A Visit to Quillabamba and Echarate

I have just got back from Echarate which is about the closest I will ever get to a rainforest experience. My friend Wilber accompanied me as it was a bit of a risky venture to undertake on my own. We caught the bus on Tuesday morning at nine thirty, which was already an hour and a half into its journey from Cusco. By paying slightly more we were in a spacious coach with plenty of leg room and were given snacks on board. I was glad we paid a bit more because the cheaper bus which arrived first was pretty clapped out. About half an hour into our journey through the Sacred Valley there was a rest stop whereby all the men and some of the women left the bus and all proceeded to relieve themselves on the side of the road in full view of everyone! I vowed there and then there was no way I could do that no matter how painful it got!

An hour later, just beyond Ollantaytambo we were stopped by traffic police and were unable to proceed because the bus driver didn´t have his papers with him. Everyone was groaning and protesting and eventually it was agreed we would have to wait until the drivers papers plus a spare driver arrived from Urubamba. This took almost an hour and a half with most of us milling about in the open air, buying snacks etc, and best for me was being able to use the restroom before we continued on our way.

The journey was a bit hairier than expected as we were following a mountain road that wound ever higher and higher, the road not being wide enough for two vehicles to pass except here and there and there were no barriers at the side of the road apart from on some of the most dangerous bends, with a steep drop into the abyss below. In the end I tried not to look as being on the side of the bus looking over the edge was worrying to say the least. But the mountain scenery was spectacular with high waterfalls cascading down from the peaks. If I thought the early part was scary it got even worse later on when we got higher - we were in cloud forest which is like fog and I could barely see the edge of the road so couldnt help but worry what the driver´s visibility was like! At times the road was unpaved and slick with wet and mud. Finally there was the long descent to the rainforest and this was even scarier as the road got narrower and we crossed little bridges that looked barely wide enough for the bus to get across and some roads were unpaved and very muddy.

We finally reached Quillabamba at 3.30 pm, from where we took a moto to the main terminal and got places in a collectivo (shared taxi). Whereas between Cusco and Urubamba and vice versa they only take four passengers in a Toyota Corolla Estate, in Quillabamba they take six - two up front and four in the back. In order to have a more comfortable ride I paid for both places in the front but even with this it only cost 15 soles, about three quid.

Quillabamba is on the edge of the rainforest and the next part of our journey took us further into the rainforest to a place called Echarate. This road was unpaved, and a mass of deep potholes so that the driver was weaving from one side of the road to the other to avoid the worst of them. It was a very bumpy ride indeed, and because the best traction was on the very edge at times it felt as though we were teetering on the brink with a steep drop to the river below. We passed banana plantations and hidden among the tall leafy fronds we could see little houses and yards with ducks and chickens and barefoot children. We finally reached Echarate at 5pm and then had to look for our friends Raoul and Victoria and after asking around the shops in the Plaza de Armas we soon found where they lived and Raoul was really surprised to see us as he expected us to arrive a couple of days later and Wilber said it was much more fun to come earlier and surprise him.

Soon we were sitting at tables on his patio and sharing a couple of bottles of beer and coca cola (here they mix beer with coca cola but I prefer one or the other, not mixed). The climate felt very tropical and assorted insects were buzzing in the trees. After the beers we popped across to a restaurant across the road and had roast chicken with salad and chips for supper. There was a guesthouse right next door so Wilber popped in and booked us in but in a shared room of four beds because that was all there was available, but Victoria thought the other two beds would be empty. I had earlier told Wilber I would rather book into the guest house because I didnt see any extra beds in Raouls house and didnt fancy sleeping on a beaten earth floor!

After dinner we went for a walk around the village and saw the old mill where sugar cane used to be crushed, the ultra modern outdoor swimming pool with curving slides, the market and police station - as we passed the latter I peeked in and a policeman waved at me! After that we retired for the night, and to our dismay found the other two beds were occupied. It made me very glad that I had Wilber with me as otherwise it would have been very risky as the only female! Thankfully Raoul had persuaded Wilber to stay a couple of nights rather than go straight back which was what he had originally intended. I slept with my iPod, mobile, camera and purse all shoved down the front of my pyjamas and a skirt on top!!! Fortunately nothing went missing in the night but Wilber said we had best book something more private first thing as it could be very dangerous if sharing with the wrong kind of people. We were lucky enough to book a room with 2 beds in it for only 5 soles extra. The showers were shared ones and cold water but that was quite welcome in such a warm and balmy tropical climate.

It rained really heavily that night and was still raining for a while next morning but cleared up eventually. Victoria and Raoul prepared a lovely breakfast of a tomato, red onion and cheese salad, with the delicious Quillabamba ground coffee and yucca to accompany the salad, which we again enjoyed in the open air on the patio. Afterwards we went for a walk in a neighbouring plantation and Raoul explained about various trees - there was one called Palo Sano where the milky sap from it is used on fractures and broken bones and then bandaged up and this substance actually heals the breakage more quickly. Another tree was inhabited by ants - Raoul said the wood smells very fragrant when burned on a fire but it is too hazardous to cut down because all the ants jump on you. We saw cacao trees and where one had fallen on the ground Raoul broke it open and we tasted the milky substance around the cacao pods. Once the seed is extracted it is milled and dried and that is how chocolate is made. We also passed mango trees and the ground was littered with fallen mangoes, oranges, grapefruits etc and beyond were the banana plantations. At one point which we did not cross Raoul said an indigenous tribe lived. I asked if they were dangerous and he said no, they were pretty civilized!!!

When we got back, our next visit was to the town hall and in the foyer could be seen in miniature all the plans for new bridges and roads in the vicinity. We continued upstairs and on the upper floor Raoul persuaded the office workers to let us pass through and go out onto the terrace to take pictures. I took some great photos of the views from there including zooming in on Raoul´s house with his wife and kids in the yard waving at us!!

