Friday night we took it easy. But all the processions went right by our hotel until late into the night. Every half hour or so the drums and music and then Mary and Jesus carried on the shoulders of people as they walked all over the city to celebrate the day of the 12 dishes, that´s Good Friday here.
Saturday we loaded Mom into a taxi and drove over to ¨the wrong side of town¨ to the central market. No tourist there at all. Totally different city of only locals shopping and hanging out. Mom and us wandered through the market for an hour going up and down the aisles looking at everything. Amazing colors in the aisles, each dedicated to a paticular product. Chicken, yup all plucked and hanging by their neck, pig, fish... flowers, fruit, veggies, beans, corn... on and on to the food stalls... then Mom had her shoes shined by the boys outside the market. They were so sweet with her. We were surrounded by about 8 boys all just chatting Mom up. And her shoes look great!
Sunday was travel day. Once again a very nice man came and picked us up to drive us up over the mountains and down into the sacred valley. We got out at one point to take photos at the cliff overhanging the edge of the plateau we were just about to come down over.
When we got to our beautiful hotel compound in Ollyantaytambo it was half raining and half sunshine. The flowers were full of hummingbirds. The gardens are amazing. I seem to be using that word a lot. The beauty of the natural world around us is simply stunning and you have to be a pretty self absorbed person to not stop and just stand in awe. The shear sides of the mountains surround us. You look up one way and there are Inca ruins half way up those mountains, you look the other way and you can see the terraces that run almost all the way up the other side.
We have decided to go to Machu Picchu again on Wednesday. Susan and I took over an hour to get the train tickets. So many parts of the transaction, only cash, must have all passports, find out what trains have seats....I had to get to the back of the line at 4 times and start again. We are taking the 5:37am train and returning on the 12:23 train. We will be able to see the sun rise as we make our way up the canyon.
And while we were standing in line we learned that today....There is a general strike in the Andes... No shops, no trains, no buses, no taxis, no internet cafe until now. The strike seemed to end at 4:pm. So many tourist stranded with no way to get where they needed to go. We planned to be here so it´s been a fantastic day for us. Mom walked all the way up the river road to the town square this morning because there was no traffic. We could take our time and wander around. Susan and Natilee and I just climbed to sides of the valley this morning. Up and up and up into the Inca ruins here... One ruin up a trail so steep and narrow that at times we just had to stop and figure out if we could make it. But we did and the views to the other side and down the valley was pure bliss. Then down, down, down, through the town and up the other side all around the ruins. We were the only 3 people there where there are usually hundreds of tourist tramping around. So special and wonderful to spend those couple hours with my sister and niece.
Nat has walked back to the hotel and Susan and I are getting in a few paragraphs before we head back. Tomorrow we are going to hire a driver and go to all the markets and towns along the sacred valley. It´s market day. So Dad I hope your pocket book won´t hurt too bad!
Love to all of you.
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