tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72466482810840699932024-03-12T18:29:00.124-07:00Maximum Zarou<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>Being the continuing adventures of an ugly American abroadm@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-17747594977287853292008-12-13T09:15:00.001-08:002008-12-13T10:21:11.277-08:00One Night in Lima<A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehU_rKlsXKjeVvDqxo6VGpiAirmGt1-ldveaO3oeDwC48F2iMAGlnOM6InFnCGt61-CQaNH2HfX52EKzxSuWN1yfGYl9LQt7dza_i1BtdfgH6-UiTBxLSfXG5KUn33dllAPgwUQepwHM/s1600-h/zarou+001.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279325882444054898 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehU_rKlsXKjeVvDqxo6VGpiAirmGt1-ldveaO3oeDwC48F2iMAGlnOM6InFnCGt61-CQaNH2HfX52EKzxSuWN1yfGYl9LQt7dza_i1BtdfgH6-UiTBxLSfXG5KUn33dllAPgwUQepwHM/s400/zarou+001.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />Stepped out into the electric December night in the charming and fashionable district of Miraflores. Still had eight hours to kill before my flight home. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje221DrQ6COdxMgkw38qP9NzZmbPreZQ_6X81wK0kMvZMComd3ZV5yBfpBfs5qJIeOtn1-CF-4JraxtwxbLIexiewWeQvKPN_B6A07A7W1R9Ts4Wabd-YkYJqaf7XL6EIi5eynLIo9ZBs/s1600-h/zarou+006.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279325897327079042 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje221DrQ6COdxMgkw38qP9NzZmbPreZQ_6X81wK0kMvZMComd3ZV5yBfpBfs5qJIeOtn1-CF-4JraxtwxbLIexiewWeQvKPN_B6A07A7W1R9Ts4Wabd-YkYJqaf7XL6EIi5eynLIo9ZBs/s400/zarou+006.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNBlImPV2TLEJ6MvNfe0t1MZbQFwakj-Pd919CaQy7kzij82qUp8ZsFJJeMkaG7wdjLTAH6LbDLXZBInwSuAl5OHdhEPnfc868FL8SYPc6ZVKCFd0EEH3JQTQhkQ1ysis_jFEJeatpwo/s1600-h/zarou+003.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279325900149919826 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNBlImPV2TLEJ6MvNfe0t1MZbQFwakj-Pd919CaQy7kzij82qUp8ZsFJJeMkaG7wdjLTAH6LbDLXZBInwSuAl5OHdhEPnfc868FL8SYPc6ZVKCFd0EEH3JQTQhkQ1ysis_jFEJeatpwo/s400/zarou+003.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />Wandered around, looking at the lights and seeing the sights, soaking in as much Peru in my final hours as I could. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAa6dqWvOk2nl1jOyy8EsoF3Pcrolh1nnBAbr5kOWHKgcWXIc14ir3wCTy7Jw-u2CqgyubL9Po0s910mjIBkz_9-17vFeQjCYGN8DmUnLCaPwDIVQQIzKNn169kkml6fp5mnF0LQoEuY/s1600-h/zarou+004.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279325886568339906 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAa6dqWvOk2nl1jOyy8EsoF3Pcrolh1nnBAbr5kOWHKgcWXIc14ir3wCTy7Jw-u2CqgyubL9Po0s910mjIBkz_9-17vFeQjCYGN8DmUnLCaPwDIVQQIzKNn169kkml6fp5mnF0LQoEuY/s400/zarou+004.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />Then I headed to Las Brisas del Titicaca, a peña in central Lima, for a show of folkloric dance. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ubIgJ4ZJQSTX5X0w2nRRJslY4yBJsxijfH1U3FsqSnSNQkNrI6wDPjQMOcxffX6hFhQhSa8tVY0QNXNgWpkp3olTJjhPxMDIXMLg87JglyhnACjElEliZYb56LdsT1VmYdFk1g5QckM/s1600-h/zarou+073.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279325912344780530 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ubIgJ4ZJQSTX5X0w2nRRJslY4yBJsxijfH1U3FsqSnSNQkNrI6wDPjQMOcxffX6hFhQhSa8tVY0QNXNgWpkp3olTJjhPxMDIXMLg87JglyhnACjElEliZYb56LdsT1VmYdFk1g5QckM/s400/zarou+073.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNQtoP4CtqCr0Ib9HLAEQ04LxYzJVjgoAQOZtG_JYSO_SBpS4aa35R3wdqfovTH0Q-XmG0K5WPogmakwbg7j6VRo3dZ0k7FYSrq3ZtweELidJLQjgOkVvqK4YI-KFrZUmA7JvobcHLSc/s1600-h/zarou+010.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279328311770900242 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNQtoP4CtqCr0Ib9HLAEQ04LxYzJVjgoAQOZtG_JYSO_SBpS4aa35R3wdqfovTH0Q-XmG0K5WPogmakwbg7j6VRo3dZ0k7FYSrq3ZtweELidJLQjgOkVvqK4YI-KFrZUmA7JvobcHLSc/s400/zarou+010.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />The place was already a flurry of activity when I arrived there around 11:30, and it took me a little while to figure out just what the hell was going on. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXaOqdlCZnq6meZ3XkothocqekX-1Mw-mFvzYT8DR_KPd900quAamTDTzcZ5noWi_CDx4NISrF4mg-u-nChbzamMRO7VRZ0F7oUtBtMtYuVuCikte9H1NVBpIbi-z_Rq5aH5lngD8mio/s1600-h/zarou+074.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279328306717252530 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXaOqdlCZnq6meZ3XkothocqekX-1Mw-mFvzYT8DR_KPd900quAamTDTzcZ5noWi_CDx4NISrF4mg-u-nChbzamMRO7VRZ0F7oUtBtMtYuVuCikte9H1NVBpIbi-z_Rq5aH5lngD8mio/s400/zarou+074.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />I hope you can make this out. Those headdresses are in the shape of condor heads, and the capes are representative of the wings, as these guys were spinning around. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7h7IGAiTsG96h4VnisSjNpeG6s975tVrKqtlvDYcXiYSO8scPgBwch7G5tRAzut8n-L8YswepmyCioAmfVaARF_kg1OchQA2Pq8-MMJ_cSwwCGi2a5X9YM841JpJ-k6u-inuN4s0xcM/s1600-h/zarou+072.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279328305112636514 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7h7IGAiTsG96h4VnisSjNpeG6s975tVrKqtlvDYcXiYSO8scPgBwch7G5tRAzut8n-L8YswepmyCioAmfVaARF_kg1OchQA2Pq8-MMJ_cSwwCGi2a5X9YM841JpJ-k6u-inuN4s0xcM/s400/zarou+072.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />The condor dance over, some weird, Lucha Libre looking guys came swarming out on to the dance floor. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVn5iFRdnZRZBxiDy_XfulEIFCTqMiMEhf-JmR7ZpW0HSacCXCMWLUeUmVkwoiWyzcaEt77lGlLM7VUvhJI6qr7pUU8DtD6vYtKoxB9qqO25xYsCLMNYYd9GRN-VVisw1WnJcy76qrVE/s1600-h/zarou+069.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279331427141204898 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVn5iFRdnZRZBxiDy_XfulEIFCTqMiMEhf-JmR7ZpW0HSacCXCMWLUeUmVkwoiWyzcaEt77lGlLM7VUvhJI6qr7pUU8DtD6vYtKoxB9qqO25xYsCLMNYYd9GRN-VVisw1WnJcy76qrVE/s400/zarou+069.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfVye37tN4skheab1fn9y3ju_CJ_gVKBnBvf-0NcOARpjAiCMsePadg9uYKd6CRGDf-ogU_sT6d1chvkVg0PGGvxmejvhLe0c9_bHJvwwCC3eDXt3L8cMfDcyLgBejpFz5KKUAwiGzMQ/s1600-h/zarou+071.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279331416679228242 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfVye37tN4skheab1fn9y3ju_CJ_gVKBnBvf-0NcOARpjAiCMsePadg9uYKd6CRGDf-ogU_sT6d1chvkVg0PGGvxmejvhLe0c9_bHJvwwCC3eDXt3L8cMfDcyLgBejpFz5KKUAwiGzMQ/s400/zarou+071.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8072LGLow4yOiSpMggO14uA6n-U4lBVPJWfq_j7UAUcSAkH95dX7UKGMnuVIXE-gzuKiawo6d5RmE3BpDyCaj8dTAB6PsafIiJOyK1nVzNP1iJTOiqOCKRsBgWlKup8nZktazxGQQfpc/s1600-h/zarou+070.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279331414881520722 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8072LGLow4yOiSpMggO14uA6n-U4lBVPJWfq_j7UAUcSAkH95dX7UKGMnuVIXE-gzuKiawo6d5RmE3BpDyCaj8dTAB6PsafIiJOyK1nVzNP1iJTOiqOCKRsBgWlKup8nZktazxGQQfpc/s400/zarou+070.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />They were joined by men wearing bull costumes, a toreador of sorts, and dancing girls in (I guess?) traditional dress. After the masked weirdos carried the defeated toreador offstage, the crowd applauded heartily, and the announcer came out to introduce the next spectacle. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNdMks-9z21GN8YyS24ynxkM3M4pBo04w_B7Y_2zIWsD0sfMWCj0ClNxB1D1lLr8WhuXwpPJFx-vHY2VBBxTDK3mcBa_uu9Zf5T-NmsmMBLVuNb0iD83FhuERChXEoioE2npxihXzTYQ/s1600-h/zarou+052.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279334066683563298 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNdMks-9z21GN8YyS24ynxkM3M4pBo04w_B7Y_2zIWsD0sfMWCj0ClNxB1D1lLr8WhuXwpPJFx-vHY2VBBxTDK3mcBa_uu9Zf5T-NmsmMBLVuNb0iD83FhuERChXEoioE2npxihXzTYQ/s400/zarou+052.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYkncaTQDfkRe4NMTHKtOs5LSRruz3dmrCLcE5SwVuwKo9ZNjb2CPtQ0HQgjGbPWQBNDTpW6-rTcCahlqeWWcqo3NZudsFvJBr4XxBFflyMQKBGzMJpxglI3w0BtEy1WVaJudOgOKT59k/s1600-h/zarou+068.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279331408855466738 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYkncaTQDfkRe4NMTHKtOs5LSRruz3dmrCLcE5SwVuwKo9ZNjb2CPtQ0HQgjGbPWQBNDTpW6-rTcCahlqeWWcqo3NZudsFvJBr4XxBFflyMQKBGzMJpxglI3w0BtEy1WVaJudOgOKT59k/s400/zarou+068.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />I still wasn't really following that well, but I gathered that each dance was meant to showcase the cultural traditions of a different region of Peru. But the overall effect was more like that of a Vegas show, (with the elaborately-costumed dancing girls showing plastered-on smiles and lots of leg), or maybe a nightclub floor show from some 1930s movie. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbXTfH3LaKVC3uv6AUL3tt1EDUrm7-UcIlfm9KlPcO85eWER7EUdbuZ1LwhfC9OkbxRVcs1hDVYJGc_MfbFQh4X4Z2XSsR9PV1y3jZWv7hcH7R8TzwAmh9B0-lMdJNT9kfIoMOrnW-b0/s1600-h/zarou+027.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279331402621382370 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbXTfH3LaKVC3uv6AUL3tt1EDUrm7-UcIlfm9KlPcO85eWER7EUdbuZ1LwhfC9OkbxRVcs1hDVYJGc_MfbFQh4X4Z2XSsR9PV1y3jZWv7hcH7R8TzwAmh9B0-lMdJNT9kfIoMOrnW-b0/s400/zarou+027.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />I have no idea what happened next. I think they called it the Dance of the Reyes Morenos, which loosely translated, means Dark-Skinned Kings. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQWjfbmIY3LogkvY_Ngc61A0sBP_yCPJqulwi5FTI6sYPcZ-2f0rCusfli2qlQe8XnvSxXH1DCiAgOgad1ZGg5GPEhaXJ0gM9nUPJU_O4HHslIi4a0GBryWx1wnMs4hEyIXj3XWv5fSE/s1600-h/zarou+035.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279332959781888098 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQWjfbmIY3LogkvY_Ngc61A0sBP_yCPJqulwi5FTI6sYPcZ-2f0rCusfli2qlQe8XnvSxXH1DCiAgOgad1ZGg5GPEhaXJ0gM9nUPJU_O4HHslIi4a0GBryWx1wnMs4hEyIXj3XWv5fSE/s400/zarou+035.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqA5U173AyEDsDh6MCzXbSWCyMNsFe71jJjl7zoK3rH3xhTUxvWU-AbJcwYv_CcyKn0X3e22bhrgcA1wbAom7h5vDGGWpQofWXwZo0U_hLrOOo2FQgSM8pvDhuhpCd81nt5uwCNKMSuoM/s1600-h/zarou+067.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279332958326600978 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqA5U173AyEDsDh6MCzXbSWCyMNsFe71jJjl7zoK3rH3xhTUxvWU-AbJcwYv_CcyKn0X3e22bhrgcA1wbAom7h5vDGGWpQofWXwZo0U_hLrOOo2FQgSM8pvDhuhpCd81nt5uwCNKMSuoM/s400/zarou+067.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWuF_GRd30Tn0129PUprSf07G9_zbxf8n7iqMqT_rrDb3wtHl0OlsfC2-D8OGDtBSNgmcvQwXHSEoCVeJv6g0cJ_mbq6wQjjIw51lMbr8vMbvU1-FGT16YVKdRqlutrcMsfsFXzsfyWU/s1600-h/zarou+065.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279332947072944386 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWuF_GRd30Tn0129PUprSf07G9_zbxf8n7iqMqT_rrDb3wtHl0OlsfC2-D8OGDtBSNgmcvQwXHSEoCVeJv6g0cJ_mbq6wQjjIw51lMbr8vMbvU1-FGT16YVKdRqlutrcMsfsFXzsfyWU/s400/zarou+065.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyidg5Rh4wnDElcCP1FO2jw5yIzS2Fduu1eFGBPdsGy9EjcD7NkGNxmK3SBkLwKgF8Y-Tgzi0t3z6_Vh8UqKWhtgWS1ysG_eXVqk_hB0rjZJZJhWT7UL3peon5J4ZuCi7kk4bL8r02Rs/s1600-h/zarou+066.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279332939518662642 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyidg5Rh4wnDElcCP1FO2jw5yIzS2Fduu1eFGBPdsGy9EjcD7NkGNxmK3SBkLwKgF8Y-Tgzi0t3z6_Vh8UqKWhtgWS1ysG_eXVqk_hB0rjZJZJhWT7UL3peon5J4ZuCi7kk4bL8r02Rs/s400/zarou+066.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />Maybe some video will clarify:<br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-7cdaafa12c80f498 height=266 width=320 contentId="7cdaafa12c80f498"></OBJECT><br /><br />There was also some sort of Gargamel character involved. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11TTvd1XmMobmJ52dAkz6_yF8ZQZ1xWY0T8Tin2cscxDPTdUl7igITFcVNm5zdAAeKislxmwoWk9ccklTRLUg6u8IeQutS7zTzcrX5x9NqlQqmhw5_l-I84bj4NFkv9Ie99PTaBD5sYM/s1600-h/zarou+063.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279332935983019682 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11TTvd1XmMobmJ52dAkz6_yF8ZQZ1xWY0T8Tin2cscxDPTdUl7igITFcVNm5zdAAeKislxmwoWk9ccklTRLUg6u8IeQutS7zTzcrX5x9NqlQqmhw5_l-I84bj4NFkv9Ie99PTaBD5sYM/s400/zarou+063.jpg" border=0></A><br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivq8goKfVXmcpXXmfZ9aiEesAiqKBCdjiMipzi6Vr2FaLVQgJZvLloBpG2goRcFnqS8qpGuTXC3Omqfm2oX7y0s-qhplQ3I5lhJPfRA9EipPoBuWyZf7doIb_TsdoZUdQ8-8dVVPEhDjM/s1600-h/zarou+062.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279334053189016690 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivq8goKfVXmcpXXmfZ9aiEesAiqKBCdjiMipzi6Vr2FaLVQgJZvLloBpG2goRcFnqS8qpGuTXC3Omqfm2oX7y0s-qhplQ3I5lhJPfRA9EipPoBuWyZf7doIb_TsdoZUdQ8-8dVVPEhDjM/s400/zarou+062.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />I should mention that the crowd, mostly locals, ate all this up. Me, I just sipped my Pisco (yeah, whatever, I've never been one for doctor's (much less shaman's) orders) and tried to process it all. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShsphZVqX4H9rmW7jNE8M_uvPxeT8_OrTHyBzStte0E8sFdUXBFy4pM2tEI1epxydSdTYdvJP2Ke6ZLccJTTO35_qlWNaKBK3DPfBtCLXORpIERYRZuSsVImdkLzWvH-kuVFBe_yj7fs/s1600-h/zarou+061.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279334052342677394 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShsphZVqX4H9rmW7jNE8M_uvPxeT8_OrTHyBzStte0E8sFdUXBFy4pM2tEI1epxydSdTYdvJP2Ke6ZLccJTTO35_qlWNaKBK3DPfBtCLXORpIERYRZuSsVImdkLzWvH-kuVFBe_yj7fs/s400/zarou+061.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />Occasionally, to give the dancers a break, these guys would come out. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYbr-WDVMANkdsOx01k_N5kqHfYbexePNRN-4p3GdSRCpjV1KYaFqMh7lzqyutXLsQ-pxFgkaveqwpE4DrrGx2OG7TLuWMZzSXW6g6oxGdrYUqA1eCkd_s3rjnUM1hiNYPhyD4E7v0wI/s1600-h/zarou+043.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279334046101857986 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYbr-WDVMANkdsOx01k_N5kqHfYbexePNRN-4p3GdSRCpjV1KYaFqMh7lzqyutXLsQ-pxFgkaveqwpE4DrrGx2OG7TLuWMZzSXW6g6oxGdrYUqA1eCkd_s3rjnUM1hiNYPhyD4E7v0wI/s400/zarou+043.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMPgJgcCU2li1OxXqmYTn2hsVuJSV92mkZX9-CK5wkViSNbkxpYutsd-YlBbOxbp7uOKrJ2f7nUMbLA4U1yqfSGbHGfzZ4srffQkh2po2lXm_ygiWgJvZ9b-pByTz3ej-jtI90WyNg18/s1600-h/zarou+060.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279334044409217106 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMPgJgcCU2li1OxXqmYTn2hsVuJSV92mkZX9-CK5wkViSNbkxpYutsd-YlBbOxbp7uOKrJ2f7nUMbLA4U1yqfSGbHGfzZ4srffQkh2po2lXm_ygiWgJvZ9b-pByTz3ej-jtI90WyNg18/s400/zarou+060.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />Ooh, this was one of my favorites. The guys were in white suits with black shirts, white ties and fedoras, and it wasn't all flashy and skirt-flaring like the others, with all the stomping around. Just elegance and grace, with a little bit of spice. rrrAOWWrr. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1W6pYRI5NWZwTnW8SY_JxVjEhTP3HjEUYlV0-sISuhEOR0E3qvWj06dLA05ODcp-YolHgdxR8Bd6szWm9ufD5YerlME-QMdzWk0yjr2-LL-Zlw42oykR-5f5nr5InvuLBtTpByr006Y/s1600-h/zarou+044.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279335917111276082 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1W6pYRI5NWZwTnW8SY_JxVjEhTP3HjEUYlV0-sISuhEOR0E3qvWj06dLA05ODcp-YolHgdxR8Bd6szWm9ufD5YerlME-QMdzWk0yjr2-LL-Zlw42oykR-5f5nr5InvuLBtTpByr006Y/s400/zarou+044.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ScB2eNyp5NQm8uFWfxiuCvyB2L7N_BXvJf1ZbC_XrVw4iH0mw9NMjvNE-4nx7iO6nsuj-TiGSjWMtf9Zc5yly2iVJQKynpW_5Vo3tKE4cPPh3VVhiXsOH7mw6YbiIxs13svY49s2UXQ/s1600-h/zarou+046.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279335910756762690 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ScB2eNyp5NQm8uFWfxiuCvyB2L7N_BXvJf1ZbC_XrVw4iH0mw9NMjvNE-4nx7iO6nsuj-TiGSjWMtf9Zc5yly2iVJQKynpW_5Vo3tKE4cPPh3VVhiXsOH7mw6YbiIxs13svY49s2UXQ/s400/zarou+046.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTU3T2R5Yi-6Krs28RbT6BeJTBY-A6GXAZyKfIHb8W6oV-THdh2rZ7c51RxOD36GEICMy7YuPLAhZS8ZrHkW5CGZxg6J0egLqdH1r1FFMeBMeCDjQNMJ1oq41Vs4M_9z5DCWfVt7HEA4c/s1600-h/zarou+047.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279335901467630930 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTU3T2R5Yi-6Krs28RbT6BeJTBY-A6GXAZyKfIHb8W6oV-THdh2rZ7c51RxOD36GEICMy7YuPLAhZS8ZrHkW5CGZxg6J0egLqdH1r1FFMeBMeCDjQNMJ1oq41Vs4M_9z5DCWfVt7HEA4c/s400/zarou+047.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />Ooh! There was a hambone one that I enjoyed a lot too:<br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-56ea28a864b17028 height=266 width=320 contentId="56ea28a864b17028"></OBJECT><br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKsF9kUbg2H1ZIxF8o4pysBBmyH8Id9zAjbov5_aYOEfzUY1an7Qg7o2DmvTL0DO7V4HUzM6pW8iXAxOLOhT7bcXwgm_At3d-FP1Tovp0RhgqSjaYLUNCvYflLvTg-Wvj9DJ1w2s9saA/s1600-h/zarou+049.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279335897190036082 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKsF9kUbg2H1ZIxF8o4pysBBmyH8Id9zAjbov5_aYOEfzUY1an7Qg7o2DmvTL0DO7V4HUzM6pW8iXAxOLOhT7bcXwgm_At3d-FP1Tovp0RhgqSjaYLUNCvYflLvTg-Wvj9DJ1w2s9saA/s400/zarou+049.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />And then every hour and a half or so, the band would start playing some salsa, and everybody would get up and dance. And I mean everybody. Old men, young children, couples, singles, all shaking their booties until the wee hours. And I mean the wee hours. I had thought I was going to be the last one there, but when I finally left at like 2:30, the party was still going! <br /><br />One of the final dances was the Marinera. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-eQKyRIg2eWtopiN4ugI8zb6HZwZIb34nG0I59WJ_9ieSyRyPtMXLefdyb2v_3orj5cDJLay_216I7qn_vzoXdwXSFacoHIpeY-z2F39B-m1rlEA3AtmL1zF71AXjhkG7dxaz3etv00/s1600-h/zarou+055.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279336715040047106 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-eQKyRIg2eWtopiN4ugI8zb6HZwZIb34nG0I59WJ_9ieSyRyPtMXLefdyb2v_3orj5cDJLay_216I7qn_vzoXdwXSFacoHIpeY-z2F39B-m1rlEA3AtmL1zF71AXjhkG7dxaz3etv00/s400/zarou+055.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lmGX2_CWYx_uJLR-jF1Sh_IFIRbZeNyCmU9uWRkb1S2lBtohoe6TCIL2D4GKutqWlcC3ECABcuoV81Vh07WwXT8OyGILHer8FmCFqXAmWSYgs0Ckm5kAEXjEFCEV1EtoAAzMNEiHyig/s1600-h/zarou+059.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279336704165986114 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lmGX2_CWYx_uJLR-jF1Sh_IFIRbZeNyCmU9uWRkb1S2lBtohoe6TCIL2D4GKutqWlcC3ECABcuoV81Vh07WwXT8OyGILHer8FmCFqXAmWSYgs0Ckm5kAEXjEFCEV1EtoAAzMNEiHyig/s400/zarou+059.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />A beautiful and amazing duet, that I can't really do justice to with the pictures. <br /><br />A fitting last night in Peru. <br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-2d21b22add0a4000 height=266 width=320 contentId="2d21b22add0a4000"></OBJECT><br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTyZ5pNbX3CbJVIPf_q7rTd3WKb2EmZvBLF0YzP-osK_wLUmRNtj1SK2zZXCdHF8Y0p7zjbV7ZvsjdTMiuSo-jZyCuFCtHM4FiO61OiO-QHG6_xjaJz8IiqlFKYQZdsk50c1DaJJ5pIk/s1600-h/zarou+058.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279336703959089122 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTyZ5pNbX3CbJVIPf_q7rTd3WKb2EmZvBLF0YzP-osK_wLUmRNtj1SK2zZXCdHF8Y0p7zjbV7ZvsjdTMiuSo-jZyCuFCtHM4FiO61OiO-QHG6_xjaJz8IiqlFKYQZdsk50c1DaJJ5pIk/s400/zarou+058.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />From the cab to the airport, I saw this billboard. As you can see, Darlene is Chica Max 2008, which means "2008 Max Girl". Mmm. <br /><br />So that's it, folks! Here I sit at the Bogota airport, trying to fill a five hour layover by stealing glances at South American stewardesses. I hope you enjoyed my adventures, I know I can be a little verbose at times, but I do get starved for English expression. I hope to see all of you soon, and (last time!) please take a second to give to the public school kids. Really, any amount is welcome. By the way, I can't even see the amount you donate, just that you have donated, so don't worry I'm gonna think you're cheap. I just don't want this ridiculous look to have been in vain. Remember, it's tainted all of my pictures from Peru. It would be much cooler if I could remember that it did some good.<br /><br />¡Hasta la proxima, chicos!m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-45908287941922019812008-12-12T15:40:00.001-08:002008-12-12T18:04:04.204-08:00Welcome to the JungleLeft a freezing drizzle in Cusco, thirty minutes later stepped off the plane in Puerto Maldonado to a balmy and humid 85 degrees and blue skies.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtnW3OWcgaJ8M_LB-6LjSl6Nho4enW-3UCgOlm6xYsIytyQsFmdxgObHLlo_cbwV9WQlwlmJkpba8FYNvDEDuQYx_U-RdmqvMTYHu0DN9o-WnzyKuT-aMssiCT4aGpfK65Ph3qqB3ro8/s1600-h/zarou+022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtnW3OWcgaJ8M_LB-6LjSl6Nho4enW-3UCgOlm6xYsIytyQsFmdxgObHLlo_cbwV9WQlwlmJkpba8FYNvDEDuQYx_U-RdmqvMTYHu0DN9o-WnzyKuT-aMssiCT4aGpfK65Ph3qqB3ro8/s400/zarou+022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279056634877025170" /></a><br /><br />Puerto Maldonado, on the edge of the Amazon Rainforest, is a town completely over-run with motorcycles.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-J8EpsYu7OoVTXv_ibDN2bt9fErMQkF0TsY2OBFCjf_VLXDGng9FuJFBNv6H8X6jOqwe3Tugg2yQ1_oBfeVniwoETlURugqjilu0CrXvHONB0u15ZoIjnxH507fD7wiG-FCUhq81X0k/s1600-h/zarou+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-J8EpsYu7OoVTXv_ibDN2bt9fErMQkF0TsY2OBFCjf_VLXDGng9FuJFBNv6H8X6jOqwe3Tugg2yQ1_oBfeVniwoETlURugqjilu0CrXvHONB0u15ZoIjnxH507fD7wiG-FCUhq81X0k/s400/zarou+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279053469127125026" /></a><br /><br />Except for the van that picked me up from the airport, I don't think I saw a single car my entire time there.<br /><br />Not that there's much to do there. It is, as its name implies, mostly a port on the Madre de Dios river, one of the feeders of the Amazon.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-ew9vjIiwoLtYFI1hlIGbVoly87u2wMWhk0cNP-VhdgfG0bCQgFKWGTSa4jkSxdGZ_S8eiTMjlS1ciwHGapX4NMFYwgPrfK4uIGs2HHNG5-RORpm2YW8Ux35SsSv2BjZ38-XRislS3Y/s1600-h/zarou+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-ew9vjIiwoLtYFI1hlIGbVoly87u2wMWhk0cNP-VhdgfG0bCQgFKWGTSa4jkSxdGZ_S8eiTMjlS1ciwHGapX4NMFYwgPrfK4uIGs2HHNG5-RORpm2YW8Ux35SsSv2BjZ38-XRislS3Y/s400/zarou+004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279053461946073570" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYy3MrmDKxlOgMaHzIQKQihtGHsdDgNsaSpc_x2w33cJZzD9fo0u16OoiVemHnhYqLsDEYO34xbTtqj3DtWnuM6tEb2jhLqTmPVZ8ED7F0sATweXFftQnJ6fhXOvVyTeA1UapjN-tCsg/s1600-h/zarou+008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYy3MrmDKxlOgMaHzIQKQihtGHsdDgNsaSpc_x2w33cJZzD9fo0u16OoiVemHnhYqLsDEYO34xbTtqj3DtWnuM6tEb2jhLqTmPVZ8ED7F0sATweXFftQnJ6fhXOvVyTeA1UapjN-tCsg/s400/zarou+008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279053453491694610" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrs0hrbGIKZ5ZLUMAVZ0v5c4miq1tC5-2S6Yr_jBFNPUPp1cG5QRp_hGp9BYctLEpuxc8jt5vWcLtg2LatZWmpLk-lHf0uY-GhZ303laUVEp2RYzG1bkAy3DOgv0UqbH_SZiqexzILTUo/s1600-h/zarou+009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrs0hrbGIKZ5ZLUMAVZ0v5c4miq1tC5-2S6Yr_jBFNPUPp1cG5QRp_hGp9BYctLEpuxc8jt5vWcLtg2LatZWmpLk-lHf0uY-GhZ303laUVEp2RYzG1bkAy3DOgv0UqbH_SZiqexzILTUo/s400/zarou+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279053446170837634" /></a><br /><br />A forty minute boat ride from the port lies my jungle lodge, Corto Maltese.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3yN-GNe2sBVChymQ5n8YmqEZWuz-lUt89VZ1erv4V1aFCifQe65RCtiKmrO8jWGxUZrD9SGwzBMcT2sml22SFlUunZ_JXXqhfuP9HJ36tu2MeRof7lGMrm8-B0U8UMjOuYdoGZHDbqI/s1600-h/zarou+010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3yN-GNe2sBVChymQ5n8YmqEZWuz-lUt89VZ1erv4V1aFCifQe65RCtiKmrO8jWGxUZrD9SGwzBMcT2sml22SFlUunZ_JXXqhfuP9HJ36tu2MeRof7lGMrm8-B0U8UMjOuYdoGZHDbqI/s400/zarou+010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279054741946473042" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0U_99MpL2dw0BJbQWCD8eoF11_SYgz_SxDAt4z4Ff54mkcZzmxIMH9Q6xfur71-A8A3beNzp-tM-wJkYCf19kD1JuGtWUvi5WrblJA_-M7YmlEDsIxESdrwUTLHWNd_LHJSxOECE2b60/s1600-h/zarou+024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0U_99MpL2dw0BJbQWCD8eoF11_SYgz_SxDAt4z4Ff54mkcZzmxIMH9Q6xfur71-A8A3beNzp-tM-wJkYCf19kD1JuGtWUvi5WrblJA_-M7YmlEDsIxESdrwUTLHWNd_LHJSxOECE2b60/s400/zarou+024.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279056627357266418" /></a><br /><br />This is Karina, the lodge owners' French niece and resident Ayahuasca expert, with her child Maitreya, who was smack-dab in the middle of the terrible twos. You can tell by the eyes that Maitreya is a terror, but what you can't really tell is the child's sex. I'm just saying, at this point, it was difficult.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUC3MZEJUcOg7_t7ZUMrbUQqu_pckC5d61ExnKXgHfcgBanCcAm0R6kCjnorN5JxQ1aG1KOuYQXuhjvgiTSAK4wNEwQTt75EPyKmLTbeWa1cQJfvbu_t58pe80NqfiYQI7zdb2JFksfk/s1600-h/zarou+011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUC3MZEJUcOg7_t7ZUMrbUQqu_pckC5d61ExnKXgHfcgBanCcAm0R6kCjnorN5JxQ1aG1KOuYQXuhjvgiTSAK4wNEwQTt75EPyKmLTbeWa1cQJfvbu_t58pe80NqfiYQI7zdb2JFksfk/s400/zarou+011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279054735341515026" /></a><br /><br />My habitation for the next three days. Nice, right? (That's what they call it here, <em>su habitacion</em>.)<br /><br />So after being greeted with some cold passion fruit juice (<em>¡muy rico!</em>) and a light lunch (the grinning waiter assured us all that it was caiman, but actually it was chicken), I was led on a solo nature hike of the rain forest.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKTfWHkextNpdu7O17o5Em-tXdPnfJoq4LBrcj4aFoAsvO2PmcLaZjW7v7jXRDGFIQku_cHMb2_RrKdqdVRvr1n7PhdiQEcdSXOuvilDJ-oCDJVSoFaf-CW7uKfhQBluk9ICaubyIpSE/s1600-h/zarou+012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKTfWHkextNpdu7O17o5Em-tXdPnfJoq4LBrcj4aFoAsvO2PmcLaZjW7v7jXRDGFIQku_cHMb2_RrKdqdVRvr1n7PhdiQEcdSXOuvilDJ-oCDJVSoFaf-CW7uKfhQBluk9ICaubyIpSE/s400/zarou+012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279054720191215154" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovbDuSbmh4NNlAZ58UBI7dOjz7p7qMXtbRcaw1uM5eEodiJnyU7aX6oNrZl87NAcqWQa-xWgpQoRZNE83XFZVlo3mP3jyxv2JRm_mdXi7P1v7CaSiMECAy_q8cnkgTcMIrMPbjcaJq94/s1600-h/zarou+014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovbDuSbmh4NNlAZ58UBI7dOjz7p7qMXtbRcaw1uM5eEodiJnyU7aX6oNrZl87NAcqWQa-xWgpQoRZNE83XFZVlo3mP3jyxv2JRm_mdXi7P1v7CaSiMECAy_q8cnkgTcMIrMPbjcaJq94/s400/zarou+014.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279056622545233346" /></a><br /><br />One of the upsides of traveling alone (and, yes, there are downsides, e.g. eating alone in restaurants, no one to blame when you're running late, having to remember all your witty little comments until the next time you're in front of a computer with internet access) is that occasionally you get the guide all to yourself. My guide through this part of the trip was Lucy.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9W6ffKqKVFw6QW_ku1cH3hMjy_Mdnf4OmoA8eE7Mi1vq_nm6E62YUB7LMwLSrAaPwmW_2z0cC7KGeLHIiflL7mjtKGtApRlyDn3k5Bc2iG1OKo8pVoH0CVhrOdr2SgM8if1CXL2Xtys/s1600-h/zarou+023.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9W6ffKqKVFw6QW_ku1cH3hMjy_Mdnf4OmoA8eE7Mi1vq_nm6E62YUB7LMwLSrAaPwmW_2z0cC7KGeLHIiflL7mjtKGtApRlyDn3k5Bc2iG1OKo8pVoH0CVhrOdr2SgM8if1CXL2Xtys/s400/zarou+023.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279056619761627234" /></a><br /><br />She was knowledgeable and professional, which is good because I was going to be stuck with her for a while.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZBkiMDNaA2-mYFQenpBHrm7WnvtHyUEXyi6SyrI12Y9RluVd6JLLPHIw6-SDjjSkog-c39us0QUD-2YxjsUfsz2Py1yF5-pzJ_UU5te9bA4ruvkTpp44T0jxgdq7kd8C2A0o-7F52Z8/s1600-h/zarou+025.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZBkiMDNaA2-mYFQenpBHrm7WnvtHyUEXyi6SyrI12Y9RluVd6JLLPHIw6-SDjjSkog-c39us0QUD-2YxjsUfsz2Py1yF5-pzJ_UU5te9bA4ruvkTpp44T0jxgdq7kd8C2A0o-7F52Z8/s400/zarou+025.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279056612661645154" /></a><br /><br />But, clearly, I liked her at once. As if to heighten this awesomeness, the only other guests at the lodge were a giant group of some twenty-odd middle-aged and elderly Finns, led by a fierce and stocky woman who would interrupt their local guide to bark at the group in what I can only assume was Finnish before barking back at the guide in clipped, noisy Spanish. (shudder) I bet THAT got old. (In fact, I know it did. Lucy, the other guides and I shared quite a few laughs about it behind her back.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGLS6L6OgwtbWxISqQDQobzzQVtuXtmLIdjUxRVF2nqwk6yK174VAtyiURxwNxJrnNmEGRvQ1QLkUtOwM7NkskJh_SQLKtm7bSiB7esFJ-ZqGGAAmRUuu4SogChVZA6wPCUmVQcRLvqE/s1600-h/zarou+017.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGLS6L6OgwtbWxISqQDQobzzQVtuXtmLIdjUxRVF2nqwk6yK174VAtyiURxwNxJrnNmEGRvQ1QLkUtOwM7NkskJh_SQLKtm7bSiB7esFJ-ZqGGAAmRUuu4SogChVZA6wPCUmVQcRLvqE/s400/zarou+017.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279059477534306690" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5x-0Dn1LXuZEvWCOxYRGIQycPjHI28TTyDdmzBsaBUc3c81An1WZJc3TYPPkwQh5Kfx3qUBAXuFdA1dgUbhjejXXHrW_1bcMTBRgoHU9ylTXw_WueAnOXAEFsPdhhZQtTol8rvZQLhUw/s1600-h/zarou+020.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5x-0Dn1LXuZEvWCOxYRGIQycPjHI28TTyDdmzBsaBUc3c81An1WZJc3TYPPkwQh5Kfx3qUBAXuFdA1dgUbhjejXXHrW_1bcMTBRgoHU9ylTXw_WueAnOXAEFsPdhhZQtTol8rvZQLhUw/s400/zarou+020.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279059470301318994" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pRe2ALCOJMnirIWMntJR3eLiwgD3L8bwjmNpySAsc3KzPWIz8LnqzE5CwRrXrd3V5ndX3E7GDR2aTMx6TbxK4nzpg_QTU_W09g7In4shK_izOkUcB9yElYRhCws9ozN9zUZJ1Q09JAI/s1600-h/zarou+016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pRe2ALCOJMnirIWMntJR3eLiwgD3L8bwjmNpySAsc3KzPWIz8LnqzE5CwRrXrd3V5ndX3E7GDR2aTMx6TbxK4nzpg_QTU_W09g7In4shK_izOkUcB9yElYRhCws9ozN9zUZJ1Q09JAI/s400/zarou+016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279059462177088466" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cyfeqjKAaTX7WUgbSu94M3H8IxEx3KfplRI9NoMiTkHUqAV2TP2x_WTs-EOqCfYWylnMcNFymemLNI0EkJSdqBtWxJjaXr7fGdBzW5BTFb5AvQSSVh1Nr3m5HDgEBgfnN5tDn8YYbTs/s1600-h/zarou+015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cyfeqjKAaTX7WUgbSu94M3H8IxEx3KfplRI9NoMiTkHUqAV2TP2x_WTs-EOqCfYWylnMcNFymemLNI0EkJSdqBtWxJjaXr7fGdBzW5BTFb5AvQSSVh1Nr3m5HDgEBgfnN5tDn8YYbTs/s400/zarou+015.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279059455036318306" /></a><br /><br />But so anyways, that nature hike was like being in the movie King Kong. Nothing was that strange, except that it was all ten times the size you'd expect. And with the heat and the humidity, the abundant flora and fauna, there was something seriously primordial about the whole thing.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKu1DwWAxqkUvnjopSCKsVSPp_EvPIfle_fFzMYzXSzrudJvr5HJ6bQh4QteUpMO7neBtG9IQVjD4r1uM6WokwxL9t8KEra5qRs5aeCUu0F8Pf0EQmQ1HHpUmzVVBlcneQgehE0uKP48/s1600-h/zarou+019.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKu1DwWAxqkUvnjopSCKsVSPp_EvPIfle_fFzMYzXSzrudJvr5HJ6bQh4QteUpMO7neBtG9IQVjD4r1uM6WokwxL9t8KEra5qRs5aeCUu0F8Pf0EQmQ1HHpUmzVVBlcneQgehE0uKP48/s400/zarou+019.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279065024446288466" /></a><br /><br />Lucy showed me how to make this dye out of water and a native plant, and then we painted our faces to look like savages preparing for battle. On our way back to the lodge, the faces of the Finns as we passed was worth the 24 hours of vaguely purple hands.<br /><br />After nightfall, we went out on the river to search for caimans. For those of you who don't know (like me, three days ago), caimans are like alligators, only creepier because they are bone-white. We saw a few slithering along the muddy bank, though mainly what we saw was the spooky red reflection of the flashlight off their eyes, the only part sticking up out of the river.<br /><br />Then it was back to the lodge for dinner ("How are you enjoying your monkey?") and rather than join the Finns for beer and billiards, I went straight to my mosquito-netted bed. After all, I want to be fresh for my ayahuasca!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEkcLTAnhyphenhyphenzqqcAcsUPdF5TZF6VSSURH3rPeuww9mVIqhsJwCz2fd5xPilBv96yqOEAyJRNTykdtlUovjoSNRvjWqcceEuJY50PwF_3xrCw1QrAiECQxDM5NNtVr45wSr5dcoYEL_N9Q/s1600-h/zarou+112.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEkcLTAnhyphenhyphenzqqcAcsUPdF5TZF6VSSURH3rPeuww9mVIqhsJwCz2fd5xPilBv96yqOEAyJRNTykdtlUovjoSNRvjWqcceEuJY50PwF_3xrCw1QrAiECQxDM5NNtVr45wSr5dcoYEL_N9Q/s400/zarou+112.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279065014782667490" /></a><br /><br />Early the next morning, before breakfast ("toucan eggs?") Lucy and I sprinted off into the jungle to get good seats at the parrot blind before the Finnish delegation got there. It would become a theme, the two of us going everywhere just a couple minutes before they would come trudging up, sweating and swatting at insects. Hee.<br /><br />Can you see the many green parrots and parakeets? I know they look like leaves, but if you squint you can tell which are birds and which are plants.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VUDU4QfpsyFK_DrT2Pq3K-ua100S_KjHVRQL2Pu3k1-mF9NKLcQXYhxwHSmHSrRXoPJSDQqI7SYppC5fp3qtf-f0QylzuAjRN5Z4A-_3U8CffSY7Q5wjC-GlQEODYX7nkWh8DCB0ZIY/s1600-h/zarou+032.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VUDU4QfpsyFK_DrT2Pq3K-ua100S_KjHVRQL2Pu3k1-mF9NKLcQXYhxwHSmHSrRXoPJSDQqI7SYppC5fp3qtf-f0QylzuAjRN5Z4A-_3U8CffSY7Q5wjC-GlQEODYX7nkWh8DCB0ZIY/s400/zarou+032.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279065003961971906" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUmLDcS8BVt2yyYSaPD8-TVk-_TzPq2xkGBGa8UP46EKVop5TrRKBgSzISVw139PAz7N4zFKGbvwAdlJnO60LC8SREEgBqhnSsvHxng2ak7_qntnDKZxKS9qOvKZrBDbSf9Mz8qWQ228/s1600-h/zarou+034.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUmLDcS8BVt2yyYSaPD8-TVk-_TzPq2xkGBGa8UP46EKVop5TrRKBgSzISVw139PAz7N4zFKGbvwAdlJnO60LC8SREEgBqhnSsvHxng2ak7_qntnDKZxKS9qOvKZrBDbSf9Mz8qWQ228/s400/zarou+034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279064994999869458" /></a><br /><br />Check out the tongue! Fascinating animal.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ouL1jruUtsrpw7dLwXRpJdOvmawouR1Bl_JHdIsaoRGwPED-jKr1y23NMlQrkv3SDEVn3UMLOe5UMBg3oinYQMfya9Gn_Rf8qz64Do3fGd1Ns844kT4exYfBuhdL3pNIGmsSwfQZ1uk/s1600-h/zarou+035.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ouL1jruUtsrpw7dLwXRpJdOvmawouR1Bl_JHdIsaoRGwPED-jKr1y23NMlQrkv3SDEVn3UMLOe5UMBg3oinYQMfya9Gn_Rf8qz64Do3fGd1Ns844kT4exYfBuhdL3pNIGmsSwfQZ1uk/s400/zarou+035.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279064986208858562" /></a><br /><br />Then it was off to Monkey Island. (Don't worry, it's just a name. It's really more of a peninsula. Ha! Picture me trying to explain that Simpsons reference in Spanish to Lucy and the other guide!)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJQBxvClSDFd6_4qamv4szYpe6fDuibwk_S3HY2jfFe9mr2j5uUeAEIXSgeLBRNFjy8ykbpqfQ1MGGfiaKZHs6VdNwtmZQhN7GOPUJIomUwvoJ7TO4Ip-hl0T9fn0oSHlA1Ljw2omD7M/s1600-h/zarou+110.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJQBxvClSDFd6_4qamv4szYpe6fDuibwk_S3HY2jfFe9mr2j5uUeAEIXSgeLBRNFjy8ykbpqfQ1MGGfiaKZHs6VdNwtmZQhN7GOPUJIomUwvoJ7TO4Ip-hl0T9fn0oSHlA1Ljw2omD7M/s400/zarou+110.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279066282932150738" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlu2lm0VGw58mX64kJbEW4GcZvlZLc6yj0wy6cVvu-usNGfN5YK4mpF6BB3RJVj_-wPChESzSrH_ijAEfrcdOYYujMPWJI43p2FJh1uxNAk5GTy65WWgdxXGqOU3tfsErA1JbAFTmrpY/s1600-h/zarou+111.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlu2lm0VGw58mX64kJbEW4GcZvlZLc6yj0wy6cVvu-usNGfN5YK4mpF6BB3RJVj_-wPChESzSrH_ijAEfrcdOYYujMPWJI43p2FJh1uxNAk5GTy65WWgdxXGqOU3tfsErA1JbAFTmrpY/s400/zarou+111.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279066278090429778" /></a><br /><br />Sorry about the quality of these pix, those dang monkeys are FAST! These are Red Capuchin monkeys, by the way.<br /><br />A 4 km hike into the jungle led us to Lago Sandoval, an oxbow lake in the heart of the jungle and home to some pretty sweet biodiversity.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbogwQIeRysuaqfcTD1NYirqaKnIyJsyRJyUrvuGNs8xBjTY1-O2wgK_UZlcy7WKpqfF0_JoC8RHh7JMdzuFKzQHOUD0lut4wmGkI0PCaYU0Y48Xg77dXQ6eG-PMerb7-ajVRfZb6J0Q/s1600-h/zarou+042.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbogwQIeRysuaqfcTD1NYirqaKnIyJsyRJyUrvuGNs8xBjTY1-O2wgK_UZlcy7WKpqfF0_JoC8RHh7JMdzuFKzQHOUD0lut4wmGkI0PCaYU0Y48Xg77dXQ6eG-PMerb7-ajVRfZb6J0Q/s400/zarou+042.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279068513778612242" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0jDK0rX_CwRfI7PR-pmHJCe7gtpRsn727q-TrXbaWRnxZhpygC3SB8dTqOZysB8T_X80RMeE2WMX7DsfeK4WYl1xbk78iYPAcM_x41ohYv3Vi_xMn2iSwB4To7C8iYEn22Os8jPU7W0/s1600-h/zarou+043.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0jDK0rX_CwRfI7PR-pmHJCe7gtpRsn727q-TrXbaWRnxZhpygC3SB8dTqOZysB8T_X80RMeE2WMX7DsfeK4WYl1xbk78iYPAcM_x41ohYv3Vi_xMn2iSwB4To7C8iYEn22Os8jPU7W0/s400/zarou+043.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279068504513676914" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoU-ZJEnaYkyGViFE_Ukj8VlVjfTgT3pBSCSBZtFMsiUfh7y7raCyMebkXmhR8HQkNM9jfY2hwffn04JOFRCXmhWJ2Czcjt2TRzZD1EU__lAFdOWp5SozMFt2w-3G2PzOnUg6EgYydj-g/s1600-h/zarou+044.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoU-ZJEnaYkyGViFE_Ukj8VlVjfTgT3pBSCSBZtFMsiUfh7y7raCyMebkXmhR8HQkNM9jfY2hwffn04JOFRCXmhWJ2Czcjt2TRzZD1EU__lAFdOWp5SozMFt2w-3G2PzOnUg6EgYydj-g/s400/zarou+044.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279068498086004674" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTMQTEopbzN4xijSn3GHC2trkpkp2uQ43XHX8iCu1dyBn1bTWI-jFb9S7phzEC68VuTzNcx-KYtnRmylwn-8Id2MopirlVzUKLvPxWjpBYH4Qdh25ErarTafWtVAdxWqB5d5sNp_s55k/s1600-h/zarou+046.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTMQTEopbzN4xijSn3GHC2trkpkp2uQ43XHX8iCu1dyBn1bTWI-jFb9S7phzEC68VuTzNcx-KYtnRmylwn-8Id2MopirlVzUKLvPxWjpBYH4Qdh25ErarTafWtVAdxWqB5d5sNp_s55k/s400/zarou+046.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279068493148028306" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJ1DTpz6_Pl0YGqI1qkRyUkEvnXEeyIUCmbHIHktxaU2Pq-yCbrPzYNHjBfYc7Y-R7Kt2OzosE2eVME7_HBVWgke9DVsQ4VPp6H5KTDyxXx34LepJJSlPObei1h7yIMGyIttp9QfgisA/s1600-h/zarou+047.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJ1DTpz6_Pl0YGqI1qkRyUkEvnXEeyIUCmbHIHktxaU2Pq-yCbrPzYNHjBfYc7Y-R7Kt2OzosE2eVME7_HBVWgke9DVsQ4VPp6H5KTDyxXx34LepJJSlPObei1h7yIMGyIttp9QfgisA/s400/zarou+047.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279068488203230658" /></a><br /><br />What's an oxbow lake? I'm SO glad you asked! See when a lake naturally twists and turns, sometimes it loops back on itself, depositing silt and stuff where it used to have water, creating a little lake. But the lake only lasts a couple hundred years, because the flora around there (trees and what not) start sucking up the water and eventually it's just not a lake anymore! <br /><br />That was a terrible description, but it's a pretty cool phenomenon. We set out in two rickety canoes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqU7J52JxA_KMLayyCHTvA6arIOInopq4VB5qKhEEOQdH2JBgyCq_6HfvYoz3yDjDyTd5mMLgberHS6K4SmiYo4cNNX5a3-P1h0DylC3rYBj2ynSjFhP0OUhLGjo0c5nA2t9EtMuRPp9k/s1600-h/zarou+109.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqU7J52JxA_KMLayyCHTvA6arIOInopq4VB5qKhEEOQdH2JBgyCq_6HfvYoz3yDjDyTd5mMLgberHS6K4SmiYo4cNNX5a3-P1h0DylC3rYBj2ynSjFhP0OUhLGjo0c5nA2t9EtMuRPp9k/s400/zarou+109.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279069261369369666" /></a><br /><br />Gasp! It's the elusive Tiger Heron! Wow, we are really lucky! (Yeah I'm no ornithologist, neither.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC12WBlhNWJNdoTyAvOrMBcN9hpoSQn4M4TPMQmXwIm8Nb631rlT8FGpca0bu0NbKvr-LvSti6CYqyLdstKqGFR92CTy-Wol2nw1LV2LdHVQv4ae0LR7Y5i19nkl0-nGp1TbWbswkJ2Uw/s1600-h/zarou+107.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC12WBlhNWJNdoTyAvOrMBcN9hpoSQn4M4TPMQmXwIm8Nb631rlT8FGpca0bu0NbKvr-LvSti6CYqyLdstKqGFR92CTy-Wol2nw1LV2LdHVQv4ae0LR7Y5i19nkl0-nGp1TbWbswkJ2Uw/s400/zarou+107.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279069258412496706" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3K7e3vHJKfs6hjey4cgfwozrbL6RBMBH5NRjszdaI8rZ3QcI8QD_RHOqjXZcRYIrjN_t2bcQ_6ipLQJai4V_bHMlbGbjhUiAsXseWmCAmoObUt9swemPy_sNnAGnr3ARlbu6mkW36wc/s1600-h/zarou+108.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3K7e3vHJKfs6hjey4cgfwozrbL6RBMBH5NRjszdaI8rZ3QcI8QD_RHOqjXZcRYIrjN_t2bcQ_6ipLQJai4V_bHMlbGbjhUiAsXseWmCAmoObUt9swemPy_sNnAGnr3ARlbu6mkW36wc/s400/zarou+108.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279069253074933634" /></a><br /><br />There were some monkeys on the lake, too. These are howlers.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FyPxoBV-n7X2Cp7BvWwm_HWNh9IRxDYDQBDEQdoJ7t8eH52v9zLU2zcyEeto-150CwwfNkXJboIn71uzOHNDouUNmfzs55ItgQmC3V6PvG83dWAQB2yX7jzQk0OxrdrdgrR4aEhTquY/s1600-h/zarou+056.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FyPxoBV-n7X2Cp7BvWwm_HWNh9IRxDYDQBDEQdoJ7t8eH52v9zLU2zcyEeto-150CwwfNkXJboIn71uzOHNDouUNmfzs55ItgQmC3V6PvG83dWAQB2yX7jzQk0OxrdrdgrR4aEhTquY/s400/zarou+056.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279069255934939522" /></a><br /><br />I stole a photo of the Finns, so you could get an idea of the sternness. Stark contrast to Lucy's and my constant giggling and making fun of each other's accents and linguistic gaffes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEike58ingmjZRFzZYOh4qYf_rmZES233j1cp-b829uC5sAEqVVNFBCfiylF6AHLVs3aLxudaWe8_TIYdGT8C5PMWWDoZLn8a9bDIXIHn6_ieU1wVLzSUhDduFTSABPequj3l9604AfnEoM/s1600-h/zarou+106.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEike58ingmjZRFzZYOh4qYf_rmZES233j1cp-b829uC5sAEqVVNFBCfiylF6AHLVs3aLxudaWe8_TIYdGT8C5PMWWDoZLn8a9bDIXIHn6_ieU1wVLzSUhDduFTSABPequj3l9604AfnEoM/s400/zarou+106.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279069248448691266" /></a><br /><br />Um...this was some kind of cool bird, too, but I can't remember the name, and you don't really care anyways, do you?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2xXLvhvdwGV02A6epfNZPTYlAAkMLZ1JrDWUfOlNywL-u9rmEg1_eRI20JV-s2JrYVYClvVVimY479bXo37Co-l-7Bhy0g7WG1snA5pVQdnD8bE02B3CLmxHNjypk45V6Yw7ErSBd84/s1600-h/zarou+059.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2xXLvhvdwGV02A6epfNZPTYlAAkMLZ1JrDWUfOlNywL-u9rmEg1_eRI20JV-s2JrYVYClvVVimY479bXo37Co-l-7Bhy0g7WG1snA5pVQdnD8bE02B3CLmxHNjypk45V6Yw7ErSBd84/s400/zarou+059.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279071177065002466" /></a><br /><br />BATS!<br /><br />And then came my favorite part of the day, when we saw a whole pack of squirrel monkeys.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicItH0T-EanE3361uUkO_AEUduvbXJLZxoGHtAaQAYcbBfZK3a60cFvKlpgl8WPaCIxm22JbNEYx2FG4Wb3guXeQ1hfurpT_EcIxLt4ETWcIajkGvY6Frz3a5BRIriTEPghBKn8nRN0mw/s1600-h/zarou+104.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicItH0T-EanE3361uUkO_AEUduvbXJLZxoGHtAaQAYcbBfZK3a60cFvKlpgl8WPaCIxm22JbNEYx2FG4Wb3guXeQ1hfurpT_EcIxLt4ETWcIajkGvY6Frz3a5BRIriTEPghBKn8nRN0mw/s400/zarou+104.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279071173480675922" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8y2hATZlsMPQVjMC2phiYpJEmsJg16bk2QxnNYmTaBZrXVSQQNt3CtX61YTN7sX3qxhvrVn3jW0HO58O2gK7LizDfPZ10xBlAqyhd_sphGHnVjKpYVsrYrLNZigRaK0pbMvKNCnrl3nw/s1600-h/zarou+105.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8y2hATZlsMPQVjMC2phiYpJEmsJg16bk2QxnNYmTaBZrXVSQQNt3CtX61YTN7sX3qxhvrVn3jW0HO58O2gK7LizDfPZ10xBlAqyhd_sphGHnVjKpYVsrYrLNZigRaK0pbMvKNCnrl3nw/s400/zarou+105.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279071169720551042" /></a><br /><br />Oh, man, they were so adorable! Scurrying around in the trees, leaping (falling really) from branch to branch, baby monkeys clinging to mama monkeys' backs, oh I was in monkey heaven. Unfortunately for you, like I mentioned, they're real quicklike, so I have a bunch of pictures of tan blurs. These were the best ones I got.