We next got a taxi to take us to nearby Concepcion, where there was an animal park to visit. This proved really enjoyable as there were all sorts of birds, including varieties of parrots, some talkers, herons, there was a deer roaming which allowed you to get fairly close, and the most interesting of all was a tigrillo, a spotted cat like animal a bit like an ocelot, pacing up and down in its enclosure. One of the other visitors said the enclosure was a bit small for it and its zoo keeper said we often let it out and proceeded to do just that. It turned out the animal was quite affectionate and playful and especially enjoyed the company of children so we were all enjoying it and I managed to get it to climb voluntarily on my lap and had a couple of photos taken. What was especially cute was it had a little friend, an otter like animal, and to see them playing together was amazing. There were lots of other animals including several kinds of monkeys. We all really enjoyed our visit there. Afterwards we walked to the bus stop and had to wait for a passing collectivo and when one did arrive it only took us halfway to a place where the road split into two directions. We had to wait there a while and eventually a lorry stopped and everyone proceeded to climb in the back and I said I wasnt sure if I could manage that but luckily a woman passenger up front called out and said there was room for me. In this way we managed to get a lift the rest of the way back and then went to the nearby cafe for a late lunch, a set meal of the day which consisted of soup followed by a kind of chicken stew, all for only 80p a head!

In the afternoon we decided to go and visit a place called Siete Tinacas - this involved motos down to the river and then we had to walk across a very narrow foot bridge spanning this wide river. We could only go a few at a time as it was only a wooden bridge and swayed as you walked so you had to hold onto both sides, and I was glad to get to the other side safely. There we had to wait and try to get a lift in a passing carro. There were chickens wandering all over the road, people selling food and drinks, leaping into action whenever a carro or bus stopped briefly as two women were opering stop and go signs as the bridge was only wide enough for one vehicle. Most of the carros were either full or didnt want to go there, or the cost was too high. Finally we persuaded one guy for a reasonable price and it was another hairy drive on the opposite side of the river with equally as many pot holes. When we got there we had to pay to enter as the way in was through someone´s private property, but it was well worth the visit. Siete Tinacas is a series of seven waterfalls, the last of which pours into a deep rock pool, a lovely grotto like place. We took some nice photos there before the driver, who had waited for us, drove us back and I was glad to get back before dark as walking across that bridge would not have been so good without light to see by. Back in Echarate once more we went and had dinner and then said our goodnights to Raoul, Victoria and family and spent an hour in the municipal internet cafe before returning to the guest house. It was still only 9 pm and I didnt think I would get to sleep that early but surprisingly slept really well until nearly 7 the next morning.

We had breakfast with Raoul and family again - this time hunks of cheese and crusty bread rolls which the delicious chocolate drink from the cacao produced in Echarate and Quillabamba and delicious it was too. It started to rain again which put paid to our plan to visit the chacra, Raoul said the rain would be twice as bad higher up the mountain and carros would refuse to drive up there. It was a pity as I had been looking forward to picking coca leaves and coffee. So we stayed indoors most of the morning and watched Victoria prepare lunch which was a guinea pig roasted on a stick over an open wood fire, along with spaghetti and potatoes, sitting in their kitchen which has a beaten earth floor with a couple of chickens tethered in there, the walls made from adobe bricks and no windows - the light comes from gaps between the walls and the corrugated roof or through the open door. We sat on benches and watched as the lunch was prepared and the children were playing in the yard and after a while came running in with grapefruits that had fallen from trees onto the ground in the neighbouring plantation, and we all had one and they were surprisingly sweet.

After lunch we all piled into a collectivo and headed for Quillabamba, having decided to return to Urubamba the following morning, as Wilber had to get back because of work. The ride back was even worse than coming because of all the heavy rainfall - what was a dusty pot-holed lane on the way to Echarate had become a slippery and very muddy lane full of deep potholes filled with water, so again it was a weaving all over the road journey to avoid the worst of them. At one point a passing car from the opposite direction going through a deep puddle sent a wave of muddy water straight through the open window drenching all those in the back! We made it okay to Quillabamba though and our first stop was to Pineda Guesthouse which belongs to Alfredos older brother although I didnt get to meet him. A young guy was in charge of reception and when I asked for Senor Justiniani was told he wasnt there. After booking in and leaving our things we went walking all of us so that I could see the best of Quillabamba and I was especially impressed with the two markets and the beautiful parks, Plaza de Armas being the biggest I have yet seen, all with an amazing assortment of beautiful mature trees in addition to all the flowers etc. Unfortunately by this time the battery in my camera needed charging so I was unable to get pictures until I had a chance to recharge it. We went and booked our tickets to get back to Urubamba on a bus leaving at 8.30 next day and around 6 pm went and had dinner in yet another roast chicken restaurant which seems to be their favourite! After dinner we said our goodbyes to Raoul and his family, with Raoul saying they hoped to come on a visit to Urubamba in January and would see us again then. I really enjoyed my visit with those lovely people. Wilber and I then spent an hour in an internet cafe and then went looking for a bar - which surprisingly was very difficult to find but eventually we found one and proceeded to share 3 litre bottles of beer before returning to the guesthouse for the night. Despite being only 22 years old Wilber is a really good friend and fun to be with and I was so glad I had him with me for this trip otherwise I wouldnt quite have had the courage to undertake it alone. Once I have visited a new place at least once I am okay about going there alone next time, but still a bit nervous about going off somewhere unknown. Although on the edge of the rainforest Quillabamba is a lot more tranquil than I had imagined. In fact I hope to pay another visit there before returning to England, perhaps with Nohemy and Alfredo next time if they get the chance to leave the building of the extension for a few days in the new year.

Without an alarm clock I was worried about getting up in time next morning, but woke naturally at 5.30 and had a shower and got ready. I woke Wilber at 6.15 saying that if we could get out by 7 pm we would have time for a decent breakfast before the journey home. We found a really nice place for breakfast and enjoyed huge glasses of papaya juice followed by fried fish (a local river fish called peluza which was one of the tastiest imaginable) with bread rolls and mate de coca tea to finish. We then made our way to the bus terminal of Selva Sur and outside bought quantities of the Quillabamba coffee, slabs of chocolate produced locally from cacao, and some fruit.

