'Indian' train. The tourist train allegedly leaves at 7 am, but in fact rarely gets away much before nine and goes direct to the base of Machu Picchu in about three hours, decanting the passengers direct into coaches for the ascent of the mountain.
It's perfectly possible to have breakfast in Cusco, an expensive lunch in Machu Picchu and be back for dinner in Cusco. But it's a bit like getting a tube from Victoria Station in London to the Tower of London and feeling you've done London. Nothing can eliminate the impact of Machu Picchu but, viewed in isolation without reference to its geological and historical position is to reduce it to a picture postcard. Abandoned sometime after the Spanish conquest of the 16th century Machu Picchu was a genuine 'lost city' until its discovery by an American explorer, Hiram Bingham, in 1911.
The 'Indian train' is the local stopping train leaving, for some arcane reason, near enough to its appointed time of 6 am. It has to climb an almost vertical cliff to get out of Cusco and does so by chugging endlessly backwards and forwards, covering several hundred yards horizontally to gain a few feet vertically.
At the top of the cliff the train seems to take a deep breath before beginning the immense descent that will take it down from an alpine to a tropic environment. It presented a remarkable variety of casual dangers: a broken window with jagged shards; a large hole in the floor of a carriage in which a child's foot became trapped; a broken lock upon one of the doors. The carriages were connected simply by couplings, passengers passing from one to the other by stepping over the void. And passengers were continually doing so, for the train was packed. The most hair-raising was a blind musician with a child leading him, stepping backwards and forwards over the appalling danger.
Almost as remarkable were the Indian women selling food, ranging from bread to huge, delicious lumps of roast pork. Each woman was wearing the brightly coloured shawl in which, as often as not, the inevitable baby was wrapped up along with the vegetables, bread and the rest, each woman carrying a bundle of wares for sale, achieving miracles of balance clambering in and out of doors - and windows - as the train racketed along. There were few clearly defined stations, the train simply stopping at Kilometre so-and-so, a point distant from Cusco recognisable only by natives. At each stop it was besieged by yet more Indian women selling food and drink.
And here, even in this local train with its predominantly local population, one became uneasily aware of the clash of cultures, of the impact between members of an advanced, affluent technological society and people still in the Middle Ages. It was summed up for me at one stop where a pretty young girl, wearing a traditional skirt and top hat with a child at her breast and offering little cakes with her free hand, was pounced on by a European with an immense camera. Others joined him and for three or four minutes the bewildered girl was surrounded by glittering equipment thrust in her face. Satisfied, the photographers withdrew. Timidly she came forward to offer her wares but the tourists waved her irritably aside, even though their monopoly of her had cost her the precious few minutes of the halt. But there was a grace note. An elderly American lady, somebody's formidable grandmother who had been watching the scene, thrust her head outside the window and cried: 'You are stealing that poor girl's face. You have taken up her time. Give her something.' Shamefacedly, they did.
The local train terminates at Aguas Calientes, a couple of miles short of Machu Picchu, a ramshackle township with the train trundling down the centre of its single main street.
Here, for around 25p I got a bed for the night, sharing a concrete cell with four or five other people. On waking the following morning it was with some surprise that I observed that one of my companions of the night was a woman, a middle-aged lady of impeccable respectability who, pulling a brightly patterned dress over an armour of pink corsetry, departed without a backward glance.
And this hour, shortly after daybreak, explains why one endures the vagaries of the 'Indian train'. It was quite magical, the vast gorge silent except for the rushing Urubamba river, the purple and scarlet heraldry of banana flowers proclaiming that one was really down in the tropics.
At the foot of Machu Picchu the first coaches were waiting to take the handful of passengers up the zig-zagging road to the 'lost city of the Incas.' Photography has all but killed the sense of wonder in travel. It is now impossible to see the Taj Mahal or the Parthenon or Piazza San Marco for the first time, so blurred have their images become through an infinitude of photographs. Machu Picchu is one of the rare places where reality far transcends anything that can be caught on film. The eye is stunned with the vast spaces - the gorge far below yet peaks soaring high above, anthropomorphic, the clouds around them looking like shawls on titans. One realises why the Greeks put Zeus on Olympus.
And suspended between earth and sky is the city itself. No one knows why it was abandoned: many of its buildings remain enigmatic; there is much for the imagination to work on. Then at midday the 'tourist train' arrives in the gorge below. At around 1 pm the city, once as remote as the moon, is swamped with a camera clicking horde and it's a good time to leave and descend to the valley below.
Wednesday, July 11, 2001
Lima then Home.
I was really tired when the alarm went off but had to get up as I still had packing to finish and I was supposed to be at the airport by 7 am. Alfredo was downstairs cooking Adobe de Chancho for breakfast, but I wasn’t very hungry and could only manage a very small portion. I had already carried the flight bags etc down and he helped me with the two big cases - we had such a struggle getting one of them down that he jokingly asked if I had half the stones from Sacsaywaman in it! Even with two of us we couldn’t manage everything in one go to the road to get the taxi. Alfredo hailed one and the driver helped us get the things to his car. Only one case would fit in the boot and we had to get the rest in the car. We made it to the airport by 7 am though, Alfredo anxious to get me checked in as he had to dash back, get Danielo up and both get ready, as they wanted to get to Sacsaywaman as early as possible to get a good spot with a good view for the day’s celebrations.
At the airport the taxi driver had a job getting the case out of the boot, standing in the boot and heaving away to get it out. I couldn’t help laughing. He helped Alfredo get the cases in to the Lan Peru desk and I struggled with two heavy flight bags, a large handbag and also my charango in its case. We were lucky to get them checked in immediately, although my face fell when asked to pay 64 dollars excess weight fee. Luckily I was able to pay it with my Visa card, hoping that I would not have to pay the same again on the Lima to London flight next day (unfortunately it turned out I had to pay a further 98 dollars on the London flight!). We then went to pay the airport tax and then Alfredo whisked me to the departure point, which is where we had to part company as he couldn’t go through as well. We gave each other a big hug and I promised to write the first chance I got. I was well laden with hand luggage - as well as the four bags, I had my CD player strapped around my waist and a mountain of clothes on that wouldn’t fit in the suitcase - three sweaters, a cardigan, two jackets and a third jacket tied around my waist, plus the pockets of the jackets were filled with things. I looked about twice my normal size and could hardly move with that lot on. Also it was another hot day and swelteringly hot. I had an hour to wait in the departure lounge and then it was time to board the plane. I struggled getting my things from lounge to plane, especially as one of the bags was breaking with the strain and only just managed to get it as far as the plane before it broke. Luckily there was a spare bag inside one of them and I later transferred the things into it once we were in the air. I spent the whole flight looking for my numbered slips which are necessary to get ones luggage at the other end, without success - luckily, I found them on the floor when I got out of my seat on arrival at Lima!
Apart from this anxiety the flight was a pleasant one, again with great views across the Andes mountains at least until we got to 35,000 feet and then the view was obscured by clouds below. We were all served food and drinks and then in no time at all we were descending, outside obscured by dense mist, and this descent was the worst one yet, the pressure on one’s ears being really painful this time. It was only at the very last minute that the mist cleared and one could see the ground and realise the plane would land in just a few seconds. It was a smooth landing and arrival was a much quicker process than usual with no checkpoints to go through. My luggage arrived quickly on the conveyor belt, a porter came to help and the first person I saw when I exited into the arrivals hall was Elva’s sister who recognised me in the same instant. We didn’t need the signs we were both carrying!
She gave me a lovely welcome, as did her daughter in law and 3-year-old grandson. She directed the porter where to go and soon we were trying to get all my things in the car and ourselves as well, her son having driven to the airport to collect me. Back home I was really glad to get off all the extra clothes, as I was so hot. When I started peeling off all the layers they were really amazed at how much there was - enough to fill two more flight bags! They offered me the chance to have a shower and it was great as I felt so much better afterwards.
We then drove to a nearby takeaway shop, bought a load of chicharon, along with fried camote, and then a selection of different bread rolls, which we took back to the house and enjoyed as a late breakfast/early lunch. Then we switched on the TV and were able to watch the new president’s inauguration in Machu Picchu which was very interesting and the channel then switched to Sacsaywaman and I was able to see the different dances etc going on there, and the vast crowds watching (just as on day of Inti Raymi). We saw the president’s arrival at Aguas Buying Coca Calientes on the train and then at 2.30 we all went out, taking a taxi to the centre of town, and went on a sightseeing walking tour of lots of places of interest. We saw the cathedral, the municipal buildings, Plaza de Armas and the palace and I took a few photos. We also went walking through various shopping arcades and ended up at Miraflores, first enjoying Picarones, a typical Limeña sweet desert, then looking at all the stalls of various artesenial items for sale. We also saw the nearby river and bridge and I took a photo there as well. We got back to the house again around 6 pm, quite exhausted from all the walking. I really enjoyed Lima in their company and didn't feel threatened like last time. Miraflores is a safer part of Lima from what I’ve been told and all the shopping areas although crowded were safe enough. We finally ended up at a beautiful church and went inside, but as a mass was in progress we only stayed near the foyer looking at Monte Christi and beautiful paintings.
Outside we hailed a taxi and came home as by this time it was starting to get dark, and things get a bit dodgier after dark. Back home we enjoyed Aji de Gallina for tea and there was also a selection of different deserts for pudding but I simply had no room to try any of them. I had a frantic search for the paper with my entry to Peru date on it. After hunting through all three bags I had to open a suitcase to look for it and was so relieved when it was eventually found. Had it been lost it could have hampered my exit from Peru. We left for the airport at 4.30 as I had to be there 3 hours before the flight time. It was just as busy as last time and it took such a long time to get everything checked in and pay the 25 dollars flight tax that there was only just over an hour to wait when I said my goodbyes to them. The flight to Madrid was a pleasant one and I was lucky to have a window seat again and no one in the seat next to me so plenty of room to stretch out. Being a night flight I was able to get to sleep okay after the excellent evening meal and therefore the long flight didn’t seem as long as it did on the outward journey. We were a little late arriving at Madrid so by the time I got my boarding pass and made my way to the embarkation gate there was no waiting at all before boarding the plane. That flight was a pleasant one with another meal and then we were arriving at London where I knew I was being met by my Bolivian musician friend Jacco who arrived from Texas earlier that day for a 2 week holiday in England with me. Unfortunately due to a luggage mix-up I had to wait two hours before I could get my baggage, with no way of getting a message to Jacco about the delay. In the end I persuaded someone on the Iberia desk to make an announcement.
Jacco meets MarcoMeeting him was great fun - after more than a year of being email penfriends - and I was glad to have his help with the entire luggage which I could never have managed alone. He was carrying yellow roses that he had brought all the way from Texas and later gave me six CDs as presents, a Latin American cookery book and some beautiful jewellery made by native American Indians in New Mexico as a late birthday gift. We got the bus home, which ended up being a long trip as we had to get the bus back into London Victoria to collect his luggage first which he had left there in order to spend the day sightseeing in London before coming to meet me. It was getting on for midnight when we got home.
His 2-week stay was great fun - the first few days in Bath then a flight to Edinburgh to enjoy the festival and we met up with some of my musician friends and did lots of sightseeing, then back to Bath for a few more days and ended up with his last weekend in London with my Peruvian friends Johnny and family. He flew home on 13th August and that was my first day back at work after nine weeks! As soon as I am on my feet again financially, I will be saving like mad to go back again next year! That excellent holiday more than lived up to my expectations and I can’t wait to go back!
At the airport the taxi driver had a job getting the case out of the boot, standing in the boot and heaving away to get it out. I couldn’t help laughing. He helped Alfredo get the cases in to the Lan Peru desk and I struggled with two heavy flight bags, a large handbag and also my charango in its case. We were lucky to get them checked in immediately, although my face fell when asked to pay 64 dollars excess weight fee. Luckily I was able to pay it with my Visa card, hoping that I would not have to pay the same again on the Lima to London flight next day (unfortunately it turned out I had to pay a further 98 dollars on the London flight!). We then went to pay the airport tax and then Alfredo whisked me to the departure point, which is where we had to part company as he couldn’t go through as well. We gave each other a big hug and I promised to write the first chance I got. I was well laden with hand luggage - as well as the four bags, I had my CD player strapped around my waist and a mountain of clothes on that wouldn’t fit in the suitcase - three sweaters, a cardigan, two jackets and a third jacket tied around my waist, plus the pockets of the jackets were filled with things. I looked about twice my normal size and could hardly move with that lot on. Also it was another hot day and swelteringly hot. I had an hour to wait in the departure lounge and then it was time to board the plane. I struggled getting my things from lounge to plane, especially as one of the bags was breaking with the strain and only just managed to get it as far as the plane before it broke. Luckily there was a spare bag inside one of them and I later transferred the things into it once we were in the air. I spent the whole flight looking for my numbered slips which are necessary to get ones luggage at the other end, without success - luckily, I found them on the floor when I got out of my seat on arrival at Lima!
Apart from this anxiety the flight was a pleasant one, again with great views across the Andes mountains at least until we got to 35,000 feet and then the view was obscured by clouds below. We were all served food and drinks and then in no time at all we were descending, outside obscured by dense mist, and this descent was the worst one yet, the pressure on one’s ears being really painful this time. It was only at the very last minute that the mist cleared and one could see the ground and realise the plane would land in just a few seconds. It was a smooth landing and arrival was a much quicker process than usual with no checkpoints to go through. My luggage arrived quickly on the conveyor belt, a porter came to help and the first person I saw when I exited into the arrivals hall was Elva’s sister who recognised me in the same instant. We didn’t need the signs we were both carrying!