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kvzhS1ik16juPt5pL-Fcc_JO3szQTqASzaH76G_TMw-t-6FhdctTrGRflODuVIiM5H_YGJvC3JFTU9Fwq9WRvczsfJnVzgXLaK1vk1ti2zDMW9pmRMv6kv7HfNXL2Ob1XbH65nMQdhs/s1600-h/zarou+071.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kvzhS1ik16juPt5pL-Fcc_JO3szQTqASzaH76G_TMw-t-6FhdctTrGRflODuVIiM5H_YGJvC3JFTU9Fwq9WRvczsfJnVzgXLaK1vk1ti2zDMW9pmRMv6kv7HfNXL2Ob1XbH65nMQdhs/s400/zarou+071.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279071164062924962" /></a><br /><br />Ok so this one's all blurry, but I had to include it. This guy would climb down upside down to pick the fruit off this tree, but each time he dislodged one, it would slip out of his hands and drop into the lake. He just kept at it! Whew, boy oh boy do I love me some monkeys.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9r13VgtAGqPy4RAYlMTzxMlZxivCytgBGXbZbBA16qaCusEicKgzPPSL5hY6vMRFlm5nVxREz9ouEicyF5-cHITjM6XPYq-6PIz2uQR4cY5nSjZqZCY9xPGt_iOPzYMjglLMO74oSUoo/s1600-h/zarou+075.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9r13VgtAGqPy4RAYlMTzxMlZxivCytgBGXbZbBA16qaCusEicKgzPPSL5hY6vMRFlm5nVxREz9ouEicyF5-cHITjM6XPYq-6PIz2uQR4cY5nSjZqZCY9xPGt_iOPzYMjglLMO74oSUoo/s400/zarou+075.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279071159006422402" /></a><br /><br />So ever since I had arrived, Carina had been stopping by (mealtimes, or afternoons, which I would spend lounging in the hammock on the front porch of my cabin, looking out at the river or reading Dan Brown (you shut up! He writes a good page-turner! I also read some Agatha Christie and Philip Roth on this trip so just lay off, lit-nerds! You know who you are! (whom you are? aw crap.)) to give me discouraging updates about the ayahuasca session. First, she had nobody to babysit Maitreya, so she couldn't do it with me. Then her usual shaman was on antibiotics (I know, I tried so hard not to laugh when she said that), then another one and another one was unavailable. And of course, since she was all (is there a way to say hippie-dippy without sounding condescending?) enlightened, she kept saying maybe it wasn't meant to be, and there was a reason why it was so difficult. I would smile, and agree, and inwardly think, "but this is the WHOLE reason I'm putting up with this smothering humidity and occasional downpours and spiders in my shower and soaking myself in insect repellent! So I could buy some damned enlightenment and INNER PEACE! Stop dithering and get the stupid vine juice!"<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylKvDUrGFbbJ6Xe91eD1CW4VLaDfdqWQCQPa1vjG8D_Qu4q6osgFFTdd-WrlNCvfiE4piaDOabjQ-vJ-ifk-o7IDomHijjzvOIKxrU6B2KXyY9R3hsd5ELEJGYrEaHyL6GaRQMyDqDCE/s1600-h/zarou+078.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylKvDUrGFbbJ6Xe91eD1CW4VLaDfdqWQCQPa1vjG8D_Qu4q6osgFFTdd-WrlNCvfiE4piaDOabjQ-vJ-ifk-o7IDomHijjzvOIKxrU6B2KXyY9R3hsd5ELEJGYrEaHyL6GaRQMyDqDCE/s400/zarou+078.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279074147427032770" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gQmQaztcIhfQIsyqUS6uXyKwDVnlK8PdwnhCdLSMKme-vjfCmS4Bq9UD3BkQpUdvZFnkRN3opp9pacTIa2T0Z3-867oQgFV4Q0tB5PMA9FtAHWUx_LlP9oX7g7RTDrWTfewqTLj9tLc/s1600-h/zarou+076.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gQmQaztcIhfQIsyqUS6uXyKwDVnlK8PdwnhCdLSMKme-vjfCmS4Bq9UD3BkQpUdvZFnkRN3opp9pacTIa2T0Z3-867oQgFV4Q0tB5PMA9FtAHWUx_LlP9oX7g7RTDrWTfewqTLj9tLc/s400/zarou+076.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279074140078738866" /></a><br /><br />A giant butterfly that took an interest in my giant boots.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVW3UNqQTTd4MFiZikDbPHfhA60RIFgoGfiz9o4pKdJXwEm-o3nU9x2aYMcvu36JVwOmbxCb0x-grS-LRO7V8fHoY3whDVJC4GX7q7a5Bru0eGrBsHwme6GaI-xhOEfRXwBGZXD_AFd8/s1600-h/zarou+084.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVW3UNqQTTd4MFiZikDbPHfhA60RIFgoGfiz9o4pKdJXwEm-o3nU9x2aYMcvu36JVwOmbxCb0x-grS-LRO7V8fHoY3whDVJC4GX7q7a5Bru0eGrBsHwme6GaI-xhOEfRXwBGZXD_AFd8/s400/zarou+084.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279074099174764898" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQICWgMhdEyHykSLGbPSRFXPh52BUeOIx01RVgedB2zX30z7NDmwcBaJltq7hqgoG1nhJ8ntViT8XV-6pnNQvze8jcHlq8LFfh6kVnsllr_T2yKPlg4FnWNFjHi5UAihxTCotmy2G1C6M/s1600-h/zarou+083.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQICWgMhdEyHykSLGbPSRFXPh52BUeOIx01RVgedB2zX30z7NDmwcBaJltq7hqgoG1nhJ8ntViT8XV-6pnNQvze8jcHlq8LFfh6kVnsllr_T2yKPlg4FnWNFjHi5UAihxTCotmy2G1C6M/s400/zarou+083.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279074089112781346" /></a><br /><br />Next morning back onto the river (this is a gold-panning operation. Good luck, fellas, I'm pretty sure the Spanish got it all.) to go visit a native tribe, the Ese-Eja.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvvVJbxgJmFKbSJ11ElIZzWphEjLvoz2CbuJFwWcioHWgSsGGSQXJ-OGPIFSzJWg0rBzgupmtij-kWu-E4t9_KRcpInipIiPpRbHoeXIFkGvifzq3oybzZwNFWHWHSl2bwusiz96Il3U/s1600-h/zarou+094.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvvVJbxgJmFKbSJ11ElIZzWphEjLvoz2CbuJFwWcioHWgSsGGSQXJ-OGPIFSzJWg0rBzgupmtij-kWu-E4t9_KRcpInipIiPpRbHoeXIFkGvifzq3oybzZwNFWHWHSl2bwusiz96Il3U/s400/zarou+094.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279079981863355394" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggsPvCrZgnKJMVgHFvkTjIVP5m0KIVdOwwxKAbxXJxMyvjS3bozyL2MbmClS_zFFu2HaBSl_ABfnUuo-lsOBrjpuOssK6IXA4_u7Vq-UWmMUbKW_2ewxiGqd_8nbmDV2UhyvUatY98zQ/s1600-h/zarou+089.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggsPvCrZgnKJMVgHFvkTjIVP5m0KIVdOwwxKAbxXJxMyvjS3bozyL2MbmClS_zFFu2HaBSl_ABfnUuo-lsOBrjpuOssK6IXA4_u7Vq-UWmMUbKW_2ewxiGqd_8nbmDV2UhyvUatY98zQ/s400/zarou+089.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279079972996211458" /></a><br /><br />SERIOUS close-talker this guy. And he was all big arm movements and indigenous language. Disconcerting. Dejaviso was his name. In his language it means "little". But his government name was Melvin. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueUPIfqSfowxcHFjW4Td3lS1SqN4mkov11UkcTrrrgdygz_BZ5pVvKtfzU_FUSVn0D5lpOTysZvA4qykohFVqx7wvdllSrIZqO5lfpweQlD4ZdvqGyKdz2o96HLfCCwnbILi13ALEYcI/s1600-h/zarou+085.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueUPIfqSfowxcHFjW4Td3lS1SqN4mkov11UkcTrrrgdygz_BZ5pVvKtfzU_FUSVn0D5lpOTysZvA4qykohFVqx7wvdllSrIZqO5lfpweQlD4ZdvqGyKdz2o96HLfCCwnbILi13ALEYcI/s400/zarou+085.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279078356160317618" /></a><br /><br />Here he's wearing a tunic made out of tree-bark and displaying the use of his wooden machete. <br /><br />His father Shehua ("small mouth"), or Enrique (on paper) kept grabbing on Lucy and saying how he was gonna make her his fourth wife and how their native corn liquor tasted better and was way stronger than city whiskey and they could drink gallons of it and dance all night, not sip it the way they do in the city. Kinda charming, but kinda creepy, too.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DYaYrHMTuEy-RMaTJiE7TyjqY2EHNKVHtkHBbivSxw_eIXDI931w7cveJZIhouXeAFXFfN5qDD4gqOfilwEqJ-VCAz6YnqfLOhemk3F7ciNG1vO6q4s7qEPj-hxHb0a7NS-gbWHRK-8/s1600-h/zarou+091.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DYaYrHMTuEy-RMaTJiE7TyjqY2EHNKVHtkHBbivSxw_eIXDI931w7cveJZIhouXeAFXFfN5qDD4gqOfilwEqJ-VCAz6YnqfLOhemk3F7ciNG1vO6q4s7qEPj-hxHb0a7NS-gbWHRK-8/s400/zarou+091.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279078348444337202" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGumsbIC90E4IFLYL9KUkEpNcLqKij9_9eXWyEoYL0xv4KC_p9FjCgU03NJz-jDYxSRwCD1rvsWITvw-Jd8nOAbSQ5_PkbPzW14mkaYtlBUse6ELuBSjlVW1P7U5JOvEaETvWg_gi53o/s1600-h/zarou+088.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGumsbIC90E4IFLYL9KUkEpNcLqKij9_9eXWyEoYL0xv4KC_p9FjCgU03NJz-jDYxSRwCD1rvsWITvw-Jd8nOAbSQ5_PkbPzW14mkaYtlBUse6ELuBSjlVW1P7U5JOvEaETvWg_gi53o/s400/zarou+088.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279078333222794722" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfyUzq9DY0mCcEb9K4wFz6MN1CxK7o7_egsP12yU5oQ8RbLPcCrMohVUGsTSA56WS7N7QbUbjP8FpSJbmhyrp6LtnATfVM_FF70fU-XgSFZ7T1ey4JIqvUqUhu0Qh-tf0eeqrlxUD3tc/s1600-h/zarou+093.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfyUzq9DY0mCcEb9K4wFz6MN1CxK7o7_egsP12yU5oQ8RbLPcCrMohVUGsTSA56WS7N7QbUbjP8FpSJbmhyrp6LtnATfVM_FF70fU-XgSFZ7T1ey4JIqvUqUhu0Qh-tf0eeqrlxUD3tc/s400/zarou+093.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279078329692306690" /></a><br /><br />But they let me taste the sugar cane juice, and put on the headdress, and shoot the bow and arrow, so a good time was had by all.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNh_FhfvtaNogjg5lvvgg5PDyo52dccHsfWvo7rDGhr6fLfUE0OjX4rToHCBULM7WGORX6IZgHqGsicTlZ-lOZpFraxjFOoJ_NU7Mt3gVAcT-k7r6MyUEfYjQMCurjh7PBznm4jnUQZg/s1600-h/zarou+095.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNh_FhfvtaNogjg5lvvgg5PDyo52dccHsfWvo7rDGhr6fLfUE0OjX4rToHCBULM7WGORX6IZgHqGsicTlZ-lOZpFraxjFOoJ_NU7Mt3gVAcT-k7r6MyUEfYjQMCurjh7PBznm4jnUQZg/s400/zarou+095.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279079965202258258" /></a><br /><br />A little bit further down river we stopped at a still-working farm for lunch, where I discovered that some Peruvians put mayonnaise on their Chinese Food. (Pause for nausea to pass.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVcl2chwsAqXsfnAfLNNC6MFB50SetqOi790G7Ku3Bcs0Rt9zFnu749RnqQ7zU77kFgZJOCMTox6whWH8YcBjuOqQRiRyk2gn0pE34i4x8JMA_FJ3hld29YD8lEQS31MbCkj6iLgzeIA/s1600-h/zarou+098.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVcl2chwsAqXsfnAfLNNC6MFB50SetqOi790G7Ku3Bcs0Rt9zFnu749RnqQ7zU77kFgZJOCMTox6whWH8YcBjuOqQRiRyk2gn0pE34i4x8JMA_FJ3hld29YD8lEQS31MbCkj6iLgzeIA/s400/zarou+098.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279079956553553538" /></a><br /><br />The farmer, Nelson, let us drink coconut milk straight, break open a cacao plant and suck on the chocolate beans, and pick starfruit right off the tree. It was great, but my mouth is still sore from the sweet. Too much sweet!<br /><br />It rained that afternoon. A lot. As I dozed in the hammock, Carina finally summoned me to her cabin to tell me the good news. She had found a shaman, Fernando, and she needed to explain what to expect.<br /><br />When I arrived, Maitreya was tearing around the room stark naked, beating everything in sight with a plastic shovel. I tried to remain as stoic as Carina, nodding and listening as she explained that the most important thing was not to overreact to the effects. That whatever happened in the "temple" was meant to happen, and that it would be different for everyone, and to trust the ayahuasca.<br /><br />So I'm sitting there, sipping my tea, trying not to be distracted by this feral toddler's little pecker bouncing around the room, wondering if the name of a buddha was appropriate for this beastling that was now staring intently at my leg scar (remember the mountain biking?) before attacking it with the plastic shovel.<br /><br />The next four hours were long. I wasn't allowed to eat anything, so that was out. I also wasn't supposed to drink any alcohol, so there was very little to do to pass the time. I packed my suitcase and gathered together what Carina had told me to. A blanket, a pillow, light-colored loose-fitting clothes, a flashlight. Some water, but not to drink, because that would dilute the effects, just enough to wash my mouth out.<br /><br />I finished my book and went to trade one in the library, but the only one in English was Twilight. So now I'm reading a book for teenaged girls. <br /><br />At 8, I loaded up my things and set out into the dark, muddy night. I met Fernando at the crossroads, and he led me by oil lamp to the temple. I had been expecting something out of Carlos Castañeda, but he was just a thirty year old Spanish guy in orange sweats.<br /><br />There was a lot of ritual. Smoke was spread around the room, especially by the windows and doors. Each item was prayed over, and placed in front of him with reverence. Eventually, he poured a liquid into a small round bowl and handed it to me. I choked it down in one gulp. It tasted like one of those 5-hour energy drinks. So, you know, kinda nasty, but...sweet?<br /><br />Fernando took his dose. Then he blew out the oil lamp and we sat there in darkness and silence for an hour while we waited for it to take effect. Occasionally he would chant, or whistle, or play the guitar and sing. After about an hour, I was sorta feeling something, but y'all know me, too much is always better than not enough, so I politely hinted maybe another bowl? We each took another serving and soon thereafter vomited into our respective buckets. Although, I gotta say, as vomitings go, not one of the worst I've ever experienced. And I figure if the shaman threw up too, then it was probably part of the process.<br /><br />Most of what happened after that was a blur. There's a definite overwhelming physical sensation, kind of a deep and intense nausea. And visuals? Enh, maybe a few. I do seem to recall a lurking lizard-spirit out the window that just stared at me without saying anything. But no talking to long-dead relatives or anything like that. I felt completely relaxed, and my thoughts wandered. Far. For part of it, I was in a trance-like state. Or maybe I nodded off. After three hours or so, Fernando relit the lamp and we talked about it a little.<br /><br />The walk (or should I say stumble) back through the rainforest to the cabin is not one I'd like to repeat.<br /><br />All in all, I'm glad I did it, but there must be easier ways to reach enlightenment.<br /><br />Though, at breakfast, Carina assured me that sometimes the revelations of the Ayahuasca don't occur to you for several weeks. She urged me to write to her and tell her of my continued progress. And who knows, maybe she's on to something. She's clearly connected with the divine here. How else do you explain the halo?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZrmWE6ZzoPa56ZMj_oHpEqumQi8b3nw6fZqC4BMg4PxxJAKxDKdpdDTqynCWdzr4FKBEzPrxbc0IGWyFEWmmjqA82aQswbo8XfSPJnj8P2TiY122wITqck9XO_OT9eekv2K27kIiN9s/s1600-h/zarou+102.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZrmWE6ZzoPa56ZMj_oHpEqumQi8b3nw6fZqC4BMg4PxxJAKxDKdpdDTqynCWdzr4FKBEzPrxbc0IGWyFEWmmjqA82aQswbo8XfSPJnj8P2TiY122wITqck9XO_OT9eekv2K27kIiN9s/s400/zarou+102.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279086464296693826" /></a><br /><br />Oh, and I woke up with a weird cut on my forehead this morning that I can't account for. I'm not saying the ayahuasca had anything to do with it, but I AM looking in your direction, lizard-spirit.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6TR43Xp2zSyNjnELToZzCT1jbPIqQZ_oNPrlCK3u_mWF0qepx-69qF9xQ9jeSZRu22MWPOfFIXJLyw-EhI9a5skF9tzUdkJz3Udmd46cS4QPT2QtfJ58nUBBVpF5qmN6ZJA00MZ4img/s1600-h/zarou+101.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6TR43Xp2zSyNjnELToZzCT1jbPIqQZ_oNPrlCK3u_mWF0qepx-69qF9xQ9jeSZRu22MWPOfFIXJLyw-EhI9a5skF9tzUdkJz3Udmd46cS4QPT2QtfJ58nUBBVpF5qmN6ZJA00MZ4img/s400/zarou+101.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279086460125917938" /></a><br /><br />Lucy took me into town to see the Puerto Maldonado market, but all the noise and filth was not agreeing with my stomach, which hasn't been right all day. When we passed through the meat section, I was done.<br /><br />At the airport, I found out my bag was overweight. It hadn't been on the flight here, and I hadn't bought anything in the jungle. The only explanation is that some of my clothes are wet from the oppressive humidity of the jungle. Great.<br /><br />Plane back to Lima via Cusco, (I don't recommend flying the day after an ayahuasca session) and onto the internet for the first time in four days.<br /><br />Lots of mustache donations in the meantime! Thanks so much, guys! You're awesome. If you haven't donated yet, there's still time! One more week of growing and that's it! I'm still in fifth place, so if you want to never see this mustache again, you've got some work to do!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYAzl6cvovymdP_2edyeLystaGXlLP1mCCyeV4I-FaqYh5eYwIKP-kjpHhQf_UhGNRlsGI0Sec4_wIumRmo58OKFb4sITXR_Gtqn6H4FXkBU70zJVnK1OIaYtweWImDN_zKh9nzMSeCo/s1600-h/zarou+113.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYAzl6cvovymdP_2edyeLystaGXlLP1mCCyeV4I-FaqYh5eYwIKP-kjpHhQf_UhGNRlsGI0Sec4_wIumRmo58OKFb4sITXR_Gtqn6H4FXkBU70zJVnK1OIaYtweWImDN_zKh9nzMSeCo/s400/zarou+113.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279086453814707746" /></a><br /><br />Lunch in a sidewalk café in Miraflores. I'm still trying to locate the Carbajal brothers for a peña. But I'm still not allowed to drink booze or eat pork, so that puts a bit of a cramp in my plans for this evening.<br /><br />My plane leaves at 5 AM, and I plan to sleep all the way home, so I have no hotel tonight. I'll just wander around Lima until around 2, then taxi it to the airport. Good plan, huh? What could possibly go wrong?m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-74624936444582982312008-12-08T12:58:00.001-08:002008-12-08T12:58:35.557-08:00Random PeruvianaBack in Cusco, and it's nice. Well, actually, it's kind of rainy. I spent the morning getting all pre-Inca and I gotta say, they may have been superb architects, but when it comes to the finer arts (wood-carving, pottery, metalworking), those Incas didn't have nothing on the Nasca, Moche, or Chimú. Yeah, that´s right, I said it. <br /><br />So, while I have a moment (and a decent internet connection), I thought I'd share some disconnected (and in no particular order) thoughts about Peru that are not linked to any one location but rather have occurred to me at random moments throughout this voyage.<br /><br />- In the last couple of days, people have been assuming I am French. "Bonjour!" they say, with a knowing smilee. I think it might be the mustache. And the fact that I've taken to wearing a beret.<br /><br />- Once I open my mouth, however, they're convinced I'm Mexican. Could be the mustache, but also I think maybe I speak Spanish like a Mexican, because I learned the accent in Southern California. For example, when I didn't hear someone, I say, "¿Mande?" and also I say "pues" a lot, both of which are not trademarks of Peruvian Spanish.<br /><br />- All over Peru are these signs trying to end sexual exploitation of children. I knew this was a problem in Southeast Asia, but I never heard about in South America. Must be a major concern, though. On the other hand, also everywhere I go are children dressed up in tradional garb, carting around a sick llama, begging for coins for a photo. Seems like a slippery slope to me.<br /><br />- Speaking of kids, the school uniforms here are adorable. I mean, seven and eight year olds in three-piece-suits and full military dress. So cute.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GY33Kea2zPnr9NPvT1JsK02WevM8FUSqI6tMR641DJ9n16mYNc0ms2mMrdBiAVCdPrbDQKq6EEq4j8NeEIv88TIHZvOJcXTviMEMvvjjS4gIoci87ueXNc-33dGx1CqKtAHTl2nJpe4/s1600-h/zarou+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GY33Kea2zPnr9NPvT1JsK02WevM8FUSqI6tMR641DJ9n16mYNc0ms2mMrdBiAVCdPrbDQKq6EEq4j8NeEIv88TIHZvOJcXTviMEMvvjjS4gIoci87ueXNc-33dGx1CqKtAHTl2nJpe4/s400/zarou+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277513054721487666" /></a><br /><br />- Some of the more worldly among you probably already knew about this, but I'd never heard of the paperback exchange before. At all these hostels, you can take a book from their library, just by leaving the one you already finished! I love it! Who wants to cart around that Carl Hiassen novel you bought at the airport for the whole trip, when you can trade it in for an entirely different Carl Hiassen novel?<br /><br />- I'm SOOO glad I came to a country where I speak the language. Not just because it makes flirting easier, but because I've been on a couple "bilingual" tours and the English version just doesn't come close to the Spanish version, most times. Of course, sometimes having the Spanish doesn't help at all. To wit: At Machu Picchu the tour guide told the following joke. Why are farmers so hard? Because they eat their work. Huh?<br /><br />- Speaking of tour guide humor, these ads were shared with me by the guide at Pachacamac:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYTZELYi6cdfiTGUSSJmOkltQy4NxgJ8YOb2qnr8PKEe43FHW-0G0hFY4KWhK4FIGRlwNTq7aBQl40vouAhVfG-HAb3rGAdK-Dn4yJAyfOQNAsf9JzEMTtFbzGDf1j4-9tQPIY7mbVzE/s1600-h/Ruso.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYTZELYi6cdfiTGUSSJmOkltQy4NxgJ8YOb2qnr8PKEe43FHW-0G0hFY4KWhK4FIGRlwNTq7aBQl40vouAhVfG-HAb3rGAdK-Dn4yJAyfOQNAsf9JzEMTtFbzGDf1j4-9tQPIY7mbVzE/s400/Ruso.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277514085592001682" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP35QcNc6tBf_kZRJP4ktpq04elndyMWyuZa2mgto_IA5jY0cmyFBDYDd1OT0r3ZKQ_z21fsxMlq8wXr4cGJbKMPITf8ZjK9_s_lGxnvnm8c9NMvhyphenhyphenWtEhBhlUJor7_yVlFNz4xjtuHU/s1600-h/Escoces.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP35QcNc6tBf_kZRJP4ktpq04elndyMWyuZa2mgto_IA5jY0cmyFBDYDd1OT0r3ZKQ_z21fsxMlq8wXr4cGJbKMPITf8ZjK9_s_lGxnvnm8c9NMvhyphenhyphenWtEhBhlUJor7_yVlFNz4xjtuHU/s400/Escoces.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277514071949736946" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmvLF2XI6Lsl00Hb8NIlWWMHZx2NNrXOd2DhPTK63qtvVsk64FitvdL61FHHeYkOG4L-vqq2bhjPPnZ33K4KqzRLyLqiAZD8FQQDFSr8fjZ29PYZpxS3KxcDee50dST5ja0IZvV_h7wM/s1600-h/Mexicano.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmvLF2XI6Lsl00Hb8NIlWWMHZx2NNrXOd2DhPTK63qtvVsk64FitvdL61FHHeYkOG4L-vqq2bhjPPnZ33K4KqzRLyLqiAZD8FQQDFSr8fjZ29PYZpxS3KxcDee50dST5ja0IZvV_h7wM/s400/Mexicano.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277514080274530802" /></a><br /><br />Get it? Russians, Scots and Mexicans are notorious drunks, but even THEY can't handle the high alcoholic content of Pisco!<br /><br />- A piece of travel advice I received: To avoid diarrhea, have a Coke with every meal. It's so acidic it will kill any parasites lurking in your food. I haven't gone that far, but I do buy all my water in bottles. And guess who's got the monopoly on bottled water down here? You guessed it! Atlanta's favorite multinational.<br /><br />- It's funny how you keep running into the same tourists, even though you're in completely different cities. Hey, isn't that the Taiwanese couple from Lake Titicaca here at Machu Picchu? Wait, weren't those Argentineans on my bus from Puno to Cusco the same ones from the airport at Nasca? There are a couple of Limeño brothers, Baltazar and Manuel Carbajal (don't ask me which is which), who have almost an identical itinerary to mine, only about 24 hours behind. We always seem to be eating in the same restaurants or staying at the same hostal or hanging around the same Plaza. One is a cop and the other a lawyer, but I have a better mustache than either of them. We'll meet up on my way back through Lima so I can finally see that peña I've been looking for.<br /><br />- My favorite Peruvian television show (what, you didn't think I'd be able to not watch television for a month, did you?) is called ¿Como Va?, and it's basically Don't Forget the Lyrics (which I don't enjoy) only there are bikini-clad dancing girls, the host looks like a South American Joey Ramone, and I don't know any of the songs. It's damned entertaining, though, and sure beats watching subtitled episodes of One Tree Hill.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfXCCG_hfaB7eh1f-xzkOrCg3x0TFqpfoxGAkB53dHKqdflMz3jSt9O1GO0nTHfhw3XIEn-kvDdk0qVShKQwhdxC5UjrO7aYzAXO6e3VH4F5Hb-Ug-Fw-bV4Hf0tPkG0K3u9cXutvLA8/s1600-h/comova.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfXCCG_hfaB7eh1f-xzkOrCg3x0TFqpfoxGAkB53dHKqdflMz3jSt9O1GO0nTHfhw3XIEn-kvDdk0qVShKQwhdxC5UjrO7aYzAXO6e3VH4F5Hb-Ug-Fw-bV4Hf0tPkG0K3u9cXutvLA8/s400/comova.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277514065422440658" /></a><br /><br />- And finally, I leave you with these, from a newspaper a couple of weeks ago. In case you never really believed that our President was a global joke:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCICs5pyzRnEhXGZL8V5Z3CkeqM24g5wZbgRHK1p6KY7FY3Eip3jqwqiQqXIiQ_ZBzC6H7HgM5ClbkRSor2Cl5raKdggnhHo3GcbUXG6XH27VIX2V5Ob1Z3RuQvGF-C1m1ZyBtQxWY3Rw/s1600-h/zarou+266.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCICs5pyzRnEhXGZL8V5Z3CkeqM24g5wZbgRHK1p6KY7FY3Eip3jqwqiQqXIiQ_ZBzC6H7HgM5ClbkRSor2Cl5raKdggnhHo3GcbUXG6XH27VIX2V5Ob1Z3RuQvGF-C1m1ZyBtQxWY3Rw/s400/zarou+266.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276399919083598658" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNopMD6M132YrpgQAuAt_n-F43HWxT8lV5IF_BgCoE-LeQYB6VpI_JLBPnsTKjuaBKNMe1LPHU7XKFuHqDqTK8EaWmdORyizaYQvf88tw1ZROdWQY5Q4EPt_3BdZ2PtxtuGl0s4dui_7I/s1600-h/zarou+267.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNopMD6M132YrpgQAuAt_n-F43HWxT8lV5IF_BgCoE-LeQYB6VpI_JLBPnsTKjuaBKNMe1LPHU7XKFuHqDqTK8EaWmdORyizaYQvf88tw1ZROdWQY5Q4EPt_3BdZ2PtxtuGl0s4dui_7I/s400/zarou+267.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276399910592273026" /></a>m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-16564150320006268432008-12-07T14:32:00.001-08:002008-12-07T16:04:03.003-08:00Urubamba SambaIt's my last day in Ollantaytambo, and also the Sacred Valley, so I thought I'd get out on the river Urubamba (despite my aching knees).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_a_Oi3JlvasyuGAEv0b0xshm3IBbyURDdte_QDTdUT7tfwWzz0gK4WIU-tWeyr5aH0ALy-JdCwSwi3q_FblBxNVLw181TtUq9xKWcQC5nM8nGrT3O3iZIehdkkPgT8hU1uLQvJlbX0m4/s1600-h/Zarou+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_a_Oi3JlvasyuGAEv0b0xshm3IBbyURDdte_QDTdUT7tfwWzz0gK4WIU-tWeyr5aH0ALy-JdCwSwi3q_FblBxNVLw181TtUq9xKWcQC5nM8nGrT3O3iZIehdkkPgT8hU1uLQvJlbX0m4/s400/Zarou+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277182146536193602" border="0"></a><br /><br />These guys look reputable, right?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfhFrb9cdukdBt3MjQAG7bEIBd50i2RZgv0VBIyIIYZdfxva3H_SmIh28g2BBBoSeg8IhyDs_aTFBNJqQboppmwIMDkY_WkHXWHzDHUtObBOEAXv47JseTumhwouw5ErUXtVw4lPQXxc/s1600-h/Zarou+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfhFrb9cdukdBt3MjQAG7bEIBd50i2RZgv0VBIyIIYZdfxva3H_SmIh28g2BBBoSeg8IhyDs_aTFBNJqQboppmwIMDkY_WkHXWHzDHUtObBOEAXv47JseTumhwouw5ErUXtVw4lPQXxc/s400/Zarou+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277182150813867714" border="0"></a><br /><br />Raúl (the guide) is the one wearing the long tie-dyed headband and shorts in the rain.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViVT69PH0Uj5UbjU2NM6VwdOvqbM3mCeBteBocHFtIEcvYyB5ZcuQeyDKqxTsWzfKUpHd7E2vYI_SOGv_ZCXdt1MxZ4Ssx2V81Dboczp78dDCeVKFFNgB7Iqdzahp-mtbFkCtGFJ4yAI/s1600-h/Zarou+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViVT69PH0Uj5UbjU2NM6VwdOvqbM3mCeBteBocHFtIEcvYyB5ZcuQeyDKqxTsWzfKUpHd7E2vYI_SOGv_ZCXdt1MxZ4Ssx2V81Dboczp78dDCeVKFFNgB7Iqdzahp-mtbFkCtGFJ4yAI/s400/Zarou+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277182151500516306" border="0"></a><br /><br />The other two, Eloy and Milton, (as near as I could tell from their provincial accents) are local boys, thrill-seekers from somewhere nearby, looking for a little diversion on their Sunday. (Have I mentioned how there's nothing to do in this town?) Not that I'm complaining, their presence allows the trip. Since this is the low season for tourists, I'd already had one rafting trip cancelled on me, so the more the merrier!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqn7VNsIa1Mx23kQBJbSEDVXLoWoZaJPDowlosJtIZqaDDlcviKO62AJxLOLOb_LProLiMjx4cv16Qul3i0AOo0Dt2omBCB_c0REQKvpiYr5WrLSqMkzEzTPGFxVbmXk_syMAgqsbWVU/s1600-h/ZarouA.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqn7VNsIa1Mx23kQBJbSEDVXLoWoZaJPDowlosJtIZqaDDlcviKO62AJxLOLOb_LProLiMjx4cv16Qul3i0AOo0Dt2omBCB_c0REQKvpiYr5WrLSqMkzEzTPGFxVbmXk_syMAgqsbWVU/s400/ZarouA.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277182781631741554" border="0"></a><br /><br />Of course, it did mean all the directions were going to be yelled in Spanish. "But, Max," you say, "you speak Spanish!" Yeah, well, it's a different ball game when you're being buffetted around rocks in the freezing current, trying to remember the difference between "¡Adelante!", "¡Atras!", and "¡Alto!".<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw8zMCEVAhH3hULMK45cNFHPH5GHyWeMjntbftCj8uQbaJNXJWHlsGtwNUJu3JXNVXHzObPazTQwZ8Ybr3Fqw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />I asked Raul to take this, and we had some creative differences as to the content, so that explains the abrupt ending.<br /><br />Now comes the fun part:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8FpbVDa24Y3o5d-cWY-TGHCJlaZj-HLuVwntefEiz66wcvds2Dtu4D-BtiFt25YAO6TMk8rEr5Nwydy_oTdCY-FueVPh-c_y01qRTOYFEb7lxuaGD8zkqgcjUp8S4fziB9CynEg2H94/s1600-h/DSC01032.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8FpbVDa24Y3o5d-cWY-TGHCJlaZj-HLuVwntefEiz66wcvds2Dtu4D-BtiFt25YAO6TMk8rEr5Nwydy_oTdCY-FueVPh-c_y01qRTOYFEb7lxuaGD8zkqgcjUp8S4fziB9CynEg2H94/s400/DSC01032.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277194661790356498" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJctRZAj0NFJ4jwKd7mey-EcjSRE9q-Egyh9S6YKsctfYkc7mXst0YTYQ9desKDy9W8j834sYanxXlYFG3Le1yNFjhAI7HEPDHDHJPiGWZN2XXsiCVwlPGorDh9Kwp-WJKa01qLbNa5cM/s1600-h/DSC01033.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJctRZAj0NFJ4jwKd7mey-EcjSRE9q-Egyh9S6YKsctfYkc7mXst0YTYQ9desKDy9W8j834sYanxXlYFG3Le1yNFjhAI7HEPDHDHJPiGWZN2XXsiCVwlPGorDh9Kwp-WJKa01qLbNa5cM/s400/DSC01033.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277194654455607938" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUajK9kfWAOIux_gf2a_rdwmp6-X3ekDHbo9KfPkM8QarqYJL1YxkJCK1NaGR0wJ8g7q7uHtw-2OuKsGq5oYABaw4u_eVxAdZaUnAYW5tEx8h4KMcVeBbOVKcodz3nkQ9128wL1nv7L94/s1600-h/DSC01035.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUajK9kfWAOIux_gf2a_rdwmp6-X3ekDHbo9KfPkM8QarqYJL1YxkJCK1NaGR0wJ8g7q7uHtw-2OuKsGq5oYABaw4u_eVxAdZaUnAYW5tEx8h4KMcVeBbOVKcodz3nkQ9128wL1nv7L94/s400/DSC01035.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277194646478706546" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYOc-667UJh34kT_BI5-9qgL_1sYUCUL6vuENz2ZCj7w9PDKzflJqGZAY_bahKG4sHfqRPkTNzgr8nUXbqOSXs9oypgCewFxlSbonzoYA19XT3Nwybth2nWUmB2mUMfiaEjd6Hmvwv2AY/s1600-h/DSC01036.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYOc-667UJh34kT_BI5-9qgL_1sYUCUL6vuENz2ZCj7w9PDKzflJqGZAY_bahKG4sHfqRPkTNzgr8nUXbqOSXs9oypgCewFxlSbonzoYA19XT3Nwybth2nWUmB2mUMfiaEjd6Hmvwv2AY/s400/DSC01036.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277194645413033218" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSfF0UhGFl-e2h9d-TjZUbIV7HJr_-9KQpHTTeeX167Mxq3ctJMG0JcR6O7qomI36Co3SJ7pTKQPxqoAoKqbGEfJharZeCysFZ4BwMD4vVEwl_uLucINw0ZiBIffMFLFkUou18_qPZfc/s1600-h/DSC01039.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSfF0UhGFl-e2h9d-TjZUbIV7HJr_-9KQpHTTeeX167Mxq3ctJMG0JcR6O7qomI36Co3SJ7pTKQPxqoAoKqbGEfJharZeCysFZ4BwMD4vVEwl_uLucINw0ZiBIffMFLFkUou18_qPZfc/s400/DSC01039.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277194631380953314" /></a><br /><br />For the record, these are Class III rapids. Yeah, I don't know what that means either, but it means two more than Class I, right? Oh, and in case you can't tell, I'm the one in the red.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhD8OgMAIHtUyzvmt-5aVdQlZSaT-CQ7fYAFB6SUOcvNIgvFm_c9t1BbWeWKUHEy0P23XT_rekBQd9qjrTQz5uU3jyfQR8hjDUpB3Y_EoosGpqG1jayaDMHVInrPMaVamT9tkLOFguwvw/s1600-h/DSC01057.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhD8OgMAIHtUyzvmt-5aVdQlZSaT-CQ7fYAFB6SUOcvNIgvFm_c9t1BbWeWKUHEy0P23XT_rekBQd9qjrTQz5uU3jyfQR8hjDUpB3Y_EoosGpqG1jayaDMHVInrPMaVamT9tkLOFguwvw/s400/DSC01057.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277198734505330898" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoZxgRSg17WuKaqBF8U_P6hpoVuOiPX_BIfcE_gFRjYuYsQtP17LaMWo4RtquRMxjhral2dAMDHyaq7n4ovpYYSrbG17TWpsjxTguhryqLDewaDbficoqHtuOZ50oySrHYVyEGEI1kgU/s1600-h/DSC01059.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoZxgRSg17WuKaqBF8U_P6hpoVuOiPX_BIfcE_gFRjYuYsQtP17LaMWo4RtquRMxjhral2dAMDHyaq7n4ovpYYSrbG17TWpsjxTguhryqLDewaDbficoqHtuOZ50oySrHYVyEGEI1kgU/s400/DSC01059.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277198732160438210" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKxcnjm4HATZaqGs6FYQJwdBGymha1BxVAMW9DGUzkJJ4Y5yRv4kuXJO7m4uRAy4uoYwbE_brOb48Hj750Jyx1oUdIUKWpUx0olz25my7PE9lmgL5PJ-iKelBKL0D5ERzMlyrLNfp-OE/s1600-h/DSC01061.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKxcnjm4HATZaqGs6FYQJwdBGymha1BxVAMW9DGUzkJJ4Y5yRv4kuXJO7m4uRAy4uoYwbE_brOb48Hj750Jyx1oUdIUKWpUx0olz25my7PE9lmgL5PJ-iKelBKL0D5ERzMlyrLNfp-OE/s400/DSC01061.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277198724739020130" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8KT3LzREzDjsvPhye61cs3D5fnSLuYsGtgVLgCeQDiqb3PRWLiFQ1QIyMcdQbr9_kTAU7w3RGOmA4obwWikzep6B7UWc4KcNo_lLO4HL_zsY3_7-xT3XiOwPe66kLhv4UluMyLSavss/s1600-h/DSC01063.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8KT3LzREzDjsvPhye61cs3D5fnSLuYsGtgVLgCeQDiqb3PRWLiFQ1QIyMcdQbr9_kTAU7w3RGOmA4obwWikzep6B7UWc4KcNo_lLO4HL_zsY3_7-xT3XiOwPe66kLhv4UluMyLSavss/s400/DSC01063.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277198718256145202" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEe8GU4aY9fZ6o3JhBLR7WtQ2uNgwoadRcNe69Mov9qVz3vi23h1zXuA5kEiaxNUAT4iwKUh2XjAShgkh9iZ7VfGxXokn5u9RXj-G1g-a9QJmSi2gHrHje3fzgKi7ihLzhQXz0SmXGsA/s1600-h/DSC01067.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEe8GU4aY9fZ6o3JhBLR7WtQ2uNgwoadRcNe69Mov9qVz3vi23h1zXuA5kEiaxNUAT4iwKUh2XjAShgkh9iZ7VfGxXokn5u9RXj-G1g-a9QJmSi2gHrHje3fzgKi7ihLzhQXz0SmXGsA/s400/DSC01067.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277198713626068722" /></a><br /><br />You might be wondering why I'm the only one in the boat (except for Crazy Raúl) bare-legged as we get waterlogged. It's because I'm just that sexy. It certainly has nothing to do with the fact that they didn't have a wetsuit big enough for my giant pale thighs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-KFNWPTJRARXXgZ-ZGM9xyUossibkrJNPkNbbjG3_mdmd-5kO2OgR-EKKx-EEifyK-Ae8t2ipj8ul9vUQsCJVzKGT7RyXDp9oiT098IQOtYf0GlpKpYIAaro47bDzdzQVrzbrc4Ea70/s1600-h/DSC01073.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-KFNWPTJRARXXgZ-ZGM9xyUossibkrJNPkNbbjG3_mdmd-5kO2OgR-EKKx-EEifyK-Ae8t2ipj8ul9vUQsCJVzKGT7RyXDp9oiT098IQOtYf0GlpKpYIAaro47bDzdzQVrzbrc4Ea70/s400/DSC01073.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277201738798729986" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwx09q336Htx57icz2KE7cFILoRkq9s7unMkJFzGypBZTqhQSt18WqR1xYkNZ7VKPe_OoFswFRVheq5Bh1AWRnnZDX3dfYoKM_Mn9Yg98emzqb6QQ2ecv5h82UI3mDtJ8qlxj5J89cnug/s1600-h/DSC01078.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwx09q336Htx57icz2KE7cFILoRkq9s7unMkJFzGypBZTqhQSt18WqR1xYkNZ7VKPe_OoFswFRVheq5Bh1AWRnnZDX3dfYoKM_Mn9Yg98emzqb6QQ2ecv5h82UI3mDtJ8qlxj5J89cnug/s400/DSC01078.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277201728798628834" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YMFIBJUlF7WyfHtNEJIQF5xOUENKabv2Lj5_li6cdOJysdYbfxqIC_5CVKbqG8bNqxWiJSBgfygakN6zDRhw0LNWHObC9Dab1VX3jx_Dz_aJTrOHG-zO0XL7zo8Gm_PuJPOzBBOEkvE/s1600-h/DSC01080.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YMFIBJUlF7WyfHtNEJIQF5xOUENKabv2Lj5_li6cdOJysdYbfxqIC_5CVKbqG8bNqxWiJSBgfygakN6zDRhw0LNWHObC9Dab1VX3jx_Dz_aJTrOHG-zO0XL7zo8Gm_PuJPOzBBOEkvE/s400/DSC01080.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277201724001811426" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SrAQRK1lsLmoFDd6vJTNV8-IWW7IIRAEKYwkXmeEc5DIdysF9pkwiyPf-H-LPFI_7gkdWjUInsUiXr-15pgU8ysXDAj3uoYliqUXzl0waAkqZjVqv1Q3xGkqxBCS3hxPdgEuVlhgFNY/s1600-h/DSC01082.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SrAQRK1lsLmoFDd6vJTNV8-IWW7IIRAEKYwkXmeEc5DIdysF9pkwiyPf-H-LPFI_7gkdWjUInsUiXr-15pgU8ysXDAj3uoYliqUXzl0waAkqZjVqv1Q3xGkqxBCS3hxPdgEuVlhgFNY/s400/DSC01082.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277201721194156290" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpjY8zg6Z0LI0nX8QiANkAim5KKvkIj6NC4DS9YInTPSmPmphksxeG-hOd9hNtORIiqfYIX70co9stT-a1-J2bLkvVV-1ghe8pDflcTu4atBO7s3rDmikKSrkj6YdPz_8MAyoV7JUC6k/s1600-h/DSC01084.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpjY8zg6Z0LI0nX8QiANkAim5KKvkIj6NC4DS9YInTPSmPmphksxeG-hOd9hNtORIiqfYIX70co9stT-a1-J2bLkvVV-1ghe8pDflcTu4atBO7s3rDmikKSrkj6YdPz_8MAyoV7JUC6k/s400/DSC01084.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277201718473011778" /></a><br /><br />And then there are some pictures of me ungracefully getting out of the boat and sinking into the muddy bank. But I'll spare you.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8yb07VyxuHGorLEPNWRhjBuqSwDqVbvLn3abJgZQGZdbHWsE6iZNXFaubUe49HvIGpOYd9B8Uhbj4dqXEG-Slo2Xucl0jQ_ys1KVEXT4MwoL2wxik1wZgXsy3D_6QlpQ0ch9FkI1IH4/s1600-h/Zarou+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8yb07VyxuHGorLEPNWRhjBuqSwDqVbvLn3abJgZQGZdbHWsE6iZNXFaubUe49HvIGpOYd9B8Uhbj4dqXEG-Slo2Xucl0jQ_ys1KVEXT4MwoL2wxik1wZgXsy3D_6QlpQ0ch9FkI1IH4/s400/Zarou+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277182168191135554" border="0"></a><br /><br />This was the only marker of our landing zone. Classy, no?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjuRKVisjxY4zlzZ6kcH0Xnaa8wqweT0l2livAEPw8B9TEGxQjEno93mHV_v89kOLTS2b02_OuW6CX93tP9F0LhgwcJGDIZJf_vMdodmZUQcvGMsewzeq19aogpIXdLATKIDUbv32tTE/s1600-h/Zarou+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjuRKVisjxY4zlzZ6kcH0Xnaa8wqweT0l2livAEPw8B9TEGxQjEno93mHV_v89kOLTS2b02_OuW6CX93tP9F0LhgwcJGDIZJf_vMdodmZUQcvGMsewzeq19aogpIXdLATKIDUbv32tTE/s400/Zarou+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277182159762327826" border="0"></a><br /><br />One last look at the sacred river before we loaded up the van and cruised back to town, giggling and hooting at girls out the window the whole ride.<br /><br />Back in Ollanta, I grabbed my suitcase, engaged a taxi to go all the way back to Cusco (for some reason you can't take a train, even though trains travel between the two cities, unless you involve Machu Picchu) and picked up a <span style="font-style:italic;">choclo </span>from a street vendor for the ride.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBb17qnR2lFQI96dHBp-Y7IN5DIHLIbH1ts5zpW6KPWOqDXsM9B3jh0yyoMh_hd9h3Dl_VzYlEM5CxWDL4xySEmMGsBAipSLI2woPRMkLDDlSdJac9NZnxApa4c2OFJ6vzsZ2yDloNuo/s1600-h/Zarou+008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBb17qnR2lFQI96dHBp-Y7IN5DIHLIbH1ts5zpW6KPWOqDXsM9B3jh0yyoMh_hd9h3Dl_VzYlEM5CxWDL4xySEmMGsBAipSLI2woPRMkLDDlSdJac9NZnxApa4c2OFJ6vzsZ2yDloNuo/s400/Zarou+008.jpg"alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277182776597427778" border="0"></a><br /><br />Yumbo, would you look at this thing? Sure, it's just corn, but what corn! Big scrumptious kernels all bursting with corny goodness, and they serve it with a hunk of cheese for some reason, all for just two soles (that's like 65 cents)!<br /><br />I think that's enough adventure sports for me this trip. My body, temple of health that it is, can't really take any more. My mind, on the other hand...<br /><br />Bring on the ayahuasca!m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-27814989620820909582008-12-06T13:53:00.000-08:002008-12-06T15:35:01.465-08:00Ollantaytambo-o-ohhh...crrraaaAAAAPPP!OMG you guys I had so much fun today I nearly died. I mean, nearly dying today was so much fun! I mean...whew, ok, maybe I should back up.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBOo89LbvztY_wmkVhOlvXa3DPUmM2fgE3hUjgty-lpT9H_qMx7BLL9Ubm_wkuJKvcjDabK5sEzy9SJl_UqSb9yWlZ6yg4_pPRlIiZs2piMbCTFxEsg-DA9JZzab5FuLGSHQPluWGSvg/s1600-h/Zarou+036.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBOo89LbvztY_wmkVhOlvXa3DPUmM2fgE3hUjgty-lpT9H_qMx7BLL9Ubm_wkuJKvcjDabK5sEzy9SJl_UqSb9yWlZ6yg4_pPRlIiZs2piMbCTFxEsg-DA9JZzab5FuLGSHQPluWGSvg/s400/Zarou+036.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276805931568837970" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOV9xw8l3DeR6jk99y3gAg3_WRZ-NxmLC2bgH9wp42hQITlKSASEG3at6bPf_CBPMqv8GvMI9TwtaroKqyDFOyfJOuuIVnyGaynU5CahdGMNIG6O4g2FXDgQ11o8h1923tHVk5YokQeMY/s1600-h/Zarou+007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOV9xw8l3DeR6jk99y3gAg3_WRZ-NxmLC2bgH9wp42hQITlKSASEG3at6bPf_CBPMqv8GvMI9TwtaroKqyDFOyfJOuuIVnyGaynU5CahdGMNIG6O4g2FXDgQ11o8h1923tHVk5YokQeMY/s400/Zarou+007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276809606591744834" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBmzorvRJGLo8i9tthigbgpJH064bMrY6lG2lq52Fp76gyq553L9tcMPkxdvkjzVz7UH2DPsYqU22QtMFOuK4EfCycod_WC9geGtFxEXv6dc-u8bhanrEUsoU4JWcR1wTvccYwtsgt1I/s1600-h/Zarou+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBmzorvRJGLo8i9tthigbgpJH064bMrY6lG2lq52Fp76gyq553L9tcMPkxdvkjzVz7UH2DPsYqU22QtMFOuK4EfCycod_WC9geGtFxEXv6dc-u8bhanrEUsoU4JWcR1wTvccYwtsgt1I/s400/Zarou+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276809595213672450" /></a><br /><br />OK, so Ollantaytambo is this little town nestled in the Urubamba river valley, at the foot of massive ruins as well as many big green mountains. I think I covered that already. It's charming, but I've been here way long enough to appreciate its Incan architecture and local color, and am starting to go a little stir-crazy. Sure, they have decent (and cheap) internet, but if I wanted to sit at a screen for six hours a day, I needn't have travelled this far. (Come to think of it, that's pretty much my plan for the rest of my vacation when I get back.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uovDzxvmli6TWfH4JjRGgBeDJGViEHpO5k-X_PIRq1CVgHei5OVD7FSNP91weiaBzAb-99Bv-xccdtD9B-GksSSI3wJKm1J-LirqmPF9JKn_OcyBsXvcMPmXLfoSLSKrJRI2IwFQxIo/s1600-h/Zarou+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uovDzxvmli6TWfH4JjRGgBeDJGViEHpO5k-X_PIRq1CVgHei5OVD7FSNP91weiaBzAb-99Bv-xccdtD9B-GksSSI3wJKm1J-LirqmPF9JKn_OcyBsXvcMPmXLfoSLSKrJRI2IwFQxIo/s400/Zarou+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276806858572747586" /></a><br /><br />So on a whim, I walked into a no-doubt fully unlicensed tour operator off the main plaza and inquired about a trip to some nearby ruins that I'd heard about. Irbin, the guy at the desk (and I'm pretty sure sole employee, as the company bears his name) was happy to outline the prices. And for only 10 soles more, instead of being driven by taxi to the ruins, I could tour them via mountain bike. I think you can probably guess what I chose.<br /><br />Irbin said to return at 11:30 <em>y nos vamos</em>, so I decided to check out the local museum.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAdoOaybJbsjdB7nH1CCGlSOS8ZBpidtun3K_CwvhIROTXFSKWo2uUGVZ346RT3u4HpVJ55l2QkUwmbrgnk_k6OB2oMQDp6Aooevcu0p88_ZSpWJvwkc9K3vIZeOWil5sgXXDC0sQMw0/s1600-h/Zarou+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAdoOaybJbsjdB7nH1CCGlSOS8ZBpidtun3K_CwvhIROTXFSKWo2uUGVZ346RT3u4HpVJ55l2QkUwmbrgnk_k6OB2oMQDp6Aooevcu0p88_ZSpWJvwkc9K3vIZeOWil5sgXXDC0sQMw0/s400/Zarou+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276809591398186210" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhFsWCSkvJgpGtGi2dmEB7E5P8a0GDxeDMXwIB8g1U5lBQuMetPsmXeq6haGBKV1ne4JR5_BvKfHqGrmsX4yzhlkaJ4po1T8VGRtui35_AcBtccITznWo8hWZ58U3s0WUkVgnh7aIdtM/s1600-h/Zarou+005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhFsWCSkvJgpGtGi2dmEB7E5P8a0GDxeDMXwIB8g1U5lBQuMetPsmXeq6haGBKV1ne4JR5_BvKfHqGrmsX4yzhlkaJ4po1T8VGRtui35_AcBtccITznWo8hWZ58U3s0WUkVgnh7aIdtM/s400/Zarou+005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276809602264738130" /></a><br /><br />It's in an old colonial mansion, and the tour buses hadn't yet arrived, so the place was abandoned. I lounged on a chair and imagined myself a 16th Spanish lord, overseeing the corn harvest and seeking out an Incan princess to marry and solidify my land claim. (I'm telling you, the mustache has a mind of its own!)<br /><br />Irbin asked me if I rode a bike well. "Oh, Si!" I replied, because, you know, how hard could it be? After all, it's just like, well, riding a bike, right?