Fourth Day: Cuzco (http://picasaweb.google.ca/vnmahe/Day4?authkey=apjUHFqNuH8)
Today (Tuesday Aug 5th) was a break day for me. I requested this day to be free, so that I could explore Cuzco on my own and also to visit places which I thought was worth a second visit. I started by visiting the Sun temple Qorikancha again and then visited the adjacent museum. Next stop for me was the ‘Templo y Merced” museum. This little known museum has the world’s second largest pearl placed on 1.3m high solid gold statue. It was amazing. One funny incident that happened was when the guide was showing the group the Pearl, I was scratching my head as to where it was. When they told me it was the second biggest I thought it was something really big. But it turned to be in the shape of a fish and the size of a small stone. Well, anyways the trip was worth it and the entire place was awesome.. There was a place inside the museum where a person in the 16th century lived for 12 years. The person did not come out of this small place and he drew the pics of hell and heaven all over the small place.. It was wonderful. As again I met some travelers and made friends, most importantly one person from Ecudoar and she was an awesome lady. She is around 40 yrs old and turned out that she has just started on her worldwide tour ) a great one at this age) phew.. From here I went to a shop to get a sweater (alpaca). The lady in the shop was quite good and after some bargaining I got a good sweater for a nice price. After the deal the lady asked me where I am from and promptly I told her “india”. She got so excited and started telling me that she and her children like India a lot. I thought she was bluffing and wanted to sell more stuff to me. But then she told the name “Shah Rukh Khan”… Wowowow. I was swept away…. She then told me abt the India movies she saw. I was really really surprised. Again as it goes in Peru, u would be asked to take a picture and then send it to the people there. It was time for food and then sleep.
Fifth Day: Cuzco to Puno Bus Trip (http://picasaweb.google.ca/vnmahe/Day5?authkey=xxrohbun59s)
Today I was leaving Cuzco and then going to Puno (lake Titicaca). The guide came in at morning 7.00 am and I said bye to the family whose house I was staying…. The owner was so happy with me that he offered his daughter’s hand to me. He told this in Spanish and my guide started laughing. I did not know what exactly he told and when the guide converted what he said I was blushing… Anyways time to move on and I reached the bus.. it was a very good bus and I was happy coz for the next 8 to 9 hrs I am going to be in the bus. I tipped the guide and she was really happy. As we left the beauitufl Cuzco I reminded myself that I will be back here to visit this place again. Beautiful place, Amazing people. The bus trip was beautiful as we visited some ruins and also stopped at some beautiful places on the way and it was awesome. One place which really made me happy to see was the highest point of southern Peru (Abra La Raya). It was like around -20 deg C outside the bus, still we all ventured out to take some pics and just the feel of the place and chilly air was enough to make sure that your mind & soul are refreshed. There were a bunch of Doctors from Ohio in the bus and it was fun spending time with them as all the three were getting drunk over and over again and talking about their college and in general their lives. Anyways we reached Puno in the evening and It was really really cold. The local guide picked me up and dropped me in the hotel. I met a family from Colombia (father mother and daughter) and they were all pretty much happy to talk to me in the short ride. Little did I know that they were there with me for the trip to the lake the next day. Anyways, I just had enough strength to go out and get some dinner. Came back switched on the TV in the hotel room and there was some movie going on. I never knew I could sleep with the TV on. J Coz the next thing I knew it was morning 5.00am and time to wake up…
Day 6: Lake Titicaca – Uros islands and Taquila islands (http://picasaweb.google.com/vnmahe/Day6?authkey=c49RDBeCmDU)
It was the majestic Lake Titicaca, which was on agenda for today… Highest navigable lake in the world.. 6)% lies in Peru and the rest in Bolivia… It was a very very cold and cloudy day but everything started at morning 6.30am…. The guide came and took me to the boat where I was joined by the family from Colombia, an Indian couple from Dallas and some more people. The first stop was the floating islands of Uros… These man made islands are just off the coast of Puno, but are artificial and is made with reeds.. yes reeds.. These can also be dried and eaten.. Wowo it was a fanatastic experience… I was standing on the islands and I had a sinking feeling…. Anyways the guide took us through a tour and it was fantastic experience as the people have built reed houses on the reed islands and they have been powered by solar panels… A great way ahead in terms of sophistication….and that’s what I call as Green electricity.. From one island to other island we wnt on a reed boat and it was quite good with almost 10 people on board…. It was time to leave the floating islands and head out to Taquila islands.. This island is only ard 20 to 30 miles, but took ard 2 hrs.. can u believe that…. But it was fantastic experience, as I made friends with an American couple> the guy being a school teacher and his spouse a dentist… They were from Montana…. Yeps.. from there… Anyways we reached the islands at alst and had a very very long walk up towards the “city” centre in the islands… at 3900m altitude, any walk is a hard one… first I was very tired and panting for breath , but at the end I became the first person from the ship to reach there.. The city centre was just a square overlooking the sea and had a church, a museum and some shops to buy water/snacks.. we spend some good time here and then went to the top most point of the island which was the restaurant where our lunch was supposed to be…. It was a magnificent lunch and I was impressed by the veggie stuffs that they had…
