Pisac (Cusco, Huchuyqosqo Ruins, Urubamba, Maras, Moray Ruins): 27/06 - 03/07

Congratulations to my brother Ned, his new-born daughter Amelie and particularly his partner Heidi for her birth on July 2. Yay!!

It seemed that the local giardia population had finally worn me down - I had all the symptoms and my slow descent to sickness explained the previous week`s listlessness. After interlooking for natural solutions I came up with a strong bias towards golden seal, a super anti-everything from North America. Unfortunately I had recently used the last of my hard-won supplies from Oz and it was nowhere to be seen in Cusco. So to chopped raw garlic (pre-peeled ready to go $6Kg) by the several at a time. That and a huge pot of chilli, vege and chicken soup, my sole alimentation for two days. And much better thanks very much.

I had been not doing much for the past while - I decided to take a few day visits to ruins around the valley. First up Michel and I went to Lamay to ascend to the Huchuyqosqo ruins. The day had perfect weather - a mild breeze and shining winter sun made me so happy! The ascent went faster than we had been told on a wide & easy dust track. On the way we passed what seemed to be a swimming pool (top photo) built randomly into the desert hillside - it may also have been a drainage pond for something but what (in `couldn`t-give-a-shit-about-the-environment` Peru)¿ We struggled up the final steepness to find a little mud brick village next to Incan terraces, stone walls along an ancient trail and cool old ruins all with perefectly fitted stonework. Also present were the usual awesome views. Yaaawn, whatever. ;)

Michel and I needed to test ourselves a little more so headed for the highest point in the ruins we could see, and soon found ourselves bush-bashing up to an old house ruin shaded by a few gnarly quinua (not the grain) trees. We had lunch there and eventually wound our way back down to the ruins. When feeling energetic I prefer to jog/rock-hop mountainous descents - Michel joined me in this for quite a while on the slippery dust. We both had a few close calls but towards the bottom he went on his bottom... and hand. But mostly his knee, which took a serious gouge... kind of someone had taken a wood gouge to it. Cooool, bloooood. Missed-Photo-Opportunity (MPO) No. 1. He was OK to finish the walk and return home though had to see a doctor in Cusco later for it. While waiting for the bus back to Pisac we saw some concerned and highly responsible local citizens overseeing school children in their safe and comfortable seating in this taxi. The next morning I was I exactly the same spot for MPO No. 2.

Peru and South America in general has a high population of dogs. Apparently a lot of them have owners but they aren`t kept in the same way as in Australia. They are simply allowed to roam free and do as dogs will do - shitting where they want, $&%ing, harassing people for food, attacking and being agressive towards people and other animals, barking incessantly at night time and forming packs. I /&%&/ing hate them and their ugly faces. I put a jihad on them. I know its not their fault so I do direct the blame towards the locals. And if they think that its OK having to avoid dog shit every second step and being kept up all night... I put a jihad on them too.

Mind you considering the abovementioned attitude towards their own children it`s not surprising. As you may guess I have been feeling anew feelings of resentment towards local slack-jaws who laugh at me without initiating any conversation or respect and stare constantly, unable to believe my hair or exercise regime. A trip to Cusco for me will always mean constant vigilance against the `Gringo Price` - a special tax for tourists that generally occurs on anything where the price isn`t written down. Yes, this is different from the rest of South America, where it occasionally occurs but is nowhere near as common. CONSTANTLY being approached on the street in Cusco to buy massages or sunglasses or Made In China genuine local artefacts. And so many of them seem to be really jaded or bored. Again not ultimately their fault but it certainly gets my goatie`s grassy ground growing.

Anyway... happy days! It certainly was a happy day back for MPO No. 2 in Lamay on the Friday as I set out for Maras and the Moray ruins above Urubamba. Sometime overnight two dogs had been struck dead (presumably in the same traffic incident) and were being attended to by blood-thirsty flies right where Michel and I had waited the previous day. Suck my balls.

I arrived at Urubamba, transferred and headed up the hill to a wide brown plain with amazing views. While walking through there I was transported to Mexico. Although I`ve never been there, the dusty mud-brick town of Maras on its surreal mountain-bound plain seemed to fit the description. Cactuses, twisters (see photo below cactus close-up), tumbleweed cemetaries all added to the Mexican feel - even a local radio DJ had a Mexican accent! For sure...

I walked from Maras to the ruins, on the way straying a few kms off-track into farmland and gullies because I was feeling a little too calm and comfortable. Then as I approached Moray came MPO No. 3. A family of traditionally-dressed goat shepherds sat just off the path, tightly huddled against the wind eating their lunch. Behind them was the spectacular snow-capped range I had been enjoying so much. I generally don`t take photos of traditionally dressed people as I don`t like the zoo-like idea of singling people out because of their appearance (and they often ask for money - fair enough). But this was an amazing aesthetic contrast.

The ruins of Moray are principally four sets of concentric circular stone walls carved deep into the mountainside to astonishing effect - the deepest and largest circles are in the womanly shape of a gourd. I explored the large open spaces, stepping up and down stone steps protruding directly out from the walls. Fantastic ruins, very scenic and evocative.

The way back provided MPO No. 4. A generic Che-form (the classic Che Guevara image) was painted on the wall of a house situated just above Urubamba. This in itself is fairly rare for country Peru, but nothing extraordinary. What made this one extraordinary was the Nike symbol right where his third eye would be. This circumstances made it obvious that it wasn`t ironic.

On the Saturday I went to the Cusco 2nd-hand/everything market and in my haste paid too much for a backpack which is probably a fake. But it does seem a well-made fake if so. Before that I`d had Jack`s-fast with Amalaa from Byron Bay (whom I`d re-met after being at the same hostel in Vilcabamba, Ecuador) and her friend Senia from Holland.