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0D2p5H7jAWR3dS0Zx_GrMq3ZVsviKf24u8FCUl5bxPlscH1Kk2ZdH5K8pPmOLWaOYCA4v8pqMGevT8b3vtj7AAByQguS6NiEED2IkreRb-5sXDSsgyXqxcMRcADL0R7fiJ99g5zyd1U/s1600-h/Zarou+010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0D2p5H7jAWR3dS0Zx_GrMq3ZVsviKf24u8FCUl5bxPlscH1Kk2ZdH5K8pPmOLWaOYCA4v8pqMGevT8b3vtj7AAByQguS6NiEED2IkreRb-5sXDSsgyXqxcMRcADL0R7fiJ99g5zyd1U/s400/Zarou+010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276811934652932962" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5v3THLhWp6MXXOQ6M7QJIRYRD0__4vJAezVuUjdIdKPtCVYVgefmjDI2X3yrIOqJ3UrJ_-831hVNmKPvA6TJ6nB-ghX77Jd0-7vaTHSmOLsvrwtoZ1QOHI7mYCNi2QrA2WKx80r7-_Cw/s1600-h/Zarou+012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5v3THLhWp6MXXOQ6M7QJIRYRD0__4vJAezVuUjdIdKPtCVYVgefmjDI2X3yrIOqJ3UrJ_-831hVNmKPvA6TJ6nB-ghX77Jd0-7vaTHSmOLsvrwtoZ1QOHI7mYCNi2QrA2WKx80r7-_Cw/s400/Zarou+012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276811932360164354" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjYNFA2pjWMZLIXCh0HtLj1283I1VcF0XVZQG0Yv-GsqyltuJHqD6TlN75JT5QlbYJ-LOXMv2H7vsdDWZDVofbuq0z43YE3n0qPvz3VXoHMtYdCvbln418m0iRBU0ZscsVIN1Q1Xh3gA/s1600-h/Zarou+014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjYNFA2pjWMZLIXCh0HtLj1283I1VcF0XVZQG0Yv-GsqyltuJHqD6TlN75JT5QlbYJ-LOXMv2H7vsdDWZDVofbuq0z43YE3n0qPvz3VXoHMtYdCvbln418m0iRBU0ZscsVIN1Q1Xh3gA/s400/Zarou+014.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276811926883702210" /></a><br /><br />He loaded up the taxi and off we went, speeding through the Sacred Valley's lush landscapes, climbing to the start point because as Irbin assured me, it was gonna be all downhill.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0X2dkmIovR4HfFd-mCKvOYuE8qXrwzhluEaYsqk6ChbcqqcZ-fKvLEeJyd2ubNq1dMHBlelzfiAaYKqPQEqa0NUCL9tTXGCVylbUVwL-uy8kN3No1_eYp7yx2B7nj3oxCnbc4zdQcMVI/s1600-h/Zarou+015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0X2dkmIovR4HfFd-mCKvOYuE8qXrwzhluEaYsqk6ChbcqqcZ-fKvLEeJyd2ubNq1dMHBlelzfiAaYKqPQEqa0NUCL9tTXGCVylbUVwL-uy8kN3No1_eYp7yx2B7nj3oxCnbc4zdQcMVI/s400/Zarou+015.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276811918598067842" /></a><br /><br />The first stop is the ruins at Moray. I'd read about these, and they're kind of off the beaten path, so not a lot of tours go there, but I had to come see them for myself.<br /><br />So, the Incans found these mini-valley type things up in the mountains. Depressions in the earth, caused by natural erosion.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhX-Hl-F5PQIxGOqRLmzVT3WV_3ti9RmB7h0sYOLJIUTgvgVrg1grNmmAN28jl_np0CJTuU624V2WW33HNO22aKNwP1k9MSlC4UAp_avAZNzN7R4chuFrk6SYO3WJb7ZnY41f55YyFac/s1600-h/Zarou+016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhX-Hl-F5PQIxGOqRLmzVT3WV_3ti9RmB7h0sYOLJIUTgvgVrg1grNmmAN28jl_np0CJTuU624V2WW33HNO22aKNwP1k9MSlC4UAp_avAZNzN7R4chuFrk6SYO3WJb7ZnY41f55YyFac/s400/Zarou+016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276814871622680450" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPL-sCc1mqs-gy8Y0f3MkByfdvcPXHKVeztznvi0sHDPtLJvePFuwF2LYchSxgcvs4P96kiNfR548z9GiS8gghGzDUh7UlpN9m5nKWraq6pQTb3tmZnpWalz8HYuvwR6IHmNI7mTmpymw/s1600-h/Zarou+017.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPL-sCc1mqs-gy8Y0f3MkByfdvcPXHKVeztznvi0sHDPtLJvePFuwF2LYchSxgcvs4P96kiNfR548z9GiS8gghGzDUh7UlpN9m5nKWraq6pQTb3tmZnpWalz8HYuvwR6IHmNI7mTmpymw/s400/Zarou+017.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276814868744058450" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv9G9RwueoQsoLG86eRcEz9xFt6i7ceDrdqGm7YNnwCXBTW5Cjif3TOhzoN6hGJAGLXum8N8MfT-3tufE3ti8hqUIOeBmy6p6zHehHTyFNJaBtaQsW79IFzU4aKMaxERuhjy6aj5o1qAQ/s1600-h/Zarou+019.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv9G9RwueoQsoLG86eRcEz9xFt6i7ceDrdqGm7YNnwCXBTW5Cjif3TOhzoN6hGJAGLXum8N8MfT-3tufE3ti8hqUIOeBmy6p6zHehHTyFNJaBtaQsW79IFzU4aKMaxERuhjy6aj5o1qAQ/s400/Zarou+019.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276814866497787218" /></a><br /><br />But so they noticed that the temperature at the bottom of the depressions was different than at the top. So they built these circular terraces at different levels, so they could test different crops at different temperatures!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMLGUFT5bErvkEM7FZKvdN8Bf5MlILipktKBDoH5bZFLh9E4Nj2vK6Z6n-wsD4ohPyUsFWJ25B6zipSUuIKSjlQY5SU0hlc__5X1Tiv_7RgEeMcA9o8TC8EF7fbs9Jc8fiB_wNsBkyYs/s1600-h/Zarou+020.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMLGUFT5bErvkEM7FZKvdN8Bf5MlILipktKBDoH5bZFLh9E4Nj2vK6Z6n-wsD4ohPyUsFWJ25B6zipSUuIKSjlQY5SU0hlc__5X1Tiv_7RgEeMcA9o8TC8EF7fbs9Jc8fiB_wNsBkyYs/s400/Zarou+020.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276814858557643954" /></a><br /><br />Yeah! It's like a giant agricultural laboratory! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vlxrqqxQYME06019qxxtF6C3SzLOqarBh_1Gk3Cccsl-i7ICRhTq7AGxnzXZ3PkCY9Efk4hyphenhyphenxPLRcyMdS4s5QDvrSbb_HSIcBNu2JU09rc3sMmk1uD74KsEABoeSgyzSPJl1NqSRPb8/s1600-h/Zarou+022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vlxrqqxQYME06019qxxtF6C3SzLOqarBh_1Gk3Cccsl-i7ICRhTq7AGxnzXZ3PkCY9Efk4hyphenhyphenxPLRcyMdS4s5QDvrSbb_HSIcBNu2JU09rc3sMmk1uD74KsEABoeSgyzSPJl1NqSRPb8/s400/Zarou+022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276817646237749074" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3R3jCVOM2IUEemlrg-vO3lEVhyphenhyphendrGWFzhK5ap1dl2wc10xvHHKPBmJyisO6B6_JjUmHkTioUHbWLji3MhS42GOKTz0L3gH70RroJbBqdUrz9pnmpfmcX-INv9esdqT8HtjGahddYABo/s1600-h/Zarou+023.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3R3jCVOM2IUEemlrg-vO3lEVhyphenhyphendrGWFzhK5ap1dl2wc10xvHHKPBmJyisO6B6_JjUmHkTioUHbWLji3MhS42GOKTz0L3gH70RroJbBqdUrz9pnmpfmcX-INv9esdqT8HtjGahddYABo/s400/Zarou+023.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276817634204020466" /></a><br /><br />Oh, and the way you get down from level to level?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9-WuOl-IHdi9nPniYEATATpo2AePvCVllq1nM3A_NLMbScVoCc1H9yB24RIRy2V8v0MfgndUqeIJzrakDjLUqHpNNnbssZvpKEgbtxgepG2uQ86GRZcLbruW1R8o6AoUmZ3pHrVUG7I/s1600-h/Zarou+021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9-WuOl-IHdi9nPniYEATATpo2AePvCVllq1nM3A_NLMbScVoCc1H9yB24RIRy2V8v0MfgndUqeIJzrakDjLUqHpNNnbssZvpKEgbtxgepG2uQ86GRZcLbruW1R8o6AoUmZ3pHrVUG7I/s400/Zarou+021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276817633174010578" /></a><br /><br />These things,<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ-Wv2Zj501oWfKzHqAP3OtQMLxitvP8RJETbAL0PN9ADwalMfWdpTpEv4-on-4TQP2vj2Ri2JTcP-Yq37Ur5_q1jd3qusgG9FAYPzYGR6OzMIah804E84Pu0g-OBSxl8Ii9mZq_C7SE/s1600-h/Zarou+024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ-Wv2Zj501oWfKzHqAP3OtQMLxitvP8RJETbAL0PN9ADwalMfWdpTpEv4-on-4TQP2vj2Ri2JTcP-Yq37Ur5_q1jd3qusgG9FAYPzYGR6OzMIah804E84Pu0g-OBSxl8Ii9mZq_C7SE/s400/Zarou+024.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276817623217444162" /></a><br /><br />which apparently are set at points to mark the seasons at sunrise.<br /><br />Anyways, I thought it was cool. At the museum this morning they were saying that some of the agricultural and irrigation techniques the Incans developed are coming back into vogue in the valley, so maybe people are finally starting to learn from the past.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1-Fn6t70WFORDlXS7KBKAfV2cxDE6VzpxI99ULKlOc47Bc1vGqo_lz7NWDmS3NHdZSd8QtNcwGPBZC18TvlDhdrQy7QE7sPWz0WY3omYZZJfd-OboK5F3Y1OhiXQZPS8rfVN6DfkO4o/s1600-h/Zarou+026.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1-Fn6t70WFORDlXS7KBKAfV2cxDE6VzpxI99ULKlOc47Bc1vGqo_lz7NWDmS3NHdZSd8QtNcwGPBZC18TvlDhdrQy7QE7sPWz0WY3omYZZJfd-OboK5F3Y1OhiXQZPS8rfVN6DfkO4o/s400/Zarou+026.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276820515208080098" /></a><br /><br />Anyhow, when I got back up to the surface, Irbin was off, so I had to follow.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcY1Xwv-o6ioHQz0LVyLu7kgXgA2l2XkniO8Ak4W9ybyAPKsOciB1Mx_ZwUQtQpMzLRfs_kQAOQQR5SBl_48lHF7AC-w6-o2L8aWeo0y3FkfmpbJwNPXoHTAVmpceHWTFPCZhXMxEDW0/s1600-h/Zarou+027.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcY1Xwv-o6ioHQz0LVyLu7kgXgA2l2XkniO8Ak4W9ybyAPKsOciB1Mx_ZwUQtQpMzLRfs_kQAOQQR5SBl_48lHF7AC-w6-o2L8aWeo0y3FkfmpbJwNPXoHTAVmpceHWTFPCZhXMxEDW0/s400/Zarou+027.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276820512564313874" /></a><br /><br />Now friends, Irbin is not a liar. This trail WAS all downhill, but I thought he meant down streets, or at least paved roads. No, we were biking over rocky mountain trails, dodging burro droppings and trying not to careen off the edge.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJlt49aK59XklAsPqd_ieLVIUYPA-pIBy8J8cJwTG_Hj0giYTdrraT5xohhgxiQjOwXoszdcfFmbEvg5tgBqUKKIFxYnymEHnl7c7pPgjMVHpkW5XlVa2haeS3SYDfz8Z7agdfdPkqUU/s1600-h/Zarou+028.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJlt49aK59XklAsPqd_ieLVIUYPA-pIBy8J8cJwTG_Hj0giYTdrraT5xohhgxiQjOwXoszdcfFmbEvg5tgBqUKKIFxYnymEHnl7c7pPgjMVHpkW5XlVa2haeS3SYDfz8Z7agdfdPkqUU/s400/Zarou+028.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276820504647657906" /></a><br /><br />Oh, and did I mention that my bike, big enough for an average Peruvian, was so tiny for me that pedaling while seated involved my knees banging into my nipples?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpukVwVz1t7NK3PHWaBibXj1uzoZoijGVoLTv30UaLm7Rtu7TQAdLGZo88MB3uLLwZdyjsHQX_FJSpqYdf5OygJNcvL2x9jxAC_IQoCnLG_W1kIFmFweZyFnHX4YKkSERrMWDCpdnDh0/s1600-h/Zarou+029.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpukVwVz1t7NK3PHWaBibXj1uzoZoijGVoLTv30UaLm7Rtu7TQAdLGZo88MB3uLLwZdyjsHQX_FJSpqYdf5OygJNcvL2x9jxAC_IQoCnLG_W1kIFmFweZyFnHX4YKkSERrMWDCpdnDh0/s400/Zarou+029.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276820498098041826" /></a><br /><br />But, I was starting to get it! I was not only keeping up, but catching air, avoiding pitfalls, braking and pedaling in sync with the terrain...yeah, there was a good half hour there where I was "in the zone", as the extreme athletes say. <br /><br />And then, just when I was starting to think that maybe I knew what I was doing, a rock reared up in front of my front tire. My brain knew I should just ride over it, let the tire and the shocks absorb the impact, but my instincts kicked in and I squeezed the brake hard. I leaned back and landed flat on top of the bike in a little ravine, scratching myself up pretty bad and denting the wheel in the process. Yeah, it hurt. But not as much as the knowledge that it was all my fault, and it shouldn't have happened.<br /><br />After doing his best to repair the damaged wheel, Irbin suggested we get off and walk during the more steep and rocky bits.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nZPFTzEzfFiRm-ITadqjGJnNGcrQRhnUy6p2mAHAZCQQ3wgOKzMb7NwlPC1wAsuxYVjHvqTfBz7NnC-LDEp1YVLcoc6WtdfJh8LrR9TryWuLnZBu_gf43AHl4TXGBETgoh9afvISz98/s1600-h/Zarou+032.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nZPFTzEzfFiRm-ITadqjGJnNGcrQRhnUy6p2mAHAZCQQ3wgOKzMb7NwlPC1wAsuxYVjHvqTfBz7NnC-LDEp1YVLcoc6WtdfJh8LrR9TryWuLnZBu_gf43AHl4TXGBETgoh9afvISz98/s400/Zarou+032.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276820492807053474" /></a><br /><br />Ostensibly for my safety, but I think he was just worried I would do some more damage to his bike.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFO9uCy4AR1i3f7DJqRVqb9f9ZUzGCCT135d61hxJwan1SLjt-GUP1GjQCIOyquVkEn3GdH6PDaprLJZrysirAZPImtXSwTn0maAe0YdeK101f5blbMDWXtAWchoJYQ7XzEfgSLOnZBM/s1600-h/Zarou+031.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFO9uCy4AR1i3f7DJqRVqb9f9ZUzGCCT135d61hxJwan1SLjt-GUP1GjQCIOyquVkEn3GdH6PDaprLJZrysirAZPImtXSwTn0maAe0YdeK101f5blbMDWXtAWchoJYQ7XzEfgSLOnZBM/s400/Zarou+031.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276822513370608690" /></a><br /><br />(I don't feel that bad for the damage, and certainly didn't offer to reimburse him, because I'm pretty sure he way overcharged me for the tour.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVJ-s-swIurtv-Ea6AGFjzxRqfF0rPAIExEyNtjWqzz82D75JiUl2hiuUHaQqu0k_Kz7TgfcgqvEqdO4kAqqT7OuGAKs1t74C0m18UhN0ksYYCWF5DZJcQobK2qDlCylXXTZO7bufDrY/s1600-h/Zarou+030.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVJ-s-swIurtv-Ea6AGFjzxRqfF0rPAIExEyNtjWqzz82D75JiUl2hiuUHaQqu0k_Kz7TgfcgqvEqdO4kAqqT7OuGAKs1t74C0m18UhN0ksYYCWF5DZJcQobK2qDlCylXXTZO7bufDrY/s400/Zarou+030.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276822502387102946" /></a><br /><br />These are the salt pans of Maras, site of back-breaking low-paying labor that has continued to this day done the same way. The salt water fills the pans, then the water evaporates, and the family that owns that pan collects the salt, puts in burlap sacks on the backs of mules and walks over those same mountain trails I was just cruising on, to sell the salt for pennies a bag. And I thought my job was hard.<br /><br />On the ride back to town, I found out Irbin competes professionally in addition to giving tours, and then he jokingly said I was the worst mountain biker he's ever led. At least, I think he was joking. Prick.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMNCIA1TlnC4lssMevTBxtWcicN1tw3rg302Qv6OhdCkc4IXC7lKYKXS5dom-cJJakxcBlG6rHotFMpvKqaBIIewy0L7_Uj5LxVx_iYEn5T_fHcx7XQjsHSw0tEThnVJiyy-AN5XYu-k/s1600-h/Zarou+034.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMNCIA1TlnC4lssMevTBxtWcicN1tw3rg302Qv6OhdCkc4IXC7lKYKXS5dom-cJJakxcBlG6rHotFMpvKqaBIIewy0L7_Uj5LxVx_iYEn5T_fHcx7XQjsHSw0tEThnVJiyy-AN5XYu-k/s400/Zarou+034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276822495402274306" /></a><br /><br />Here I am showing off the battle scars. You can't see it, but my arm's all cut up too.<br /><br />A cold beer and a pizza (I earned it) later, and here I am, knees aching and pants ruined, conveying the whole story to you all. I need a shower badly, and then I should get some rest, because for some reason I agreed to go white-water rafting with Irbin tomorrow.m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-38051074589938093322008-12-05T10:26:00.000-08:002008-12-05T12:02:13.801-08:00Maximum Picchu<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkL_v1CRCGZPFsHQ7HY98vAxiC1jGu1TqzvHOYcYC5YDLDUEhw5KmueniI2C4FeKSBDVUZyPwOW-X7yFsrI-7gQj0i1Ybc4QlAt2p1o9GWjvE5AwgSxR6XYuMchMko2t6HAg7KrAaq_RI/s1600-h/zarou+134.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkL_v1CRCGZPFsHQ7HY98vAxiC1jGu1TqzvHOYcYC5YDLDUEhw5KmueniI2C4FeKSBDVUZyPwOW-X7yFsrI-7gQj0i1Ybc4QlAt2p1o9GWjvE5AwgSxR6XYuMchMko2t6HAg7KrAaq_RI/s400/zarou+134.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276378019121430738" /></a><br /><br />The day didn't start out well, as I arose at 4 AM to get into a cold shower (C'mon, really? The name of the town is Hot Water and I can't get any in the hostal?) and went out in the freezing rain to catch the first bus up the hill.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6F6U3KthKtcDiGvhJlDGhfntyAhNQOKrdz5AnC37ebeIvmWXwC5lEuxdpS1nR7CuHf7ug-_GAIsEbhQMQ4y2DGdiFGLgdUeYdb7_J91Mt-bATMLRFr7GLpWIAeSte_QDRIxcn9lXgH1U/s1600-h/zarou+135.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6F6U3KthKtcDiGvhJlDGhfntyAhNQOKrdz5AnC37ebeIvmWXwC5lEuxdpS1nR7CuHf7ug-_GAIsEbhQMQ4y2DGdiFGLgdUeYdb7_J91Mt-bATMLRFr7GLpWIAeSte_QDRIxcn9lXgH1U/s400/zarou+135.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276378011330655410" /></a><br /><br />There was already a line, and the vendedores were already out, selling hot mate de coca and cold sandwiches.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpp4UXMuxkI8cnEByTxShyphenhyphenDxtVoYpEFxobITAcTwJctWg-95s-UzOf_1L_sv5tZc1qpBDrR0C27k28nmTgEEA2gFChLp7OQaTKkSrhG01-nvpiJEZwnAR1hNyWA7KkKa_F85hEl46Y5o/s1600-h/zarou+136.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpp4UXMuxkI8cnEByTxShyphenhyphenDxtVoYpEFxobITAcTwJctWg-95s-UzOf_1L_sv5tZc1qpBDrR0C27k28nmTgEEA2gFChLp7OQaTKkSrhG01-nvpiJEZwnAR1hNyWA7KkKa_F85hEl46Y5o/s400/zarou+136.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276378002061671762" /></a><br /><br />Up a winding road, we climbed the mountain. One of the first ones inside, I scrambled up to the lookout point for the sunrise, supposedly one of the most breathtaking sights on earth.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTCX86Kcm5fdyCdBkoM0PTXVkwdRpPTAmAC-kbn6DK0URFBEEMywQzgayQ42gc_YfNNLdTfZaJePvl_qVGEv_98Vv_THtxMZvh07NR_90dAGSyahbLcyJG3TvNc14PgSR2efm9yA1yfU/s1600-h/zarou+138.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTCX86Kcm5fdyCdBkoM0PTXVkwdRpPTAmAC-kbn6DK0URFBEEMywQzgayQ42gc_YfNNLdTfZaJePvl_qVGEv_98Vv_THtxMZvh07NR_90dAGSyahbLcyJG3TvNc14PgSR2efm9yA1yfU/s400/zarou+138.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276378000019696738" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rPFxlB4jOqJpiet1B8FI7wymPnn4qPO0P6E31IsVyvQVkN9tiGZJ2sjJGXQ-0-eXnF8iPbvHnGjbH2UpemIvZMaX30708ELXWQMDNkktCS3UjvV-bb2j3nbYzk9j9Q8vdutxSnFvpNY/s1600-h/zarou+140.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rPFxlB4jOqJpiet1B8FI7wymPnn4qPO0P6E31IsVyvQVkN9tiGZJ2sjJGXQ-0-eXnF8iPbvHnGjbH2UpemIvZMaX30708ELXWQMDNkktCS3UjvV-bb2j3nbYzk9j9Q8vdutxSnFvpNY/s400/zarou+140.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276377995848365186" /></a><br /><br />But mainly, I stood there, shivering and dripping, looking out at this for two hours.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_ZtP2Kror6tZVDuZExO2NKzANaHO6BhvUaMD0iYWE-BYHJyXJqvvy3sYxQtbhgGZ1K8LAvzwV-xLcEXNKGjnBXbj70Elf4ScepW3VABnJ-6CaK3oF63Q0UkHx8xTYfSeX6dVNygeKV0/s1600-h/zarou+143.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_ZtP2Kror6tZVDuZExO2NKzANaHO6BhvUaMD0iYWE-BYHJyXJqvvy3sYxQtbhgGZ1K8LAvzwV-xLcEXNKGjnBXbj70Elf4ScepW3VABnJ-6CaK3oF63Q0UkHx8xTYfSeX6dVNygeKV0/s400/zarou+143.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276379637177076114" /></a><br /><br />Almost...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFwOIVag9zm-k1QlyTNcRos5gwSIQXplDCVz2ovz5RQ0LZ4kqkWYPWhKgbeNNRFwh7yCqR1Okrmd0tzdrvwRvQ81BWJHC2ZaeeCUg16gXrRY13pheC6kuQ7pM3vJV97K48JcHL3HGZwI/s1600-h/zarou+146.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFwOIVag9zm-k1QlyTNcRos5gwSIQXplDCVz2ovz5RQ0LZ4kqkWYPWhKgbeNNRFwh7yCqR1Okrmd0tzdrvwRvQ81BWJHC2ZaeeCUg16gXrRY13pheC6kuQ7pM3vJV97K48JcHL3HGZwI/s400/zarou+146.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276379633040344962" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5B1KtUkJ2pxtDzlonEh6EVnnEXb_pA2Y5CvlCqWenhucvGEyhNzIyWRdb6VJr53SIa7eU7NYMPUYxHzVwUAiIN-dj9GX990fpM1XyVMm1JD34F_9lfF1Qu1FcDZdRBXGTzkj4o_0LWs/s1600-h/zarou+147.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5B1KtUkJ2pxtDzlonEh6EVnnEXb_pA2Y5CvlCqWenhucvGEyhNzIyWRdb6VJr53SIa7eU7NYMPUYxHzVwUAiIN-dj9GX990fpM1XyVMm1JD34F_9lfF1Qu1FcDZdRBXGTzkj4o_0LWs/s400/zarou+147.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276379629233152898" /></a><br /><br />Even the llamas seemed cold and bored.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrS_aWAXB8fzLo07XAFmRqMlRthTSQ0NotuWd9JPK0kIVeAm5k_xFT_19aUYkJJbdzHH2uvLXbcfQAoxcsRRTmGLrbY86nX6EtfbFA9Fabpm3tkdMtqAD3MjrE4NpNvCFiB-zCfUBMo2U/s1600-h/zarou+153.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrS_aWAXB8fzLo07XAFmRqMlRthTSQ0NotuWd9JPK0kIVeAm5k_xFT_19aUYkJJbdzHH2uvLXbcfQAoxcsRRTmGLrbY86nX6EtfbFA9Fabpm3tkdMtqAD3MjrE4NpNvCFiB-zCfUBMo2U/s400/zarou+153.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276379622463018082" /></a><br /><br />This is what I've been looking forward to for 2 months?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvkGHHq8J18ASr3WP_hfMIgUCV3TCeMCGqOoOShiGSJopzjOKbW2l3-uy4mv8WqVCWSeU2a5ECyrXoWVOa_4pVwlwzsuSIauiS6NERVZxbSGY_jaPAukHPGtYL39a2ddnYW8bq7dA56k/s1600-h/zarou+158.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvkGHHq8J18ASr3WP_hfMIgUCV3TCeMCGqOoOShiGSJopzjOKbW2l3-uy4mv8WqVCWSeU2a5ECyrXoWVOa_4pVwlwzsuSIauiS6NERVZxbSGY_jaPAukHPGtYL39a2ddnYW8bq7dA56k/s400/zarou+158.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276379607174165794" /></a><br /><br />Around 8 the sun offered a slight tease... but mostly we were looking at this.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tUIsPuih_0UKMpRWZi8U5hLz6BOrYTw-Js2lPM4KCu6EW1nE5r0kQKyK6sZ5ztXpcHqb7Hs0C12HTVMNjRRHxJZHoOyP22T4IxmyWDJB61W-uEEy6_0xoZAPr9pH1Y3Ry1HE9odtt_Y/s1600-h/zarou+160.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tUIsPuih_0UKMpRWZi8U5hLz6BOrYTw-Js2lPM4KCu6EW1nE5r0kQKyK6sZ5ztXpcHqb7Hs0C12HTVMNjRRHxJZHoOyP22T4IxmyWDJB61W-uEEy6_0xoZAPr9pH1Y3Ry1HE9odtt_Y/s400/zarou+160.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276381655044575362" /></a><br /><br />At one point, I got so frustrated I started following a little bird around.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QiVzHh4chujoeOiC-X6A4JC58IqJNYuXYZlOaD6Ej-uEBm4YQI4O0Ly7ScX8mZOHxvmPYEcgKMcnZ3PuzftNmOdZTIrmxObiA7Vbvm-c7nZRbQWbvbXWWeWjGnpZRkrazkSeEsGapCI/s1600-h/zarou+164.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QiVzHh4chujoeOiC-X6A4JC58IqJNYuXYZlOaD6Ej-uEBm4YQI4O0Ly7ScX8mZOHxvmPYEcgKMcnZ3PuzftNmOdZTIrmxObiA7Vbvm-c7nZRbQWbvbXWWeWjGnpZRkrazkSeEsGapCI/s400/zarou+164.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276381645151271634" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNnIkoeoWZInGR9wi9n7_Cqr8I69YXNqa4olUJufvIkqDi8p6gD6UIWrRP6fAYnlDo4HUN8qZ4gi_b-RebxRDP17PAIBw7GUlnpEFkFWeL-Yf0z7GhW2h0mIp7fmBONYqVwwQIWzJCVI/s1600-h/zarou+168.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNnIkoeoWZInGR9wi9n7_Cqr8I69YXNqa4olUJufvIkqDi8p6gD6UIWrRP6fAYnlDo4HUN8qZ4gi_b-RebxRDP17PAIBw7GUlnpEFkFWeL-Yf0z7GhW2h0mIp7fmBONYqVwwQIWzJCVI/s400/zarou+168.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276381641949229490" /></a><br /><br />Then:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6fhtsI9S8IaDNPrbMzQNG9TUQjyBq1YE_0YTISCbQbu7JwNCB2UbizH6nFfQRJmW6H8jKiDKAU8ZAm_GkPyQFxs-IJC7AHwhnj1tIqCZZVjoUhJnqrEx5pryvNMhH54P7e_i0vxA1mGU/s1600-h/zarou+187.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6fhtsI9S8IaDNPrbMzQNG9TUQjyBq1YE_0YTISCbQbu7JwNCB2UbizH6nFfQRJmW6H8jKiDKAU8ZAm_GkPyQFxs-IJC7AHwhnj1tIqCZZVjoUhJnqrEx5pryvNMhH54P7e_i0vxA1mGU/s400/zarou+187.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276381634326765170" /></a><br /><br />But it still took another half an hour for the big one, Wayna Picchu, to emerge from the cloud cover.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3KfFLrKPJ0UtXmKjLDI3eio_SPFFLkme8jFX0mTKVuNhl0IwE6TY0lA5N2HCS3hGABkLrIycuK8uNdhCKDtEdnp2ihYg04mWmeNNiADAMoiptHZ_UOZJ-y5LskJuy-EdYCGZfvzsN1Y/s1600-h/zarou+189.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3KfFLrKPJ0UtXmKjLDI3eio_SPFFLkme8jFX0mTKVuNhl0IwE6TY0lA5N2HCS3hGABkLrIycuK8uNdhCKDtEdnp2ihYg04mWmeNNiADAMoiptHZ_UOZJ-y5LskJuy-EdYCGZfvzsN1Y/s400/zarou+189.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276381631676250210" /></a><br /><br />Well, time to get one of me, no?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPI5cl0HKXd8Op9U7H0Uk1CnO_ibko0rZ8lOUNe1Iw0AR9D2t_cmiVhTxGzZ8P-D2INcdKTHDt7t1LJL8E3fw2IfC8zOWwKXsNWTrx2mamlDdH1iK6lVoslkq0weubCix_MoxpPK79JuU/s1600-h/zarou+193.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPI5cl0HKXd8Op9U7H0Uk1CnO_ibko0rZ8lOUNe1Iw0AR9D2t_cmiVhTxGzZ8P-D2INcdKTHDt7t1LJL8E3fw2IfC8zOWwKXsNWTrx2mamlDdH1iK6lVoslkq0weubCix_MoxpPK79JuU/s400/zarou+193.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276382964215476674" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLdOuFIC1ZmjM-SvtYURRpwJOsSNPlNSriJ2OpxWiZ50VBZXW-uwy7oojDhQvhy3V93jsjHbG5DE9H-rmumJF39Rzt56f3UxZOoTXlmzJ_f-QN4k_1o9n_AEJ4XiI5OZ-d4Z1n6jX2gA/s1600-h/zarou+200.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLdOuFIC1ZmjM-SvtYURRpwJOsSNPlNSriJ2OpxWiZ50VBZXW-uwy7oojDhQvhy3V93jsjHbG5DE9H-rmumJF39Rzt56f3UxZOoTXlmzJ_f-QN4k_1o9n_AEJ4XiI5OZ-d4Z1n6jX2gA/s400/zarou+200.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276382959610004530" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOip3rziGlb2EbRNj-BEH_k7jk7N2hNKtAiU8wXTbpMOGKNbJ4KkmbfrSxJGa9HNpqMJX3ksrjacslf_oRxTmUPrC3a2gkgd9CX34wl3r8okqDOxQKFye2PP0vQmIvR3EfxE9zzGAC_GY/s1600-h/zarou+202.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOip3rziGlb2EbRNj-BEH_k7jk7N2hNKtAiU8wXTbpMOGKNbJ4KkmbfrSxJGa9HNpqMJX3ksrjacslf_oRxTmUPrC3a2gkgd9CX34wl3r8okqDOxQKFye2PP0vQmIvR3EfxE9zzGAC_GY/s400/zarou+202.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276382950783712770" /></a><br /><br />Tired of this angle yet? All right, we'll climb down and look around in the ruins.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDp1EniiE0zhsQ2xnHHogRiHZt45kf-6v8MNEEXG362gWi_3uJwNpa_o8b4rQOySg2OkuW-cNnH9idZrkhdfqngRPC4K9eIHw7GRGYe6x8kqaGFckQ6VBuyrT7ugrTRsOaVQ5rUpxRpco/s1600-h/zarou+210.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDp1EniiE0zhsQ2xnHHogRiHZt45kf-6v8MNEEXG362gWi_3uJwNpa_o8b4rQOySg2OkuW-cNnH9idZrkhdfqngRPC4K9eIHw7GRGYe6x8kqaGFckQ6VBuyrT7ugrTRsOaVQ5rUpxRpco/s400/zarou+210.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276385027019369970" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWnpPgbam5J2AvaKAduYfj9FjP8I-qA9CmaUfVrM45M9NioXWWEmgdk7eY19hNE2qDwRhsGZzJEDlMgM788uL0oRFeASZ4FLsVkvCbWQp-cw9YI8Wz6SkhgcGBz6K0PkirqjQ_KHRmtI/s1600-h/zarou+211.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWnpPgbam5J2AvaKAduYfj9FjP8I-qA9CmaUfVrM45M9NioXWWEmgdk7eY19hNE2qDwRhsGZzJEDlMgM788uL0oRFeASZ4FLsVkvCbWQp-cw9YI8Wz6SkhgcGBz6K0PkirqjQ_KHRmtI/s400/zarou+211.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276385015942392466" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NTtXel5nw2-ae11MDZfBnz7QeVhBmjo6wOouLyb6vXQ0owMU2pByGwbNVc34clRwGzl-3uyZMVJLtiqu8tpiJdVLA5nqOAJes5Mzb2C3_aNJz79Z8M_gqa9p4le2eTQ4GJKhG10id68/s1600-h/zarou+212.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NTtXel5nw2-ae11MDZfBnz7QeVhBmjo6wOouLyb6vXQ0owMU2pByGwbNVc34clRwGzl-3uyZMVJLtiqu8tpiJdVLA5nqOAJes5Mzb2C3_aNJz79Z8M_gqa9p4le2eTQ4GJKhG10id68/s400/zarou+212.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276385007690828754" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxR-AqtDiK7BLxnxcfFXLnT_qGLVd90zeYG8yqekxPn-zqS9KeQn6euZg7lxF2r2rvqbqnGDDJ7qV4QhRKZeOx2pLqxMSLgNfw-1ZrAE_SFAdX8SWXAXHMqpMBVY5XW-2fLzNJVWcCb-0/s1600-h/zarou+213.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxR-AqtDiK7BLxnxcfFXLnT_qGLVd90zeYG8yqekxPn-zqS9KeQn6euZg7lxF2r2rvqbqnGDDJ7qV4QhRKZeOx2pLqxMSLgNfw-1ZrAE_SFAdX8SWXAXHMqpMBVY5XW-2fLzNJVWcCb-0/s400/zarou+213.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276385004363288802" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZGFnkdQWlDGH-jeQvYktbkrU7tUdwG_Hn3tST-b9nOE_XLikVIjqm3AG1PI7zj7iY-OZ4i5sKpPj3AeiV3-dcaxRdNzVqg_8TC2dfdb5CUS2rCQYPja3ey7DoCKjyqtllirhQc1Xu14/s1600-h/zarou+214.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZGFnkdQWlDGH-jeQvYktbkrU7tUdwG_Hn3tST-b9nOE_XLikVIjqm3AG1PI7zj7iY-OZ4i5sKpPj3AeiV3-dcaxRdNzVqg_8TC2dfdb5CUS2rCQYPja3ey7DoCKjyqtllirhQc1Xu14/s400/zarou+214.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276384986574897538" /></a><br /><br />You can see how the Spanish never found this place. It's at the top of a mountain, surrounded by other, taller peaks.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkluAZbdaBCnhG-rI3Kw75jkum6lbCfE9h-RGjZ-QFVHnQp3lGbL7MmFC5Nncs79Mel36nFnpagVlELpwGPOQLkcf375quEjhFGObkv9duPwoy59mtR2IQH1mX8TQWgLZlYn6P7B4Ga1U/s1600-h/zarou+216.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkluAZbdaBCnhG-rI3Kw75jkum6lbCfE9h-RGjZ-QFVHnQp3lGbL7MmFC5Nncs79Mel36nFnpagVlELpwGPOQLkcf375quEjhFGObkv9duPwoy59mtR2IQH1mX8TQWgLZlYn6P7B4Ga1U/s400/zarou+216.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276387362641227522" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3J0UXLBopsSp7oxk4oU2cJCi1XVr5uBXUU34QrIDKxlFTcSP4P2stKSpKWgLeb2Jt47kpphO-XZEFMpuh5JsOpvjQ1_AdHIhV5Np01tkTswEom3CW4KI2LUYA7ht1tZbkAlhFm49QnZE/s1600-h/zarou+218.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3J0UXLBopsSp7oxk4oU2cJCi1XVr5uBXUU34QrIDKxlFTcSP4P2stKSpKWgLeb2Jt47kpphO-XZEFMpuh5JsOpvjQ1_AdHIhV5Np01tkTswEom3CW4KI2LUYA7ht1tZbkAlhFm49QnZE/s400/zarou+218.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276387352206094546" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhwBUBBP8pWYbhMyAOfvVxTOSQAiTJ7bxmIVd1Dx3nox4ZaCvzdF6N-RIE7iaSlS_qFziDK4qQLVf4KJLiMiKkl4-7VcEVXcDUwPdetiJ1qdN0Jex2sDm4pT6iS8lRpjqxeOp0RxIVSA/s1600-h/zarou+219.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhwBUBBP8pWYbhMyAOfvVxTOSQAiTJ7bxmIVd1Dx3nox4ZaCvzdF6N-RIE7iaSlS_qFziDK4qQLVf4KJLiMiKkl4-7VcEVXcDUwPdetiJ1qdN0Jex2sDm4pT6iS8lRpjqxeOp0RxIVSA/s400/zarou+219.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276387342630018834" /></a><br /><br />Here I am, forming the sacred condor. See, my head is the head, and the two mountains are my wings spread in flight.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhh4FL3tEz1-3rh-QGsfR_BIv56aEJCqtlYuFZJmiOPkZw9ottx_37L2gfs89SQuO-9bJExo76hTu1SU4AqptQ8oqTsqXovwrMjVFkvQ4VNVjFRihzwfVBB2yt7DxsBM7vo-lPEJKP-4Q/s1600-h/zarou+220.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhh4FL3tEz1-3rh-QGsfR_BIv56aEJCqtlYuFZJmiOPkZw9ottx_37L2gfs89SQuO-9bJExo76hTu1SU4AqptQ8oqTsqXovwrMjVFkvQ4VNVjFRihzwfVBB2yt7DxsBM7vo-lPEJKP-4Q/s400/zarou+220.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276390003017566962" /></a><br /><br />So then, for reasons I'm still not entirely clear on (I think I may have heard my mother's voice telling me "you only visit Machu Picchu once") I decided to climb Wayna Picchu. That's that big one, on the right, nearly 1000 ft higher than Machu Picchu.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iYCaZoCy1JmBekyRi16dnikb82CykCIiUaWZk8XdTUH9iySoCIsCKgbpyccktVvr_i8hcf8pCsrT9_V5hTx2xBKCIX3ycxHTkdyhg8xpg_Zbs0euIYbCmZyhmsPBCyhUy1jxhiaxfFLX/s1600-h/zarou+226.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iYCaZoCy1JmBekyRi16dnikb82CykCIiUaWZk8XdTUH9iySoCIsCKgbpyccktVvr_i8hcf8pCsrT9_V5hTx2xBKCIX3ycxHTkdyhg8xpg_Zbs0euIYbCmZyhmsPBCyhUy1jxhiaxfFLX/s400/zarou+226.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276389998007934226" /></a><br /><br />Which I did. Somehow. It only took me 35 minutes (I've heard the record is 15) but it was one of the most difficult things I've ever done in my life. Wheezing and sweating and enduring the encouragement of others without having the breath to respond. "You're almost there!" "It's sooo worth it!" "You're gonna need to pace yourself." <br /><br />Look how tiny Machu Picchu looks from up here.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJ05jSIditJHKt_2IMUxqbw6J1zVbqGyvaJOB9CyJisioiOjOaeKvwrujeqt03WHcA0f2KCNhH8_pTf1x61NUS8wIx-dKJqX55z2RBvyRdd2rBxGlR6PkcfftU3uWiK07xMHv5JGVAS8R/s1600-h/zarou+228.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJ05jSIditJHKt_2IMUxqbw6J1zVbqGyvaJOB9CyJisioiOjOaeKvwrujeqt03WHcA0f2KCNhH8_pTf1x61NUS8wIx-dKJqX55z2RBvyRdd2rBxGlR6PkcfftU3uWiK07xMHv5JGVAS8R/s400/zarou+228.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276389988827478482" /></a><br /><br />Then I found out I wasn't at the top. To get to the top, you had to shimmy through a narrow (muddy and wet) cave, scale a rock, scamper up a wooden ladder, then find a perch on top of some boulders so you didn't go plummetting down into the Urubamba, hundreds of feet below.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcteqIEGrBiM7qROw7Sgut1AUn9_r3-rz6NCXYdNfgMG3OcRdacwEnZ2mX19EbTEUMc8aK17F4siD6rLx_jPMO8NAALB-0_xJfA3WzFAwyk_vPicPM5MHHnJQdn-KtlJWzn5shEOFuQ-c/s1600-h/zarou+229.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcteqIEGrBiM7qROw7Sgut1AUn9_r3-rz6NCXYdNfgMG3OcRdacwEnZ2mX19EbTEUMc8aK17F4siD6rLx_jPMO8NAALB-0_xJfA3WzFAwyk_vPicPM5MHHnJQdn-KtlJWzn5shEOFuQ-c/s400/zarou+229.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276389976416059042" /></a><br /><br />Kinda looks like I'm touching the sky here, don't it?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvR3Ogg_1bd-ptH8YHsiPu-Vv_upB1WMX_kgc_XUI3pDl6-3tca38dSX1E6cMASVEJR1tKu2jvkOr63DbxPhbxnw4tgY0uiwc_25-Y9e5Z83Z2iDCvWLOMnfOgdoAYjh7TbXsKy0iAvOg/s1600-h/zarou+237.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvR3Ogg_1bd-ptH8YHsiPu-Vv_upB1WMX_kgc_XUI3pDl6-3tca38dSX1E6cMASVEJR1tKu2jvkOr63DbxPhbxnw4tgY0uiwc_25-Y9e5Z83Z2iDCvWLOMnfOgdoAYjh7TbXsKy0iAvOg/s400/zarou+237.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276389973680578994" /></a><br /><br />Uh, yeah, there wasn't exactly a place to get into hair and makeup up there, so I'm not really looking my best, but who cares?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUi22_3EJKf0cDi5DCW3YJA3_ZV7f1BQmECgnrhE9IypStXpmQsl0jjZDBycJvLrTkWRIymWaOqjmCPkaGu7gWdSPSAfLxKge7eXUtWp7FCR40lEeMpwBni-nO70nPT5boPHc3YaJt8c/s1600-h/zarou+238.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUi22_3EJKf0cDi5DCW3YJA3_ZV7f1BQmECgnrhE9IypStXpmQsl0jjZDBycJvLrTkWRIymWaOqjmCPkaGu7gWdSPSAfLxKge7eXUtWp7FCR40lEeMpwBni-nO70nPT5boPHc3YaJt8c/s400/zarou+238.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276393360294188978" /></a><br /><br />Then, rather than just go down the way I came up, I decided to swing around the other side of the mountain to see the Temple of the Moon. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMzSmvyuPVcoLgExXWqsVdVDOVJT3wQjYDsWf7ixjbZZj7L4wvaxliu2vejE6McALlZNAOV4Gj9RUjft25VdzuluKtJiTQLxoBoVeZGIeUPswEc7b_dRL9yXBdMmpu6wgq-8Rtwm2Hhg/s1600-h/zarou+239.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMzSmvyuPVcoLgExXWqsVdVDOVJT3wQjYDsWf7ixjbZZj7L4wvaxliu2vejE6McALlZNAOV4Gj9RUjft25VdzuluKtJiTQLxoBoVeZGIeUPswEc7b_dRL9yXBdMmpu6wgq-8Rtwm2Hhg/s400/zarou+239.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276393348898219842" /></a><br /><br />Down a tiny narrow staircase, each step barely wide enough for one of my size 13s, clinging to the wall for dear life, five hundred year old Incan stone masonry the only thing keeping me from certain death.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8raHAz9OM6b5UZvsydaXUEYFbJT3o7EaBQhCsKm7NIJaR-rNmJcnfJTzxqYNgbaxakJYKYBYrnGhBvXDGQsqNa85TGnc0TRqDwPWvdAL_lYn9NFj_ls37tWeJ6-0OtU1uaopzEMy0fnk/s1600-h/zarou+240.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8raHAz9OM6b5UZvsydaXUEYFbJT3o7EaBQhCsKm7NIJaR-rNmJcnfJTzxqYNgbaxakJYKYBYrnGhBvXDGQsqNa85TGnc0TRqDwPWvdAL_lYn9NFj_ls37tWeJ6-0OtU1uaopzEMy0fnk/s400/zarou+240.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276393342378249026" /></a><br /><br />At some points, you're literally hanging on to a metal cable. Of course, by now I had run out of water so was hallucinating that I was Indiana Jones.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZL1MpukVwAYFh-y1dhb0YRoRB3olrzYtOz3Ro_KGzFhnAWmxoTIsv9fShoeOtBnGNoHkuOIktgygDdw8iZ1ndljzGvnYdnhQWxhFJUYN2bCBTYeyzftim12NmdyzZVZU6_INNElkG2g/s1600-h/zarou+241.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZL1MpukVwAYFh-y1dhb0YRoRB3olrzYtOz3Ro_KGzFhnAWmxoTIsv9fShoeOtBnGNoHkuOIktgygDdw8iZ1ndljzGvnYdnhQWxhFJUYN2bCBTYeyzftim12NmdyzZVZU6_INNElkG2g/s400/zarou+241.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276393339645996018" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3XEdcwrMkAq-UX04kI5ptNrCPqNzAFF7Zc_UE6QszLK6YAupw5_aTDQ_gnIbmv3M0H0U3hujK5Pdgd-xrDg9nc8jdyhd0qkIOBRTl4QZqHyJo1dMv27hZ-dcAT6iQIlC0YknY8RZTc8/s1600-h/zarou+242.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3XEdcwrMkAq-UX04kI5ptNrCPqNzAFF7Zc_UE6QszLK6YAupw5_aTDQ_gnIbmv3M0H0U3hujK5Pdgd-xrDg9nc8jdyhd0qkIOBRTl4QZqHyJo1dMv27hZ-dcAT6iQIlC0YknY8RZTc8/s400/zarou+242.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276393332299316066" /></a><br /><br />Also by now, most of the tour groups had either gone to lunch or back to their hotels, so I could take some pictures unimpeded by brightly colored fleeces.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88J0hNnsqC7Wjhn75wwnoVMqidrmZhvERQXa5YRQztFTSZULMmC4tUsj0e_9AJOlr_DKZTCKvLbbUqKW-szDhLsBtafeXSyBo-wTvkth3hzlw1LDOFtTc-cB1SALAefQFCXvY4pgMe0k/s1600-h/zarou+244.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88J0hNnsqC7Wjhn75wwnoVMqidrmZhvERQXa5YRQztFTSZULMmC4tUsj0e_9AJOlr_DKZTCKvLbbUqKW-szDhLsBtafeXSyBo-wTvkth3hzlw1LDOFtTc-cB1SALAefQFCXvY4pgMe0k/s400/zarou+244.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276397777207140802" /></a><br /><br />I liked this. The condor's head and neck are carved in the ground. But his wings are the natural rock formation behind.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17VaBHAQh6k0nej0FByEwT2ad726BB9BrqE8IqjJWzMK2CMwQ2Ap1m5NmlIZMMR8pBmk0UEifa8-UzY-IK_CezQ3HfZW0ha61gfP1ZopTSe5wjSURo6R_H5H4wd-3QcOb4ANzMq9Nu-I/s1600-h/zarou+247.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17VaBHAQh6k0nej0FByEwT2ad726BB9BrqE8IqjJWzMK2CMwQ2Ap1m5NmlIZMMR8pBmk0UEifa8-UzY-IK_CezQ3HfZW0ha61gfP1ZopTSe5wjSURo6R_H5H4wd-3QcOb4ANzMq9Nu-I/s400/zarou+247.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276396386062193858" /></a><br /><br />Back where I started, maybe I didn't get the classic sunrise postcard shot, but this ain't bad, right?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOvRqtolFncQ5vnCDEoCwSNWkU_IABjB7hWWJnh6WBfnVSB2mEa-CydNFdcrjFl8NXdt6Poe72ecN8s2lLwimhsxRzlFn0iOQW6yQeFsd7cuPn_rWrL1qIvsKbiZjaD4e29MQO592M5BA/s1600-h/zarou+253.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOvRqtolFncQ5vnCDEoCwSNWkU_IABjB7hWWJnh6WBfnVSB2mEa-CydNFdcrjFl8NXdt6Poe72ecN8s2lLwimhsxRzlFn0iOQW6yQeFsd7cuPn_rWrL1qIvsKbiZjaD4e29MQO592M5BA/s400/zarou+253.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276396376548800450" /></a><br /><br />That bird again!<br /><br />So then, even though I was totally dehydrated, my knees were aching, and my clothes entirely sweated through, I decided to do another hike, out to Intipunku, the Sun Gate, which is where those crazy enough to hike the Inca Trail get their first view of Machu Picchu.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UoN5Xm3TOqG3du2Wt0n8vqoHxwf5vI8ibDt5ghNC2rAwlK21qwVG9cF4X4E3cHjljTVjoYu2myK7FMXN0chEEyzde96Qk5jkYrT8K56lmywhxrGN6sQAmmUP5RL6mIv3aImPMOZMuSg/s1600-h/zarou+261.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UoN5Xm3TOqG3du2Wt0n8vqoHxwf5vI8ibDt5ghNC2rAwlK21qwVG9cF4X4E3cHjljTVjoYu2myK7FMXN0chEEyzde96Qk5jkYrT8K56lmywhxrGN6sQAmmUP5RL6mIv3aImPMOZMuSg/s400/zarou+261.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276396361195194210" /></a><br /><br />Let me be clear about this. I walked away from Machu Picchu, then back (did I mention how much I hate hiking back from places?)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgib9IkaI5YnJCfaWTuging8wdT3WPYOICPIa6716lys03xZvYOmm5BxQDd-fjtqpl76VAaQuT5JASgcmws86AfThX0n4WwY98nwmIdYHqIepCVpds9-hZTmlPYatngGEqzm2f56Z1w4/s1600-h/zarou+257.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgib9IkaI5YnJCfaWTuging8wdT3WPYOICPIa6716lys03xZvYOmm5BxQDd-fjtqpl76VAaQuT5JASgcmws86AfThX0n4WwY98nwmIdYHqIepCVpds9-hZTmlPYatngGEqzm2f56Z1w4/s400/zarou+257.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276396347864008178" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FVxUMbRE7XD5qJBfp1ENFVCvpA48jR-PLUsPplgy3oPpMVA5XrzvndU-bp5dwAlirCXd4lsl_nnARE8r8TAKeXz2Bt_TRp5J_H_fdYZ9EP_HKSAkhlWJ07DLrGYaP0K88GRgJ56RyvI/s1600-h/zarou+258.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FVxUMbRE7XD5qJBfp1ENFVCvpA48jR-PLUsPplgy3oPpMVA5XrzvndU-bp5dwAlirCXd4lsl_nnARE8r8TAKeXz2Bt_TRp5J_H_fdYZ9EP_HKSAkhlWJ07DLrGYaP0K88GRgJ56RyvI/s400/zarou+258.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276396331442067106" /></a><br /><br />The view from the Sun Gate. In the middle is Machu Picchu, below that the bus road we took up this morning, and to the right is Wayna Picchu.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aR0KtJKY-bB3hhBVwP2TmzCFvCpRBPFBAu-3Kvxzto2x_poC-aPKCMDhOmC4MnLqEyOYSGFR3uduMTVcKgj-5AJUyZg_SLctaDUw9k0kNuwZCo3cAeEwUS4AVhuosTyxGjx8tT1wgFg/s1600-h/zarou+262.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aR0KtJKY-bB3hhBVwP2TmzCFvCpRBPFBAu-3Kvxzto2x_poC-aPKCMDhOmC4MnLqEyOYSGFR3uduMTVcKgj-5AJUyZg_SLctaDUw9k0kNuwZCo3cAeEwUS4AVhuosTyxGjx8tT1wgFg/s400/zarou+262.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276397773187907794" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5mpsXj3uOnkv569Of4vua8oxOIvHKswuWErp4IYYuzceGqwRvBfEX15W9598lQRk7MTHNgPYcEkTWnsUcSR42nzp-135P8xap6Y_pPZOSgtVtMa-TthsOZDcg7CoZTqbFpfLvvPyKSg/s1600-h/zarou+264.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5mpsXj3uOnkv569Of4vua8oxOIvHKswuWErp4IYYuzceGqwRvBfEX15W9598lQRk7MTHNgPYcEkTWnsUcSR42nzp-135P8xap6Y_pPZOSgtVtMa-TthsOZDcg7CoZTqbFpfLvvPyKSg/s400/zarou+264.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276397767360512562" /></a><br /><br /><br />Exhausted, I took my last look at the fabled Lost City of the Incas, and started down the mountain.<br /><br />A bus and a train later, I was back in Ollantaytambo, taking a much-needed and wonderful shower, then a delicious dinner, including a giant bottle of Cusqueña beer, and right to bed.m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-6289399275073515172008-12-03T13:57:00.000-08:002008-12-05T10:25:55.897-08:00Taking the High Road<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnPWs7rd2pRjL3yc7nJHXxM-6sVdYaaCdb_uh8K_owmWIU07WljntpYfHytirY2aOfusuUfHrOTrhs9vDt_QAPZuSgLREmk0AHIduMPl0J8zvr47lUo5kkV7OhySvac_hUuqUX2uuzXM/s1600-h/zarou+058.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnPWs7rd2pRjL3yc7nJHXxM-6sVdYaaCdb_uh8K_owmWIU07WljntpYfHytirY2aOfusuUfHrOTrhs9vDt_QAPZuSgLREmk0AHIduMPl0J8zvr47lUo5kkV7OhySvac_hUuqUX2uuzXM/s400/zarou+058.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276339042954517778" /></a><br /><br />This morning begins the voyage to the fabled "Lost City". <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjea84qnPx6gviwB-C0DPltpaDA0VAjR18nVgYq3rjxuMyTnL9kAk9YsnF6S-rquHihuXSw-qZ0toOcemfjvLCpcQoaOmTZ2HAKYkUv4GDTrw27lMsFrMZYrLmoNPE76ep7QkjJzqd-tE/s1600-h/zarou+046.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjea84qnPx6gviwB-C0DPltpaDA0VAjR18nVgYq3rjxuMyTnL9kAk9YsnF6S-rquHihuXSw-qZ0toOcemfjvLCpcQoaOmTZ2HAKYkUv4GDTrw27lMsFrMZYrLmoNPE76ep7QkjJzqd-tE/s400/zarou+046.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276339035117544706" /></a><br /><br />It's a lovely ride along the Urubamba, only an hour and a half, and the scenery is beautiful.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkM4y1I_9mjXjlztLV4apVRdgBtx2TUoYeWP02AWgbGVBfIJvIsxb_rtlj0uFionnDvdP1sEBjMiDJu9BgI8LIr_prGxmQzkkzIXMwgM20kqjZc_2lvIdRjAt8iXPjUcZAcBOHFiyQCiw/s1600-h/zarou+050.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkM4y1I_9mjXjlztLV4apVRdgBtx2TUoYeWP02AWgbGVBfIJvIsxb_rtlj0uFionnDvdP1sEBjMiDJu9BgI8LIr_prGxmQzkkzIXMwgM20kqjZc_2lvIdRjAt8iXPjUcZAcBOHFiyQCiw/s400/zarou+050.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276339019931126146" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95XPxYEWFpJMhqzryqQzi7F7uXYmf71UuGTNBiPi089YHj9l3qtmcjWaWeIVosBTbDVHC8vEK-upNxUOpUHjoJHxZ9TRfT4IPzzwyHjIv8CIWK2ekDiIHYQEV5bpIab_ox8hSC0sikaI/s1600-h/zarou+052.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95XPxYEWFpJMhqzryqQzi7F7uXYmf71UuGTNBiPi089YHj9l3qtmcjWaWeIVosBTbDVHC8vEK-upNxUOpUHjoJHxZ9TRfT4IPzzwyHjIv8CIWK2ekDiIHYQEV5bpIab_ox8hSC0sikaI/s400/zarou+052.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276339014844253506" /></a><br /><br />There is something ominous and foreboding though, as you head deeper into the jungle and higher into the mountains...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZyXipgG_p_5HAgdqs33oiXcsMeTw402UEa19n74oXe7j1EEra3RdZZYgyU0Hayxkgt-mVf8CzgoayUWuRft1hGxGY4zgDQC33rq6RiBxyXl3qqJ_EoIdh8PSB6U0Ho-3NQnp3PwvRnY/s1600-h/zarou+053.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZyXipgG_p_5HAgdqs33oiXcsMeTw402UEa19n74oXe7j1EEra3RdZZYgyU0Hayxkgt-mVf8CzgoayUWuRft1hGxGY4zgDQC33rq6RiBxyXl3qqJ_EoIdh8PSB6U0Ho-3NQnp3PwvRnY/s400/zarou+053.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276340887925750018" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLgBKx5QM_hiJG5vK2AhlJjINUygX9ldBiMAwYoEleWbFNc7txXdoqsTt_YZtgqJfODnWiTmkqd7ecRa0MD3NX4gUjEyRgaK5jXuKwekXdhyI7BAsNHaLEnFN_x0JMI2srkYmAJiResY/s1600-h/zarou+056.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLgBKx5QM_hiJG5vK2AhlJjINUygX9ldBiMAwYoEleWbFNc7txXdoqsTt_YZtgqJfODnWiTmkqd7ecRa0MD3NX4gUjEyRgaK5jXuKwekXdhyI7BAsNHaLEnFN_x0JMI2srkYmAJiResY/s400/zarou+056.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276340881426022866" /></a><br /><br />Aguas Calientes (or Machu Picchu Pueblo, as it's been recently renamed) is unsurprisingly purely a tourist rest stop, full of internet cafés, pizza joints, and souvenir booths. