tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70344972024-03-08T11:30:24.366+11:00ArtstitchesSophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.comBlogger627125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-57616565652903096772013-08-20T21:02:00.001+10:002013-08-20T21:02:46.740+10:00Chicken, Date and Honey Tagine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-c8FIrwasDQs/UhNM0T_t1fI/AAAAAAAAEWU/p6lqnrRh-jE/s728/2013%2525209%25253A00%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-c8FIrwasDQs/UhNM0T_t1fI/AAAAAAAAEWU/p6lqnrRh-jE/s500/2013%2525209%25253A00%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1376996564887.466" class="alignnone" width="500" height="374" alt=""></a></div>
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<p>Recipe: Chicken, Date And Honey Tagine</p>
<p>Servings: Serves 4</p>
<p>Cook Time 1 Hour 30 Minutes:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ingredients</p>
<p> </p>
<p>1 teaspoon salt</p>
<p>1 teaspoon cracked black pepper</p>
<p>½ teaspoon ground saffron</p>
<p>2 teaspoons ground cumin</p>
<p>8 chicken thigh cutlets (1.2kg)</p>
<p>30 grams butter</p>
<p>1 tablespoon olive oil</p>
<p>1 large brown onion, chopped finely</p>
<p>1 cinnamon stick</p>
<p>1 ½ cups water</p>
<p>6 seedless fresh dates</p>
<p>2 teaspoon honey</p>
<p>¼ cup blanched almonds, toasted</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Procedures</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rub salt, pepper, saffron and cumin onto chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan and cook in batches until browned. Remove from pan and drain all but tablespoon of the liquid from the pan. Add onion and cinnamon to the pan and cook until onion is soft</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Return chicken to the pan. Add the water and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Add dates and honey and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes until thickened slightly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sprinkle with nuts. Serve tagine with saffron couscous.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If using a slow cooker....</p>
<p>1. Rub salt, pepper, saffron and cumin into chicken - no need to marinate</p>
<p>2. Put onions and cinnamon and butter into slow cooker and put chicken on top (leave oil out)</p>
<p>3. Add 1cup of water - enough to almost cover chicken</p>
<p>4. Add honey and half thedates</p>
<p>5. Set on auto for about 6-8 hours</p>
<p>6. Serve with nuts and couscous </p>
<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-81563295313372264632012-03-14T00:51:00.002+11:002012-03-14T00:54:14.419+11:00Family day out to Pikillaqta...What happens when a group of tourism guys get together and organise a day out for their families?... We end up with 25 adults and children on a tour bus for another incredible day (last Sunday)!!!<br />
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All this started from a discussion in Norton's pub with some of Zac's friends where Mum suggested that she'd like to make a trip to Pikillaqta (pronounced pik-ee-act-ta) before I left Cusco. From there it was suggested that we should make a day of it and get a few families together... little did we know that it would turn into such and event but we a so glad that it did!<br />
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The group was made up of a number of families that Zac and Milka are friends with. All of the men except one are ex-pats from various countries (Australia, UK, Scotland, Wales) who are married to Peruvian women, so there was a mix of English and Spanish spoken all day.<br />
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Our first stop was Pikillaqta where we walked through the ruins. These are Pre Inka ruins that still exhibit stonework but different to that of the Inka's. What is similar is the way that the stone walls are so straight, both along the wall and upwards.<br />
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Our next stop was a spot of birdwatching... Birdwatching I hear you say? yes, birdwatching... and it kept the kids and most of the males of the group occupied for almost an hour! Mark (the person who'd organised the bus and the day) had made up a sheet of birds for the kids to find native to the local area. What an expereince to see a group of kids absorbed in the task of sighting each of the birds on the list - some were so good they even spotted the Kookaburra (an extra on the list!).<br />
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Next up was lunch at a restaurant in a small town called Lucre. We meandered up through the town and along a street at the top before entering a doorway that I would have walked past if I wasn't with the group. We sat at tables outside while the 10 kids occupied themselves playing on the grounds - there was a trampoline, basketball hoop, totem tennis (although on a much larger scale than I'm used to) and lots of space for running! It was so relaxing to sit and eat and drink with such great company and spectacular surrounds.<br />
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Last stop was ice-cream for the kids (big and little!)... also an experience! We all crowded into a small shop where we bought tokens, and then walked back 2 doors where we traded our tokens for ice-cream. Again, not something I'd have know if I weren't with the group...<br />
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It was fantastic to be part of this wonderful day out! It's certainly not an experience that you'd get on any tour and it was a privilege to be a part of it all!<br />Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-3690468048196915862012-03-14T00:46:00.002+11:002012-03-14T00:47:35.262+11:00Barratio Market...On Saturday afternoon we met Milka after she finished work and headed off to Barratio Market. This is a locals market that we only venture to with Milka. We don't wear any jewellery and don't carry handbags, and our purses are tucked into the inside pockets of our jackets.<br />
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There's everything from clothing to hardware and the secondhand tools we find at Australian markets, and then there's a street where the textiles and souvenirs are sold... Wow!! everything was so cheap and there was lots of bartering for prices going on. More beanies and weavings were purchased that day lol!<br />
