Catching Up

So I just wanted to catch up with our posting - in Cusco we didn't have internet so it put us behind....

We did go to Machu Picchu and it was astounding. We took a train last Sunday from Cusco through the valleys that were so narrow at one point the train did some switchbacks. We took some awesome pictures that we will probably put into a Picasa album, so you can check them out if you are interested.

Last Monday Fredy and Eduardo returned to Lima, leaving us to explore Cusco and the surrounding areas. Left on our own, we checked out some local museums, went shopping, and to top it all off took a tour of closer-by ruins on horseback. Again, photos coming at some point.

When we arrived back in Lima on Thursday, Fredy and Eduardo greeted us with their customary generosity and a delicious lasagna. They kept us busy for the next few days eating and touring around their city. On Friday we saw a Christmas spectacular that consisted of about 60 children belting out tunes in Spanish from the windows of a HSBC building in the Plaza de San Martin. This did include a rendition of Michael Jackson's heal the world. That evening we also enjoyed the famous Pardo's Chicken, a Peruvian roasted and grilled chicken chain that did not disappoint. They apparently have a restaurant in New York City!

On Saturday we continued our exploration of Lima and visited one of the two zoos. We learned the difference between vicunyas and llamas (vicunyas are skinnier, but both spit when approached). We saw giraffes, jaguars, zebras, the tail end of a tiger as it went inside for the night and all sorts of different birds and monkeys. Later that evening (as in 10:00) we headed to an amazing pena, or dinner show, at Brisas de Titicaca. We got some close up exposure to various different Peruvian folk dances, including a Limeno (from Lima) Marinera, as well as a northern one that we are more familiar with. There was also the Tijeras (scissors) dance that was crazy - men in some heavy costumes bouncing and flipping around while holding scissors. It was all very impressive, was interspersed with live-band open-floor dancing, and lasted until past 2:30 in the morning. We also got to try chicharron (double fried) chicken that was delicious. (We've already had chicharron de puerco - cooked, then fried pork - so just the fish variety left to sample.)

After lunch on Sunday our animal body parts eaten has expanded greatly. We have enjoyed beef heart, beef stomach and chicken kidney as well as gizzards. Yum!

We are now in Iquitos (ee-key-toe-s), a town on the edge of the Amazon river, very close to where it begins. One website that Rory read said that this is the biggest town in the world that is not accessible by road to the rest of the country. We still have to corroborate that. There certainly aren't very many cars, as you might guess: the main form of transportation seems to be motorcycle and motor-rickshaw. Tomorrow, we'll embark on a three day tour of La Reserva Nacional Pacaya Samiria, a national park at the head of the Amazon river. We are pretty excited to get to experience the Amazon, though our short trip will limit the amount of wildlife we will get to see. Also we will again be without internet, so you can expect further updates when we get back to Lima on Thursday evening.