I was really sorry to leave Puerto Maldonado and the jungle, so it took me a few hours after arriving here to get over that and fully be in the Cusco moment. I will have to tell you about my jungle experience later. It was fantastic...made many new friends and saw lots of wildlife.
Carmen arrived in Cusco at the airport just about 15 minutes after me. We had a happy reunion and then headed to Hotel Niños in the central part of Cusco. The owner gives the profits to help street children...a good cause and a beautiful little guest house with a sunny courtyard in the middle.
After settling in to our hotel Carmen and I headed to the train station to buy our tickets for Machu Picchu. We walked through the narrow winding streets past women in brightly colored traditional dress and admired the stone walls and churches around every corner.
We got our Machu Picchu tickets for the 17th. Tomorrow we will go to a nearby town, Pisac, which is having a festival for the Fiesta de la Virgin de Carmen. Not being Catholic I have no idea what it's about, but I do understand it involves a lot of traditional dancing in the streets and beautiful indigenous costumes...so that's all the reason I need to rush there with my camera in hand.
Tonight as we walked back to the main plaza, the Plaza de Armas, we stumbled across large groups of school-age kids dancing in the streets in the plaza wearing traditional costumes.
Their joy in dancing was contagious and I actually started tearing up a bit! It was such a beautiful way to start our visit.
The beauty of their brightly-colored costumes was incredible. I couldn't stop smiling. The children were more than happy to pose for us.
Time to head to bed. It has been a long and exciting day!
Time to head to bed. It has been a long and exciting day!
1 comment:
Your photos and written account are outstanding.
Do be careful!!
Beth
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