She gave me a lovely welcome, as did her daughter in law and 3-year-old grandson. She directed the porter where to go and soon we were trying to get all my things in the car and ourselves as well, her son having driven to the airport to collect me. Back home I was really glad to get off all the extra clothes, as I was so hot. When I started peeling off all the layers they were really amazed at how much there was - enough to fill two more flight bags! They offered me the chance to have a shower and it was great as I felt so much better afterwards.
We then drove to a nearby takeaway shop, bought a load of chicharon, along with fried camote, and then a selection of different bread rolls, which we took back to the house and enjoyed as a late breakfast/early lunch. Then we switched on the TV and were able to watch the new president’s inauguration in Machu Picchu which was very interesting and the channel then switched to Sacsaywaman and I was able to see the different dances etc going on there, and the vast crowds watching (just as on day of Inti Raymi). We saw the president’s arrival at Aguas Buying Coca Calientes on the train and then at 2.30 we all went out, taking a taxi to the centre of town, and went on a sightseeing walking tour of lots of places of interest. We saw the cathedral, the municipal buildings, Plaza de Armas and the palace and I took a few photos. We also went walking through various shopping arcades and ended up at Miraflores, first enjoying Picarones, a typical Limeña sweet desert, then looking at all the stalls of various artesenial items for sale. We also saw the nearby river and bridge and I took a photo there as well. We got back to the house again around 6 pm, quite exhausted from all the walking. I really enjoyed Lima in their company and didn't feel threatened like last time. Miraflores is a safer part of Lima from what I’ve been told and all the shopping areas although crowded were safe enough. We finally ended up at a beautiful church and went inside, but as a mass was in progress we only stayed near the foyer looking at Monte Christi and beautiful paintings.
Outside we hailed a taxi and came home as by this time it was starting to get dark, and things get a bit dodgier after dark. Back home we enjoyed Aji de Gallina for tea and there was also a selection of different deserts for pudding but I simply had no room to try any of them. I had a frantic search for the paper with my entry to Peru date on it. After hunting through all three bags I had to open a suitcase to look for it and was so relieved when it was eventually found. Had it been lost it could have hampered my exit from Peru. We left for the airport at 4.30 as I had to be there 3 hours before the flight time. It was just as busy as last time and it took such a long time to get everything checked in and pay the 25 dollars flight tax that there was only just over an hour to wait when I said my goodbyes to them. The flight to Madrid was a pleasant one and I was lucky to have a window seat again and no one in the seat next to me so plenty of room to stretch out. Being a night flight I was able to get to sleep okay after the excellent evening meal and therefore the long flight didn’t seem as long as it did on the outward journey. We were a little late arriving at Madrid so by the time I got my boarding pass and made my way to the embarkation gate there was no waiting at all before boarding the plane. That flight was a pleasant one with another meal and then we were arriving at London where I knew I was being met by my Bolivian musician friend Jacco who arrived from Texas earlier that day for a 2 week holiday in England with me. Unfortunately due to a luggage mix-up I had to wait two hours before I could get my baggage, with no way of getting a message to Jacco about the delay. In the end I persuaded someone on the Iberia desk to make an announcement.
Jacco meets MarcoMeeting him was great fun - after more than a year of being email penfriends - and I was glad to have his help with the entire luggage which I could never have managed alone. He was carrying yellow roses that he had brought all the way from Texas and later gave me six CDs as presents, a Latin American cookery book and some beautiful jewellery made by native American Indians in New Mexico as a late birthday gift. We got the bus home, which ended up being a long trip as we had to get the bus back into London Victoria to collect his luggage first which he had left there in order to spend the day sightseeing in London before coming to meet me. It was getting on for midnight when we got home.
His 2-week stay was great fun - the first few days in Bath then a flight to Edinburgh to enjoy the festival and we met up with some of my musician friends and did lots of sightseeing, then back to Bath for a few more days and ended up with his last weekend in London with my Peruvian friends Johnny and family. He flew home on 13th August and that was my first day back at work after nine weeks! As soon as I am on my feet again financially, I will be saving like mad to go back again next year! That excellent holiday more than lived up to my expectations and I can’t wait to go back!
Monday, July 09, 2001
Back to the Sacred Valley.
I was up at 5 am, and once ready with a small rucksack packed for Urubamba, I set to trying to organise what to put in my suitcase and what to leave behind, preferring to get that ordeal out the way in case there wasn't much time on Saturday. There were still a few things to go in it, but most of what I was leaving behind I could easily do without for the next 6 or 12 months. By 7 am we were leaving the house, Alfredo, Danielo and the three puppies, plus me… Danielo being too worried to leave them with Canela alone so long in case she didn't look after them properly. We took a taxi to the bus company and we almost caught the bus just leaving, but when we got on there were no seats so decided to get on the next one leaving 15 minutes later instead.
Danielo sat next to me with the three puppies in a bag on his lap, which a load of school children standing in the aisles thoroughly enjoyed playing with during the journey. Danielo and I were getting off at Pisac, which is half way between Cusco and Urubamba, about 35 to 40 minutes bus ride. At this point we left the puppies with Alfredo who was carrying on to the house at Urubamba, with us to join him after Pisac.
Once off the bus, Danielo and I set off through the village, out the other side and had been walking for about two kilometres or more when I finally asked how much further it was to go. I nearly fell over with shock when he said about 11 km! I said no way would we have time to do all the things planned that day if we wasted all that time walking, so we decided to walk back and see if we could get a taxi. As luck would have it we had only walked half way back, saw a white car coming, thought it was a taxi and flagged it down. There were two young men in the car who said they would take us to the end of the road (as far as one can go by car) and quoted a reasonable price, and when Danielo said we had attempted to walk it they were amazed and so was I as the road zigzagged up the mountain side. I would have been exhausted long before we reached Pisac.
By the time we reached the top, we had arranged that the driver would come back for us two hours later and take us back for the same price. The next two hours were really gruelling ones as the path led steeply up the mountainside, much of the way very steep and uneven steps, sometimes the path less than a foot wide with a sheer drop on one side. One had to hug the mountainside in the worst places, which wasn't easy to do because of very spiny cactus growing. Danielo was brilliant, holding my hand and guiding me through the worst places. Neither of us dared look down. Danielo admitted that when he looked his legs felt like gelatina. I was wearing my Ilo hat but as it was quite windy and I was afraid of losing it, Danielo put it in his trouser pocket.
The ruins of the Inca settlement were scattered all across the mountain and for the amount we saw, we spent 98% of the time on a gruelling climb that was quite a nightmare in places. The main consolation was the fantastic view and exploring each set of ruins we came across, although I think we missed some of the best ones - one of which would have meant an extra hour and a half. We were both pretty exhausted. Within 20 minutes of the time to meet the car, I could see the path leading all the way to where it was parked and we set off down it, me quite jubilant that the end of the road was in sight, only to go round a bend and see a group of cows grazing on the slopes, one of them a bull less than 10 yards from the path!
There was no way I would take the risk of walking past it because had it approached us there was nowhere to run, just straight down the mountain - one couldn't go up because of the spiny cactus. So we had to walk all the way back and take a different route, which involved at least a 100 (but felt like a 1000) very steep, narrow, uneven and jagged steps, again with sheer drops. Both of us were absolutely exhausted when we reached the car, both men asking why we had turned back. Neither thought a bull by the path was sufficient reason for such a big and tiring detour!!!
Back down in the village of Pisac again we had time to share a litre of coca cola and some chocolate whilst awaiting the bus, which came along about 10 minutes later. We had to stand for part of the journey as it was full, but at the next stop a few got off and we were comfortable again. I enjoyed that ride through the Sacred Valley immensely, the road following the winding river on the valley floor. It’s incredibly beautiful there. At Urubamba we went straight to the house to drop off our things. (I was really lucky that Danielo had carried my rucksack on that stiff climb).
By this time it was approaching lunchtime so I suggested to Alfredo we find a place for lunch and the three of us enjoyed an excellent 3-course meal at an excellent set menu price, which I paid for as he had bought the bus tickets that morning. Afterwards he was going to the teachers’ reunion and Danielo and I caught a moto (a motorbike with a covered seat contraption on the back, a bit like a rickshaw) as far as the bus terminal (which was more like a car park!) and then the bus to Ollantaytambo. This was a 25-minute ride through the beautiful Sacred Valley, following the Urubamba river - an incredibly beautiful place. At Ollantaytambo we headed straight for the ruins and although a steep climb up very steep steps, was still really easy compared to Pisac that morning. We spent about 45 minutes exploring everything, and I recorded both Ollantaytambo and Pisac in a great series of photos, with Danielo taking quite a lot with me in the frame.
Back on the ground again we spent about an hour enjoying the village - first at the stalls in the square, many of which were run by children and I bought a few items of jewellery, at such bargain prices that it would have been an insult to haggle, as well as drinks and fruit from some other children sellers. Then we looked through all the gift shops, watching one man weaving the beautiful designs on a big loom in the corner of his shop. The people were so nice and friendly there that I felt guilty for not buying anything. I told them all I would definitely be back one day in the future and would definitely buy something then. We then walked all through the village, an incredibly beautiful place, and bought bread rolls from one shop because Danielo said I just had to try the Urubamba bread of which there are three delicious varieties.
We then caught the bus back to Urubamba and a moto straight to the market - where I made a beeline for the ducks and cuddled a few of them, this time resisting buying any!!!! We also walked through all the produce section of the market and I bought a load of dried aji amarillo to keep me going with my Peruvian cookery when I got back home. I also bought three more cassettes as the prices were so cheap - one an 18 grandes exidos by Maya Andina, the other two Sayas and Tinkus by various Andean artistes, making my total of CDs and tapes purchased in Peru and Bolivia around 60 albums. Because we were in Urubamba we missed Apu Marku who were on at Kami Kasi that night but I would not have missed that wonderful day in the Sacred Valley for anything, despite all the mountaineering that morning! When Danielo and I headed back to the house we passed the Plaza de Armas where a fantastic dance display by young children was in progress. The children were no more than 8 or 9 years old, beautifully dressed, the girls in embroidered dresses with elaborate hats, the boys in embroidered suits with knitted pointed hats, and the coordination of the dance was fantastic. We stayed and watched for about half an hour before proceeding home.
Once home, I asked Alfredo if he wanted to go for something to eat and the three of us went looking to see what was on offer at the restaurants. We finally settled on one and when we ordered the food, we could not believe the size of the plates which were piled high when they arrived. One plate would have been enough for all three of us! I really struggled with mine, only managing about a quarter of it, piling the rest on Danielo's plate who happily tucked in. Even they were struggling to finish, and then the owner brought out another plate of chicken, saying it was left over. They tried to finish it but it defeated even them. In the end they cut up the rest to take home for the puppies. It was about 10.30 by the time we got back and we were all pretty tired - especially me after that arduous climb to the ruins at Pisac that morning - so we decided to go straight to bed. I cuddled the puppies for about half an hour and finally fell asleep to my Manuelo Prado CD. Next day I woke up to great music - which upon investigation proved to be a television programme with lots of different live bands - all in celebration of Peru's day of independence, 28 July.
We all watched for a while, until we decided it was about time for breakfast so Danielo and I set off to buy fresh bread while Alfredo got the water boiling for a pot of coffee. We were looking for a certain bread that I had enjoyed in the market the day before but couldn't find it. Eventually after trying a few places we ended up actually inside a bakery - a really old-fashioned one, probably like the bakeries back home 100 or more years ago. The bread there was made from unrefined flour and we were in time for a big batch coming out of the oven, which was so delicious still warm that we ate 3 each just walking back. On one side were dishes and dishes of Lechon (roasted pork joints) and the baker offered us a free tasting, which was nice.
Back home we had breakfast, then gathered up our things, and made our way to catch the bus for Cusco. Alfredo wanted to buy fresh milk but unfortunately the shop selling it was closed. The milk there was very rich, probably like the Jersey full cream back home. Whilst waiting for the bus, Danielo suddenly remembered my hat. He had taken it out of his pocket upon our return home and I forgot to ask for it. Alfredo went back for it but couldn't find it and then Danielo went back and he couldn't find it either. We wasted about half an hour and missed four buses in the process. I was sad that it could not be found but they have promised to look again on their next visit to Urubamba and if found will send it on to me by post.
The bus ride to Cusco took about an hour and a half and was an adventure in itself. Danielo and I sat in the front and we had the three puppies on our laps to play with them. I was also trying to keep a beautiful big pink rose intact that Alfredo had cut from his garden and given to me. The bus was packed as usual, the aisles full of people standing, old ladies sitting on the floor etc and everyone was enchanted with the puppies. People were talkative and very friendly and it was lovely. When we ascended the mountain and I had my last view of the River Urubamba on the valley floor, getting further and further away, I felt really sad.
I just adored that place - my second visit there being just as enjoyable as the first time. Because the search for the hat delayed us so much, we didn't get back to the house at Cusco until 12 noon which was the time I was supposed to be meeting the band. Luckily I had their cellular telephone number so was able to ring and spoke to Milton and told them I would make my way direct to Casuron del Inca and meet them there, instead of going to Plaza de Armas and delaying them - the traffic in Cusco was horrendous - as lots of things were going on in the town, but fortunately from Marca Valle it was possible to skirt the busy part of town and take a shortcut to the hill leading to Sacsaywaman and the restaurant which is about half way up the hill. I actually arrived before them so ordered a beer and chose Ceviche made with trout which was very nice, although my favourite version of Ceviche is made with a local river fish called Pejerrey (Kingfish). I followed this with Caldo de Gallina which is a Cusco special soup with chicken, yucca, rice and two types of potato. The band arrived while I was enjoying the soup and it was great to see them again. Leonarda was with them and came to join me at my table, and I ordered more beer and asked for more glasses so that she and the entire band could have a drink as well. Soon they were playing and both Leonarda and I enjoyed the show. When they played my favourite song Sacsaywaman we even got up and had one dance, as the band were playing to all the diners in the covered outdoor terrace and we were in full sunlight behind them. After they finished they came to our table and joined us until the beer was finished.
