Mission: Yarn

I began this trip with a few goals. I'll give you the short list:

--Visit Machu Picchu
-- Eat guinea pig
-- See a llama
-- Do not catch dystentery
-- Don't die
-- Buy some alpaca wool yarn

I'm doing pretty well on that list thus far, considering we've only been here for ten days. Today, however, I began the search for the last item on that list---alpaca wool yarn. I've found one place thus far that sells it, Sol Alpaca, in the Plaza de Armas. It's a very Americanized, high-end touristy shop that retails alpaca products, including various colours and weights of yarn. The prices run as follows:

30/S. for 100grams of 10-weight yarn.
15.50/S. for 50 grams of 7 weight yarn.
37/S. for 100 grams of 10 weight yarn, multicolor.

That works out to about 10, 5 and 12 dollars US, respectively, per skein. The yarn is 80% baby alpaca and 20% sheep wool. This is guaranteed, as Sol Alpaca is a respected chain brand.

HOWEVER, I have it on a tip that there is a yarn shop located somewhere around the Plaza de San Francisco with dirt cheap prices and skeins of assorted colours and content (from synthetics to wools). I am going there tomorrow, and will hopefully gloriously return with many, many balls of yarn for an as-of-yet unidentified project.

I'm having a better day than yesterday, comparatively speaking. I'm still depressed and ready to get out of this country. I really don't know how I'm going to manage the next eighteen days, but I don't have much choice.

Necisito un poco mas mate de coca, por favor.

Day two in Cusco.

I am pleased to say that there is little excitement to report for today. We spent the day relaxing, resting, walking the city and eating.

The second group of students arrived this afternoon (their flight was cancelled yesterday!), so we are now a whole unit again, which is nice.

A few of us are sick, including my roommate, Ani. I was able to scour up some Latin American Pepto Bismol (known as Nulacin) and Gatorade from the local pharmacy, IncaPharma. Hopefully I helped!

I also went shopping for more tacky souvenirs, including chullo hats, alpaca wool shoes, alpaca wool sweaters, chintzy bottle openers, and some knitted finger puppets.

Aside from all that, I'm irritated today. I want to go home. I'm tired of being around people. I want to be alone. I'm tired of speaking Spanish and not understanding anything because I'm too stupid to figure any of it out. I'm tired of the traffic here and the noise. And the street vendors that harass you from the moment you step out the front door to the moment you return. I'm irritated that I can't eat certain things and always have to watch out for food poisoning and the water and whatever. I'm sick of traveling. I'm sick of this hotel. I want to run, but I don't really see it as feasible since there's no place to actually do it. I'm tired of everyone bugging me while I'm trying to video chat (LEAVE ME ALONE). Or telling me things. Or trying to give me advice that I don't even remotely care about. Or talking to me period. Today was just a hard day. I can't stand anyone right now, hardly even myself. I just want to pick a direction and run and not be interacting with anyone or anything for a few hours. I'm so frustrated and between crying and just heading out into the cold and going as far as I can walk. I don't even know. It's stupid and silly. And everyone tells me I need to enjoy my time here, but I don't think they understand it. I do enjoy my time here. I just want to get away from it all for an hour. Or a day, even better.
I'm just sad. And lonely. And tired.
Going to bed at night makes it all so much worse because I just have to sit there and think about how ridiculously lonely I am. I dread it. I don't even want to sleep. I don't want to get up tomorrow and go to any museum. I want to go AWAY.

Only 19 more days to endure though. It feels like forever.

Hopefully I'll have a happier entry tomorrow. Sorry for the silliness. I just needed to vent.

Love,
-B

The Short Road to Cusco

Today began in a panic. It was about 12 AM. I stayed up all night since we had to leave the Casa de Baraybar at 3 AM, and had just returned to my room after a video chat with Eric to plug my laptop in. It was a little low on juice and I wanted to watch a few episodes of South Park to pass the time.

I plugged it in and went to the bathroom, when I returned, I noticed the screen was dim. Odd, I thought, but not impossible. This laptop is known for flights of screen dimming and brightening fantasy. I checked the power meter. No dice. It wasn't charging. I checked the laptop charger. The normally bright blue light on the power brick that indicates it has electricity surging through it was... off. No other colour... just unlit. Period.

