Day 418: Otavalo

Before making our way across the border into Colombia, we stopped for two nights in Otavalo, Ecuador. Otavalo is a little town that is most famous for it’s markets every Saturday morning and early afternoon. As we walked through town last night, I knew I was going to enjoy our short stay here. While the Ecuadorian coast was nice, and the historical center of Quito very pretty, I think the beauty of Ecuador lies in it’s small towns inland, or in the mountains. I loved Mindo, I had a feeling I was going to love Otavalo as well. It made me feel a little bad we spent most of our time in Ecuador studying Spanish instead of traveling around more smaller towns! We spent the morning at Otavalo’s main market, and then the afternoon searching down the Peguche waterfall outside of town.

It seemed as if the entire city shut down and morphed into a giant market. Granted, the city wasn’t that big, but when all of the streets are suddenly covered in tents and stalls selling everything from skeins of yarn to gold bracelets to pre-Colombian statues to slabs of pork on a plate for a quick lunch it felt huge and delightfully overwhelming. Andrew and I strolled around taking it all in, taking pictures, and seeing what was for sale before we bought anything. We could have bought small and unbreakable things, but we went straight for the pre-Colombian statues (some of which you can see below). More specifically, Andrew wanted them. It’s official. I have rubbed off on him. At least when it comes to buying (and subsequently having to carry around) breakable, slightly heavy and hard to pack souvenirs.

We’ve also seen reproductions based off of Ecuadorian artist, Oswaldo Guayasamín‘s work throughout Ecuador. They were everywhere. In our guesthouses, in restaurants, even on the walls in our Spanish school in Quito. I was hoping I’d be able to find a few prints or hear more about the artist before we left Ecuador. Fortunately the market offered lots of reproductions and we were able to hop from stall to stall pricing out different ones we liked and eventually decided on a few that our future walls simply will not be able to live without. Done shopping, we strolled through the food market (always one of my favorite areas of a market) and took pictures before ducking into one of the restaurants for lunch.

The outskirts of the market offered quieter streets which made it relatively easy to sneak back to our room to drop off our newly acquired art before trekking out of Otavalo to check out the Peguche waterfall. We took a public bus and got off at the suggested stop, but we felt a little lost wandering around a much smaller town with no clear signs of a waterfall.

We were also told it was a weaving capital of the area surrounding Otavalo, but we quickly found out this simply meant there was one shop with very pricey rugs and tapestries inside. I was more impressed with the street art. This little tiny two street town with hardly anyone walking through it offered up some incredible murals. Even in Otavalo offered equally impressive public art.

Even though we asked for directions, walking down this dirt road we were a little skeptical if we were heading in the right direction. There weren’t any signs, no other tourists, so when some locals walked past us, we simply followed them and were relieved when we found ourselves at the entrance of the park and winding trail towards the waterfall. Anxious to catch a public bus back into Otavalo before dark, we didn’t linger in the park too long.

Instead, we walked to yet another small town that wrapped itself around the outskirts of Otavalo in search for the bus or perhaps a taxi if we were lucky. Eventually we were told where we could go, and before the sandflies consumed my exposed legs entirely, we were back on a bus towards Otavalo and heading back to Taco Bello (yep, you read correctly) for another taco salad.

Day 371: Back in Cusco

Momma’s last full day in Peru! We’ve been moving so fast through Peru, that we were content with wandering around the city of Cusco and seeing what we could find. We hadn’t heard very good things about the Inca Museum(s) so instead we headed towards one of the higher rated museums first, The Center for Traditional Textiles, walking past Quirikancha, once the most important temple in the Incan Empire, and then through the many squares of Cusco, ending up at the Chocolate Museum.

Quirikancha was once the most important temple and the center of the Inca Empire. Once upon a time it was covered in gold, as it was dedicated to the Sun God, Inti. That is, until the Spanish came along and demanded a ransom in place of the Inca Atahualpa, and the temple was stripped of all of its gold. Juan Pizarro, one of Francisco Pizarro’s brothers received Quirikancha and before he died, donated it to the Dominican Order of priests. Eventually, the church that you see behind (or rather, inside the walls of the former Temple of the Sun) the Incan foundation was built.

