CHARMING CUZCO

WEATHER: A beautiful 22C

HIGHTLIGHT OF THE DAY: Posting some Christmas cards and a present to Tentie

BUMMER OF THE DAY: Can’t really think of anything

BUYS OF THE DAY: Where do I start – another shopping day today

WORD OF THE DAY: GT – Good Times

Today was a free day for all.  As we drove in yesterday Mark pointed out a few things and this morning we went for a walk around the square and surrounds for an hour or so.  The city looks easier enough to walk around and has everything you need.  I do need to get my haircut though, and I haven’t seen a hairdresser in my travels in Peru yet and when I do I am sure it will be an interesting experience.  As long as I don’t get a buzz cut I guess I won’t complain. 

We had some free time this morning before the walk, so I thought I would try the hotel computers to try and load photos to Facebook.  This was slower than my own netbook and as I was shutting it all down Omar walk past and I asked him how he gets his photos on Facebook, as in the news feed this morning he had loaded 44 new photos.  He said he also has problems but doesn’t use Internet Explorer but Google Chrome.  As I had only installed the latest version of Adobe flash last week, it also installed Google Chrome for me automatically, so I went back to the room, and for the 100^th time went into load photos and BY GOODNESS IT WORKED.  No stallages, no stopping and I had my first 40 photos up in like 8 minutes!  I couldn’t believe my eyes.  It was taking me 3 hours to load 40 photos!  Are you kidding me was what I couldn’t stop saying!  It was like a miracle and I couldn’t stop ohhhhing and ahhhhhing as folder after folder loaded up.  So I will apologize now in advance as I have around 3000-4000 photos to load over the coming days.  I promise 85% of them are worth looking at, but you will be inundated with notifications that Bernie Jamieson has just loaded 125 photos to the album of ……..

I AM SO EXCITED – I CANNOT BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW HAPPY THIS MAKES ME FEEL.  Today is a good day, after receiving a special email from a special some-one as well this was going to be an AMAZING day.

Cusco is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago. Located on the eastern end of the Knot of Cuzco, its elevation is around 3,400m.  Cusco was the site of the historic capital of the Inca Empire and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO. It is a major tourist destination and receives almost 2 million visitors a year. It is designated as the Historical Capital of Peru by the Constitution of Peru.

Cuzco was the capital of the Inca Empire (13th century-1532). Many believe that the city was planned as an effigy in the shape of a puma, a sacred animal. Under the Inca, the city had two sectors: the urin and hanan. Each was further divided to encompass two of the four provinces, Chinchasuyu (NW), Antisuyu (NE), Qontisuyu (SW) and Qullasuyu (SE). A road led from each of these quarters to the corresponding quarter of the empire. Each local leader was required to build a house in the city and live part of the year in Cuzco, but only in the quarter that corresponded to the quarter of the empire in which he had territory. After the rule of Pachacuti, when an Inca died, his title went to one son and his property was given to a corporation controlled by his other relatives (the process was called split inheritance). Each title holder had to build a new house and add new lands to the empire, in order to own the land his family needed to maintain after his death.

According to Inca legend, the city was built by Sapa Inca Pachacuti, the man who transformed the Kingdom of Cuzco from a sleepy city-state into the vast empire of Tahuantinsuyu. Archaeological evidence, however, points to a slower, more organic growth of the city beginning before Pachacuti. The city was constructed according to a definite plan, and two rivers were channeled around the city. Archaeologists such as Larry Coben have suggested the city plan was replicated at other sites throughout the empire.

The city fell to the sphere of Huáscar in the division of the empire after the death of Huayna Capac in 1527. It was captured by the generals of Atahualpa in April 1532 in the Battle of Quipaipan. Nineteen months later, Spanish explorers invaded the city.  It is unknown how Cuzco was built, or how its stones were quarried.