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Another incredible experience - Thanks Milka!<br />Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-77170867606370101192012-03-14T00:34:00.004+11:002012-03-14T00:36:43.347+11:00Last day in the Sacred Valley and back "home" to Cusco...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On our last day in the Sacred Valley we managed to fit quite a lot in... <br />
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We took a taxi from Ollantaytambo to Urubamba (our friendly taxi driver from the previous day who took us to Abra Malaga was waiting for us when we left the hostel - he overcharged but had a good car and was good to us the day before...) where we were going to visit the <a href="http://www.ceramicaseminario.com/">Seminario Pottery workshop and gallery </a>. <br />
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We walked down a street that looked like any other, and came to a closed door where Mum went up and pressed the buzzer... The door was opened to a large complex of buildings that is the Seminario workshop and gallery.<br />
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We were taken on a tour that included a video about the artists (in English!!) and then were shown through the workshops - WOW!! What an experience to see these amazing peices created! <span style="color: #330000;">Pablo and Marilú are the creators - Pablo does the shaping and </span><span style="color: #330000;">Marilú puts the colour on - and they have trained others in their work. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #330000;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #330000;">There are also some rescued animals on the property as well in including some turtles from the jungle area and llamas (pronounced ya-mas) and a monkey who wouldn't let me take his picture...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #330000;">After spending a few hours and quite a few more dollars/soles when headed to the bus station to find a bus to take us to Pisac where the markets (and more spending) awaited us... </span><br />
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<span style="color: #330000;">We boarded a local bus and for s/2.50 we got to Pisac. After parking Dad in a bar and dumping our backpacks and pottery purchases, Mum and I hit the market. We spent maybe 2 hours there and I'm not telling how much money - who's counting anyway - and came away happy with our (ok, mostly mine) purchases which included beanies, weavings, and dyes...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #330000;">Before I spent too much money we went back to the bar to rescue Dad, loaded ourselves up with our backpacks and purchases and went in search of a collectivo to take us "home" to Cusco where we had arranged to meet Milka and Zac for a scrumptious dinner at a local restaurant "Fallen Angel" to celebrate <a href="http://www.internationalwomensday.com/">International Women's day</a>,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #330000;"><br /></span>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-11300417970709881772012-03-13T23:39:00.001+11:002012-03-13T23:40:47.211+11:00A Taxi Tour...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last time Mum and Dad were in Ollantaytambo they hitched a ride with a bike tour bus up to Abra Malaga and got to enjoy the scenery while the cyclists rode down - they loved it and so we tried to organise the same trip when I was there. Unfortunately the bike tour didn't go ahead but the hostel we stayed at arranged a taxi to take us up and back again - yes a taxi....<br />
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For US$30 we had the taxi take us on a spectacular drive up to the Abra Malaga pass and back down again. Along the way he'd stop and tell us "good place for photo - vista!" which he did many times. For about a 3 hour round trip, US$30 was a good deal I reckon! <br />
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The scenery was spectacular (yes more spectacular scenery!)... At the top we are about 4400 metres above sea level so most of the landscape is tree-less, with snow at the top of many of the mountains. And scattered throughout the landscape were houses and huts and lean to's showing that people really do live up here - but many of these didn't have roads to them (why would you need a road if you don't have a car...)<br />
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But what was harder to see was the kids along the side of the road with their hand-out looking for food... These kids were little - one would have only been about 3 - and there were no parents in sight (they were probably further from the road tending to animals as there are no fences here). When Mum and Dad went up last time the tour operator took a big bag full of bread to handout, but we only had a few muesli bars and apples which were gratefully accepted by tiny hands but didn't extend far enough to all.... And whilst they stood with their hands out, they weren't in any way greedy or pushy - each child took the food but didn't open it - no doubt their
instructions are to collect what they can and bring it home to share
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This is Sunia - we think she would have been about 7 or 8... <br />
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And this is Giselda and Virginia. Virginia would be about 3 and Giselda is probably 5... They crossed the road to talk to us (Mum and I were very carefully watching the road for cars - although I'm sure they are more road savvy than most Australian kids their age) and told us their names. <br />
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It was quite an incredible experience to meet these children and very humbling to think that we'd spent $30 on a taxi when that would probably feed one of these families for a week... But I'm glad we did the trip and would do it again - next time with a big bag of bread!Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-51806060236434317702012-03-13T03:24:00.004+11:002012-03-13T03:24:44.715+11:00Magical day at Machu Picchu...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From Ollantaytambo we took a day trip to Machu Picchu. We caught a train to Aguas Caliente, then a bus up to Machu Picchu. Both rides were spectacular as well! The train took us along the river which was absolutely raging!!<br />