The journey homeward was again on slick and wet mountain roads and in places the road was littered with stones where there had been a bit of a landslide - there is a steep gulley on the mountain side of the road which catches minor landslides. In some places huge boulders looked ready to topple higher up, so I imagine it can be quite dangerous in really wet weather when a really bad landslide could be enough to push vehicles over the edge. Having recharged my camera overnight I took a few pictures of those mountain roads which will appear in my photostream in early December. We had one rest stop on the way where there were proper restroom facilities and a series of restaurants selling hot food and there was just time to get hot meals to carry back onto the bus. As with the outward journey we both listened to andean music on my iPod most of the way back. We arrived back in Urubamba about 1.30 pm where Wilber rushed off to the restaurant as he had to sort out a problem with part of his equipment in time for the following day, and I headed straight back to Nohemy and Alfredo who were pleased to see me safely back. It was great too to get back to the lovely sunny weather of Urubamba after all that rain.

Qespiwanca Tinkuy 2009

This major event was the last of the celebrations which began two or three weeks ago celebrating 170 years of Urubamba.

Nohemy and I got up early so that we could get a picnic ready - I went to the market for three chicken breasts which she roasted in the oven along with potatoes and we also made spaghetti and a salad with lettuce, tomatoes and red onion, sprinkled with salt and a couple of limes squeezed over it at the moment of eating. We had sent Alfredo on ahead to Plaza de Armas to bag seats for us and we left the food keeping warm and went to join him. We were delighted to see he had bagged seats right at the front which meant I got some great photographs.

The festivities began with the arrival of the band, all dressed in Peruvian costumes, about 18 musicians playing and walking fast into the arena, then setting up on stage. Then loads of warriors arrived - all of them secondary school students beautifully dressed in costumes. There was music and dancing and then the arrival of the Inca Manco Capac on his throne carried by bearers along with all his courturiers. All the speaking part was done in Quechua, the ancient Inca language, and was very powerfully done. I could see that Nohemy and Alfredo were really impressed (and of course understood as Quechua is their mother tongue). Nohemy told me that the photo of her parents seen in the photo exhibition two weeks earlier was of them participating in the same re-enactment, around 50 years ago – look out for the photo I took of that black and white photo which features her Mum right at the front and her Dad walking behind. The show lasted a couple of hours and then headed off in the direction of the cemetery and we headed off home to warm up the food and pack a bag with it all.

We then took two motos up to the cemetery, where we realised the second part of the show would not take place just yet, as all the participants were having a rest. Right in front of the cemetery was Manco Capac´s palace which dates back to Inca times - something I did not know about. I have passed the building before but never noticed it was an ancient Inca palace.

We went into the cemetery into an area with seating where people gather after funerals. We laid out a tablecloth on one of the benches and servd up our picnic and we all really enjoyed it in the open air, with the sun shining down, and two or three dogs sitting nearby waiting for thrown scraps. It was the first time ever that Nohemy had been on a picnic in Urubamba, although she has been on loads in Spain with her daughters. After we´d eaten we went into the cemetery proper to visit the grave of their daughter Ruth who died in infancy (twin sister to Mabel who lives in Spain). We also visited the graves of Nohemy´s parents. Graves here are a shrine behind a glass door which opens and is secured with a padlock, with the coffin slotted into a concrete space behind it. I took some photos as it is so different than back home. It makes sense because 6 people can be buried in the same space that two graves side by side with no space in between would take up. Some of the graves included photos of the deceased and included beautiful ornamentation, poems etched into copper or silver plaques, floral arrangements and ornaments etc. Beautiful flowers and shrubbery all around the graves and birds singing, it is a very peaceful place. From the cemetery we could see when the second part of the show began and hurriedly made our way round to get a good view. It was very impressive with the participants scattered all along the battlements of the palace, with amazing music provided by the band. I took some fantastic photos of the whole day which will appear in the next photostream entry. Walking back we went into a little shop with tables and shared two litre bottles of beer, which rounded the day off nicely.

Calca Sunday Market, Visit to a Chacra etc

Last Friday we went to Cusco again for an overnight stay. We didnt travel in until the afternoon so I didnt bother contacting Juan this time. It rained heavily so I didnt feel like going to KamiKase either, getting soaked to the skin before even arriving there, even though I am sure Juan would have accompanied me had I asked. On Saturday morning Nohemy went back to Urubamba immediately after breakfast as the workmen were due to arrive, and Alfredo accompanied me to a street market where we were going to buy a kitten. Alfredo let me choose and I picked out a tiny female, with tiger markings in pale grey and white, a really timid little thing. Once in the carro and on our way back to Urubamba I had her on my lap and she seemed happy enough. When we got her home though she almost escaped so I went out and bought a collar and lead from a nearby vets, plus a supply of kitten food, and we made her comfortable in a nice box lined with old sweaters and a nearby litter tray of soil from the garden - which she has used right from the outset, with no nasty accidents indoors. We have named her Poppikins (my first choice was Poppy but that is a name for tomcats here). She is very affectionate and when we are playing monopoly in the evenings I tuck her into my shirtfront and she is happy snuggled in there, and fascinated watching the dice land on the board and sometimes a little paw comes out and swipes at one of them! Not long after I got her settled in at home one of the musicians phoned and said they were having a drink in La Chinita and asked me to join them, so I did and spent a couple of enjoyable hours with them. Whilst there I met Wilber´s friend Raoul who was visiting Urubamba along with his wife and two young sons. He lives in Esaraty which is beyond Quillabamba and is also a musician.