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiwiqGRX6ZTmK6qYUBBsVHbi003rJhML2wf3AySnQ0gwZkAsV6J9PgH_40MJ4IOcOtH3Dno6RK0HHwdg-PKO0dcOcI-T-zEloejoHfUkOYD7tyCeYIGFqY_3_ys_eXtiaK1Ia_QIUnaU/s1600-h/zarou+059.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiwiqGRX6ZTmK6qYUBBsVHbi003rJhML2wf3AySnQ0gwZkAsV6J9PgH_40MJ4IOcOtH3Dno6RK0HHwdg-PKO0dcOcI-T-zEloejoHfUkOYD7tyCeYIGFqY_3_ys_eXtiaK1Ia_QIUnaU/s400/zarou+059.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276340876932311298" /></a><br /><br />A lot of people come through here and go onto MP and then back to Cusco all in one day, but I want to see it at sunrise, so I'll be spending the night. Since I had all day to kill, I set out on a hike along the river.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17R56WJPwoDjN2rrfMMv6nRr5U_sOMT-Tn7xInMil7C_OSaoVXokplpwQQYU89VKpB_el7_PNsEy9hRzSM0ctUuPpWrYrq8fbxMI7P5XfNi9E8k5UlvvGkFfsQMn8-oZ9RUi9jFfaiyM/s1600-h/zarou+062.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17R56WJPwoDjN2rrfMMv6nRr5U_sOMT-Tn7xInMil7C_OSaoVXokplpwQQYU89VKpB_el7_PNsEy9hRzSM0ctUuPpWrYrq8fbxMI7P5XfNi9E8k5UlvvGkFfsQMn8-oZ9RUi9jFfaiyM/s400/zarou+062.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276344390862936706" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4uuH8-kjxDUXRe36Ba7uSksBhVopeDz6IR-A817jtgBIf6miYD9mS9DasXeTpH969G3yAUpsEa9ObY7zZjVTjschR_90UrzrbsbScxo7AiiKgO6J624YeM9EXq65w2nlvM8e7X6YkLo/s1600-h/zarou+063.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4uuH8-kjxDUXRe36Ba7uSksBhVopeDz6IR-A817jtgBIf6miYD9mS9DasXeTpH969G3yAUpsEa9ObY7zZjVTjschR_90UrzrbsbScxo7AiiKgO6J624YeM9EXq65w2nlvM8e7X6YkLo/s400/zarou+063.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276344351421177090" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GGYy_MrnTQ6q0xiMqnxEKxptS0pqiKvmH6uy53UYnd6tGHwTe4Rv3py_7GryEOH6MasQO8-ctw8WRdM1oRisSCDBSwUGWGdO_fc2BSVM40SgQ6NOkVoAnrO6TUNh5ZwXIXw6Kv5aAsU/s1600-h/zarou+064.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GGYy_MrnTQ6q0xiMqnxEKxptS0pqiKvmH6uy53UYnd6tGHwTe4Rv3py_7GryEOH6MasQO8-ctw8WRdM1oRisSCDBSwUGWGdO_fc2BSVM40SgQ6NOkVoAnrO6TUNh5ZwXIXw6Kv5aAsU/s400/zarou+064.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276344337137743218" /></a><br /><br />I'd heard there was a waterfall out here somewhere...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlOg__mpCqirxXmVHisa8Av3eeNaw_6Dxhi7SaGrFsj318HL7mhLGR999vrpAb6iEVIyHojdaApwbSLklQjG6rn15SE9MxldmFq4q_QvZzUC_rEsP85QRyYvqd-be3P15hfrTvH3coVY/s1600-h/zarou+065.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlOg__mpCqirxXmVHisa8Av3eeNaw_6Dxhi7SaGrFsj318HL7mhLGR999vrpAb6iEVIyHojdaApwbSLklQjG6rn15SE9MxldmFq4q_QvZzUC_rEsP85QRyYvqd-be3P15hfrTvH3coVY/s400/zarou+065.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276344328527814050" /></a><br /><br />I don't know what this is or what it's for, but it looked so out of place and old-timey I had to snap it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyF1uRPIQXyUPDbn2ra427mDSv06YkBmO_HeOAAT-KxNgVnGRTt0wR6TUVdNGSCwzTiWrCNBGO5WwFCIs8-gKBtbQb9YeAAP348stll_PhtxWQEpKa6zEdmMu-XEokVgAg2vY0rv_EtDg/s1600-h/zarou+066.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyF1uRPIQXyUPDbn2ra427mDSv06YkBmO_HeOAAT-KxNgVnGRTt0wR6TUVdNGSCwzTiWrCNBGO5WwFCIs8-gKBtbQb9YeAAP348stll_PhtxWQEpKa6zEdmMu-XEokVgAg2vY0rv_EtDg/s400/zarou+066.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276355576326648946" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGnnFVW9MHFAhH7w0sKktpz8urtQcgQUGUGLi_o6mMeRF0yIL1i5j2Be3Ux2e6DOGjRq-bFJqN9ZLhq7GYi8QnWyo6QLxbWLzZL6WrUhTF-Go6bSuxsKalVGas1EF93TWmdoP-4BBRTg/s1600-h/zarou+068.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGnnFVW9MHFAhH7w0sKktpz8urtQcgQUGUGLi_o6mMeRF0yIL1i5j2Be3Ux2e6DOGjRq-bFJqN9ZLhq7GYi8QnWyo6QLxbWLzZL6WrUhTF-Go6bSuxsKalVGas1EF93TWmdoP-4BBRTg/s400/zarou+068.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276355571166228914" /></a><br /><br />Just follow the railroad tracks until you see the sign, they said.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH992Jd03EgKNbgjgwaC6yvVcWORvd6n3ralgZeUkpRWT5LbMab9rsV7ksTT6jajapfghyphenhyphenz3ORFQYol7EzdJvWTAKRfelwpuWMVVYO-_xbDulvBWu5mRbqNynWSlKGLqGSiLclWps2RiY/s1600-h/zarou+069.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH992Jd03EgKNbgjgwaC6yvVcWORvd6n3ralgZeUkpRWT5LbMab9rsV7ksTT6jajapfghyphenhyphenz3ORFQYol7EzdJvWTAKRfelwpuWMVVYO-_xbDulvBWu5mRbqNynWSlKGLqGSiLclWps2RiY/s400/zarou+069.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276355557581446946" /></a><br /><br />"Where is everybody?"<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgHZvS6cxB6XZC1C_kdeHa1WanO72pZfNaIlTGD8mjNMTdshG0yT5bCuQFlR50Bv9qiMqUVznY6JC3LdQKM4T5vr4O4YeKCmIrq-WNSsCAyR0iDGgimJj_Tjt9o6lhRNMhjCeB2LC4pE/s1600-h/zarou+070.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgHZvS6cxB6XZC1C_kdeHa1WanO72pZfNaIlTGD8mjNMTdshG0yT5bCuQFlR50Bv9qiMqUVznY6JC3LdQKM4T5vr4O4YeKCmIrq-WNSsCAyR0iDGgimJj_Tjt9o6lhRNMhjCeB2LC4pE/s400/zarou+070.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276355544423476178" /></a><br /><br />"Through here?"<br /><br />Eventually I found the entrance, paid my ten soles, and followed the trail. <br /><br />Warning: It's gonna get a little National Geographic here, so if you're not a fan of pictures of flowers and insects, you might want to scroll down a while.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyzjm4-LxjVxAkY7OSBCcLEIc-ykcGwpQn0EvJmKXbYo_8mkg-NZm5laq2019kZ71bIiMHZpbkEwzlYC2Bfe5bdz9xpQBt-JvZiDh2QvS4COMocDhCPk5aRJBOFYhyphenhyphenR6rSKBq8hCpSLg/s1600-h/zarou+072.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyzjm4-LxjVxAkY7OSBCcLEIc-ykcGwpQn0EvJmKXbYo_8mkg-NZm5laq2019kZ71bIiMHZpbkEwzlYC2Bfe5bdz9xpQBt-JvZiDh2QvS4COMocDhCPk5aRJBOFYhyphenhyphenR6rSKBq8hCpSLg/s400/zarou+072.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276357629664528482" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJv_Oo9PvWRpGRSSLqfQXfOagbj-XmEzAJso_S7-eilGUZ3vHBlU9XyE9lEM3Zwe60tvtQSwEZoEk39a7c8-qDdtKezIneJBzB_xliXWj0jbjrvmwFOJNixskdFMrP5OAA6X1OzNMqMjI/s1600-h/zarou+073.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJv_Oo9PvWRpGRSSLqfQXfOagbj-XmEzAJso_S7-eilGUZ3vHBlU9XyE9lEM3Zwe60tvtQSwEZoEk39a7c8-qDdtKezIneJBzB_xliXWj0jbjrvmwFOJNixskdFMrP5OAA6X1OzNMqMjI/s400/zarou+073.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276357617595295970" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicp5FIwdqY8G0OiPPmdNKHq9wps7iP5mkGK-spfUzEbBzT-_BoAYmMeKAR3BKGeJeoB8aSVng3yot8KGXKK4Ywrhz1G3ySr1rvjK-EKTHRRGG0EZiPnbS8BXtsOWPZFXkGiOUaYjw785c/s1600-h/zarou+074.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicp5FIwdqY8G0OiPPmdNKHq9wps7iP5mkGK-spfUzEbBzT-_BoAYmMeKAR3BKGeJeoB8aSVng3yot8KGXKK4Ywrhz1G3ySr1rvjK-EKTHRRGG0EZiPnbS8BXtsOWPZFXkGiOUaYjw785c/s400/zarou+074.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276357610972621154" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq15E4kXsRrLLrJiWksa8aeRtwHHTJLvjTOt3jBr9RJKFjcBX2IDO2n9i9EPGVwH2rZ8TTdH-fqE-g92iIfmHsEmuk-7AlwqaB6jhAMServW_SmIZzfNRt4W-RWEvvY4UJ1w9hKzaWNCk/s1600-h/zarou+075.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq15E4kXsRrLLrJiWksa8aeRtwHHTJLvjTOt3jBr9RJKFjcBX2IDO2n9i9EPGVwH2rZ8TTdH-fqE-g92iIfmHsEmuk-7AlwqaB6jhAMServW_SmIZzfNRt4W-RWEvvY4UJ1w9hKzaWNCk/s400/zarou+075.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276357597629318674" /></a><br /><br />Deeper and deeper, the brush getting thicker, the air getting wetter...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbze1j2XWu_As_nHD9c_5mRIb-MhxPjJRlbhCWjcJV0dqA4xPrlRMbkjeWWkim3kyVHUGdzUqWwkB00KW4_R4wzqfF6G00w1cDeeAawoChWmdm7SG3jO9s0ThyyGZXaU9R5uDZnYR4YiA/s1600-h/zarou+076.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbze1j2XWu_As_nHD9c_5mRIb-MhxPjJRlbhCWjcJV0dqA4xPrlRMbkjeWWkim3kyVHUGdzUqWwkB00KW4_R4wzqfF6G00w1cDeeAawoChWmdm7SG3jO9s0ThyyGZXaU9R5uDZnYR4YiA/s400/zarou+076.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276359459325161666" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbg9AhRMF5xVEl08ryLWQh_xEvfZwG-IqP-LIWXUwRqcb9UaQi1m-zc_EKPRrYupa5b5ZbqC0mCiYMoE5yFKE5_mWEfBiGjtlzthYDTp1sXI0T6lkfQIRca7JfieOT98k76AEXP3c420/s1600-h/zarou+079.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbg9AhRMF5xVEl08ryLWQh_xEvfZwG-IqP-LIWXUwRqcb9UaQi1m-zc_EKPRrYupa5b5ZbqC0mCiYMoE5yFKE5_mWEfBiGjtlzthYDTp1sXI0T6lkfQIRca7JfieOT98k76AEXP3c420/s400/zarou+079.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276359429788358290" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WFPzRMQfo3YkipIzDlnz-RCqf6q-pBJCBnoaffiKZgjaHjPsaNy1_9TEIHCG4lMkWwJE-9XYH1U2dk12FQmzr0QZ50b8M0hTFfhBVsqeb3koXlkhOYS6ekcZ8opifEJK3JOxWw66_z8/s1600-h/zarou+081.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WFPzRMQfo3YkipIzDlnz-RCqf6q-pBJCBnoaffiKZgjaHjPsaNy1_9TEIHCG4lMkWwJE-9XYH1U2dk12FQmzr0QZ50b8M0hTFfhBVsqeb3koXlkhOYS6ekcZ8opifEJK3JOxWw66_z8/s400/zarou+081.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276359415818571986" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2lZIaAlhSVv87idO9SUTvhSClj5k3nlXztb8m_sYN7XppS4yQzWntpa5mI4s1xlG-U_oQxyBqcJyp1KsF8Vt62i0br6VmIeqklDU7_MMi1qBAcithYJr5xbCqHu0ZT_rNMiHU1KfMdw/s1600-h/zarou+085.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2lZIaAlhSVv87idO9SUTvhSClj5k3nlXztb8m_sYN7XppS4yQzWntpa5mI4s1xlG-U_oQxyBqcJyp1KsF8Vt62i0br6VmIeqklDU7_MMi1qBAcithYJr5xbCqHu0ZT_rNMiHU1KfMdw/s400/zarou+085.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276359403522388418" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9uGevLv8dn2SCsTXlytxS75xDm3kJQnpP1t1RSCdFbMgTY8tp6Xm2oC8aCNcdEjAvX_OvUa-ddMXMrv0TUeFTnK8iW3pO3LHy3bzDhYzd1B2JRMgtoEcru9GehmY5xy7ZBBmGeqcy7k/s1600-h/zarou+086.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9uGevLv8dn2SCsTXlytxS75xDm3kJQnpP1t1RSCdFbMgTY8tp6Xm2oC8aCNcdEjAvX_OvUa-ddMXMrv0TUeFTnK8iW3pO3LHy3bzDhYzd1B2JRMgtoEcru9GehmY5xy7ZBBmGeqcy7k/s400/zarou+086.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276359390157666930" /></a><br /><br />Butterflies!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDZ5QlsRMFXvEFomQ16lNaEtGMn8plxUUfHNqJk9OBk-r9WrmTrZFKNQalzFabUslzzVURvOx4egaAY20ZKCUJat8zkrSyI846T2zfgNcaR1OICUpb7xRpFI6abb8uLxz8zfLlM-5CfU/s1600-h/zarou+128.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDZ5QlsRMFXvEFomQ16lNaEtGMn8plxUUfHNqJk9OBk-r9WrmTrZFKNQalzFabUslzzVURvOx4egaAY20ZKCUJat8zkrSyI846T2zfgNcaR1OICUpb7xRpFI6abb8uLxz8zfLlM-5CfU/s400/zarou+128.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276360083682470994" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAYDbAcmPeqJe5Rz7N6l6X4-SuFToys3-Kos0cCHE6111MYKqA3x9KA6F_NYeiXk030eW4ssnMNJVWtIVFecxrbLOGDpDP2SUuaYu_Dssj86QhT_EnUHzMpODEc5WByk0xp3Ip90T2_k/s1600-h/zarou+129.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAYDbAcmPeqJe5Rz7N6l6X4-SuFToys3-Kos0cCHE6111MYKqA3x9KA6F_NYeiXk030eW4ssnMNJVWtIVFecxrbLOGDpDP2SUuaYu_Dssj86QhT_EnUHzMpODEc5WByk0xp3Ip90T2_k/s400/zarou+129.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276360080637386642" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoHI4nJU31iPi4sK2gEebL_EstTxOVCVrbtgsfaOobVN60gzQUJQRs_lqFdNcbcIyfVlC-yHvEre6lKb8J7arHFLrIPO5L73LZ44kbqPs214LUnlHq-EqqhLzY1Yww_FSL20iNAeXZG0/s1600-h/zarou+130.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoHI4nJU31iPi4sK2gEebL_EstTxOVCVrbtgsfaOobVN60gzQUJQRs_lqFdNcbcIyfVlC-yHvEre6lKb8J7arHFLrIPO5L73LZ44kbqPs214LUnlHq-EqqhLzY1Yww_FSL20iNAeXZG0/s400/zarou+130.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276360071014810786" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpe7W8u39md497rnfmLhWAjHudglk_CjjnKOR6qL-UjywRlgAxJ_4nux5uDyZaBMCe_uU8xPMySuii2XEHvntWdqfkaMIFKkF1SbdA5L4s26oIZUMm5u_EQ7c3G5oWeC6NwxtLMzDgvwU/s1600-h/zarou+131.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpe7W8u39md497rnfmLhWAjHudglk_CjjnKOR6qL-UjywRlgAxJ_4nux5uDyZaBMCe_uU8xPMySuii2XEHvntWdqfkaMIFKkF1SbdA5L4s26oIZUMm5u_EQ7c3G5oWeC6NwxtLMzDgvwU/s400/zarou+131.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276360063173890018" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPyxrJdmuQPmoqboQ9jLKZ0DoOimEqxe8VC_DrfjaqBQ2MaOrNGDgqaM2NCrdda2xy8vxw-z7HLEPyGf5LLap8OgpalG-GyMHuEByRJKxlArPZPuVnwvADcwr6fbIqe85CatOHtX7VlQ/s1600-h/zarou+133.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPyxrJdmuQPmoqboQ9jLKZ0DoOimEqxe8VC_DrfjaqBQ2MaOrNGDgqaM2NCrdda2xy8vxw-z7HLEPyGf5LLap8OgpalG-GyMHuEByRJKxlArPZPuVnwvADcwr6fbIqe85CatOHtX7VlQ/s400/zarou+133.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276360050424097186" /></a><br /><br />And some more pretty flowers...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMGrrxWfeJjbhLmePrrpBFDg42wXl5RQvgwdKIn4SPy0BhSo7uh6NGZNrfcytsqk6bZ00P5bSgWbyWyaX7Iu2nPRUWgzKATwGj_fTbPNvXyohHeEIxTmkaSZ_Dj-8nAqHPcvQrkK5fd4/s1600-h/zarou+090.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMGrrxWfeJjbhLmePrrpBFDg42wXl5RQvgwdKIn4SPy0BhSo7uh6NGZNrfcytsqk6bZ00P5bSgWbyWyaX7Iu2nPRUWgzKATwGj_fTbPNvXyohHeEIxTmkaSZ_Dj-8nAqHPcvQrkK5fd4/s400/zarou+090.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276363677853494578" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVDHSH8mWMNiglb-EHfYp3VCUGTNj_FrwcOGWPfWTOCTzIXwgRrA0kHiPtTk0Nen2Qyoqn-SBDpNLaoKOnepWSN7CH6UGWj-j-6pdQdegwlHpOmh4gojQxcOxUO-pg3NMFPgVYtz9VB0/s1600-h/zarou+098.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVDHSH8mWMNiglb-EHfYp3VCUGTNj_FrwcOGWPfWTOCTzIXwgRrA0kHiPtTk0Nen2Qyoqn-SBDpNLaoKOnepWSN7CH6UGWj-j-6pdQdegwlHpOmh4gojQxcOxUO-pg3NMFPgVYtz9VB0/s400/zarou+098.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276363670535935170" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZtqEmF1btS6v66VqBgHRE6U0tlmhLf8nFAs5d5Qv5_T1cnEZq5HDH9_BEwZ9WgYpPsGirWjKtb3CXlZdRhDX1kstEz88gRECG7RfbAI_afrvko84Qwdn335WASfNCPsOFvCjKpfF1kM/s1600-h/zarou+093.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZtqEmF1btS6v66VqBgHRE6U0tlmhLf8nFAs5d5Qv5_T1cnEZq5HDH9_BEwZ9WgYpPsGirWjKtb3CXlZdRhDX1kstEz88gRECG7RfbAI_afrvko84Qwdn335WASfNCPsOFvCjKpfF1kM/s400/zarou+093.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276363660462758946" /></a><br /><br />Just a little further...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9XkAa3T6nsopAmceOvVNJQAfCQdQJUWwpvuMorHRIbkVNr5CA8n3Pd1ckWBfL4lhw5CRxxU9aQMb1T-17_G2vExdp4r8sDfzP5Ra6_jvBCPS5ICBcYz4lKXZzjHS9tewxVu5vBWRoaU/s1600-h/zarou+094.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9XkAa3T6nsopAmceOvVNJQAfCQdQJUWwpvuMorHRIbkVNr5CA8n3Pd1ckWBfL4lhw5CRxxU9aQMb1T-17_G2vExdp4r8sDfzP5Ra6_jvBCPS5ICBcYz4lKXZzjHS9tewxVu5vBWRoaU/s400/zarou+094.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276363651272080562" /></a><br /><br />Finally I found it, Mandor Waterfall.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYojAnDpEHdgut9oF3E73bvEVk7H6Cb1ycyEhWkNFZDdcGuVQc5VHO7CXr3teYnlwZ8TPbhWizcvRFWYLs2Dh2sHxQCFC-hQ6EJVG4oWAQuLCoMWxQFhemlJvH5EfW6ccGKjrKizeRuz4/s1600-h/zarou+099.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYojAnDpEHdgut9oF3E73bvEVk7H6Cb1ycyEhWkNFZDdcGuVQc5VHO7CXr3teYnlwZ8TPbhWizcvRFWYLs2Dh2sHxQCFC-hQ6EJVG4oWAQuLCoMWxQFhemlJvH5EfW6ccGKjrKizeRuz4/s400/zarou+099.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276366175677445954" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNxMzOFK8A1lW18QC5Oukjl4tBUhxAPBarAkan5YpPR7s91gZEx9Yz7J9JdaorRn6L_0hyFYCZtd0w4peBCC0_XoDsuqVLwNlNLSVIo8PoPlkSmqgUxCsI5PEBVd1QX71UoUCwuwkmvk/s1600-h/zarou+110.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNxMzOFK8A1lW18QC5Oukjl4tBUhxAPBarAkan5YpPR7s91gZEx9Yz7J9JdaorRn6L_0hyFYCZtd0w4peBCC0_XoDsuqVLwNlNLSVIo8PoPlkSmqgUxCsI5PEBVd1QX71UoUCwuwkmvk/s400/zarou+110.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276366167200010050" /></a><br /><br />How about that tripod/timer action?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyXH7rtFuVMF9t6H0asjoK54BdBWvMA8ugNblE0E74azCktAXi0966bNSAQit8rn5qy3NDgYxLVgjpkYPU8wcS1MJqyjozhYiIRdnH7USueZZg_uC1AxzzsPi-SbVG8gNcEEDEHt4miM/s1600-h/zarou+090.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyXH7rtFuVMF9t6H0asjoK54BdBWvMA8ugNblE0E74azCktAXi0966bNSAQit8rn5qy3NDgYxLVgjpkYPU8wcS1MJqyjozhYiIRdnH7USueZZg_uC1AxzzsPi-SbVG8gNcEEDEHt4miM/s400/zarou+090.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276366162107494946" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglgT7CJL1yKAqwo4JnTW3RLwYMt_phoI74gceCSc_9sznvgsw-8aEIFoNWJoZ3HaUuPWKrkwAmzwhA4G3e4OCqlhbPYbIjL8nER9NRvYEQ4-kRsMAFg7GZPDuVO65i5w9cU6lprhHYRc/s1600-h/zarou+116.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglgT7CJL1yKAqwo4JnTW3RLwYMt_phoI74gceCSc_9sznvgsw-8aEIFoNWJoZ3HaUuPWKrkwAmzwhA4G3e4OCqlhbPYbIjL8nER9NRvYEQ4-kRsMAFg7GZPDuVO65i5w9cU6lprhHYRc/s400/zarou+116.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276366156528216898" /></a> <br /><br />I actually really enjoy hiking. I know that must be hard to believe, given my physical condition and proclivity for the sedentary pastimes, but I dig it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvvdVnwJbiZ5NtNFZupe2GzflG2FJ3TPqmo_EA4h89w76HVaI3xnQjnsWy_3Rk4_pEwEGbhuy1D0ObqSSk9rkr0cDntRuwy5YqCGBOVnE6zbsRrilXFmujaghEl0OTIxSFj_Cl9wlYtM/s1600-h/zarou+117.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvvdVnwJbiZ5NtNFZupe2GzflG2FJ3TPqmo_EA4h89w76HVaI3xnQjnsWy_3Rk4_pEwEGbhuy1D0ObqSSk9rkr0cDntRuwy5YqCGBOVnE6zbsRrilXFmujaghEl0OTIxSFj_Cl9wlYtM/s400/zarou+117.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276371045794326674" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRjfaZbiXeBsKoU_wl5uwQ9caKEkJznq3UavBz-8GJ85Bzf0Vj9Lyv80oOctOdaELBW6xbcNvtH7H9UJODVxaIX7R15e2D5LGiDxFy_As_vPn3cial-aWJzfLTNAbreEWA4A_W1xicTM/s1600-h/zarou+118.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRjfaZbiXeBsKoU_wl5uwQ9caKEkJznq3UavBz-8GJ85Bzf0Vj9Lyv80oOctOdaELBW6xbcNvtH7H9UJODVxaIX7R15e2D5LGiDxFy_As_vPn3cial-aWJzfLTNAbreEWA4A_W1xicTM/s400/zarou+118.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276371035883449890" /></a><br /><br />You get to see the natural world, get some good (non-boring) exercise, and enjoy a feeling of accomplishment.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtEykl9A1W7K-Jt8JjXujlQ5eDPGrJwWsbPlYs6vREges_CVrLg_B0C3Kf-Oz_raWu6jTuPrk6S1puq_v4hgR3CPCaOeBLbuvCqnsegMheq-hozszwloNIZz5rBAzFc0v_5LquQId_Wg/s1600-h/zarou+119.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtEykl9A1W7K-Jt8JjXujlQ5eDPGrJwWsbPlYs6vREges_CVrLg_B0C3Kf-Oz_raWu6jTuPrk6S1puq_v4hgR3CPCaOeBLbuvCqnsegMheq-hozszwloNIZz5rBAzFc0v_5LquQId_Wg/s400/zarou+119.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276371023932152050" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpWV9jJ3dHO9qPWYI3zptNT1c8-_a6wm2kPSyrqts88h_RXk5PlS6A4GrYbSoodmgSpJGzl_94VttdOj8qkFuqSsabi4jH5Cm8NSdpegA62EeEOZO-EQQx0k6bVAYea3sUatuP77L1XI/s1600-h/zarou+120.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpWV9jJ3dHO9qPWYI3zptNT1c8-_a6wm2kPSyrqts88h_RXk5PlS6A4GrYbSoodmgSpJGzl_94VttdOj8qkFuqSsabi4jH5Cm8NSdpegA62EeEOZO-EQQx0k6bVAYea3sUatuP77L1XI/s400/zarou+120.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276371010633425234" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDMF2u2eamT5dj_il4w8NRy4HpwzNxbC4iVGjQg6EVSufvdZNh1C89gQn6kWKyzWYboJWfQJkbrkYI45s7xsR4Hr0ne2gTfm4dXodaxKaBVaDJIx4-KldMoH6Y88iFu5n_z-APLdecSY/s1600-h/zarou+122.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDMF2u2eamT5dj_il4w8NRy4HpwzNxbC4iVGjQg6EVSufvdZNh1C89gQn6kWKyzWYboJWfQJkbrkYI45s7xsR4Hr0ne2gTfm4dXodaxKaBVaDJIx4-KldMoH6Y88iFu5n_z-APLdecSY/s400/zarou+122.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276370985907876018" /></a><br /><br />What I hate is that whenever you hike somewhere, you always have to hike back. It was a lot less fun walking back over a mile and a half of jagged rocks and railroad tracks, knowing that a cool refreshing waterfall wouldn't be waiting at the end, just a tiny hostal room and hundreds of backpackers.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJnzDsSZCUXpvUlUnpjZiTqcc23oFCFQnLgez5oRJFEv82I5FMk4DHXm9eppE-TTUHpt2eTkxeFO4CzDHjOUmzybNJVD8DC_nYHChpzxV7oaY0YmVqLKJJ1ebrhLTLLUyxNf6R9gKgM8/s1600-h/zarou+126.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJnzDsSZCUXpvUlUnpjZiTqcc23oFCFQnLgez5oRJFEv82I5FMk4DHXm9eppE-TTUHpt2eTkxeFO4CzDHjOUmzybNJVD8DC_nYHChpzxV7oaY0YmVqLKJJ1ebrhLTLLUyxNf6R9gKgM8/s400/zarou+126.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276372584039823714" /></a><br /><br />And they're still building, so more and more hostals are no doubt on the horizon.<br /><br />Evidently a couple of years ago there was a plan to put in some kind of funicular (HA!) system to the ruins, which would allow even more people daily to see the site, but UNESCO threatened to remove its World Heritage Site status if environmental concerns were not addressed.<br /><br />Tomorrow, at dawn, we find out what all the fuss is about.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGx_TJJVtVZXheuCSJwYho236u2Rcm7CAcu2PBzhXPg930hHPxOlj8E8uAGqqmnQAaEwtMT_folIPKze5pqGRjCt96kwFYTzo5mRVVqFaSxu9MdNythllFOlt4G_HufNwWf6FmnbJN04/s1600-h/zarou+125.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGx_TJJVtVZXheuCSJwYho236u2Rcm7CAcu2PBzhXPg930hHPxOlj8E8uAGqqmnQAaEwtMT_folIPKze5pqGRjCt96kwFYTzo5mRVVqFaSxu9MdNythllFOlt4G_HufNwWf6FmnbJN04/s400/zarou+125.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276372575998829842" /></a>m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-31369737955726549602008-12-03T12:41:00.000-08:002008-12-05T07:58:46.599-08:00Down in the Valley<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lvI562c-cLjuh3z8HyCZfeMxS0bhpQwVgvgX2v1Xy4kvtjHXEIwR2p1_PqIcDsrqOJzWR4eQGdM0DhEADv0Qx5MZ1jYIDdPsrS3vnrPEE8gmdo2stMYSCCoCXYQy7LTsY9dyIhJpbv0/s1600-h/Zarou+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lvI562c-cLjuh3z8HyCZfeMxS0bhpQwVgvgX2v1Xy4kvtjHXEIwR2p1_PqIcDsrqOJzWR4eQGdM0DhEADv0Qx5MZ1jYIDdPsrS3vnrPEE8gmdo2stMYSCCoCXYQy7LTsY9dyIhJpbv0/s400/Zarou+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275670528090513442" /></a><br /><br />This morning I had to leave Cusco for the Sacred Valley of the Incas. So sad, but it's the only way to get to Machu Picchu, and I'll be back before long.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzYSCjvXFPIvezukMsRmspgEJ4KyYcsQJpFs5NLYqXqvirTikpdS7ezHD1udpwnd4mlvfV8xyg2LD2bTe5qHjBmr5R1RMEQQhQJF3_NTnRtXFrGa6x4mrze1By3gbqJ8VHdV7cRHpmDw/s1600-h/Zarou+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzYSCjvXFPIvezukMsRmspgEJ4KyYcsQJpFs5NLYqXqvirTikpdS7ezHD1udpwnd4mlvfV8xyg2LD2bTe5qHjBmr5R1RMEQQhQJF3_NTnRtXFrGa6x4mrze1By3gbqJ8VHdV7cRHpmDw/s400/Zarou+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275675847699351074" /></a><br /><br />Of course, since this trip is a month long, any time I need to go somewhere I take the scenic route. This is Ccorao, the first city outside of Cusco in the valley.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9lDryZhMry4jAeOrM2-LQ2k3Eig7XLtrJduLNU5F4cYyALYfoUfk7GoEtviFMXMpOujfnPkCgz0Xk1eBi5uD058VyWS_KJbpSXY9fGriifN-FkI4H7xYwqmhURUvG9LZsb6uh8fHEPc/s1600-h/Zarou+007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9lDryZhMry4jAeOrM2-LQ2k3Eig7XLtrJduLNU5F4cYyALYfoUfk7GoEtviFMXMpOujfnPkCgz0Xk1eBi5uD058VyWS_KJbpSXY9fGriifN-FkI4H7xYwqmhURUvG9LZsb6uh8fHEPc/s400/Zarou+007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275675835008759922" /></a><br /><br />And this is me, overlooking the Urubamba river valley, where I will be for the next couple of days.<br /><br />First real stop on today's tour was the market at Pisac.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyXg4E9klfrFKUMOyIQwmYk2nIzJgP8tNi81EC4o3p4ZGsTeXCzB8IRETmvfsn9ZMT2nMr6-yNGJ0LHxGZ-vk20bbxCVRg4X_nIEMrZo1W89b3dsVuwUwWUth9kN5nygRb58-7M9WVPA/s1600-h/Zarou+010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyXg4E9klfrFKUMOyIQwmYk2nIzJgP8tNi81EC4o3p4ZGsTeXCzB8IRETmvfsn9ZMT2nMr6-yNGJ0LHxGZ-vk20bbxCVRg4X_nIEMrZo1W89b3dsVuwUwWUth9kN5nygRb58-7M9WVPA/s400/Zarou+010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275675830899328242" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9M2oAnt-uHz7ZWJCKRIYb1lOEeb4eWpoFncUet_HJjBb8sit3ZSTD-rHtBuXQwKPooWwU3kBZcklmYdRWt742h4ZaPnaOy955FrTVqQ30quXszXkZDt5EjEkVXIMDNr8KfBx_mt41yw0/s1600-h/Zarou+016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9M2oAnt-uHz7ZWJCKRIYb1lOEeb4eWpoFncUet_HJjBb8sit3ZSTD-rHtBuXQwKPooWwU3kBZcklmYdRWt742h4ZaPnaOy955FrTVqQ30quXszXkZDt5EjEkVXIMDNr8KfBx_mt41yw0/s400/Zarou+016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275675825534138290" /></a><br /><br />It's a fruit and vegetable exchange for the residents of the valley, some of whom walk for miles and miles to sell their hard-wrought goods.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VawGHq6gvNreQkd0E7U_PSEHmjTRIIi3_kUpmRTevtxwjdEvZJoxW2zZtlLvsl2loqt59rWp8MpkOhfkyXHrDjXvHQEuFNSSP30U4U9mCJZ2Dat0ASic_lgP6mxaBTVYIUDUMxUzmaI/s1600-h/Zarou+011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VawGHq6gvNreQkd0E7U_PSEHmjTRIIi3_kUpmRTevtxwjdEvZJoxW2zZtlLvsl2loqt59rWp8MpkOhfkyXHrDjXvHQEuFNSSP30U4U9mCJZ2Dat0ASic_lgP6mxaBTVYIUDUMxUzmaI/s400/Zarou+011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275685416309822786" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eXFq6D5pGXLKqY81DC4CH5FUTJxE_J_m7uv_bAIN25eoZOtJtLDeb8lkFga0DuX9H65s53A90aRlmWAlBGJFN1AvulV2KCbbXadgEXcKpAHLjnkZPmBZGr7iCwWBuZYtiFjdG9XER5E/s1600-h/Zarou+012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eXFq6D5pGXLKqY81DC4CH5FUTJxE_J_m7uv_bAIN25eoZOtJtLDeb8lkFga0DuX9H65s53A90aRlmWAlBGJFN1AvulV2KCbbXadgEXcKpAHLjnkZPmBZGr7iCwWBuZYtiFjdG9XER5E/s400/Zarou+012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275685406801000082" /></a><br /><br />But of course, like everything else here, a substantial portion of the market is dedicated to tourism.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQ29gWcXccpoOPhm9m7yRHGMMJxuA5dUE1KcHr7zwpcNDOB5AqC_Vw4ADKhcF-2pNPdJogmTnb9POnwy3x1hmdEYVMefekQk45pWrfEIQ8Tc9lLR8DjO4R4JzUEocGKBypS5T3cp4-dc/s1600-h/zarou+013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQ29gWcXccpoOPhm9m7yRHGMMJxuA5dUE1KcHr7zwpcNDOB5AqC_Vw4ADKhcF-2pNPdJogmTnb9POnwy3x1hmdEYVMefekQk45pWrfEIQ8Tc9lLR8DjO4R4JzUEocGKBypS5T3cp4-dc/s400/zarou+013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275711245038574738" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORiZFYSLDxFxPPB0RS21YYJ4ZdGFdxmkf-H3vh-h_eOrSN-SDGUCYC5tAtT8iQ5FyteZcjOLB5xQ_bmrhyphenhyphen4-vbyIq_6YsvCsf4TzndaUqnhYmdozO6dTvgNICISatMSabcsf5f8cnvco/s1600-h/Zarou+014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORiZFYSLDxFxPPB0RS21YYJ4ZdGFdxmkf-H3vh-h_eOrSN-SDGUCYC5tAtT8iQ5FyteZcjOLB5xQ_bmrhyphenhyphen4-vbyIq_6YsvCsf4TzndaUqnhYmdozO6dTvgNICISatMSabcsf5f8cnvco/s400/Zarou+014.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275685391066095746" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVrO-3ZH_qGbC7u1VtegP1UcOsJL7kDuHeNRfVj5CtFnq_jWJjxWBNIWxPRn-to4aydzCCej_fqdbYKHCMJ3lrctDowVtEBoRmGNsfiQZ_0C1iYKMjL3G9CtcnmMICY2myraiLlLgeUE/s1600-h/Zarou+015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVrO-3ZH_qGbC7u1VtegP1UcOsJL7kDuHeNRfVj5CtFnq_jWJjxWBNIWxPRn-to4aydzCCej_fqdbYKHCMJ3lrctDowVtEBoRmGNsfiQZ_0C1iYKMjL3G9CtcnmMICY2myraiLlLgeUE/s400/Zarou+015.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275685389316696466" /></a><br /><br />I don't know if you know this about me, but I hate to shop. For anything. Much less things I don't want or need. And if there's one thing I hate more than shopping, it's haggling. I always wind up either feeling cheap or stupid, and usually both. But everywhere you go here, and I'm talking everywhere, from the museums and ruins of Lima to the homes of the Titicaca islanders, everywhere you go someone is trying to sell you one of those hats, or a doll, or a tapestry or a postcard or a bottle of water or something. And the markets are even worse. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JfoYLdHMWjArba3-y6_V1xU14bV5BHQwX8PYdTeHFzU_GW8bpgdPsA2lLvTrYRVODu_zue-iFmrCzUdCrEnNKvJFNk2HDZKe9QNozxWhJqlIyck3e7gouGVQ98VoILQAHVhuGD1Ra9M/s1600-h/zarou+017.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JfoYLdHMWjArba3-y6_V1xU14bV5BHQwX8PYdTeHFzU_GW8bpgdPsA2lLvTrYRVODu_zue-iFmrCzUdCrEnNKvJFNk2HDZKe9QNozxWhJqlIyck3e7gouGVQ98VoILQAHVhuGD1Ra9M/s400/zarou+017.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275711249582752066" /></a><br /><br />"Amigo! Amigo! Pregunten! Mira! Mira! Ameeeeego!" And in such plaintive tones, as if they'll die of poverty if you don't buy a ceramic bull right now (which from the look of some of them, they might, so that makes it even harder). <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcN95ufhIYVz_ijf0HvCEFqRx9RoAnfNonDImf45GLoquY75eANDzs3n1cx5Zq5XrqboMdQnAO6ftCyMC9rwaeqfkN5Lg7z5HZSrObGTGhClwR6clmBx7HX9yjkz8yVda8428T0wKPfDI/s1600-h/zarou+018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcN95ufhIYVz_ijf0HvCEFqRx9RoAnfNonDImf45GLoquY75eANDzs3n1cx5Zq5XrqboMdQnAO6ftCyMC9rwaeqfkN5Lg7z5HZSrObGTGhClwR6clmBx7HX9yjkz8yVda8428T0wKPfDI/s400/zarou+018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275711250590724626" /></a><br /><br />It'd be one thing if I liked souvenirs, but I'm kind of a "take only photographs, leave only footprints" kind of guy, so all the charm of these markets is lost on me. Anyways, I didn't meant to rant there, it's just EVERYWHERE.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9VL63tJ-D99l2iPupr81I69ZU5nfflmkaQRLuRtdFQcuTauDrajLJMDZIO_RDsIFe78xynOxeVFAZVLJ8t3BpyUTTgxSISzt4e1YWuKntQ7KybIxUReBUjDghk9mmY6Lxf7sNeRO6Ys/s1600-h/zarou+009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9VL63tJ-D99l2iPupr81I69ZU5nfflmkaQRLuRtdFQcuTauDrajLJMDZIO_RDsIFe78xynOxeVFAZVLJ8t3BpyUTTgxSISzt4e1YWuKntQ7KybIxUReBUjDghk9mmY6Lxf7sNeRO6Ys/s400/zarou+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275711262361233058" /></a><br /><br />Oh look, a pretty flower. Ahhhh. This is called the Flower of the Incas. I think it's a kind of lily.<br /><br />So after the market (where, yes, dammit, I bought something), we drove on through the valley, and I started to doze. I awoke to find I was being kicked off the bus. Evidently my included lunch buffet was at a different restaurant than everybody else's included lunch buffet. It's too bad, too, because that's when I was going to make my move on the lovely Australian Sheila traveling alone across the aisle from me. Now I look like I think I'm too good to eat with the rest of the bus.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwy7np8Wp5nHmUiVh3Mho3ZGJk7764BbGLMFAoSTlP8kNfBp_HTBocWPWx3gGaPNvXgScUCe6zRAjqfYNWLMI93VYvYyRYMRrj55QVfd9d8mio8WA2bAcOqTtgm6rfTpEkPnVKOvhkYTg/s1600-h/zarou+020.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwy7np8Wp5nHmUiVh3Mho3ZGJk7764BbGLMFAoSTlP8kNfBp_HTBocWPWx3gGaPNvXgScUCe6zRAjqfYNWLMI93VYvYyRYMRrj55QVfd9d8mio8WA2bAcOqTtgm6rfTpEkPnVKOvhkYTg/s400/zarou+020.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276331171273017362" /></a><br /><br />Lunch was delightful, though, underneath thatched roofs surrounded by exotic wildlife.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC01vYyVvtcRcro11oemgcxnJcmjJcxD0hJCyNFUCDcAyC2J63GfJRkNBptlNIZ8f2hyphenhyphen0MD5XdWNiAWMfWwQifcnqNOIIg_I-u07cQo3vkP2CMcQW3Lh4-eOQ0zp-mxITplJ6xKPi7d-4/s1600-h/zarou+043.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC01vYyVvtcRcro11oemgcxnJcmjJcxD0hJCyNFUCDcAyC2J63GfJRkNBptlNIZ8f2hyphenhyphen0MD5XdWNiAWMfWwQifcnqNOIIg_I-u07cQo3vkP2CMcQW3Lh4-eOQ0zp-mxITplJ6xKPi7d-4/s400/zarou+043.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276331159627405970" /></a><br /><br />Awww...he's sweeeeping...<br /><br />Then it was on to the ruins at Ollantaytambo. Yep, that's the name of the town. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhA97JoZealmaWmdhUk5ZvH_Dy2Tt6-63dK4jkOyEoxMFkEiwgA3VVYCiO8RcmT8B1Q2o5XFgeY96gU5jpcqmdca_0TT2SUkVZPsvvGUWSisrO4qjWTm5z2Nm9FbNOamoDXH2-k2TX5g/s1600-h/zarou+021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhA97JoZealmaWmdhUk5ZvH_Dy2Tt6-63dK4jkOyEoxMFkEiwgA3VVYCiO8RcmT8B1Q2o5XFgeY96gU5jpcqmdca_0TT2SUkVZPsvvGUWSisrO4qjWTm5z2Nm9FbNOamoDXH2-k2TX5g/s400/zarou+021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276331158946301042" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgPrmauLSAVLXYrPNo0qCZP5lOcNTMGfKSbqV1XPP-dThTSeX-qIt5Mi-bjHLQZWHFUWB9GNbWBb-B094Yt0TwL0zb39lJhy6pfk6sxXpehSKL10y03BOQFc4vI3AS3Ixho8jGmSf7UM/s1600-h/zarou+023.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgPrmauLSAVLXYrPNo0qCZP5lOcNTMGfKSbqV1XPP-dThTSeX-qIt5Mi-bjHLQZWHFUWB9GNbWBb-B094Yt0TwL0zb39lJhy6pfk6sxXpehSKL10y03BOQFc4vI3AS3Ixho8jGmSf7UM/s400/zarou+023.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276331128003390738" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCM5haKcWdgI_I3tJsbv1lt4flLFwxhEeZHgu8fqnUuEZobsuJziNaZuBz0C08o-7H0NaImgYtqprFfAMkqrlBiczBtt4xlofDCSkonFWofnIqKuedPl2kVs0tFje2wFWq-R7T5L7ZU8/s1600-h/zarou+030.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCM5haKcWdgI_I3tJsbv1lt4flLFwxhEeZHgu8fqnUuEZobsuJziNaZuBz0C08o-7H0NaImgYtqprFfAMkqrlBiczBtt4xlofDCSkonFWofnIqKuedPl2kVs0tFje2wFWq-R7T5L7ZU8/s400/zarou+030.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276331118630388546" /></a><br /><br />The town is actually built on the ruins, using the original Incan foundations, so you can see how they planned their communities. More on that later.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fEJU27YrDR-vhtW-rU8luCkbe9kZTHHJOi0UNALjBqxyY0Vv2yuODimUcZB1Yi7hBqSNqHDXqxatDSrsb_f_2udyU0HMOtErdyBA4h5yujEcxkijv_ZQv-O_s-eggRxzDFgCFhIFFa4/s1600-h/zarou+029.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fEJU27YrDR-vhtW-rU8luCkbe9kZTHHJOi0UNALjBqxyY0Vv2yuODimUcZB1Yi7hBqSNqHDXqxatDSrsb_f_2udyU0HMOtErdyBA4h5yujEcxkijv_ZQv-O_s-eggRxzDFgCFhIFFa4/s400/zarou+029.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276333451221184914" /></a><br /><br />On the mountain facing the temple, the face of one of the important chiefs was carved in massive scale. (Mostly destroyed by the Spanish, though.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveKOkVwKopW-mf0J6lY3Qikxq3JtZ75Zc5KdXfm_9uK5vaqiZ_L0PzxXJuUjjDdtalqqT9bttw9gnmGM8I5F8RBjNG82NBM7RJNu7QD0TtL895YEMjtM87Chh4XznAI1z3b1XR7okJLA/s1600-h/zarou+032.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveKOkVwKopW-mf0J6lY3Qikxq3JtZ75Zc5KdXfm_9uK5vaqiZ_L0PzxXJuUjjDdtalqqT9bttw9gnmGM8I5F8RBjNG82NBM7RJNu7QD0TtL895YEMjtM87Chh4XznAI1z3b1XR7okJLA/s400/zarou+032.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276333442885127026" /></a><br /><br />I learned a lot from Clara (the tour guide) about the history of the Incan conquest, how there had been a civil war around the time the Spanish arrived, how the Spanish used African slaves and enlisted tribes from all over Central and South America to help them defeat the Incans, how the Incans built their massive temples in much the same way as the Egyptians built their pyramids, how they had no system of currency but citizens paid their taxes in labor, but I won't bore you with all that stuff. Oh crap, too late.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5a08OZY7pq2KVJhg0f_H1Kci6N6q2-tWA15BdBfszwQTLlXogLOUVfS_tmQAKagZYL7PIYXZlTSFyLblb06NfKnmnLXulHeH5YcJpBkQMb4A5Eu5kvgXOfav98_r8Qg_gEPk46xZ2BY/s1600-h/zarou+035.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5a08OZY7pq2KVJhg0f_H1Kci6N6q2-tWA15BdBfszwQTLlXogLOUVfS_tmQAKagZYL7PIYXZlTSFyLblb06NfKnmnLXulHeH5YcJpBkQMb4A5Eu5kvgXOfav98_r8Qg_gEPk46xZ2BY/s400/zarou+035.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276333438559310114" /></a><br /><br />So on that same mountain (facing the temple) on the edge of it, they carved the face of the emperor. See it? How about a close-up?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxctI5STbVEvV0yhIIgKE3la2W3mGVusEsKFsD_4pVtD_l1f9h9lnanN5YAsSiIReKXa1gt8_iBbz0LJwYVUooCb8a5ADPHl7QOXwMU71VeYGjFKLrup8TUA0NP199Xcdza0bYC2Ks2w/s1600-h/zarou+044.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxctI5STbVEvV0yhIIgKE3la2W3mGVusEsKFsD_4pVtD_l1f9h9lnanN5YAsSiIReKXa1gt8_iBbz0LJwYVUooCb8a5ADPHl7QOXwMU71VeYGjFKLrup8TUA0NP199Xcdza0bYC2Ks2w/s400/zarou+044.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276333431891258626" /></a><br /><br />Supposedly on the winter solstice, the sun shines right through his eye!<br /><br />Since I was staying the night in Ollantaytambo (not returning to Cusco), I was supposed to be dropped at my hotel. But evidently the bus was too big to fit down the road to my hotel, so they put me in a mototaxi (or Tuk-tuk, as they're called in some countries).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6uBANmsscYdNDIbjDg4Sjjmft4vks6iGABwc3FWgC_mMmU_8xKTjVs3YxHnHW1Gkx1P2L0bk3imMXNpC76x5581T1mXUbhpmpP6rh2-4WMDmxg7HL-ZKRh7zSjlqnQKeeNBY3Z-H-6xE/s1600-h/zarou+040.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6uBANmsscYdNDIbjDg4Sjjmft4vks6iGABwc3FWgC_mMmU_8xKTjVs3YxHnHW1Gkx1P2L0bk3imMXNpC76x5581T1mXUbhpmpP6rh2-4WMDmxg7HL-ZKRh7zSjlqnQKeeNBY3Z-H-6xE/s400/zarou+040.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276333426099930082" /></a><br /><br />Looks sturdy, right? Like, enough to carry me and my giant suitcase? Yeah I didn't think so either. That's why I've been avoiding taking them anywhere.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3Sl0XXYBLTJdZiAioFi5aKlaNbGcog7B-AEftOdQNoZ52HbpP3cICg6q9tF2KcEby-375rfhJjFBBMZ7ptcksqKXQNqPcQbRZE-R9KwAvwGB32g0NIv72yjhtGlkP051P22UuL-xYq8/s1600-h/zarou+037.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3Sl0XXYBLTJdZiAioFi5aKlaNbGcog7B-AEftOdQNoZ52HbpP3cICg6q9tF2KcEby-375rfhJjFBBMZ7ptcksqKXQNqPcQbRZE-R9KwAvwGB32g0NIv72yjhtGlkP051P22UuL-xYq8/s400/zarou+037.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276335208894156306" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWq08Dpzw3cFRbx0tXsfOWp3iRjd9PQBcu9yck80CKh0IWvIjCwGt8P7kyrvB9UJLRZocsfEMb7LpOf6bsn4NB_kOFaLPnrIdAemMFCTRa-YkWVTYXAbHoSRpxYn1kfxzZ54PWIKW9o7o/s1600-h/zarou+038.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWq08Dpzw3cFRbx0tXsfOWp3iRjd9PQBcu9yck80CKh0IWvIjCwGt8P7kyrvB9UJLRZocsfEMb7LpOf6bsn4NB_kOFaLPnrIdAemMFCTRa-YkWVTYXAbHoSRpxYn1kfxzZ54PWIKW9o7o/s400/zarou+038.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276335194437311634" /></a><br /><br />Inside, the thing looks like it's held together with bubble-gum and willpower. Thank Pachamama it wasn't that far.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjz9rt39b8I4wLwDi-6C-bWconse1iLZX7ELhalmPMycUZFNoV5wrwli4RJQqWdw_MKXTVKtEQsTnReH4FqiDqaHjt24OiQtf5J9To0958JbZWhcyalVMK_uudrV8vMxCQxd-ck8F7wuI/s1600-h/zarou+041.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjz9rt39b8I4wLwDi-6C-bWconse1iLZX7ELhalmPMycUZFNoV5wrwli4RJQqWdw_MKXTVKtEQsTnReH4FqiDqaHjt24OiQtf5J9To0958JbZWhcyalVMK_uudrV8vMxCQxd-ck8F7wuI/s400/zarou+041.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276335191387197426" /></a><br /><br />My hotel is right next to the railroad tracks, so that tomorrow I can head into Machu Picchu town.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwt-ScxOjL4qSOEhg9O_U4dDENQ3Zn7aX9w_nj1J1ub_qFygxJQqn7WHKdLO_3eGGtBrtIbyd4UO2Qtr11Mkwik0ukGcyH4nSUhxVg905M7HT7_K8FQWa1PDYhENPCh0LZlFAZgEmiEeY/s1600-h/zarou+042.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwt-ScxOjL4qSOEhg9O_U4dDENQ3Zn7aX9w_nj1J1ub_qFygxJQqn7WHKdLO_3eGGtBrtIbyd4UO2Qtr11Mkwik0ukGcyH4nSUhxVg905M7HT7_K8FQWa1PDYhENPCh0LZlFAZgEmiEeY/s400/zarou+042.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276335182597722754" /></a><br /><br />It's just behind that mountain, shrouded in mist(-ery).m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-46783126915728196292008-12-01T15:22:00.001-08:002008-12-01T16:34:40.332-08:00Pachacútec Was a Rolling Stone<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLU9si_g60byArLiFqSe6nk3NxN8UC6IDTIujj5YXczMj8Aq23QjAo41c6cM6oDXZ7_DcG5qUdPlNoREtzmGQnDZcQFkDMQlsfjBmx_yu86OJ8Q7wn3u8q6Pvnql2yvNSR5dYd9JDSpM/s1600-h/Zarou+049.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLU9si_g60byArLiFqSe6nk3NxN8UC6IDTIujj5YXczMj8Aq23QjAo41c6cM6oDXZ7_DcG5qUdPlNoREtzmGQnDZcQFkDMQlsfjBmx_yu86OJ8Q7wn3u8q6Pvnql2yvNSR5dYd9JDSpM/s400/Zarou+049.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274966517840814114" /></a><br /><br />This morning I met up with Monica, (the sweet German lady who helped me plan this whole trip) and a guide named Miguel to go mountain biking through the ruins surrounding Cusco.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvve2AA4JefIrNqE5kGMUWLRBD5A5WVy3X9wX7ScK_mfXItb2tFj98-3xiNJkY_6ofs1u_BtjebR7yLDNv9-KOl3mDL9AqmaEOllX28gnaZ8Qtte_ODXWms2czkbrcN6I8UyhooRj3-c/s1600-h/Zarou+034.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvve2AA4JefIrNqE5kGMUWLRBD5A5WVy3X9wX7ScK_mfXItb2tFj98-3xiNJkY_6ofs1u_BtjebR7yLDNv9-KOl3mDL9AqmaEOllX28gnaZ8Qtte_ODXWms2czkbrcN6I8UyhooRj3-c/s400/Zarou+034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274968786782074770" /></a><br /><br />Evidently my repeated blasphemy on this blog is not falling on deaf ears, as the beautiful weather I've been blessed with so far on this trip turned into dark cloudy skies, threatening to rain and washing out my pictures. Try to enjoy, and I will sacrifice a small animal in order to appease something (maybe just my appetite) and get the blue skies to return.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wpmCAs735eyVlnZ6al5U24aacVrwV5KsIZIfX1TmN4FcUxxok1rBTIRfJI4FTHzz5soxODP1cz4u1ofy-i-Qh8ZMU4JjFPICTNc6Uh0b_eNiDuXS1WQLRJ4ls9PrCPNbgrfE5IJphGI/s1600-h/Zarou+033.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wpmCAs735eyVlnZ6al5U24aacVrwV5KsIZIfX1TmN4FcUxxok1rBTIRfJI4FTHzz5soxODP1cz4u1ofy-i-Qh8ZMU4JjFPICTNc6Uh0b_eNiDuXS1WQLRJ4ls9PrCPNbgrfE5IJphGI/s400/Zarou+033.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274968775861079330" /></a><br /><br />First stop was Tambomachay, a temple/bathhouse built on a natural spring where high-ranking Incas would wash their souls, waited on by servants. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3yuEqQyeZBGJU150-vUQFG1alMGr50NLgKtfqXwZ9rfPQ_OkuO301ToYyZOpKphrEre4oEhyYfV8l3_rCKYN0X6OLlZeAgDJAri1yDl6I24XH1YZsTMW2ufyGhqQ0v3ChHfx4pPf2Tk/s1600-h/Zarou+032.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3yuEqQyeZBGJU150-vUQFG1alMGr50NLgKtfqXwZ9rfPQ_OkuO301ToYyZOpKphrEre4oEhyYfV8l3_rCKYN0X6OLlZeAgDJAri1yDl6I24XH1YZsTMW2ufyGhqQ0v3ChHfx4pPf2Tk/s400/Zarou+032.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274968772090960946" /></a><br /><br />Water still flows from the spring, and along the little aqueducts and canals. Pretty amazing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ek6RcKHS2BvjEx2eaPYfY158Olg_wpzMUQz7YrPycTGmyt3apWAVZYP9B5Rt43uMWA4bAlnKdDVSkzAdldeTpp_P_LAVwgw1xPqO1G_kxwOj9mG4Ts75E16KnuEgdZYo8IYrMkLH-vU/s1600-h/Zarou+035.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ek6RcKHS2BvjEx2eaPYfY158Olg_wpzMUQz7YrPycTGmyt3apWAVZYP9B5Rt43uMWA4bAlnKdDVSkzAdldeTpp_P_LAVwgw1xPqO1G_kxwOj9mG4Ts75E16KnuEgdZYo8IYrMkLH-vU/s400/Zarou+035.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274970864726136530" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNX2EtfSWocI5blPPmcrk4xqm-Pwu0KUoDGsbw2QoY05-d5VuG3NeVQvXu3TeSa_DZaguK1sVlCRG2rnhmJGeqp-PAnCFXwG0rqqgNlpsolqtfInhkzHfWdCCVTynE37B_z4tQpuE8wLU/s1600-h/Zarou+036.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNX2EtfSWocI5blPPmcrk4xqm-Pwu0KUoDGsbw2QoY05-d5VuG3NeVQvXu3TeSa_DZaguK1sVlCRG2rnhmJGeqp-PAnCFXwG0rqqgNlpsolqtfInhkzHfWdCCVTynE37B_z4tQpuE8wLU/s400/Zarou+036.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274970853878738002" /></a><br /><br />Next up was Puca Pucara, which was probably some sort of military outpost (great view of the city) and/or a waystation for <span style="font-style:italic;">chasquis </span>(the messengers that ran all over the Incan empire relaying verbal messages (no writing system)).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAKS2uop2xC-PP9Au88Qh_2kDSBefddceWZ6TjJHmGNViL35syFpXUvYi-h2vxG0pC-XDAEIGHLKb7Id5XePaiER1OshKwAGwJVRHzgsVrpWRDd8ZNz-bpyzBDxNnEdqrPXjjoePKWd4/s1600-h/Zarou+038.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAKS2uop2xC-PP9Au88Qh_2kDSBefddceWZ6TjJHmGNViL35syFpXUvYi-h2vxG0pC-XDAEIGHLKb7Id5XePaiER1OshKwAGwJVRHzgsVrpWRDd8ZNz-bpyzBDxNnEdqrPXjjoePKWd4/s400/Zarou+038.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274970849893531282" /></a><br /><br />This is me, looking awful bad-ass in my helmet and gloves. It was majorly extreme, yo. I only ate it once, when I tried to hop UP some rocks. Miguel made it look so easy! I didn't land on my face, though, so the thousand-dollar-smile is still intact.