Then we all played that game called Sapo where you throw gold discs trying to get them to land in the frog’s mouth but if they missed there were holes they could fall into, into the drawer beneath, which each had a points value which was totalled up afterwards. I didn't do too badly but even with several attempts didn't succeed in getting any to land in the frog’s mouth!
After this Milton, Angel and I got a taxi back to Cusco and went to Quinta Zarate and shared another couple of bottles of beer. It was great sitting in that lovely garden again, especially as several humming birds hovered in nearby flowers and I managed to get a couple of pictures. Enjoying the beautiful view of Cusco for the very last time I got sadder and sadder at the thought of leaving and even shed a few tears over it, which was really embarassing! By 5 pm I wanted to get back to the house so that I could finish the packing before going out that evening, so they walked with me to the nearest point and hailed a taxi for me, and we arranged that I would see them at Tomines at 8 pm as usual.
Back home I managed to get both suitcases closed - with extreme difficulty - and had to leave quite a few things behind. I also had time for a quick shower and got ready and downstairs was able to relax with Alfredo and Danielo for a bit along with a couple of ladies (friends of theirs) who called in for a quick visit. Then when it was time for me to leave and get the taxi the ladies came too and shared my taxi, with them getting out halfway.
When I got out of the taxi outside Tomines I could see the whole band outside, and Milton immediately introduced me to his wife who had just arrived from Juliaca. I in turn immediately invited her to join me for the meal and we were lucky to get a table right near the stage - the restaurant being really full at this time. She was quite shy about ordering food, so when I told her I was having the Dieta de Pollo (a fantastic chicken soup) and would she like the same, she agreed. She chose freshly pressed orange juice to go with it and I opted for the fresh pineapple juice.
The band gave a really fantastic performance - their best yet - really animated and full of fun and all the crowded tables really enjoyed them, some getting up to dance, and even singing along to a couple of the songs. They did really well in CD sales and when they did the Sacsaywaman song Angel dedicated it to me, their gran amiga going back to Inglaterra, which was nice. Afterwards one of them went off to Meson de Espaldero, another restaurant, to see if they could play there as well and we waited until he got back. The answer was yes so we all made our way on foot, the band going on ahead with us following more leisurely. At Meson we enjoyed another live show, the management not minding us sitting at a table without ordering anything. Here again the restaurant was very busy, mostly with American tourists, but they were not so lucky with CD sales there. Although an expensive restaurant, not one person bought their CD. And out of one big table full of American tourists, about 16 people, only one of them put money in the tray which from where I was sitting looked like a miserable half sole. I could hardly believe it when they were being so beautifully entertained.
Afterwards we waited in the restaurant while the band quickly took the instruments home and about 20 minutes later Milton and Angel returned. We went around to Okukes but the place was so packed, with no chance of a table, that we decided against going in and went to Fernando’s bar instead, the four of us getting a table in the corner, ordering one large bottle of beer at a time to share and in fact I enjoyed myself in there just as much if not more because we could all chat and actually hear each other which wouldn't have been the case in Okukes. And Fernando, bless his heart, remembered I liked Andean music and played some beautiful CDs, and later when we asked him if he would play the Takillakta CD he played it three times all the way through. Although I already had that CD at home I asked Angel how much it was as I wanted a copy to listen to on the long journey home. Neither he nor Milton would hear of me buying it - they gave it to me instead and wrote some beautiful words on the cover and both signed it. Also Milton had brought the photos of him and Angel when they starred in a film for German cable television about the Incas - and they let me choose which ones I wanted to borrow to get copies for myself. I chose about six and felt really honoured that they were trusting me with their only copies, the negatives long since lost. They also showed me a set of photos of the band, which were taken for promotional reasons and asked me to choose a couple from that selection as well. So I have an excellent set of photos of them both - plus Marco who also starred in the film - as well as two excellent pictures of all six of them - and they wrote nice words on the back of those two photos as well.
All in all it was a very pleasant evening, and a great way to spend my last night in Cusco with such lovely new friends. We were going to keep in touch by email and both Milton and his wife said that if I'm ever in Juliaca I must go and stay at their house. They both hoped that if I managed to return to Peru in February I would go the Calendaria fiesta at Puno - all the band would also be there. Outside they hailed a taxi for me, again making a note of the number, and I said my goodbyes - by the time I got home it was almost 3 am, and I had to set my alarm for 5.30!
Danielo sat next to me with the three puppies in a bag on his lap, which a load of school children standing in the aisles thoroughly enjoyed playing with during the journey. Danielo and I were getting off at Pisac, which is half way between Cusco and Urubamba, about 35 to 40 minutes bus ride. At this point we left the puppies with Alfredo who was carrying on to the house at Urubamba, with us to join him after Pisac.
Once off the bus, Danielo and I set off through the village, out the other side and had been walking for about two kilometres or more when I finally asked how much further it was to go. I nearly fell over with shock when he said about 11 km! I said no way would we have time to do all the things planned that day if we wasted all that time walking, so we decided to walk back and see if we could get a taxi. As luck would have it we had only walked half way back, saw a white car coming, thought it was a taxi and flagged it down. There were two young men in the car who said they would take us to the end of the road (as far as one can go by car) and quoted a reasonable price, and when Danielo said we had attempted to walk it they were amazed and so was I as the road zigzagged up the mountain side. I would have been exhausted long before we reached Pisac.
By the time we reached the top, we had arranged that the driver would come back for us two hours later and take us back for the same price. The next two hours were really gruelling ones as the path led steeply up the mountainside, much of the way very steep and uneven steps, sometimes the path less than a foot wide with a sheer drop on one side. One had to hug the mountainside in the worst places, which wasn't easy to do because of very spiny cactus growing. Danielo was brilliant, holding my hand and guiding me through the worst places. Neither of us dared look down. Danielo admitted that when he looked his legs felt like gelatina. I was wearing my Ilo hat but as it was quite windy and I was afraid of losing it, Danielo put it in his trouser pocket.
The ruins of the Inca settlement were scattered all across the mountain and for the amount we saw, we spent 98% of the time on a gruelling climb that was quite a nightmare in places. The main consolation was the fantastic view and exploring each set of ruins we came across, although I think we missed some of the best ones - one of which would have meant an extra hour and a half. We were both pretty exhausted. Within 20 minutes of the time to meet the car, I could see the path leading all the way to where it was parked and we set off down it, me quite jubilant that the end of the road was in sight, only to go round a bend and see a group of cows grazing on the slopes, one of them a bull less than 10 yards from the path!
There was no way I would take the risk of walking past it because had it approached us there was nowhere to run, just straight down the mountain - one couldn't go up because of the spiny cactus. So we had to walk all the way back and take a different route, which involved at least a 100 (but felt like a 1000) very steep, narrow, uneven and jagged steps, again with sheer drops. Both of us were absolutely exhausted when we reached the car, both men asking why we had turned back. Neither thought a bull by the path was sufficient reason for such a big and tiring detour!!!
Back down in the village of Pisac again we had time to share a litre of coca cola and some chocolate whilst awaiting the bus, which came along about 10 minutes later. We had to stand for part of the journey as it was full, but at the next stop a few got off and we were comfortable again. I enjoyed that ride through the Sacred Valley immensely, the road following the winding river on the valley floor. It’s incredibly beautiful there. At Urubamba we went straight to the house to drop off our things. (I was really lucky that Danielo had carried my rucksack on that stiff climb).
By this time it was approaching lunchtime so I suggested to Alfredo we find a place for lunch and the three of us enjoyed an excellent 3-course meal at an excellent set menu price, which I paid for as he had bought the bus tickets that morning. Afterwards he was going to the teachers’ reunion and Danielo and I caught a moto (a motorbike with a covered seat contraption on the back, a bit like a rickshaw) as far as the bus terminal (which was more like a car park!) and then the bus to Ollantaytambo. This was a 25-minute ride through the beautiful Sacred Valley, following the Urubamba river - an incredibly beautiful place. At Ollantaytambo we headed straight for the ruins and although a steep climb up very steep steps, was still really easy compared to Pisac that morning. We spent about 45 minutes exploring everything, and I recorded both Ollantaytambo and Pisac in a great series of photos, with Danielo taking quite a lot with me in the frame.
Back on the ground again we spent about an hour enjoying the village - first at the stalls in the square, many of which were run by children and I bought a few items of jewellery, at such bargain prices that it would have been an insult to haggle, as well as drinks and fruit from some other children sellers. Then we looked through all the gift shops, watching one man weaving the beautiful designs on a big loom in the corner of his shop. The people were so nice and friendly there that I felt guilty for not buying anything. I told them all I would definitely be back one day in the future and would definitely buy something then. We then walked all through the village, an incredibly beautiful place, and bought bread rolls from one shop because Danielo said I just had to try the Urubamba bread of which there are three delicious varieties.
We then caught the bus back to Urubamba and a moto straight to the market - where I made a beeline for the ducks and cuddled a few of them, this time resisting buying any!!!! We also walked through all the produce section of the market and I bought a load of dried aji amarillo to keep me going with my Peruvian cookery when I got back home. I also bought three more cassettes as the prices were so cheap - one an 18 grandes exidos by Maya Andina, the other two Sayas and Tinkus by various Andean artistes, making my total of CDs and tapes purchased in Peru and Bolivia around 60 albums. Because we were in Urubamba we missed Apu Marku who were on at Kami Kasi that night but I would not have missed that wonderful day in the Sacred Valley for anything, despite all the mountaineering that morning! When Danielo and I headed back to the house we passed the Plaza de Armas where a fantastic dance display by young children was in progress. The children were no more than 8 or 9 years old, beautifully dressed, the girls in embroidered dresses with elaborate hats, the boys in embroidered suits with knitted pointed hats, and the coordination of the dance was fantastic. We stayed and watched for about half an hour before proceeding home.
Once home, I asked Alfredo if he wanted to go for something to eat and the three of us went looking to see what was on offer at the restaurants. We finally settled on one and when we ordered the food, we could not believe the size of the plates which were piled high when they arrived. One plate would have been enough for all three of us! I really struggled with mine, only managing about a quarter of it, piling the rest on Danielo's plate who happily tucked in. Even they were struggling to finish, and then the owner brought out another plate of chicken, saying it was left over. They tried to finish it but it defeated even them. In the end they cut up the rest to take home for the puppies. It was about 10.30 by the time we got back and we were all pretty tired - especially me after that arduous climb to the ruins at Pisac that morning - so we decided to go straight to bed. I cuddled the puppies for about half an hour and finally fell asleep to my Manuelo Prado CD. Next day I woke up to great music - which upon investigation proved to be a television programme with lots of different live bands - all in celebration of Peru's day of independence, 28 July.
We all watched for a while, until we decided it was about time for breakfast so Danielo and I set off to buy fresh bread while Alfredo got the water boiling for a pot of coffee. We were looking for a certain bread that I had enjoyed in the market the day before but couldn't find it. Eventually after trying a few places we ended up actually inside a bakery - a really old-fashioned one, probably like the bakeries back home 100 or more years ago. The bread there was made from unrefined flour and we were in time for a big batch coming out of the oven, which was so delicious still warm that we ate 3 each just walking back. On one side were dishes and dishes of Lechon (roasted pork joints) and the baker offered us a free tasting, which was nice.
Back home we had breakfast, then gathered up our things, and made our way to catch the bus for Cusco. Alfredo wanted to buy fresh milk but unfortunately the shop selling it was closed. The milk there was very rich, probably like the Jersey full cream back home. Whilst waiting for the bus, Danielo suddenly remembered my hat. He had taken it out of his pocket upon our return home and I forgot to ask for it. Alfredo went back for it but couldn't find it and then Danielo went back and he couldn't find it either. We wasted about half an hour and missed four buses in the process. I was sad that it could not be found but they have promised to look again on their next visit to Urubamba and if found will send it on to me by post.
The bus ride to Cusco took about an hour and a half and was an adventure in itself. Danielo and I sat in the front and we had the three puppies on our laps to play with them. I was also trying to keep a beautiful big pink rose intact that Alfredo had cut from his garden and given to me. The bus was packed as usual, the aisles full of people standing, old ladies sitting on the floor etc and everyone was enchanted with the puppies. People were talkative and very friendly and it was lovely. When we ascended the mountain and I had my last view of the River Urubamba on the valley floor, getting further and further away, I felt really sad.