On Sunday Nohemy, Alfredo and I decided to visit the Sunday street market in Calca which is about an hour by bus through the villages of the Sacred Valley. The market was huge and we spent a couple of hours wandering round it and stocked up on lots of fruit and veg - the papayas especially are exceptionally delicious in Calca, and enormous too - any one of them can weigh several kilos. Afterwards we found a nice restaurant and enjoyed a good lunch before travelling back.

On Monday I went to the restaurant again and Raoul was there accompanying Wilber as they played for the tourists and afterwards we all shared a litre of beer and were chatting, and as usual the restaurant owners invited me to partake of the lunch buffet for free and are always urging me to visit for lunch as often as I want, although I try not to take too much advantage of that and usually go just twice a week. Whilst chatting Raoul said I could pay a visit to him as Esaraty is a beautiful place, an hour by carro from Quillabamba, that he and his wife have a restaurant there and would be really pleased if I would go and visit them. I said I might be able to in January but then he said why wait that long, why not come real soon. I told him I was committed to attend a wedding on 5th December and he said I was perfectly welcome to go and visit them before that and turned to Wilber and said why don´t you come along too so that you can accompany Angela on the journey. So all being well I may be paying a visit to Quillabamba and Esaraty next week which will be fun. I went to the restaurant again on Tuesday thinking Raoul might be playing there with Wilber again, but he had gone on a last visit to Cusco before returning to Quillabamba next day. I will be going to the restaurant again the day after tomorrow, Monday, to see if the trip is still on and if so, we will probably go and buy the bus tickets with a view to travelling on Wednesday. Fortunately we can get the bus from Urubamba without having to go to the terminal in Cusco, as Urubamba is on the way to Quillabamba. It is an 8 hour journey and if possible it would be good to travel overnight in order to arrive there in the morning. Raoul´s family have a chacra which is a kind of andean farm, an hour zig zagging up a mountain and we will visit there too - they grow their own coffee as well as coca leaves to dry and sell. It will be a new experience to see that. Alfredo´s brother has a guesthouse and shop in Quillabamba so I might spend a couple of nights there as well on the way back.

On Wednesday Nohemy, Alfredo and I went to Cusco again for an overnight stay. We left after lunch and yet again it was raining (although still sunny in Urubamba - fortunately now that the rainy season has begun it mostly only rains in Urubamba at night, whereas there is heavy rainfalls in Cusco by day and by night). We took Poppikins with us, made comfortable in a box placed inside a large textile bag and sorted out a litter tray at the house for her. I went to an internet cafe later and whilst there had a phone call from Henry - the young guy whose wedding I am attending on 5th December as godmother and witness - he needed a photocopy of my passport for the Town Hall, one of the requisites needed from participating people in the wedding. People have identity cards here but in my case a passsport copy sufficed. I said I did not have my passport with me, that I was in Cusco (whereas he was visiting Urubamba from Cusco!) so he suggested we meet in Cusco next morning and I agreed.

After breakfast next morning Nohemy and Alfredo returned to Urubamba and I made my way into the centre by bus (I am learning how to get around Cusco by bus now - it is a really cheap form of travel with a set fare of 10p, compared to 60p in a taxi, so a worthwhile saving, especially as I pay for the three of us whenever we travel anywhere. I was waiting outside a tour trek office for Henry - having got there earlier than expected - when I felt a tap on my shoulder and it was another friend called Gorky - I am godmother to his and Lydia´s son Sebastian and he said he could hardly believe it when he looked out of the window and saw me standing outside! He told me Lydia now has her shop right on Plaza de Armas and I said I would go and visit her on my next visit to Cusco. Henry then arrived and I suggested we went into a nearby coffee shop and asked if just providing the number of my passport would suffice and he said we could go to the town hall and find out. Outside he carried my bag (having already met Poppikins who sat on my lap in the coffee shop) and said we could drop her and my things off at his place first as it wasnt too far away. We hopped into a taxi, him in the back with Poppikins and my bag and me in the front. We hadn´t gone far when he said ´´Angela, when we get to my place we will have to give Poppy a bath!¨ Yes you´ve guessed it, she had had a little accident! When we got to Henry´s place he was brilliant with her, washed her feet under a running tap and dried them with tissues, and sorted out a lacy shawl for her to lie on and we left her with food I had with me and set off for the town hall.

We discovered that a photocopy of my passport was definitely needed so decided he would accompany me back to Urubamba later in order to fetch my passport and get a copy made. We were on Plaza Tupac Amaru on one corner and he showed me the church on the opposite corner diagonally where he and Carmen would be married. The church ceremony is at 7.30 pm on Saturday 5th December, and the civil ceremony will take place in the Hall of Exposition at 9.30 where the reception is being held. At weddings here the bride chooses someone as a godfather and one of the witnesses and the groom chooses a godmother who is the other witness - the latter being me!

After exiting the town hall and seeing the church Henry took me to a nearby cafe where a friend of his works and treated me to Caldo de Gallino, Limeno style which is a delicious soup with a whole chicken breast in it, a whole hard boiled egg, potatoes, spaghetti, herbs etc, which is then altered to taste with juice from limons and the addition of a spicy chilli relish - very delicious it was too.

After that we met a friend of his from the Superior Institute of Haute Cuisine, where they are both studying and where Henry will soon graduate with his Master´s degree - he had shown me his thesis at his home which is more like a book. We walked to the Institute which took about 30 minutes, walking through a neighbourhood called Progreso which is very tranquil and with lots of pretty parks and we took a few photos on the way. I then waited in Reception whilst they dropped off some papers and we headed back to collect Poppikins who looked really happy and settled when we got back, snuggled in to one of Carmen´s lacy shawls. And although we´d left no litter tray, fortunately there had been no little accidents.