However, our first stop of the day was the Center for Traditional Textiles, a free museum with rather beautiful displays of the intricate weaving that is so common throughout Peru. I was a little hesitant, but Andrew assured us that it was one of the highest rated museums in Cusco… and Mom had just finished her first course in weaving, so we pretty much had to go. 

My favorite part of the museum were the live demonstrations and the half finished weavings that were tied off. After our visit, I noticed that these half woven pieces used as wall hangings instead of scarves or blankets or even wraps were quite popular around Cusco. Again, if I knew exactly how many walls I was returning to, I would have bought them all up! I thought they made such beautiful art pieces, especially knowing that they were preserving a traditional culture that is being quickly replaced by low cost imported string and machinery. The Center for Traditional Textiles is right down the street from Quirikancha, and the Convent of Santo Domingo.

What’s somewhat unbelievable is that the Incan walls were kept entirely intact and the church was built in between the walls of the Incan temple. Above you can see the courtyard, but throughout the building were different Incan rooms that were still free standing with dirt floors and nothing inside. Technically we weren’t supposed to take pictures, but I saw many people freely taking photographs out in the courtyard. I’m not sure why there was a no photo rule- maybe for the interior rooms that held loads and loads of religious art? Either way, it was interesting to walk through, but it made me feel a little uncomfortable wondering how the Incans must have felt back in the day when their most important temple was handed over to an entirely different religion, one that built a gigantic church and monastery around walls that once used to be covered in gold.

The above picture was to show how Quirikancha was at the center of the Incan universe. How other temples in the empire all led to Quirikancha. The picture below illustrates how the Incas looked at the stars. While we look at the stars, and the constellations by connecting the stars together, the Incans looked at the pictures made in the dark spots or shadows in between the stars.

Outside of not only Quirikancha, but throughout the streets of Cusco, women in traditional dress walked around tethered to a grown llama or holding a baby lamb. Often, they would put the lamb in your arms, encouraging you to take a photo, for which you would have to pay for after. I didn’t need a photo of myself with a baby lamb, so I would always get really excited and pet the lamb (simultaneously empathizing for it) until they would realize I wasn’t going to pose for a picture with it.

After The Choco Museo (which was an informative, albeit glorified shop) we wandered around, fed the birds, and coerced Mom into one last drink before her last day began in the morning.

Day 368: Our first day in Cusco

Another day… after another overnight bus. Turns out trains in Peru are crazy expensive. As an alternative, we’ve started booking the “luxury” seats on the buses. We boarded and were totally thrown by the big lazy-boy style seats with individual screens and a selection of recent movies on tap. And then we realized the sound didn’t work. Our flight (er, bus?) attendant didn’t seem to care. We slept. Mostly. And then we were whisked away to bed in Cusco at five in the morning. A couple of cold showers later and we were walking around town. Friends and family have raved about Cusco. I can see why. It’s charming and full of Incan architecture, women dressed up in traditional clothes walking through the streets with baby lambs and llamas, and even an…”INCA!” The little girl below was SO excited to see the Inca that she not only screamed, but ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him. It was like a little girl back home seeing Santa for the first time. In a word, it was adorable. I couldn’t resist turning around to try to get a picture of it.

Our plan for the day was quite simply to walk around. We even paused outside of the Inca Museum debating if we wanted to go inside, until we reminded ourselves we hadn’t planned on doing anything other than walk around the town, acclimate ourselves to the altitude, and take it easy before we made our way to Machu Picchu.

Andrew and I are positive we could have saved a lot of money on this trip had we brought along a tent. However, I’m not so sure I would have been able to sleep so soundly atop a tuk-tuk in the middle of a busy afternoon in Cusco!

I barely remember taking this shot of Momma in the market. I think I shot it from the hip as we were walking through, but boy am I glad I took it. I really love it. What you can’t see is that she’s looking out of one of the doorways of the market (which lit her perfectly) to the street surrounding. I don’t know what she’s looking at, but I love that I caught her observing Cusco while so many people are going about their business around her.

