Will and Bobby set off for Macchu Picchu and Jess was forced to return to Cusco for professional diagnosis of her debiltating back injury. Just up the road from me is El Molle, an alternative hostel catering to the many passing souls experiencing spiritual enlightenment in Pisac. There with Maggie and long-term Pisac resident Alexandra we sought the future, past and present in `The Realm of Wisdom` cards, entertaingly read by Sarah with just the right lack of sincerity.
On the Sunday night I went a-visitin` to inform folks about my birthday plans and it subsequently turned into a discussion of world power dynamics/politics/human rights with Jarrah and Katelyn from Toowoomba. At El Molle we delved into chocolate with out-there James, a young cacao scientist, exporter of cacao and officially one of my Gods. He explained the difference between cacao and cocoa and the `Creole`strain as opposed to the South American jungle variety. The experience was made truly divine by exceptionally wicked chocolate and fresh coconut truffles made by Sarah and Alexandra. One small bite was enough to feed a grown man for a day. And, how many did you have, Tris? 3.
I decided to brave Apu Linli again and Katelyn foolishly to join me. After a neccesary carrot cake/Ulrike`s stop we hit the road and missed the path. This caused about half hour of consternation before we found it and began the ascent. The trail wound on for ages up and around the mountain and we followed it doggedly, eventually coming to an unsure area with many different trails. We ascended via a steep cultivated valley up past pigs, sheep, cows, goats and a few herders to find a ridge that would finally bring us to our chosen peak that was just below the highest point. The climb had revealed a hidden valley amongst more Incan ruins where people farmed and lived. Amazing.
There while lunching we heard flute music. At first we weren`t sure of where it was coming from, but soon enough the source revealed itself. A lone shepherd was roaming his high mountains playing a simple but eerily beautiful melody on his Andean wooden flute. It was a sublimely surreal moment. See video. (NB. The video is sideways but you can just see the shepherd pretty much at centre between 0.15 - 0.25)
After lunch we descended quickly as the sun had hidden behind grey clouds and the strong wind felt icy. Our makeshift descent was comparitively safe and we arrived back at Pisac at the end of a tough but rewarding day, full of talking about important things and funny stories.
My birthday just happened to co-incide with a general strike in Pisac. And the locals take their strikes seriously, even if they don`t know what they`re about. They shut down roads and force businesses to close, threatening (and executing) a `brick through window` policy on non-complying buildings and vehicles. The strike meant my Cusco/Jack`s plan was skittled but also that no-one from our community had work or study, and as such I whipped up gourmet scrambled eggs and coffee for Jarrah, Lamaya, Katelyn, Laura, Fernanado, Isabel, Yayeh, Fiorela, Rafael, Guillermo and Sarah - Maggie also chimed in making guacamole and fruit salad. It was all such good food and fantastic company.
And then began a major hack of the sack, hoola-hooping and human balancing acts while we grooved in the sun to `Shade` (one of my mixed CDs). Rockin` brilliant uncle! And only really possible because of the strike - cheers union!
Then I was treated to a much-needed, highly appreciated and sun-drenched 2hr Thai massage by lady of many talents, Sarah. Oh the bliss - thanks! While that was happening Maggie and Katelyn whipped up a delicious banana birthday cake that certainly hit the spot - also awesome. I tried to jam out on djembe with Fernando and Guillermo`s band to not much effect, but it was fun nonetheless. After we told Laura that Ulrike`s staff had told us that a pizza night was not possible there she decided to pursue it a little harder by phone and sure enough we were soon enjoying great earth-oven pizza, wine and what else but divine carrot cake!
I was sung `Happy Birthday` 3 times! At the 3rd time was the candles and cake - in Peru it`s traditional for the birthday boy/tapir to bite the cake before it is cut up. `Mordida! Mordida! ` was the chant as I prepared myself, bent over and present my incisors to the cake. A sharp push on the back of my head spread icing all over my face as the crew laughed it up big time. Hmmm.... I pretended to be upset while wiping the cream from around my mouth - the cake-fayce action is apparently a part of the tradition also! What a great birthday.
Jess gifted me several books by authors such as Carlos Casteneda and Eric Fromm as she was returning to Melbourne due to her back injury. We and Sarah met at Jack`s to enjoy a massive breakfast and of course see someone we knew in the forms of Will and Bobby on the return from Macchu Picchu; which from their explanation I inferred was probably the event of their collective lives. I met Erica from Canada who used to run El Molle but had spent the last three months in Colombia. She immediately said I looked familiar and I agreed, but we couldn`t figure out where from. Then later in discussions about Colombia we remembered it was at the Cranky Croc in Bogota! !Que casualidad¡ (How big lots with coincidence yeah what?!)
The next day Caitlin, Sarah and I formed Team Hot Springs with the intention of visiting the Lares Hot Springs -Caitlin and I would then go on to Macchu Picchu. To warm us into it so to speak we tried to climb another local mountain with not much success. Opuntia-like cactus kept sticking to us far too easily - as so Sarah set a new world record for saying the word that rhymes with `cluck` while I managed to get some decent blood after about 7 spines lodged into me. It was a nice walk with the girls in the sun but by then I was starting to feel a little over the slippery dust, almost desert-like landscape and lack of biodiversity. I decided our team name was too long so we converted to `Team Hot`. On the Friday I was a little sick but went to Cusco to obtain information for a cheaper trip to Mapicchu, met Shawn from the US staying at a community near Cusco and sucked on Astor`s chocolate salty balls while meeting his friend Ness who was also from the States. It turns out Astor is quite the chocolate alchemist, working only with high-grade raw cacao and blending superfoods like coconut oil, coca powder, maca powder, spirulina, goji berries, raw honey and nuts.
The next day Caitlin, Sarah and I formed Team Hot Springs with the intention of visiting the Lares Hot Springs -Caitlin and I would then go on to Macchu Picchu. To warm us into it so to speak we tried to climb another local mountain with not much success. Opuntia-like cactus kept sticking to us far too easily - as so Sarah set a new world record for saying the word that rhymes with `cluck` while I managed to get some decent blood after about 7 spines lodged into me. It was a nice walk with the girls in the sun but by then I was starting to feel a little over the slippery dust, almost desert-like landscape and lack of biodiversity. I decided our team name was too long so we converted to `Team Hot`. On the Friday I was a little sick but went to Cusco to obtain information for a cheaper trip to Mapicchu, met Shawn from the US staying at a community near Cusco and sucked on Astor`s chocolate salty balls while meeting his friend Ness who was also from the States. It turns out Astor is quite the chocolate alchemist, working only with high-grade raw cacao and blending superfoods like coconut oil, coca powder, maca powder, spirulina, goji berries, raw honey and nuts.
That night I slept very poorly and little and woke up in Struggletown. Sarah was under the weather and pulled out of Team Hot so after re-planning and adjusting, Caitlin and I set off for Santa Theresa and those hot springs. After packing and transferring to Urubamba, the usual absence of a lack of misinformation put us off temporarily before getting on the 6 hour bus to Santa Maria. We wound our way up past the snowline in a spectacular valley, crossing a high pass before descending into cloud forest. For the bus driver it was one big exercise in how to turn a corner and being me I felt quite uncomfortable for many different reasons - just a usual Andes bus ride in other words. The bright sunset set the beautiful landscape alight and the descent to lower altitude rainforest brought fresh tropical smells and a sense of relief. As night dropped we descended further so it actually got warmer. We finally arrived in Santa Maria late and were escorted to a hostel with Camilo from Colombia and quiet Laurent and Anna from Belgium. We were convinced for some unknown reason to depart at 5am the following morning.
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