We then travelled back to Urubamba and first went to visit Henry´s parents who had not yet met the person who would be godmother at the wedding. Their home is high above La Chinita restaurant (which Henry used to run before moving to Cusco to be nearer his fiancee) and now only opens at weekends as a bar, his Dad managing the beer sales and his Mum selling the local brew, Chicha, which she makes herself. They welcomed me warmly and next minute beers and cokes were being brought up from the bar and a table set up outside on their patio and we chatted and enjoyed the drinks. They had four little kittens about the same age as Poppikins but she nearly had a heart attack when one of the children introduced them and leapt back into her box! His parents then suggested Henry take me up to visit their chacra, telling me I would love it. So we dropped Poppikins and my bag off, got my passport and had it photocopied, and then got a moto as far as the cemetery where the paved road ends and becomes a stony uneven track winding upwards. We walked from there and it was very pleasant with birds singing in the trees, the water gushing down in a stream alongside from the snow peaks of Pumawanca mountain above. After about 15 minutes we climbed a wall and walked through a field of maize which was the beginning part of the chacra, then followed a tiny canal a foot wide, then a path through a forest until we reached cultivated terraces of other plants and flowers and climbed down these walls into another maize field and this eventually gave way to potato plantations and then orchards full of fruit trees. Henry found a bag and was picking peaches, a fruit similar to blackcurrants but bigger, tiny wild strawberries, bay leaves, oval pale green skinned cucumbers that are added to fruit juices here, tree tomatoes which are oval in shape, boiled, skinned and mashed into a popular table condiment here, and finally climbed a tree to find the ripest cenizas which are like a cross between an apricot and yellow plum. We then walked through an enclosure full of tame ducks and chickens, including roosters and chicks, with their own water supply - plus a type of barn full of guinea pig runs - although Henry said they had recently been robbed of 80 of them. Considering that guinea pig costs 8 times more than any other meat here, someone would have made a fortune out of that little lot. As well as all the fruit and veg they also cultivate lots of different flowers. I took some great photos of that chacra which will appear in the photostream in a couple of weeks or so. There was a guy tending the crops who also lives there and acts as custodian along with some dogs - none of whom are fierce enough to ward off potential robbers! At one point Henry was helping me up a wall and said ´give me your hands´and when I did so we both almost landed on the ground and the old guy split his sides laughing. Poor Henry hadn´t realised how heavy I am!!! We walked back by a different route which was like a stony lane with the narrow canal flowing in the middle, and we could see bulls tethered either side who watched as we passed by. I was glad they were tethered as the wall between us wasn´t very high! I told Henry I thought it was a paradise of a place and he agreed and said he wished he could visit it more often. He said that soon after the wedding he would invite me, Alfredo and Nohemy to join his family there for a day and that he would cook for us too. His parents know Nohemy and Alfredo so they have been invited to the wedding too. Back in Urubamba centre once more he treated me to a chicken dinner before saying goodbye as he wanted to rush back for another visit with his parents before going back to Carmen in Cusco. I had really enjoyed that whole day with him, having only expected to be with him about half an hour that morning! I might not see him again before the wedding unless I am back from Quillabamba in the week before the ceremony if he should pay a visit to Urubamba again then. My next blog entry will feature the last of the special events celebrating 170 years of Urubamba (a major event celebrating Inca times with costumes etc), plus the visit to Quillabamba and Esaraty if it takes place, and probably the wedding on 5th December.

Celebrations in Urubamba, Festidanzas 2009 etc

The main subject of this entry is all the celebrations that have been taking place in Urubamba over the past week or so. The first event we attended was an evening performance of live music put on free for the more elderly population of Urubamba when the Mayor thanked them for their input over the years in the progression of Provincia Urubamba as a whole. Whilst the speeches of the major and other dignitaries were taking place we were all served glasses of a delicious rose wine, assorted snacks and later a hot sweet punch fortified with pisco. The music was provided by students of a School of Music in Cusco and was more classical than andean but very enjoyable all the same. When I read the programme before the show I noticed there was one musician I know well - Larry who plays with other musicians in Chez Maggy restaurant in Cusco in the evenings. I don´t have the programme with me right now as I am in Cusco, but later I will amend this entry to give more details of the music performed. Larry´s performance - on metal flute, accompanied by a pianist - was excellent and I could see his surprise when he spotted me in the audience! Nohemy and Alfredo didnt want to stay on for the second half so I didn´t either, as it was already pretty late when the interval took place.

The next day we all came into Cusco for an overnight stay and I went to meet Juan and the other musicians as usual in the Plaza de Armas for a while. Whilst we were waiting for enough customers in Paititi´s restaurant to make it worth their while playing Larry came and joined us and asked what had happened to me last night, that he had looked for me after the show! Unfortunately there were hardly any customers in Paititi´s so instead of playing Juan suggested we all go and have a few games of pool and I jumped at the chance as I love that game. We walked to a snooker hall about 10 minutes away, and in the process glancing to my left as we crossed the Plaza I noticed an Indian restaurant on an upper floor of Avenida El Sol and decided I would go there for a late lunch afterwards. The snooker hall contained 6 full sized snooker tables and you paid by the hour. I paid for the first hour and they paid for the second and in that time we managed to fit in 4 games. I didnt play too well to begin with, partly through being out of practice and also not being used to playing on such large tables - also the rules are very different. We played as a foursome and both sides were hitting the same balls (spots or stripes) and you were not allowed to pot any balls behind the line from which you hit the white towards the triangle of balls until all the balls on the other side of the line had been potted. It was great fun though and I hope there will be another opportunity to play on future visits with them in Cusco. Once the two hours were up I said my goodbyes and headed off on my own to that Indian restaurant - the only one in Cusco. Since being here the food I have missed most from back home is a good roast dinner and a proper indian curry in a restaurant. Unfortunately the curry when it came was much different than I am used to back home, not as good, and I ended up with two lots of rice as I didnt realise when I ordered that rice was included, and I realised that I can make a much better curry myself (and have since made it twice for us at home).