I could not get enough of the colorful clothing. If I didn’t have enough to hang up on walls I don’t have, I would have gotten one of these beautiful dresses just to hang up! They really are works of art! (I’m also still kicking myself for not getting an embroidered hat in Cabanaconde a few days ago. Again, just to hang up on my wall as art. I should have known better to pass it up when I did…

While we were waiting on Momma to buy something (again) I couldn’t take my eyes off of this nun. She didn’t move from this position, maybe didn’t even look at something else the entire time we were waiting. I wondered what was on her mind and shot this picture from the hip as well, probably talking to Mom at the same time about what color tablecloth or blanket she should get.

And then, a little dress-up action happened.

We were on our way back to our hotel when Mom got tricked into going into a shop along the way. While she was trying to decide what color or what size or what to get in general, one of the shopkeepers dragged me and Andrew in and proceeded to play dress up. And then for good measure, stuck a giant penis in Andrew’s hand that he seemed to grow quite fond of. (I mean seriously, why is it in every picture?) Putting these pictures on the blog is likely to lead to me receiving an email from my Mom. “I can’t believe you posted those pictures!” Well, believe it Momma! I did! And don’t tell me to take them down, because chances are I won’t have any internet to do so later! (Love you!)

Day 367: Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America. According to our guide for the afternoon, 60% of it is Peruvian and 40% of it is Bolivian. However, he assured us if we were to find ourselves on the Bolivian side of the lake, we would be told that 60% is Bolivian. While the lake itself provides some beautiful scenery, its popularity stems more from the people who live on the lake. Tours go daily out to man-made islands, known as the Uros Islands, and the natural islands, Taquile and Amanatani (if you have time). We opted for a day tour to see one of the Uros Islands and Taquile. It was interesting – a little Disneyland-esque at times, but beautiful and I was finally able to have some fun with my Polaroid camera again! Which may have been my favorite part!

Per usual, we were picked up early in the morning only to drive around the city for an hour picking up others at their respective hotel before we even made it to the boats. I’m all for a hotel pick-up, but after a year of driving around in circles to pick up everyone else, I don’t see what’s so bad about telling everyone to be at a specific place by a certain time. It would guarantee an extra hour of sleep (at least) for all! Once we got on our boat, we waited for about fifteen minutes before the tour operator boarded the boat explaining that we could get upgraded to a faster boat if we joined a more expensive tour. The only catch was that we weren’t able to discuss this upgrade with the other boat members. Great! Except, why weren’t we told upon booking that our boat was going to take three hours to get to the Uros islands in the first place? It was all a little strange and I couldn’t help but wonder what was really going on. But we got on the “faster boat” that looked remarkably similar to our first boat and we were soon cruising across the lake towards the Uros Islands.

A close friend had warned me about the islands, saying they were a little on the touristy side. Trip Advisor forums went one step further, equating the experience to Disneyland and even suggesting the islands aren’t really inhabited these days, and they are more or less set up for tourists. Especially those who are in the market for some “one of a kind” souvenirs to take home (cough cough… Mom. cough).

When our boat landed, we were immediately greeted by the women of the island and told to sit in the center of the island for a brief presentation. It was here we met the president of the island and we were told how the island was built (layers and layers of reeds), how the island doesn’t have any electricity (but does have some solar panels), and how if you need to go to the bathroom, you have to climb into a boat and go to another island 20 minutes away. It was then I realized that I probably couldn’t live on the Uros. I’d spend more time paddling to and from the bathroom than anything else! We were told that the 40+ islands rotate daily to receive tours. This is so they can go about their daily life during the days they don’t have visitors and to give every island an opportunity to make some money (to be blunt about it). This is completely understandable, but halfway through our presentation, two other boats pulled up and suddenly the little man-made island, smaller than a basketball court was inundated with tourists.

We were already part of a group of about 30-40 people. Once other boats pulled up and people were walking around us shopping, while we were trying to learn about the island completely transformed this “Oh, what a cool little island” into “Ohmigod I hate being a tourist.” We were then shuffled to the back of the island, presumably so the next group could have a meet and greet with the president. A giant reed gondola awaited to take everyone for a spin (for an additional fee). Think Venice, only instead of just you and your significant other on the boat, it was you and forty other strangers crammed together. It was something I didn’t need to do, and instead hung back to take some Polaroids and hand them out to the women (and children) of the island.