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I expected Machu Picchu to be stunning - as the tourism guys say "Machu Picchu sells itself!" - but it was much much more! We spent quite some time sitting at the top looking down before we even ventured in just taking it all in. It is a massive collection of buildings and stonework sitting right at the top of a mountain 2,430 metres above sea level. <br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">A very special place for a picnic!</span></div>
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These mountains aren't rolling hills either - they are steep with sheer rock-faces along most sides... I just can't imagine how it was ever decided that it would be a good idea to build a city on the very top of a mountain! I mean, can you imagine sitting around a campfire and some bloke says "hey, see that really high peak up there... let's build a city up there... out of massive big rocks!!"... And yet they did, and I'm glad they did because it truly is spectacular!<br />
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When we arrived there was a bit of cloud around, but as we stood there admiring the place the clouds would drift in and out... it really just added a bit more mystique to the whole experience.<br />
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As the day went on, the clouds moved higher and we had amazing
weather for most of the day! It wasn't until about 3pm that the rain
started to fall - but it didn't stop us... we just donned the wet weather gear and kept on exploring!<br />
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Some of the rock placement is amazing. Like this wall that is built on another sloping rock - how is it possible that those rocks don't just slide down...<br />
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And this one... a room/house built over a roundish rock with massive stones bridging the gap to create a floor - you wouldn't even know you weren't on solid ground from inside that room...<br />
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Oh and these things are all over the place too... rocks that have been shaped to be like tie-down loops...<br />
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I have no answers for any of these things... I eavesdropped on lots of guides and heard lots of "theories" but the point is, nobody really knows why or how any of this was built. So we just need be satisfied with the fact that we have had the privilege of visiting this stunning place...<br />
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<br />Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-31828577017967897062012-03-12T11:53:00.002+11:002012-03-12T12:00:09.892+11:00Ollantaytambo...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We left Chinchero on Monday morning after saying goodbye to Zac and Milka the previous evening (they don't have the luxury of holidays while I'm here) and headed for Ollantaytambo (pronounced O-yan-tay-tam-bo).<br />
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Our plan was to head to the main road and catch a collectivo or taxi to Ollantaytambo... After some negotiating we accepted a taxi's offer to take us as far as Urubamba (part of the way) after telling us that we wouldn't get a collectivo and that buses were too dangerous. His fare started at s/50 and we got him down to s/20 but missed the part where he said (in Spanish) that for that he would be taking an extra passenger... After I refused to let the extra passenger in beside me in the back seat (it was only then that we realised what we'd agreed to), the driver got out, opened the back door of the small station wagon and the extra got in and sat in the back.<br />
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From Urubamba we went into the bus station intending to find a collectivo or bus to Ollantaytambo but again ended up in a taxi - this time for s/10. I should explain that these taxi rides are between towns and were about half hour trips - the equivalent of a $80 - $100 fare in Melbourne. We paid between $3.70 and $7.50 and refused to pay the higher price of $18.50 - it's the principal.... if we accept the higher fare then the prices will go up for everyone.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ollantaytambo">Ollantaytambo </a>is in the Sacred Valley and is an access point to Machu Picchu. The old part of town is made up of Inca buildings and is thought to have some of the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in South America (dating from the late 15th Century).<br />
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There is also water flowing through much of the town in Inca waterways that seem to manage water so well. In one place there appears to be a drain on one side of the road, and then on the other there is another where the water continues to flow.... the water actually reaches the drain, goes under the road, and comes back up on the other side!<br />
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There are a number of ruin sites surrounding the town and we decided to explore the lesser visited (and free) sites up on the mountain beside the town... the views were spectacular and the stone construction is still inspiring!<br />
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And the fact that I was able to walk up that hill/mountain is also impressive!! Walking at altitude just doesn't seem to get any easier!<br />
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<br />Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-20926259464381550222012-03-12T10:25:00.000+11:002012-03-12T10:25:18.292+11:00Dyeing workshop in Chinchero...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the highlights of my trip so far is the dyeing workshop that Mum organised with a lady I met in a shop early in my trip - blogged <a href="http://essellesbabble.blogspot.com/2012/02/another-fabulous-shopping-experience.html">here</a>... I've been writing and re-writing this post in my head and just don't know how I can do it justice but I'm going to give it a go.... <br />
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Hillaria (pronounced Illardia) our teacher (3rd from the left) met us at our hostel on Sunday morning and walked us to her family's house (up hill - everything is up hill!) where we met some of her 11 brothers and sisters and her mother who are all involved in the family business of dyeing and weaving - all generations of the family learn the skills of dyeing, knitting, weaving and braiding.<br />