Back at the house later we went shopping and I bought wine for the evening and snacks and we spent the whole evening playing monopoly, a game all three of us are really hooked on. On Sunday we got up early and returned to Urubamba because we wanted to be present for all the festivities taking place that day. There was a beauty contest - Miss Urubamba - the lucky winner of which would go on to enter the Miss Peru contest - we didnt stay until the end so I didnt know who that ended up being. The girls were dressed in their typical Urubamba costumes and looked lovely, walking on a catwalk from the steps of the temple onto a large stage set up in front of it decorated with tassles, flowers, balloons, andean pottery etc, where they curtsied to the audience and waved and threw handfuls of sweets into the crowd. Later on there was live music - with different bands performing until the dawn, and a fireworks display at midnight but we didnt stay long enough for all that. We watched the first band featuring a harpist called Angel Damazo from Lima for a couple of hours and shared a few beers in the process, but knew there was no way we could stay awake until midnight (plus lots of other people were drinking and when people drink here they keep drinking until they are drunk, and things can get a bit hairy later on).

On Monday was Dia de Urubamba, the main event of the recent celebrations, being celebrated for the 170th year. It began in the morning and lasted all day, with parades from all the educational and work establishments throughout the Sacred Valley - you will see the photos in the next upload later this month or early in December - it was a very hot day and we were lucky to find a shady seat on a bench below a tall palm tree. The street sellers were out in force and we enjoyed Causa de Pollo, Chinese rice dishes, and other snacks as we watched the events. In the centre of the plaza by the fountain was a photographic display of previous inhabitants of Urubamba and one large photo featured Nohemy´s parents when they were young. I took a picture of that and you will see it in my next upload of photos. After all the parades were over in the late afternoon, we proceeded to the next event, which was an evening of live music in a huge recreational field near the bus terminal. One of Nohemy´s workmen accompanied us, and he and I were buying the beers for the four of us whilst we watched the live music. Unfortunately Nohemy and Alfredo didnt want to stay there late and I missed the two bands that I really wanted to see - Pueblo Rebelde and Milder Ore. The workman Gomer would have remained with me but I didnt want to be there just with him in case he got any funny ideas so reluctantly went home earlier than anticipated with Nohemy and Alfredo.

The weather has been fantastic all the week so I have been making the most of it in the daytime and a couple of evenings this week I did the cooking of the evening meal and we followed it up with a game of monopoly. Thursday was another event - Festidanzas 2009 - and this was especially enjoyable. The entrants began with the very youngest children of nursery age, 3 or 4, the girls and boys dressed in the traditional costumes of their villages throughout the Sacred Valley and they looked so cute - a live band on stage provided the music, mostly flutes and drums, and seeing those tiny children dance so beautifully brought tears to my eyes - at times the formation went a bit awry but that only added to the cuteness of it all - I took some great photos of various entrants. Between standing and watching and the odd rest on a bench under a palm tree, with a herd of baby lambs tethered who didnt mind being fondled, it was a very pleasant 3 hours performance which we enjoyed immensely. In the very last dance, young teenagers dressed as andean shepherds utilised some of the lambs in their dancing, with the lambs wrapped around their necks as they danced to the music and this was especially enjoyable. The lambs didnt seem to mind either as when set down afterwards they looked as calm as calm could be!That evening after dinner we went into the bar next door and shared a couple of litres of ice cold beer which rounded off the day nicely.

Today Friday we got up early and came into Cusco. The workmen couldnt make it today and are coming Sunday instead, hence the sudden decision to spend a couple of days here in Cusco. We visited Immigration first to find out about extending my stay here and discovered that it will not be a problem. One can either exit the country and re-enter, or revisit Immigration not earlier than 7 days before the 6 month visa expires, and pay a dollar a day for each day the visit is extended by - which is approximately 40 days, 40 dollars, and by far the cheapest option as only 40 days are involved. Had I wanted to stay another 6 months I would have paid a quick visit to friends in Bolivia instead.

After this we went to a new restaurant for lunch, just opened 2 days ago, and the fantastic menu del dia offer drew us in. In lovely spacious and clean surroundings we enjoyed a delicious soup made from prawns and vegetables (Chupe de Camarones) followed by roast lamb and roast potatoes - real roast potatoes like you get back home which I have missed badly since being here - then a pudding like jelly made from purple maize and large glasses of freshly made apple juice. All this for three of us, as well as a litre of coca cola, came to just under a fiver, which is excellent value even for here, and we will probably lunch there every time we come to Cusco from now on.

Next we went shopping as I wanted to buy a wedding present for Carmen and Henry who are getting married on 5th December and asked me to be a godmother at the wedding. After about 3 hours shopping and looking around I settled on an extra large pressure cooker and had it gift wrapped and also bought a gift bag to carry it in. By this time it was teatime so we all enjoyed huge bowls of fresh fruit salad smothered in strawberry yoghurt and hunks of chocolate gateau before getting a taxi home. Once I leave this internet cafe I will buy some wine and snacks for us to enjoy whilst playing another game of monopoly. Tomorrow we will probably visit the street market at Plaza Tupac Amaru as we have done for the last three Saturdays. We are thinking of buying a kitten as Nohemy is pretty keen on the idea of having a pet at home - as whenever we visit Cusco there are tenants on three sides of the house who would be willing to feed it. And I am looking forward to having a kitten to enjoy too. A young girl had one on her lap last Saturday on the bus back to the house and it was so cute - it was then the idea of buying a kitten was born! My lovebird will be safe with a kitten in the house because the cage hangs from a hook beneath the verandah each day so that he can enjoy the sunshine and fresh air too. Had we come to Cusco tomorrow rather than today I would have been going to Kamikase club with Juan in the evening, but this is easily deferred until next week instead. Finding enough workers for the house extension is such a problem that visits to Cusco can only take place whenever we know for sure we dont have workmen coming. We are all anxious to proceed as far as possible with the extension as all being well, Nohemy and Alfredo will accompany me to England when I fly home, if we are successful in getting visas for them. They will spend a couple of weeks with me, then a couple of weeks with their son in London, then proceed to Spain for a couple more months before coming back here. In order to leave the extension in abeyance for 3 months we have to progress as far as we possibly can with it between now and then.

