Free Roaming Dogs: One of the things I really like about Cuzco is all the dogs roaming around. Some of them are definitely skinny but they are not as sick as I have seen in other places. I love watching them trot down the street and greet other dogs in the park. They are confident and own the city and I think overall, they are pretty happy. I just finished a book before I left, Merle´s Door, about a guy who has a dog in Wyoming and lives in a small town where all the dogs roam freely. They don´t bark at strangers, or fight each other, and essentially live as part of the community. They are really well socialized and it makes me think more and more that I wish we could let our dogs roam free. However, I guess in Tucson and most places, the streets are too dangerous. It´s amazing because in Cusco, drivers are so very aware of the dogs and the dogs of them. And it´s not just dogs, I saw Sheep, and cows, and llamas, and alpacas, all roaming in the countryside freely. Drivers are very concsientious about it. Of course, I also saw a lot of sickly skinny ones and that makes me sad, but such is life...Anyway- I have become even more aware of how we cage animals and imprison them to some degree and I am guilty with my own animals, but hopefully I treat them well, but it will never be the same as the wild. (Kelly...makes me think how you do about birds in cages)
Shamans: The day before I left for the Amazon, I toured a few ruins in Cusco. One was a church built on top of Inca Walls, which was really cool to see the mixture of architecture. After that I climbed to Saqsaywaman, which means ¨satisfied falcon¨, named after the falcons ate the flesh of hundreds of people thrown in the ruins by the Spanish Conquistadors. I did not hire a guide. Anyway, while hiking this ruin, I ended up meeting a shaman (or so he said) and he sent me to this place to take in the energy of the sun. Then he showd me around the rest of the ruins, which were built for the Sun and the Moon. In nearly each place, he found herbs and shook them around me and sang and did these rituals. I didn´t learn a lot of history about the ruins, but instead more about the Inca beliefs and the uses of the place, which was really pretty cool. I sat in sacred places in sacred positions (like the fetal position where they prayed). It was a pretty interesting perspective and I ended up giving him a tip (he did this all for free).
Facebook- almost everyone I met on this trip is on facebook. I love myspace, but I think I will finally break down and join facebook too so I can keep in touch with my new friends I have met.
Ziplocks: We are spoiled because the Swedish grils were telling me they don´t have ziplocks in Europe. While I like ziplock bags, I have learned that the quart size ones really suck, but the gallon freezer bags hold up much better. All the quart size ones I placed my liquids in have broken (mostly the first few days). I could not buy ziplocks in Cusco either so I have taken to recycling all the little plastic bags I have collected during this trip. I am doing good deeds.
Sacred Valley and Travellers: Yesterday I spent my last day in Cusco visiting the Sacred Valley, which is several Inca Ruin sites. It was OK, but it was with about 30 people so it was very touristy. I did meet a really cool girl named Marcia from Northern Italy and we had great talks about travel and love and all sorts of other things that you don´t usually get to discuss with strangers. It was kind of like we were meant to meet and have deep conversations that moved us forward in some way, or shed new light. I also spent some time on the bus talking to some students from Chile. I just absolutely love meeting new people and hearing about their lives and experiences. There is something really special about travellers. It is summer break for South America right now so I have met mostly people from here, mostly Argentina and Chile too.
Pisco: So, On my way out to Peru, I sat next to an American guy going to visit Lima to see his wife and kid (they came out ahead of him). He was really funny because he was getting pretty buzzed and loved talking up Peru. We had great cionversations and he told me so much about Peru, like the sauces they use, places to visit up North (where I did not go) , and the typical drink: Pisco Sour. So last nite, I had two. Didn´t like them at first but they grow on you. Especially with a touch of cinammon. We will need to have Peruvian Nite soon and eat great peruvian food and drink Pisco Sours (too bad we won´t be able to get Mate de Coca)
Peru: I absolutely love Peru! I think I could have spent my whole five weeks there and never have gotten bored. The culture and the people are very interesting and the nature and scenery is unbelievable. The people are all so friendly and have such good energy within them. And Peruvian food is so good (and cheap!) I really liked Cusco a lot as well. Last nite, I was walking by one of the 4 plazas and these kids were practicing a dance to drumming and flutes which was pretty cool to watch. The plazas here are so grea as there is so much going on (I also saw a brass band playing one nite and ran into people I met at the airport in Lima) I really want to come back again someday and spend more time. Peru is a magical place.
Guayaquil, Ecuador: I am now in Guayaquil, Ecuador. I am missing Cusco terribly. This city is dirty and the people don´t seem that friendly. Of course, I just got here, but I am glad I am not spending much time here. It reminds me of...Nogales and Jersey together. The people are so different here too - which is just odd that it is so close to Peru. Tomorrow morning I fly to the Galapagos Islands. I found a really good deal on a small yacht for 6 days touring the islands and then I will spend two days on the main island before coming back here to catch my flight to Bonaire. I hope I end up with cool people on the boat (16 people plus crew) and that I don´t get seasick. Hopefully I will get a day of scuba diving in as well. I am really excited as Galapagos has been a dream of mine for a long, long time.
Don´t know when I will have Internet access again but will write again when I do. Hope you are all doing well.
And for my music friends: Hope you are enjoying the Gem and Jam Show and all the other great music coming to town. Send me a note to tell me all about them! Anyone see Slightly Stoopid the other nite? Hope the 8 Minutes to Burn and Vampyros Bonobos shows go well too (of course they will!)! I haven´t seen any live music (except traditional, but not really danceable) so I am really jonesing to dance....maybe I will plug in my ipod and dance in my room a bit tonite :)
Ciao!
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