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To say it was a SPECTACULAR day just doesn't cut it! It was simply awesome of Hillaria's family to welcome us in and share their skills with us. They were even apologetic that they couldn't show us more!<br />
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First Hillaria took us out to collect leaves and flowers for out dyeing... Most of the names are Quechuan so all I can recall is Ch'llka for the green.<br />
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When we got back Hillardia's brother had the pots boiling ready for our dyeing.<br />
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And we set about adding leaves, flowers, grinding cochineal, making skeins, stirring pots and just getting involved in everything!<br />
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What was great to see was how efficient they are with everything... dyepots were used, and then revitalised and then combined with others and then revitalised again until the dyes were exhausted.<br />
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We worked with the family all day from 9am until about 5pm. When it rained we went inside to the kitchen - a simple mudbrick construction with very minimal furnishings. Even the stock of ingredients was small.<br />
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We watched Hillaria's mum weaving a belt using the backstrap loom...<br />
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and admired our efforts hanging on the line...</div>
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There are many, many more pictures in the slideshow below (or if that doesn't work, then go <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/Artstitches/SouthAmerica2012DyeingWorkshopChinchero?authuser=0&feat=directlink">here</a>).... <br />
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<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2FArtstitches%2Falbumid%2F5718313337737315201%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="267" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400"></embed>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-76121923903599934852012-03-12T00:32:00.000+11:002012-03-12T00:32:37.639+11:00Exploring Chinchero...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ok, so onto our week of adventuring... First stop, Chinchero.<br />
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Chinchero is a village about 30kms from Cusco that is know for its Sunday market (primarily a locals market - not so tourist oriented as some) and its textile workshops.<br />
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Mum and I set off early (Dad, Zac and Milka would meet us later in the day) in search of our accomodation - Succes!! To get there we took a taxi into the Centre of Cusco and then Mum took me meandering through the streets until we stumbled (well - it felt like it to me... Mum knew where she was going!) on a bus station. As we neared the bus station I man was outside touting for business. I walked right past him, but it seemed he had a "collectivo" that was going our way and so Mum had arranged a price (and we were directed towards the vehicle. Collectivos are like small buses with about 12 seats. They don't seem to leave on schedule but rather when they are full. So we hopped onto the collectivo and waited about 15 minutes for the remaining seats to be filled and off we went.<br />
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30 minutes later we arrived in Chinchero and found our accomodatin (and Mum found a friend too!). It was a lovely place - very colourful!!<br />
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Pleased with our success (at finding the hostel and seeing that it looked good) we ventured out for a walk to see what we could see and stumbled upon a textile workshop where a group of people were demonstrating weaving, knitting, spinning with a spindle and had a display of natural dyed wool and the dyestuffs. <br />
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We might just have supported the local economy as well.... the ladies were very persuasive! :-D<br />
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Before we did too much damage, Zac, Milka and Dad arrived and off we set again, to find more textile workshops (with a lady very keen to give a demonstration of natural dyeing)...<br />
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...and explored the town and the ruins a bit.<br />
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<br />Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-35870315744908065092012-03-11T04:26:00.000+11:002012-03-11T04:26:13.662+11:00Sacsayhuaman...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Also before we went away we visited <a href="http://www.cusco-peru.org/cusco-surroundings-cusco-sacsayhuaman.shtml">Sacsayhuaman </a>(pronounced sac-say-wo-man). This is an amazing Inca construction consisting of some of the biggest stones (stones doen't seem to be an appropriate word - massive rocks is more like it!!) and most amazing stonework I have seen...<br />
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Getting there was an achievement in itself as we decided to walk up.... The site is just north of the centre of Cusco but it's up all the way and I still struggle going "up" at this altitude (Cusco is 3300 metres above sea level, Sacsayhuaman is 3600 metres...)<br />
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I still can't work out how it is humanly possible to move nor shape these stones in such a manner... It is simply mind-blowing!!<br />
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<br />Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-21960119064084757252012-03-11T04:03:00.002+11:002012-03-11T04:03:13.839+11:00Juice... with beer?...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Before we went away for the week Dad took me to experience one of his favourite things in Cusco... Juice from San Pedro markets. <br />
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It really is quite an experience! There are about 5 rows of juice sellers all with a small stall about 1metre wide. As you walk down the rows of juice sellers the ladies all lean out from their stall waving their menu at you and selling their juices. <br />
