Bit of a Blog : Crown Princess : Buenos Aires - Valparaiso : February 1st 2017

[ariel81]

We are heading to the Cathedral. There is a building with Eva Peron (Evita) designed on the side

 

 

 

Jacob being reunited with Joseph and his brothers.

 

 

The current Pope was the Archbishop here

 

 

There is a Mass under way

 

Down one side there is a chapel

 

 

It contains a memorial to Jews who perished in the camps in WWII

 

 

 

Current pope francis has great relations with the jewsih comunnity,in fact,he has great personal friendship with some rabbys here

The bulding with eva peron in there,was before the ministry of labour and social services,the evita figure its because she worked from there,now is the health ministry

[NorbertsNiece]

Current pope francis has great relations with the jewsih comunnity,in fact,he has great personal friendship with some rabbys here

The bulding with eva peron in there,was before the ministry of labour and social services,the evita figure its because she worked from there,now is the health ministry

 

 

Thank you so much for your input. One of the problems with the itinerary I was on was the absence of time at the beginning to see more of Buenos Aires and the Cusco region at the end.

 

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I've had an extraordinary 24 hours and all will be revealed at the end of the blog which is fast approaching.

 

Machu Picchu contd :

 

 

The Condor Temple

 

 

 

More about this here

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

I head back down. I've reached my limits and need sufficient energy for the journey back to Cusco.

I stop to pop a Machu Picchu stamp in the back of my passport!

I've a pic of the speedometer on the bus on the way down the mountain....which was as hair raising as the way up....37kph (just over 20mph) on the corners...... I couldn't get a pic on the straights as the bumps were too crazy!

 

Back in town

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

I head to a local restaurant for some lunch.

Popcorn is served as an appetiser.

 

 

Back on the train

 

 

 

There is entertainment on the train.

 

 

And a fashion show

 

 

It helped to pass the time. Some of the fashion items were lovely.... and expensive.

 

There was a fiesta of some sort in Ollantaytambo and we are held up in traffic for quite some time there.

 

Local delicacies..... wish I'd popped out for some fast food.....

 

 

Trucha = trout

Aji de gallina = spicy chicken

Rocoto relleno = stuffed red peppers

[NorbertsNiece]

Stuck in traffic.

 

 

 

Was one very, very long day but what an amazing experience.

This has to have been the highlight of the whole trip for me.... made such a huge impression...... for others it was Iguassu.

 

End of day 24

[NorbertsNiece]

Day 25 : The one where I finally follow my feet.

 

After an extremely long day yesterday we have an early start today.

There is to be a two hour drive to an archaeological site, a market, lunch.

I make it down to breakfast ok and then go back to bed.

So tired I didn't bring my camera to breakfast and they had GF rolls for me!! Quinoa. They weren't great to be honest but they went down well nevertheless. There's no way there is any power left in my batteries.

I leave a message with some friends for the tour guide and catch some more zzzzzz.

When I come down again around 1030 I am surprised at just how many of my co-travellers there are in the lobby.

Maybe half didn't make the excursion. There's a gentleman on oxygen sat there and I hear that a couple have gone to hospital by ambulance. Someone else has had a doctor to his hotel room.

A couple of guides have stayed at the hotel and organised a walking tour of Cusco or a short drive to a site of interest.

I'm done with sitting and decide to join the walking tour.

 

It's Saturday morning and the place is buzzing.

It's wonderful to see the city in daylight, alive and busy.

 

 

 

 

 

Cusco in Inca times.....

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

Many shops refer to their heritage

 

 

This is to our right at the top of the hill

 

 

We turn left

 

 

 

Following an earthquake in 1650 the Basilica was rebuilt

 

 

Colonel Juan Zubiaga, Cuzco's favourite son, fought in in the 1879 war between Chile, Peru and Bolivia.

 

[NorbertsNiece]

We are headed that way.....

 

 

it's at this point I realise I'm being organised again and decide to break away.... such a rebel.... I explain to my friends that I'm fine and not suffering any altitude symptoms and just want to branch off and go back to the square I'd seen when we turned left

 

There's some sort of publicity event taking place en route.

 

 

 

Little fella trying his hardest to get the statue to blink

 

 

There's music going on in that square that has been closed to vehicles.. Brass band. Was thinking fiesta (?)

 

What a gorgeous plaza

 

 

It's all going on outside a church.

 

[NorbertsNiece]

Takes a few second for the penny to drop.

 

It's a funeral

 

 

The van gives it away

 

 

 

 

The coffin was borne out of the church and carried on shoulders down the street...... flowers are thrown at it as it passes.

 

 

On one side of the church there is an artisan market.

I fail miserably to barter down some candles.

 

[NorbertsNiece]

The most southern Irish Pub in the world

 

 

I sit on the steps outside another Church and watch the world go by for a bit.

 

 

I love that overt 21st century advertising is kept to a minimum and the character of the place is maintained.

 

Evidence of the funeral has all gone now

 

 

Where I have been sitting

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

This Plaza had originally been a marsh and during the Inca Empire had been dried up and became the religious, cultural and administrative center of the capital. the invading Spanish surrounded it with temples and mansions built on the Inca palaces. Some of the buildings incorporate the original Inca walls. More about that later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

 

It's time for lunch. Actually I'm lying.

Was time for some retail therapy.

DD1 and SIL I'd bought Falkland Island hoodies.

GS3 has a penguin puppet from..... Punta Arenas.

I buy DD2 and DD3 alpaca snoods(?) in a BOGOF. (Buy One Get One Free) They are sooooo soft.

Now it's time for lunch.

I head back to the hotel looking like the tourist that I am. (memories of that shipboard lecture haunt me still)

 

Hotel Atrium from the 3rd floor

 

 

 

 

 

[ariel81]

Indeed,24 hours its not even enough to see my own quarter (belgrano)

[NorbertsNiece]

Indeed,24 hours its not even enough to see my own quarter (belgrano)

 

 

That's the joy of cruises, and also their failing..... you get a taste of something then you're off to the next thing.

 

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Cusco contd

I've come back to the hotel and dropped off my shopping.

 

I head back out to visit the monastery around the corner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

This church and convent were built over the ruins of an Inca temple that once had floors and walls covered with gold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

 

 

 

 

 

The sun appears throughout.... The main Inca temple was dedicated to the sun

 

[NorbertsNiece]

 

 

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

 

 

 

i'm not clear why this has been stencilled on the wall..... it reads : Take coca. Drinking too much fizzy drinks can lead to overweight and diabetes

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

There are random works of art

 

 

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

 

 

The Seqe system of Cusco

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

The Milky Way in Inca Astronomy

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

 

 

 

 

 

I've run into the middle of the road to see what the plaques were

 

[NorbertsNiece]

The hotel exterior

 

 

People are either leaving or arriving

 

 

 

Lunch...... this is a fish dish with grapes in a cheese sauce. It is very very good.

 

 

Am joined by a friend who has a burger

 

[NorbertsNiece]

Feeling fortified I am conscious that if I sit for too long I will likely fall asleep and I'm keen to see more of this wonderful city. There's a market we'd heard of so we head off to find it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NorbertsNiece]

 

The San Pedro market. This is an extraordinary place buzzing with a plethora of colours, smells and sounds. And it's HUGE.