I just adored that place - my second visit there being just as enjoyable as the first time. Because the search for the hat delayed us so much, we didn't get back to the house at Cusco until 12 noon which was the time I was supposed to be meeting the band. Luckily I had their cellular telephone number so was able to ring and spoke to Milton and told them I would make my way direct to Casuron del Inca and meet them there, instead of going to Plaza de Armas and delaying them - the traffic in Cusco was horrendous - as lots of things were going on in the town, but fortunately from Marca Valle it was possible to skirt the busy part of town and take a shortcut to the hill leading to Sacsaywaman and the restaurant which is about half way up the hill. I actually arrived before them so ordered a beer and chose Ceviche made with trout which was very nice, although my favourite version of Ceviche is made with a local river fish called Pejerrey (Kingfish). I followed this with Caldo de Gallina which is a Cusco special soup with chicken, yucca, rice and two types of potato. The band arrived while I was enjoying the soup and it was great to see them again. Leonarda was with them and came to join me at my table, and I ordered more beer and asked for more glasses so that she and the entire band could have a drink as well. Soon they were playing and both Leonarda and I enjoyed the show. When they played my favourite song Sacsaywaman we even got up and had one dance, as the band were playing to all the diners in the covered outdoor terrace and we were in full sunlight behind them. After they finished they came to our table and joined us until the beer was finished.
Then we all played that game called Sapo where you throw gold discs trying to get them to land in the frog’s mouth but if they missed there were holes they could fall into, into the drawer beneath, which each had a points value which was totalled up afterwards. I didn't do too badly but even with several attempts didn't succeed in getting any to land in the frog’s mouth!
After this Milton, Angel and I got a taxi back to Cusco and went to Quinta Zarate and shared another couple of bottles of beer. It was great sitting in that lovely garden again, especially as several humming birds hovered in nearby flowers and I managed to get a couple of pictures. Enjoying the beautiful view of Cusco for the very last time I got sadder and sadder at the thought of leaving and even shed a few tears over it, which was really embarassing! By 5 pm I wanted to get back to the house so that I could finish the packing before going out that evening, so they walked with me to the nearest point and hailed a taxi for me, and we arranged that I would see them at Tomines at 8 pm as usual.
Back home I managed to get both suitcases closed - with extreme difficulty - and had to leave quite a few things behind. I also had time for a quick shower and got ready and downstairs was able to relax with Alfredo and Danielo for a bit along with a couple of ladies (friends of theirs) who called in for a quick visit. Then when it was time for me to leave and get the taxi the ladies came too and shared my taxi, with them getting out halfway.
When I got out of the taxi outside Tomines I could see the whole band outside, and Milton immediately introduced me to his wife who had just arrived from Juliaca. I in turn immediately invited her to join me for the meal and we were lucky to get a table right near the stage - the restaurant being really full at this time. She was quite shy about ordering food, so when I told her I was having the Dieta de Pollo (a fantastic chicken soup) and would she like the same, she agreed. She chose freshly pressed orange juice to go with it and I opted for the fresh pineapple juice.
The band gave a really fantastic performance - their best yet - really animated and full of fun and all the crowded tables really enjoyed them, some getting up to dance, and even singing along to a couple of the songs. They did really well in CD sales and when they did the Sacsaywaman song Angel dedicated it to me, their gran amiga going back to Inglaterra, which was nice. Afterwards one of them went off to Meson de Espaldero, another restaurant, to see if they could play there as well and we waited until he got back. The answer was yes so we all made our way on foot, the band going on ahead with us following more leisurely. At Meson we enjoyed another live show, the management not minding us sitting at a table without ordering anything. Here again the restaurant was very busy, mostly with American tourists, but they were not so lucky with CD sales there. Although an expensive restaurant, not one person bought their CD. And out of one big table full of American tourists, about 16 people, only one of them put money in the tray which from where I was sitting looked like a miserable half sole. I could hardly believe it when they were being so beautifully entertained.
Afterwards we waited in the restaurant while the band quickly took the instruments home and about 20 minutes later Milton and Angel returned. We went around to Okukes but the place was so packed, with no chance of a table, that we decided against going in and went to Fernando’s bar instead, the four of us getting a table in the corner, ordering one large bottle of beer at a time to share and in fact I enjoyed myself in there just as much if not more because we could all chat and actually hear each other which wouldn't have been the case in Okukes. And Fernando, bless his heart, remembered I liked Andean music and played some beautiful CDs, and later when we asked him if he would play the Takillakta CD he played it three times all the way through. Although I already had that CD at home I asked Angel how much it was as I wanted a copy to listen to on the long journey home. Neither he nor Milton would hear of me buying it - they gave it to me instead and wrote some beautiful words on the cover and both signed it. Also Milton had brought the photos of him and Angel when they starred in a film for German cable television about the Incas - and they let me choose which ones I wanted to borrow to get copies for myself. I chose about six and felt really honoured that they were trusting me with their only copies, the negatives long since lost. They also showed me a set of photos of the band, which were taken for promotional reasons and asked me to choose a couple from that selection as well. So I have an excellent set of photos of them both - plus Marco who also starred in the film - as well as two excellent pictures of all six of them - and they wrote nice words on the back of those two photos as well.
All in all it was a very pleasant evening, and a great way to spend my last night in Cusco with such lovely new friends. We were going to keep in touch by email and both Milton and his wife said that if I'm ever in Juliaca I must go and stay at their house. They both hoped that if I managed to return to Peru in February I would go the Calendaria fiesta at Puno - all the band would also be there. Outside they hailed a taxi for me, again making a note of the number, and I said my goodbyes - by the time I got home it was almost 3 am, and I had to set my alarm for 5.30!
Saturday, July 07, 2001
Machu Picchu Visit.
Probably the most exciting excursion of the whole holiday was my day out at Machu Picchu. I was awake bright and early and ready on time, although received a phone call saying the person coming to collect me would be 20 minutes later than first advised but not to worry as the departure from Cusco was 8 am instead of 7.30. Alfredo and I were out by the gate as I had one shot left in the camera before changing the film and I took one of Alfredo outside the house and was just waiting for the film to wind when the woman arrived to collect me. We got a taxi straightaway and I paid her as well for her trip out to me from Cusco, but what an awful driver we had. First of all, he nearly pulled out right in front of a lorry and only our shouts of alarm averted an awful disaster. As if that wasn't bad enough about a quarter of a mile down the road we could see a dog run across the road, stop and turn back when something was coming the other way, turning right into our path and the taxi hit the dog and we heard it give a short squeal and I was absolutely horrified and looked back and was greatly relieved to see the dog still running, so hopefully it only received a glancing blow. The taxi didn't even stop either. They certainly haven’t got the same regard for animals there that we have in England.
On arrival in Cusco centre, we waited along with a few others outside the Andean Life office until William, the boss, arrived who then sorted out who was on the day trip and who on the 2-day trip and three of us were sent with another woman to catch our bus. It was only then that I realised we were going halfway to Ollantaytambo by bus and catching the train there for Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. The two people with me were girls from Ireland and we got chatting and after that spent the whole day together. One sat with me on the bus and when our tour guide - Washington - gave a talk at the front of the bus - in Spanish! - I translated the whole lot afterwards as neither of them had even one word of Spanish.
It was a pleasant drive through the countryside and I recognised when we were descending to the Sacred Valley and Urubamba and it was great to see it again. Instead of stopping at Urubamba however the bus continued on towards Ollantaytambo and the setting was beautiful - an absolute rural paradise - the sun shining, the river flowing through the valley, pretty countryside houses and farms, men ploughing their fields the old-fashioned way, walking behind two oxen pulling the plough, big cactus plants and other beautiful wild flowers everywhere, the backdrop of the mountains, even snow capped ones in the distance - the Sacred Valley must be one of the most beautiful places on earth.
After one and a half hours we arrived at Ollantaytambo station where already a great crowd were waiting as many other buses as well as ours had arrived before us. On the approach to and on the platform it was chaos, crowds of people with street sellers weaving in and out selling their wares. At first only the people who had tickets for the A and B carriages could get on the train, and people like me in the C carriage were not allowed to board yet. As this was only a few minutes before the train was due to leave it was a bit mystifying and I realised why a few moments later and it made me glad I could understand Spanish because someone was asking a rail official inside the C carriage why we couldn't board and he replied it was because people could only board the train on the platform itself, that the train was longer than the platform (6 carriages I think) and that the train would move forward in a few moments and for people to move along the platform ready to get on. So consequently I wasn’t worried when the train started moving, but several others around who couldn't understand Spanish were panicking like crazy, banging on the train windows, waving their tickets frantically. A few others and I calmed them down and explained... but I did feel sorry for them because I would have panicked just the same myself if I too thought the train was leaving without me!
I was separated from my two new friends as they were in the A carriage but we arranged to meet up again at Aguas Calientes. The bus journey was an hour and a half and the train journey about the same. The two people opposite me on the train were a young couple from Brazil, really friendly and nice, so the journey passed quite pleasantly. After a while someone came along with a trolley and one could enjoy coffee, soft drinks or beer and snacks and I opted for the coffee as I absolutely adore the coffee served in Peru which is served up black, which I enjoy slightly sweetened. To add milk or cream to such fantastic coffee would be sacrilege. Washington had told us that on arrival at Aguas Calientes we had to group together near him as he had all the bus tickets for the bus up and down to Machu Picchu. These he gave out to everyone, saying that once the bus reached the top there would be 10 minutes for everyone to use the loo, there being no facilities in the sanctuary, and that in that time he would be handing out the Machu Picchu sanctuary tickets to everyone as well.
The bus journey up the mountain was fantastic, the road zig zagging up higher and higher and one could recognise the mountains from the Machu Picchu sanctuary photos, posters and postcards. Getting higher and higher, lovely wild flowers everywhere including orchids, and one could see the train station far far below etc. It certainly wasn't a climb one would welcome on foot, being so steep. All up to this point I had taken a few photos, from the train, from the bus etc, plus another one at the top of a young boy playing his harp. Also here I met up with the two Irish girls again.
Then we were through the entrance, along with another tour guide who Washington handed us over to, this being the English-speaking guide for those who preferred. It was quite a steep climb - some of the stone steps quite high - and some of the older people were getting quite out of breath climbing up and having to stop to catch their breath. It was great when finally high enough to catch the first glimpse down onto the sanctuary itself - a breathtaking, indescribable sight - to see that Inca city nestled among the backdrop of the mightiness of the mountains - it really was incredible, really magic to be in such a wonderful place. For the next two hours our guide led us throughout, describing all the various locations, and it was really interesting. I took loads of photos - in fact during the day I took around 70, with at least 50 of them in the sanctuary itself, and my Irish friends took a few with me in the frame as well. After the tour was over at around 2.30 we still had time to walk at our leisure with buses going back down the mountain at half hourly intervals, the last one leaving at 4.30 - with our train due to leave from Aguas Calientes at 5.45. We were able to wander at will and this was almost better than being led around in a group by a guide as you could better absorb the atmosphere. We came across a Vicuna twice and I managed to get quite close to one sitting down and had my photo taken with him!
During our four hours there we did a lot of climbing up and down and it certainly gave one an inkling of what to expect on the Inca Trail. Although I coped perfectly I think I would like to increase my fitness level a bit before attempting the Inca Trail on my next visit. I know that a couple of days of the four on the trail are all uphill and seeing how steep the steps are one would really need to be fit to keep it up for hours on end. And I definitely would be back - when it came time to leave I felt really sad to be leaving - just standing for the last 10 minutes looking down from the watchtower, enjoying the sight of it and feeling the magic, not even worried about the three stray dogs lying in the sunshine. All during our time there I didn’t once think about food, so lugged a rucksack around all day for nothing really. It was a nice warm day again, but luckily not too hot as all the climbing might have been more difficult had it been really hot. And the temperature there is definitely higher than in Cusco itself, with the jungle only just behind the big mountains encircling the sanctuary itself.
Machu PicchuWe caught the 4 pm bus back down the mountain to Aguas Calientes - having decided on this one rather than leave it to the last bus just in case we couldn't find our way out of the sanctuary in time. Back down in Aguas Calientes with almost an hour and a half before the train was due to leave, I got separated from my friends as I was accosted by a woman seller with T shirts and next minute found myself led to her stall and in the process lost sight of them. I bought two T shirts and a bit later a nice necklace and some postcards and wandered a while looking at all the stalls and managed to resist everything except a small bag with Machu Picchu embroidered on it.
Then I found a small family run restaurant and went in and ordered the set 3-course meal which was very reasonable at 15 soles. I had a table by the window with a lovely view of the river cascading down over huge stone pebbles, the mountains covered in greenery behind it. I asked the young boy serving to speed my order through as fast as possible as I had a train to catch and he did. La sopa de casa was excellent with chicken, pasta and vegetables, slightly spicy, followed by trout (probably caught from the river outside) and a chocolate pancake and then I only just had time to look for the station, remembering Washington’s instructions to go to the right station and catch the Perurail touristico economico train and not the local train at a different station.
I asked a young girl and she led me all through the shop arcades right to the entrance of the station and was delighted when I rewarded her with some money. I got on the train with about three minutes to spare, lucky enough again to have a window seat, and a young Peruvian sitting next to me. Only seconds before the train was leaving my two Irish friends arrived huffing and puffing, and sitting in the double seat across the aisle from me. Although I had explained that morning about going to the right station they had forgotten and gone to the wrong one and had to run like mad to make it to Perurail in time, the final whistle blowing just as they ran onto the platform! I was all set to listen to music all the way home, put my Machu Picchu CD in the player and started listening but only heard about one song as the Peruvian next to me who spoke perfect English started talking and was a really talkative person, telling me about his forthcoming marriage at the end of the week and we ended up chatting all the way to Ollantaytambo, before parting company as he was going onto another bus.
It was then an easy matter to look for the right bus - the same one we had travelled there on - and this was easy because Washington had written the registration number and the driver’s name on all our rail tickets. Within ten minutes we were on our way, with about an hour and half ride to get back to Cusco centre. It was dark by now - in fact was dark for most of the train ride too. The train ride was a really shaky one, swaying from side to side and one couldn't help hoping the rail tracks were kept in good order! This time I did listen to my music all the way to Cusco.