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So we selected a seller (apparently this is the same lady Dad has been to a number of times), take a seat on a stool at her stall and watch as she produces Dad's favourite juice - Especial!! It has beer, milk, orange juice, pineapple, carrot, papaya, watermelon, banana and did I mention BEER?!!<br />
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I have to say, I'm not a fan... much to Dad's disappointment... but it was certainly worth the experience!!<br />
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<br />Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-85719084284520046282012-03-11T03:48:00.002+11:002012-03-11T03:48:48.679+11:00So much to write about...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last Saturday we (Mum, Dad and I) packed our daypacks with enough clothes for 5 days and headed out on an adventure - and what an adventure it was! Because I didn't take my laptop (space was limited and wifi was not as accessible) I now have lots to catch up on... Stay tuned for posts about dyeing workshops, Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo and lots in between!!<br />
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<br />Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-81742931630374398372012-03-02T00:52:00.002+11:002012-03-02T00:52:21.379+11:00Tipon Inca Ruins...Yesterday Mum and Dad took me to <a href="http://www.aputoursperu.com/info_tipon.php">Tipon </a>- an Inca ruins site just outside of Cusco. Tipon is a town that is known for it's cuy (Guinea pig) restaurants - not that we tried any...<br />
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I have to say that I am very impressed with how Mum and Dad have discovered some of the places we have been to...<br />
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First we boarded a local bus near where Zac and Milka live... Buses in Cusco are very different to those in Australia. They range from minivans to bigger buses but are mostly small minivans or slightly bigger buses (the 22 seaters in Australia) with a "conductor" who opens the door and yells the names of the places that the bus goes to - so fast that I can't pick up any of the words that are said. They keep taking passengers until there is absolutely no room to move (imagine standing in a small minivan?) and take your money just before you get out. They are really cheap at between s/0.70 and s/1.20 a trip (although we were charge s/1.50 for one trip - overcharged because we were gringos perhaps?)<br />
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Our trip took about 40 minutes and took us to the small village of Tipon where we got off the bus, along with a number of other tourists and also locals with their mantas packed with groceries from the market (one lady took up quite a bit of the standing room with her bags and boxes of fruit and vegetables - no livestock thankfully). There were about a half dozen taxis waiting at the intersection where we got off the bus waiting to take people (tourists mostly) up to the Tipon Ruins.<br />
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After convincing our taxi driver that we didn't need him to wait for us (we planned to walk down) we paid our entry fee and started walking. Of course the rain hit at just that moment too...<br />
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Tipon ruins are stunning... There are canals (water channels) running throughout the site in incredible formations and rock walls that just blow me away - I just can't get my head around the fact that stones can be shaped and moved without modern tools. These walls are so straight and will made!! <br />
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<i>Steps built into the walls (these stones must be huge)</i></div>
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<i>Water channels - the 4 channels are carved into the stones</i></div>
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<i>More water channels - some of these go underground in some places.</i></div>
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<i>A window in an Inca wall - see how thick these walls are!</i></div>
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<i> Looking down the valley to Tipon Village</i></div>
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As we walked up to the next ruins the rain came down again... and as much as the clouds took away our view of the mountains, it was pretty special to see the channels and drainage of the inca site in action... The rain was pelting down and yet the way these building were constructed meant that the water was simply channeled away as it fell - what a sight to see (now if only some plumbers could put a drain into a shower with such affect!)<br />
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<i>The floors of these buildings are clay, but in the rain I could have sworn they were concrete - the surface is so hard and didn't go muddy at all!</i> </div>
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<i>Looking down onto more ruins - I think these look like they're in the shape of a crocodile (or the head at least)</i></div>
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We didn't end up walking back down to the Tipon because the rain settled in and by that stage we were all feeling wet and cold. So we took a taxi back down to the intersection, boarded a bus for Cusco and then headed into the plaza for Nacho's and a Cider at Paddy's.</div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-37684018985892581682012-02-29T00:28:00.000+11:002012-02-29T00:28:07.122+11:00My Tapestries...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These are are the two tapestries that I bought... I love the range of colours that is possible with natural dyes and wanted to be able to show this in the piece/s that I bought. I also love the gradation of colour that the first artist did so well.<br />
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The first is the smallest and has the reds and oranges that I was initially drawn to. The second is the larger one and has a bigger range of colours. The sales lady told me that she'd email me the details of each artist and the story about each piece so I look forward to reading that when I get it.<br />