I panicked. I looked quickly to my laptop's charge meter to see how long I had left before the battery died---an hour and fifteen minutes. OKAY, I thought to myself. I can order a charger and have it ultra priority shipped to the hotel in Cusco, maybe have it by the end of the week, even. Yes, my mania went so far as to find an 80 dollar international four-day shipping fee acceptable. Necessary, even. I NEED THIS INTERNET, I reasoned. I will stop at nothing to keep this computer powered!

As it turns out, no electronics websites on the entirety of the internet ship to Peru. I was getting desperate. I googled electronics stores in Cusco. Again, no dice. I was near tears. My frantic googling turned up few options aside from buying an ENTIRE NEW LAPTOP. And I was fully prepared to do this!

I tried a few more electronic devices to see if perhaps it was just my surge protector that was busted---no, it was the laptop charger only. My phone and camera both worked just fine. I was feeling defeated, beaten... only a week into the trip and this disaster had occurred. I mournfully tried in one last, feeble attempt to plug the laptop charger into the surge protector, and the surge protector into the wall.

It... it worked?

That blue light is the soothing colour of
happiness.

Yes. Yes it did. The bright blue light flickered on. I plugged my laptop in... and it's charging. Right now, it's charging. I still don't know what happened. I can't explain it. Perhaps Pachamama was warning me---she isn't going to give me dysentery, but she will fry my electronics.

But all that aside, today was a good first day in Cusco. It is everything that I imagined Peru to be. Where Lima was modern and a little ugly, even, Cusco has that Andean charm that I think people imagine when they think of this country.

On the plane this morning (which was a lovely flight---LAN knows their business), this was my first view of the Andes, rising up out of the cloud cover:

Ignore the plane engine, there. Just enjoy the Andes.

We landed in Cusco, greeted by a fairly frosty 50 degree Fahrenheit airport. There isn't any heat or air in the buildings in Peru, mind you. Fortunately I was properly bundled up and ambled onto our tour bus (which was AWESOME) and left for our hotel--- Hotel Tambo. (http://www.hoteltambo.com/)

I only managed one decent picture on the way to the hotel. It's of a statue near the centre of town, depicting the Inca leader Pachacuti.

When we arrive at the hotel I was so worn out, I immediately went to my room, unpacked, and fell asleep on my nice, toasty bed. (The beds here are much more comfortable than those at Casa de Baraybar, and the blankets are thick enough that I think the lack of heat in the building won't even matter).

I awoke at about 1PM, still feeling good (the altitude doesn't seem to be affecting me at all. I haven't had any shortness of breath or headaches like some people have), and left for lunch. We went to an Italian restaurant that's only a few blocks away called the Trattoria Adriono. It was DELICIOUS. I had the fettucine alfredo and my companion, Hillary, had the gnocchi. It was the best Italian food I've ever had, I believe. And it was in Peru. Here is the restaurant. It's quite cute.

And here is the gelato that Hillary and I got. Mine was chocolate chip, hers was strawberry shortcake.

These were about 5/S. each, which is about $1.60 US.

I apologise for my scary face. I was tired!

After our lunch (which came out to about 12 dollars US for each of us, including drinks), we ventured out into the streets of Cusco. This city is so beautiful. Instead of explaining, I will show you:

Fountain at San Francisco Park.

The church at San Francisco Park, which was built in the 1600's.

The same church, from the front.

A view of the Plaza de Armas, the cathedral and the Andean skyline
beyond as viewed from the top of a pedestrian-only road nearby.

The backside of the cathedral and one of the parade floats from today's
parade.

The cathedral in Plaza de Armas and another float!

A street musician. Yes, we gave him some coins.

Another busy street leading to the Plaza de Armas.

The Plaza de Armas.

And again!

Andean skyline!

Yet another church!

Where Lima has sacrificed it's quaint Peruvian charm for Western modernity, Cusco has seemed to remain staunchly old-school. The roads are still cobble, the sidewalks are almost non-existent, the architecture is almost entirely Spanish colonial, and there is an enormous percentage of people here in traditional dress.