Once one of the mothers figured out what I was up to, she motioned for me to hold on and disappeared into one of the houses, returning a second later with different clothes for the baby. She changed her outfit, pulled all of her children together and then we took another picture. Then she set the baby down and asked for a picture just of the baby. It was a lot of fun (much more so than sitting on top of another tourist on the full gondola) and it makes taking pictures a much more interactive activity! I have to admit, I feel better about taking pictures when I’m able to give a physical print to the subject right away.

Afterwards we hung around waiting for everyone to finish shopping. Had it just been one boat full of people, it would have been great. But maybe because the island was still overwhelmed with tourists and I could easily hear an older American couple haggle- rudely- for a cheaper price when they could obviously afford the extra $0.50 equivalent made me ready to leave.

Of course, we all seemed to board our respective boats at the same time… I quickly climbed up to the roof of the boat to get a few shots of the island as we sped towards Taquile. Like clockwork, the women lined up to greet the next boat. I wonder how many boats land each day. In the hour or so that we were there, four to five boats had landed!

Taquile is one of the natural islands in the middle of Lake Titicaca. It was used as a prison during the Spanish reign and didn’t become the property of the Taquileños (people of Taquile) until 1970! There aren’t any cars, and no electricity on the island. It’s quiet and has some beautiful scenery- not only on the island itself, but surrounding it as well. We learned immediately that handmade yarn and weaving is a pretty big deal here. Nearly every woman we saw was spinning yarn, and nearly every man was knitting. The men wear special knitted hats to communicate if they are single or married.

While the textile industry is still huge, they make most of their money from tourism these days. 40,000 tourists visit each year! Our guide also informed us that the population is shrinking as many of the younger generations are leaving the island to go to school or get a job on the mainland where they can make more money than if they were to stay on Taquile. When we arrived to the main plaza, a photo shoot was in the making. I wanted to ask what it was for, but after hearing the photographers speak Spanish, I got a little shy about my shoddy Spanish skills and simply watched instead, jealous of their reflector. 

We ducked into the textile market full of colorful knitwear and woven goods.

Back out on the plaza, we took turns taking pictures in front of a sign reminding us of just how far away from home we are. Although, Andrew and I just might be closer than we’ve ever been on this trip!

These two little guys had trouble getting their drinks opened and asked Andrew for some help. When I looked over they were just sitting together enjoying the view. I had to take a picture… and then handed my camera off to Mom while I pulled out the Polaroid. At first they were a little confused- needing to reload the paper didn’t help matters. It’s also a rather slow camera. It’s not like a traditional Polaroid that spits out a photo immediately. It uses different paper, and while technologically impressive, it often requires a lot of “wait for it…” gestures and holding the camera up to a child’s ear so they can hear that something magical is about to happen. These two were pretty patient about it all.

After they asked for a second photo (one for each) they said something in Spanish that I didn’t understand. I looked at Andrew, and he didn’t get it either. We asked them to repeat what they said and another tourist passing by told us “They want a tip.”

“A TIP?” I looked at everyone surprised, even though this certainly isn’t the first time I’ve been asked for a tip for something or other on this trip. “But I gave you two photos! A gift! Why should I give you a tip?” I responded, in English, laughing. The other tourist rolled his eyes understanding my sentiments exactly.

We walked around the island, following a mostly stone path down the hill we had climbed up to the plaza. A few locals passed us by, or sat off to the side knitting, and asking for tips if you wanted a picture or two. We stopped at a small house with a large picnic table set up outside where we all sat down for lunch while we saw another presentation of how a plant was crushed into soap and then used to clean a dirty piece of wool. After lunch, their style of dress was explained to us and then we watched a small dance that was made adorable by the participation of an adorable little girl who was not afraid of asking tourists to dance.

After the dance, she was sent around with a tip basket. Everyone acknowledged and laughed about their most excellent business model, using her to collect tips that wouldn’t otherwise be given. When all of the festivities were over, we walked down to our boat and made our way back to Puno. I would have really liked to see Amanatani, the other, further island- but it requires an overnight stay because it’s so far to get to. It’s supposedly the least touristy island of the three- which made me want to see it all the more. I think the three (including the overnight) and Sillustani could have been crammed into two very full days, but we were already on a tight schedule and I’ll just have to save Amanatani for next time- with a side trip to and possibly through Bolivia!

