Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Cusco (post Machu Picchu) - 30th Oct - 2nd Nov 2007

So what could follow the Inca trail and Machu Picchu I hear you ask, a lay in we all answer, and really really mean it!!

I´m staying at the same place as Leanne and Ant when we get back from Machu Picchu and then spend the next couple of days hanging out.
The first day all we did was recover from the last 4 days but then on the next day we decided we hadn´t seen enough Inca ruins and went off in search of more!

There are 4 sites that are within walking distance of Cusco so off we went.

We took a bus to Tambomachay, the furthest away, which had a still working crystal-line spring water fountain running right through it It´s said that this water can turn back the hands of time, so there was Leanne and I splashing on as much of it as was publically acceptable before heading off to PukaPukara across the road!






The famous waters of Tambomachay!

The third site we visited was Quenqo, and after emerging from the underground font area we came across what appeared to each of us as a strange little group. There was no one else at the site, just us and this group, there were two older guys, then a young girl and boy. To be honest I was too busy clocking one of the older guys to take too much notice of the others but Ant called me over and pointed out that the girl was infact Princess Beatrice!! With her boyfriend and two bodyguards (one of whom I had been checking out!!)



Ant then embarrassed both Leanne and I by asking her if it was in fact her, lucky for him he got the right sister huh?!

It was kinda surreal though, in the middle of nowhere just outside of Cusco in Peru, just us and them and we happen upon Princess Beatrice on holiday. We felt embarrassed that we had already intruded on her private space but as we passed her by she wished us happy travels and we did the same to her before heading off to a safe distance for the all important photo of her to prove she was actually there!!!




Princess Beatrice and her group!
The last site we visited was Saqsaywaman (or sexy woman as it´s known), it’s a huge and very impressive site which really needed a guide (which we had) to really appreciate it´s significance.


Saqsaywaman.

Back in Cusco it´s Halloween! And all the city´s children are out in force wanting candy and all of them are dressed up in all sorts of fancy costumes! There are so many Spidermen, it’s a wonder none of us developed arachnophobia!! J They were all very cute though and the party went on all night!

The next morning, after Leanne and Ant had left for Arequipa, I headed off on my last day in Peru to do the Sacred Valley tour.

We visited Pisac and Ollantaytambo and although extremely interesting and very very impressive, nothing really compares to Machu Picchu and all the other sites we saw along the way!
Pisac.
Ollantaytambo.

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