Speaking of traditional dress, here is a picture of me with a baby alpaca. That's right. I held it. And he was cuuuuuuute.

I'm now sitting in our hotel, typing this from underneath an alpaca wool blanket that I bought, while wearing my alpaca wool socks. Yes, I made a shopping trip today. More pictures of those things tomorrow, si?

Oh, before I go... here is what I was greeted with when I arrived at the hotel. It's one of the things Cusco is most famous for! Coca! This is both the tea and the chewable leaves. They're bitter and leave your tongue numb, but you sleep like a BABY. It's great!

Love,

-B

Leaving Lima

So today is our last day in Lima. I'm spending it relaxing, sleeping in and enjoying what little time we have left.

At 3 AM tomorrow morning, we'll be at Jorge Chavez Airport, getting ready to leave for Cusco. We should arrive in Cusco at about 6:45 AM (7:45 for you Knoxvillians. Or Knoxvillains).

Since I don't have any fantastical expeditions and adventures today, and thus no pictures, I'm going to share with you some shots I took on our first day in Lima that I've been saving. These are from my first trek down to the beach.

Lima isn't the prettiest city I've ever been to. Far from it, in fact. The architecture here is gray and blocky, there's rarely a day that isn't overcast with this grey fog and if you go any where outside the immediate beachfront property, shopping areas, parks or the financial district, everything looks run down and graffiti'd.
However, I hope to come back here someday. Lima is full of exciting things to do at all hours of the day, with plenty within walking distance and even more in the range of a cheap cab. The people here are so friendly and always willing to chat if they know even the tiniest bit of English (or help you with your Spanish).

I'll report back again tomorrow evening from Cusco! I'm going to go have one last run in Lima before I leave.

Love,
-B.

Puruchuco and Pants.

Good day my muffins!

So this fine Saturday found us on our way to the ruins at Puruchuco early in the AM. Today was a short day---we arrived back at the Casa de Baraybar at 1 PM, much to everyone's relief, and there are no classes on the weekends, so it also kicked off our free time until Monday!

But on to the ruins...
Puruchuco is in a region of Lima called Ate. It's about an hour drive away from the Casa (in ridiculous traffic). It is supposed to be an Inca palace which would house only the most important Incas and their guests, usually royal governors. Here is an overview of the site, in scale miniature:

The top right includes two guest rooms for visiting nobility, the bottom
right is the entrance to the complex and courtyard. At the center is the
balcony and chambers for the head honcho. At the top left are two rooms
meant for priests to use when hallucinating on drugs, so that they can go there
and talk to the gods. The bottom left is all domestic areas, including a
storage room, a kitchen, and a guinea pig farm.

And here are some pictures of the inside of the palace:

A hallway that goes nowhere. The guide suggested that
it may have been used for bringing goods into the
complex, like a temporary storage space, and that the
wall to the right may also functioned as a rock barrier.

The main courtyard is to the left, the governor's rooms
to the right. Ahead is the path into the head honcho's
chambers.

Me inside one of their tiny doorways. The
average Inca around these parts was only
4'11" or so.

A view of Lima out of a window inside the complex.

And outside of the palace walls was this burial ground, which formerly contained thousands of mummies across its whole span:

And inside the museum at the site, there were a few interesting things that I took pictures of:

Some spindles for making thread. 

This extra small garment looks like it's made for a child
but in actuality it was intentionally made small and to be
used as an offering to the gods.

A feather cape. Everyone needs a feather cape.

A feather hat!

And the back of said feather hat.

The bones of a baby that was found in a mummy. It was
likely an offering to the gods.

Spondylus shells!

A few pieces of pottery. The pot to the far left has a
sun and moon motif.

An extra-grande quipu.

Moi. Fiddling with the camera.

And here we have the final overview of the whole palace, from above:

After we returned to the Casa and ate dinner, I headed out for the evening to Kennedy Park to shop! I bought myself three new pairs of pants for 80 US dollars. PICTURES TO FOLLOW:

Coral, blue and teal/green! All made in Peru.

We also hit up Starbucks, and for the record, their Chai Tea Latte tastes the same in Peru as it does in the US.

And thus ends my Saturday in Lima. See you sunshines again tomorrow.