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<br />Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-62198789727055303082012-02-28T23:50:00.001+11:002012-02-28T23:50:57.686+11:00Another fabulous shopping experience...On my first day in Cusco I spotted some tapestries that I just fell in love with... I knew nothing about them other than that they'd be an "investment" (read expensive!). A few days ago I found a shop that was absolutely full of these artworks and even better, they had a 20% off sale!<br />
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These artworks are made with alpaca fibre (soo soft) and are dyed using natural dyes. Yes, all of those bright colours are natural plant dyes except the reds which are dyed with <a href="http://www.cochinealdye.com/">cochineal bugs</a>. <br />
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So yesterday Mum and I headed back into Cucso's centre so I could make a purchase. Making a decision was the hard part... and because most of them were folded in piles throughout the shop it was a matter of digging through and getting the sales lady to hold them up or lay them out on the floor so I could get a better view.<br />
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After looking at many many designs (all different) I ended up deciding on 1 small piece and 1 medium sized one - ones that would be more manageable to hang and also gave me the colour range I was looking for without looking gaudy. <br />
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<i>Me with just some of the tapestries that we pulled out to look at... </i></div>
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<i>(see the pile to the left?... this is just one of about 6 piles that we looked through...)</i></div>
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On the way to the tapestry gallery, I took Mum into another shop that I had been into last week... It was much like many other places and was filled with handwoven pieces made by a small co-op of people. On my previous visit Illadia (the shop owner) had told me that they were all dyed using natural dyes (3 things you hear a lot - natural dyes, handmade and alpaca), but she then proceeded to show me an album of here and her sister and others dyeing and weaving.<br />
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When Mum and I revisited this shop, Illadia again pulled out her album and also another book that showed the plants some of the plants that were used in the dyeing, along with the colours that could be produced - I was very impressed (see the grin!)!!<br />
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As we talked (well Mum talked, I listened - her Spanish is MUCH better than mine), Mum managed to ask where they did their dyeing and weaving and would it be possible to visit - which Illadia agreed to!! (GO MUM!!!!) We were already planning a trip for later this week to <a href="http://www.ollantaytambo.org/en/">Ollantaytambo </a>and then onto <a href="http://www.cuscoweb.com/english/cuscoinfo/cuscoinfo12.html">Chinchero</a> on the weekend. Turns out that their workshop is in Chinchero and Sunday is the day that Illadia suggested that we could visit - how's that for coincidence! We need to go back today when her daughter (who speaks English) will be there so that we can work it out properly, but I'm hoping that we get to go - it would be SPECTACULAR!!!!<br />
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After such a successful afternoon Mum and I went out for coffee and cake to celebrate...<br />
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<i>See there's that grin again - a sure sign of a FANTASTIC day!!</i></div>
<br />Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-80264658574464034262012-02-27T23:07:00.002+11:002012-02-27T23:14:34.574+11:00Tamales were YUMMM!!!!!....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SvJh_14NwYY/T0two6ajHcI/AAAAAAAABoQ/yBeSp_MjDAA/s1600/DSCN2041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SvJh_14NwYY/T0two6ajHcI/AAAAAAAABoQ/yBeSp_MjDAA/s320/DSCN2041.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We had the tamales for breakfast yesterday and they were so good!!! I have had some interesting breakfasts since I have been away... In Brazil they serve cakes and sweets for breakfast (in the hotel in Rio there were more cakes than anything else!). And here in Cusco there's been soup, spaghetti, meat from the previous day's BBQ, and now tamales...</div>
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They were served cold (well, room temperature) and there was a salsa of onion and limon juice (lime) and bread to eat them with. I had mine on a ciabatta roll with salsa... YUMMM!!!<br />
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I would definitely try these again!</div>
</div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-63867272981560116492012-02-27T01:06:00.001+11:002012-02-27T01:06:58.345+11:00Making Tamales with Gladys...Last night, as we were winding down from a big day out, Gladys was just getting started in the kitchen making <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamale">tamales</a>... I've heard of tamales but have never tasted them so was interested to see what went into them and how they were made.<br />
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First Gladys made a big pot of what looked like a thick soup that had choclo (corn but it's not sweet like we know corn to be - the kernels are bigger and paler), coriander, cumin, garlic and onion (I think) that had been cooked and liquidized (in the liquidora - or blender as we know it) <br />
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Then she set to work wrapping the liquid in the corn husks along with some chicken, some egg and I think chilli (or capsicum - I'm not sure)<br />
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The bundles were then tied using strings also made from the corn husks - Mum was given this job (I was chief photographer).<br />
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Then they were put into a pot of simmering water to cook. Gladys tells us that the liquid thickens when it's cooked.<br />
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I still haven't tried them yet - I look forward to tasting them today!!Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-62391109142862405052012-02-27T01:06:00.000+11:002012-02-27T01:06:32.930+11:00Bargain shopping...Yesterday Milka and Gladys (My sister inlaw and her mother) took us shopping at what I think was a wholesale area... Aww it was sooo much fun!!!<br />