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkJ3IbNpRLSRv4X6bgu8oFyOk-WLJzstxGiTNfZ0qntY6jKB-ugnXMU4y2N7tQ23QUrWfVv03bBq98IBCnNOYJ86_LW445ED_5NlUxgYJvDVQ1u590CD35oitW8u4GNSmdAmd7t4cuxQ/s1600-h/Zarou+040.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkJ3IbNpRLSRv4X6bgu8oFyOk-WLJzstxGiTNfZ0qntY6jKB-ugnXMU4y2N7tQ23QUrWfVv03bBq98IBCnNOYJ86_LW445ED_5NlUxgYJvDVQ1u590CD35oitW8u4GNSmdAmd7t4cuxQ/s400/Zarou+040.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274970843938674626" /></a><br /><br />Next we rode down to the Temple of the Moon, which isn't a main draw but I thought was one of the coolest spots. It's a natural cave, but then when you go inside it's been carved to form an altar that is lit by the full moon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ElTU61JkU18UjK9S6rZuTNzgq-7cllRkYDes8nJYYjf5BdS6iXUwwZen-t0z13k8gIecyFvzkKKsiWhUfYeKQXwIAzOxeJx8b8xI89mJg0ykxIWC3cbecoavZ9pHZGa7A6XuJDDm_ho/s1600-h/Zarou+043.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ElTU61JkU18UjK9S6rZuTNzgq-7cllRkYDes8nJYYjf5BdS6iXUwwZen-t0z13k8gIecyFvzkKKsiWhUfYeKQXwIAzOxeJx8b8xI89mJg0ykxIWC3cbecoavZ9pHZGa7A6XuJDDm_ho/s400/Zarou+043.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274972915428232946" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5t-ruQWXu0ixvSsng0hZE51A4rJVkEDTnumqmnrr_ETESIBOQqbiWxINRafVUE6hklyAaEG_h-oGmytlVDWrfRvF1_b0bXlor_q1GZ4uBrecoZ7A1Iy7OfJuOBRfIj0TEvy07Wn3rL8/s1600-h/Zarou+042.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5t-ruQWXu0ixvSsng0hZE51A4rJVkEDTnumqmnrr_ETESIBOQqbiWxINRafVUE6hklyAaEG_h-oGmytlVDWrfRvF1_b0bXlor_q1GZ4uBrecoZ7A1Iy7OfJuOBRfIj0TEvy07Wn3rL8/s400/Zarou+042.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274972906659985346" /></a><br /><br />Carved on the entrance to the cave is a snake. I can't remember if I mentioned this before, so I'll go into it. The Incan naturalistic belief system is that there are three worlds, that of the gods (represented by the condor), that of the earth (represented by the puma) and that of the dead, or the underworld (represented by the snake). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQEd2ZDpACiVVQ3C6S0gsHLjnJk91LonC31hIjX-fsP53yjbZBbwQQHG7c4_HfQw3pSgjP_a86sURpIEVgpUOfwQGdnZOgztSNTxYLaY069E4aG8HiVdS631GBBG3EbEMdf5R5r155LI/s1600-h/Zarou+045.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQEd2ZDpACiVVQ3C6S0gsHLjnJk91LonC31hIjX-fsP53yjbZBbwQQHG7c4_HfQw3pSgjP_a86sURpIEVgpUOfwQGdnZOgztSNTxYLaY069E4aG8HiVdS631GBBG3EbEMdf5R5r155LI/s400/Zarou+045.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274973899336946290" /></a><br /><br />Me again, this time sitting on the throne reserved for the Incan priests. I just love how the man-made structure is incorporated right into the natural landscape. So much cooler than a giant ornate cathedral. Oops, there I go again.<br /><br />We stopped for a picnic, then rode on to Q'enqo.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKm5-xUDFhqQbHX7wNq9_MVFxHwgQTWAuXIu1ZnwXecrDRvm2xZwlW3nkrp-sj1PoDNIBOhnpUzGSF5dxit3Jezf1yvfgaRILHmlnIxj7dQqruN0j4uchMx1HTmyOm_s1GDFw4dRr2oM/s1600-h/Zarou+047.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKm5-xUDFhqQbHX7wNq9_MVFxHwgQTWAuXIu1ZnwXecrDRvm2xZwlW3nkrp-sj1PoDNIBOhnpUzGSF5dxit3Jezf1yvfgaRILHmlnIxj7dQqruN0j4uchMx1HTmyOm_s1GDFw4dRr2oM/s400/Zarou+047.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274975890412189426" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7c-J-xzRQ5CTMJt-D6PgeCQE9mYoeQDnGYLmMTymHqU5if5n-O4FSU2ZTJ0fgyCnO6yJdVn8ZjFOg5ohPWWte9_xwV_0ouA-xa3TpgHjinlDeqe4sFFPC2RKFO2AvTQzBzZ6AUK5W2YI/s1600-h/Zarou+046.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7c-J-xzRQ5CTMJt-D6PgeCQE9mYoeQDnGYLmMTymHqU5if5n-O4FSU2ZTJ0fgyCnO6yJdVn8ZjFOg5ohPWWte9_xwV_0ouA-xa3TpgHjinlDeqe4sFFPC2RKFO2AvTQzBzZ6AUK5W2YI/s400/Zarou+046.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274975885414419778" /></a><br /><br />Another temple, with another cave/altar carved into it. There's these little channels going off the altar, where evidently the sacrificial blood (or possibly <span style="font-style:italic;">chicha</span>) would run off. Depending on which side it ran, the priest would predict whether there would be a good harvest or a bad one.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUyotiRTKnjTYfIng4BY8y4uxcIDDinRH6FwFq7iol2oc7MfY6anGy5_n1-uI0xf9-medGwjLan6ZrurB4aM0sZ9CpkrcapLvjPAF48t8J8CFcm0FcdAHtMB9wLHPRZaG0b4lMRWY6JY/s1600-h/Zarou+048.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUyotiRTKnjTYfIng4BY8y4uxcIDDinRH6FwFq7iol2oc7MfY6anGy5_n1-uI0xf9-medGwjLan6ZrurB4aM0sZ9CpkrcapLvjPAF48t8J8CFcm0FcdAHtMB9wLHPRZaG0b4lMRWY6JY/s400/Zarou+048.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274975875655699650" /></a><br /><br />This sculpture out front may have been a giant puma, but we don't know because it was destroyed by ... well you know the rest. I wonder if that's why I keep seeing the Autobots symbol on taxis everywhere here in Peru. Because it looks like a cool futuristic puma. Hmm.<br /><br />Finally our bike tour led us to Sacsayhuamán (or sexy woman, as British tourists and jokey tour guides call it), the greatest of the Cusco ruins.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkr7p5-_OP5xm0ckzTwwogd0C_s34CNjFk7gmC5AmgPuD6UnD-ySwohpCkv8hpKN44Az9PtVz7Rt_K0TFAnKCfUnGbZ3hNYbEENvwSs-lJ4gxeyDbSTWvmS8xoCcV92xVUqBox2NMcXY/s1600-h/Zarou+055.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkr7p5-_OP5xm0ckzTwwogd0C_s34CNjFk7gmC5AmgPuD6UnD-ySwohpCkv8hpKN44Az9PtVz7Rt_K0TFAnKCfUnGbZ3hNYbEENvwSs-lJ4gxeyDbSTWvmS8xoCcV92xVUqBox2NMcXY/s400/Zarou+055.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274982850006902242" /></a><br /><br />Built by the emperor Pachacútec over a hundred years, out of giant stones that were brought in by thousands of workers from as far as twenty miles away, it's pretty stunning. There's a story that the city plan of Cusco was originally laid out in the shape of a puma, and Sacsayhuamán is the head, with its zigzag walls forming the teeth.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskLKEYre3taoo4zMzPG4DmQu1FLLZmhyLGEegZGhldH4gLwuWXpG6cYutxlACAP7L6qm-5XkwxSWhHek4gHrK_fhdDRWDAPbBbT-dxkXA88fri4q2nHU3ncLTicYHRwXv9MGLj08Ys6Q/s1600-h/Zarou+050.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskLKEYre3taoo4zMzPG4DmQu1FLLZmhyLGEegZGhldH4gLwuWXpG6cYutxlACAP7L6qm-5XkwxSWhHek4gHrK_fhdDRWDAPbBbT-dxkXA88fri4q2nHU3ncLTicYHRwXv9MGLj08Ys6Q/s400/Zarou+050.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274979691396355842" /></a><br /><br />The site is also famous for being the last stand of the Incans against the Spaniards. Spain had already conquered Cusco and installed a puppet regime, but there was a resistance movement that took back Sacsayhuamán and nearly defeated the Spanish in a siege of the city.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzGCDms7TG_X-G0ACmdz5caN4A_SyqZe_HztyUqIOZDR_D5j0ok2GSOYrmep80yIRnFKZjeaXEWzsZhZ1SgiKGmnbksHYMpcosPTkIqVleaKzO-ZZMFOdTIMaJQC58JC-uYFzdleEsMs/s1600-h/Zarou+053.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzGCDms7TG_X-G0ACmdz5caN4A_SyqZe_HztyUqIOZDR_D5j0ok2GSOYrmep80yIRnFKZjeaXEWzsZhZ1SgiKGmnbksHYMpcosPTkIqVleaKzO-ZZMFOdTIMaJQC58JC-uYFzdleEsMs/s400/Zarou+053.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274979685071126994" /></a><br /><br />Thousands died, and when the Incan troops were defeated, most of the stones were carried off to build houses and other stuff in Cusco.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2CWf7qbBNgpd4g2VpFqBCtigS4KZFKnQ4EP8epWN5NSaSxl2zmpN3fdqi0Co_kcHY6iQDYCX-87NzgGtsUjfr5FySMbEV0bAivaCrtNPW-YqE9rtyBWrejcEJ8Tn7mQ9AbcCMPEIRUk/s1600-h/Zarou+056.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2CWf7qbBNgpd4g2VpFqBCtigS4KZFKnQ4EP8epWN5NSaSxl2zmpN3fdqi0Co_kcHY6iQDYCX-87NzgGtsUjfr5FySMbEV0bAivaCrtNPW-YqE9rtyBWrejcEJ8Tn7mQ9AbcCMPEIRUk/s400/Zarou+056.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274979681413677074" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLfT9vtMKuJ2pRyrfh9Ota7JD2lYBeSSEnryujtHQwCGFVezYi7Laa8ohEfncy33HYQ71nEqCwS2EOaGYNiAh8l9-MX-FXFtyvG4WyPn8LubUplzbkKETMlbpYUozWJmH2P_SB8DN-Rc/s1600-h/Zarou+057.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLfT9vtMKuJ2pRyrfh9Ota7JD2lYBeSSEnryujtHQwCGFVezYi7Laa8ohEfncy33HYQ71nEqCwS2EOaGYNiAh8l9-MX-FXFtyvG4WyPn8LubUplzbkKETMlbpYUozWJmH2P_SB8DN-Rc/s400/Zarou+057.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274979673314145570" /></a><br /><br />Across the field is this crazy structure of volcanic rock, well-worn with grooves by years of people using it as a slide. No, seriously. But I think it must have looked to the Incans like it had been left behind by the gods.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVS0ejfB-W5zminqe5faF0Ve7gLIQ9dVWJn3XcnbdGg5jxtEeRG514ZImtV9VUM2EFzUj3sQgRPX7ddWvOSZV4lsKvsYBkxaf07FeNt6np4J1Drwa_xoIsWCr5O189Q_3rNxjUkyB469Y/s1600-h/Zarou+058.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVS0ejfB-W5zminqe5faF0Ve7gLIQ9dVWJn3XcnbdGg5jxtEeRG514ZImtV9VUM2EFzUj3sQgRPX7ddWvOSZV4lsKvsYBkxaf07FeNt6np4J1Drwa_xoIsWCr5O189Q_3rNxjUkyB469Y/s400/Zarou+058.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274979667438761778" /></a><br /><br />There are also some caves here (check out the man-made v. natural contrast...love it) that supposedly led to underground tunnels that travel all over Cusco, maybe even under the churches (since they were originally Incan temples), but the Catholic church isn't saying.<br /><br />We rode back to the city, stopping for juice along the way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhyphenhyphenZp3wV89J2tfsnc0UxsJyQbhAkNxQjXPCK8BowBKYe65CwoqEnTf0_bsPLisd61mX3pojEs-SUVdQKmbA_E5CbgKT9p_AVJvjVH6SOn-sHK7W2nN2Vz54_hTJjHvZ2IXTxWdTSzg2A/s1600-h/Zarou+059.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhyphenhyphenZp3wV89J2tfsnc0UxsJyQbhAkNxQjXPCK8BowBKYe65CwoqEnTf0_bsPLisd61mX3pojEs-SUVdQKmbA_E5CbgKT9p_AVJvjVH6SOn-sHK7W2nN2Vz54_hTJjHvZ2IXTxWdTSzg2A/s400/Zarou+059.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274982843336103074" /></a><br /><br />Then I headed out to the Central Market. Wow. What a crazy place. I saw a woman literally selling snake oil, a man pushing a three-tiered handcart that contained live chicks, eggs, and full-grown chickens, and people with all manner of dental and spinal abnormalities. Unfortunately, I didn't take a single picture, because I had been repeatedly warned about thefts in this place, and after all, it's not a freak show to them. I'm sure Wal-Mart looks just as disturbing to a Peruvian.<br /><br />After the visual and auditory overload of the <span style="font-style:italic;">mercado</span>, not to mention the throbbing pain in my knees and lungs from a morning of rock-hopping in the Andes, I decided to treat myself to a relaxing lunch at a San Blas <span style="font-style:italic;">quinta</span>, which is a traditional open-air restaurant.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsSX2yfQxVFgndH9rRqB3qm6uqxxG_YOPQ6G4ZB55lwXLl6I2GOK6QLAJTCTd6Cs498MZub89PiVEM8ySIRIfgJlMMoUlgQsKiYAXr-Y6zhgTc_MTrCgLv1K373gmbTZTnLWd3aW1joo/s1600-h/Zarou+062.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsSX2yfQxVFgndH9rRqB3qm6uqxxG_YOPQ6G4ZB55lwXLl6I2GOK6QLAJTCTd6Cs498MZub89PiVEM8ySIRIfgJlMMoUlgQsKiYAXr-Y6zhgTc_MTrCgLv1K373gmbTZTnLWd3aW1joo/s400/Zarou+062.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274982840026893202" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIE2e3pHbXiUNdSzD5qLIwHakfJyM8J45gaPQrEegDMzBUFnnBK6ndB4PMQa3EVgj9y06sOdEq3tu12WdbMzcUMnExamSHjDOnEB1s0WKwUQBfl6PAewds7pv2KThglHVju31wAv27WdI/s1600-h/Zarou+064.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIE2e3pHbXiUNdSzD5qLIwHakfJyM8J45gaPQrEegDMzBUFnnBK6ndB4PMQa3EVgj9y06sOdEq3tu12WdbMzcUMnExamSHjDOnEB1s0WKwUQBfl6PAewds7pv2KThglHVju31wAv27WdI/s400/Zarou+064.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274982835404269282" /></a><br /><br />Oddly, I was the only one in the place (I guess they're more popular with locals on the weekends) but that didn't stop me from ordering the trout ceviche. Which was excellent, by the way.<br /><br />Tomorrow I head into the Sacred Valley, and then on Wednesday and Thursday I'll be up in the Machu Picchu. Does this trip just keep getting better or what?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMqT_jz8ZpvgA5fvUntznLn1f0vS8XnsxvNAm-OnC_lCpBN89a1Eei9TrrhAJKeBd1P0OhQVgwgxaivMGuEVMGcBNBUhvfjZyci9vP4XmFeE3JUTVtA7N76_C6As8Nil2B4gDcorH3Pg/s1600-h/Zarou+065.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMqT_jz8ZpvgA5fvUntznLn1f0vS8XnsxvNAm-OnC_lCpBN89a1Eei9TrrhAJKeBd1P0OhQVgwgxaivMGuEVMGcBNBUhvfjZyci9vP4XmFeE3JUTVtA7N76_C6As8Nil2B4gDcorH3Pg/s400/Zarou+065.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274982829571732754" /></a><br /><br />This was over the door to the <span style="font-style:italic;">quinta</span>. I don't know what it means, but I like it.m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-5574530638698048012008-12-01T13:55:00.001-08:002008-12-01T14:58:17.245-08:00And That's When I Got Religion(s)...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1P3rJE02z6me_ZtyhJG94GKD7DK7bO7lDF4nLTmVn2QcmgOPgGevj6pWmq973ivoBUTjIjrnMSdJjM3EyTnfR1Iv-VEY-pisjOibyPsYNzuZ5jrlwS7xslDfvxTa3cqax7rNfFKOz74/s1600-h/Zarou+006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1P3rJE02z6me_ZtyhJG94GKD7DK7bO7lDF4nLTmVn2QcmgOPgGevj6pWmq973ivoBUTjIjrnMSdJjM3EyTnfR1Iv-VEY-pisjOibyPsYNzuZ5jrlwS7xslDfvxTa3cqax7rNfFKOz74/s400/Zarou+006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274944396792933378" /></a><br /><br />Not surprisingly, I woke up Sunday morning (barely in time for the laundry service, which is charged by the kilo, which doesn't seem fair to the big man) with a wicked hangover. I could claim it was the altitude, but I think it might just be my old pal vodka. Anyhow, the guidebook recommended ceviche, but my crusty throbbing brain and oogly-moogly stomach couldn't possibly comprehend ingesting raw fish marinated in lime juice. So I found this second-floor coffee shop with a great view of the Plaza de Armas (all these cities have one, it's like a town square) and ordered something called a club sandwich. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzK4OQVJ6xWbJ8QT9q19wB1eJXn9u00EbSWLWEiTVaxW5L7KTBCRkKIuhpUq9ww1zaxfKf371JxPSiqKVpqdBpe2KWDAXA9DBQRnAUqZH3g8l3dr35512IPG9-mtqg3uiAANby9PRsArI/s1600-h/Zarou+005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzK4OQVJ6xWbJ8QT9q19wB1eJXn9u00EbSWLWEiTVaxW5L7KTBCRkKIuhpUq9ww1zaxfKf371JxPSiqKVpqdBpe2KWDAXA9DBQRnAUqZH3g8l3dr35512IPG9-mtqg3uiAANby9PRsArI/s400/Zarou+005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274945661623243234" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzamjLr9Magyf-gzvYMUSIQ6iilE5AVGDXERk-TpNwvzkNcYsJwqyyGA3RBSp-K2xABsAa6MCQ51fW9_Cas0UzZFAI-FZX2JQQGXn-X9b8Pys7YuDO4dBPAhJdwvG-AsYXSsLpQeS_z7M/s1600-h/Zarou+007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzamjLr9Magyf-gzvYMUSIQ6iilE5AVGDXERk-TpNwvzkNcYsJwqyyGA3RBSp-K2xABsAa6MCQ51fW9_Cas0UzZFAI-FZX2JQQGXn-X9b8Pys7YuDO4dBPAhJdwvG-AsYXSsLpQeS_z7M/s400/Zarou+007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274945651912743298" /></a><br /><br />But friends, it was like no club sandwich I'd ever seen in my life. On three slices of white bread was shredded chicken, ham, bacon, AND sausage, cheese, tomato and a fried egg. Oh, and there were fries, too. This is a club I want to join.<br /><br />Then, as it was Sunday, I went to church.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBpa70c5xeT2I9lr2e1c-cLnFBbDngFHIKJI-CWFqR8CWjKUm0_cMqhQxwTnS10NHkEPcbeonAx7lEfFjfGc1OQTJImxETtowyXqHzo-vHvtLuhdYNe1ImFC9_21QeLMmsmzHNuXAsNQ/s1600-h/Zarou+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBpa70c5xeT2I9lr2e1c-cLnFBbDngFHIKJI-CWFqR8CWjKUm0_cMqhQxwTnS10NHkEPcbeonAx7lEfFjfGc1OQTJImxETtowyXqHzo-vHvtLuhdYNe1ImFC9_21QeLMmsmzHNuXAsNQ/s400/Zarou+004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274945642023153394" /></a><br /><br />This is La Catedral, the main cathedral of Cusco. As you might expect, it's all kinds of Baroque, with a giant silver altar and amazing wood carving. As you might also expect, no photos allowed. It's chock full of religious paintings in a style they call Escuela Cusqueña, or Cusco School, which seems to me just like Spanish Renaissance style devotional paintings, only elements of Peruvian life will show up. Like they got this Last Supper where Jesus and the apostles are drinking <span style="font-style:italic;">chicha </span>and eating guinea pig. Nice place to visit if you like Bible paintings designed to convert illiterate indigenous people, which I don't.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnKXXGo4ZX6GcmKuZnR6IDGTLZ8FTCOu9u3lryBcFu762vhw10CSrbmcb07PMCT0nL_9LMZSJ9L936dP8KbJbsiAjoYOxMAD0l2S_H-G8axVK3NT50MVuVxkx2N2MtA0GpYfsgKMuoQI/s1600-h/Zarou+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnKXXGo4ZX6GcmKuZnR6IDGTLZ8FTCOu9u3lryBcFu762vhw10CSrbmcb07PMCT0nL_9LMZSJ9L936dP8KbJbsiAjoYOxMAD0l2S_H-G8axVK3NT50MVuVxkx2N2MtA0GpYfsgKMuoQI/s400/Zarou+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274948477329514082" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSWxPQpH8WaI9vo7osopVP5S8dw7oTrzdLsGiV_YXoeB5wu97Tj18UKaUBEYxsF9mtGApe4i1lrxMjtUjyHLu8kZJn0vbTBxPuJa_-iHS0PvdJoDrShxQHdyKUPh25X5VtPdL-YfH7WA/s1600-h/Zarou+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSWxPQpH8WaI9vo7osopVP5S8dw7oTrzdLsGiV_YXoeB5wu97Tj18UKaUBEYxsF9mtGApe4i1lrxMjtUjyHLu8kZJn0vbTBxPuJa_-iHS0PvdJoDrShxQHdyKUPh25X5VtPdL-YfH7WA/s400/Zarou+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274948471251874530" /></a><br /><br />This is the Jesuit church kitty-corner to the cathedral. But with a name like Templo de la Compañia de Jesús, I just couldn't bring myself to go inside. I decided instead to visit the Convento de Santa Catalina (because I heard it was built on top of the temple where the Incan emperor stored his virgins) but it's closed for renovation. <br /><br />One of the most interesting things about Cusco to me is that all these Spanish buildings from after the conquest were built right on top of existing Incan structures. This is mainly because, despite their appetite for destruction, they recognized the value of good stone masonry. Or maybe they just couldn't destroy everything. In any case, the streets of Cusco are full of these Incan walls made from cut stones put together without mortar and locked in place like some kind of giant 3-D jigsaw puzzle. More on that later. (Plus, I figured nobody wants to see a bunch of pictures of rock walls. I swear, though, it's really cool.)<br /><br />First, a couple of reasons why I don't even bother asking for directions in this town:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiY-CQOTgKzTzM0mjhWbUeM_AwUwsKcygGsRX7FufQf62jZs_qwVP_1OKJc9VrTpb-jPXl-nI0qi98UwfO5fPbjR8_LHlf4mLzuOvPFEvvSvnKBZ1iiZ_Zf2rWJQpE-9KTvVC-kpwCKX0/s1600-h/Zarou+008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiY-CQOTgKzTzM0mjhWbUeM_AwUwsKcygGsRX7FufQf62jZs_qwVP_1OKJc9VrTpb-jPXl-nI0qi98UwfO5fPbjR8_LHlf4mLzuOvPFEvvSvnKBZ1iiZ_Zf2rWJQpE-9KTvVC-kpwCKX0/s400/Zarou+008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274950444326361330" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgD2c0Y7S0ZynQzd3JSJ-67f_ZBTwk-p1agl2if9ZtyAIeyrJHMaihHQuIIrOvcpo1RQgTEhf0nu7KK2geRhzhdfbSThTJwojHf-Jyb8CU5JZaqMgKC6kiFPLAUx4rthU_mSQJOID1No/s1600-h/Zarou+029.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgD2c0Y7S0ZynQzd3JSJ-67f_ZBTwk-p1agl2if9ZtyAIeyrJHMaihHQuIIrOvcpo1RQgTEhf0nu7KK2geRhzhdfbSThTJwojHf-Jyb8CU5JZaqMgKC6kiFPLAUx4rthU_mSQJOID1No/s400/Zarou+029.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274950431455541522" /></a><br /><br />Wha?<br /><br />So one of the most striking examples of this (Spanish buildings with Incan foundations) is Q'oricancha, or the Temple of the Sun (or Santo Domingo).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjagRRpp5iU7Vgvjk7r7Wg54gnh9HQ3YjfduW6YRWtbxotIGoe15jcDlRUjbiEvD_T_gi3xMqYf7rA7TsXsXAfukBshmHPCDnn-eEnXc0B0-LaSB2tkl_-quYnXmLNTACRi-NHTtNeTcE/s1600-h/Zarou+021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjagRRpp5iU7Vgvjk7r7Wg54gnh9HQ3YjfduW6YRWtbxotIGoe15jcDlRUjbiEvD_T_gi3xMqYf7rA7TsXsXAfukBshmHPCDnn-eEnXc0B0-LaSB2tkl_-quYnXmLNTACRi-NHTtNeTcE/s400/Zarou+021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274951681752332290" /></a><br /><br />This place must have been something. It was the main astronomical observatory of the Incas, their biggest and most important temple. Evidently the walls were covered with giant gold panels, the courtyards full of life-size gold statues of people and animals, and at one end was a giant golden disc in the shape of the sun. The sun would shine in and reflect off the sun disc and light up the whole place. The Spanish (of course) melted down all the gold, then used the stone walls to build a Dominican convent.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXM-DYzcIMrSkKdmOCGNEtQd90QVr20XQ8Ijes8KDmwFFnFGw0UQBm6rOHqhtkYrG5cfYBfhNXiQyg6Sh5lpkPEM8T0LwTQsAX6L7t48hJroI0ztJI_8zY5sIgnVvQ4FxwhV13i0Gy5Gc/s1600-h/Zarou+014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXM-DYzcIMrSkKdmOCGNEtQd90QVr20XQ8Ijes8KDmwFFnFGw0UQBm6rOHqhtkYrG5cfYBfhNXiQyg6Sh5lpkPEM8T0LwTQsAX6L7t48hJroI0ztJI_8zY5sIgnVvQ4FxwhV13i0Gy5Gc/s400/Zarou+014.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274954646089212082" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZB5QHywn1_XgCnf353R4EbGIPuXCqIUISwifZEME2Do7cOFPfVh2UPgyuyKslW4QzIHukC410DmIXGsVC38bqaumb87AE3hNmp7f7ZlTAsO5ZqPc3edN8jbPGnrOcWCC6RqWq_yr4N-E/s1600-h/Zarou+018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZB5QHywn1_XgCnf353R4EbGIPuXCqIUISwifZEME2Do7cOFPfVh2UPgyuyKslW4QzIHukC410DmIXGsVC38bqaumb87AE3hNmp7f7ZlTAsO5ZqPc3edN8jbPGnrOcWCC6RqWq_yr4N-E/s400/Zarou+018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274954654658565330" /></a><br /><br />Thankfully, you can still see the Incan architecture, and they've removed some of the cloister so you can see the other chambers, temples to other celestial natural gods like Venus and the moon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ycPc4AJ3xnzWbNSV45AZzdwqJu6pjzrtAUa3TMgBZMnKnjVyVsmp4kWflUtcNYc08tDVULKN61FHzHM79yfymSxdGXfHzd-UrSwGAZ6zPiPbdVYLrMirW3tnaT5NVzIC2f4SF9NLQQA/s1600-h/Zarou+016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ycPc4AJ3xnzWbNSV45AZzdwqJu6pjzrtAUa3TMgBZMnKnjVyVsmp4kWflUtcNYc08tDVULKN61FHzHM79yfymSxdGXfHzd-UrSwGAZ6zPiPbdVYLrMirW3tnaT5NVzIC2f4SF9NLQQA/s400/Zarou+016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274954620019900690" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMI4smaJm4nkLoRbVzGb9YX0wJs1ctpYYzPC15FNzyC4ZvPpAsvygXO90xp4GfeJjatBmrD12Gq0j2j8x7i9jqpn89RLJJZFqh3-Hsb8qoP6rYx7P4ibz8uwlgYKbGoaoHNlfcJBHTbkQ/s1600-h/Zarou+013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMI4smaJm4nkLoRbVzGb9YX0wJs1ctpYYzPC15FNzyC4ZvPpAsvygXO90xp4GfeJjatBmrD12Gq0j2j8x7i9jqpn89RLJJZFqh3-Hsb8qoP6rYx7P4ibz8uwlgYKbGoaoHNlfcJBHTbkQ/s400/Zarou+013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274954623172111698" /></a><br /><br />Check out the symmetry. They loved trapezoids, for some reason. Which to me seems a lot more difficult, especially considering they still don't know exactly how the Incans were able to cut stone, seeing as how they didn't have iron.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnFsoesFt97JC-2yNZSmPWhprc9cFerbK9yrp6DVKTl6ZIXmVZppGvPMv2pfzfCu8TftuU10PGcnJocrP3_jRb-sWSm4l9e3Lcn-OJBd-LXvoo0t2HzlCeaEQrdzjyRpcP6xsz3ltcdU/s1600-h/Zarou+022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnFsoesFt97JC-2yNZSmPWhprc9cFerbK9yrp6DVKTl6ZIXmVZppGvPMv2pfzfCu8TftuU10PGcnJocrP3_jRb-sWSm4l9e3Lcn-OJBd-LXvoo0t2HzlCeaEQrdzjyRpcP6xsz3ltcdU/s400/Zarou+022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274954633435652514" /></a><br /><br />This wall is amazingly smooth, perfectly curved, and has withstood earthquake after earthquake (some of which have crumbled the Spanish churches you saw earlier).<br /><br />Oh, this is cool:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKofJrSlz4O9BxK8F1jw5fWVQGIcqk9hywA3qMJnaPO4cjXFUJVrJNenia1qf6BYezKAsce2sKm925RbIgyPaPB1eb6i6LUW0tNWtY6EIFCP-RTdsnogb69hRZhRCpzfmWcV3EQ7gk_E/s1600-h/Zarou+025.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKofJrSlz4O9BxK8F1jw5fWVQGIcqk9hywA3qMJnaPO4cjXFUJVrJNenia1qf6BYezKAsce2sKm925RbIgyPaPB1eb6i6LUW0tNWtY6EIFCP-RTdsnogb69hRZhRCpzfmWcV3EQ7gk_E/s400/Zarou+025.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274956599385456130" /></a><br /><br />Evidently the Incan concept of constellations was a little different than ours. Instead of connecting the dots of the stars to form pictures, they looked at the Milky Way as this river in the sky that animal gods came and drank at. So the shapes they saw were the blank spaces in between the stars. This is an artist's rendering. See the snake in the upper right, and the llama with a blue eye? Neato.<br /><br />Anyways, then I walked around the neighborhood of my hostal, an artsy part of town called San Blas.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKUhe8Et3NXSRGZGoVwRjYMGU6XPHGtW4p30S5h-G8ra8BJNcLqZQWqueofSJOla43vPwmjTNlmWuf8wHU6KLsZvc80baVGQWbWHZVrkzHangSy1dcMR-e5PviMrdSpW0rKAYSL6OAtA/s1600-h/Zarou+026.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKUhe8Et3NXSRGZGoVwRjYMGU6XPHGtW4p30S5h-G8ra8BJNcLqZQWqueofSJOla43vPwmjTNlmWuf8wHU6KLsZvc80baVGQWbWHZVrkzHangSy1dcMR-e5PviMrdSpW0rKAYSL6OAtA/s400/Zarou+026.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274958015753552482" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5FMFA5jCLNk3bFJ2RjTZXd0QXsZYXMO8fL-FEXPM66net1IXCW4s8KGiSoE1ps_vIlNsB8ZRfHxazU1ATGzUmDR3cphb2ohjpLMJALkiQ12j-lTCY3xzEDDeW21n_gTM__6rctrOomQ/s1600-h/Zarou+027.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5FMFA5jCLNk3bFJ2RjTZXd0QXsZYXMO8fL-FEXPM66net1IXCW4s8KGiSoE1ps_vIlNsB8ZRfHxazU1ATGzUmDR3cphb2ohjpLMJALkiQ12j-lTCY3xzEDDeW21n_gTM__6rctrOomQ/s400/Zarou+027.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274958009570354194" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nHCS7wY_yyu8ZU7-0N2HIHjeRsaEGQJx2oELu6w0WrGGkPul-wnTtqgdzFcTf4eHrd1jj8t7_UvM47qDH62sx61PTqvESOt-hrmbAG6bznEmCxPwlI0D9S2CzFJqkhUoMvfqzyem58k/s1600-h/Zarou+028.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nHCS7wY_yyu8ZU7-0N2HIHjeRsaEGQJx2oELu6w0WrGGkPul-wnTtqgdzFcTf4eHrd1jj8t7_UvM47qDH62sx61PTqvESOt-hrmbAG6bznEmCxPwlI0D9S2CzFJqkhUoMvfqzyem58k/s400/Zarou+028.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274958002376675714" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKwUy1hjLciYrCBDnN2IOfMRLzJuTV52q6ryVu81T3HAiluaKd_W5jW1UJ2N5ywN3aaVB7N5i0fRpWsUCBVXWRFzdRn504V806-5mdbVgukKrVYmuLL84IfDUXOyadRGn9W89hrXlwn4w/s1600-h/Zarou+030.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKwUy1hjLciYrCBDnN2IOfMRLzJuTV52q6ryVu81T3HAiluaKd_W5jW1UJ2N5ywN3aaVB7N5i0fRpWsUCBVXWRFzdRn504V806-5mdbVgukKrVYmuLL84IfDUXOyadRGn9W89hrXlwn4w/s400/Zarou+030.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274957993541150722" /></a><br /><br />This is the view from the courtyard of the hostal. <br /><br />"But enough with the architecture already, Max! We wanna know about the girl!"<br /><br />All right, all right, you gossip hounds. You're just lucky I have no sense of shame or common decency. So we talked on the phone (I think she was a little surprised that I was calling the day after, but what was I supposed to do? I'm only in Cusco a couple of days!) and made a date to meet at the Plaza at 8. Although it could have been seven. She insisted on speaking English, which she wasn't that good at. Anyways, Peruvians are notoriously late, so I waited the expected half an hour, then another half an hour, then bravely accepted the fact that I got stood up. Or got the time wrong. Both seem perfectly in character for me.<br /><br />But before you get all weepy and pitying, you should know I then went to dinner and met a charming young Cusqueña named Irma, and we flirted for hours. Yep, I still got it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY48kXIeM0UhOmXLaKl_4xDsoLkd3BIzYbnbVKmiz-x3tgeWgDK23liNW7zIDyrVYy68GdC4lcVPfZIiBc7rLjaVX0-4DpEO6vqPrQl5F35qCyGZ-vF3RxypY5haoh50Ea9ngouyyu-YM/s1600-h/Zarou+009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY48kXIeM0UhOmXLaKl_4xDsoLkd3BIzYbnbVKmiz-x3tgeWgDK23liNW7zIDyrVYy68GdC4lcVPfZIiBc7rLjaVX0-4DpEO6vqPrQl5F35qCyGZ-vF3RxypY5haoh50Ea9ngouyyu-YM/s400/Zarou+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274958699539465666" /></a><br /><br />Hell yeah.m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-54148135946576002512008-11-30T13:56:00.000-08:002008-11-30T14:39:35.401-08:00I like the nightlife. I love to boogie.Dinner at a funky little spot called Macondo (anybody? Ten points if you remembered that's the name of the village in A Hundred Years of Solitude) where I had an alpaca mignon that was so good I'm literally writing home about it.<br /><br />Then I headed out to the Plaza to look for a little Saturday night action. The streets really weren't as jumping as I had been led to believe they would be, and consequently I stuck out (even more than usual) and was an easy target for all manner of street vendors. "Shine your shoes, meester? You sure? They look pretty dirty!" "Amigo, amigo, remember me? Pablo Picasso! Buy mi paintings!" "No quieres comprar? Quieres me regalar algunas monedas?" (Don't want to buy? How about gifting me some coins?) That got old real fast, and it looked like it might rain, so I ducked into the first bar/club whose name I recognized from the guidebook, Kamikase [sic]. Apparently the reason why there wasn't any action was because 9 o'clock is way too early to start partying. (I really should have known that, I don't get started before 10 at home, and this town is much more European than LA.) This was explained to me over (many) vodka-Sprites by the bar staff (I feel too weird ordering the usual here. For one thing, you have to say "Coca Cola Light" with a Latin accent instead of "Diet Coke", and for another, I'm sure I would get way more funny looks here than I do at bars at home.) Timo and Cruz.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvN77Y8yHNNzpF-pWMttmixTDKfvGJFSemGefH0SdnNOMVKxTcdMEhzyCfcoHxRnK2R4EbmcDmdv1167X3Tqa6i2eArHjShiyXFgIRL7f3Tm11pVj9yxEVKBuKWrZlLcdTSyXhslPapbc/s1600-h/Zarou+033.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvN77Y8yHNNzpF-pWMttmixTDKfvGJFSemGefH0SdnNOMVKxTcdMEhzyCfcoHxRnK2R4EbmcDmdv1167X3Tqa6i2eArHjShiyXFgIRL7f3Tm11pVj9yxEVKBuKWrZlLcdTSyXhslPapbc/s400/Zarou+033.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274576093628450338" /></a><br /><br />The place has evidently been there for years, and entertains a much more local crowd than most of the clubs on the Plaza. They serve some ridiculous drinks there, by the way. I didn't try them, but I watched Timo mix up something called Camino a la Ruina which included pisco, rum, wine, and an egg white. Road to ruin, indeed. They also served somebody a Dialysis, which is gin and beer. Ecch. I don't know which is more gross, the name or the (imagined) taste. I rocked my barstool silently for a while, knocking 'em back for a good couple of hours, until Cruz said she could tell I was getting drunk because I was looking a little <span style="font-style:italic;">colorado</span>, with which Timo agreed and added that I was also looking <span style="font-style:italic;">chino</span>. In case I didn't understand what she meant, she then made the universally recognizable yet wholly offensive gesture for Chinese (see Italian Olympic Basketball team photo), so I politely paid my tab (8 cocktails for $14!) and struck out for some more adventure.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZbspXgz1rSofz56UHS7jNee9BRDh-tg3oLD2KrYkNyyaidKx7WBRZ6InGjLIuG7SAB1pwHUGz0CKi2ly-uMDDheTjLk1X9feSI1fXfXv0o6ehMtxqSMey0ZWnt_9hyphenhyphenBrnu0HCBxNhNM/s1600-h/Zarou+037.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZbspXgz1rSofz56UHS7jNee9BRDh-tg3oLD2KrYkNyyaidKx7WBRZ6InGjLIuG7SAB1pwHUGz0CKi2ly-uMDDheTjLk1X9feSI1fXfXv0o6ehMtxqSMey0ZWnt_9hyphenhyphenBrnu0HCBxNhNM/s400/Zarou+037.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274582859677394210" /></a><br /><br />Now the Plaza was a whole different world. Reflections of streetlamps sparkling from fresh rain puddles, gaggles of giggling Cusqueñas, loud music pumping from every little alley off the square, THIS is what I was looking for. I allowed myself one night out on this trip and by gum I was gonna have it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO94mrhzRXsvKMe5OG7npnQtR56WM9SlxWcU1lJRn21Ztp6k_sMSRwYKhTVbGCz6OfvpQyUBwz2FpVFsXedY2rmj0QMxQ5_LBAqmed4419otekBofcEPYBCX7DcbB0Qmtd8P4U0a73Bl0/s1600-h/Zarou+034.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO94mrhzRXsvKMe5OG7npnQtR56WM9SlxWcU1lJRn21Ztp6k_sMSRwYKhTVbGCz6OfvpQyUBwz2FpVFsXedY2rmj0QMxQ5_LBAqmed4419otekBofcEPYBCX7DcbB0Qmtd8P4U0a73Bl0/s400/Zarou+034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274579912244909410" /></a><br /><br />Paid the cover at a place called Ukuku's, and caught a live reggae show. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTmKb3e1_ey5v9DY7_dbynxj-8nN1n8K7SJqJwSrpq0T-OD9YKe8-q1qN-kEyzt5sOtAm3IoE8Eq5YIBnXDEiFmul3YRersoqN4u9S8Bt2ce2IsKvuabK1GjLxYMoGR9wNmWqG8W1FKc/s1600-h/Zarou+036.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTmKb3e1_ey5v9DY7_dbynxj-8nN1n8K7SJqJwSrpq0T-OD9YKe8-q1qN-kEyzt5sOtAm3IoE8Eq5YIBnXDEiFmul3YRersoqN4u9S8Bt2ce2IsKvuabK1GjLxYMoGR9wNmWqG8W1FKc/s400/Zarou+036.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274579923715116210" /></a><br /><br />Trust me. You haven't heard reggae until you've heard Peruvian reggae. Actually, it's pretty much the same, but all the shout-outs are in Spanish. The lead singer (#66) was exclaiming the virtues of the "robe-a-dobe estyle," to give you an idea. Danced by myself for a while (don't cry, I do it all the time) and paid MUCH more for cocktails. They got this wacky system where first you go to the cashier, look at a menu, indicate your choice and pay her, then she writes your order on this little slip of paper, which you then take over to the bartender, who reads it and makes your drink. Certainly beats competing for the bartender's attention and then screaming over the din of the crowd.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdYTGxXhWsI3eiGF_Fg7HNmvvf3S3ekkuD6RL45H_sf5F0-VnDY_lfl_O_7FPUJQip7vcN1oxhnHPCyE9ax8bqTCVchcL_HH1mcliSt1GFAyFvPOwxzkZuVsd_0SY3hfVN_IQ1uN-9nk/s1600-h/Zarou+038.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdYTGxXhWsI3eiGF_Fg7HNmvvf3S3ekkuD6RL45H_sf5F0-VnDY_lfl_O_7FPUJQip7vcN1oxhnHPCyE9ax8bqTCVchcL_HH1mcliSt1GFAyFvPOwxzkZuVsd_0SY3hfVN_IQ1uN-9nk/s400/Zarou+038.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274579956514918242" /></a><br /><br />After the band finished up, the club music started playing, and that's when things really got going. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyk5jsXDfCptIGgjgEBPGkYF_RaDNFnjZXgJOMCHp9U1l2xzrkPXJuXIzBT9CJOuUuQrS68evhyLkibsbX96ST1wLxykq-Q4EnswABJLEEflhOMDkGuRiJDl9axMrr1XaBVnGzs3IEcw/s1600-h/Zarou+039.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyk5jsXDfCptIGgjgEBPGkYF_RaDNFnjZXgJOMCHp9U1l2xzrkPXJuXIzBT9CJOuUuQrS68evhyLkibsbX96ST1wLxykq-Q4EnswABJLEEflhOMDkGuRiJDl9axMrr1XaBVnGzs3IEcw/s400/Zarou+039.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274579934092102226" /></a><br /><br />And going. When I left around 3 AM, it was showing no signs of slowing down.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1Yu0TzKYJP3Lp2191Q33z2kO82-2VqNRjpN6fj57NSmIoRz3RLucdgdoWGKUN8VMnj4Riv3Z3d4hs-nZ-ON8VA7mYALF5L1Cw_zI-A2w3XYiDqtuddAjJKY5kURb9YcmTD540EwfIms/s1600-h/Zarou+040.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1Yu0TzKYJP3Lp2191Q33z2kO82-2VqNRjpN6fj57NSmIoRz3RLucdgdoWGKUN8VMnj4Riv3Z3d4hs-nZ-ON8VA7mYALF5L1Cw_zI-A2w3XYiDqtuddAjJKY5kURb9YcmTD540EwfIms/s400/Zarou+040.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274579942003904658" /></a><br /><br />You guys aren't going to believe me (I can't really believe it myself), but I actually pulled digits from TWO different <span style="font-style:italic;">chicas</span> last night! I don't mean to brag, but that's a record for me, worldwide. Anahi is a tour guide who has promised to show me the real Cusco when I come back through after Macchu Pichu, and Milen I didn't really get a chance to talk to that much. We were dancing up a storm and then her friends were leaving. In fact, I should probably go call her right now. Talk to you chumps later!m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-67943971063482382292008-11-30T13:04:00.000-08:002008-11-30T13:53:29.205-08:00Journey to the Navel of the World<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3p-OHJdh1UuW9PKzdEoVamhu2C5u_v64MunV770AnYRopqIkfZme67nugyITcYfft40835EMtxdPS2K1eqKEs0y3OqNJzqb7ZyrYQg8qccF6Xlg5MZNLTCm-l3nVkM3f1dFzd4CnGJ8/s1600-h/Zarou+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3p-OHJdh1UuW9PKzdEoVamhu2C5u_v64MunV770AnYRopqIkfZme67nugyITcYfft40835EMtxdPS2K1eqKEs0y3OqNJzqb7ZyrYQg8qccF6Xlg5MZNLTCm-l3nVkM3f1dFzd4CnGJ8/s400/Zarou+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274560777159415410" /></a><br /><br />Today was spent on a day-long bus ride from Puno to Cusco (or Cuzco, or Q'osqo) with several stops at tourist traps along the way. I gotta say, this is a much more enjoyable way to take a long bus trip, if for no other reason than you're never stuck longer than two hours without a chance to get up and stretch your legs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6bgfl4cY2t0Z5SBmRXXrXlzbqBSJgJ1e1Q3aOLF0uwpNWLGikIgLSb33KIpJsUG-Kyj-7Dn5o5WNl81_I7rRD-VHVLAck_DaK98IXb2KMyHo969p8QUej-aUvP1FtmjaVkgGIsxBiD8/s1600-h/Zarou+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6bgfl4cY2t0Z5SBmRXXrXlzbqBSJgJ1e1Q3aOLF0uwpNWLGikIgLSb33KIpJsUG-Kyj-7Dn5o5WNl81_I7rRD-VHVLAck_DaK98IXb2KMyHo969p8QUej-aUvP1FtmjaVkgGIsxBiD8/s400/Zarou+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274561417508237746" /></a><br /><br />First stop was Pukara, site of a significant archaeological discovery, and (of course) a colonial church.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXWqJ78DK0JpZgsOz2edW29cwLKjV2EH9TLrZk5pl2VTlqbsOBrPkdYB7YcFsvKueHSkgmfdYYp-QI0ErkrcNSEC7AP4mhLCRp4YxdEOunbTcXKGZ_IacRoLiYnrFwE1UwnJlnFjTW78/s1600-h/Zarou+005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXWqJ78DK0JpZgsOz2edW29cwLKjV2EH9TLrZk5pl2VTlqbsOBrPkdYB7YcFsvKueHSkgmfdYYp-QI0ErkrcNSEC7AP4mhLCRp4YxdEOunbTcXKGZ_IacRoLiYnrFwE1UwnJlnFjTW78/s400/Zarou+005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274563598952263426" /></a><br /><br />Next we stopped at La Raya, the highest point between Puno and Cusco, and quite an impressive <span style="font-style:italic;">mirador </span>of the Andes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfdyC-h3AHGoHBrgOEUC3nOHjECfsc1uOIXEbwoSQF6UKvEWMrCb0OA4TafPLkzhdQaJ9b5UKH_p8dEzCLUM8K_62FVm42oM8Di2DNHOnC5YXSaQzXSmj7VthhYWpcp1mJNjth3Jrub0/s1600-h/Zarou+009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfdyC-h3AHGoHBrgOEUC3nOHjECfsc1uOIXEbwoSQF6UKvEWMrCb0OA4TafPLkzhdQaJ9b5UKH_p8dEzCLUM8K_62FVm42oM8Di2DNHOnC5YXSaQzXSmj7VthhYWpcp1mJNjth3Jrub0/s400/Zarou+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274563591759362642" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTat1KKMuKRdEwQlpAGdCjGo0YzLh5pWnKrk4dxLbf1lB-5pMNofptaKhpvgB4l8CJ32kspaDoGq901EWGqx_uhIpd_R-UsTyDUy4XEn81TjdegcaFnVx3Es3AdSPqDhBSbg0jv6-XbgE/s1600-h/Zarou+010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTat1KKMuKRdEwQlpAGdCjGo0YzLh5pWnKrk4dxLbf1lB-5pMNofptaKhpvgB4l8CJ32kspaDoGq901EWGqx_uhIpd_R-UsTyDUy4XEn81TjdegcaFnVx3Es3AdSPqDhBSbg0jv6-XbgE/s400/Zarou+010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274563583875849522" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3E17fFlNi6IIgCCwm23_u_8t9nQwII05i7OlWS-NErie8gEzok9FDetWeprhohFLsje_IQmd0dmZry6V7r2WFqGN3vzjl_z3cgc3CCMnNs6CbnamCQI-MIJ7EUWj5HjMvbH3RLr9d9qg/s1600-h/Zarou+011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3E17fFlNi6IIgCCwm23_u_8t9nQwII05i7OlWS-NErie8gEzok9FDetWeprhohFLsje_IQmd0dmZry6V7r2WFqGN3vzjl_z3cgc3CCMnNs6CbnamCQI-MIJ7EUWj5HjMvbH3RLr9d9qg/s400/Zarou+011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274563572920259266" /></a><br /><br />A couple hours later we were at Raqchi, the ruins of an Incan temple to the god Wiracocha.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVy21K61Qyv8V2V-LRyIISd-b9HdBzBn_CEmpfynyi_r0plX6ZsJzOREbYEC6ragGoZc_9TmZ2JXaFTX9Ex_BA282AjeuIpPGvVhSdCvuuoapqI2OscrxqPgoWs9SHnBSFcvCdRCsuJDY/s1600-h/Zarou+012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVy21K61Qyv8V2V-LRyIISd-b9HdBzBn_CEmpfynyi_r0plX6ZsJzOREbYEC6ragGoZc_9TmZ2JXaFTX9Ex_BA282AjeuIpPGvVhSdCvuuoapqI2OscrxqPgoWs9SHnBSFcvCdRCsuJDY/s400/Zarou+012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274564937166328898" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQlx5VzGFSfwGKy1QGuxs5K50JPSn4LZPZtHwty4U8CcngjBmdGGdOshlcJ6yy2lRv4kRstnlH7K4XczReA2okCilGIPtzSP8xOkAwhTnj0amc05GBxeEw1JrT2ZnNBog8kdaAqaD3zM/s1600-h/Zarou+013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQlx5VzGFSfwGKy1QGuxs5K50JPSn4LZPZtHwty4U8CcngjBmdGGdOshlcJ6yy2lRv4kRstnlH7K4XczReA2okCilGIPtzSP8xOkAwhTnj0amc05GBxeEw1JrT2ZnNBog8kdaAqaD3zM/s400/Zarou+013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274564929153532002" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuo0DdN8ddi7mDeY7LvBA_90nUvjz6_77fQCzXPBAYLh2Fq8pyQYwE98IdXS5Vsbjkwn20rWJdLYieyIVzhV6Jn5UcfVRTtcJKl8o9S5Y6z-MD3qJpdv1pUb9SO6A-H53mASbxIMeeqo/s1600-h/Zarou+031.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuo0DdN8ddi7mDeY7LvBA_90nUvjz6_77fQCzXPBAYLh2Fq8pyQYwE98IdXS5Vsbjkwn20rWJdLYieyIVzhV6Jn5UcfVRTtcJKl8o9S5Y6z-MD3qJpdv1pUb9SO6A-H53mASbxIMeeqo/s400/Zarou+031.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274570922198812018" /></a><br /><br />It was mostly destroyed by the Spanish (of course) but the main walls were constructed so well that neither the Spanish nor hundreds of years of earthquakes could topple them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0jDKb2PmubUDXTOvxU4qfxZpHFl0dRbuwgyTZcTf2Qnemq5jc2gjz3T9bpM_s1r6ADNbkClhqxLkJ3DeJ4aVx13Ix58c_ZjUaidoZj1b-hzxfLkbouaCtJ9GQntBSsxLfOIrzgDA2eM/s1600-h/Zarou+019.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0jDKb2PmubUDXTOvxU4qfxZpHFl0dRbuwgyTZcTf2Qnemq5jc2gjz3T9bpM_s1r6ADNbkClhqxLkJ3DeJ4aVx13Ix58c_ZjUaidoZj1b-hzxfLkbouaCtJ9GQntBSsxLfOIrzgDA2eM/s400/Zarou+019.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274566419981987314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTjlFTip27OZ-0eVwimePl3P2bqWiiByILjiQmx25pEbitve8N4iFA2vuauYh5rJrpT7RR9VzG4vDu2tWzNcYXm8jhdzn2ivJSrUbTWg4yh3sYTfoufUut5VM8v9gIY1kUJwPMMUCCNg/s1600-h/Zarou+018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTjlFTip27OZ-0eVwimePl3P2bqWiiByILjiQmx25pEbitve8N4iFA2vuauYh5rJrpT7RR9VzG4vDu2tWzNcYXm8jhdzn2ivJSrUbTWg4yh3sYTfoufUut5VM8v9gIY1kUJwPMMUCCNg/s400/Zarou+018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274566410297874482" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZwEvvEdAO7AlKUPm16_JfdlyaAdSCr6XBsW2v9IdDrqgAKlYVtoh0flFMFkQiie10Zlpjkmm7w5MATCt4rUkzu4FKCgl4GPxVZw0gqnp2ycBtDPO9SlWWNrJB_RnPpvCA9LnoeeN3ZM/s1600-h/Zarou+020.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZwEvvEdAO7AlKUPm16_JfdlyaAdSCr6XBsW2v9IdDrqgAKlYVtoh0flFMFkQiie10Zlpjkmm7w5MATCt4rUkzu4FKCgl4GPxVZw0gqnp2ycBtDPO9SlWWNrJB_RnPpvCA9LnoeeN3ZM/s400/Zarou+020.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274566404504353266" /></a><br /><br />Regular readers of this blog no doubt are bracing themselves for another tract on how terrible the conquistadors were for destroying a great civilization like the Incas, but I gotta say, the more I learn about the Inca, the less love I have for them.