After looking at one of the free museums of Weavers with group, the post office was just up the road, so we broke off from the group and headed there.  I had Christmas cards that I had written up in the morning so I wanted to get them off and I had also bought 2 cards for my goddaughters and placed 20AUD in each card ( I still have Aussie notes) so that they could buy themselves a present from me.  I also have been carrying around a gift for Lisa, my Morphie for the last 6 weeks, so I was able to get this sent finally as well.  I do have a bunch of other stuff from the Galapagos and recent Peru purchases but these are on Rosita, so it will have to wait to Bolivia before I can off load those things.  It is always great to get things off in the post, especially when you take the time to write them up.  I love sending my postcards and presents and hope that the receivers like to get them.

There are a lot of small markets around the city.  Kate and I couldn’t help ourselves and stopped at one back into town.  It had 28 stalls in a building off one of the main streets.  So we spent an hour in here, looking shopping and buying.  Kate had more important things to get than me, as she needed gloves, beanie and socks for the trek,  Me, I just had some birthday money that I had to spend thanks to my beautiful god-0daughter and let me tell you it is going a long way.  Shelly will be impressed.  I bought a beautiful bangle in Arequipa with birthday money and today I bought a pair of beautiful pair of Inca design earrings and a stone pendant that wasn’t too ‘Inca touristy looking.  They are both beautiful pieces of jewellery and I am very happy with all my purchases.  I also got some small gifts, a leather photo album and magnets.  Quite a productive spending spree.  Thanks are so cheap here and I guess I am making up for a little lost time, with not much bought from my French River cruise in October till now.  I think I deserve a small spree, don’t you?

Lunch was back at Paddy’s.  Kate wanted the soup that the guys had last night for dinner, so I was happy to head back to the World’s highest Irish pub and have a burger.  From here we went in search of a supermarket for last minute trek supplies and got a little lost and stumbled upon another silver shop.  Well anything that sparkles Kate and I just can’t walk past, so we entered for a look and left with a ring and silver earrings for me and Kate purchased a silver necklace.  We are suckers and just can’t help it.  We asked one of the many tourist police officers that walk the streets where the ‘supermarcado’ is and we were pointed in the right direction, which was totally the opposite to where we were heading!   Oh well we found it in the end and with everything crossed off Kate’s list it was time to head back to the hotel for a little rest and for Kate to start packing and making sure she had everything.  No guesses what I got up to – yep you got it – UPLOAD UPLOAD UPLOAD UPLOAD – it is a Facebook miracle.  So if you are having problems uploading, give Google Chrome a crack, it saved my sanity and I can finally share my amazing experience of Antarctica and the Galapagos with you all.  It was good to re-look over the photos as they loaded to re-appreciate what I had actually done and seen over the last 4 weeks.  Jumping trip to trip you sometimes forget what you have done as more exciting things are always on the horizon.

Today was also the day that mum was buried 3 years ago today.  I still remember it like it was yesterday and I can remember the amazing sunset in Darwin as it went down on her last day officially in this world.  So again mum you are never far from my thoughts and hope you are proud at what I have achieved.  I love you and miss you every day xx.

There was frenzy in the afternoon as everyone was packing their bags for the Inca Trail.  They have been provided with a bag that the porters will carry and can’t weigh more than 5kg and then they could take as much as they want on their own backs, as they were carrying their own day packs.  So a lot of ‘what are you taking’ ‘are you taking’ ‘will we need’ etc… went on all afternoon and several trips to reception where they had a hand held scale for them to check the weight of their bags. 

On our way out to dinner at the English pub, we believe in sharing the love, my patch jacket was dropped back off.  They had done an amazing job and for 2AUD, how could you complain anyway.  The jacket looks awesome now I have the 3 patches on it.  Once was from the Polish base, one from the UK base and the ships own patch on the front.  What a great souvenir.  I am so smart sometimes!

So another day ends and we have a big day tomorrow as we head out to the Sacred Valley for the day and then this is where we leave our ‘trekkers’ and we come home to Cuzco for 3 nights before meeting them at Machu Picchu on Tuesday morning fresh as daisy’s and I am sure if we push it we may get killed by 8 tired hikers.  I don’t think we are that mean – are we?