Part 15 Gabi Goes to Peru, mid July 17

Part 15 Gabi’s Visit

Day 117 Gabi arrives

Roberto drove us to the airport to meet Gabi. Her flight arrived 15 minutes early and she only had carry-on baggage. She walked through the customs gate moments after we arrived. She was very pleased to be in Peru and also pleased to be finished her 27-hour journey. Isabelle and I were overjoyed to see her.

At the Gastronomic Fair Hours After Gabi Landed

Our first event together, after settling in, was the gastronomic fair in Parque de la Exposicion. Gabi ate “cuy”, which is guiney pig (a local staple) then we visited the nearby Nazca exhibit. The pre-Inca Nazca people, beginning in 800 B.C., created mysterious and gigantic line drawings on the plateaus of the western coastal foothills. The drawings are only visible from above. The museum exhibits we visited explained the spiritual nature of the huge drawings. Included were numerous examples of textile and pottery items that had been perfectly preserved in one of the driest places on earth. These items sometimes contained images, patterns and geometric shapes that are similar in form to those found in the “Nazca Line” drawings. We would see the real things while taking a fly-over tour of the area in a few days.

Day 118

We began the day with a semi-private bus tour, sharing our guide and mini-bus with a family from the US. We stayed downtown and visited Plaza Mayor and ate lunch at another food fair. The afternoon was spent walking and visiting Plaza de Armas, the outside of the cathedral, the Bishop’s palace with its privacy balconies, the Presidential residence and offices and the pedestrian malls in the Rimac district. We finished our outside touring at the Plaza St. Martin with its military displays for Fiestas Ferias Patrias week.

Liturgical Score Recorded in Semi-Modern, Five-Line Manuscript

Inside visits and guided tours came next. We started with Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco, a Franciscan Monastery. The library with its thousands of huge hand-made books was particularly interesting. The second part of the tour was underground, in the catacombs. This was a burial place for everyone, not just the rich. The price of admission was simple - everything you had. The donation was based on individual means and thereby resulted in “equal access”.  A person’s estate might only have included a few chickens and the clothes on his back but donating it meant burial by the monks was guaranteed. Another person’s donation could be much larger.

Cloister at the Monastary

The monks received the bodies, after funeral services, below the church. They laid them to rest in common graves and poured lime over them. A while later the bones were excavated, placed in various ossuaries in the catacombs and the graves were freed up for the next "inhabitants". This went on generation after generation for hundreds of years. Archaeologists have only excavated and prepared for display a small portion of the vast underground system.

Another Gastronomic Fair - Peruvian Food is Great!

Shopping in Lima

We also took a guided tour of Iglesia y Monesterio de Santo Domingo before walking home. It had been a ten-kilometer day!

Day 119

Shaped Trees in Kennedy Park

Isabelle’s knee is sore today. We stayed in for the first part of the morning doing quiet activities. A cab ride brought us to Kennedy Park, named after the U.S. President. There we saw a craft market and walked a kilometer to the beautiful ocean park. We saw numerous hang gliders, put our feet in the Pacific and walked a long way along the linear park. After cabbing it back to Kennedy Park we had a late lunch and took a cab home. That evening we walked to the lighted fountain display in two nearby parks and finished the evening at the gastronomic fair. The stage performers were folkloric in nature and included much dancing. Gabi ate a big fried bug, then she and Isabelle tried their first “Pisco Sour” cocktails.

Pacific Ocean

Lima Coastline

That's a BBQ!

Fried Bug - mmmm

Day 120

The day started with a walk to Brazil Street where we saw a military parade and air force fly over that capped off the week-long national celebrations. The rest of the day was spent doing chores to prepare for our departure the next day. Roberto kindly agreed to let us store our camping gear for a few weeks in his laundry room. This will allow us to make room for a passenger. Gabi is very excited to hit the road in Peru!

Military Parade

Day 121

Rest Stop

Our first road day brought us to Ica, a town located in the coastal desert. Along the way Gabi witnessed huge ocean waves rolling onto expanses of untouched beaches, dunes as far as she could see, and Peruvian traffic with crazy drivers in the towns. Our clean and tidy hostel is nice and includes breakfast each day, the use of the kitchen, hot showers and of course safe parking for the motos. The manager booked a sand boarding/dune buggy/sunset tour for us the next day.