<br /><br />I mean, after all, they were empire-builders. They subsumed, often by bloody force, all the other pre-Columbian civilizations spread all over South America in a century-long quest for power. Why do civilizations have to grow that way? I don't care if it's the Greeks, the Romans, the British, the Americans, or even the Incas, if you seek empire, it doesn't matter how "enlightened" you think you are, you're destined to fall. Why can't we learn from the past and instead of trying to conquer the world and unite under one culture, try to become a world that embraces diversity? I know, I know, I'm young, I'm naive, I'm an idealistic hippie who doesn't understand the "real world", but surely if any country in the history of the world has the ability to do it, it's us. I mean, we're the "E pluribus unum" people! Out of many, one!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAQhaXeqXLRhXq3QvhjMogdeQymyxDxHm6CeFJfInlbNi31y_jFwWQzPty3D3ZEtYJ1BinIDY_mMdl1VJFJFCqvV-3GiiWLryAN2fNicq5aDUMDPSX7ArmAdIZuMTuq7TvuvKZDoBZzc/s1600-h/Zarou+024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAQhaXeqXLRhXq3QvhjMogdeQymyxDxHm6CeFJfInlbNi31y_jFwWQzPty3D3ZEtYJ1BinIDY_mMdl1VJFJFCqvV-3GiiWLryAN2fNicq5aDUMDPSX7ArmAdIZuMTuq7TvuvKZDoBZzc/s400/Zarou+024.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274567528029473682" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpx2g7Syg3qHIk1Bp2X2v65P_hP1FskN5UGbpk80cDpObzWjOIEjdPtZZMf5d1_w0pddp1L67laJXHCb6X-sJYaHh8hH0_ZhE9a3H58GQRHZdedbZUBlU1N9WMn7YHNmxV0vSC-jyT25A/s1600-h/Zarou+021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpx2g7Syg3qHIk1Bp2X2v65P_hP1FskN5UGbpk80cDpObzWjOIEjdPtZZMf5d1_w0pddp1L67laJXHCb6X-sJYaHh8hH0_ZhE9a3H58GQRHZdedbZUBlU1N9WMn7YHNmxV0vSC-jyT25A/s400/Zarou+021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274567518070355554" /></a><br /><br />Anyways, I guess it's not such a good idea to be hating on the Incas as I head into their capital city. Hopefully I'll be able to focus on their technical advancements and whatnot and avoid any more <span style="font-style:italic;">Apocalypto</span>-style Mel Gibson rants in the coming days.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aLzgoHq9iwlEF9DaAcq3e-2JqpwmdrUfmHYfndKwCk_MdommWQpLw4SoxGEBlOiASDb9X7th5QeeM5ZRbfS51_pzKfnpXhGqso-83zYVaQxTAIMCft7CEr-YMlqoSXDgrGxRRPqlSyY/s1600-h/Zarou+028.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aLzgoHq9iwlEF9DaAcq3e-2JqpwmdrUfmHYfndKwCk_MdommWQpLw4SoxGEBlOiASDb9X7th5QeeM5ZRbfS51_pzKfnpXhGqso-83zYVaQxTAIMCft7CEr-YMlqoSXDgrGxRRPqlSyY/s400/Zarou+028.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274568646180815090" /></a><br /><br />The church at Andahuaylillas (say that three times fast), known as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas. It was pretty impressive, but they wouldn't let me take any pictures. Do they let you at the real Sistine Chapel?<br /><br />One thing I found interesting in there was a statue of some saint or another carrying a rainbow flag. It's the official flag of Cusco (I think actually it goes back to the Inca, evidently Manco Capác saw a rainbow when we first arrived at Cusco and decided this was the place to start the empire) but it cracks me up that it looks just like the gay pride flag. It's everywhere here in Cusco, churches, civic buildings, on taxis. Forget that this is predominately a Catholic country (and we know their position on los gays), but also it's a real macho culture so it just drives them up the wall that Americans come to Cusco and think that everything is gay-friendly. I asked Rodrigo the tour guide about it and he said that a couple years back the mayor of Cusco travelled to America to talk to leaders of the gay community (I'm not even sure who that would be. Dan Savage? George Michael? Ted Haggart?) about changing their flag. Not surprisingly, he was sent back to Peru with a friendly, "bitch, please!" (My interpretation, not Rodrigo's, for the record.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTVVW6zO6y34Evgb6GOxb_Cw62oHy6GnmzkMw3aFRVT4uyifw32GU66Sz5D4Dl7_ZU7S4B5UI_vLowoRkNTZnDkqMTs2spXWpFyQaBuiNcJqcA2Oy4jpH1e7DMCXpzA1CxJzFVxeYDd0/s1600-h/Zarou+029.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTVVW6zO6y34Evgb6GOxb_Cw62oHy6GnmzkMw3aFRVT4uyifw32GU66Sz5D4Dl7_ZU7S4B5UI_vLowoRkNTZnDkqMTs2spXWpFyQaBuiNcJqcA2Oy4jpH1e7DMCXpzA1CxJzFVxeYDd0/s400/Zarou+029.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274569721642368898" /></a><br /><br />The ancient gate that marked the entrance to the capital in Inca times.<br /><br />After arriving in Cusco (and going to the wrong hostal at first. Why would you have two hostals several blocks from each other with the same exact name, except one has a II at the end of it, like some kind of 80's sequel?) I cleaned up and got dressed for my night on the town. But THAT'S another story.m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-70742633327150316652008-11-30T12:58:00.000-08:002008-11-30T13:04:19.088-08:00Puno PostscriptFriday night in Puno, as you might expect, is quite lively. After my pizza (delicious by the way) I had to wade through throngs of revelers to get back to my hostal, and then wait for this before being able to cross the street.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzxlMrycHwOy8kSfnbRF5DqAarvLwzTd1RX7LBudrl5PE3vTGlJRIruBv5OHIVHRV4Fa2s4e4G33vNOymXVuQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Evidently it's the police. They're WAY more fun than the LAPD.m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-33148424680674227522008-11-28T14:26:00.000-08:002008-11-28T16:34:11.291-08:00Happy Lakesgiving<A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9CE_2KVt0POAwipOK6sCcHi9JLjNG2M-rDqNGH0mmejbJGmgUjJlWCF7ZglJxjdunTtlYEwUGEMdkQI-VoHY_95IcCVmnxXoJDaYt6DHieAUJ2x-JiOOhXwgKD8tOn7hMe0ucAuPRhM/s1600-h/Zarou+046.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273848770099630162 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9CE_2KVt0POAwipOK6sCcHi9JLjNG2M-rDqNGH0mmejbJGmgUjJlWCF7ZglJxjdunTtlYEwUGEMdkQI-VoHY_95IcCVmnxXoJDaYt6DHieAUJ2x-JiOOhXwgKD8tOn7hMe0ucAuPRhM/s400/Zarou+046.jpg" border=0></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gz68YiyYRS2AV9to_jExPRQTaeIqZ4Q9rCFIRDcCNkBvtXgA6rGAgVSBKD92-ez2WLzpRQ76k3aYyAmG4spvkv7OEONH45z7BtfZ0SsPdRIc7gpBfKm1fwXVEfkufTQ-u7uUreCc34A/s1600-h/Zarou+001.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273838735042299042 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gz68YiyYRS2AV9to_jExPRQTaeIqZ4Q9rCFIRDcCNkBvtXgA6rGAgVSBKD92-ez2WLzpRQ76k3aYyAmG4spvkv7OEONH45z7BtfZ0SsPdRIc7gpBfKm1fwXVEfkufTQ-u7uUreCc34A/s400/Zarou+001.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />Thursday morning I headed out onto Lake Titicaca. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYniLNjZj2c8PxKRLDdRu2UtvQfYngm0ai07IpQNcs-YPZyWQeWb5lMwzVXP0PWY6JJprHeihPWIYnUCHPXT-jj2apoQ9e1h-xbEJ7KJgQ8HEBDMCUQ7OKqc-YqcF0Fj88R_VR422u-qA/s1600-h/Zarou+004.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273840979429778178 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYniLNjZj2c8PxKRLDdRu2UtvQfYngm0ai07IpQNcs-YPZyWQeWb5lMwzVXP0PWY6JJprHeihPWIYnUCHPXT-jj2apoQ9e1h-xbEJ7KJgQ8HEBDMCUQ7OKqc-YqcF0Fj88R_VR422u-qA/s400/Zarou+004.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />My fellow passengers were a Polish foursome (whom I later found out were from New Jersey), a young Taiwanese couple, a Northern Italian woman named Gerlinde, and three cranky lesbians. Well, to be fair, only one of them was cranky, and evidently she was suffering from severe diarrhea, but still, it never hurts to smile! <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAHM2FFDPJEPNI790v_P987ZRYDyeyRe9F5fZUGEf2YczHwwxdrexyC3AIpljZKxz3vYds7_FkFcvZXSDI_p9dRbBqbz8P32irsOXNpQz-Y75UBIyQ2zrt724kiYHkF7FLfb_ATaKnLs/s1600-h/Zarou+006.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273840980693995090 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAHM2FFDPJEPNI790v_P987ZRYDyeyRe9F5fZUGEf2YczHwwxdrexyC3AIpljZKxz3vYds7_FkFcvZXSDI_p9dRbBqbz8P32irsOXNpQz-Y75UBIyQ2zrt724kiYHkF7FLfb_ATaKnLs/s400/Zarou+006.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />Anyways, our first stop were the Floating Islands of Uros. It's kind of hard to believe, but during Inca times, these people fled out onto the lake, and started building islands out of reeds that grow in the shallow waters. They've since created whole floating villages. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwyt7akv6ZUCXN1UTkeaL-qnnN2MxNWBFqDD2_y1GpWLF4wOYbQEM0rHovmrB-Ja5V0sUj7au9_82C24IbEpXOad6x77x2-PSPaNgtWX_pRqOHr_x3Qml5yOrv7fjIEy6dyLaf0Lpz1Y/s1600-h/Zarou+014.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273840984730707506 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwyt7akv6ZUCXN1UTkeaL-qnnN2MxNWBFqDD2_y1GpWLF4wOYbQEM0rHovmrB-Ja5V0sUj7au9_82C24IbEpXOad6x77x2-PSPaNgtWX_pRqOHr_x3Qml5yOrv7fjIEy6dyLaf0Lpz1Y/s400/Zarou+014.jpg" border=0></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllUOrLy1ASI6G4ccT4sNr0rlCTbwsCIL5duTTPmXxn-EhtLAOQL6L8xCu5tvrF6p7C2St2Bfyy2DiGNtvzT-2MySwnbLldA3Hpk6UzEeikP6jDPdhUy5FfEZpsbQjsc1hW69MzaFTyVQ/s1600-h/Zarou+019.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273840996444362034 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllUOrLy1ASI6G4ccT4sNr0rlCTbwsCIL5duTTPmXxn-EhtLAOQL6L8xCu5tvrF6p7C2St2Bfyy2DiGNtvzT-2MySwnbLldA3Hpk6UzEeikP6jDPdhUy5FfEZpsbQjsc1hW69MzaFTyVQ/s400/Zarou+019.jpg" border=0></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHgjqMRKE4ohXLns7OF92oGyOrXcIl1TH42fUaFonVUiPJ2MpZK4uIms8BnfaQA-tIYHN-6kPO91UAYQYBIfQfle6siJkI1L6uwPBAEyQAvxFSuF2DaIlcIuPEIfYmD_yqI7g4EiYKs0/s1600-h/Zarou+020.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273845298541524130 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHgjqMRKE4ohXLns7OF92oGyOrXcIl1TH42fUaFonVUiPJ2MpZK4uIms8BnfaQA-tIYHN-6kPO91UAYQYBIfQfle6siJkI1L6uwPBAEyQAvxFSuF2DaIlcIuPEIfYmD_yqI7g4EiYKs0/s400/Zarou+020.jpg" border=0></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaA2rsjhEUpbHCPA89E-GO-AOUGoF8AN6UFqdifNhjyR5YemToWOPLa4xW-G0hrOJpy1khw8KYO-yNLUGT0mCGeZ_LClvY1G6Gh7B4CA_BvIMlm_F8AHXCIot-zfx3TpYShIgMaW156w/s1600-h/Zarou+026.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273845337008867074 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaA2rsjhEUpbHCPA89E-GO-AOUGoF8AN6UFqdifNhjyR5YemToWOPLa4xW-G0hrOJpy1khw8KYO-yNLUGT0mCGeZ_LClvY1G6Gh7B4CA_BvIMlm_F8AHXCIot-zfx3TpYShIgMaW156w/s400/Zarou+026.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />See the solar panel? Gift of the Fujimori administration. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqUnLF-KVuJipZi4pQWIDv_NvoIc0bmbidylo0ekUNxBO7f7qM8zrRmhhE5EHpJYO9XCrgUrKKXkEFkanlIHalWyOMM_cK-R0AZkkU2C9G3z1ohvFgdJqNWjndWVP806MGD1JKOdoLaY/s1600-h/Zarou+025.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273845327438069890 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqUnLF-KVuJipZi4pQWIDv_NvoIc0bmbidylo0ekUNxBO7f7qM8zrRmhhE5EHpJYO9XCrgUrKKXkEFkanlIHalWyOMM_cK-R0AZkkU2C9G3z1ohvFgdJqNWjndWVP806MGD1JKOdoLaY/s400/Zarou+025.jpg" border=0></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnj1zPSZhyphenhyphenwcNnQrsWJM3K64J9w4Q080enP4a8jYpKH04YVM2OXSFKuxtzVpc2M14cuUReE0bfAwHi-oSKWstiQEm4Fla0ZsP_ZgHduqzRBrNN1P9Sr2eAH3agArzLnUqPJmFxCOBPuA/s1600-h/Zarou+029.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273845323866991618 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnj1zPSZhyphenhyphenwcNnQrsWJM3K64J9w4Q080enP4a8jYpKH04YVM2OXSFKuxtzVpc2M14cuUReE0bfAwHi-oSKWstiQEm4Fla0ZsP_ZgHduqzRBrNN1P9Sr2eAH3agArzLnUqPJmFxCOBPuA/s400/Zarou+029.jpg" border=0></A> <br />So if this works, it'll be MaximumZarou's first video posting! Exciting, no? Unfortunately, I stopped recording just before the three ladies said in unison, "Hasta la vista, Baby!" The Governor would have been so proud...<br /><br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-446ff7314a6ab3b3 height=266 width=320 contentId="446ff7314a6ab3b3"></OBJECT><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_RT68hkGfBRLf7tweRhmIgwJjzR4ZTt9sd-KzOkXdphC2nHLOyoX-tzM84IYl9DCi6fUJep7a9ZYkfkjEOW352ykI5lF8Vd6yZrzkzja8X2EKg6Ct5x_b9Bd0EeTnwhW6BA-w0jU9cA/s1600-h/Zarou+024.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273845313863261346 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_RT68hkGfBRLf7tweRhmIgwJjzR4ZTt9sd-KzOkXdphC2nHLOyoX-tzM84IYl9DCi6fUJep7a9ZYkfkjEOW352ykI5lF8Vd6yZrzkzja8X2EKg6Ct5x_b9Bd0EeTnwhW6BA-w0jU9cA/s400/Zarou+024.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />Now granted, the islands I visited were putting on a show for the tourists. But evidently there are several hundred people living there year-round, most of whom never have any contact with the tourists. Pretty amazing, even if I finally got suckered by the souvenir sellers. <br /><br /><A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZla-VmS0Tz-wJNmpDtkeypiywGfi_p43FY0dO6UThxUf8eA6xBzdWQ4_yw5JR5t_SQKh9RAnquuThK13bvIF802czLlbnLF0JhoCiRx_0INtlz1SravZeI9h6ODAMFdyzkmFIgUqMuw/s1600-h/Zarou+049.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273847986707008946 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZla-VmS0Tz-wJNmpDtkeypiywGfi_p43FY0dO6UThxUf8eA6xBzdWQ4_yw5JR5t_SQKh9RAnquuThK13bvIF802czLlbnLF0JhoCiRx_0INtlz1SravZeI9h6ODAMFdyzkmFIgUqMuw/s400/Zarou+049.jpg" border=0></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Sdo-dOH8vLzpHPsEN8bDARSY6CbNUu3A9A-qb6z3zFUmNQQmhljBCqlIGJ1TNQZGx0dJwauD2seMttNt9zH7gjUJuKcs6ESRoU4RDdx6zhTBFkbJFfZrqluEs_EU0f1Xy1c515YFIX0/s1600-h/Zarou+050.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273847982850528386 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Sdo-dOH8vLzpHPsEN8bDARSY6CbNUu3A9A-qb6z3zFUmNQQmhljBCqlIGJ1TNQZGx0dJwauD2seMttNt9zH7gjUJuKcs6ESRoU4RDdx6zhTBFkbJFfZrqluEs_EU0f1Xy1c515YFIX0/s400/Zarou+050.jpg" border=0></A> <A href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSig9jc2UxOT8QdMnM1B7pdrGwrQPO-CKkAZsTZ4heSHzcEJLjFIuNzCmQFeZON0VSZ0N92joMmdmLKK95FSvH-8HX284DSfVtpfmnPGuB5KIZEl9zVY3elqcvN7Gjy-etdNefxPxX5Kg/s1600-h/Zarou+027.jpg"><IMG id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273847980660917234 style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSig9jc2UxOT8QdMnM1B7pdrGwrQPO-CKkAZsTZ4heSHzcEJLjFIuNzCmQFeZON0VSZ0N92joMmdmLKK95FSvH-8HX284DSfVtpfmnPGuB5KIZEl9zVY3elqcvN7Gjy-etdNefxPxX5Kg/s400/Zarou+027.jpg" border=0></A> <br /><br />For another 8 soles (less than three bucks, if you're keeping score), we took a ride on a reed boat.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSe5DSmyzg_Uu8hc02qpCoi-kghv-m2w1UCo2r0j7SUl385hCPKmdt1sDItrRj41L-goUwF0A0f24Sz3__BtJ67WnMOH7AeOlqDHpa9CbnsvjnJajV2F0PjoM-f8pon5tkeXjMkD1TNnY/s1600-h/Zarou+034.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSe5DSmyzg_Uu8hc02qpCoi-kghv-m2w1UCo2r0j7SUl385hCPKmdt1sDItrRj41L-goUwF0A0f24Sz3__BtJ67WnMOH7AeOlqDHpa9CbnsvjnJajV2F0PjoM-f8pon5tkeXjMkD1TNnY/s400/Zarou+034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273852085489170610" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52iaMv8sQ64d-NcsZfVso6PI6lye7AMvRN2oHiDwUBXGGHROxPMc4cuBCRVIw5t4gxEXo6em1S_SduZpCsAa4I7SqsQGiVML2N8PlimDWlQ-x0AztzFxLxyaI-JhJhjaIAZrKx4a-63w/s1600-h/Zarou+038.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52iaMv8sQ64d-NcsZfVso6PI6lye7AMvRN2oHiDwUBXGGHROxPMc4cuBCRVIw5t4gxEXo6em1S_SduZpCsAa4I7SqsQGiVML2N8PlimDWlQ-x0AztzFxLxyaI-JhJhjaIAZrKx4a-63w/s400/Zarou+038.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273852082902737954" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvNe2yT1TcpBf7Xni18I68etMXDBYi8pvy3nd4quQ9WCmJYL71YEqu5B16labF_4JyJ6-Du_0gSNgHc7tzfQP45fNv9-rESL-7JU0ziy32Hzib35W3seqvEznJvTgl6Qcrl-P6l6W3iU/s1600-h/Zarou+044.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvNe2yT1TcpBf7Xni18I68etMXDBYi8pvy3nd4quQ9WCmJYL71YEqu5B16labF_4JyJ6-Du_0gSNgHc7tzfQP45fNv9-rESL-7JU0ziy32Hzib35W3seqvEznJvTgl6Qcrl-P6l6W3iU/s400/Zarou+044.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273852074527787938" /></a><br /><br />("Wow, what a horrible looking mustache on that guy! We should definitely contribute to public school kids so he never has to suffer such embarrassment again!" But seriously, folks, you know I never ask for your money (unless it's for myself), I'd always much rather have your time and energy when it comes to social justice. But right now, for pennies a day, you can support needy kids and get to make fun of the mustache! I know times are tough, but if every reader of this blog just gave $5, then we'd have, like, ten dollars. Just click on the upper right hand corner of this page to make your TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donation. OK, commercial over.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtRnpeyuEujyFS-BGAkB1EwtfgGgFbaAu9GdffVEcy1G6K8ixFXCbaR-kUYKA-Dg0mi2Dwb6Gx_9fxox3WbqfVeIUPgv2IjyhXWYt8pNkziLwA5CXP9_xML2XSe2-nvPnBEpengvTrnA/s1600-h/Zarou+051.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtRnpeyuEujyFS-BGAkB1EwtfgGgFbaAu9GdffVEcy1G6K8ixFXCbaR-kUYKA-Dg0mi2Dwb6Gx_9fxox3WbqfVeIUPgv2IjyhXWYt8pNkziLwA5CXP9_xML2XSe2-nvPnBEpengvTrnA/s400/Zarou+051.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273853140557154978" /></a><br /><br />From Uros, we headed out deeper into the Lake, towards our destination, Isla Amantaní.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGucuS7AJ6RmkUjSYCtptaRAvDG0J2UWLuZbIjDbAEiqMStpfW_kPBroAW7Z2Ww6M0pa-tm7dsMNjWoZ8R5ubub1cCQzH4rdR3EmZzhsHT9m9EJE2nhVIxvBo1zE06fYlkzkqdmCEv0k0/s1600-h/Zarou+081.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGucuS7AJ6RmkUjSYCtptaRAvDG0J2UWLuZbIjDbAEiqMStpfW_kPBroAW7Z2Ww6M0pa-tm7dsMNjWoZ8R5ubub1cCQzH4rdR3EmZzhsHT9m9EJE2nhVIxvBo1zE06fYlkzkqdmCEv0k0/s400/Zarou+081.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273853147768052978" /></a><br /><br />Some four and a half hours by motorboat from Puno, Amantaní is a little world unto itself. The people retain their traditional dress, and to supplement their meager farming income, they allow groups of tourists to come stay in their homes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmiq37AHm3M7KIFz_7B1DHNGOu9CxY3cevJ3uysrYJuCv-0jvPkyxucYE6fvaEglfeyZsntqeS5rsi1s7yUaId26p1Wddnq99eJm7qLhYV4jVOivfIS8jDMtkbeNi65Rvm0xHekb0-yo/s1600-h/Zarou+088.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmiq37AHm3M7KIFz_7B1DHNGOu9CxY3cevJ3uysrYJuCv-0jvPkyxucYE6fvaEglfeyZsntqeS5rsi1s7yUaId26p1Wddnq99eJm7qLhYV4jVOivfIS8jDMtkbeNi65Rvm0xHekb0-yo/s400/Zarou+088.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273855200246318178" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKohykRWzcwzrHpN1kaPvLTnktYI6VIDOSe5WNXQW6a1rVTD-9T3WDW28jCunyvMsv1wPBau8NYltCFF1r-dFmn-Wb-fgyzcUU7doXWPXLZc_PW7S93apH9Bpgppn9U6qFYgExyedDbI/s1600-h/Zarou+059.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKohykRWzcwzrHpN1kaPvLTnktYI6VIDOSe5WNXQW6a1rVTD-9T3WDW28jCunyvMsv1wPBau8NYltCFF1r-dFmn-Wb-fgyzcUU7doXWPXLZc_PW7S93apH9Bpgppn9U6qFYgExyedDbI/s400/Zarou+059.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273855193321498882" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6LKKUFWuV1j5VhXwhUc35vvMtYSDjMuQMjU7-9vwmuTF8Cd8vrDFciqCqwJtKR0tjNSlxqYRDInEsM1DtrEsFgzlonaF9fUwa2Ak_NVR8YejUn_zw6PROaLtu0tvb92WVBm5CooqMdY/s1600-h/Zarou+054.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6LKKUFWuV1j5VhXwhUc35vvMtYSDjMuQMjU7-9vwmuTF8Cd8vrDFciqCqwJtKR0tjNSlxqYRDInEsM1DtrEsFgzlonaF9fUwa2Ak_NVR8YejUn_zw6PROaLtu0tvb92WVBm5CooqMdY/s400/Zarou+054.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273855188457559618" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3BbtxaBd25pYYvMXh82Y01cWF34bU_ojvBtIXkzGYOc_diiE7RRDZTqK9I-yawdr-lslM4Ymiy0fPm2vTPToe11Y0S-S_FZjwzVWikq01U6mb3aAmLlTip4OuJiZJqOUISeTc8p3G7k/s1600-h/Zarou+093.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3BbtxaBd25pYYvMXh82Y01cWF34bU_ojvBtIXkzGYOc_diiE7RRDZTqK9I-yawdr-lslM4Ymiy0fPm2vTPToe11Y0S-S_FZjwzVWikq01U6mb3aAmLlTip4OuJiZJqOUISeTc8p3G7k/s400/Zarou+093.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273856306659230626" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkVWE4PcbfkNgl9TXP0AI48V2J-GHOk9h3E4jKVKQZL6kKyU70uOepibXJ7SIFBKEh0v8OAM8EqR3C4mhKm0HlnSS6dpCvyb_6UdJJgbsJUfyROVNXZpu0HtVDglx-98QBVTLNCWDTGc/s1600-h/Zarou+057.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkVWE4PcbfkNgl9TXP0AI48V2J-GHOk9h3E4jKVKQZL6kKyU70uOepibXJ7SIFBKEh0v8OAM8EqR3C4mhKm0HlnSS6dpCvyb_6UdJJgbsJUfyROVNXZpu0HtVDglx-98QBVTLNCWDTGc/s400/Zarou+057.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273855185398274162" /></a> <br /><br />Of course, some tourists fit better into their homes than others.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZHjFwyIE84uguaubz6r9QBD3gOPkfb1QZVn66umn9i-y_UYPEUnVGgnbzyMCzCp2v5CvovJOvItlVwNeyvLoXlmZ5kfTlGsNswhlFUtYi1eKEd6GID2pKegzm32_N83ZKTpEGpVV4y4/s1600-h/Zarou+058.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZHjFwyIE84uguaubz6r9QBD3gOPkfb1QZVn66umn9i-y_UYPEUnVGgnbzyMCzCp2v5CvovJOvItlVwNeyvLoXlmZ5kfTlGsNswhlFUtYi1eKEd6GID2pKegzm32_N83ZKTpEGpVV4y4/s400/Zarou+058.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273856792015819874" /></a><br /><br />After a home-cooked (over a clay stove fueled by eucalyptus branches) lunch, we hiked to the top of the island, which is a peak named Pachatata (Earth Father, there's another one called Pachamama, or Earth Mother) to watch the sunset.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSk8W8AQvfkT35sGXbxfCg0LHv1Bp-ah1pNysCAeFhNk6BhinQ8cDkvYSL7z_JNB2YJtlo5W_c-XMy6OOem7QT-L8Ro1yDkZMEFzdY9S7YpelXkjx9V-BGrbAunkc_mIQbBXBx3JgnsQ/s1600-h/Zarou+067.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSk8W8AQvfkT35sGXbxfCg0LHv1Bp-ah1pNysCAeFhNk6BhinQ8cDkvYSL7z_JNB2YJtlo5W_c-XMy6OOem7QT-L8Ro1yDkZMEFzdY9S7YpelXkjx9V-BGrbAunkc_mIQbBXBx3JgnsQ/s400/Zarou+067.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273858575774386994" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjZwgR32KMxE5SP8mAVRLHCFVSZZfSnv-8LEAbIj65gT9yFOLmBoUD50I9I3S2XyErEVwA9Go9jUFF-Pb7ciVGX4P1NB4JTEuPHKhntqQWy4Tmf5aOVGObLkdrDMUWTWv1IdRD9BXhRM/s1600-h/Zarou+079.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjZwgR32KMxE5SP8mAVRLHCFVSZZfSnv-8LEAbIj65gT9yFOLmBoUD50I9I3S2XyErEVwA9Go9jUFF-Pb7ciVGX4P1NB4JTEuPHKhntqQWy4Tmf5aOVGObLkdrDMUWTWv1IdRD9BXhRM/s400/Zarou+079.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273858571842791042" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yaHAohIeWfNfSMM-I_fuJrHf4vL41b0DkxaQVAm_O4YAuJp8qIl_wEAsHEe9zp1rwsiflS4FMrD5h0tqF_z3XEAtxdLlCYgJN7UKiIoC6M5BctOW4OMGUlf6nlnps9fXRijPdRdSN3Y/s1600-h/Zarou+070.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yaHAohIeWfNfSMM-I_fuJrHf4vL41b0DkxaQVAm_O4YAuJp8qIl_wEAsHEe9zp1rwsiflS4FMrD5h0tqF_z3XEAtxdLlCYgJN7UKiIoC6M5BctOW4OMGUlf6nlnps9fXRijPdRdSN3Y/s400/Zarou+070.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273858566849587858" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZ6lCmxHTOZ83azHb9DFp96FH65RskTnj6mUE6V-IqU44xMbBGxnqGojrQvkuP4cBJ28XrS0i4yWzo4XhTGWCteCLrsvIm7X1zDiNL-9cx9Hobnp-JFo2YNyCp9B5IDxHOCyYJzNG7cg/s1600-h/Zarou+072.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZ6lCmxHTOZ83azHb9DFp96FH65RskTnj6mUE6V-IqU44xMbBGxnqGojrQvkuP4cBJ28XrS0i4yWzo4XhTGWCteCLrsvIm7X1zDiNL-9cx9Hobnp-JFo2YNyCp9B5IDxHOCyYJzNG7cg/s400/Zarou+072.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273858560078235378" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hwzpQ4Iq2zOfVtcFkUPjCzj0o64HHV2CVt1LctDiIYcXVDM9DrTdpysTIOkdPA8WeJWR6wXIcxxykAZlIaPS4J4OrazptEVCKU9bY1MPRH27kKvwPCAprIhSs9mthU2ExQM_0ZWSDJo/s1600-h/Zarou+075.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hwzpQ4Iq2zOfVtcFkUPjCzj0o64HHV2CVt1LctDiIYcXVDM9DrTdpysTIOkdPA8WeJWR6wXIcxxykAZlIaPS4J4OrazptEVCKU9bY1MPRH27kKvwPCAprIhSs9mthU2ExQM_0ZWSDJo/s400/Zarou+075.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273858557164293410" /></a><br /><br />The view from up there was incredible.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Pz8zqiE0z8_TTFZGMq3KjXmGZvgES_HR68W8DQHrRyAkDjpXUxRLEp_vA7sxWvxlul7iOixQ77vJLyO5nAE59h8TIo12d3KRMly3MHJ0IhRdx4pV3F22uYbOjq54EegTzwGTEv7W4Qk/s1600-h/Zarou+077.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Pz8zqiE0z8_TTFZGMq3KjXmGZvgES_HR68W8DQHrRyAkDjpXUxRLEp_vA7sxWvxlul7iOixQ77vJLyO5nAE59h8TIo12d3KRMly3MHJ0IhRdx4pV3F22uYbOjq54EegTzwGTEv7W4Qk/s400/Zarou+077.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273860034017633714" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPN8yAwXiX1qYaqD5MwIa0dDkLHl3fVACb5iUkfwpRpW8SuVZQ1bscoe-m_8coxHyLnLNr96gAXGmkzf7y5T6YoXv-5sL153REUnaCukElpxoWUt2lB0GkBbq5W4t9IdE4oEZIEY0NCQ/s1600-h/Zarou+078.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPN8yAwXiX1qYaqD5MwIa0dDkLHl3fVACb5iUkfwpRpW8SuVZQ1bscoe-m_8coxHyLnLNr96gAXGmkzf7y5T6YoXv-5sL153REUnaCukElpxoWUt2lB0GkBbq5W4t9IdE4oEZIEY0NCQ/s400/Zarou+078.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273860030268017634" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4ch03n929L42bGevL4DUVd3I66jfuI102RwGeN4Fe4-Wqs2pXMMpjAxEIXaVh5-kp94OOjQ76nFBLV1ZTjqrJ0p5NuabE39wvJx13bD9fKaEM7aKXwtqoxag6UeJbDloE3R365X3g2U/s1600-h/Zarou+080.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4ch03n929L42bGevL4DUVd3I66jfuI102RwGeN4Fe4-Wqs2pXMMpjAxEIXaVh5-kp94OOjQ76nFBLV1ZTjqrJ0p5NuabE39wvJx13bD9fKaEM7aKXwtqoxag6UeJbDloE3R365X3g2U/s400/Zarou+080.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273860026921368386" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFMVJPASkx9zi6pvD4q_AOkRGax_-Mpm3IuNpxBY5WSJBO0n4OAJXbut8DnQuQ-Ja79JzdmTIFa45VS5dSWgEBuA9Ee6-2Yc34DLhY7mxZEPimGCwhqQLo8Ir2wz9TjTF43Ulm2g777Q/s1600-h/Zarou+071.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFMVJPASkx9zi6pvD4q_AOkRGax_-Mpm3IuNpxBY5WSJBO0n4OAJXbut8DnQuQ-Ja79JzdmTIFa45VS5dSWgEBuA9Ee6-2Yc34DLhY7mxZEPimGCwhqQLo8Ir2wz9TjTF43Ulm2g777Q/s400/Zarou+071.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273860018873938562" /></a><br /><br />Brian. What can I say about this nutty kid? He followed us up the entire mountain, spitting vaguely recognizable tunes through his pan flute the whole time. I found him a little annoying, but the lesbians left behind some money with the tour guide for his education. One of the most difficult things to figure out here is when it's appropriate to give money to people and when you're just being taken advantage of. Of course, when you consider the difference in standard of living, and the fact that 3 soles is one dollar, it becomes a lot easier to give. But then, you don't want to support a dependency, either. For example, I brought some notebooks, pens, and pencils for my host family. I was told that small gifts like that were a good idea. But I heard this morning from the Poles that their host mother told them she'd rather just have money. And the host mother of the lesbians told them she doesn't want tourists giving kids on the island coins because then Amantaní becomes just like Lima or anywhere else in Peru. I dunno.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBePOqKPs6DoXBjgZS7yJZAJmrP9Ycig1rsEZwKmy2nEWsgWt6xGSCkp4IfoDJ-WRGN1Q2qI1pKSQ6ItyAKaalVTqTfIHqB3V5GesiNscCtyka4nEuuRJJ2xy74fqQrFdk52IxI44Bn8/s1600-h/Zarou+063.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBePOqKPs6DoXBjgZS7yJZAJmrP9Ycig1rsEZwKmy2nEWsgWt6xGSCkp4IfoDJ-WRGN1Q2qI1pKSQ6ItyAKaalVTqTfIHqB3V5GesiNscCtyka4nEuuRJJ2xy74fqQrFdk52IxI44Bn8/s400/Zarou+063.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273862751148047218" /></a><br /><br />Gerlinde's and my host family, mother Anna Lin and 3-year-old son Edson.<br /><br />In any case, the islanders get their revenge for whatever imposition we cause by dressing the tourists up in traditional dress and forcing them to dance around the community room to the strains of the high school band.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2I7MRWOCoH_x06YT8pZe8NrZVA5c8ieKecHIUgIv97VKviTxCpXKu4OQ6pMfmtSuSl3v6BySMsb6CIGK7ysIVwFWF0dqtzWU-DmNK0XqBz6EltusPJVm0v_sbpbnPcTwN9kQoB-1ba6c/s1600-h/Zarou+092.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2I7MRWOCoH_x06YT8pZe8NrZVA5c8ieKecHIUgIv97VKviTxCpXKu4OQ6pMfmtSuSl3v6BySMsb6CIGK7ysIVwFWF0dqtzWU-DmNK0XqBz6EltusPJVm0v_sbpbnPcTwN9kQoB-1ba6c/s400/Zarou+092.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273862764405578338" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbttfqdM4N-c11ywZSkOY7MVxsw3dnKLsQmxR4Xo3tf6TcXHAgzSRONOgVEtJKH0nxRxrEElQBV8k_OZxjyEWrQyP_g6zCxvn21lSNerN5KLJbuGNoEMXUxjQq1Ay49rNAgLUwrQCj4s/s1600-h/Zarou+085.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbttfqdM4N-c11ywZSkOY7MVxsw3dnKLsQmxR4Xo3tf6TcXHAgzSRONOgVEtJKH0nxRxrEElQBV8k_OZxjyEWrQyP_g6zCxvn21lSNerN5KLJbuGNoEMXUxjQq1Ay49rNAgLUwrQCj4s/s400/Zarou+085.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273862757328971922" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjw4h2cjnp0K_xE6SUsLxkAYNDRp5bMH_RYYfLL9paXpwZFJjuacbKA-dRAcHCIvETPsdC94LA9TjQesQ2TpYcaUDbVnn4DMlLXVbTzEriRamzpMRhboM5YXniiWgmM3Ws1BNKpoMf-s/s1600-h/Zarou+084.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjw4h2cjnp0K_xE6SUsLxkAYNDRp5bMH_RYYfLL9paXpwZFJjuacbKA-dRAcHCIvETPsdC94LA9TjQesQ2TpYcaUDbVnn4DMlLXVbTzEriRamzpMRhboM5YXniiWgmM3Ws1BNKpoMf-s/s400/Zarou+084.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273862755093313202" /></a><br /><br />Now, I'm a good dancer. Just ask my mom! But I could not find the beat those boys were beating out for the life of me, and jumping around under a wool blanket with my head wrapped in alpaca was becoming a little too sweaty, so I went outside to look at the stars. Unbelievable. I can't remember when I'd last seen so many. Orion actually looked like a hunter, bow poised and dog at this feet! Other constellations were too difficult to find, because there were just so many freakin' stars! And out over the lake, miles and miles away, I could see lightning storms. Quite a night, and miles (and centuries) away from real life.<br /><br />I should say that while I'm enjoying talking to the mustachioed stranger in the mirror, I can't help but miss my loved ones this Thanksgiving night. But a bowl of warm soup and a plate of rice and potatoes by candlelight with an indigenous family under a sky so clear seemed in some ways a more fitting Thanksgiving night than I would have had at home. But don't worry, I'll still be back in the States by Christmas to gorge on turkey and television.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFVD7n_ppOftcQq6O8IeugOJG_y85795ssnkUXD4VhjqljtHGLRN_w6l64tA5qmdkE1_u64-nzDb_2ZRxsJGYMomz2DLlOxdvGMZ5ESw_bLLJ8LG6stGFZ-9LxRPU6s03XGV1SRa77Hw/s1600-h/Zarou+094.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFVD7n_ppOftcQq6O8IeugOJG_y85795ssnkUXD4VhjqljtHGLRN_w6l64tA5qmdkE1_u64-nzDb_2ZRxsJGYMomz2DLlOxdvGMZ5ESw_bLLJ8LG6stGFZ-9LxRPU6s03XGV1SRa77Hw/s400/Zarou+094.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273863786949759074" /></a><br /><br />Morning time, and though we look cheerful, we are unwashed and sleepy, (lacking running water and having been awoken by angry livestock) but Isla Taquile awaits.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9-drn7yNyUfyJbaTljrNJ3iIO7IJCnYrWp3VjqhVfWtS-THvTNPpKRk6stmdJ4UsWpo7uTqP8hZlgO7VDIOAkxNcfaDLkckXvqXtTr3O5I_ZC9S768-p1kOBm-6sC8WP6b4AnYER-dA/s1600-h/Zarou+095.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9-drn7yNyUfyJbaTljrNJ3iIO7IJCnYrWp3VjqhVfWtS-THvTNPpKRk6stmdJ4UsWpo7uTqP8hZlgO7VDIOAkxNcfaDLkckXvqXtTr3O5I_ZC9S768-p1kOBm-6sC8WP6b4AnYER-dA/s400/Zarou+095.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273865825142244626" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9mc5lgtPtCZVtv494sFjC2DEqo5JWMkPG7evfH1VkWYK8yzTXd3vz39yOE2X9Rae5tWL_hugKQJK0wjeK_1-zBq6WVuC-wF-IQc5UC61otl4Q4JHKxUDXBrB0Lk-u341uW3VDyNHM1w/s1600-h/Zarou+100.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9mc5lgtPtCZVtv494sFjC2DEqo5JWMkPG7evfH1VkWYK8yzTXd3vz39yOE2X9Rae5tWL_hugKQJK0wjeK_1-zBq6WVuC-wF-IQc5UC61otl4Q4JHKxUDXBrB0Lk-u341uW3VDyNHM1w/s400/Zarou+100.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273865818251742226" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLC6GBMcp9s4ZwIFiYxga0TtQMSH8hOTPAMgstLstUldNdApSmm7SQWM7q1JekIVr8o0752G_ChDijZcaDeNqVM3abOTagm0Y9envNpHskhCv2YJU4cTWuA31Vl9bsqQmYljt0JII80j0/s1600-h/Zarou+101.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLC6GBMcp9s4ZwIFiYxga0TtQMSH8hOTPAMgstLstUldNdApSmm7SQWM7q1JekIVr8o0752G_ChDijZcaDeNqVM3abOTagm0Y9envNpHskhCv2YJU4cTWuA31Vl9bsqQmYljt0JII80j0/s400/Zarou+101.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273865813588954962" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdQE2h1YnR1XH3TwE_3GeVUJB5eEOxcPLhIqWooj3z7uA1lkS0mcbR9FhOGKm-FTZdSZ0t7mtU5mIe2ADWQmQzyZAhekTpuQgLKMtymBDWEUWlg7eH8Q-davsHAcyw6U2iBJyCDCwCYA/s1600-h/Zarou+102.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdQE2h1YnR1XH3TwE_3GeVUJB5eEOxcPLhIqWooj3z7uA1lkS0mcbR9FhOGKm-FTZdSZ0t7mtU5mIe2ADWQmQzyZAhekTpuQgLKMtymBDWEUWlg7eH8Q-davsHAcyw6U2iBJyCDCwCYA/s400/Zarou+102.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273865806592406530" /></a><br /><br />An hour's boat ride later, we approached the island of Taquile, which has been populated for the last 10,000 years. It is a serene and lovely place, renowned for its fine textiles and distinctive dress, and which gets completely overrun with tourists.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfKmHsAph5eWVc6tt5a8LJWTJAIRLQFGhF01Wh5zDcYBp3yi5oPqzyWoMbKG9FF8Ld89mtbyqI6aqE6c2tg6pX5yWlW4LQrqDnGgTBk8forSb98x7QEpT2Qh4n0nk3xylB30xkrp2UQ4/s1600-h/Zarou+106.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfKmHsAph5eWVc6tt5a8LJWTJAIRLQFGhF01Wh5zDcYBp3yi5oPqzyWoMbKG9FF8Ld89mtbyqI6aqE6c2tg6pX5yWlW4LQrqDnGgTBk8forSb98x7QEpT2Qh4n0nk3xylB30xkrp2UQ4/s400/Zarou+106.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273866707960342914" /></a><br /><br />See all our boats? I did my best not to take pictures with tourists in them, though I fear it might be too late for this insular community to remain isolated.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAHaPyN_5DafKg-yHvBXSKc4w6lP1ZvyUNugc8ZjoYGZ2APF5blKVKUwotWg4SSs1HljO7MIL1KuwYcH4OzH6Yh2doXMwTTW0V0xRuSHVpAitP45d9YOKavucoGezyKvIFLpT3Lpylrc/s1600-h/Zarou+110.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAHaPyN_5DafKg-yHvBXSKc4w6lP1ZvyUNugc8ZjoYGZ2APF5blKVKUwotWg4SSs1HljO7MIL1KuwYcH4OzH6Yh2doXMwTTW0V0xRuSHVpAitP45d9YOKavucoGezyKvIFLpT3Lpylrc/s400/Zarou+110.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273866708695976226" /></a><br /><br />Where you at?<br /><br />A nice long winding hike up and around the west side of the island leads to a town square with a great view, and then on the west side is a steep stone 533-step staircase we descended after lunch.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9YXj9D90onW-syZD4bHeNDE6WTNe4uJyok3E8V0145T1D0RFn7NBo4xE4RrAixuI0VT5qCB2h_Hdv79zub4bJFF08pACvq0LZiqvk24ncoshpmuVw9bx0uVEdgW90KoAmUASsIUAM2w/s1600-h/Zarou+105.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9YXj9D90onW-syZD4bHeNDE6WTNe4uJyok3E8V0145T1D0RFn7NBo4xE4RrAixuI0VT5qCB2h_Hdv79zub4bJFF08pACvq0LZiqvk24ncoshpmuVw9bx0uVEdgW90KoAmUASsIUAM2w/s400/Zarou+105.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273869296080024882" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCOb8VynEitrweT21XjdcFu7jqqqwAL5-dMWSj1mSC9htWVzt-W8Dy1W6Jl3IWsgIUgHdLPaZCH9xIts_IPgAWmNNtWdZW4butjkyyoMwgEdpnzI-LQ9ji1bT3GNGr9zzEOjmdHkq708/s1600-h/Zarou+107.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCOb8VynEitrweT21XjdcFu7jqqqwAL5-dMWSj1mSC9htWVzt-W8Dy1W6Jl3IWsgIUgHdLPaZCH9xIts_IPgAWmNNtWdZW4butjkyyoMwgEdpnzI-LQ9ji1bT3GNGr9zzEOjmdHkq708/s400/Zarou+107.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273869290947384930" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuCWYhuxqaa2TvF2OlTciWpI-DKeiieemxSJnr6Jq1xhayLKWpGfbNZ9WAvBggyB7UHCY_cWXzSMgObk1D8SXX8U436w-jxj5hiNjkJW-kg4lykxt_oivdZzCqBgjfpwu3OAPmaHcMJk/s1600-h/Zarou+108.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuCWYhuxqaa2TvF2OlTciWpI-DKeiieemxSJnr6Jq1xhayLKWpGfbNZ9WAvBggyB7UHCY_cWXzSMgObk1D8SXX8U436w-jxj5hiNjkJW-kg4lykxt_oivdZzCqBgjfpwu3OAPmaHcMJk/s400/Zarou+108.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273869282107217106" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeSFINPXG_Wh0mrKAOI85PgDqTguekpMZBpRkXTfUgXg1yg20G9l-j8rfz5ZPs71hY4APpK0HysC7EInqCIqjF4t0N9loF6q86h5LTdHGwxEE6cOjY7akX4AhNJoRcNSG8nE1MTJKTPw/s1600-h/Zarou+109.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeSFINPXG_Wh0mrKAOI85PgDqTguekpMZBpRkXTfUgXg1yg20G9l-j8rfz5ZPs71hY4APpK0HysC7EInqCIqjF4t0N9loF6q86h5LTdHGwxEE6cOjY7akX4AhNJoRcNSG8nE1MTJKTPw/s400/Zarou+109.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273869273633683554" /></a><br /><br />A long boat ride back to the mainland, and I'm back in the hustle and bustle of Puno. I have found something redeeming about this town, by the way. Evidently the cuisine this place is most famous for is wood-fired pizza. So I'm off to get me some more of that. Tomorrow it's a daylong bus ride to Cusco, where I just might get to do some laundry!<br /><br />I leave you tonight with this "Code of Courtesy", which was hanging in my room on Amantaní. I much prefer it to the Ten Commandments.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cAPNOwgHESTc-vC1nhQke7tRTsVtH1dHb5CLjosQTYPKAWL2ttmCqcpPDezmP5rGEgCoubHzA2cgOuXQZotSCv9gNePrcNRbKY1JXvV5Dzv4AOFFhoerW5iucfexKDfvpIHCuLECVag/s1600-h/Zarou+056.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cAPNOwgHESTc-vC1nhQke7tRTsVtH1dHb5CLjosQTYPKAWL2ttmCqcpPDezmP5rGEgCoubHzA2cgOuXQZotSCv9gNePrcNRbKY1JXvV5Dzv4AOFFhoerW5iucfexKDfvpIHCuLECVag/s400/Zarou+056.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273869300925336066" /></a><br /><br />Good advice for all of us, especially number 8.m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-30636304164601297742008-11-26T16:05:00.000-08:002008-11-26T16:35:47.015-08:00Name that Ruin<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCrnIOxcae2DqDpUn82Q1SI55Fol76MwhYoLt4ZQbfkVUmhvswR6lhrIFePlnoK6jP3nuO3TApXWzlERu3J8nw-inw1rSyHSG8NU5Vbc_x1txmYTJgr25vZy87C6MDWKytec0O88qrMU/s1600-h/Zarou+015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCrnIOxcae2DqDpUn82Q1SI55Fol76MwhYoLt4ZQbfkVUmhvswR6lhrIFePlnoK6jP3nuO3TApXWzlERu3J8nw-inw1rSyHSG8NU5Vbc_x1txmYTJgr25vZy87C6MDWKytec0O88qrMU/s400/Zarou+015.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273122453337634146" /></a><br /><br />As the most interesting things to do in Puno require you to get the heck out of Puno, I spent the afternoon at the Sillustani Ruins. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZGpDJPYTrDAlmC4wj0k6lp_m9s909uTDuJMLvQtZmJkg8QM2wSUBiBLSUbvNQxlJ1fU1j3xLhifkJG9mp71FRpEIlkrKlScg4ooAkVetSQjw4ZcYLsn5mVAXqopFEYFSAmymo6QHoac/s1600-h/Zarou+027.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZGpDJPYTrDAlmC4wj0k6lp_m9s909uTDuJMLvQtZmJkg8QM2wSUBiBLSUbvNQxlJ1fU1j3xLhifkJG9mp71FRpEIlkrKlScg4ooAkVetSQjw4ZcYLsn5mVAXqopFEYFSAmymo6QHoac/s400/Zarou+027.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273123574247313650" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Bw-ZEmVN921U-TquFrLB2YyXeoQfpG_bza6g-7-L1Z18SkCscGbZSc3-Ndidyws6jTIz6M0jW3WN6U61BoiJLifL5a8oWl0dsQxZY58u-XcKIzQTTz6Y1N6k03mDBrhqFZRxYkPmu7c/s1600-h/Zarou+017.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Bw-ZEmVN921U-TquFrLB2YyXeoQfpG_bza6g-7-L1Z18SkCscGbZSc3-Ndidyws6jTIz6M0jW3WN6U61BoiJLifL5a8oWl0dsQxZY58u-XcKIzQTTz6Y1N6k03mDBrhqFZRxYkPmu7c/s400/Zarou+017.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273123566955043922" /></a><br /><br />Forty-five minutes out of town is a windswept <em>altiplano </em>on a peninsula surrounded by Lake Umayo. It was a sacred burial ground for the Incans, but before that the Colla people and even going back to the Pucara. These giant cylindrical tombs are called chullpas.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmW-RspfGZ91nzzGMrN6eAbRcImwtHvx9EUdhHJCtoOe1cu9oWxRUnpmyhl69LPFbema5tavJfttHzOZW58iDrlfs7-ruaqB1ZdmhWQrMj2g5OHlRP8_rAFvBOGM4fvWZgntOzJSzTzg/s1600-h/Zarou+014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmW-RspfGZ91nzzGMrN6eAbRcImwtHvx9EUdhHJCtoOe1cu9oWxRUnpmyhl69LPFbema5tavJfttHzOZW58iDrlfs7-ruaqB1ZdmhWQrMj2g5OHlRP8_rAFvBOGM4fvWZgntOzJSzTzg/s400/Zarou+014.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273125155240957602" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRx5pG4t1NqGPYwJOpPthx8PWPH5TmxQFCWoKci1bn2LfKdLlhdxPm20vPaummn94cMqVPUENiXZkSd4W-cKRqwZ7RMKcBoQtJZDNu1HGY35nX0M7gorwhtRDuz8NNS0dDo_H3TFojyHs/s1600-h/Zarou+021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRx5pG4t1NqGPYwJOpPthx8PWPH5TmxQFCWoKci1bn2LfKdLlhdxPm20vPaummn94cMqVPUENiXZkSd4W-cKRqwZ7RMKcBoQtJZDNu1HGY35nX0M7gorwhtRDuz8NNS0dDo_H3TFojyHs/s400/Zarou+021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273125148858270882" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s4XqAISGmtfvcWppEKRA3dNDL4NbrqHpCPVFqVWHM4cwXC5PGufzq3l2ZUvol3tI6ir95ZhGGXjOCGK7AuLeKzAexRzgrd5nuSxx-0LonEKPgcPj01mcfzOg7W_ft0P8xRd7WnblvsY/s1600-h/Zarou+016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s4XqAISGmtfvcWppEKRA3dNDL4NbrqHpCPVFqVWHM4cwXC5PGufzq3l2ZUvol3tI6ir95ZhGGXjOCGK7AuLeKzAexRzgrd5nuSxx-0LonEKPgcPj01mcfzOg7W_ft0P8xRd7WnblvsY/s400/Zarou+016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273125145480581682" /></a><br /><br />Bruno the tour guide was a real jokester, going on about how the mummies would come get us, or maybe Eje Eje, some sort of local lagoon monster that only comes out after dark. But for me the real fun was when a skeptical German lady would call him out on things. For example:<br /><br />BTG: This site was chosen because of the great amounts of electromagnetic energy here. If any of you have a compass, take it out and you'll see.<br />SGL: Ja, but this is all basalt, which is full of iron, of course.<br /><br />or<br /><br />BTG: Amazingly, archaeologists found no machines anywhere on the site.<br />SGL: Ja, but they could have removed the machines, no?<br /><br />And so on. Hilarious.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNM8eSELekUKIRkFkmnyzIiSti5mds_-kNNWHUhxLX4_yNgNWGPRJs-52Y0amIyVEfQ0g_3ONpNUvx0gq2goY7n04UiQD4N2BSHOXwEtbbSrxw1i5MK5LbQjvtUEQf1207h-JhoUkekY/s1600-h/Zarou+019.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNM8eSELekUKIRkFkmnyzIiSti5mds_-kNNWHUhxLX4_yNgNWGPRJs-52Y0amIyVEfQ0g_3ONpNUvx0gq2goY7n04UiQD4N2BSHOXwEtbbSrxw1i5MK5LbQjvtUEQf1207h-JhoUkekY/s400/Zarou+019.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273126316184551730" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8J50XiKT6fF96ciD72lnHW5apGGVEjpVdH0Zt4PNiiDvqYqaPAf7zZglzK9rKqSoPull_dXpR_sy43CZ3cWeBmoAEKwKhqoLseKY30oEa3uEHyLRuWLsWNOBTlLCmb6JPga4wEAHNcDw/s1600-h/Zarou+024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8J50XiKT6fF96ciD72lnHW5apGGVEjpVdH0Zt4PNiiDvqYqaPAf7zZglzK9rKqSoPull_dXpR_sy43CZ3cWeBmoAEKwKhqoLseKY30oEa3uEHyLRuWLsWNOBTlLCmb6JPga4wEAHNcDw/s400/Zarou+024.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273126319918833314" /></a><br /><br />The weather changed suddenly, and it was easy to see why the pre-Incans thought they were in a sacred place. Standing there as the clouds swirled overhead, you couldn't help but feel like you were in the midst of creation and destruction.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0m7MtfZbc-n5dj69IZyfwDUUzHREEwxO_xfUntLOQoC5NIC3dpCjuBg6iK2Q2GBNC2McCn6czIripppl_O8mD8kEdpV-YMgkl-C7U3L5r4MBiuzm2-z7oBD7rIs3kNDr-2CLrb1O3RU/s1600-h/Zarou+033.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0m7MtfZbc-n5dj69IZyfwDUUzHREEwxO_xfUntLOQoC5NIC3dpCjuBg6iK2Q2GBNC2McCn6czIripppl_O8mD8kEdpV-YMgkl-C7U3L5r4MBiuzm2-z7oBD7rIs3kNDr-2CLrb1O3RU/s400/Zarou+033.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273126332385643666" /></a><br /><br />On the way back to Puno, we stopped at a native dwelling to get milked for tips. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNfeYjex97jjrB-TkW-lhjE54xki_ugB9eYVF0vGB8O5Ez56H5ibqKNFnILjUJtYNcU0br4t8gF2gp0BX4Iepx3qTXQpxECGfQJC9xVj5qa-1iMt8CoAGVQPa2Nceb6uEX3Lsvy0-S-Y/s1600-h/Zarou+034.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNfeYjex97jjrB-TkW-lhjE54xki_ugB9eYVF0vGB8O5Ez56H5ibqKNFnILjUJtYNcU0br4t8gF2gp0BX4Iepx3qTXQpxECGfQJC9xVj5qa-1iMt8CoAGVQPa2Nceb6uEX3Lsvy0-S-Y/s400/Zarou+034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273128167333250658" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB7tp3Ynns-x7TwKrLYwSPY42RyLTYomHIGXUopCa-e4o4kZoR6kqcItnMKdDUJPm1Ya37vgTpG5K2Ur-yk9iHhfwe40pCcTbcOH5sqffvojyeVc9CZXT-OpPxr003sSfGNs6ABRUKpY/s1600-h/Zarou+037.