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We started off looking for a jumper that I had been looking at in the shops and markets. Most places had it for 40/s and I'd managed to get one person down to 38/s but that's the best that I could find. Mum and I had also found the same pattern in a different colour for 25/s so we knew we had to be able to get a better deal somewhere.<br />
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So I pointed it out to Milka and she and Gladys set to work to find it. We started in a market where she got it down to 30/s (without trying and knowing that she wasn't going to buy), and then we went to the wholesalers... In the 3rd place we went into she found it for 25/s and managed to get it down to 23/s because she bought a second jumper for her Mum - Bargain!! (that's less that $10AU)<br />
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However the most exciting part of the shopping trip was when I found the woven textiles... There were meters and meters of fabrics in fabrics in all colours and patterns at very cheap prices! These are machine woven fabrics but made of wool and will be great as throws or tablecloths or even cut up and made into something else. The prices that they were quoting were mostly between 16/s and 20/s for 1.2metre lengths. At my calculation, the total for my 3 pieces (yes I couldn't narrow it down) came to 57/s but when it was added up, they only charged me 49/s (2 @ 17/s and 1 @ 15/s).<br />
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I was so pleased with my purchases!!!!!!!!!! I do want to buy some handwoven pieces, but these cheaper ones will be very useful too.Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-22841832040870520702012-02-27T01:05:00.002+11:002012-02-27T01:05:46.390+11:00Eating Cactus Fruit Streetside...<br />
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The fruit of the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia"> Prickly Pear cactus</a> is known as Tuna in Spanish. They range in colour from green to red and are about the size of a medium potato and are sold from wheelbarrows on footpaths all over Cusco.</div>
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You get about 3 or 4 tuna for 1 sole (that's about 35 cents) and they peel them for you directly into a plastic bag. Just watching them peeling the tuna is fun... The cut across the top and bottom, leaving just a little bit in tact, and the put a slice lengthways between the two cuts, and then fold the skin back in one movement - you then put your plastic bag up to grab the fruit.<br />
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<i>Mum buying tuna for me to try</i></div>
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Here's a video of how it's done...<i> </i></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/aSzAldlEL-I?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I also love how the lady just opens her apron pocket for the money to be dropped in. </div>
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I don't know how to describe the taste... It's sort of crunchy but soft (a bit like the way watermelon has a bit of crunch but more-so) and has lots of seeds through it and it's quite juicy too.</div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-9436305292285854212012-02-26T00:27:00.002+11:002012-02-26T00:27:18.181+11:00I Walked up a Hill!!!...Walking uphill at high altitude -especially when you haven't been here very long - is no mean feat, but walking up stairs is definitely an accomplishment!!!! <br />
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Yesterday we headed from the main plaza of Cusco uphill to get a better view of Cusco. We didn't actually walk very far, but it was an effort (thankfully Dad avoided most of the stairs)! The view of Cusco and the valley was spectacular!!<br />
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From there we walked downhill (downhill is much easier!) to Plaza San Blas. Even the walk down was interesting!<br />
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<i>Lots of houses on the other side, further up the hill (we are heading down the stairs here)</i></div>
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<i>Cactus growing on top of a mud brick wall as security - I wouldn't want to climb over that!!</i></div>
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<i>A roof in need of some TLC...</i></div>
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Dad tells me that this was just a short practice walk<i> </i>and that he has longer walks with more impressive sights in store... bring it on I say!</div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-79863690860616412882012-02-24T23:13:00.002+11:002012-02-24T23:14:34.508+11:00A Craftswoman, a Sharman and a very special experience...When I was planning my trip, Mum asked what it was that I wanted to see or do while I was over here... My answer? I wanted experiences...<br />
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Well that is exactly what we got yesterday.... We found a shop selling beautiful textiles, and started talking with the lady there - Bertha.<br />
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She started off telling us that the things I was picking up were baby alpaca and handmade (I now recognise the Spanish word for 'handmade' - couldn't tell you what it is now, but I recognise it when it's said), which most sellers tell you. Then she went on to tell us that she made most of the things in her shop! There was knitting, crotchet and weaving - sooooo much stuff!! At this stage we weren't sure if we should beleive her, but as the conversation went on we couldn't help but beleive. It turns out that the lady is also a Sharman, and she showed us the stones and shells that she uses in her ceremonies.<br />
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I can't describe it properly here, but the experience of talking with this lady was incredible. It's great to be able to talk to the makers of the things that you buy and get an understanding of who and where these things have come from. I ended up buying a beanie and a scarf which is what I had set out to purchase anyway, but this is one place where I didn't feel it was appropriate to bargain the prices down.<br />