Hostel in Ica

Day 122

A lazy and slow early morning was followed by a tuk-tuk ride to Huacachina, a beautiful desert oasis that is nearby. Huacachina is located in the lifeless dunes that lie throughout this part of coastal Peru. We had lunch in the village that grew up around the oasis.

Huacachina and Dunes Beyond 

Finally, it came time for our dune buggy ride. It was really fun, taking us about 10k into the desert from its start at the oasis. The dunes were huge and our driver enjoyed the squeals from his passengers as he raced over sand cliffs, tore through sand valleys and arced around the next steep climb. We stopped several times on top of the taller dunes for sand boarding. Thrilling rides and only a few faces full of sand provided additional squeals. Our driver coached and launched each person. It was pleasant to see the amusement he displayed at each launch. There exists a cooperative and friendly rivalry amongst the buggy drivers. They seemed to have as much fun on the excursion as their passengers did.

Dunes Outside Huacachina

"Desert Rat"

Our Rides

Preparing to Surf

Ready, Go!

Arrival of Sunset

Dunes

Cool Air in the Desert

Desert Sunset

Huacachina

Day 123

We got away by 10 am for the two-hour ride to the Nazca airport. Entering the parking lot, we were immediately “hit upon” by high pressure sales people pushing over-priced air tours. We crossed the parking lot, unable to shake them, to the air terminal. Inside the tiny terminal we found half a dozen legitimate airline desks. The hawkers continued to pester us, trying to prevent us from talking to a real airline rep. Eventually we did talk to several and booked our tour at the Air Paracas desk.

Nazca Airport

Just Before Take-off

The aircraft accommodated five passengers and the tour was very interesting. It took us over several of the more famous geoglyphs. The co-pilot acted as tour guide over the headphones while the pilot dipped the wings at sharp angles to provide good views of the famous, “Nazca Lines”. The produced g-forces caused some of us to put to good use the plastic bags the co-pilot had been careful to point out at the beginning of the flight. We landed, otherwise unharmed.

"Humming Bird"

The "Spider" and Geometric Shapes (95% of the Nazca Lines are geometric shapes)

The Frog (very small compared to most figures) with Scale Provided by the Observation Tower

Day 124 Nazca to Masana

Today’s ride followed the coast and provided stunning views of the ocean from the cliffs above. A recent derrumbe (landslide) caused by an earthquake had caused one of the cliffs to fail. The PanAm highway had been closed for two weeks, stranding hundreds of buses and trucks as people waited for the clean-up to be done. We had been monitoring the situation over the internet for days and arrived literally at the moment the highway was reopened.

Unspoiled Pacific Beach

Unfortunately Accidents are Common

Clean Up

We filtered past about 10k of trucks and buses to witness the final grading of the massive road repair. I took both motos across the loose rock and powdery sand that the grader had leveled. Then we mounted up and rode past another 10k of buses and trucks that were waiting to cross the obstacle from the other direction.

10k Traffic Jam

Getting the Final Grading

Day 125 Masana to Arequipa

Another day of great mountain scenery brought us to a lovely hostel in Arequipa. The city centre is a World Heritage site. Isabelle and I plan to visit Arequipa properly sometime after Gabi goes home and we will try to stay at the hostel again.

Day 126,7 Arequipa to Yanque in the Colca Canyon

The ride to Yanque took us across the high Altiplano that lies between two mountain ranges forming this part of the cordillera. The cordillera runs from the south to the north of the massive continent and connects with it's North American partner through Central America. This treeless expanse at 4400m is cool, even during the day. The highest part of the road today hit 4900m, that’s 16,000 ft above sea level for you non-metric thinkers!

Desert Traveler

Gabi with Another Desert Traveler at a Rest Stop

At the Same Rest Stop

The descent into the Colca canyon provided fantastic look-down views of the villages below. Our hotel in the village of Yanque is at 3400m elevation. It is rustic and authentic. This farming village is further down the canyon than the tourism oriented town of Chivay. We really enjoyed our stay. It began with a gourmet dinner that included quinoa soup and alpaca tenderloin that was grilled in the fireplace before us. We were the only guests and enjoyed the performance of a song in the Quechuan language by our host after “cena”.

Mountain Scene

Altiplano Scene

Nearing 4900m

It's Cold Up Here

Approaching Colca Canyon

Upper Reaches of Colca Canyon

Isa: Always Chatty

Highlands Shepherd

After supper, we walked a block to the plaza to watch the parade. We were very lucky to arrive on the first day of an all weekend annual celebration. Each winter the men form work groups and go up to the Altiplano above the canyon. They then follow and repair the complex system of aqueducts that brings water to the terraced fields that feed their families.