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB7tp3Ynns-x7TwKrLYwSPY42RyLTYomHIGXUopCa-e4o4kZoR6kqcItnMKdDUJPm1Ya37vgTpG5K2Ur-yk9iHhfwe40pCcTbcOH5sqffvojyeVc9CZXT-OpPxr003sSfGNs6ABRUKpY/s400/Zarou+037.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273128174753710050" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlk0E_Swk-_Kg2b37fGD7xlSa8P-Oani8fJPeBQw4egNJutL7SFFHE4rCO7cYyCZPrDOQemPZFMUyGbdFQKrjJpkOm2oGcE6R5MHprcHfWQFXIo6w2bECHXugF6x8mDHwxGskDwktIfWA/s1600-h/Zarou+038.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlk0E_Swk-_Kg2b37fGD7xlSa8P-Oani8fJPeBQw4egNJutL7SFFHE4rCO7cYyCZPrDOQemPZFMUyGbdFQKrjJpkOm2oGcE6R5MHprcHfWQFXIo6w2bECHXugF6x8mDHwxGskDwktIfWA/s400/Zarou+038.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273128178606604946" /></a><br /><br />Did you know they eat clay in the Andes? I didn´t. But I did try some. Tasted like clay. (SGL: Ja, well of course they do. It's basic, you know? Opposite of acidic. Good for stomach.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZC6Y30zB2ayc7Lk1T-kdT9BIrUEjA0qljpiy7Kp1yUCiH5yptQ7Jro2BlDTemDijUYIA3hh5ap3NxNuwYniZBUao7LtJz91GDuLHUg1bD6DDC6Yiej2n9CR9_hU-Ua0ib1Xv9XxIctg/s1600-h/Zarou+042.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZC6Y30zB2ayc7Lk1T-kdT9BIrUEjA0qljpiy7Kp1yUCiH5yptQ7Jro2BlDTemDijUYIA3hh5ap3NxNuwYniZBUao7LtJz91GDuLHUg1bD6DDC6Yiej2n9CR9_hU-Ua0ib1Xv9XxIctg/s400/Zarou+042.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273129024866272402" /></a><br /><br />Sigh. Roxana. She was so sweet, and she totally didn't even care that I don't have a car.<br /><br />I'll probably be offline for a couple of days (I'll be on the lake) so enjoy your turkey everyone!m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-64172135808282554532008-11-26T14:50:00.000-08:002008-11-26T15:50:43.097-08:00Do Know that Puno that You Know So Well!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTj4KC3hVvk_0pPDdPQ4_sPttQ4Zv0fjlPYjrl1XUAOl7JNIDqM5uEyFo8vERjMaT_X9uy6KvGfR0rh4udNq70BMXERcQf4k1YVK566g7mOUAsLDWYwjgVlX8VKQvpF3xtKEL4rEw9qeE/s1600-h/IMG_0336%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTj4KC3hVvk_0pPDdPQ4_sPttQ4Zv0fjlPYjrl1XUAOl7JNIDqM5uEyFo8vERjMaT_X9uy6KvGfR0rh4udNq70BMXERcQf4k1YVK566g7mOUAsLDWYwjgVlX8VKQvpF3xtKEL4rEw9qeE/s400/IMG_0336%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273105453105554434" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIzyeCzRfSqk8xwp7grJ9twb_8eQc1wrc68m4rsv7JVF7-G3AO-UAh-O8R_Ukr2ljVfInLYP_6rkzZ7OP30c6yCSypRrAYO1T-rFa4sGGCttLW0xYXSBzYYIqXKJgpcE9xK-sIb-c9zE/s1600-h/IMG_0357%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIzyeCzRfSqk8xwp7grJ9twb_8eQc1wrc68m4rsv7JVF7-G3AO-UAh-O8R_Ukr2ljVfInLYP_6rkzZ7OP30c6yCSypRrAYO1T-rFa4sGGCttLW0xYXSBzYYIqXKJgpcE9xK-sIb-c9zE/s400/IMG_0357%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273105449531441458" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCfmnsCUAHqR06N9UCgK4z_KRhH9MRai9HNq2KaESgtdzSdIhFFS7Cvv14bju2JEdRBwtwgIk7Uox4al8tK2hUX0CAoA7_CanmMXMzvWmUWFnT-MUQGuJt_9QSDylfyzLcz4skiR9mG8/s1600-h/IMG_0350%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCfmnsCUAHqR06N9UCgK4z_KRhH9MRai9HNq2KaESgtdzSdIhFFS7Cvv14bju2JEdRBwtwgIk7Uox4al8tK2hUX0CAoA7_CanmMXMzvWmUWFnT-MUQGuJt_9QSDylfyzLcz4skiR9mG8/s400/IMG_0350%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273105444987827362" /></a><br /><br />Puno is a tiny crowded city filled with dingy narrow sidewalks, gaudy noisy taxicabs, and not much to do or see. Last night, moments after publishing the latest blog entry in a rundown internet boiler room (there's no other word for this place, "café" would imply comfort or service) surrounded by screaming teenagers playing first-person shooters ("Matalo! Matalo!"), the power went out in like seven square blocks. This morning, before 6, I was awakened by the sound of what I can only assume was a cannon repeatedly firing, only pausing to reload long enough in between so that I could <em>almost </em>fall back to sleep. I've never seen so many cars with loud-speakers mounted on their roofs. In the twenty-eight hours I've been here, I've seen three different street protests, one for the rights of farmers to grow coca, one for teacher labor rights, and the third one I just couldn't quite figure out.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVr6UwMs9xHzW9Tn1mqbeZH0xjGlDNiEPAccQDJawyAUW4pSat11voJ_0zWwExGP0oGmBgNRzM_gBsLJxg-2I4UXwAluXf50v7C0LxkbcUNsgnr_7noDqDKp_EEzAFa01TO15VZGA3nc/s1600-h/IMG_0354%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVr6UwMs9xHzW9Tn1mqbeZH0xjGlDNiEPAccQDJawyAUW4pSat11voJ_0zWwExGP0oGmBgNRzM_gBsLJxg-2I4UXwAluXf50v7C0LxkbcUNsgnr_7noDqDKp_EEzAFa01TO15VZGA3nc/s400/IMG_0354%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273109460293912418" /></a><br /><br />Here's (part of) a group of people I found standing on a street corner at 11 AM on a Wednesday, staring at the job board.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zitKxahXW7sdgaHL6homwWWlRQWVTiSeGJi_EtRWVj3LIWagnw0kdoJyBB2LhmxroTu4msZw-DkmDq7HvTcnEATy-_jUJVtf40sUQVaI3ld66e0tLSYH28b3ZlQum6uQ9lkd6_B3O58/s1600-h/IMG_0353%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zitKxahXW7sdgaHL6homwWWlRQWVTiSeGJi_EtRWVj3LIWagnw0kdoJyBB2LhmxroTu4msZw-DkmDq7HvTcnEATy-_jUJVtf40sUQVaI3ld66e0tLSYH28b3ZlQum6uQ9lkd6_B3O58/s400/IMG_0353%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273109464429852514" /></a><br /><br />This afternoon I ran out of coca leaves so I went out to buy some in a local shop. Three different shopkeepers turned me down ("we have the powder..." "would you like the sweets?") sending me deeper and deeper into the seedy, tourist-free part of the city searching for the real thing. Granted, there was something that appealed to me about buying a huge bag of green leaves from a sketchy oddly-dressed lady for about 35 cents.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE81z9904lpbQhdsqQsFp1uOkFvxaNC6Klsja-P_2tLt-41FVmILKFAbyaGzmWyJxeisYTf16-PGrcShGlmLGTugIt9beKJnqgPjPUKvfh9cRADBTlUapqUs-gpg8V14IncTy3wL-bRUo/s1600-h/IMG_0351%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE81z9904lpbQhdsqQsFp1uOkFvxaNC6Klsja-P_2tLt-41FVmILKFAbyaGzmWyJxeisYTf16-PGrcShGlmLGTugIt9beKJnqgPjPUKvfh9cRADBTlUapqUs-gpg8V14IncTy3wL-bRUo/s400/IMG_0351%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273109471252960290" /></a><br /><br />So then why, do you ask, visit such an awful place?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk927kSzaqtoD2y40x43WgKSB_m-fL_jWmM0rkSNSrqq2QHvs2AMwJaqtX-4JDf1e4coefYALW2JOBeM6TefLE_JOl1Egkq7uFIyOFh5hvBYF9VVFV_YzXK9HxMm2SxmefyYugAUZ4Wsc/s1600-h/Zarou+010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk927kSzaqtoD2y40x43WgKSB_m-fL_jWmM0rkSNSrqq2QHvs2AMwJaqtX-4JDf1e4coefYALW2JOBeM6TefLE_JOl1Egkq7uFIyOFh5hvBYF9VVFV_YzXK9HxMm2SxmefyYugAUZ4Wsc/s400/Zarou+010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273112800616178914" /></a><br /><br />That's why.<br /><br />The world's highest navigable body of water, South America's largest lake, inducer of adolescent giggles around the globe, you know her, you love her, ladies and gentlemen, Lake Titicaca!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfgH02y5_jh1k21P4kwYapSxHNR7L5travYBZclwkeii9c02yu7dcKjPvCxugu8ZMEZZ5Zke3IebaG4MCaCn0222qZ_l9zB1uR9b08vj9OzjBOmhLSLv5v3MsWFuIXjtVkec2beiqFBY/s1600-h/Zarou+005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfgH02y5_jh1k21P4kwYapSxHNR7L5travYBZclwkeii9c02yu7dcKjPvCxugu8ZMEZZ5Zke3IebaG4MCaCn0222qZ_l9zB1uR9b08vj9OzjBOmhLSLv5v3MsWFuIXjtVkec2beiqFBY/s400/Zarou+005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273112804644799906" /></a><br /><br />According to Andean legend, Viracocha, the creator deity, brought the sun, the moon, and the stars out of this lake to lighten a dark world, and create civilization.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUxOOD-u88I5ObmpV7mTG5gstY1ejJt5OtKHmqxpGiHIbC7jKbTV78aEMYA3Zt7VXZy2vUxV9NKPelYo3ZdsKecK7ozgnkl5WrBoWOoM6Y6d0hr9gTspyiHRq8yhKeBZ7WdvQ3-yZf9M/s1600-h/Zarou+012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUxOOD-u88I5ObmpV7mTG5gstY1ejJt5OtKHmqxpGiHIbC7jKbTV78aEMYA3Zt7VXZy2vUxV9NKPelYo3ZdsKecK7ozgnkl5WrBoWOoM6Y6d0hr9gTspyiHRq8yhKeBZ7WdvQ3-yZf9M/s400/Zarou+012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273114111431777570" /></a><br /><br />The Incans believed that this guy, Manco Cápac, the original Incan chieftain and a direct descendant of the sun, rose from the waters with his sister to found the Incan Empire. In the lower right hand corner of this picture you can see Maxo Cápac, the original Drinkin' chieftain. (Oh, and I hope Memo and Pilar are still together, because they ruined my picture.)<br /><br />Another great place to see the lake from is the Mirador Kundur Wasi, the highlight of which is a ginormous metal condor.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQNqigvpEha3pwSa6gFi5A7AK4S1L0OdVxU0Lz33GLVcrc1Smi4BuWKV_Ts9fEkSqbtJbWGGE8DNGv6TLALoUM1muZttMQajuZuZ513ewZRzd-EsVkEUtv-KskAJqxNFZkTbQI0bRiDY/s1600-h/Zarou+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQNqigvpEha3pwSa6gFi5A7AK4S1L0OdVxU0Lz33GLVcrc1Smi4BuWKV_Ts9fEkSqbtJbWGGE8DNGv6TLALoUM1muZttMQajuZuZ513ewZRzd-EsVkEUtv-KskAJqxNFZkTbQI0bRiDY/s400/Zarou+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273116649275674130" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NyU_DQCcwBNC5Z_v5e2sKu4_FrWL0NZPEVJwqhEFKEhIlV7ZgzuVEvFYrRyTBHpza7uXen73kj7YIZrVTxZwrdxbKRRIGvOnMBtsW7O9ssoI50Ncq5pm6CInl1_DIKJFYCMINwM5Tw4/s1600-h/Zarou+007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NyU_DQCcwBNC5Z_v5e2sKu4_FrWL0NZPEVJwqhEFKEhIlV7ZgzuVEvFYrRyTBHpza7uXen73kj7YIZrVTxZwrdxbKRRIGvOnMBtsW7O9ssoI50Ncq5pm6CInl1_DIKJFYCMINwM5Tw4/s400/Zarou+007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273116658374380610" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3XNWSOpgUcnugOkM3NDh4n-sZn3OZfF3tmH9GRFLCorgmBKEU7PFR85B-19DVJjhgLWkwcqUN1C86RB_bjUEVy2cZVGDaAR0QNC_7YDiTeADoYxzR2j21vqDWXI-zjc0sxwnGCTeU64/s1600-h/Zarou+006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3XNWSOpgUcnugOkM3NDh4n-sZn3OZfF3tmH9GRFLCorgmBKEU7PFR85B-19DVJjhgLWkwcqUN1C86RB_bjUEVy2cZVGDaAR0QNC_7YDiTeADoYxzR2j21vqDWXI-zjc0sxwnGCTeU64/s400/Zarou+006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273116651847915330" /></a><br /><br />I should mention that the part of the lake you can see in these pictures is only the massive bay that Puno sits on, the lake actually covers some 3200 square miles, a lot of that in Bolivia. Though I understand that Peruvians like to point out that on most maps, the Titi is in Peru, and the Caca is in Bolivia.<br /><br />But more on Titicaca (tee-hee!) later.m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-55999363398691273132008-11-25T13:28:00.000-08:002008-11-25T15:46:45.399-08:00Tres Días del Condor<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMEa3KrE2k5w1FrBNLCZXKjjAZHg6xdQ99Mz_nxkxxodAzy4mfo3PMH2-qnMh1NwCkmATmuNT1Hho1qyXy0F_BYT3qoJ1fuCxaWdgubowgSWPn51Z12QS7VK0CQ_J-cvE2J95OIaiHug/s1600-h/IMG_0334%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMEa3KrE2k5w1FrBNLCZXKjjAZHg6xdQ99Mz_nxkxxodAzy4mfo3PMH2-qnMh1NwCkmATmuNT1Hho1qyXy0F_BYT3qoJ1fuCxaWdgubowgSWPn51Z12QS7VK0CQ_J-cvE2J95OIaiHug/s400/IMG_0334%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272710635010936098" /></a><br /><br />Sunday morning I met up with Erica, my guide, and Jaime, my driver for a five hour drive across the Aguada Blanca National Reserve, where I saw my first vicuña.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2V7eeykmONw_M8eysrwOsMu___W7Z_jUEB1LDYaIfvp78QvpIgmgSR8Ac31nkTaSb4SMSjT5gmk3xSGP0s0gVJK553w1s0M9PRVVA1X9jYejaZuRV3Z7xmOQkFmU483EGhw7_ztaVQUI/s1600-h/IMG_0335%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2V7eeykmONw_M8eysrwOsMu___W7Z_jUEB1LDYaIfvp78QvpIgmgSR8Ac31nkTaSb4SMSjT5gmk3xSGP0s0gVJK553w1s0M9PRVVA1X9jYejaZuRV3Z7xmOQkFmU483EGhw7_ztaVQUI/s400/IMG_0335%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272711394116546434" /></a><br /><br />Okay, kids, it's Biology Time! There are four types of camelids found in Peru. The llama, the alpaca, the vicuña, and the seldom-seen guanaco. The alpaca and the llama are very similar, except that the alpaca has a snubbier nose, softer wool, doesn't spit, and is generally a much cuter animal. See?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpJ9wCSQlXqvVDqmt5rWn4ENeSohfS1MoTab-Y-PK-iVO5jkjS02OGgkD49Q6o-Dhdhb6X0-kIeUpKrtMaO5OiLUnw37_xQmNdrDhhB66cHe81lXx_wIuZlnEN2Or9fwqVsbr7uUTnSc/s1600-h/IMG_0232%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpJ9wCSQlXqvVDqmt5rWn4ENeSohfS1MoTab-Y-PK-iVO5jkjS02OGgkD49Q6o-Dhdhb6X0-kIeUpKrtMaO5OiLUnw37_xQmNdrDhhB66cHe81lXx_wIuZlnEN2Or9fwqVsbr7uUTnSc/s400/IMG_0232%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272712728899402002" /></a><br /><br />All across these <em>pampas </em>are <em>miradores</em>, or lookout points, from which you can see the Andes. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hcBTNnbatvRWl_QdqByOsR2mkt9be50eIefPzWDs8rir29KwkgXzB1Km31K6CozLwDwpyz6y885SeUVOOvRZeGMHHd_j1OayJL7BAssifpbnwc1j9CurqXjrjGPgm8b0VOjQjqBr3nE/s1600-h/IMG_0235%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hcBTNnbatvRWl_QdqByOsR2mkt9be50eIefPzWDs8rir29KwkgXzB1Km31K6CozLwDwpyz6y885SeUVOOvRZeGMHHd_j1OayJL7BAssifpbnwc1j9CurqXjrjGPgm8b0VOjQjqBr3nE/s400/IMG_0235%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272714525869445170" /></a><br /><br />At these lookout points you'll find the natives, hawking their wares and being adorable.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrAuAHyp-yxhsaXw59cqfcaANTlm3K5K1Yh0xYIo68_2jLiNAhsp49wsyMwki8BTTGfbgOkXd6w_zM3xK_F9Fmw0C-MFtLg3OgWHvqw1GYfjHnf5Hq3Gn8VbF-n6l6Y166b0VWXqMFfME/s1600-h/IMG_0238%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrAuAHyp-yxhsaXw59cqfcaANTlm3K5K1Yh0xYIo68_2jLiNAhsp49wsyMwki8BTTGfbgOkXd6w_zM3xK_F9Fmw0C-MFtLg3OgWHvqw1GYfjHnf5Hq3Gn8VbF-n6l6Y166b0VWXqMFfME/s400/IMG_0238%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272714536232796162" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtOb528x2MqOmM5ktxt6ebuqfupFw5xbKwhWXBh-iJEkmbG6gjPI7dgys1VRRoOT84WQV3vN5SorYpmmpSnXiyHRNNJmWMTOZKBdrgSJ9u1k-KVIUdE5F83AIZt_v29OSHTDMlONf42O4/s1600-h/IMG_0245%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtOb528x2MqOmM5ktxt6ebuqfupFw5xbKwhWXBh-iJEkmbG6gjPI7dgys1VRRoOT84WQV3vN5SorYpmmpSnXiyHRNNJmWMTOZKBdrgSJ9u1k-KVIUdE5F83AIZt_v29OSHTDMlONf42O4/s400/IMG_0245%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272716490865688562" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2bH_HOSKCUGOKIUG88Wcag68Ul3WBN87eQKpnidb7EmMW0LeKK1R8LRyRapDJi_m130lAe9zcYePkvb2yJFKgx-a7SHdC3mYIgxQFHbCcX1DGeTNIepbIOOTow_4Cjavv_R5SvH4Ncc/s1600-h/IMG_0226%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2bH_HOSKCUGOKIUG88Wcag68Ul3WBN87eQKpnidb7EmMW0LeKK1R8LRyRapDJi_m130lAe9zcYePkvb2yJFKgx-a7SHdC3mYIgxQFHbCcX1DGeTNIepbIOOTow_4Cjavv_R5SvH4Ncc/s400/IMG_0226%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272716481482584610" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66pu18jSuhUvRqq2TUZhpd0zLWvedzTNgLi2ZzOY3spcq33nqnQsZs0u74ZDv5qDZeOm5Tg_T0j15G2OP8jjYTCydxOnLbP9hG1hCzcH3uFXlITCes2ESPptb5V_PO9DhuJn1Ggklg54/s1600-h/IMG_0250%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66pu18jSuhUvRqq2TUZhpd0zLWvedzTNgLi2ZzOY3spcq33nqnQsZs0u74ZDv5qDZeOm5Tg_T0j15G2OP8jjYTCydxOnLbP9hG1hCzcH3uFXlITCes2ESPptb5V_PO9DhuJn1Ggklg54/s400/IMG_0250%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272716498447818626" /></a><br /><br />Another interesting sight along the Andean roads are the <em>apachetas</em>. They're these piles of stones made as offerings to the mountains, which the native peoples held (hold?) sacred.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBZESUsG8baei4Y30A0fa-Jnfr0xKeIGrgbBVsEYDb10HUWbaIFc5UxADDgEjJNUKUHqAE0mOjeaqXffTcyLLtP6gF8c5Mjb67rM-FQ58p3-fxCLHhUT6u3F5Yj2mP3yRp27XUkLGRK8/s1600-h/IMG_0247%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBZESUsG8baei4Y30A0fa-Jnfr0xKeIGrgbBVsEYDb10HUWbaIFc5UxADDgEjJNUKUHqAE0mOjeaqXffTcyLLtP6gF8c5Mjb67rM-FQ58p3-fxCLHhUT6u3F5Yj2mP3yRp27XUkLGRK8/s400/IMG_0247%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272717522205467666" /></a><br /><br />This was taken at Patapampa, a <em>mirador </em>that's at nearly 16,000 feet. It was difficult to breathe, even with a <em>boca </em>full of <em>coca</em>. Bitter stuff, by the way, tastes about as good as you would imagine chewing a handful of leaves tastes, but it works, so three days later, I'm still chomping away.<br /><br />Our destination was the Colca River valley, which I'll get to in a second, but to get to the <em>hostal </em>we had to pass through the town of Chivay, and being as it was Sunday, the town square was a bustle of activity.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rvQVGBJOTUHNgC7CJ0l-V9pzqSZjYCZDouprENMeIz_uj6f-aoJtYWqA_cgSz46X4-HlybOsCnqW9_gyg_oqRSM-0P5_FDSmAyWPxKacSwuP-eZ_YcQzj9nBC4lmdCCX-9oL-ZL8YtU/s1600-h/IMG_0254%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rvQVGBJOTUHNgC7CJ0l-V9pzqSZjYCZDouprENMeIz_uj6f-aoJtYWqA_cgSz46X4-HlybOsCnqW9_gyg_oqRSM-0P5_FDSmAyWPxKacSwuP-eZ_YcQzj9nBC4lmdCCX-9oL-ZL8YtU/s400/IMG_0254%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272722021833321394" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlkOScl6SlVOpbDutpSoeqe76yoioFtOFtTuz63l0wrIwRuzeBkbT1HdcVcPteElQi8mgl2WqU3D0qLg49-4E-joJqMMD0be6dZCPqEJFaGFhd6x5xbSpgKv-pRYXOqqB0SoGVBV5No8/s1600-h/IMG_0259%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlkOScl6SlVOpbDutpSoeqe76yoioFtOFtTuz63l0wrIwRuzeBkbT1HdcVcPteElQi8mgl2WqU3D0qLg49-4E-joJqMMD0be6dZCPqEJFaGFhd6x5xbSpgKv-pRYXOqqB0SoGVBV5No8/s400/IMG_0259%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272722030850204162" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFGb2v5-RxBLDYxXhnW0FUM8PvsX2yiX5XB6xKm-iDt1iKzgZ9NDnMBGNyRHZmyhf5-TLecnOR3fzplf3o3Ip7SEwqZQFcoksB9PBKNKBCjWuPBBm-zyS-zhfkW3jp4zK_WrER9ATPyI/s1600-h/IMG_0257%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFGb2v5-RxBLDYxXhnW0FUM8PvsX2yiX5XB6xKm-iDt1iKzgZ9NDnMBGNyRHZmyhf5-TLecnOR3fzplf3o3Ip7SEwqZQFcoksB9PBKNKBCjWuPBBm-zyS-zhfkW3jp4zK_WrER9ATPyI/s400/IMG_0257%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272722027970089138" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZkE3QwA8qztRUoik4pjtD_U8zazdzExJQ6xO4XzeRjvAYRExkaLAE5SQlALpNNCYxPEwik_citR8xzFxfZYTGnqndaM9t4bA2whqc_BlBspqtaxHkl5NWO415qoIrQ-kJg69iOl7fhE/s1600-h/IMG_0265%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZkE3QwA8qztRUoik4pjtD_U8zazdzExJQ6xO4XzeRjvAYRExkaLAE5SQlALpNNCYxPEwik_citR8xzFxfZYTGnqndaM9t4bA2whqc_BlBspqtaxHkl5NWO415qoIrQ-kJg69iOl7fhE/s400/IMG_0265%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272722038623065186" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVcI9P1IQlGKvRv6Zs0duYRvtyCOXjikh8naV9MYhAKTcDrVSKqDCYRsPUmDGJHfObZ1bAL9lhftl69OmNTrosfveO0CSOjDQTivIwTbrqKDP3KH3kZedcdMwiq4II4r4GM-YCQY8jww/s1600-h/IMG_0258%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVcI9P1IQlGKvRv6Zs0duYRvtyCOXjikh8naV9MYhAKTcDrVSKqDCYRsPUmDGJHfObZ1bAL9lhftl69OmNTrosfveO0CSOjDQTivIwTbrqKDP3KH3kZedcdMwiq4II4r4GM-YCQY8jww/s400/IMG_0258%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272722051730439474" /></a><br /><br />The people of Chivay are descendants of the Cabanas people, though the residents of Coporaque, the small town across the river where my <em>hostal </em>was located, are descended from the Collagua people. I'm still not entirely clear on the difference. They speak different languages, and it has something to do with the hats. But I'm no anthropologist (nor fashionista).<br /><br />I am, however, a linguistics nerd! If you're not, skip this paragraph. But if you're an amateur Henry Higgins like myself, read on. OK, so people from Arequipa have a slight accent, Limeños will tell you that they sing their speech. But what I heard was that the double-l (which we're all familiar with because we enjoy quesadillas) is pronounced eel-YUH, as opposed to ee-YUH. So, remember sillar, that white stone? It's pronounced seel-YAR, not see-YAR. And Collagua? You got it, kohl-ee-YAH-wah. Maybe I'm the only one interested in that factoid.<br /><br />So after five hours over roads both smooth and incredibly bumpy, we arrived at La Casa de Mama Yacchi (yep, same owners as La Casa de mi Abuela). Mama Yacchi evidently was a Collagua princess who married an Incan chieftain to avoid bloody conquest. Her name means "wise woman" in the local lingo. Here´s the view from my room.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZzzdtwXGPn8z5evL1VvQJenzXM4Ghq5ZoYlNZRrVaaytBrFJX7g7ArkZhVCFA9tpoGd7E3qfXD_OYmMnglhGVWU0cXzQE6FnsC2LRjXyPxpLk3qrxfj7lpfOuHs-kKon7BXla-SDgx0/s1600-h/IMG_0268%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZzzdtwXGPn8z5evL1VvQJenzXM4Ghq5ZoYlNZRrVaaytBrFJX7g7ArkZhVCFA9tpoGd7E3qfXD_OYmMnglhGVWU0cXzQE6FnsC2LRjXyPxpLk3qrxfj7lpfOuHs-kKon7BXla-SDgx0/s400/IMG_0268%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272726552970011378" /></a><br /><br />Not bad, right? And here's the manager's pet llama.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCl2cfquNH3NYIU9_XunxEmqWe5Ia5HnxD6yXcI4ErsOSsXAOo7lr7eJSxxFb3f72YmIYbC8Le6aVuA4ZbM1lLTb0b44MG7Moa7GTQ6JRUhNfuOrgYYwdSh8Ue1nSG0W2WfyVAdQWjHk4/s1600-h/IMG_0270%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCl2cfquNH3NYIU9_XunxEmqWe5Ia5HnxD6yXcI4ErsOSsXAOo7lr7eJSxxFb3f72YmIYbC8Le6aVuA4ZbM1lLTb0b44MG7Moa7GTQ6JRUhNfuOrgYYwdSh8Ue1nSG0W2WfyVAdQWjHk4/s400/IMG_0270%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272726568530053314" /></a><br /><br />His name's Mancha (or Patch or Spot or Stain), and he was always getting loose from his post and wandering around the grounds. He's actually a <em>huariso</em>, or llama-alpaca cross. See, the first two shavings of an alpaca give the best wool, and after that they usually kill the beast for meat. But the manager just couldn't bring herself to do it, so now he putters around, chewing up the lawn and waddling away from tourists looking to pose with him.<br /><br />After lunch (mmm....barbecued alpaca steak...), Erica and I went for a hike to take in the canyon. Colca Canyon is a massive (twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and over 60 miles long) part of a volcanic mountain range. The people live there much as they have for the last thousand years, farming terraces built before the Spaniards and before the Incas.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1COUkjdYAeZMFoNiqM62AttMF2yRfiRxtTijKx8gBnn157xVO7GetahCMM_5wApXtLjXw7qV1qheWq75aQnzwgAXruoRAq-Fx0wp99tlUJv44v3otiOAI-6T3_qJJ3GUfhdbp93cwO8/s1600-h/IMG_0275%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1COUkjdYAeZMFoNiqM62AttMF2yRfiRxtTijKx8gBnn157xVO7GetahCMM_5wApXtLjXw7qV1qheWq75aQnzwgAXruoRAq-Fx0wp99tlUJv44v3otiOAI-6T3_qJJ3GUfhdbp93cwO8/s400/IMG_0275%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272731279733075298" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64SucvR6Cinw8LIzElXH0ZqPF3Me5YcjGEGdFbTdb88D6qKekcRtbKh4vZbJzAjRypolexfwW0Ka6QAbqMMBSDA8Xkr3mQHCDRpY0AUUlZR-JfsHAybRZniMsyVTGZ7GQDSO38Y8Fah8/s1600-h/IMG_0277%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64SucvR6Cinw8LIzElXH0ZqPF3Me5YcjGEGdFbTdb88D6qKekcRtbKh4vZbJzAjRypolexfwW0Ka6QAbqMMBSDA8Xkr3mQHCDRpY0AUUlZR-JfsHAybRZniMsyVTGZ7GQDSO38Y8Fah8/s400/IMG_0277%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272731295835666866" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETM9nbVdMVSMTz_j296h9V15ecDUld72i9kaq9U2nffJQTk2nvu-V8JKS0-ZVPrkJ1_KYiLsZduffqn4mzqWnstcgJN4S0f6Mx5Sv1iNOSgPPg9wNPS_DoFwmUQyVfHBW3kDV9Z7Kj6I/s1600-h/IMG_0276%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETM9nbVdMVSMTz_j296h9V15ecDUld72i9kaq9U2nffJQTk2nvu-V8JKS0-ZVPrkJ1_KYiLsZduffqn4mzqWnstcgJN4S0f6Mx5Sv1iNOSgPPg9wNPS_DoFwmUQyVfHBW3kDV9Z7Kj6I/s400/IMG_0276%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272731281221840466" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtgEZdUQclLwTossFg6pu3GjeIm2bzaGcV2xWhfH7Xi_uHvgXlMUGN4eSDVX-hFl1MREQyn3Yi8q4hoKnPY5uE-DZZfZ5AmWKJ_sNQmRm8W74yqjyeQ1yWyDmkn1rwAkh-6K3PFdd7rw/s1600-h/IMG_0272%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtgEZdUQclLwTossFg6pu3GjeIm2bzaGcV2xWhfH7Xi_uHvgXlMUGN4eSDVX-hFl1MREQyn3Yi8q4hoKnPY5uE-DZZfZ5AmWKJ_sNQmRm8W74yqjyeQ1yWyDmkn1rwAkh-6K3PFdd7rw/s400/IMG_0272%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272731275904775538" /></a><br /><br />After the hike, we visited La Calera, with its open-air thermal hot spring baths.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyhpNJJ8q55yJnFXQWWXM7s2A19VoLGKmnAJySnxTTb67BVMVd_RJA1t3ZpNcvoeXszi8QTXBZ6tY0zBpux-E5vEt_u6xk1HDH24iQItztpb9P-2yQWqEtBiJc2ec6ll5eK5objoLZ6Y/s1600-h/IMG_0285%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyhpNJJ8q55yJnFXQWWXM7s2A19VoLGKmnAJySnxTTb67BVMVd_RJA1t3ZpNcvoeXszi8QTXBZ6tY0zBpux-E5vEt_u6xk1HDH24iQItztpb9P-2yQWqEtBiJc2ec6ll5eK5objoLZ6Y/s400/IMG_0285%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272732216216312402" /></a><br /><br />Now, you guys know me, and you know I'm never the first one to volunteer to strip down and show some skin (well, not publicly anyways) but I figured since the place was full of European tourists, maybe I wouldn't be the fattest, palest guy there. So I steeled myself and stepped out of the changing room. Just then, the strains of Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" started coming out of the loudspeaker. C'mon, baby, let me know.<br /><br />Back at the hotel, a roaring fire and a delicious buffet dinner awaited. Speaking of the music here, while there are the requisite American rock anthems, there's also a lot of that Peruvian pan-flute stuff. In fact, in Lima, I witnessed the changing of the guard at the Presidential Palace and was surprised to hear the military band playing Paul Simon, until I remembered El Condor Pasa is actually an old Peruvian folk song. But here in the Colca Valley, far from the Internet and even television, familiar songs such as The Sounds of Silence and Hey Jude take on a haunting significance when played through an ancient wind instrument.<br /><br />Anyways, we were up at the crack of dawn to drive over the dusty mountain roads again to Colca's main attraction, the Condor's Cross. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDz_IFCjsjZGDj7Tw1ns4ZJ01Rql_R0aw0LRrx-sWVjC0TIDbpZVmXNP3gCAyFNEI8928MXDcrz9ZXFsu6oHsOJ9qv3xA_VrTqvl3n6LATa2rEHoUh1BhrYGv7ACFWh8E6GhscP3fznZ0/s1600-h/IMG_0296%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDz_IFCjsjZGDj7Tw1ns4ZJ01Rql_R0aw0LRrx-sWVjC0TIDbpZVmXNP3gCAyFNEI8928MXDcrz9ZXFsu6oHsOJ9qv3xA_VrTqvl3n6LATa2rEHoUh1BhrYGv7ACFWh8E6GhscP3fznZ0/s400/IMG_0296%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272736459064025138" /></a><br /><br />These giant majestic birds are too heavy to fly, so they take off from perches deep in the canyon, catch warm air drafts, and float in giant circles upwards, until they soar over your head before heading out along the river.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkSmik_3op0rkD35WwcbN4VnZEK0P4Chp84fgYanapFwo1lzrmdeFEI_9Zn5zn4LKB2xpRoxmTI3qllBj90aXv9t5WGN28sAJn_HL88lYy1MjEPYNolkLqALcweZLiPuYWYDSNQZt2p4/s1600-h/IMG_0297%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkSmik_3op0rkD35WwcbN4VnZEK0P4Chp84fgYanapFwo1lzrmdeFEI_9Zn5zn4LKB2xpRoxmTI3qllBj90aXv9t5WGN28sAJn_HL88lYy1MjEPYNolkLqALcweZLiPuYWYDSNQZt2p4/s400/IMG_0297%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272736464326807698" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieukngkgjAPtZy1J2nsE1sZ_laNfy7zXSXiwVwDbtWOeNd8XjRv50y_ps3NIRfphkdFDGTPShS6azsbsIlrWm38eMRxoD6B10Piw-DR0H1qn3SU0mkMkvfy4XaLYn_BpWDQ7dARi7q5Uo/s1600-h/IMG_0301%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieukngkgjAPtZy1J2nsE1sZ_laNfy7zXSXiwVwDbtWOeNd8XjRv50y_ps3NIRfphkdFDGTPShS6azsbsIlrWm38eMRxoD6B10Piw-DR0H1qn3SU0mkMkvfy4XaLYn_BpWDQ7dARi7q5Uo/s400/IMG_0301%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272736475675416002" /></a><br /><br />It's pretty breathtaking. I don't really have anything snarky to say about it. Awe-inspiring.<br /><br />On the way back to Coporaque, we stopped in the tiny village of Maca, which has a plain white Colonial-era church.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzHE2O_QY4pyJ8ybwVnhqheSoyd0P3lPlhbLnw_CnqK6DYG9nT9Ax_dOesBvFTv7EszVdqyZVKe9qQIIT4awGLMsoPMaIKceNF1CnHxc16rq2urOHOX_9aSCWipRtw4PfeQXkCDMuxLY/s1600-h/IMG_0314%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzHE2O_QY4pyJ8ybwVnhqheSoyd0P3lPlhbLnw_CnqK6DYG9nT9Ax_dOesBvFTv7EszVdqyZVKe9qQIIT4awGLMsoPMaIKceNF1CnHxc16rq2urOHOX_9aSCWipRtw4PfeQXkCDMuxLY/s400/IMG_0314%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272739781366862402" /></a><br /><br />At least, that's what I thought until I went inside.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-e2JqiLRUWrcEU96zIg4-785B5i7B0MtLDzRrLHzIm6C8hd-SiChQU3XsCTGUa9geMQUnpBk7aABbE0v_hs620xCffx03szp0lCdKIXUhY7MJyWzKb1Y0PI67o5g-SyoTKLM_CCFGtbA/s1600-h/IMG_0313%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-e2JqiLRUWrcEU96zIg4-785B5i7B0MtLDzRrLHzIm6C8hd-SiChQU3XsCTGUa9geMQUnpBk7aABbE0v_hs620xCffx03szp0lCdKIXUhY7MJyWzKb1Y0PI67o5g-SyoTKLM_CCFGtbA/s400/IMG_0313%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272739773034355250" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevFr_tDtwLOXBJIX5juM8_REsgPfSMvq7_ZkwmhYkNtVUlhv6wG9q5kk2vwe97KjXsobQP9V2RoxBhaTSrLTzk26YXVUMmGt73qM4f45Wc6rqk4A6gJPPEPugu4DrjI3m0CE_m0j20T4/s1600-h/IMG_0311%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevFr_tDtwLOXBJIX5juM8_REsgPfSMvq7_ZkwmhYkNtVUlhv6wG9q5kk2vwe97KjXsobQP9V2RoxBhaTSrLTzk26YXVUMmGt73qM4f45Wc6rqk4A6gJPPEPugu4DrjI3m0CE_m0j20T4/s400/IMG_0311%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272739764495576050" /></a><br /><br />So that's where all the gold stolen from the Incas went!<br /><br />The town was nearly completely destroyed by an earthquake thirty years ago, but has been restored, largely thanks to gifts of the Spanish government. Which I guess is nice, but not really enough to make up for the conquest.<br /><br />More cuteness...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRf2HesGDII1WZRWVL71AH6CROPB5gR5yMnOTQjILl-C1hBWMBCH7RQo7rks0oM7A8SNr9HOGgbyPTYlQVKzOnMENO-V17waZ3IGNHOTE1oH-P6xKLDhbcVHNlQJWazVSeo6iT1tqWrag/s1600-h/IMG_0332%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRf2HesGDII1WZRWVL71AH6CROPB5gR5yMnOTQjILl-C1hBWMBCH7RQo7rks0oM7A8SNr9HOGgbyPTYlQVKzOnMENO-V17waZ3IGNHOTE1oH-P6xKLDhbcVHNlQJWazVSeo6iT1tqWrag/s400/IMG_0332%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272739783191898690" /></a><br /><br />They had an eagle there you could take a picture with, but they really shouldn't be in captivity, so I didn't want to reward that kind of ecological insensitivity. Plus the talons kinda scared me.<br /><br />After lunch in Chivay, Erica headed back to Arequipa and Jaime and I went back to Mama Yacchi. That afternoon I spent dozing and trying to recover from a mild case of the <em>soroche </em>(altitude sickness). Another scrumptious dinner, then right to bed because we had the long drive to Puno this morning.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpn2zAu-LQZUB2cHwFYCGAhvR6iHNs2QiU5qSNenjFcBcNzVYKY4gFtNmsn41w22jR2WFCyhGqWd5pHRy-38jyVkn5VPxuDJwdhU2FI6T4Ncswzx9grw3rf83lwaHS4OouYhc4LVXymeg/s1600-h/IMG_0321%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpn2zAu-LQZUB2cHwFYCGAhvR6iHNs2QiU5qSNenjFcBcNzVYKY4gFtNmsn41w22jR2WFCyhGqWd5pHRy-38jyVkn5VPxuDJwdhU2FI6T4Ncswzx9grw3rf83lwaHS4OouYhc4LVXymeg/s400/IMG_0321%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272742116509129986" /></a><br /><br />This is Lagunillas, a beautiful mountain lake and a good spot to see flamingos.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCxQljaOukY0OBCYEsZUTmvS4Hbm9r90Ia6aZNdyCjSqrTsje0_hZZJaVJzh_cbY0Y55RGSpOLvAwD5bS7AZnm2_iUpZg4iKIwiBlXkrJ4P9iLzVA6536sxgAAAWmRiKlduclz0Sy5d8/s1600-h/IMG_0333%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCxQljaOukY0OBCYEsZUTmvS4Hbm9r90Ia6aZNdyCjSqrTsje0_hZZJaVJzh_cbY0Y55RGSpOLvAwD5bS7AZnm2_iUpZg4iKIwiBlXkrJ4P9iLzVA6536sxgAAAWmRiKlduclz0Sy5d8/s400/IMG_0333%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272742126911593010" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituicRLTdZudAM_Px1j5G-Js9bQ3nc81EoCklMTUI9DFGi8DKVFoFBVEh27Vbi28i6zYB9-rElrM9EiGQgR57HVIMRuUyV641W7p4qc4kuVufR5-7k-UmHxO4nGEDe_tOWBdfmSWu5cw4/s1600-h/IMG_0331%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituicRLTdZudAM_Px1j5G-Js9bQ3nc81EoCklMTUI9DFGi8DKVFoFBVEh27Vbi28i6zYB9-rElrM9EiGQgR57HVIMRuUyV641W7p4qc4kuVufR5-7k-UmHxO4nGEDe_tOWBdfmSWu5cw4/s400/IMG_0331%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272742122946959970" /></a><br /><br />Not to get all Al Gore on you guys, but here you can see where the surface of the lake used to be.<br /><br />Puno is about five hours from Chivay, but Jaime and I filled the time discussing basketball, pets, the habits of Peruvian truck drivers, and why Cyndi Lauper will come to Peru but the Red Hot Chili Peppers will not. I'll miss him.<br /><br />Whew! That was a long one! Tomorrow I'll sum up Puno, and believe me, it won't take nearly as much text.m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-29222262414358951582008-11-22T13:33:00.000-08:002008-11-22T14:47:39.862-08:00Devil in the White City<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGzYlPFcFV8wEVMo555GcwXcDAggewkn0NKpzH789Yi4dw86XPSA7qpgcILGnH46FzBkc0Zb2ulFn5w7E5kYabMPc_g3swiio-fghMR3QfQtD2PHTVm_qchjj_cKhtLwDFpKhdk1qtMpI/s1600-h/Peru+148.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGzYlPFcFV8wEVMo555GcwXcDAggewkn0NKpzH789Yi4dw86XPSA7qpgcILGnH46FzBkc0Zb2ulFn5w7E5kYabMPc_g3swiio-fghMR3QfQtD2PHTVm_qchjj_cKhtLwDFpKhdk1qtMpI/s400/Peru+148.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271609630441270450" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDcamFzFeJMOte5YWhgK0btWjflbw82AnCyROlE0oc5VAufvRpfbIz5zFM2xeJLjhy668JjrR4seAjwWmJH43Oat786DpWSVGGDnPFBpQphGzPTZGfZNsxvnGTgmeRmcjxvHHfCaJCkM/s1600-h/Peru+157.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDcamFzFeJMOte5YWhgK0btWjflbw82AnCyROlE0oc5VAufvRpfbIz5zFM2xeJLjhy668JjrR4seAjwWmJH43Oat786DpWSVGGDnPFBpQphGzPTZGfZNsxvnGTgmeRmcjxvHHfCaJCkM/s400/Peru+157.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271609625559724866" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVkzDq7Gm6YKkFGe8cW04KJXy5tOyO32Co3s2WRtSooR2Jya7x9bXcxoHyFgh49KJOtWC63oBOp0eRkzz4086u_M47qJeiaGPYAzl2sw8B3OVWSaVF_7f4V8nivDTqNkaaOweQJETYic/s1600-h/Peru+141.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVkzDq7Gm6YKkFGe8cW04KJXy5tOyO32Co3s2WRtSooR2Jya7x9bXcxoHyFgh49KJOtWC63oBOp0eRkzz4086u_M47qJeiaGPYAzl2sw8B3OVWSaVF_7f4V8nivDTqNkaaOweQJETYic/s400/Peru+141.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271602826138539314" /></a><br />Arequipa is called the White City because most of its colonial buildings were made out of <span style="font-style:italic;">sillar</span>, a white volcanic stone from the three nearby volcanos (check out these names): Chachani, <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAp8ji0Sx_37ZsagQ0v1_IMCfxrC7qT7JfwviqaMJRyCzvHh0Se8bClxrH4yxxzsUuEIMpI0IUvShb3rR8e_cY96geJzqP9j7fOZ1MsYxuk4CA_7zK0qkMvJhLsvj1laQxWdpHVEhCmtU/s1600-h/Peru+112.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAp8ji0Sx_37ZsagQ0v1_IMCfxrC7qT7JfwviqaMJRyCzvHh0Se8bClxrH4yxxzsUuEIMpI0IUvShb3rR8e_cY96geJzqP9j7fOZ1MsYxuk4CA_7zK0qkMvJhLsvj1laQxWdpHVEhCmtU/s400/Peru+112.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271603969372306114" /></a><br />Pichu Pichu, and <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsEs1aSdfbKiP4LTfdD4QBk1Gk2EUeOyr66NJHU3_KHGCG-LXTJHbTue-dv0dSxXoxmB79ASkcnUlW4W6ZEFCnKZYeEy60P6_X3keCwKf48RqZKEkZ_aNvYXICguiLhOGvEsuPi3wbfo/s1600-h/Peru+111.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsEs1aSdfbKiP4LTfdD4QBk1Gk2EUeOyr66NJHU3_KHGCG-LXTJHbTue-dv0dSxXoxmB79ASkcnUlW4W6ZEFCnKZYeEy60P6_X3keCwKf48RqZKEkZ_aNvYXICguiLhOGvEsuPi3wbfo/s400/Peru+111.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271603960266270050" /></a><br />El Misti.<br /><br />It´s beautiful, sunny, sophisticated, and reasonably-priced. So, basically the opposite of Lima.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGL1WjXw4lzOGhINWERNCoWSq7ikDbRCrZxbTbTG6_m0n6D-jniz-PbACrsKS3a7M63AInQo4eDc71rg4kVXZ9NJWxaB9b6LhE9VlnSMxVnko0Fpygw5LsS0ODWAIeuqa22MdIb0x3hG0/s1600-h/Peru+117.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGL1WjXw4lzOGhINWERNCoWSq7ikDbRCrZxbTbTG6_m0n6D-jniz-PbACrsKS3a7M63AInQo4eDc71rg4kVXZ9NJWxaB9b6LhE9VlnSMxVnko0Fpygw5LsS0ODWAIeuqa22MdIb0x3hG0/s400/Peru+117.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271605002852893954" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAEqvHK8BRnoH7C-FFv4q7lPjRp7vbs38ocLjzu7A04zeaXJiPa6pZAqbvTg0UqvfFU_Zt5vchRCEdXdcNid3M28UmUBLYrMZ1_ftV-fs0c1tx-ss9AF6KVBm93xLnmkgYAfO_s-QwVc/s1600-h/Peru+118.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAEqvHK8BRnoH7C-FFv4q7lPjRp7vbs38ocLjzu7A04zeaXJiPa6pZAqbvTg0UqvfFU_Zt5vchRCEdXdcNid3M28UmUBLYrMZ1_ftV-fs0c1tx-ss9AF6KVBm93xLnmkgYAfO_s-QwVc/s400/Peru+118.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271605457248877394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Pj2EwIwZDd7qq72y2LTAEny39nu0kAWMejXcbnJ8v6kwZMsHFlx8xRKaZKOW1QYTdb4uM_9q_8-AHSI5DGErZ1iSHMH0jUufkQ-zWgSjEyrlQ-XFxTK4TltaVBe-1vdT40hcNyGPinM/s1600-h/Peru+150.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Pj2EwIwZDd7qq72y2LTAEny39nu0kAWMejXcbnJ8v6kwZMsHFlx8xRKaZKOW1QYTdb4uM_9q_8-AHSI5DGErZ1iSHMH0jUufkQ-zWgSjEyrlQ-XFxTK4TltaVBe-1vdT40hcNyGPinM/s400/Peru+150.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271610166667850898" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOBh1JKGWsXSssFvAcDfzKtB8D_DS3vI8DbQxwXvk92KbIwQMnRORXOaF6h91F-8f7l9xK2YtiIPq9JBTIl1_0EwRTAfRfsKhg2SrRLNWMyy6l56uAwp4DG9asEVEu-4WNtKuBWmbDfg/s1600-h/Peru+143.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOBh1JKGWsXSssFvAcDfzKtB8D_DS3vI8DbQxwXvk92KbIwQMnRORXOaF6h91F-8f7l9xK2YtiIPq9JBTIl1_0EwRTAfRfsKhg2SrRLNWMyy6l56uAwp4DG9asEVEu-4WNtKuBWmbDfg/s400/Peru+143.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271610161380514258" /></a><br /><br />One of the main attractions is the Convent of Santa Catalina, which is like a city within a city. I spent a good hour and a half on the tour there, it was so relaxing and peaceful. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44PJKW-G2UJI_etFR4D5xX8iQNPdslWxV8feYmtHhfjETc16eattN2kpEiVekhYV8fHZtc0qmA1pnhQMYUBw8sGozlwUx99aA54PEkkltxTjqMGkUF94Z7Pwxj-WghuU7jkorrjTFAFY/s1600-h/Peru+136.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44PJKW-G2UJI_etFR4D5xX8iQNPdslWxV8feYmtHhfjETc16eattN2kpEiVekhYV8fHZtc0qmA1pnhQMYUBw8sGozlwUx99aA54PEkkltxTjqMGkUF94Z7Pwxj-WghuU7jkorrjTFAFY/s400/Peru+136.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271607713057500866" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-QG8cyrKM7Y-JYg2YIy-BhajQdqn4L7tUpu4QvVrewnNy8dwUJJNVZ4FV-jLTlzONf1312mXF42BCuRwCUa0HBxzvf8Q9tC340EQsoFwpdp7etqH_iiLfPomZ3FPh3clV_on7X4cXBI/s1600-h/Peru+131.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-QG8cyrKM7Y-JYg2YIy-BhajQdqn4L7tUpu4QvVrewnNy8dwUJJNVZ4FV-jLTlzONf1312mXF42BCuRwCUa0HBxzvf8Q9tC340EQsoFwpdp7etqH_iiLfPomZ3FPh3clV_on7X4cXBI/s400/Peru+131.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271607708985559538" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDCkwXDvmFRzQuehCb144TF4godvznRlKHrb-UQPDN2OnP2_IlexXCRhaU08sQgP2vR_N3m5l_WePkU9xWeNq_Fofw2x6xLbAMNxMxzOUBlsl1atXrVnvx-UOL1zF3HmIpNjroSghjTQ/s1600-h/Peru+127.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDCkwXDvmFRzQuehCb144TF4godvznRlKHrb-UQPDN2OnP2_IlexXCRhaU08sQgP2vR_N3m5l_WePkU9xWeNq_Fofw2x6xLbAMNxMxzOUBlsl1atXrVnvx-UOL1zF3HmIpNjroSghjTQ/s400/Peru+127.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271607699354994866" /></a><br />These are Dominican nuns, not Franciscan, so while they do take a vow of silence, there was no vow of poverty. They had servants and slaves, tea sets and dishes imported from Holland, English silverware, and priceless art collections.<br /><br />I know, I know, I should quit bashing the Catholics, but it´s just so fun. One more. Here is a statuary of the Last Supper:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlaYTIqyVAfbr6ZO8_zTN_sTcCsWF1KQeRef59u6DKzpQnBkfuSgN9Ous0AmvctaBF6vapbIMR42YpfnN65YtaOU0cQ67UU63-FY54jiqkZ5dfJgqC1nDy-kguwUixggJiG2IXK5JR7s/s1600-h/Peru+123.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlaYTIqyVAfbr6ZO8_zTN_sTcCsWF1KQeRef59u6DKzpQnBkfuSgN9Ous0AmvctaBF6vapbIMR42YpfnN65YtaOU0cQ67UU63-FY54jiqkZ5dfJgqC1nDy-kguwUixggJiG2IXK5JR7s/s400/Peru+123.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271607713865590578" /></a><br />You probably can´t tell from this picture but only one of the apostles is not painted white, but in fact painted dark-skinned, with no facial hair, like the native people of the region. Any guesses? You got it! Judas, the Betrayer!<br /><br />A famous resident of the Convent is the 16th-Century nun Sor Ana, who was beatified by John Paul II because her grave-dirt cured a woman´s cancer blah blah blah, I just wanted to give a shout-out to my hometown!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIggo5U__Gstq7rSVeTC5QRrZNg2SjWoKYdt1TKUjpUNjCuwj0nb6XJrwlfIjZDNoPOOr0DUjmGzlOd8odWSK29B-aw9ryUyqmG4trAcHIaK88qevA_A80ovm0KXxVjbeeLJYLDMguwns/s1600-h/Peru+140.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIggo5U__Gstq7rSVeTC5QRrZNg2SjWoKYdt1TKUjpUNjCuwj0nb6XJrwlfIjZDNoPOOr0DUjmGzlOd8odWSK29B-aw9ryUyqmG4trAcHIaK88qevA_A80ovm0KXxVjbeeLJYLDMguwns/s400/Peru+140.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271610770841309458" /></a><br />WHUDDUP!!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMb0IdXpcYRvp_VyhzxgzCFVzfBj6dNdIfgi5TMEqqcpMGD_hY6qoMPESproVsX6NrEmUCh0wPoRr2_enQDtxF8d1q5LDbnEkeevbV_dhSiph9GoKYdJrN4sZA08-O-PisT48VMbj398/s1600-h/Peru+113.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMb0IdXpcYRvp_VyhzxgzCFVzfBj6dNdIfgi5TMEqqcpMGD_hY6qoMPESproVsX6NrEmUCh0wPoRr2_enQDtxF8d1q5LDbnEkeevbV_dhSiph9GoKYdJrN4sZA08-O-PisT48VMbj398/s400/Peru+113.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271611788124438434" /></a><br />Oh, they´re so cute!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZufzENyOIoKb9b9-F4RshjGuZhOfLSviiP8kXrjH_t0wArMB2JHVWk-hfI00asVjdCHu2MNrgIT20XtGYxfz904i57-TIBvt8OqXqR3orvsgZNS9IISWL94ricd-KEfdUeYFHo0dvyok/s1600-h/Peru+151.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZufzENyOIoKb9b9-F4RshjGuZhOfLSviiP8kXrjH_t0wArMB2JHVWk-hfI00asVjdCHu2MNrgIT20XtGYxfz904i57-TIBvt8OqXqR3orvsgZNS9IISWL94ricd-KEfdUeYFHo0dvyok/s400/Peru+151.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271611789413566130" /></a><br />And delicious!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bivu5mhTEkdhe3vWuRTcaglP46tePS5d3Qg9KEOOkNStd8IXvuIOjrV6KYgq7xMgQoJHaxz0rUsh2Gfa6qgfIOkNj928tbH5VJ1YDeaD6TOKq9W-_o0Bsc6vp07y8tJP9KNjnJzJZgU/s1600-h/Peru+152.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bivu5mhTEkdhe3vWuRTcaglP46tePS5d3Qg9KEOOkNStd8IXvuIOjrV6KYgq7xMgQoJHaxz0rUsh2Gfa6qgfIOkNj928tbH5VJ1YDeaD6TOKq9W-_o0Bsc6vp07y8tJP9KNjnJzJZgU/s400/Peru+152.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271611796198388146" /></a><br /><br />How could I? Well, when in Rome...If it makes you vegetarians feel any better, I embarrassed myself pretty good at that restaurant. See, a common Arequipeño treat here (basically just hand-made ice cream) is called Queso Helado. But me, trying to be all cool and order in Spanish, I asked for a Hueso Helado. Which I´m pretty sure means "Frozen Bone."<br /><br />Speaking of which, after lunch I visited another famous attraction in Arequipa, the Ice Princess of Ampato. She´s the remains of an Incan maiden, sacrificed at the top of a nearby mountain (Ampato) five or six hundred years ago, and discovered perfectly preserved frozen in the ice fifteen years ago when a neighboring volcano erupted and the hot ash melted the snow cap. It´s a pretty major discovery, giving archaeologists all kinds of insights into the culture, because she´s all intact and stuff. But they wouldn´t let me take any pictures, so if you´re interested, check out the June 1996 issue of National Geographic.