After the food it was time to move back and go to the boat which was very close by…. Only 550 steps down…. Yes 550 steps…. It was tiresome but there happened to be 2 or 3 stone gates overlooking the ocean and was beautiful view from there.. At last we reached the boats and head back to Puno… We reached Puno after 3 hrs and it was straight back to the hotel…. Luckily I decided to gout and have food… I was surprised to find a veggie restaurant by Hare Krishna organization… It was very very good food and was run by Peruvians.. I was surprised by the good veggie food and cheap rates…. I was impressed again by the people…. Very very good people…. I headed to the party place in Puno. It was a nice place and after spending some time there got back to the hotel and went to sleep…
Day 7: Puno, Silustani & Lima (http://picasaweb.google.com/vnmahe/Day7?authkey=t9VZ3CurCQI)
It was great morning and I was supposed to leave Puno at ard 10.30am to Silustani and then from there to airport and back to Lima… So with the Lonely Planet book in my hand I decided to explore Puno city a little bit… So firstly I went to the main square and there was church over there… I went inside and prayed for sometime… it was great to be in a church where there r only 2 to 3 people… I lit some candles and sat there for some time… I came outside the church and wanted to visit the statue of man Inca. But the lonely planet book advised not to go alone over there because of theft… I was contemplating as what to do when a police guy came and asked me if I needed some help. I told him abt my wish to visit the place and asked whether it is safe to go there alone… he said No and then he asked me to go with him to the police station.. I was kind of nervous when I was inside the police station.. But luckily this guy came out and this time there was another cop with him…. Incidentally it turned out that the first cop whom I met was the police chief of Puno.. :0 he asked the other cop now with him to accompany me to visit the statue.. I was surprised and I thought on may be these people expect some money from money… This cop came with me to the statue and it was a beautiful place to see.. I could see the entire Puno from there.. I returned back to the main plaza and gave some money to the cop as gratitude, but he rejected it… he said he felt proud to help a tourist and that’s what they stand for.. Once again the people of Peru has impressed me. They are one of the best…. I went and visited some more museums before I went back to the hotel… there the guide came and picked me up and we drove down to Silustani. Silustani is a place where in the Inca times, the burials were done.. the burials were called as Chullapas and they r huge structures, where the dead is put inside with food gold and clothes.. The Incas believed in rebirth and these were to help the soul to be good in the next birth… the place was awesome and I spent some time here.. The view towards the lake was also beautiful. On the way back we visit the house a native. I was given potatoes and cheese to me. I ate it and oh boy it was awesome… we spent some more time with the natives and then from there it was to the Juliaca airport… time to go to Lima J… I reached lima around 7.00pm and was surprised to find how well developed the place is.. the guide in Lima had come to pick me up and took me to the hotel. I was supposed to take rest. But the guide and me got along so well that he gave me a free drive through Lima. I came back to the hotel, took a bath and was wondering as what to do when the guide came to the hotel again. He asked whether I am fine to join a party… J That was the best thing to happen… he took me to the party and I was there until 3.00am… Friday night Lima is awesome… actually rocking. All the latest music and fashion going on.. It was sort of a beach house party… time to get back to sleep as the next day it was the Lima city tour…
Day 8: Lima and back to Canada (http://picasaweb.google.com/vnmahe/Day8?authkey=DWX5uqEA3pg)
I opened my eyes with a strong parched throat.. I badly needed water after the exhaustion of the previous nights party… After gulping some I went to the washroom and started brushing my teeth and then it hit me…. It was my last day in Peru… L I was feeling very very sad that everything has ended….. But that’s life.. it just moves on… The guide promptly came in at 8.00am and the sity tour began.. We went to the various churches, museums and plazas… The most notable places among them were the Catacombs and the lovers park… The lovers park is in central lima and as the name sounds, it was dedicated for all the lovers in the world.. The park itself is overlooking the pacific ocean and beautiful… In the centre of the park is the statue of two lovers kissing.. it seems this statue closely resembles the artist and his wife… wowowowo.. it was a great place… the other beautiful place that I saw was the catacombs in the church… Catacombs are basically the place where people used to be buried beneath the church… We could see so many skulls and bones… I was overwhelmed by that sight … The tour ended at around 2.00pm I came back to my hotel and checked out.. Now I hgad time until 7.00pm. I decided to explore Lima on my own.. I left my bags at the hotel reception and started walking.. Luckily I was staying in the Miraflores district, which is supposed to have all the good restaurants, party places, shopping malls and all.. I walked through the ocean of people and got to know the city really well… Back to hotel at 6.00pm and the my guide promptly showed up at 7.00pm and took me to the airport… After some last minute delays in the immigration I reached the boarding gates as the last and final call was going on… back to the normal life….. As I left Lima, I told myself that I will be back here to one of the most beautiful places in world again, but until that time it is back to my life and my promise that every year there would be a new place in my life…
Comments