Parade of the Returning Workers

For a few hours, the approach of the parade was announced by the frequent firing of rockets that exploded in the sky. We heard them as we enjoyed cena at the hotel. The parade was led by a marching band and the rocket man continued to launch loud bangers from his final firing point in the middle of the plaza. The women and children from the village lined the plaza to greet the men as they returned from their labours. Once more, the continued flow of life-giving water to the arid slopes of the canyon had been ensured. Villagers were dressed in their very best clothes and jewelry as they, and we, watched the parade.

Whole Village is Out to Greet Them

The band was followed by rank and file workers carrying picks, shovels and very long pry bars over their shoulders. Just like the tasks required to farm the terraced fields, aqueduct repairs were accomplished by human labour alone. We felt both fortunate and privileged to be witnessing this important even in the life of the village.

Sharing the Chicken Yard at the Hotel

The next day we rose at dawn and rode for an hour along the Colca Canyon road. The best viewpoint is called Cruz del Condor and the best viewing time is from 7 am until about 9 am. At that time, the huge birds fly higher up to find their food for the day. The viewing point is about half-way down into the canyon. The Colca Canyon, at a depth of 3200m (10,730 ft) is twice as deep as the grand canyon.

Colca Canyon

We saw several of the huge birds soaring below us and appearing to be impossibly small. We knew the Andean Condor can reach a weight of 15 kg and be carried aloft by a 3 meter wingspan so we wanted a closer view. We went up to a slightly higher viewpoint and bought a typical Andean breakfast from some indigenous vendors. It consisted of boiled potatoes, meat, salsa, onions and coffee. This viewpoint was a favorite stopping point for tour buses so after breakfast we hopped on our motos to out run the crowds. It's great having your own wheels.

Look, Over There!

Down the valley about another 10k we hit the jackpot. Two or three majestic condors flew right in front of us several times. Our patience had been rewarded with thrilling proximity to what the pre-Inca and Quechuan believe to be a link to the human soul. They also believe the condor to be the bridge between heaven and earth and to be the messenger who delivers our prayers.

Andean Condor in Flight

A Magnificent Sight

After the condors disappeared we rode back to the town at the top of the canyon to fill up with gas. We planned an early start the next day. We made slow progress on an excellent, paved road. The trouble was the views that just kept coming. We stopped countless times, sometimes dismounting for photos, sometimes just to look and to drink it all in more slowly.

Canyon Walls with Surrounding Mountain

Upper Colca Canyon

Day 128 Yanque to Puno, on Lake Titicaca

Leaving the Canyon, Climbing Back Onto the Altiplano

Volcano Rising from 4400m

Highlands Scene

We spent the day roaring across the vast Altiplano at 4400m elevation. It looks like a moonscape. Google maps played a couple of tricks on us coming into Puno. This resulted in 50k of some gravel riding and one very steep and rutted dirt descent into town. I took both motos down the obstacle and onto the concrete of the city street. The task set my heart racing. In the future, we will treat google maps recommendation to leave the main road with skepticism. Our hotel, at 3800m, is very nice and we hope to return to it to visit Puno and Lake Titicaca properly before crossing into Bolivia at Copacabana.

Sparse Grazing

On the Altiplano

Rest Stop

Rest Stop View

Day 129 Puno to Sicuani

My computer quit a few days ago. Today we replaced it in Puno. The shop was able to give me an identical replacement and to physically install my original hard drive. The advantage of this is that all my programmes and files are available. There is no need to re-purchase or download programmes. I kept the new hard drive and old battery as spares but discarded all the rest at the computer shop.

On the Road to Sicuani

We visited the ruins at Silustani on the way out of town. It is a burial hill on the Altiplano that is surrounded by beautiful lakes filled with feeding flamingos. The site was first used in 800 B.C., pre-Inca times, and last used by the Inca around 1500 A.D. Small, stout round towers made of large carved stone blocks create a hollow burial chamber. These are the Incan tombs. The carving is precise and without flaw on the outside. There is no mortar visible on the outside, only tightly fitted blocks. This is because the blocks are hollowed on the inside to accommodate the glue that holds them together. Pre-Incan towers are made of cruder stonework. 

