What a difference a day makes. I woke up this morning hungry- which is something I haven’t done for a few days. I was my regular self again- Hallelujah! Did you ever feel so down and out that you felt your brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders? Like you weren’t sure you made sense all day? Yep. Check and check- that was me yesterday. I was so wiped out that I kept leaving things on our bus when we’d stop to look at something. First stop: I forgot my phone to take photos. Second stop: I forgot something else. All day was that way, and apparently, for extra fun, I dropped my wallet in the back where Cas and I were seated. I camped out in the very back row hoping for a little room to spread out, and what I managed to do was dump out my possessions, leaving my wallet behind.
Cutting to that particular chase, the driver found it, and he’ll bring it to me in the morning. Thank God.
Like I said, today was so much better. I was Heather again. Our day started with a lecture from our Smithsonian expert, Reggie (I still want to call her Dr. Harrison when I feel she’s being particularly professorial) where she spoke mainly of Macho Picchu- just in time for our trip there tomorrow. After that, we went to Ollantaytambo, which was both a temple and a fortress. Fun fact: Dallas, Texas is 430 feet above sea level. Ollantaytambo is at 9,350. We got all the way up to 12,470 today. It was some rare air up there. We’re sleeping at 9,430, so we should be okay. Sheesh. But try to hold a conversation at that altitude while climbing stone stairs to the top of a fortress/temple, and tell me how it goes.
From Ollantaytambo, we had entirely too much food, served family style, at a lovely Peruvian restaurant. There was a dancing show in an open courtyard with Peruvian performers and fancy horse riding. The horses were not quite the Lippizaner stallions, but they did move beautifully.
From there, we saw a shaman. He preferred to be called a Quechua Priest or somehow, “Paco” for short. He did a blessing ceremony to Mother Earth. Following that, there was a demonstration of the local weaving technique by a very charismatic girl who was not shy at all about her intent to persuade us to purchase the goods available in the store across from her. As we all walked in, Peruvian women in native garb essentially stalked us, making me feel very uncomfortable. Everything I slowed down to walk near elicited a comment about the item from the woman who attached to me like a remora to a shark. I walked out of the store, and a few moments later, a young girl followed, explaining that she would make me a deal on the handbag that I made the egregious error of touching. (never show interest!)
It was all too much, but I really did want one of the backpacks. I walked in with Cas, pointed at the one I wanted, and he handled the rest. The women seemed baffled. They wanted to talk to me, as women, in their experience, are the ones who shop. I don’t like shopping in quiet solitude in the US. I certainly don’t like high-pressure sales by stalking sales ladies. But handmade Peruvian stuff is pretty neat.
For now, we just wrapped up a very tasty, way-too-big dinner. We have to pack an overnight bag to take to Machu Picchu tomorrow and send the rest of our things ahead to Cusco. It’s a selection process- what even smaller subset of your things made the cut? What will you inevitably forget? Let’s just hope you remember a wallet, am I right?
Anyhow, we’ll chat soon from the hotel right next door to Machu Picchu. Should be pretty amazing. Until then, check out Our Photo Album.
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