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As we paid, she thanked us and then said that she had a give for us... She gave each of us a crystal and said that it was for good health, good energy and good luck. Then she showed us how they were used. She asked us to close our eyes and then started to move the crystal in circles in front of our face and then over our entire body.... again, I was skeptical, but when she did this with Mum she commented that she felt pain across her shoulders and upper back, which is exactly what Mum was feeling, so now I'm not so sure... (Bertha was physically exhausted after performing this ritual)<br />
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Bertha finished by telling us that she would mention us in her ceremony tomorrow.... I'm not exactly sure what that means but I do know that it was a very special experience meeting her! <br />
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<br />Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-57062415545345664992012-02-24T22:01:00.002+11:002012-02-24T22:01:36.932+11:00Weaving...I came to Cusco expecting to see textiles and I have not been disappointed... There are so many shops and markets filled with woven and knitted textiles and I know that we haven't even scratched the surface!<br />
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Yesterday, we went to the <a href="http://www.cttccusco.org/">Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco</a> (<i>Centre for Traditional Texiles of Cusco</i> - sorry, the link is in Spanish but the images are worth a look) and I was amazed (yes... again!). In the midst of the shop were two women demonstrating weaving on a backstrap loom. <br />
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The yarn that they were working with was so fine and the patterns were quite intricate and yet they worked from memory counting threads and creating the pattern. The peices that they were working on take them approximately 1 month to complete. <br />
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I was mesmerised with how they could work as though it were second nature - they could even carry on a conversation without interrupting their intricate work. I managed to capture a small video to show how they worked...</div>
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<br /></div>Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-69425898423786464472012-02-24T12:04:00.002+11:002012-02-24T12:04:48.732+11:00Flying into Cusco....Flying into Cusco is quite spectacular - a sight that I missed out on with my first flights in and out as it was cloudy and visibility was very poor....<br />
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On the trip in from Lima we fly over some spectacular landscapes... <br />
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Then as we come in to land we circle around the mountains and descend into the valley in which Cucso is situated (with mountains close on both sides or the plane)<br />
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Finally we land at the airstrip which is in the midst of Cusco - it's surrounded by houses.<br />
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<i>It's difficult to describe but spectacular to see!!</i></div>
<br />Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-27725982749233888132012-02-24T00:47:00.000+11:002012-02-24T00:48:39.070+11:00Meat on a stick in Brasilia!...Our trip "home" to Cusco took us via Brasilia (the capital of Brasil) where we had an overnight stopover. Given that we needed to be back at the airport at about 4.30am for our 7.30am flight, we decided not to bother with a hotel. Instead we caught a bus (a bus with free wifi no less) into Brasilia to get some dinner. With no real idea of where we were going, we were all on the lookout for
a restaurant that looked open, and in particular to lookout for a
Churrascaria. To all of our surprise, we found one!<br />
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Churrascaria's are a buffet with a difference... the waiters bring the meat to you on a stick and carve it at the table for you. You have a card on the table that's green on one side, red on the other. As long as the green side is up, the meat keeps coming!<br />
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The restaurant that we found was impressive and as we walked in in our travelling clothes, sneakers, thongs and backpacks we all felt underdressed! Nevertheless the waiters showed us to our tables, took our bags, backpacks and coats and placed them on a chair at the table and then proceeded to cover them up with a tablecloth. Initially we thought this was to hide our shabbiness from the other customers, but as we looked around, every table had a similar arrangement (although not as large as ours).<br />
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Now I'm not usually a huge meat eater, however this meat was amazing! It was so tender and tasty that I just had to keep saying "yes" as each waiter turned up with a different cut of meat.<br />
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Needless to say we all walked out very full.<br />Sophiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082887795615183154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7034497.post-50167895396725533762012-02-22T23:37:00.001+11:002012-02-22T23:37:46.865+11:00Carnaval...<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7PfhKMfJVIc/T0TJ21Zu3cI/AAAAAAAABFM/5XZ2NRt65eg/s1600/DSCN1630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7PfhKMfJVIc/T0TJ21Zu3cI/AAAAAAAABFM/5XZ2NRt65eg/s320/DSCN1630.JPG" width="320" /></a>I'm running out of words to describe my experiences on this trip... I've used amazing, incredible, fantastic so many times but they just don't seem to cut it!<br />
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Carnaval is the same... WOW!!!! Words just won't be able to describe this expereince. The costumes, floats, dancing and music were AMAZING-FANTASTIC-INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!! There was just so much to see and so much colour!<br />
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We left for the Sambadrome on foot with a crowd of people from the hotel and stayed for all 7 parades... The first started at 9pm and the last finished at 7.30am (which included a sunrise) - What a night!!!!!<br />
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So I'm not really going to bother too much with words and just give you pictures.... So sit back and enjoy the slide show<br />
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