Burial Towers

"I'm Not Dead Yet!"

We started the actual ride at 2:30, very late indeed. We rode, almost non-stop to Sicuani and arrived after dark. Gabi is feeling ill as we go to bed.

Higher than Lake Titicaca

Tending the Flock in the Highlands

Unknown Highlands Lake

Day 130 Sicuani to Urubamba (in the Sacred Valley)

Gabi is feeling ill today. We think it might be a touch of altitude sickness. Coca tea may be helping, it’s hard to tell. Our 200k ride seemed to take forever because of all the speed bumps. The bumps are tall and force you to slow to walking speed. They are everywhere. They even appear on open stretches of highway. Not seeing and hitting one of these at night might launch you into the ditch, death by speed bump! Gabi is uncomfortable but she made it through the ride. Isabelle did well on the 500m gravel climb to the hotel.

Day 131&2 The ride to Santa Teresa

We are in the Sacred Valley now at a "lower", 2900m altitude. Isabelle decided to stay with Gabi as she recovers and I will scout the “back way” into Machu Pichu. I will stay overnight in Santa Teresa and ride back in time for lunch the next day. There are no public roads connecting the “Lost City of the Incas” with the rest of the world. The town of Aguas Calientes is at the base of Machu Pichu Mountain and is only reachable by train from the east or west. Aguas Calientes is developed with the capacity to handle large numbers of tourists each day. It is the usual (and expensive) overnight stay before and possibly after a Machu Pichu visit.

Abra Malaga Pass

The rail entrance to Aguas Calientes coming from the direction of Cuzco is very expensive. The back entrance, coming from the village of Santa Teresa begins at the closest station that is accessible by public road, "Hydro-electrica". Adventurous people hike the 11k along the tracks to save the train-fare. The catch is in getting to that money saving hike. Firstly, it requires a couple of days riding but that is alright because we are here to see the country. Secondly, the last 15k from Santa Maria to Santa Teresa is reputed to be a treacherous dirt road along the sides of a steep river gorge. Some people call it the “Peruvian Road of Death”. Travel blogs sometimes contain exaggerations so I wanted to see for myself.

Abra Malaga Pass

The paved mountain road to Santa Maria was an absolute thrill to ride. The surface was near perfect and the route required a one hour climb through first and second gear switchbacks to the famous Abra Malaga pass at 4300m. Views both backward at the valley climbed and forward at the valley ahead were stunning. The 5-degree wind was bracing while stopped to view the glaciers and to take photos. The two-hour descent into thick, jungle-like forest at about 1500m elevation was equally technical and fun. The views throughout are as wonderful as promised in the descriptions.

Urubamba River Canyon

Some Pretty Streams Falling from Above

I found the turn onto the dirt road in Santa Maria and switched the bike to off-road mode. It was a fun and technical ride through the steep and deep canyon. Huge potential death plunges to the seemingly tiny river below added to the need for caution. A few tiny streams to cross and some road construction sites brought up the difficulty level a bit. It was a fun ride to the charming village of Santa Teresa but only if you like a technical one. A super clean private room with private hot bath cost 20 Soles ($8 CDN) for the night. I was back in time to take Isabelle out for lunch the next day. Gabi was still feeling poorly and chose to stay in.

Rugged but Ridable

The River Looks Small Down There

Using information gained by the scouting trip, it seemed the best choice for us would be to begin our route to visit Machu Pichu by moving to the town of Ollantaytambo. It is the last stop before Machu Pichu on the eastern rail line. The train fare from there was a fraction of that from Cusco. The Machu Pichu visit will easily be the most expensive event on this trip but we knew that in advance and have been saving for it.

A few Small Streams to Cross

The Urubamba Valley Headed Toward Santa Teresa and Machu Pichu

Santa Teresa Boulevard

Day 133 Urubamba to Ollantaytambo

We rode into downtown Urubamba to buy some medication for Gabi and some gasoline. We found a place with 95 octane and my bike was happy again after many days of knocking caused by bad fuel. We moved to a nice hostel in Ollantaytambo and explored the place. We had dinner and went to the Peru Rail office at the station to pick up the tickets for tomorrow. Gabi is still ill but improving. She feels she will be OK for tomorrow.