Visits to Cusco, Cement Ceremony, Day of the Living

Not much different has been happening lately apart from a few visits to Cusco. I went last week having arranged to meet Juan in Plaza de Armas at 12 noon and I charged up my camera the night before so I could take more photos of him and the other guys. I made my way to Lan´s main office and changed the return date of my flight ticket to 18th February which is probably the latest I will stay here. It cost 78 dollars to change it which I thought was reasonable, and I can change it again if I end up going home sooner. I had to make a decision on how much longer to stay as the date on the return part of my ticket was 1st November, only a week hence.

I had a lovely time with the musicians after having changed my flight ticket date. I wasnt with them as long as last time but the 3 hours I was with them were lovely. Juan met me at 12 and we listened to some music on my iPod whilst sitting on the cathedral steps. It started out a hot sunny day then suddenly deteriorated into wind and cold so we walked up to Qori Chaska restaurant where he thought we would find the others but they weren´t there. I decided to treat Juan to lunch as they had a set menu for 15 soles a head, and ordered a litre of beer to go with it. Next minute the heavens opened so we moved from the outside tables to one by the entrance which was covered. We had just placed our food order when the other guys arrived to get their instruments and said they had been called to play somewhere nearby. So Juan left me there and said he would come straight back afterwards.

I chatted to the owner and shared the beer with him - he is a really nice guy called Andres and you can see him in my last upload of photos to flickr, playing the bombo drum. My food arrived and it was really delicious - we had both ordered the same - a yummy chicken and vegetable soup with plenty of chicken breast, and trout in a delicious sauce with rice and potato - which I ate inside the restaurant as despite being under cover it was rather cold outside. Thank goodness I had taken a long sleeved top with me to put on if it was cold in Cusco.

When he reappeared he only had 15 minutes to eat his food and had to shovel it down! The three of us finished off the beer and then I went with him to catch up with the others, saying goodbye to Andres. He had told me he was like a brother to the musicians and it was clear they all thought a lot of each other. Juan said after playing nearby they had been called to play for 2 or 3 hours at a place outside Cusco quite far away. Although I could have gone with them, I was worried about getting back, bearing in mind the last carro to Urubamba leaves around 7.30.

The restaurant where they were playing was on the corner of Plaza de Armas and Avenida el sol, upstairs on the second floor - a really posh place called Fusiones. There were lots of Japanese or Chinese tourists seated at several tables. Juan got me a seat and I was sitting next to where they were playing (so will feature as well in various photos that were taken of them!) - they began with my favourite Chuklla and also included Pobre Corazon in their repertoire as they all know these two are my favourites.

Right from the start the tourists were enthusiastically clapping and some got up to dance. One woman was right in Juan´s face as he sang and played guitar and he was almost backed into a corner - it was really funny and I got a photo of that. Considering another guy on the same table had his mask on, that surprised me somewhat. There were just four guys that day and Juan was out front and the other three alongside me. They did well on CD sales and sold at least 4, so at least they made some money, which isn´t always the case. It was about 3 pm when I said goodbye to them, and before leaving arranged to meet up with them again the following week.

I probably took about a dozen photos altogether and these are being uploaded as I write this long overdue blog entry. Luckily it had stopped raining when I left them outside Fusiones as I had a tidy walk down Avenida el sol to collect some photos I had taken (passport style) - I am going to apply for a photo driving licence. With this I will have the second piece of photo ID needed and I can open a bank account here in my own name instead of the one I have as a separate account of Alfredos.

I know how to walk to the carro station now rather than wasting 3 soles on a taxi - it only takes about 15 minutes and right by it is a supermarket so I went in and bought a few more provisions as things are cheaper and there is a lot more variety than in Urubamba. The 3 soles saved by walking to Plaza de Armas this morning went to 3 women in Cusco dresses and their baby lamb who remembered me from last time and wanted me to take their picture and of course I had to give them all a sol each!

I got back to Urubamba just after 4.30 and as I was walking past La Chinita restaurant bar from terminal to home, I heard my name called and somone calling me inside and joined up with Daniel (Rosalio´s brother) and two more Wilbers and they shared their large bottle of Inka Kola with me and all greeted me with hugs, including the owner, Henry. I ordered another bottle which we all shared as well, as I always like to pay my way and I was with them about an hour and they were all interested to hear about Ilo.

A couple of days after this, Nohemy contracted 20 men so that the cement could be laid for the second floor of the extension to their house. She hired a young girl to help and the three of us prepared and cooked enough food for 26 people and then when the work began I was one of the watchers along with Hugo down by the cement mixer, Nohemy with a view of the patio from the verandah and Alfredo looking down from a balcony and me relieving them if they needed a break. You have to watch the workers at all times here because they either make off with the cement and other supplies or down tools if they think they can get away with it. The cement laying is done on the run, with one man adding the cement to the mixer, 2 or 3 others digging into the sand and throwing that into the mix, another guy adding water and the rest filling their buckets with wet cement and running in and up the ladder and pouring it onto the second floor, these guys running back down the ladder etc - a continuous cycle of fast activity. After a couple of hours work came to a half for the tea break but instead of providing tea, Nohemy had to supply a couple of gallons of chicha (a brew made from fermented maize) and all the guys sat around for half an hour drinking this and then work started again for another couple of hours until the water was getting dangerously low in the four giant containers so at this point they stopped for lunch to allow the water levels to creep up. The photos from this are being uploaded as I write as well, along with several taken during my visit to Ilo. After all the cement ran out and the floor was levelled, Nohemy supplied two bottles of pisco for the men to share along with a couple of crates of beer and we put half a crate of them into the fridge to cool for our own use once the men had gone!