The bus actually dropped us off in Plaza des Armas at about twenty past nine and my Irish friends said they didn't have time to eat more than a bowl of soup at Aguas Calientes and were off to get something to eat and would I like to join them. I said I had already eaten but would join them and just have a drink instead. I followed them across the square and when I realised we were in the same street as Tomines restaurant I told them about it and said they would probably like it there. So we entered the restaurant about 9.30, the management in there really surprised to see me again as I had told them on Sunday I would next be in on Tuesday. They almost didn't recognise me I looked so different - previously in high heeled shoes and elegant clothes, contact lenses in etc - whereas I had windswept hair, hat on, jeans, trekking boots and a couple of sweaters and my glasses on.
I recommended the Aji de Gallina to Derval and she thoroughly enjoyed it. They fancied wine so we decided to share the cost of a bottle and I selected the nice one I’d had there previously and we all enjoyed it. Although the restaurant had last orders at 10 pm, we were lucky to be able to stay there until 11 pm, and during the evening we made arrangements to meet again on the Thursday evening at 8 pm in Tomines, first for a meal (at that time so that they could hear Takillakta as well, as the band had gone by the time we arrived there that evening). The three of us were going to Kami Kasi nightclub afterwards, me having told them about the brilliant band Apu Marku. It was their last night in Cusco and they hadn't been to any of the clubs yet so were looking forward to it as much as I was. Although walking distance from Tomines, and somewhere near Plaza des Armas I couldn’t remember exactly where, so we decided to take a taxi from the restaurant. Taxis were cheap enough there after all.
That day in the plaza there were military bands marching, which was the start of the festivities leading up to the weekend. Saturday would be Peruvian Independence Day with everyone on a national holiday. Unfortunately I would miss seeing the new president’s visit as Sunday 29th was the day he would take over - with his inauguration at Machu Picchu. I wished I had known that way back when I booked my flights, as unfortunately I was flying to Lima that Sunday morning. Because of all the military displays, marching bands, vast crowds etc, I was beginning to despair of finding the band who I had arranged to meet at midday and was almost about to give up when I spotted Milton. When I caught up with him I saw that most of the other band members were also there with their instruments, including Anibal who certainly did not look very happy. I found out later the reason was that because he had disappeared and let the band down they found someone to replace him. The new member was called Gustavo, another nice friendly chap. They weren’t playing at Casuron del Inca after all and said they were going for a drink and invited me to join them. Although Angel was with them at this point, it was only to let the others know he was feeling rough, was going home to bed and that he hoped that by resting he would be fit enough to join them in the evening. After a short walk we ended up at a cafe in a sidestreet, went through a huge wooden door, into a courtyard until the cafe itself, which had an outdoor terrace with tables etc. Once seated we ordered a couple of large bottles of Cusque–a to share and after a while they started idly playing their instruments and soon were in full swing and I was enjoying myself immensely, even quietly trying to have a go myself on a small set of panpipes. Leonarda was also there and was quietly practising too.
After a while Milton recognised one of the men on the next table as one of his fellow teachers (he was the oldest member of the band, previously being a teacher but now retired after 22 years of teaching). All the band hailed from Puno, even though they lived in Cusco at that time, and soon they were performing Pune–o songs which delighted the men on the next table so much that they bought and paid for another two large Cusquenas for us. When these were gone I bought two as well and thus we spent the most pleasant afternoon, me thoroughly enjoying their company. I really enjoyed being with all of them and my Spanish came on in leaps and bounds with all the conversation. One of them - Marco - could speak a bit of English and I promised that by email once back home I would help him improve his English.
About 5 pm (after four hours of great fun at that cafe) the band went their separate ways to go home and get changed etc, as they were due to play at Patitis at 7 pm. I was starving by this time and wanted to have something before going home, so Milton accompanied me to a nearby cafe and we both enjoyed a bowl of soup - Peruvian soups are really fantastic - I got home by about 6.30 and by 7.45 I was out again as I was meeting the two Irish girls at Tomines at 8 pm. I arrived at Tomines before Nollick and Derval and as usual was chatting to the owner, who by this time had recorded one side of my C90 tape and promised to get the other side done by the following night.
Then Derval and Nollick arrived and we had a really enjoyable couple of hours, had a great meal and shared a bottle of wine. The band arrived at the same time as them and each one came over and introduced himself to all of us. The restaurant was really busy for once and the show they put on was even more fantastic and joyous than previously and thoroughly enjoyed by all. At the end when they were about to finish I asked for one more and they played one, and then I remembered they had performed Sacsaywaman that afternoon and requested that as well (my favourite song on the Manuelo Prado CD) and it was brilliant hearing it again. By this time we had invited Angel and Milton to join us at Kami Kase and they said they would take the instruments home and join us there as soon as possible.
Although one has to be through the door at Kami Kase before 10 pm to get in free, we were lucky that the doorman waved us in without payment at 10.25. Upstairs we managed to get a table as well and ordered drinks. About 20 minutes later I spotted one of Angel’s friends - another musician but from another band, who came over and said that Angel and Milton were downstairs and would have a better chance of getting in free if I went down to the door. He was right because when I asked the doorman if two of my friends could come in he said yes! Upstairs again we had to get a bigger table to seat all of us and thereafter had the most enjoyable evening. I think the Irish girls enjoyed it too and at least they could chat to Angel’s friend who spoke English. The band that night were Pueblo Andino, but their show was not nearly as good as when I heard them on an outdoor stage in June. Most of the songs hardly sounded Andean and some were even quite boring.
Both Angel and Milton thought the same, but by this time it was too late to go anywhere else. We all left as soon as the band finished, as the Irish girls had to be up early to catch their flights to the jungle, I too had to be up by 5 am for Urubamba. They hailed taxis for us and in my case all three of them made it obvious to the driver they were checking his number, instructed him to take me right to the house etc. Knowing they were so concerned with my safe arrival home was quite comforting. We parted company with arrangements made for me to meet them in Plaza de Armas on Saturday at 12-noon (as I would be in Urubamba until then). It was almost 1 am when I got in, this time able to let myself in with a key, which Alfredo had provided.
On arrival in Cusco centre, we waited along with a few others outside the Andean Life office until William, the boss, arrived who then sorted out who was on the day trip and who on the 2-day trip and three of us were sent with another woman to catch our bus. It was only then that I realised we were going halfway to Ollantaytambo by bus and catching the train there for Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. The two people with me were girls from Ireland and we got chatting and after that spent the whole day together. One sat with me on the bus and when our tour guide - Washington - gave a talk at the front of the bus - in Spanish! - I translated the whole lot afterwards as neither of them had even one word of Spanish.
It was a pleasant drive through the countryside and I recognised when we were descending to the Sacred Valley and Urubamba and it was great to see it again. Instead of stopping at Urubamba however the bus continued on towards Ollantaytambo and the setting was beautiful - an absolute rural paradise - the sun shining, the river flowing through the valley, pretty countryside houses and farms, men ploughing their fields the old-fashioned way, walking behind two oxen pulling the plough, big cactus plants and other beautiful wild flowers everywhere, the backdrop of the mountains, even snow capped ones in the distance - the Sacred Valley must be one of the most beautiful places on earth.
After one and a half hours we arrived at Ollantaytambo station where already a great crowd were waiting as many other buses as well as ours had arrived before us. On the approach to and on the platform it was chaos, crowds of people with street sellers weaving in and out selling their wares. At first only the people who had tickets for the A and B carriages could get on the train, and people like me in the C carriage were not allowed to board yet. As this was only a few minutes before the train was due to leave it was a bit mystifying and I realised why a few moments later and it made me glad I could understand Spanish because someone was asking a rail official inside the C carriage why we couldn't board and he replied it was because people could only board the train on the platform itself, that the train was longer than the platform (6 carriages I think) and that the train would move forward in a few moments and for people to move along the platform ready to get on. So consequently I wasn’t worried when the train started moving, but several others around who couldn't understand Spanish were panicking like crazy, banging on the train windows, waving their tickets frantically. A few others and I calmed them down and explained... but I did feel sorry for them because I would have panicked just the same myself if I too thought the train was leaving without me!
I was separated from my two new friends as they were in the A carriage but we arranged to meet up again at Aguas Calientes. The bus journey was an hour and a half and the train journey about the same. The two people opposite me on the train were a young couple from Brazil, really friendly and nice, so the journey passed quite pleasantly. After a while someone came along with a trolley and one could enjoy coffee, soft drinks or beer and snacks and I opted for the coffee as I absolutely adore the coffee served in Peru which is served up black, which I enjoy slightly sweetened. To add milk or cream to such fantastic coffee would be sacrilege. Washington had told us that on arrival at Aguas Calientes we had to group together near him as he had all the bus tickets for the bus up and down to Machu Picchu. These he gave out to everyone, saying that once the bus reached the top there would be 10 minutes for everyone to use the loo, there being no facilities in the sanctuary, and that in that time he would be handing out the Machu Picchu sanctuary tickets to everyone as well.
The bus journey up the mountain was fantastic, the road zig zagging up higher and higher and one could recognise the mountains from the Machu Picchu sanctuary photos, posters and postcards. Getting higher and higher, lovely wild flowers everywhere including orchids, and one could see the train station far far below etc. It certainly wasn't a climb one would welcome on foot, being so steep. All up to this point I had taken a few photos, from the train, from the bus etc, plus another one at the top of a young boy playing his harp. Also here I met up with the two Irish girls again.
Then we were through the entrance, along with another tour guide who Washington handed us over to, this being the English-speaking guide for those who preferred. It was quite a steep climb - some of the stone steps quite high - and some of the older people were getting quite out of breath climbing up and having to stop to catch their breath. It was great when finally high enough to catch the first glimpse down onto the sanctuary itself - a breathtaking, indescribable sight - to see that Inca city nestled among the backdrop of the mightiness of the mountains - it really was incredible, really magic to be in such a wonderful place. For the next two hours our guide led us throughout, describing all the various locations, and it was really interesting. I took loads of photos - in fact during the day I took around 70, with at least 50 of them in the sanctuary itself, and my Irish friends took a few with me in the frame as well. After the tour was over at around 2.30 we still had time to walk at our leisure with buses going back down the mountain at half hourly intervals, the last one leaving at 4.30 - with our train due to leave from Aguas Calientes at 5.45. We were able to wander at will and this was almost better than being led around in a group by a guide as you could better absorb the atmosphere. We came across a Vicuna twice and I managed to get quite close to one sitting down and had my photo taken with him!
During our four hours there we did a lot of climbing up and down and it certainly gave one an inkling of what to expect on the Inca Trail. Although I coped perfectly I think I would like to increase my fitness level a bit before attempting the Inca Trail on my next visit. I know that a couple of days of the four on the trail are all uphill and seeing how steep the steps are one would really need to be fit to keep it up for hours on end. And I definitely would be back - when it came time to leave I felt really sad to be leaving - just standing for the last 10 minutes looking down from the watchtower, enjoying the sight of it and feeling the magic, not even worried about the three stray dogs lying in the sunshine. All during our time there I didn’t once think about food, so lugged a rucksack around all day for nothing really. It was a nice warm day again, but luckily not too hot as all the climbing might have been more difficult had it been really hot. And the temperature there is definitely higher than in Cusco itself, with the jungle only just behind the big mountains encircling the sanctuary itself.
Machu PicchuWe caught the 4 pm bus back down the mountain to Aguas Calientes - having decided on this one rather than leave it to the last bus just in case we couldn't find our way out of the sanctuary in time. Back down in Aguas Calientes with almost an hour and a half before the train was due to leave, I got separated from my friends as I was accosted by a woman seller with T shirts and next minute found myself led to her stall and in the process lost sight of them. I bought two T shirts and a bit later a nice necklace and some postcards and wandered a while looking at all the stalls and managed to resist everything except a small bag with Machu Picchu embroidered on it.
Then I found a small family run restaurant and went in and ordered the set 3-course meal which was very reasonable at 15 soles. I had a table by the window with a lovely view of the river cascading down over huge stone pebbles, the mountains covered in greenery behind it. I asked the young boy serving to speed my order through as fast as possible as I had a train to catch and he did. La sopa de casa was excellent with chicken, pasta and vegetables, slightly spicy, followed by trout (probably caught from the river outside) and a chocolate pancake and then I only just had time to look for the station, remembering Washington’s instructions to go to the right station and catch the Perurail touristico economico train and not the local train at a different station.
I asked a young girl and she led me all through the shop arcades right to the entrance of the station and was delighted when I rewarded her with some money. I got on the train with about three minutes to spare, lucky enough again to have a window seat, and a young Peruvian sitting next to me. Only seconds before the train was leaving my two Irish friends arrived huffing and puffing, and sitting in the double seat across the aisle from me. Although I had explained that morning about going to the right station they had forgotten and gone to the wrong one and had to run like mad to make it to Perurail in time, the final whistle blowing just as they ran onto the platform! I was all set to listen to music all the way home, put my Machu Picchu CD in the player and started listening but only heard about one song as the Peruvian next to me who spoke perfect English started talking and was a really talkative person, telling me about his forthcoming marriage at the end of the week and we ended up chatting all the way to Ollantaytambo, before parting company as he was going onto another bus.