Our Hostel in Ollantaytambo

Day 134 Machu Pichu

Our 9 am train ride in the “Vista” car gave us great views up the steep sides of the Urubamba valley as we drew closer and closer to Aguas Calientes at the base of the Machu Pichu mountain. Gabi is doing better today but is missing some strength. She assures us she will be OK for the walk about today. She has been really looking forward to visiting Machu Pichu.

Comfie Ride with Posh Service

Machu Pichu was discovered in 1911 by American, Hiram Bingham. He was looking for the lost Incan capital. Machu Pichu is often mistakenly called the last Inca capital but the real capital, Vilcabamba, remained undiscovered for some time. None of Bingham’s several theories regarding the purpose of Machu Pichu held up to eventual academic scrutiny.

Train Ride View

Most archaeologists believe that Machu Pichu, 80k from the capital was built as an estate for the Incan Emperor, Pachacutec (1438-1472). The Incas built it around 1450 but it was abandoned a century later during the Spanish conquest. Some believe that smallpox, carried in by travelers, wiped out the inhabitants of Machu Pichu and the jungle took the place over by the end of the 16^th century. Local people continued to be aware of the existence of Machu Pichu, even cleared and farmed some of the agricultural terraces. Colonialists and outsiders in general remained ignorant of the site until Bingham asked locals to take him to any ruins they knew about in 1911.

Machu Pichu

It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO and called a masterpiece of Incan architecture. Because colonials were unware that it existed the place had little damage or plunder done to it until the twentieth century.

The bus ride up Machu Pichu mountain was rough and bouncy but it beat walking. The mountain-top site is awesome from the very first view point. We spent several hours trekking about the site and occasionally eaves dropping on guided tours near us.

Looking Down Towards Aguas Calientes

Gabi took a rest on a bench while Isabelle and I hiked along one of the Inca trails that lead into the site. We went as far as the famous “Inca bridge”. The log bridge is suspended over a 570m drop, straight down. The hike gave us spectacular views of the Urubamba valley that was so far below. We saw “Hydro-electrica” and the rail line heading toward Aguas Calientes. The Inca trails were really roads built and used by the Incas to move goods and people. Humans and animals were used to carry goods.

Inca Bridge

We boarded the train at sundown and nodded off, having nothing to see out the windows. Food was soon served and we woke up for that. This was followed by the entrance of an Incan devil in elaborate costume and a fashion show of fine alpaca garments given by the Peru Rail staff. The booming music and fun atmosphere made the two hour journey through the blackness pass quickly.

Fashion Show by Inca Rail Staff

We were soon back at the station in Ollantaytambo. We walked up the street from the station and through the traffic jam of people and vehicles. It consisted mainly of cabbies offering rides to Cuzco and tour operators collecting their clients and directing them onto the many buses clogging the street. It had a been a great and tiring day!

Day 135 Ollantaytambo and the Sun Temple

Gabi is back! Fully restored Gabi, version 2.0 bounced out of bed and immediately began joking. A late breakfast and a slow morning failed to restrain her so we busted out and walked into town for lunch at an organic restaurant. Gabi and Isabelle bought some alpaca products for gifts, at a nearby fair-trade store. In the afternoon, we visited the Sun Temple and fortress ruins on the mountainside at the edge of our village.

Gabi is Back!

Ollantaytambo lies at the northern end of the Sacred Valley. During the Spanish conquest, it was the last stronghold for Inca Manco Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance. The accompanying fortress, built on a steep mountainside, was the site of one of only a few temporary successes for the Incas in their resistance to Spanish colonization. 

Fine Inca Stonework at Ollantaytambo 

Using the Mountain to Advantage in Defence 

Path for Troop Movements High in the Fortifications

The Incas won the battle at Ollantaytambo and the Spanish withdrew. Yupanqui wisely conjectured that the Spanish would eventually return and in greater numbers. He led his people away, further into the mountains to escape their inevitable annihilation. We can only guess about how differently people who live here today might look if Yupanqui had not briefly defeated the Spanish and fled with his people. 

Lofty Firing Point at Ollantaytambo

It had been an informative and pleasant day but most pleasing to see was Gabi as her animated self again. A quiet evening and light supper at the hostel finished the day.

Ollantaytambo Fortifications

Day 136 Moving to Cuzco, the Centre of the Universe

A nice slow start to the day and packing allowed us to get away at 10:30. We headed for Moray first. It was on our way to Cuzco and was included on the tickets we bought yesterday at the Sun Temple.