<br /><br />That´s about it for now. This is a lovely hostal, and is called La Casa de mi Abuela, which means, "my grandmother´s house." Can you imagine me asking the taxi driver at midnight last night to take me to my grandmother´s house?<br /><br />I leave you now with a picture of what I intend to look like upon my return to America. Remember, it´s for the children.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwb30H4xCz2Lr-6328Ie-7_H_i9EawyD4QlHMESw-jseoQsCCiW1Rz10HaHTOLaiMbTolHon3nQK5wACVGJ81KeDpdQFwhQcKkVpAEdOMIDZRZhKOAdmKZOe0CaHxeLIdinkchauEqYAo/s1600-h/Peru+154.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwb30H4xCz2Lr-6328Ie-7_H_i9EawyD4QlHMESw-jseoQsCCiW1Rz10HaHTOLaiMbTolHon3nQK5wACVGJ81KeDpdQFwhQcKkVpAEdOMIDZRZhKOAdmKZOe0CaHxeLIdinkchauEqYAo/s400/Peru+154.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271616813429547650" /></a>m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-16383889398878634032008-11-22T13:00:00.000-08:002008-11-22T13:16:16.460-08:00Panamericana<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2DI4nW9t1y-1qxQVrYcK3rPA9GEsFy5Mskfz-SY7a6hCnsYGD0VlV9IGUSrhyphenhyphen8QGe9NMW0SeaOvv9Ufsxxb2AwgLnVwnbGAuNeRRvA4Xs0RJRSvNLFAcdkQS8MVKVzpRZzSh1UUYocM/s1600-h/IMG_0161%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2DI4nW9t1y-1qxQVrYcK3rPA9GEsFy5Mskfz-SY7a6hCnsYGD0VlV9IGUSrhyphenhyphen8QGe9NMW0SeaOvv9Ufsxxb2AwgLnVwnbGAuNeRRvA4Xs0RJRSvNLFAcdkQS8MVKVzpRZzSh1UUYocM/s400/IMG_0161%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271590602709803026" /></a><br />The Panamerican Highway is a two-lane strip of asphalt that runs from the Panama Canal all the way down to Cape Horn. I have now seen 650 miles of it. Parts of it are so sandy I saw actual plows clearing the road.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWXuv9cA-A6DLDUQ7g4XTKJJP5_R2QVdUU33CQZBCG2lMJWyyQQFIcUduNpEWfoCqgonrLqH4_MLQnwpAtHFsZN3tGBcorXmJZOWXNae2cs-m8OWwAcMB_69_8kXd1Rh8PcdHCGkgzOY/s1600-h/IMG_0165%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWXuv9cA-A6DLDUQ7g4XTKJJP5_R2QVdUU33CQZBCG2lMJWyyQQFIcUduNpEWfoCqgonrLqH4_MLQnwpAtHFsZN3tGBcorXmJZOWXNae2cs-m8OWwAcMB_69_8kXd1Rh8PcdHCGkgzOY/s400/IMG_0165%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271591125554107778" /></a><br />A lot of it runs along the Pacific Ocean, however, which makes for some pretty spectacular sunsets. The bus was no Greyhound, either. This puppy had two stories, TVs running DVDs, reclining seats, meal service, restrooms, legrests...you know, when I describe it, it really doesn´t sound all that fancy. But believe me, for down here, it´s luxurious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNxkEOZopqVQOUgnnaAkyifcg8HrPH5HutchVRNAiv5aDI8B0J59HAF6hbSuj1BhOE_Q_NmAcpCfM5R1fdkCsJvGzH6Z8Zphqt5gB22taIP1hNdERTrJ4XzIKgds8gPTESsVpxEFJpts/s1600-h/IMG_0167%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNxkEOZopqVQOUgnnaAkyifcg8HrPH5HutchVRNAiv5aDI8B0J59HAF6hbSuj1BhOE_Q_NmAcpCfM5R1fdkCsJvGzH6Z8Zphqt5gB22taIP1hNdERTrJ4XzIKgds8gPTESsVpxEFJpts/s400/IMG_0167%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271591999473530898" /></a><br />I spent nine hours on this bad boy, arriving in Arequipa after midnight. The name of the bus is Cruzero, as you can see, which is Spanish for, um, Cruiser. But for some reason, riding up in the panoramic front row, seeing all the landscape through the giant decal, all I kept thinking was "Culero, Culero." You know, that singsong cry you hear coming from the cheap seats at Dodger Stadium every time a visiting batter strikes out?<br /><br />Oh, and this time I was blessedly not sitting in front of those British people. Though there was this French woman who had an irritating habit of describing everything that was happening in the movie. But it was in French, and the movie was Shawshank Redemption, both of which I adore, so I was able to ignore the "Oh la la, c´est Marilyn! Avant il était Rita Aywort!" "Il va se suicider! Hélas!" And so on.m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-19920677963786589282008-11-21T07:58:00.000-08:002008-11-21T09:28:11.998-08:00Dusty, Lusty, and Musty<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtjtjoNJQCZBGUJY5D_umpTp0jYmfmsuMAGu4utiYXJiPZlhtSiblf2PArURAin7ONVv0ySsAtqA88p3bKp6WHd-xY8ZKBUEAHK0j_sQ_8irhcvtiYT7paUin5chREp8uLumLo9qbnug/s1600-h/IMG_0131%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtjtjoNJQCZBGUJY5D_umpTp0jYmfmsuMAGu4utiYXJiPZlhtSiblf2PArURAin7ONVv0ySsAtqA88p3bKp6WHd-xY8ZKBUEAHK0j_sQ_8irhcvtiYT7paUin5chREp8uLumLo9qbnug/s400/IMG_0131%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271143015999647266" /></a><br /><br />When we last left our intrepid <em>explorador</em>, he was heading out in search of some Lima nightlife. Multiple pickpocketing warnings, a tour guide´s poor recommendation, and the fact that it was a Tuesday, all conspired against me getting into anything too exciting that night. Plus, I had to get up at the crack of dawn for an eight hour bus ride across the Peruvian desert to the dusty little town of Nasca.<br /><br />What can one say about spending that much time on a bus? Sure, the scenery was breathtaking, but after several hours the majesty started to wear off, as did the charm of the group of pale Brits sitting behind me. Now normally, I find English people delightful. Really, I do. Their cute little accents, their cunning turns of phrase, their shameless alcoholism, it´s all good. But these six in particular...ugh. They were so snarky and dismissive of everything. It was like sitting in front of a bunch of Sarah Palins. Only less attractive. If nothing is as good as it is at home, then why bother traveling? But enough about them. I can´t stand complaining, so I won´t do it here.<br /><br />Here in Nasca, I´m staying in a budget <em>hostal </em>[sic] called the Maisson [sic]Suisse. It´s clean, comfortable, they have a pool, and the staff is cordial, if not all that friendly. Of course, I´m enjoying the privacy after Lima. When I didn´t check in with Eloiza before going out Tuesday night, she was worried that the <em>perperas </em>she had warned me about had got me. What are <em>perperas</em>, you ask? Near as I could tell, she was describing some sort of dangerous sluts that lure unsuspecting young naifs like me away from their money. I should have been so lucky.<br /><br />Anyways, Nasca! Well, the story goes that when commercial aircraft first started flying over this part of Peru, they noticed giant designs etched in the desert landscape.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkdcu8BEXnGWyOEBZTI9bdxn6Q8URsQsSoyB0SWPqqY_NvfK3ETzEAFbStQ1D2PoZOudulmTi8xDhGEFBMt-5Que8nMmrVrV7uZUkEXSvYufzWqjclumKP6A86AEZCpqoOpDYMg196tY/s1600-h/IMG_0155%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkdcu8BEXnGWyOEBZTI9bdxn6Q8URsQsSoyB0SWPqqY_NvfK3ETzEAFbStQ1D2PoZOudulmTi8xDhGEFBMt-5Que8nMmrVrV7uZUkEXSvYufzWqjclumKP6A86AEZCpqoOpDYMg196tY/s400/IMG_0155%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271149473404769154" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBon5MWKyLNf3466VEVQNtCmmAt8ZwlCh5jtCGkUSBIy4P8uNadaTWrElw8NxfrnvRDOal9JgErkAcJM-gCRCldGf9clHMoMweWWkhBegPA3NQjmjtb8h5kkQWPWrlnm0JR5nQmYP9sg/s1600-h/IMG_0156%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBon5MWKyLNf3466VEVQNtCmmAt8ZwlCh5jtCGkUSBIy4P8uNadaTWrElw8NxfrnvRDOal9JgErkAcJM-gCRCldGf9clHMoMweWWkhBegPA3NQjmjtb8h5kkQWPWrlnm0JR5nQmYP9sg/s400/IMG_0156%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271149463574664578" /></a><br />They´re practically invisible from the ground, so you get into a tiny C-130 and swoop and swerve around in the air, trying not to vomit while taking the best pictures you can.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdl2ampv1sHYO2l4v_iKy5vDyvwIjxyhkdyuIUAF_M4MhxhQ2X1BBqltVBqr_OCbjeo0vLFQhdSkeOhG0RgjRo_Fz985_Ut-zW_u8cL7wcSakBNsvLQ7lY-tosh42RP9aaz9BOCZnmDs/s1600-h/IMG_0127%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdl2ampv1sHYO2l4v_iKy5vDyvwIjxyhkdyuIUAF_M4MhxhQ2X1BBqltVBqr_OCbjeo0vLFQhdSkeOhG0RgjRo_Fz985_Ut-zW_u8cL7wcSakBNsvLQ7lY-tosh42RP9aaz9BOCZnmDs/s400/IMG_0127%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271150567284002066" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYtARZ26K4IR-ox5KrnayoDaMDlUiVU_Cajc1kZF9VB03Tk3xeZyAXLhzkWKrYKIMAnBZTpSKxfsR47g-ha9LI4jSsx4RjvCLjbligYBn1BaCo5JGsJAQRlTCFwXiOEmzLvBQeKu87fM/s1600-h/IMG_0139%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYtARZ26K4IR-ox5KrnayoDaMDlUiVU_Cajc1kZF9VB03Tk3xeZyAXLhzkWKrYKIMAnBZTpSKxfsR47g-ha9LI4jSsx4RjvCLjbligYBn1BaCo5JGsJAQRlTCFwXiOEmzLvBQeKu87fM/s400/IMG_0139%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271150573087156626" /></a><br />The lines were formed by moving the darker sand on the surface to the side, exposing lighter sand underneath. Because it never rains here, the lines have survived for thousands of years. What they don´t know is why they´re there in the first place, especially since without the ability to fly, the artists wouldn´t have been able to see their work. Theories range from extraterrestrial runways to charts of subterranean water sources, from astronomical calendar to seismic map. The most commonly accepted are that they were ceremonial sites of the Nasca people. This is borne out by similar designs found on Nasca pottery.<br /><br />These pictures don´t really give you a sense of how big they are, so I´ve included this one for scale.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO4pR2XTO27oWG3VT_Opv0caBbjU6ijf2iJXW8z6l25EzDEhpF7ESbWjRXxKLVW7ZG6-7JUyxGTF4yiOHIxlPLsbEQ7ibJYhYnBFNQAWrTtUUZy0OX-nyuQDsmTvzO2TUY5ThSZmPqqu8/s1600-h/IMG_0154%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO4pR2XTO27oWG3VT_Opv0caBbjU6ijf2iJXW8z6l25EzDEhpF7ESbWjRXxKLVW7ZG6-7JUyxGTF4yiOHIxlPLsbEQ7ibJYhYnBFNQAWrTtUUZy0OX-nyuQDsmTvzO2TUY5ThSZmPqqu8/s400/IMG_0154%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271151842571710850" /></a><br />That´s a double-decker, four-axle bus. Some of the designs are hundreds of feet long, and there are over seventy different geoglyphs; lines, triangles, trapezoids, animals and plants.<br /><br />The discovery of the lines prompted a surge in archaeology in the area, and they have since learned a lot about the Nasca people (300BCE-700CE). I went to a museum in town to learn more about human head trophies, pre-Incan aqueducts, intentional cranial deformation and the like, but when I heard a couple of the curators practicing their English ("Ay ahm go-eeng choppeeng guit maye mahm aht de mole.") I decided to take the opportunity to practice my Spanish.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1v5jCJprUSqx144cwKhjG9XGVBJPf2EjJ4bi_kwENNShoiucFpAqhid9_A8DvFdZ0PXfl2xm97ZfcZk9U4svuaJVhY7fC6f763td4INXXUR5lDTN0NqFSC3ZSiqzuQF5l5-AauSS-Nx8/s1600-h/IMG_0152%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1v5jCJprUSqx144cwKhjG9XGVBJPf2EjJ4bi_kwENNShoiucFpAqhid9_A8DvFdZ0PXfl2xm97ZfcZk9U4svuaJVhY7fC6f763td4INXXUR5lDTN0NqFSC3ZSiqzuQF5l5-AauSS-Nx8/s400/IMG_0152%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271156293035213186" /></a><br />Carolina, Cathy, and I talked for hours about all sorts of things, and I probably would have spent the day there, but I had booked a private tour of the Chauchilla Cemetery.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBDDMK9Wyb5cYDc3VaZjL8EGJe3b-opOTSSFAXdqKDyTtcG7GTrJhuPdE-12MASV4jEk3miREyD_03-v30A4fl-zFVs6l3AcpvhFB7eGw9d3YE4ixp08MbfglL0Rjo3hFJJxhA9WDBTw/s1600-h/IMG_0149%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBDDMK9Wyb5cYDc3VaZjL8EGJe3b-opOTSSFAXdqKDyTtcG7GTrJhuPdE-12MASV4jEk3miREyD_03-v30A4fl-zFVs6l3AcpvhFB7eGw9d3YE4ixp08MbfglL0Rjo3hFJJxhA9WDBTw/s400/IMG_0149%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271157889504493826" /></a><br />Dozens of tombs, filled with mummies of all shapes and sizes, it was a pretty fascinating look into the lives of these people. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1PLVDOEF_fzmeHeTYHBPOh_Ax8NC6LnqZM4Dq1HtHR8H64wu0Ow3TsiExORPKqsWdodJRHY-N58ib1Qdh0X0HgpjjmtlU_hxJ0AUQMyvlj5892s8jg4_HNDACLkshx7dlb4-gfYbFdk/s1600-h/IMG_0146%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1PLVDOEF_fzmeHeTYHBPOh_Ax8NC6LnqZM4Dq1HtHR8H64wu0Ow3TsiExORPKqsWdodJRHY-N58ib1Qdh0X0HgpjjmtlU_hxJ0AUQMyvlj5892s8jg4_HNDACLkshx7dlb4-gfYbFdk/s400/IMG_0146%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271160803073566226" /></a><br />Check out the dreads on this guy:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6x3Nk1DMpRTsenJxL_zYCDZVxCg-aJvytMALMOtcFczUqp0ynfjuAiBC_bluO_-cYo3fZt3c7CJxugghXPj2LtbEAEht250ZcEqe1cellVlJIaKjPL7-dG5oErPlSWxV6iPfhkleN3Y/s1600-h/IMG_0151%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6x3Nk1DMpRTsenJxL_zYCDZVxCg-aJvytMALMOtcFczUqp0ynfjuAiBC_bluO_-cYo3fZt3c7CJxugghXPj2LtbEAEht250ZcEqe1cellVlJIaKjPL7-dG5oErPlSWxV6iPfhkleN3Y/s400/IMG_0151%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271158718033029154" /></a><br />And for the ladies, here´s a baby mummy.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-epJycqd-SNtX6jul_EVdj6mMci08qClBU-UNGhBl-JOsFl11bow_IgCT-3i_ElZPoQwM3ZM8qO_BBcFJkQL8slqFDLBspkjuCtQsrVQ09S7VyFneDeEDCsgVpbf5oa267NKXuy2QrKk/s1600-h/IMG_0158%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-epJycqd-SNtX6jul_EVdj6mMci08qClBU-UNGhBl-JOsFl11bow_IgCT-3i_ElZPoQwM3ZM8qO_BBcFJkQL8slqFDLBspkjuCtQsrVQ09S7VyFneDeEDCsgVpbf5oa267NKXuy2QrKk/s400/IMG_0158%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271159369801070018" /></a><br />Awwwwwww....<br /><br />Remember that cranial deformation I mentioned earlier? Seems a long, narrow head was a mark of beauty among the Nasca, so when they were first born, and their skullbones hadn´t fused together yet, Nasca babies had blocks of wood attached to the sides of their heads with cloth. I´m not sure if you can see it here , but look how the forehead is so much wider than the rest of the skull.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIQL594SOurnCEKi8QRHrWS_e-0h7jwN4zKf9P9FKEACzO9rqEJOHewfEyyo4AoFwLMpfj8WQnmBucnSrLb5XwjmwRYJ4rouTjSS_FS5_Hi1le5asEdDn_YakplVwUoWqkjSuQ0994q8/s1600-h/IMG_0157%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIQL594SOurnCEKi8QRHrWS_e-0h7jwN4zKf9P9FKEACzO9rqEJOHewfEyyo4AoFwLMpfj8WQnmBucnSrLb5XwjmwRYJ4rouTjSS_FS5_Hi1le5asEdDn_YakplVwUoWqkjSuQ0994q8/s400/IMG_0157%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271160268824667954" /></a><br />Freaky, right?<br /><br />So that´s Nasca. This afternoon, I have another incredibly long bus ride to Arequipa, which is supposed to be beautiful. Last night I was thinking how grimy and dusty this blog has been so far, and how some of you might have lost interest. "Is it gonna be all cracked pottery and moldy bones, Max?" So I took another look at the itinerary, and realized it just keeps getting better. After the desert comes the canyons, then the mountains, and finally the jungle. So stay tuned, <em>blogeros</em>, more adventure to come!m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-10269264085151130612008-11-18T17:12:00.000-08:002008-11-18T17:47:00.381-08:00Better in Daylight<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVjTypr17O0ulaRLDhxxOK19JNbObeOfxTq-g4A2oMOWVJMS8r0rO01uTht4PTSr2mfIAQmVh3nF1-v0I4ckKcCIGvhklwX3GejZz-qT9Tz55wng5mSd3CstxPu80F-T8_aIKgMLNAJk/s1600-h/IMG_0098%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVjTypr17O0ulaRLDhxxOK19JNbObeOfxTq-g4A2oMOWVJMS8r0rO01uTht4PTSr2mfIAQmVh3nF1-v0I4ckKcCIGvhklwX3GejZz-qT9Tz55wng5mSd3CstxPu80F-T8_aIKgMLNAJk/s400/IMG_0098%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270172096922040226" /></a><br />The sun came out today! And though I went on a guided tour of much of the same parts of Lima as yesterday, I was surprised by how my whole opinion of the city changed with a little sunshine. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iGA7lbGSTIsxcSTjq8Idtq9ISC8YYYLt3i4Q2Wu_pdWULYp9PhZpGzdb1VAKU8MHdB9SWAOtqKpuWJM6QIXVNnEDrdueS7E7w67qVhyvMXMWlv47OAOxvCW0ePSR67GxFZ_bfrYX9r4/s1600-h/IMG_0070%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iGA7lbGSTIsxcSTjq8Idtq9ISC8YYYLt3i4Q2Wu_pdWULYp9PhZpGzdb1VAKU8MHdB9SWAOtqKpuWJM6QIXVNnEDrdueS7E7w67qVhyvMXMWlv47OAOxvCW0ePSR67GxFZ_bfrYX9r4/s400/IMG_0070%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270172092675927266" /></a><br />Same building a day earlier, but a world of difference, no? There are several world leaders in town for the APEC conference (including Bush, Putin, and Hu, I hear), and that could explain the change in the weather. These guys have pull.<br /><br />Anyways, something was wrong with the plumbing at Doña Eloisa´s this morning, so I had a cold shower (MAN I hate those) which I needed after yesterday´s sexy ceramica (hot-CHA!). Then I went downstairs to this:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjp6s1-V8f3QdNwRkBTBDYhlyVjyFYDAXknh52jU-O6_Y84vFXUv4KXiIkTw9mSsjPwHAt3lhMitnAuMJYNW5zUaEn_EMPvGKlDdmIBLQT6H8ja6EXooGkYl0rnURPb0xqvoz2Afto28/s1600-h/IMG_0094%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjp6s1-V8f3QdNwRkBTBDYhlyVjyFYDAXknh52jU-O6_Y84vFXUv4KXiIkTw9mSsjPwHAt3lhMitnAuMJYNW5zUaEn_EMPvGKlDdmIBLQT6H8ja6EXooGkYl0rnURPb0xqvoz2Afto28/s400/IMG_0094%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270171149590075410" /></a><br />I haven´t been back since, so the poor dears are probably underwater by now, but I got enough plumbing problems back home to worry about, so I´ll just fritter around town until it´s time to sleep.<br /><br />So, like I said, guided tour of the city today, including some catacombs (ooooh...). It´s so much nicer to hear about the actual history, art, and architecture of a church than to hear about its mythology, at least for me, so I enjoyed that. I won´t bore you with everything I learned about Franciscan monks, human sacrifice, and recent political history, but know that I ate it all up.<br /><br />Speaking of which, the <em>ceviche </em>here is, as reported, really really good. I´m no food critic, but if there´s one thing Limeños can do well, it´s seafood. Public transportation, on the other hand, is a crazy carnival of chaos. No written description will do it justice, I´ll need all kinds of hand gestures and vocal inflections. Ask me about it when I get back.<br /><br />After lunch, I went on a tour of Pachamachac, which, yes, is extremely fun to say. Pachamachac! It´s Lima´s most significant archaeological site, located in a desert just south of the city. Unfortunately, again, my pictures won´t convey how cool it was to sift through bones, clothes and hair left behind by corpses some 3500 years ago, but here´s a picture of me at the top of the Temple of the Sun for y´all.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyB4hA_U8rAIUksVUOIUbYprMujquzeDgOUWm9gszVb5seh9BNVQBjja1n8Q-dt0A4eadiH-WkfxPtbLrLnFJzMWBuzZylmUeJFOdvKcsJlAPLR6f6UqpgwC_gGKT4IvDp3Dq1XxZTA0/s1600-h/IMG_0122%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyB4hA_U8rAIUksVUOIUbYprMujquzeDgOUWm9gszVb5seh9BNVQBjja1n8Q-dt0A4eadiH-WkfxPtbLrLnFJzMWBuzZylmUeJFOdvKcsJlAPLR6f6UqpgwC_gGKT4IvDp3Dq1XxZTA0/s400/IMG_0122%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270175071639120242" /></a><br />Yikes. Too much sun and not enough shampoo. I´ve been told people want to see more of that, and less of this:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-YfB_Wv-ClY6EcqOkQNnkMjDJHGahrsRFGIHtyWPq1XdL2yVvV1I-JlXWRU-1F_lN22EKOsLRoHMxYCYrlh0tBduNKUoL0NB3avSiWuqrIiRJiKe9fKmeDoR_91S0hUrASK0Ju_CAyE/s1600-h/IMG_0125%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-YfB_Wv-ClY6EcqOkQNnkMjDJHGahrsRFGIHtyWPq1XdL2yVvV1I-JlXWRU-1F_lN22EKOsLRoHMxYCYrlh0tBduNKUoL0NB3avSiWuqrIiRJiKe9fKmeDoR_91S0hUrASK0Ju_CAyE/s400/IMG_0125%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270175954574032594" /></a><br />but I just can´t believe it.<br /><br />One more:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcXfdaquCyp9gYazbcIBS4C1Lmb08MzjcIUC1lTkBP__ZjqmezIa1ZdoMzLKKaefXFnGHcHOav_sc4fxtigf_dMCAohbx2LOSICo82f2KxbZCKbe1zcCTMLZ_5qipigfuNJeeueAHj5k/s1600-h/IMG_0123%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcXfdaquCyp9gYazbcIBS4C1Lmb08MzjcIUC1lTkBP__ZjqmezIa1ZdoMzLKKaefXFnGHcHOav_sc4fxtigf_dMCAohbx2LOSICo82f2KxbZCKbe1zcCTMLZ_5qipigfuNJeeueAHj5k/s400/IMG_0123%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270176615475667794" /></a><br />This is San Salvador. What we would call slums or shantytowns, what Brazilians would call <em>favélas</em>, the Peruvians call <em>pueblos jovenes</em>, or "young cities." Isn´t that just delightfully paternalistic?<br /><br />Well, I´m off to the Barranco district to find me a <em>peña</em>. I´m not really sure what it is, but I think it involves live Afro-Peruvian music, criollo (creole) cuisine, and stomping of the feet. Tomorrow (very early) morning, I leave Lima for Nazca, not to return until I fly back to LA in mid-December.m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-14970450493370606792008-11-18T15:46:00.000-08:002008-11-18T17:09:56.600-08:00Lima, Home of the Beans<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_YqAsym6A51IieY2f9OBsw7O0YLtV8nEPDNro5dMhXiiALU-hxZYLcJet_kktseLQkSTTJE2vAD3ogrfyAFil6UNMELWsoY0ns4_gnZw_v2dvkPn2IQY8szMRrRFQMSvhfoC9SDMddk/s1600-h/IMG_0075%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_YqAsym6A51IieY2f9OBsw7O0YLtV8nEPDNro5dMhXiiALU-hxZYLcJet_kktseLQkSTTJE2vAD3ogrfyAFil6UNMELWsoY0ns4_gnZw_v2dvkPn2IQY8szMRrRFQMSvhfoC9SDMddk/s400/IMG_0075%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270149599736622674" /></a><br />Ain´t she sweet?<br /><br />This is my adopted grandmother and I outside the Cathedral de San Francisco in downtown Lima. No offense, Grandma Muriel, but there´s something adorable about the word <em>abuelita</em>, and she personifies it. But I´m getting ahead of myself.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7qU_cyRKEM4eH71Ol9GWsShpQ64fnR2cUc-duUfYimAV9HxSdCZ-F6CaEzNSVf4z_az5zH1aCpzU_Kq2SzYzs-1VCW-aHaZCCETX7FYw_IP5wyvmoixCGW7kNc6qCbDoSFNp1AIimDY/s1600-h/IMG_0068%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7qU_cyRKEM4eH71Ol9GWsShpQ64fnR2cUc-duUfYimAV9HxSdCZ-F6CaEzNSVf4z_az5zH1aCpzU_Kq2SzYzs-1VCW-aHaZCCETX7FYw_IP5wyvmoixCGW7kNc6qCbDoSFNp1AIimDY/s400/IMG_0068%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270150482538052850" /></a><br />So after twenty-some hours of traveling (that´s Bogotá out the window, btw, as good a place as any to spend a long layover, gotta love that 2100 to 1 peso-to-dollar exchange rate, and as you can tell by the logo on the jet engine, I travel in style) I arrived in Lima, and was met by Eloisa and her neighbor, Andres the Taxista. The first thing you notice about Lima is that a heavy grey cloud hangs over it. Like all day long. They call it the <em>garúa</em>. Add to that the palpable air pollution, the grinding poverty, the constant fear of kidnapping or fraud, and all the shouting, and it just didn´t seem like my kind of town. But, I thought, you can´t possibly be giving it a fair shake. The parts of L.A. around the airport ain´t that pretty, either, right? <br /><br />So Doña Eloisa prepares me a lovely little dinner of chicken and rice (well, actually it was prepared by Marita, Eloisa´s tiny, half-blind companion. Yeah, I´m not sure. Near as I can tell, she was hired to take care of Eloisa after she had 3 spinal operations in one year, and just, you know, stayed. It seems like a pretty nice setup. And if you like old ladies, you know they´re better in pairs) and then proceeds to tell me of her conversion to the born again persuasion. Now, keep in mind, my Spanish is only passable when I´m fully cogent, and after an intercontinental voyage, it´s barely more than <em>si y no</em>. But what I gathered was that she contracted a shaman to exorcise her demons, and he couldn´t even look at her, the devil was so strong in her. So he brought in an army of <em>brujos </em>(witch doctors), some 30 of them, and together they still were powerless against the devil. Eloisa found herself in a dark tunnel with a light at the end, which when she reached it shone with the light of a thousand suns. Jesus was there, and he saved her, and since then, she is born again. This is a greatly shortened version of the story, which involved several bouts of tears welling up, and took almost forty-five minutes to tell. Then she asked me, Do YOU believe in Jesus? Boy, that answer took some delicacy.<br /><br />Now I don´t tell this story to mock anyone´s faith. I know better. I only tell this to illustrate my discomfort when we spent the next day, the three of us, touring the gigantic Catholic churches of Lima. So many questions burned in my brain! Like, if he´s the patron saint of the poor, why is his statue (and shrine, and cross and sceptre) gold-plated while just outside children use rocks and walls to draw because they can´t afford paper and crayons?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPcvsgDD_3_tGM4n-U33Kec3sRQyuswxRVPkawcFGQcEZT55KCfC_VnOFhtEWYd_osT4WqlRxKNai6GBx15pvZEdpzKLHD29aiu5H4bE57A55iEnaO8g7rQzNUhSezdL8c7UXwHIp6kI/s1600-h/IMG_0076%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPcvsgDD_3_tGM4n-U33Kec3sRQyuswxRVPkawcFGQcEZT55KCfC_VnOFhtEWYd_osT4WqlRxKNai6GBx15pvZEdpzKLHD29aiu5H4bE57A55iEnaO8g7rQzNUhSezdL8c7UXwHIp6kI/s400/IMG_0076%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270158746692779154" /></a><br />Suffice it to say, I was much more comfortable in the afternoon when they went shopping and I went to the Museum of the Inquistion:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrOAWjMhKMgdYPd-CgSFX9u4r-TXrEt7CKmrHqeAfhG-JX-3tgc2LExC_m37RENd2fI0n1xfFSgEMtnKdYBiLWb8F1P9cgQQgdSZYkbIvZMrAnnkm3Nf2cuOoZFlynrazuRrxHa0OK9A/s1600-h/IMG_0081%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrOAWjMhKMgdYPd-CgSFX9u4r-TXrEt7CKmrHqeAfhG-JX-3tgc2LExC_m37RENd2fI0n1xfFSgEMtnKdYBiLWb8F1P9cgQQgdSZYkbIvZMrAnnkm3Nf2cuOoZFlynrazuRrxHa0OK9A/s400/IMG_0081%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270158755523261618" /></a><br />Yeah, he´s pouring acid into the Protestant´s eyes under a carving that reads, Ave Maria. Just one of the many delights religious intolerance can bring.<br /><br />And then it was on to Museo Arqueologico Rafael Larco Herrera:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTudG7h-PxjbJ2ASvSNcRudgAX-_XQ0NichZbadugaetGVVXcqoJm9E_SVjG_RK0ST6V4yzyZ89_LzG02lBTRk0-jJMyqF2Mx0-e4Qa2uok_2N-YgtSkWiYTrWdmJs92VCeseJpTMgGR0/s1600-h/IMG_0088%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTudG7h-PxjbJ2ASvSNcRudgAX-_XQ0NichZbadugaetGVVXcqoJm9E_SVjG_RK0ST6V4yzyZ89_LzG02lBTRk0-jJMyqF2Mx0-e4Qa2uok_2N-YgtSkWiYTrWdmJs92VCeseJpTMgGR0/s400/IMG_0088%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270160438441911218" /></a><br />which has the world´s largest private collection of pre-Columbian art. There´s a small exhibition spanning the many different cultures in Peru´s history. Sorry, Jeopardy fans, the Incans weren´t the only indigenous culture, just the latest.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsVtHihyFYH00TehRTt-zfbq-RxFDpgPqcNioVCCvUyGJzB7Z9Y6s_BkOfjDBlUPaXPT6_cMaoB8L4aqGE8rI6WoNgXOAjtij09up81zMv_XBI5cOtf8LECCP5019DnPsAe2KbeEXaQU/s1600-h/IMG_0086%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsVtHihyFYH00TehRTt-zfbq-RxFDpgPqcNioVCCvUyGJzB7Z9Y6s_BkOfjDBlUPaXPT6_cMaoB8L4aqGE8rI6WoNgXOAjtij09up81zMv_XBI5cOtf8LECCP5019DnPsAe2KbeEXaQU/s400/IMG_0086%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270160432938258898" /></a><br />And then, there are rooms and rooms of racks and racks of ceramics of every culture, representation, and use that you could think of, and several you can´t.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWDOtEWdyLemRCS0uKSmw-X6gyRb1XYy5FN_FZTe2O6SAPDWYgppd9Lo1xxUthpyGJJt-jg1d5NoRmYVP95GDAvdc6XVC8Iq6vNNeNdz-lrXG_pyDzCycZkRZqrFQQoa5nqNbsIlYzrY/s1600-h/IMG_0087%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWDOtEWdyLemRCS0uKSmw-X6gyRb1XYy5FN_FZTe2O6SAPDWYgppd9Lo1xxUthpyGJJt-jg1d5NoRmYVP95GDAvdc6XVC8Iq6vNNeNdz-lrXG_pyDzCycZkRZqrFQQoa5nqNbsIlYzrY/s400/IMG_0087%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270160434021651858" /></a><br />It´s kinda like that room at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, right?<br /><br />"But Max," you´re crying, "surely you´re not going to show us photo after photo of ceramic monkeys and ceremonial noserings, are you?" And no, of course not, I wanted to show you this:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfTEE-nXeKpyxfmylbbmU1F7dHmCU23y-RIInWsFL2Mhma-XBWDN1K-nKVwlbedO4xVgduGBnFhdRUqh0crUzWm_DHgiHZynRYaJ1JgzM_VQgqF2IVmSVTrb267vAunGyfD6oTL9kT_0/s1600-h/IMG_0093%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfTEE-nXeKpyxfmylbbmU1F7dHmCU23y-RIInWsFL2Mhma-XBWDN1K-nKVwlbedO4xVgduGBnFhdRUqh0crUzWm_DHgiHZynRYaJ1JgzM_VQgqF2IVmSVTrb267vAunGyfD6oTL9kT_0/s400/IMG_0093%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270164637200118738" /></a><br />That´s right, they also got all kinds of Erotic Pottery! (Erottery?)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzNDDv5aVyBSqhQpS99qa9TR2nCt9wQk81MnBtkPG2HuGwQLpejHiOlZXEBDXiirSMI3DNWV1jakSQPWXYOAX29uqfJdMI4nI-_YP6kwaKV4jjj2xhW2wbqo5eM2P4REU59MXBbi8-0E/s1600-h/IMG_0091%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzNDDv5aVyBSqhQpS99qa9TR2nCt9wQk81MnBtkPG2HuGwQLpejHiOlZXEBDXiirSMI3DNWV1jakSQPWXYOAX29uqfJdMI4nI-_YP6kwaKV4jjj2xhW2wbqo5eM2P4REU59MXBbi8-0E/s400/IMG_0091%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270164638867989346" /></a><br />Well, hello there!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgP8GG5WY4hi-DX7Igksm74HdmU9P8ibQNLO8ZWnQdjerh7wP7L4SIONVO-dqwm51mNdZT2YuvjKDx0xzgFq5POBbyc2KeoDSWH0eY5IcL_noLUbrW7qdKnopB9GFCyi0rSuYYQ4SbIQ/s1600-h/IMG_0092%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgP8GG5WY4hi-DX7Igksm74HdmU9P8ibQNLO8ZWnQdjerh7wP7L4SIONVO-dqwm51mNdZT2YuvjKDx0xzgFq5POBbyc2KeoDSWH0eY5IcL_noLUbrW7qdKnopB9GFCyi0rSuYYQ4SbIQ/s400/IMG_0092%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270164646401952258" /></a><br />This one made me verbally start. "whoa," I said, much to the delight of the middle-aged German woman appreciating the same piece. Something terrifying yet beckoning about it, no?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQyvkJP-3l6fb08TbTlskUR_eW1jeedvEdC2cuCLtEa5fd7omT07CKhkh-G3viHYBt6b_3Sbdg-jvwCqe2u6VSMlR3Es5Kd0cpfcu9-cK751SYzFtfGsTRYnswGPXkiSy2aLHA-FJHZw/s1600-h/IMG_0089%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQyvkJP-3l6fb08TbTlskUR_eW1jeedvEdC2cuCLtEa5fd7omT07CKhkh-G3viHYBt6b_3Sbdg-jvwCqe2u6VSMlR3Es5Kd0cpfcu9-cK751SYzFtfGsTRYnswGPXkiSy2aLHA-FJHZw/s400/IMG_0089%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270164651051941586" /></a><br />And my favorite, the fellatio group!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjL_I1KrfZtf2mDzXy7T2CbKBxkUKf1yTFzWgo-8HjD1RGoGD6R4r1faDYRR9oniIra9omfqtOEGl8Zp-VbtGvRSh8LxxORI3OGHAiecbYTZDLR-36m1QS3ACc2dUhpDebf0Z_oT-Svk/s1600-h/IMG_0090%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjL_I1KrfZtf2mDzXy7T2CbKBxkUKf1yTFzWgo-8HjD1RGoGD6R4r1faDYRR9oniIra9omfqtOEGl8Zp-VbtGvRSh8LxxORI3OGHAiecbYTZDLR-36m1QS3ACc2dUhpDebf0Z_oT-Svk/s400/IMG_0090%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270164657190937074" /></a><br />Ah, I love art. See how much fun South America was before the Christians had to come along and spoil everything?<br /><br />Dinner was in an actual archaeological site in the middle of the fashionable Miraflores district. They call it a <em>huaca</em>, I call it a ziggurat. But that´s mainly cuz I likez me some zzzzs. It was delicious, though the second <em>pisco sour</em> was a bad idea (costly in several ways).<br /><br />Returned to <em>la casa</em>, watched a little <em>telenovela </em>with the <em>viejitas</em>, then up to bed.m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-76793325632378764242008-11-14T18:06:00.000-08:002008-11-14T18:20:12.416-08:00Mr. Zarou Goes to Peru<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkvWBk1giVNnc4HVB-6gH1D3SLYW6NciDKPiQx_MTYdMsEVJ_hU_brFOSj4Ib0wlwHJ_ho2CrHNEfefq_I5RNQpQXQ9A2e-d_XRsWNtcmsXybK04_bpgiWYOdBayGGgrmi8MRG4SFB7s/s1600-h/peru.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 332px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkvWBk1giVNnc4HVB-6gH1D3SLYW6NciDKPiQx_MTYdMsEVJ_hU_brFOSj4Ib0wlwHJ_ho2CrHNEfefq_I5RNQpQXQ9A2e-d_XRsWNtcmsXybK04_bpgiWYOdBayGGgrmi8MRG4SFB7s/s400/peru.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268700142555912034" /></a><br /><br />Hello again, fans of the rant! I apologize for the long delay, but without the traveling, my life just isn't interesting enough to warrant the blog. But don't cry for me, (oh wait that's another country) I'm off to Peru! Four glorious weeks of guinea-pig-on-a-stick, wheezing through high-altitude hiking, and hallucinogenic jungle spirit journeys! And that's the upside! Here's hoping <i>la república</i> stays free of devastating earthquakes and military coups, at least until Christmas.<br /><br />By this time tomorrow I will be at LAX, awaiting my departure. After a six-hour layover in Bogota, Colombia (I'm sure I'll find something interesting to do there) I catch a flight on an airline I've never heard of and land in Lima. I will be met at the airport by a Sra. Eloisa Pinza, a friend's grandmother who has graciously offered to put me up for my three days in the capital. I've never met this woman, but I told her that when she gets to the airport, if she just looks for the <i>gringo mas grande</i>, she'll probably find me.<br /><br />Wish me well, fellow <span style="font-style:italic;">norteamericanos</span>! It's so exciting to finally be able to travel abroad without pretending to be Canadian!m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-47696164505566054422007-06-27T18:11:00.000-07:002007-06-27T18:56:32.845-07:00Cram then scram sterdam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghG3PsGjK5ORsutFcXbjnzIT6-8kc-NGmh_8UxMGI89Ed12UynoDQNT-eqNHwnvI1p929_ki6MvQSoQAMIooe1-Ce2YOse6L1-n05RNPPyxUyUK5BgXJw62Cgt1vG6HA3QXIMws8mgUkA/s1600-h/DSC02870.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghG3PsGjK5ORsutFcXbjnzIT6-8kc-NGmh_8UxMGI89Ed12UynoDQNT-eqNHwnvI1p929_ki6MvQSoQAMIooe1-Ce2YOse6L1-n05RNPPyxUyUK5BgXJw62Cgt1vG6HA3QXIMws8mgUkA/s400/DSC02870.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080925928241468930" /></a><br /><br />This is Der Wag, or the weighstation. Ships would bring their cargo here to be weighed before it could be sold off. No comment on whether I weigh more going out than I did going in.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwy3Jsg9XafRgaT_rHucOWmjD2aDz63_GjNrge-UZPeWmipJvNkRLFn8FCj7YerCLEexXeIz52gSJ9_nGwlCSOQ5mccq7wlJ6RhrY1A19kQMtgPvFm12IuDlphwzGAj6_NN96R4Jf3Md4/s1600-h/DSC02872.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwy3Jsg9XafRgaT_rHucOWmjD2aDz63_GjNrge-UZPeWmipJvNkRLFn8FCj7YerCLEexXeIz52gSJ9_nGwlCSOQ5mccq7wlJ6RhrY1A19kQMtgPvFm12IuDlphwzGAj6_NN96R4Jf3Md4/s400/DSC02872.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080925932536436242" /></a><br /><br />Woke up early to retake the Free Amsterdam tour. Still a great tour, but I kinda got to see behind the curtain a little and, they memorize a speech. I know, what did I expect? But I wanna believe that this earnest young lad really did fall in love with [insert European capital name here] so much so that he devoted his life to study of the intricacies of its lore. I mean, anybody can memorize a speech!<br /><br />But it was still lovely, I learned a lot, and I would recommend it to anyone.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiw0afGxwkWrm07BbuWUJnRDQwFM8Vpo0FCneL0KoVmhGwhshGomajIVkVL4CWN28JtaUPSQfja-y2SaxebK2gC81y5GL0MJfXlD2C_nynFlZ61cVreYoO6apqVMsx_DnS0UdZI8oZTY/s1600-h/DSC02873.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiw0afGxwkWrm07BbuWUJnRDQwFM8Vpo0FCneL0KoVmhGwhshGomajIVkVL4CWN28JtaUPSQfja-y2SaxebK2gC81y5GL0MJfXlD2C_nynFlZ61cVreYoO6apqVMsx_DnS0UdZI8oZTY/s400/DSC02873.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080925936831403554" /></a><br /><br />Sean? Something tells me they sell waffles. By the way, our new hostel's name is Euphemia. Gold star to the first one who can tell me what that means!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkvww7wmA1y1r20vho8FrSlyztx4IjeOLsBfXI93M3SVSY_5NtZTesYi06VMiX7KFSYSOT4ImViCqtaZqKuh7e2L4zZqslDTduPkBjksZYlSJ3CII4MZY3E9q0HhlxMyAG508qeA23Kc/s1600-h/DSC02874.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkvww7wmA1y1r20vho8FrSlyztx4IjeOLsBfXI93M3SVSY_5NtZTesYi06VMiX7KFSYSOT4ImViCqtaZqKuh7e2L4zZqslDTduPkBjksZYlSJ3CII4MZY3E9q0HhlxMyAG508qeA23Kc/s400/DSC02874.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080925941126370866" /></a><br /><br />Woke Ian up, before we Van Go-Gogh'd, (You think it's insufferable here, you should hear what Ian has to put up with; Prague was nothing but "Waiter, Czech please!" and "Czech this out!") and let me tell you something: That guy could paint.<br /><br />I mean, he just got it. There's a painting here I couldn't even bring myself to buy the postcard because it was nothing like NOTHING LIKE the experience of looking at the painting. You can see bits of the canvas in parts and in others there's a daub of paint so thick you can see the outline of his penknife. The wheat blows in the wind, and the reaper reaps and all of this is happening just with color. Wow, I must be getting old. I like art now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3p0ZppG-_3DJ8kp5kfwvx3cWZHUEl0nbYcFqEOatMOjdGp1YCoi5q-u2rLuLz__dGx0IA1b6D8McRUmYi0mZ_VPi1Rh5E0bpebCIE13sgGfQTmJqcHyd4fZT2aU13n95GI4sO__wNF64/s1600-h/DSC02875.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3p0ZppG-_3DJ8kp5kfwvx3cWZHUEl0nbYcFqEOatMOjdGp1YCoi5q-u2rLuLz__dGx0IA1b6D8McRUmYi0mZ_VPi1Rh5E0bpebCIE13sgGfQTmJqcHyd4fZT2aU13n95GI4sO__wNF64/s400/DSC02875.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080925949716305474" /></a><br /><br />Ian was a sport, and we were off on The Heineken Experience. Pretty goofy, but fairly imaginative entertainments for a brewery tour. (Some of you may have received the unhilarious new webvid circulating the youtubes that Ian and I shot at the HeinEx (patent pending). We're hopin' it will get us a gig in primetime. It's not included here for legal reasons, mainly stemming from a lawsuit involving The Heineken Experience's fraudulent claim of "All the Heinken you can Handle!") I mean, can you say that you've been on a virtual reality tour of the life of a beer bottle? I can! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikY2LR_v_FXQfZ3wiKQrdXFqKadLN0H7KexLE1W3mlM4YQALS3z_Ol-D1FEtUU3Pi2tsuSWtPG3naqsW4NCc8k895dku2BoziktuMhoGDYyQ6tL1Nnk4IOrY_Pybf87Hw8Baol2WeVR3I/s1600-h/DSC02876.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikY2LR_v_FXQfZ3wiKQrdXFqKadLN0H7KexLE1W3mlM4YQALS3z_Ol-D1FEtUU3Pi2tsuSWtPG3naqsW4NCc8k895dku2BoziktuMhoGDYyQ6tL1Nnk4IOrY_Pybf87Hw8Baol2WeVR3I/s400/DSC02876.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080927212436690514" /></a><br /><br />Ian, transfixed by buttons and whistles. They're so cute at that age.<br /><br />After fully exploiting all of our drink tokens, we happened (?) upon this shop.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA21pxYp-7c4hb-F3XvIjEkWoDvk8uU8Qao55mkkCWXSR-FTIFks-DedklnfZLmtpVbvexhQKfR6xFpA8RcAR1HEJFu68quLSJWD3tlLSt_-WcutkKvIuWoK0LFu8sjzS9vz_9rwFtjNI/s1600-h/DSC02877.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA21pxYp-7c4hb-F3XvIjEkWoDvk8uU8Qao55mkkCWXSR-FTIFks-DedklnfZLmtpVbvexhQKfR6xFpA8RcAR1HEJFu68quLSJWD3tlLSt_-WcutkKvIuWoK0LFu8sjzS9vz_9rwFtjNI/s400/DSC02877.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080927216731657826" /></a><br /><br />With the sun setting over the canals,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46p9z0YOp8LA9o1QiMGCoZ4tZkDuwWSKZbTVaitOXyMnOOrHcg4nx3wBOJ7F-95gEPhy_93PRQl471O_IhZ-uWntRVKD37owj9IjV4rpQY9DspxPVjKRkEDJaddUt3ra7nIa1Pj2-IVo/s1600-h/DSC02878.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46p9z0YOp8LA9o1QiMGCoZ4tZkDuwWSKZbTVaitOXyMnOOrHcg4nx3wBOJ7F-95gEPhy_93PRQl471O_IhZ-uWntRVKD37owj9IjV4rpQY9DspxPVjKRkEDJaddUt3ra7nIa1Pj2-IVo/s400/DSC02878.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080927221026625138" /></a><br /><br />we wandered off to the Vondelpark, where our recollections begin to diverge. There are bits we are certain about. A pond. Or two. A tall bird. Hilarity. Cold Drinks. Rain. A woman yelling at us in Dutch to leave her establishment. More rain. A bar with a woman so scary, we don't even try entering. Rain and wind. A coffee shop! Rain. A bar entirely staffed with (and frequented by) elves. Or Dutch people. More rain. <br /><br />But that's just the parts we remember. Not the parts we laughed the hardest at. Eventually we wound up back at Euphemia (anyone?) had another hearty laugh, and Ian let me loose on the blogmaker.<br /><br />Although the rain has dogged us the entire trip (dear god! Al Gore was right!) I wouldn't change a minute of it. It was exactly the kind of trip I should have taken 10 years ago, but am glad I finally did. My plane back to reality leaves in (whoa) four and a half hours, and my pupils don't seem like they want to sleep, but I think I can say with some sincerity that this has been one of the best trips of my life, and hopefully I'll be back in Europe again soon.<br /><br />My next post will be stateside, so warm up the TiVo, Micah, and get out my watching-hat, Daddy's comin' home!<br /><br />P.S. Ian needed some various ointments (the scrapes he gets into!) so we were about to go into this apothecary.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6QalzUCeU40OWwXBpkiGdAs1pIsXpGvzPquSFtgUwWe8ZZUy4kJp5kYwYL04Iirx1bhNNs3KOFuiVv_0jaXOAzZtwAQsaQ19__fgp8z1KOUSeoJ-4HQV4ec4dFyQTWnp2LtGqpwlino/s1600-h/DSC02879.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6QalzUCeU40OWwXBpkiGdAs1pIsXpGvzPquSFtgUwWe8ZZUy4kJp5kYwYL04Iirx1bhNNs3KOFuiVv_0jaXOAzZtwAQsaQ19__fgp8z1KOUSeoJ-4HQV4ec4dFyQTWnp2LtGqpwlino/s400/DSC02879.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080927225321592450" /></a><br /><br />Turns out it was a Hypothecary, which means they could only help us with theoretical problems, like, If I was mauled by a bear, which unguent would I require?<br /><br />P.P.S. Euphemia? Yeah doesn't exist. I did find aphemia, which is a mental aphasia where you can't express ideas verbally, but you can still write. Hey kinda like me right now! So maybe Euphemia is a mental aphasia where you can only express your ideas through the substitution of some other words in place of words that are harsh or vulgar.m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246648281084069993.post-27384789007032273772007-06-26T12:59:00.001-07:002007-06-26T13:06:11.422-07:00Amsterdam is a lovely town. . .<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJ5mJYU4LPqin4HDrc9JADrlRjGMIaUMTCsVVoa4N5kg3s3__rbheRJQaBof7UEEc18OFovA-G6ANtPYYpO3FiR9FTYvYGxQqL9NJnUAKYjmM0qAWzBxU2ZCSrKADVqrRRKgAGhk7Lqg/s1600-h/DSC02869.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJ5mJYU4LPqin4HDrc9JADrlRjGMIaUMTCsVVoa4N5kg3s3__rbheRJQaBof7UEEc18OFovA-G6ANtPYYpO3FiR9FTYvYGxQqL9NJnUAKYjmM0qAWzBxU2ZCSrKADVqrRRKgAGhk7Lqg/s400/DSC02869.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080466676775794610" /></a><br /><br />Had to change hostels today, breaking the strong pull of the Red Light district. For the best.<br /><br />Still cold and rainy. You call this summer?<br /><br />New hostel has wifi, so Ian went to work and I continued my unguided tour of Amsterdam's finest drinking establishments and grittiest coffee shops.<br /><br />We attempted Van Gogh this afternoon, but were Van Stopped by some sort of big police action. Rather than ask any questions, we quickly walked the other direction.<br /><br />It doesn't make such good blog, but I am on vacation, so occasionally I'll just relax. Tomorrow is my last day, so I'll probably have much more to report. Especially if I can convince Ian to go on the Heineken Brewery Experience.m@xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02647300901478359295noreply@blogger.com0