It was then an easy matter to look for the right bus - the same one we had travelled there on - and this was easy because Washington had written the registration number and the driver’s name on all our rail tickets. Within ten minutes we were on our way, with about an hour and half ride to get back to Cusco centre. It was dark by now - in fact was dark for most of the train ride too. The train ride was a really shaky one, swaying from side to side and one couldn't help hoping the rail tracks were kept in good order! This time I did listen to my music all the way to Cusco.
The bus actually dropped us off in Plaza des Armas at about twenty past nine and my Irish friends said they didn't have time to eat more than a bowl of soup at Aguas Calientes and were off to get something to eat and would I like to join them. I said I had already eaten but would join them and just have a drink instead. I followed them across the square and when I realised we were in the same street as Tomines restaurant I told them about it and said they would probably like it there. So we entered the restaurant about 9.30, the management in there really surprised to see me again as I had told them on Sunday I would next be in on Tuesday. They almost didn't recognise me I looked so different - previously in high heeled shoes and elegant clothes, contact lenses in etc - whereas I had windswept hair, hat on, jeans, trekking boots and a couple of sweaters and my glasses on.
I recommended the Aji de Gallina to Derval and she thoroughly enjoyed it. They fancied wine so we decided to share the cost of a bottle and I selected the nice one I’d had there previously and we all enjoyed it. Although the restaurant had last orders at 10 pm, we were lucky to be able to stay there until 11 pm, and during the evening we made arrangements to meet again on the Thursday evening at 8 pm in Tomines, first for a meal (at that time so that they could hear Takillakta as well, as the band had gone by the time we arrived there that evening). The three of us were going to Kami Kasi nightclub afterwards, me having told them about the brilliant band Apu Marku. It was their last night in Cusco and they hadn't been to any of the clubs yet so were looking forward to it as much as I was. Although walking distance from Tomines, and somewhere near Plaza des Armas I couldn’t remember exactly where, so we decided to take a taxi from the restaurant. Taxis were cheap enough there after all.
That day in the plaza there were military bands marching, which was the start of the festivities leading up to the weekend. Saturday would be Peruvian Independence Day with everyone on a national holiday. Unfortunately I would miss seeing the new president’s visit as Sunday 29th was the day he would take over - with his inauguration at Machu Picchu. I wished I had known that way back when I booked my flights, as unfortunately I was flying to Lima that Sunday morning. Because of all the military displays, marching bands, vast crowds etc, I was beginning to despair of finding the band who I had arranged to meet at midday and was almost about to give up when I spotted Milton. When I caught up with him I saw that most of the other band members were also there with their instruments, including Anibal who certainly did not look very happy. I found out later the reason was that because he had disappeared and let the band down they found someone to replace him. The new member was called Gustavo, another nice friendly chap. They weren’t playing at Casuron del Inca after all and said they were going for a drink and invited me to join them. Although Angel was with them at this point, it was only to let the others know he was feeling rough, was going home to bed and that he hoped that by resting he would be fit enough to join them in the evening. After a short walk we ended up at a cafe in a sidestreet, went through a huge wooden door, into a courtyard until the cafe itself, which had an outdoor terrace with tables etc. Once seated we ordered a couple of large bottles of Cusque–a to share and after a while they started idly playing their instruments and soon were in full swing and I was enjoying myself immensely, even quietly trying to have a go myself on a small set of panpipes. Leonarda was also there and was quietly practising too.
After a while Milton recognised one of the men on the next table as one of his fellow teachers (he was the oldest member of the band, previously being a teacher but now retired after 22 years of teaching). All the band hailed from Puno, even though they lived in Cusco at that time, and soon they were performing Pune–o songs which delighted the men on the next table so much that they bought and paid for another two large Cusquenas for us. When these were gone I bought two as well and thus we spent the most pleasant afternoon, me thoroughly enjoying their company. I really enjoyed being with all of them and my Spanish came on in leaps and bounds with all the conversation. One of them - Marco - could speak a bit of English and I promised that by email once back home I would help him improve his English.
About 5 pm (after four hours of great fun at that cafe) the band went their separate ways to go home and get changed etc, as they were due to play at Patitis at 7 pm. I was starving by this time and wanted to have something before going home, so Milton accompanied me to a nearby cafe and we both enjoyed a bowl of soup - Peruvian soups are really fantastic - I got home by about 6.30 and by 7.45 I was out again as I was meeting the two Irish girls at Tomines at 8 pm. I arrived at Tomines before Nollick and Derval and as usual was chatting to the owner, who by this time had recorded one side of my C90 tape and promised to get the other side done by the following night.
Then Derval and Nollick arrived and we had a really enjoyable couple of hours, had a great meal and shared a bottle of wine. The band arrived at the same time as them and each one came over and introduced himself to all of us. The restaurant was really busy for once and the show they put on was even more fantastic and joyous than previously and thoroughly enjoyed by all. At the end when they were about to finish I asked for one more and they played one, and then I remembered they had performed Sacsaywaman that afternoon and requested that as well (my favourite song on the Manuelo Prado CD) and it was brilliant hearing it again. By this time we had invited Angel and Milton to join us at Kami Kase and they said they would take the instruments home and join us there as soon as possible.
Although one has to be through the door at Kami Kase before 10 pm to get in free, we were lucky that the doorman waved us in without payment at 10.25. Upstairs we managed to get a table as well and ordered drinks. About 20 minutes later I spotted one of Angel’s friends - another musician but from another band, who came over and said that Angel and Milton were downstairs and would have a better chance of getting in free if I went down to the door. He was right because when I asked the doorman if two of my friends could come in he said yes! Upstairs again we had to get a bigger table to seat all of us and thereafter had the most enjoyable evening. I think the Irish girls enjoyed it too and at least they could chat to Angel’s friend who spoke English. The band that night were Pueblo Andino, but their show was not nearly as good as when I heard them on an outdoor stage in June. Most of the songs hardly sounded Andean and some were even quite boring.
Both Angel and Milton thought the same, but by this time it was too late to go anywhere else. We all left as soon as the band finished, as the Irish girls had to be up early to catch their flights to the jungle, I too had to be up by 5 am for Urubamba. They hailed taxis for us and in my case all three of them made it obvious to the driver they were checking his number, instructed him to take me right to the house etc. Knowing they were so concerned with my safe arrival home was quite comforting. We parted company with arrangements made for me to meet them in Plaza de Armas on Saturday at 12-noon (as I would be in Urubamba until then). It was almost 1 am when I got in, this time able to let myself in with a key, which Alfredo had provided.
Thursday, July 05, 2001
The Takillakta Band.
I had a small salad with Papa Huancaina for a starter while he had his soup and also ordered an interesting looking platter of Lechon al horno, Rocoto Relleno, Tamales, salad and roasted camote. This arrived just as Alfredo was leaving (as a bus stopped outside at that moment and he ran to catch it). I said I would be back at the house between 5 and 7. While we were enjoying our starters I could hear Andean music from the indoor restaurant and was enjoying it and a couple of songs I recognised from a CD I had at home and was doing a mental inventory trying to work out who it was.
About fifteen minutes after Alfredo’s departure, the door opened and out trooped an Andean band who positioned themselves right by my table and I was enchanted at such a brilliant surprise. And so entranced with the music I actually lost my appetite and ended up leaving half the dinner, preferring to concentrate on the brilliant music instead. Apart from me at my table in the sun, there was a party of French tourists at another table, who didn't even look up when the band appeared, took no notice whatsoever, and didn't even clap at the end of each song. I could hardly believe such ignorance and hoped my enthusiastic clapping made up for it! Well it did, because when they introduced themselves as Takillakta, I exclaimed that I had two of their CDs in England and requested a song from one of them! At this point one of them asked my name and his name was almost the same - Angel - and he did a song called Rosa Blanca and dedicated it to me! I stayed listening and enjoying their whole performance and afterwards some of them came over to chat. I couldn't buy their CD, as it was one I already had -Atahualpa Sipan - so put 10 soles in the kitty instead. It turned out that was all they got that day as no one on the French table contributed at all. After being so beautifully entertained I found this quite unbelievable. They looked really good as well - six of them dressed in beautiful crimson shirts laced at the front and black trousers and with their long black hair and lovely smiles and their beautiful music were delightful.
After a break of about 20 minutes during which time they stayed chatting, they did another set for about 20 minutes and then invited me to join them for a drink in the indoor restaurant whilst they had the soup provided by the restaurant. I was happy to join them, as I wanted to find out where they would be playing next! After their soup they were returning to Plaza des Armas so I went with them - eight of us altogether as the girlfriend of one of them was also there, a really cute and shy Peruvian girl named Leonarda. We piled into two taxis, which descended by a route previously unknown to me, a narrow road down the hillside to the city below - really pretty. At the Plaza des Armas we all sat on the steps by the cathedral for a while, a couple of them idly playing their instruments, and I really enjoyed their company, most of them having a great sense of humour. Only one could speak any English but I was holding my own brilliantly in Spanish. I could understand most conversation by then even though speaking it was a little more difficult. By this time I had ascertained they would be playing at two restaurants in the Plaza des Armas that evening, at Patitis from 7 to 8 pm and Tomines from 8 to 9.30 pm. I said I would come back and dine at one of them and they said Tomines would be best as Patitis was very expensive. By the time they all went their separate ways until the evening I was left with one companion - Angel - and he said we could go walking and take some nice photos and I agreed as it was such a glorious day, the sky so blue it didn’t look real, and we went to some lovely places some of which I had not seen previously, and when we came to a beautiful square near San Blas museum which used to be a convent, we stayed here a while sitting in the sunshine and chatting generally about music, and then I spotted what looked like a bar with tables outside and offered to buy him a beer but when we went there was no one around to serve us so Angel suggested another nice place which had a garden as well.
We walked along a very pretty narrow street (one I could not have travelled alone) and came to Quinta Zarate which proved to be a restaurant and bar with a huge garden and patio area, and we sat in the garden in the sunshine and it was so peaceful, with bees buzzing in the flower beds, an incredible view across Cusco, Andean music playing in the background and so many beautiful flowers, an incredibly beautiful setting, and we took a few photos there as well. We stayed there until about 5.30 when I said I had better be getting back if I was to come back again in the evening and Angel walked me back to San Blas and put me in a taxi.
During our conversations I had told him I had bought a charango and he told me to bring it in the evening and he would play it for me! Back home I had time to relax for a bit before getting ready and told Alfredo I wouldn't be back late. Whilst getting ready, I noticed I was quite badly sunburned (having left all my sun lotions in Ilo) and knew I would have to cover up the following day if I wasn’t to suffer. Alfredo walked me to the main road (Avenue del Cultura) and put me into a taxi, telling the driver to take me right to Tomines restaurant, and I got there just before 8 pm.
Once inside I told the waiters I was a friend of the band and wanted to sit as close as possible to where they would perform. I wasn’t even the tiniest bit hungry so asked if I could just have a beer instead and luckily that was okay. I said I would probably be back the following night as well and would eat something then. When the band arrived they all looked really pleased that I had kept my promise about coming back and one by one all of them came over and greeted me with an embrace. In no time at all they were playing and I was enjoying the performance immensely. I wanted to take a series of photos of them but unfortunately my camera chose that moment to play up - the battery indicator kept flashing which meant it had run out. Although disappointed I knew by this time I would definitely be coming back the following evening and resolved to replace the battery and take a load then.
Halfway through their performance they took a 20 minute break and some of them joined me at my table to chat and others took a break outside. They said they were going for a drink somewhere else afterwards and that I could join them if I wished and I said yes I would like that. It was probably about 9.45 by the time they finished so I said I could only stay another hour and we walked across to Plaza des Armas first as they had to divide the money from the CDs sold that evening and needed to change a few 50 sole notes in the shops there. Whilst this was going on, two young girls came over selling sweets and next minute I was in my bare feet as they each removed one of my gold high-heeled sandals, exclaiming how beautiful they were, it was really funny. Once the money had been divided we walked about five minutes to a bar called Fernando's and shared a couple of large beers between all of us. By this time we had already arranged I would join them again the following day and arranged to meet in Plaza des Armas in front of the cathedral at 12.30. Angel put me into a taxi and I was home by just after 11 pm, having thoroughly enjoyed the evening in such fun company.
The next day I woke up to another day of brilliant sunshine. Before going out I decided to make the Papa Relleno that I had promised Alfredo and got busy after breakfast preparing it - making it for the first time since watching Elva put it all together a few days previously. We had nothing to mash the potatoes with after they were cooked and Alfredo was using his juicer, which was quite a lengthy procedure, and when I came to put it all together I wasn’t getting on too well, the potato being too dry to hold together very well. They didn’t look too bad though and we started frying a few of them lightly in oil for that day’s lunch but they kept falling apart in the pan, Alfredo trying to turn them over and cussing when they fell apart, it was so funny. Even funnier when we dished them up and both of us couldn’t eat for laughing they looked such a mess on the plate. (I realised that next time it would be best to add a little milk to the mashed potatoes and Alfredo said next time I wanted to make Relleno could I make Rocoto Relleno instead!)
After this was done and my washing on the line, I just had time for half an hour in the local Internet cafe before getting my taxi into town for the 12.30 meeting. At the centre I bought a new battery and two more films for my camera and then treated myself to an ice-cream to pass the time and was sitting on the seat in front of the cathedral about 15 minutes early when Leonarda arrived and said they had gone on ahead to Casuron de los Incas restaurant having been called to come there earlier and for us to get a taxi to join them there.