Day 365: Chivay

Chivay was supposed to be the stopover, not the main attraction. Yet, I was delighted it proved to be anything but a stopover. Momma actually stayed behind at the bus pick-up until we realized she would probably enjoy the market and streets surrounding that were full of character. As much as I enjoyed the quietness of Cababanaconde, it was a little too quiet for me and lacked the character that Chivay more than made up for. We were only there for about two hours, but had a really great time walking through the market, eating sautéed alpaca (and what we found out was jello with cool whip on top), and photographing women with llamas while we waited for our bus to Puno in the afternoon.

On our way out of Cabanaconde it was hard to say goodbye to Colca Canyon and it’s surrounding fields despite being for the most part dried up during the winter months.

Once we got into Chivay, we were surprised to see these statues lining one of the main streets (just outside of the covered market). Some of them seemed very friendly and welcoming, but seriously, what is up with the dude in a mask who looks ready to come to life and decapitate me? It reminded me of some Mexican wrestling, but who knows if I’m anywhere near what he really represents!

I couldn’t resist these adorable ones eating ice-cream while I waited for Andrew to run back to gather Mom and our things. I tried to ask for permission and I think I was granted it, but the little one in the middle seemed perplexed. I only wished my Polaroid wasn’t buried in another bag so I could give it to him to give to his mother afterwards.

We wandered through the market, stopping to eat alpaca meat and buy only a few blankets, tablecloths, and scarves. The alpaca is slightly gamey, but good and with a squirt of lime, I highly recommend it. If nothing else, you won’t find a cheaper lunch otherwise! While Andrew and I sampled the street food, we lost my Mom as she ducked in and out of stores faster than we could take turns sharing our snack! We eventually found her again, helped pick out some gifts for some family members and continued walking through the market more for fun than for buying- at least, that’s what Andrew and I thought anyway! When we emerged, we found the most adorable baby lamb laying down in the middle of the sidewalk. Of course, we fawned over it (me and momma) while Andrew went in search for more street food to taste.

I asked how much he (she?) cost and tried to convey how much I wanted the little bundle of adorable (I mean, seriously, who wouldn’t?) but then explained that I didn’t have enough room in my bag. I think (key word: think) everyone understood and was amused by my willingness to take the little thing with me… if only I could (and Andrew… and my mom would have let me!)

On our way out of the market area, I also couldn’t resist taking a photo of this woman and her llama. Usually I try not to participate in photos for profit- something that we’ve encountered often during this trip, but I couldn’t help it after I saw a few tourists take a photo with the llama and then not give the woman a little tip. It’s a no brainer that if someone is dressed up or standing with an animal that they are there to make some money. It felt a little disrespectful watching others take photos but then walk away pretending they didn’t know any better. I took a few photos, disappointed the woman wouldn’t at least look at me during the process, but then put a couple soles in her hand as I shook it, thanking her for her time.

There were a couple of options getting from Chivay to Puno. We decided to take the slightly more expensive (and more comfortable) option after our unfortunate longer than anticipated adventure from Arequipa to Colca Canyon a couple of days before. A “3M” bus boasted a more touristic ride from Chivay to Puno with a few stops at the highest point in the Andes, a lake full of flamingoes, and at the highest lake in Peru. It was worth it- not for the stops, but for the comfort and the coca tea we were promised at the rest stop. I don’t normally get car-sick, but as I quickly found out, I do get altitude-car-sick. It’s not fun. Fortunately, coca tea helps.

When we stopped at the highest point in the Andes en route to Puno (and Lake Titicaca) my head hurt and I was feeling a bit squeamish, but got out to take a look around thinking the fresh air would help. We were greeted with a cold fresh air and surrounded by little stacks of rocks that we were told were prayers built by the Peruvian people. All of them were built as high as they could go because the closer to the sky they were, the more likely the prayers were to be granted.

We stopped off briefly at the highest lake in the Andes (so we were told) with just enough time to take a picture and then climb back on the bus. Everyone talks about adjusting to the altitude in Cusco, for the climb to Machu Picchu, but they seem to skip over the fact that Puno is higher than Cusco, and that Cusco is higher than Machu Picchu. They also seem to skip over the fact that driving from one of these places to the other is the worst part. My advice? Drink a LOT of coca tea. Take an asprin. And be prepared to feel like you’re slightly hungover.