Spent the last two days closer to Cusco

Internet connection problems caused all that I wrote in the last little while to disappear. Later: Starting over again.

The last post I made referred to the Kusikay event that I was going to. It was amazing... definitely worth the trip. Luckily most of it was physical movement and no words, so I was not lost. The story was about the life of the Incas before, during, and after the arrival of the Spanish. So So Sad in some places. Overall, a happy telling of the story. There was a lot of acrobatics/music/dancing that took place. After every act there was a little audience participation/magic/comedy. Unfortunately, the theater was not full, so I think everyone heard me laughing the loudest in a lot of places.

Earlier on Saturday

Looked around in Cusco at some of the sites that I had not seen yet.

I had not been inside the Cathedral and other big churches yet, so I made a point of going there. The main cathedral and another big church were built around the same time in the main square. They both are huge. They both are beautiful. Both put a lot of the European cathedrals that I toured 20 years ago to shame. Also went to see the San Blas cathedral, which is older smaller, and way up the hill near where I am staying. Also very beautiful.

Sunday

Return to Pisac, this time for the big market that they hold there--- biggest in Peru? I was not all that excited, but again, I am not a big shopper. The biggest memories I have are, (1) constantly being asked to buybuybuy, (2) seeing about 24 different brilliantly colored spices lined up in bowls in a way that made me want to buy bags of all of them just to keep around the house to look at them, and (3) watching a woman butcher a goat, or some other small animal. It was all done very matter-of-factly, and I just gawked like she had discovered something new and was showing the world for the first time what she can do. We are so sheltered in the US.

Later it was museum time. Not much to say about them. I'll leave it at that.

Today

Woke up early to go to the ruins at Tipon. But was disappointed to discover that the directions to the bus stop I had written down after checking in a guidebook at a restaurant no longer apply. With my limited Spanish, I tried to ask around, but could not get the information I needed from anyone. Luckily we have a little thing called the internet. I think I am square now, and that I will be able to make the trip tomorrow. I hope.

It rained today. It is the dry season here so I was surprised. It has always been so sunny and nice every day: cool mornings, warm afternoons, weather to make me never want to go back to Atlanta. But the rain changed my mind about that. I am dry now, but while I was getting wet, I was trying to find the way to Tipon, trying to change my flight, and trying to change my hotel reservation. I have decided to stay in Cuzco three days longer. That leaves me just two days in Lima before I leave for the US latelatelate on Sunday. I'll be missing the 4th of July for the first time in 2o years.

Did a little work for school. Classes start in 9 days???? Now it's time decide what is for dinner.

--NB