This week I went into Cusco again, this time for the weekend with Nohemy and Alfredo, staying overnight Friday at their house there. I met up with Juan and the guys again and watched them play at El Emperador restaurant. Juan had to go after a while and left me at Qori Chaski restaurant again and I decided to have lunch there before going back to the house. I had an alpaca steak in mushroom sauce which was really delicious. Then I downloaded the latest photos from camera to DVD, so the photos uploaded now go up to Friday 30th October. I spent the evening with Nohemy and Alfredo, for a few beers at the corner shop first and later with dinner we enjoyed a bottle of rose wine from Ica, one of the best wine growing areas in Peru, which I had bought at the local supermarket earlier. Very nice it was too.

On Saturday we went to two huge street markets - the first one was at Santiago, much against Nohemy´s better judgement. We hopped on a bus which was very crowded and they were still cramming more passengers in when the aisles were packed like sardines too. You would never believe how many people can fit inside those little buses here. Santiago is one of the most dangerous parts of Cusco but I didnt feel uneasy there, what with the bright sun beating down, lots of people about, all the stall holders etc and Nohemy watching my back. I bought a few CDs and DVDs but then we were walking down a steep hill of stalls when I felt something wet and greasy on my neck and next minute Nohemy was shrieking saying I wasn´t there alone. As she shrieked I could feel the presence of a man right behind me and he was obviously poised to attack and only Nohemy´s vigilance had saved me from probably having my bag stolen. Even though anchored to my waist with a belt and a shoulder strap those thieves are adept at cutting and running. Had the bag been stolen it would have been a disaster as both my cards were in one of the pockets of the bag and I would have had no access to my funds without those cards. Luckily the man dropped back when she screamed at him and after that Nohemy couldnt get out of there quick enough and we were practically falling over ourselves to get back down the hill to the main road below, where Nohemy heaved a huge sigh of relief and hailed the nearest taxi! Alfredo said it isn´t unknown for gangs of thieves to attack with knives to obtain their objective. I never dreamt it could be as dangerous as that so definitely won´t be going there again!

We then went to the huge market at Tupac Amaru Plaza which is in the Wanchaq district, not too far from the house in Cusco. Here it was much safer and one could walk around without having to worry about thieves. Apart from the huge plaza with stalls going round and round until in the centre were marquees with expositions going on, a band set up on a stage etc, outside were huge covered market areas. We left Alfredo sitting on a seat in a shady spot watching the world go by while Nohemy and I browsed the stalls and the exposition tents. In the latter I bought some concentrated eucalyptus oil to help me breathe at night as whenever I have a cold that is the only time I notice the symptoms of the high altitude, with breathing difficulties at night. Also I bought a gorgeous crochet waistcoat and more DVDs and a few other sundry items. At lunchtime we went to another area with about 40 outlets all with trestle tables and benches under canvas in the open air, and after checking out what was on offer we opted for Cabrito al Horno, which is roast goat, served with potatoes and salad. I had wanted a delicious potato dish at one of the stalls but the choice of meat to go with it was either chicken (which we have most days in Urubamba) or lechon, roast pork, but Nohemy thought the meat looked dodgy and thought it best to avoid it. She said there is a disease you can get here from eating contaminated pork which affects the brain, so is similar to Mad Cow´s. She said not to worry as she would be cooking lechon for our dinner the next day! By the time we got back to the house in the mid afternoon, we were all pretty tired as it was one of the hottest days on record and made us wonder if it was that hot in Cusco how hot it must have been in Urubamba. Nohemy and Alfredo had a siesta and I went to a nearby internet cafe for a while, and then in the evening we decided to head back to Urubamba. I had originally hoped to be able to go to Kamikase and hoped that Juan would accompany me, but he was travelling to Puno early Saturday evening in order to attend a family get together the following day. Once I knew I wouldnt be going out that evening we decided to head back, as otherwise it would have been a 5 am start on Sunday morning in order to have breakfast and get back to Urubamba in time for Nohemy to attend mass at their local church.

Yesterday was a family reunion type of day, similar to Christmas etc, with everyone having roast pork for lunch. I helped Nohemy with the preparation in the morning, peeling potatoes, marinating the pork in a selection of spices including a sauce made from different chillis, garlic, soy sauce etc. Then once the pork was in the oven I went off to the internet cafe round the corner. When I got back in time for lunch I was touched that Nohemy had prepared that potato dish that took my fancy the day before, a dish of layered potato slices, with onion, tomato slices, hard boiled egg slices, cheese and olives, baked in the oven. Lunch was delicious and afterwards we shared a litre bottle of sweet red wine. One of Nohemy´s tenants, a gay guy called Ruben who with his partner runs the hairdressing salon on one side of Nohemy´s house came in and Nohemy served him up a plate of lechon with red wine, and we really enjoyed his company. I already knew him as I had my hair trimmed in that salon a few weeks back, and might have my next perm there in a few weeks as the current one has almost grown out and the cost is only a fraction of what I have to pay back home. When the wine ran out Ruben went off and got a few litre bottles of Pilsen beer and we carried on drinking that. I had to leave them at 2.15 having prearranged to go to the restaurant where Wilber and his brother works, and whilst there was invited to join them for another roast pork lunch and that was fun too and I stayed a couple of hours until I said my goodbyes, and they insisted I come back for another free lunch the following day. I walked back, 20 minutes walk, instead of taking a moto, in order to walk off some of the affects of two roast pork dinners!
Back at the house Nohemy and I went out and got some more beers in and we drank them sitting on the patio as the sun went down. Another tenant from the bar on the other side of their house joined us for a while and before they left gave us all another 620 ml bottle of Cusquena each. By the time all the beer was finished we were feeling quite merry and we all slept well that night! The following day was ´The Day of the Dead´ and the intention after lunch at the restaurant was for me to accompany them to the cemetery and join in the family celebration (of Wilber and his brother), but unfortunately the heavens opened and it literally poured with rain, and I didn´t have anything suitable with me to keep dry other than a cardigan. My leather coat is still in my other suitcase at the house in Cusco, not having been needed until now. So we stayed on at the restaurant another couple of hours instead and shared a load of beers.