This we did and we arrived a few moments before they started playing. Leonarda and I sat in the sunshine and enjoyed a litre of coca cola between us while they played and it was excellent. I took a few more photos of them as well, and the restaurant didn't mind me not eating there, just having a drink instead. Even though I had only had one papa relleno I didn't feel hungry enough then to eat anything. During their break I took more photos of the group and some were taken of me with various musicians, then they played again and towards the end of this performance whilst five carried on playing Angel got me on my feet and we danced one song. This was great and Angel said I caught on to the style really well. A few minutes later we were on our way and Angel bought ice-creams for me, Leonarda, her boyfriend and himself and we ate them whilst walking down the hill and then flagged a couple of taxis to take us back down to Cusco and all of us went to Quinta Zarate and enjoyed Caldo de Cordero (a lovely lamb and vegetable soup with yucca and two other types of potato) with crusty bread rolls and all had a bottle of Cusqueña each. I left them about 4 pm saying I would definitely be there at Tomines again that night, and spent the next hour exploring a whole load of gift shops not far from San Blas that I had not seen before.
Meeting those excellent new friends was fantastic and I was looking forward to going to Tomines restaurant again that night. This time I got there about an hour before them and enjoyed aji de gallina, which is a chicken breast strips in a spicy cream sauce. Then when the band arrived and started playing I took another series of photos of them in this different setting. That night and the night after I went with them to two brilliant Cusco night clubs.
The first one was Kami Kase nightclub - the band there were absolutely fantastic. Nightclubs in Cusco were similar to back home, the luckier first arrivals getting tables and others sitting round the room or standing, with a dance floor etc, with brilliant rock music on arrival, many of my favourite rock bands, the decor matching the music. The big exception being that later in the evening, around 10 or 10.30 a fantastic Andean band arrived on stage and gave an electrifying performance. I was absolutely spellbound at the fantastic two hour performance by Apu Marku, an Andean-rock fusion band at Kami Kasi. There was no way I could have enjoyed this without my Peruvian escort, because even though I was with Angel, other guys were trying to attract my attention, and I certainly did not welcome undue attention, especially at night. With Angel I was perfectly safe and up until then had behaved himself, accepting that I was not interested in anything beyond mere friendship. Because he seemed to really genuinely like me as a friend he accepted that, saying he would never do anything to make me think badly of him. We shared the costs of drinks making it an mutually enjoyable friendship.
When my day was ruined the day before upon arrival at San Pedro station only to find that I couldn't afford the train fares of both me and Danielo to get to Machu Picchu, plus the cost of getting into Machu Picchu sanctuary itself, the bus fares up and down the mountain to get to the sanctuary etc, later in the day I phoned Angel (as luckily I had the cellular phone numbers and email addresses of two members of the band) and when I ascertained they were playing again at Tomines restaurant that night I said I would be there.
For the third night running I had an enjoyable few hours in Tomines restaurant, another excellent meal and the management must have been pleased to see me again because this time I was given a free pisco sour cocktail just after arrival. When the band arrived, Angel had brought a tiny dictating machine and cassette with him and showed me how to hit the record button when the band started playing. Although when we played it back later it wasn’t very good and we thought we would try again another evening with new batteries. I asked Angel if there was any chance to going to Kami Kase again afterwards and he said of course. However, he said Apu Marku only play there one night a week so we put it off to the following week instead. There are different bands on in all the clubs according to which night of the week it was and he said we could go to one of the other clubs.
Alfredo had recommended Okukes and when I suggested having a look there he said okay. We took a taxi from the restaurant because my high-heeled sandals were no good on the slippery paving stones in the streets there - it was like being on a skating rink at times - and I’d already given Angel a few scares by skidding along! Whenever we came to any steps for instance, he carefully guided me down them, worried to death I might fall! We had decided to go for a drink at Fernando's bar first as it was still a bit early for Okukes. This was the second time we had been to Fernando's which is run by a delightful family - the husband and wife running the bar and the welcome they give you is unbelievable and this time their son was there as well, who could speak English, and said how much they loved to welcome foreign people like me to their bar, and that I only had to ask and they would do all they could to ensure I really enjoyed myself there. And that was easy because they didn't mind playing music on request and we asked if they would play a few tracks from the Takillakta CD (copies of which Angel had with him in a small bag) and we both enjoyed listening.
When we got to Okukes, we found we had to pay to get in because a very famous band were playing that night - Manuelo Prado y al proyecto Kavilando (by whom I have one cassette at home). However the entrance fee wasn't too bad and included a free drink, and I really wanted to see that band so I paid our entrance fees to get in. Angel said it would only be worth going in if we could be guaranteed a table and one of the doormen went off upstairs to see if there were any left, came back and said that if we didn't mind sharing with another couple we could sit right at the front by the stage. I was delighted as we were so close to the stage my knees were actually touching the stage when we sat down.
For around an hour and a half we enjoyed the excellent rock music, which seemed the most popular thing there whenever it wasn’t Andean music playing. The band were pretty late starting, I think it was around 11.30 before they even started their performance, although I wasn't taking too much notice of the time then (and was horrified later after their performance when I looked at my watch and saw how late it was, knowing that Alfredo was waiting up to let me back in). If I enjoyed Apu Marku on friday night, Manuelo Prado’s band were even better and gave an incredible performance. I was especially impressed with the flute player - kenista - whose playing was incredible. There were seven in the band, a girl on keyboards, Manuelo on acoustic guitar and singing, plus another guitarist, violinist, a chap on drums, and another who played charango, bombo drums, or panpipes etc.
About half way through their show I couldn’t wait any longer for the loo and we left our things actually on the stage for safety while Angel escorted me out through the club and down the stairs and waited for me. Back upstairs again as we were about to enter the club area, we saw Manuelo outside having a break even while the rest of the band were playing. He had his wife with him and Angel started chatting to him and introduced me to him as well, and I was in turn introduced to his wife. That was an unexpected bonus and I regretted beyond belief that I didn't have my camera with me. It was such a risky business carrying it at night. His wife was in charge of CD sales and when I asked how much they were I was amazed when Manuelo said 10 soles each. I couldn't help exclaiming at how incredibly low priced they were. I think this band were concerned with making access to their music affordable for the Peruvians themselves, as evidenced by both the low cost of the CD and the low entrance fee to get in. They could have charged four times as much for both and people like me would have paid it. I was prepared to pay 50 soles for that CD and as it was so cheap I bought two, one for Angel as well, because he had been so obviously enjoying the performance, really animated, clapping hands, singing along etc.
The band finished just as we got another beer in so we stayed on a while, the club full of people enjoying themselves dancing, even dancing between the tables when the dance floor was full up. It was a great atmosphere. It was gone 2 am before we finished the beer and left, with me heading for the nearest telephone, as I wanted to be sure Alfredo was still awake before attempting that taxi journey alone. Being stuck outside alone at night at Marca Valle would have been a lot more scary than the security of being in Angel’s company in the centre of Cusco that late at night. Fortunately for me Alfredo was still up, didn't mind my lateness, and I said I was getting straight into a taxi and would be home in ten minutes. The taxi took Angel home first and then me, with me arranging to be at Tomines again the following night.
Back home, Alfredo was all smiles when he opened the door, and brushed off all my apologies at my lateness saying that to see me so happy having enjoyed myself so much pleased him greatly. I think my downhearted disappointment that morning when I arrived back from San Pedro station at 6 am had quite upset him, as he knew how badly I had been looking forward to Machu Picchu. He was even happier when first I told him I had followed his advice, gone to Okukes and what a brilliant band was on there, and secondly that I had gone to a few agencies that day and was going to Machu Picchu after all.
During the day I had visited a few agencies to see what they had to offer - I chose Andean Life because a) it is actually run by a collective of Peruvian tour guides for themselves and b) they have an excellent reputation for looking after the Inca Trail (according to my guidebook - some of the lower priced companies have no concern for the environment, some of them not safeguarding against some of their clients actually polluting the water sources). Although I would be going on my own, I would not actually be alone. I would be with a group of around 20 people, all accompanied by a professional English speaking tour guide at all times. The 94 dollar fee included the train fare there and back which took about 3 hours and 20 minutes each way. Before that someone would come to the house to collect me at 6.40 am the next morning and escort me to the group (I just had to pay the taxi each way on top for this but it was a small price to pay to be escorted from home to the group).
I loved going into Cusco centre every day and didn’t mind going alone as it was really easy taking a taxi each way. Taxis were so abundant there wherever one went and one could be hailed down instantly wherever you were in Cusco. I found an excellent couple of icecream shops offering all different flavours and having safely sampled a couple of times with no repercussions, it was obviously a safe brand. Sitting in the paved areas with seating in the centre of Plaza des Armas in the sunshine was really relaxing. What with all the artesanial shops, the abundance of Internet cafes, many restaurants offering an incredible bargain lunch at touristic menu prices, it was easy to spend a very pleasurable day there every day.
In a different series of artesanial shops I came across I bought a lovely amethyst and silver ring which although expensive at 40 dollars was still worth it at that price, much cheaper than it would have cost at home. However, I was really lucky because the shop owner was really taken with the ring watch I was wearing, exclaiming over its beauty (as indeed lots and lots of other Peruvians did, including Alfredo and Angel) so when I suggested to the shop owner that he sell me the ring for 20 dollars and I would give him the ring he accepted with alacrity! As this ring only cost me around 3 dollars at the duty free town of Tacna, I had secured an incredible bargain. It made me wish I had bought more of those ring watches - when I told Angel the story that evening he was really impressed with my bargaining powers - Alfredo as well when I told him later.
One morning I left the house an hour or so after Danielo and Alfredo's early departure for the school events. Having heard a ferocious dog bark at them when they left I decided to leave armed with a bread roll just in case and thank goodness I did because Fido, a neighbour’s dog well known for biting people on the ankle that he doesn't know was lying in the sunshine just a few feet from our gate. I had to secure the padlock on the gate and was a bit worried thinking that if Fido approached I could not get back in again. As I approached him I threw him the bread roll and he enthusiastically tucked in and I passed him without incident. This was advice given by Alfredo when I told him about all the dogs in La Paz. He said most of those dogs would ignore you if you ignored them, but in the event of problems if you offered them food you would be okay - or in the worst instances to bend down, pick up a stone ready to throw it which was what the Peruvians did, and just the act of bending down to pick one up was enough to avert disaster. That day with the bread roll certainly proved to have been good advice.
About fifteen minutes after Alfredo’s departure, the door opened and out trooped an Andean band who positioned themselves right by my table and I was enchanted at such a brilliant surprise. And so entranced with the music I actually lost my appetite and ended up leaving half the dinner, preferring to concentrate on the brilliant music instead. Apart from me at my table in the sun, there was a party of French tourists at another table, who didn't even look up when the band appeared, took no notice whatsoever, and didn't even clap at the end of each song. I could hardly believe such ignorance and hoped my enthusiastic clapping made up for it! Well it did, because when they introduced themselves as Takillakta, I exclaimed that I had two of their CDs in England and requested a song from one of them! At this point one of them asked my name and his name was almost the same - Angel - and he did a song called Rosa Blanca and dedicated it to me! I stayed listening and enjoying their whole performance and afterwards some of them came over to chat. I couldn't buy their CD, as it was one I already had -Atahualpa Sipan - so put 10 soles in the kitty instead. It turned out that was all they got that day as no one on the French table contributed at all. After being so beautifully entertained I found this quite unbelievable. They looked really good as well - six of them dressed in beautiful crimson shirts laced at the front and black trousers and with their long black hair and lovely smiles and their beautiful music were delightful.
After a break of about 20 minutes during which time they stayed chatting, they did another set for about 20 minutes and then invited me to join them for a drink in the indoor restaurant whilst they had the soup provided by the restaurant. I was happy to join them, as I wanted to find out where they would be playing next! After their soup they were returning to Plaza des Armas so I went with them - eight of us altogether as the girlfriend of one of them was also there, a really cute and shy Peruvian girl named Leonarda. We piled into two taxis, which descended by a route previously unknown to me, a narrow road down the hillside to the city below - really pretty. At the Plaza des Armas we all sat on the steps by the cathedral for a while, a couple of them idly playing their instruments, and I really enjoyed their company, most of them having a great sense of humour. Only one could speak any English but I was holding my own brilliantly in Spanish. I could understand most conversation by then even though speaking it was a little more difficult. By this time I had ascertained they would be playing at two restaurants in the Plaza des Armas that evening, at Patitis from 7 to 8 pm and Tomines from 8 to 9.30 pm. I said I would come back and dine at one of them and they said Tomines would be best as Patitis was very expensive. By the time they all went their separate ways until the evening I was left with one companion - Angel - and he said we could go walking and take some nice photos and I agreed as it was such a glorious day, the sky so blue it didn’t look real, and we went to some lovely places some of which I had not seen previously, and when we came to a beautiful square near San Blas museum which used to be a convent, we stayed here a while sitting in the sunshine and chatting generally about music, and then I spotted what looked like a bar with tables outside and offered to buy him a beer but when we went there was no one around to serve us so Angel suggested another nice place which had a garden as well.
We walked along a very pretty narrow street (one I could not have travelled alone) and came to Quinta Zarate which proved to be a restaurant and bar with a huge garden and patio area, and we sat in the garden in the sunshine and it was so peaceful, with bees buzzing in the flower beds, an incredible view across Cusco, Andean music playing in the background and so many beautiful flowers, an incredibly beautiful setting, and we took a few photos there as well. We stayed there until about 5.30 when I said I had better be getting back if I was to come back again in the evening and Angel walked me back to San Blas and put me in a taxi.