Moray is off the highway about 20k on a good gravel road. The road passes through a nice little village where we tanked up on a plentiful feast for 5 soles each. There were some road challenges for Isabelle that included some broken up cobbles in the town and some tight turns on a narrow dirt road. She did well at all of them.

Cactus Directly Above Moray Crater

The circular, terraced depressions that are at the Moray sight are in a dry region but like many Inca sites, contain irrigation to each terrace.  The purpose of the beautiful constructions is uncertain. A temperature difference of 15 degrees from the top to the bottom of the depressions suggests the site was used for agricultural experimentation by the Incas.

Moray - Experimental Farm?

Google maps brought us down an unusually rough gravel road out of the town in which we had eaten lunch. The roughness of the surface meant that Isabelle would likely arrive stressed and exhausted after the indicated 45k. Following the road might even have earned us a flat tire. We turned around after less than a kilometer and I used the GPS instead to get us to Cuzco by paved road. The scenery was wonderful.

Go Isa!

The ride into the center of Cuzco was exciting. It is a beautiful, hip, colonial place with steep cobbled streets. Our hostel is wonderful. I rode both motos down a make-shift wooden ramp through the outer doors and into the inner courtyard. The courtyard serves as a common/meeting area for the guests with tables and chairs and now motos too. The cost of many things in the places tourists go in Cuzco are more expensive than elsewhere but this hostel is just 20 soles per person per night. The recommendation as a moto-friendly place was on the Horizons Unlimited website and in blogs. It is only a few minutes walk from the main plaza.

Our Cuzco Hostel Inner Courtyard

Day 137-9 Visiting Cuzco, Incan Capital, Centre of the Universe

We began the morning slowly and showed up for the free guided walking tour of the historic city centre. We were anxious to find out more about the original Inca capital, a place now filled with some of the best and plentiful colonial architecture. There has clearly been a collision of cultures here and we wanted to find out more.

Our Historical Guide named Elvis

Our Quechuan speaking guide, Elvis proved to posses a wide knowledge of the relevant histories and how everything fit into modern times. His subtle irony never strayed into negativity as he described the bloody transition from Inca to Spanish rule.

Busy Cuzco

In Lima our guide at the Bishop’s palace drew our attention to her forearms and cheeks to preface an explanation of her skin colour. She explained that coastal indigenous people had cooperated with the Spanish conquistadors beginning in the early 1500’s and had been given favour and employment in return. The two groups had intermarried. She said that slaves brought from Africa had stayed after being freed and they too intermarried with those already there. Waves of immigrants, mostly from the Orient but also from Europe got at least partly into the genetic mix too. The overwhelming unifying factor was the Catholic church.

A log nosed mask is used to represent the Spanish. Elvis used the phrase, "alcohol trafficker".

Elvis, a Quechuan speaker in the highlands, put a different spin on things. He used the phrase, “divide and conquer” to describe Spanish colonization tactics. He used “us” and “them” often in his explanations. After exposing the idea of coastal people's interactions with the conquistadors, he did not speak directly about feelings of betrayal and resentment, instead told us that he is a practicing Catholic. To elaborate he showed examples of pre-Inca walls and post Inca, colonial walls.

Precise Joints, No Mortar Visible

He showed and described a tall wall at a terrace edge, topped by a colonial palace to explain Cuzco’s more than 2,000-year history.  An unsophisticated pre-Inca wall at the base of the structure was extended higher by finely shaped and polished Inca stonework with no joining mortar exposed. This combination was then used as a foundation for the less precise colonial stonework forming the palace wall. The colonial addition was easily distinguished by the visible mortar between the stones. The colonial palace had used work from previous civilizations as a foundation. Elvis' symbolism was elegant.

Another Quechuan guide, Clarita later called the cooexistance of past and present as a symbiosis. She said that 80% of people here are practicing Catholics and that 65% practiced the old faiths and customs at home. She showed us many ways the Quechuan speakers had adapted Catholic symbols and images. A few examples include the way the Virgin Mary is always depicted with a triangular dress, symbolizing a mountain and Jesus is always portrayed with uncrossed legs and a long skirt, the Quechuan way.


Day 140 Gabi goes home

Packing and preparing then parting, we said goodbye to Gabi and waved as she disappeared beyond the security station at the airport. Later, as the occasional jet passed over we wondered if it was hers. We had such a wonderful time travelling with her. We miss her already. Buen viaje, Gab!