Another early morning, breakfast at 6:30 am and on the bus by 7 am. We drove to Urubamba (the Sacred Valley), where we attended church. It was Fast Sunday and therefore testimony meeting, which was amazing. Since I don't know or speak spanish, I didn't understand much of what was said but the spirit that I felt from these members was amazing. I felt the strength of their testimonies. After church, we went to Ollantaytambo, a fortress. Here there was another amazing archeological site with ancient granaries and terraces for agriculture. The terraces for crops were wider and had irrigation. The decorative flowers that were also used for medicinal purposes grew in the terraces that were narrower and without irrigation. The view from up top was once again AMAZING!
An interesting side story. When the Spaniards came to conquer the Incas, the Incas acted like they were friends and that they were going to surrender. They invited them to the square and then opened the aqueducts causing it to fill with water. All of the best Spaniards drown because their heavy armor caused them to sink. That's one way to win the battle!
After visiting the fortress, we went out to the market in Pisac. Here you got a sense of their real life. They had their fruit and vegetables for sale out on a tables. They were also selling freshly cooked food. The FDA probably wouldn't not have found any of there food products safe for consumption. They had all their products out and dogs (there are LOTS of stray dogs in Peru) were walking all over them. Not the most sanitary market place.
We had some fun bartering and buying things for others. The market places are interesting. If you even look at their product, they immediately accost you and try to get you to buy their item(s). The longer you stand there, the harder they try to sell you their product and the cheaper it gets. The minute you walk away, the price goes down more.
The market places were filled with sweaters, blankets, scarves, tables, and bags, all made from Alpaca. Jewelry was another popular item for sale. We saw a really amazing chess set where the pieces were set up for battle: the Incas verses the Spaniards.
After 2 hours at the market, we went back to Cusco. We were hungry for dinner when we got there. We went and ate a nice meal with the some of the other couples in the group.
The restaurant got two thumbs up from me. The ambiance there was super sophisticated. One of my favorite parts were the couches that were used a seats. The food was divine. We ordered Ceviche which might be one of my new favorite foods. SO DELICIOUS! After eating our scrumptious Peruvian food, we walked from the Plaza back to the hotel to get some sleep.
An interesting side story. When the Spaniards came to conquer the Incas, the Incas acted like they were friends and that they were going to surrender. They invited them to the square and then opened the aqueducts causing it to fill with water. All of the best Spaniards drown because their heavy armor caused them to sink. That's one way to win the battle!
After visiting the fortress, we went out to the market in Pisac. Here you got a sense of their real life. They had their fruit and vegetables for sale out on a tables. They were also selling freshly cooked food. The FDA probably wouldn't not have found any of there food products safe for consumption. They had all their products out and dogs (there are LOTS of stray dogs in Peru) were walking all over them. Not the most sanitary market place.
We had some fun bartering and buying things for others. The market places are interesting. If you even look at their product, they immediately accost you and try to get you to buy their item(s). The longer you stand there, the harder they try to sell you their product and the cheaper it gets. The minute you walk away, the price goes down more.
The market places were filled with sweaters, blankets, scarves, tables, and bags, all made from Alpaca. Jewelry was another popular item for sale. We saw a really amazing chess set where the pieces were set up for battle: the Incas verses the Spaniards.
After 2 hours at the market, we went back to Cusco. We were hungry for dinner when we got there. We went and ate a nice meal with the some of the other couples in the group.
The restaurant got two thumbs up from me. The ambiance there was super sophisticated. One of my favorite parts were the couches that were used a seats. The food was divine. We ordered Ceviche which might be one of my new favorite foods. SO DELICIOUS! After eating our scrumptious Peruvian food, we walked from the Plaza back to the hotel to get some sleep.
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