During our conversations I had told him I had bought a charango and he told me to bring it in the evening and he would play it for me! Back home I had time to relax for a bit before getting ready and told Alfredo I wouldn't be back late. Whilst getting ready, I noticed I was quite badly sunburned (having left all my sun lotions in Ilo) and knew I would have to cover up the following day if I wasn’t to suffer. Alfredo walked me to the main road (Avenue del Cultura) and put me into a taxi, telling the driver to take me right to Tomines restaurant, and I got there just before 8 pm.
Once inside I told the waiters I was a friend of the band and wanted to sit as close as possible to where they would perform. I wasn’t even the tiniest bit hungry so asked if I could just have a beer instead and luckily that was okay. I said I would probably be back the following night as well and would eat something then. When the band arrived they all looked really pleased that I had kept my promise about coming back and one by one all of them came over and greeted me with an embrace. In no time at all they were playing and I was enjoying the performance immensely. I wanted to take a series of photos of them but unfortunately my camera chose that moment to play up - the battery indicator kept flashing which meant it had run out. Although disappointed I knew by this time I would definitely be coming back the following evening and resolved to replace the battery and take a load then.
Halfway through their performance they took a 20 minute break and some of them joined me at my table to chat and others took a break outside. They said they were going for a drink somewhere else afterwards and that I could join them if I wished and I said yes I would like that. It was probably about 9.45 by the time they finished so I said I could only stay another hour and we walked across to Plaza des Armas first as they had to divide the money from the CDs sold that evening and needed to change a few 50 sole notes in the shops there. Whilst this was going on, two young girls came over selling sweets and next minute I was in my bare feet as they each removed one of my gold high-heeled sandals, exclaiming how beautiful they were, it was really funny. Once the money had been divided we walked about five minutes to a bar called Fernando's and shared a couple of large beers between all of us. By this time we had already arranged I would join them again the following day and arranged to meet in Plaza des Armas in front of the cathedral at 12.30. Angel put me into a taxi and I was home by just after 11 pm, having thoroughly enjoyed the evening in such fun company.
The next day I woke up to another day of brilliant sunshine. Before going out I decided to make the Papa Relleno that I had promised Alfredo and got busy after breakfast preparing it - making it for the first time since watching Elva put it all together a few days previously. We had nothing to mash the potatoes with after they were cooked and Alfredo was using his juicer, which was quite a lengthy procedure, and when I came to put it all together I wasn’t getting on too well, the potato being too dry to hold together very well. They didn’t look too bad though and we started frying a few of them lightly in oil for that day’s lunch but they kept falling apart in the pan, Alfredo trying to turn them over and cussing when they fell apart, it was so funny. Even funnier when we dished them up and both of us couldn’t eat for laughing they looked such a mess on the plate. (I realised that next time it would be best to add a little milk to the mashed potatoes and Alfredo said next time I wanted to make Relleno could I make Rocoto Relleno instead!)
After this was done and my washing on the line, I just had time for half an hour in the local Internet cafe before getting my taxi into town for the 12.30 meeting. At the centre I bought a new battery and two more films for my camera and then treated myself to an ice-cream to pass the time and was sitting on the seat in front of the cathedral about 15 minutes early when Leonarda arrived and said they had gone on ahead to Casuron de los Incas restaurant having been called to come there earlier and for us to get a taxi to join them there.
This we did and we arrived a few moments before they started playing. Leonarda and I sat in the sunshine and enjoyed a litre of coca cola between us while they played and it was excellent. I took a few more photos of them as well, and the restaurant didn't mind me not eating there, just having a drink instead. Even though I had only had one papa relleno I didn't feel hungry enough then to eat anything. During their break I took more photos of the group and some were taken of me with various musicians, then they played again and towards the end of this performance whilst five carried on playing Angel got me on my feet and we danced one song. This was great and Angel said I caught on to the style really well. A few minutes later we were on our way and Angel bought ice-creams for me, Leonarda, her boyfriend and himself and we ate them whilst walking down the hill and then flagged a couple of taxis to take us back down to Cusco and all of us went to Quinta Zarate and enjoyed Caldo de Cordero (a lovely lamb and vegetable soup with yucca and two other types of potato) with crusty bread rolls and all had a bottle of Cusqueña each. I left them about 4 pm saying I would definitely be there at Tomines again that night, and spent the next hour exploring a whole load of gift shops not far from San Blas that I had not seen before.
Meeting those excellent new friends was fantastic and I was looking forward to going to Tomines restaurant again that night. This time I got there about an hour before them and enjoyed aji de gallina, which is a chicken breast strips in a spicy cream sauce. Then when the band arrived and started playing I took another series of photos of them in this different setting. That night and the night after I went with them to two brilliant Cusco night clubs.
The first one was Kami Kase nightclub - the band there were absolutely fantastic. Nightclubs in Cusco were similar to back home, the luckier first arrivals getting tables and others sitting round the room or standing, with a dance floor etc, with brilliant rock music on arrival, many of my favourite rock bands, the decor matching the music. The big exception being that later in the evening, around 10 or 10.30 a fantastic Andean band arrived on stage and gave an electrifying performance. I was absolutely spellbound at the fantastic two hour performance by Apu Marku, an Andean-rock fusion band at Kami Kasi. There was no way I could have enjoyed this without my Peruvian escort, because even though I was with Angel, other guys were trying to attract my attention, and I certainly did not welcome undue attention, especially at night. With Angel I was perfectly safe and up until then had behaved himself, accepting that I was not interested in anything beyond mere friendship. Because he seemed to really genuinely like me as a friend he accepted that, saying he would never do anything to make me think badly of him. We shared the costs of drinks making it an mutually enjoyable friendship.
When my day was ruined the day before upon arrival at San Pedro station only to find that I couldn't afford the train fares of both me and Danielo to get to Machu Picchu, plus the cost of getting into Machu Picchu sanctuary itself, the bus fares up and down the mountain to get to the sanctuary etc, later in the day I phoned Angel (as luckily I had the cellular phone numbers and email addresses of two members of the band) and when I ascertained they were playing again at Tomines restaurant that night I said I would be there.
For the third night running I had an enjoyable few hours in Tomines restaurant, another excellent meal and the management must have been pleased to see me again because this time I was given a free pisco sour cocktail just after arrival. When the band arrived, Angel had brought a tiny dictating machine and cassette with him and showed me how to hit the record button when the band started playing. Although when we played it back later it wasn’t very good and we thought we would try again another evening with new batteries. I asked Angel if there was any chance to going to Kami Kase again afterwards and he said of course. However, he said Apu Marku only play there one night a week so we put it off to the following week instead. There are different bands on in all the clubs according to which night of the week it was and he said we could go to one of the other clubs.
Alfredo had recommended Okukes and when I suggested having a look there he said okay. We took a taxi from the restaurant because my high-heeled sandals were no good on the slippery paving stones in the streets there - it was like being on a skating rink at times - and I’d already given Angel a few scares by skidding along! Whenever we came to any steps for instance, he carefully guided me down them, worried to death I might fall! We had decided to go for a drink at Fernando's bar first as it was still a bit early for Okukes. This was the second time we had been to Fernando's which is run by a delightful family - the husband and wife running the bar and the welcome they give you is unbelievable and this time their son was there as well, who could speak English, and said how much they loved to welcome foreign people like me to their bar, and that I only had to ask and they would do all they could to ensure I really enjoyed myself there. And that was easy because they didn't mind playing music on request and we asked if they would play a few tracks from the Takillakta CD (copies of which Angel had with him in a small bag) and we both enjoyed listening.
When we got to Okukes, we found we had to pay to get in because a very famous band were playing that night - Manuelo Prado y al proyecto Kavilando (by whom I have one cassette at home). However the entrance fee wasn't too bad and included a free drink, and I really wanted to see that band so I paid our entrance fees to get in. Angel said it would only be worth going in if we could be guaranteed a table and one of the doormen went off upstairs to see if there were any left, came back and said that if we didn't mind sharing with another couple we could sit right at the front by the stage. I was delighted as we were so close to the stage my knees were actually touching the stage when we sat down.
For around an hour and a half we enjoyed the excellent rock music, which seemed the most popular thing there whenever it wasn’t Andean music playing. The band were pretty late starting, I think it was around 11.30 before they even started their performance, although I wasn't taking too much notice of the time then (and was horrified later after their performance when I looked at my watch and saw how late it was, knowing that Alfredo was waiting up to let me back in). If I enjoyed Apu Marku on friday night, Manuelo Prado’s band were even better and gave an incredible performance. I was especially impressed with the flute player - kenista - whose playing was incredible. There were seven in the band, a girl on keyboards, Manuelo on acoustic guitar and singing, plus another guitarist, violinist, a chap on drums, and another who played charango, bombo drums, or panpipes etc.
About half way through their show I couldn’t wait any longer for the loo and we left our things actually on the stage for safety while Angel escorted me out through the club and down the stairs and waited for me. Back upstairs again as we were about to enter the club area, we saw Manuelo outside having a break even while the rest of the band were playing. He had his wife with him and Angel started chatting to him and introduced me to him as well, and I was in turn introduced to his wife. That was an unexpected bonus and I regretted beyond belief that I didn't have my camera with me. It was such a risky business carrying it at night. His wife was in charge of CD sales and when I asked how much they were I was amazed when Manuelo said 10 soles each. I couldn't help exclaiming at how incredibly low priced they were. I think this band were concerned with making access to their music affordable for the Peruvians themselves, as evidenced by both the low cost of the CD and the low entrance fee to get in. They could have charged four times as much for both and people like me would have paid it. I was prepared to pay 50 soles for that CD and as it was so cheap I bought two, one for Angel as well, because he had been so obviously enjoying the performance, really animated, clapping hands, singing along etc.
The band finished just as we got another beer in so we stayed on a while, the club full of people enjoying themselves dancing, even dancing between the tables when the dance floor was full up. It was a great atmosphere. It was gone 2 am before we finished the beer and left, with me heading for the nearest telephone, as I wanted to be sure Alfredo was still awake before attempting that taxi journey alone. Being stuck outside alone at night at Marca Valle would have been a lot more scary than the security of being in Angel’s company in the centre of Cusco that late at night. Fortunately for me Alfredo was still up, didn't mind my lateness, and I said I was getting straight into a taxi and would be home in ten minutes. The taxi took Angel home first and then me, with me arranging to be at Tomines again the following night.
Back home, Alfredo was all smiles when he opened the door, and brushed off all my apologies at my lateness saying that to see me so happy having enjoyed myself so much pleased him greatly. I think my downhearted disappointment that morning when I arrived back from San Pedro station at 6 am had quite upset him, as he knew how badly I had been looking forward to Machu Picchu. He was even happier when first I told him I had followed his advice, gone to Okukes and what a brilliant band was on there, and secondly that I had gone to a few agencies that day and was going to Machu Picchu after all.
During the day I had visited a few agencies to see what they had to offer - I chose Andean Life because a) it is actually run by a collective of Peruvian tour guides for themselves and b) they have an excellent reputation for looking after the Inca Trail (according to my guidebook - some of the lower priced companies have no concern for the environment, some of them not safeguarding against some of their clients actually polluting the water sources). Although I would be going on my own, I would not actually be alone. I would be with a group of around 20 people, all accompanied by a professional English speaking tour guide at all times. The 94 dollar fee included the train fare there and back which took about 3 hours and 20 minutes each way. Before that someone would come to the house to collect me at 6.40 am the next morning and escort me to the group (I just had to pay the taxi each way on top for this but it was a small price to pay to be escorted from home to the group).
I loved going into Cusco centre every day and didn’t mind going alone as it was really easy taking a taxi each way. Taxis were so abundant there wherever one went and one could be hailed down instantly wherever you were in Cusco. I found an excellent couple of icecream shops offering all different flavours and having safely sampled a couple of times with no repercussions, it was obviously a safe brand. Sitting in the paved areas with seating in the centre of Plaza des Armas in the sunshine was really relaxing. What with all the artesanial shops, the abundance of Internet cafes, many restaurants offering an incredible bargain lunch at touristic menu prices, it was easy to spend a very pleasurable day there every day.
In a different series of artesanial shops I came across I bought a lovely amethyst and silver ring which although expensive at 40 dollars was still worth it at that price, much cheaper than it would have cost at home. However, I was really lucky because the shop owner was really taken with the ring watch I was wearing, exclaiming over its beauty (as indeed lots and lots of other Peruvians did, including Alfredo and Angel) so when I suggested to the shop owner that he sell me the ring for 20 dollars and I would give him the ring he accepted with alacrity! As this ring only cost me around 3 dollars at the duty free town of Tacna, I had secured an incredible bargain. It made me wish I had bought more of those ring watches - when I told Angel the story that evening he was really impressed with my bargaining powers - Alfredo as well when I told him later.
One morning I left the house an hour or so after Danielo and Alfredo's early departure for the school events. Having heard a ferocious dog bark at them when they left I decided to leave armed with a bread roll just in case and thank goodness I did because Fido, a neighbour’s dog well known for biting people on the ankle that he doesn't know was lying in the sunshine just a few feet from our gate. I had to secure the padlock on the gate and was a bit worried thinking that if Fido approached I could not get back in again. As I approached him I threw him the bread roll and he enthusiastically tucked in and I passed him without incident. This was advice given by Alfredo when I told him about all the dogs in La Paz. He said most of those dogs would ignore you if you ignored them, but in the event of problems if you offered them food you would be okay - or in the worst instances to bend down, pick up a stone ready to throw it which was what the Peruvians did, and just the act of bending down to pick one up was enough to avert disaster. That day with the bread roll certainly proved to have been good advice.
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