Horse Riding Excursion - Up The Hill

One of the normal excursions of the Peru's Challenge is a visit to some of the Inca ruins outside Cusco.

(Left - Liz, Amanda and Gerard try to size up the horses - to see if

there may be one with a name like "Lightning"!!

(Right - Liz laughs in nervous anticipation)

Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire in it's hey day, so there are a lot to see just outside town. The Peru's Challenge day tour adds in the interest of a horse back ride to some of the sites.

We decided to indulge again, and here are some photos. I have held back some of the more embarrassing ones!!

(Left - Our group consider their fortunes)

(Right - Maz is aboard and heading off - where the horse wants to go - initially Maz had trouble reaching

the brakes - er stirrups!!)

(Left - all under control as we head

up the mountain)

(Right - Liz aboard, and look at the wonderful background)

(Left - I think this is where it is starting to hurt!!!)

(Right - Amanda says "follow me" - Maz replies "you take the low road and I shall take the high road")

(Left - Gerard has it all under control)

(Right - Maz still has the high road - but we are all going in the same direction!!)

(Left - Do I see the right way ahead??)

(Right - I think it is time the horses had a drink - actually that was the choice of the horses - not the riders!)

(Left - the path is getting narrower - but we press on!! And the horses know where all the prickle bushes are to brush their riders past!!)

(Right - Maz is still going strong? Sticking to the saddle!!)

(Left - end of the ride - UP - now to get off, and do some sightseeing!!)

(Right - Maz thinks a word of thanks to the horse might make the difference when she has to get aboard for the trip down)

Cusco Long Distance Bus Station

Cusco does not have a lot of train services. Most are long distance services linking Cusco with tourist areas like Lima or Machu Picchu (although this last connection was badly disrupted by the recent mud slides, and is still operated by shuttle buses)

Some of our group did a weekend trip to Arequipa to see the condors at Culpa Canyon. This involved an overnight 10 hour trip by the express coaches. I decided to pass up the trip due to the condition of the roads. I am told that the buses have 2 classes - upstairs is tourist (the bone rattler) and downstairs is first class with (almost) fully reclining seats. Meals and coffee are served.

These pictures are around the central Cusco bus terminal, and show the crowds and also some of the long distance coaches.

El Melino Markets and a Wedding

One of the local markets in Cusco is called El Melino (or more locally "the black market") This is a huge covered area containing several hundred tiny stalls (each measures probably about 3 sq meters), and in which you can buy almost anything from clothing, shoes, cameras, sporting equipment, children's items, musical items, and lots of counterfeit DVDs.

On one of our visits we were lucky to see a local wedding being

celebrated. This wasn't the actual ceremony but appeared to be some sort of lead up, with relatives and friends celebrating with local

costumes. We weren't sure if the groom was present, but we thought one of the participants was a mother!!

Here are the photos for your interest - I am not able to actually place much explanation on any of them. However they were quite keen for us to take photos.

(Left - someone was dressed in costume, and had a stuffed doll carried on their back, like a baby!!)

(Left - this shrine was carried along with the party)

(Right - the face of the shrine)

Volunteer's Welcome Dinner

The June contingent was a very small one - normally there are high teens, but this time it was just 11 volunteers - 6 stayed over from the previous month and 5 new ones joined for the month of June.

(Left - the group, including Stefan who was here last month, and

Pip, the volunteer Manager)

Consequently the welcome dinner party was quite small.

(Right - Maz, Liz, and Gerard enjoy a joke)

(Left - the venue provides entertainment in the form of local dancing)

(Right - Gerard and Amanda try some photos of the dancing)

(Left - Maz and Liz check a photograph)

(Right - more dancing)

(Left - Gerard and Amanda compare some photos)

(Right - Liz meets one of the dancers)

At School at Puma Marca

(Left - our first class introduction)

(Right - the Principal at the rear talks to his class about the volunteers)

(Left - the school has a small

vegetable garden, which is used to provide additional vegetables

for the school canteen)

(Right - Gerard, who did a lot of work in the hot house on his last visit, checks the progress)

(Left - the garden beds)

(Right

warped - note the wedges under the rafters)- the local

construction has to allow for timber that is not straight, or is badly

(Left -

this

structure, new since my

last visit, provides some places for the children to have their lunches)

(Right - the kindergarten b

lock - also new since 2008)

(Left - the lunch shed, looking toward and older

part of the school)

(Right - the new oven, that

is planned to be used to bake bread to provide for the school lunches, or to raise funds. At the moment the joke is that it has been used to cook more chicken than bread!!)

(Left - inside one of the

new classrooms still being built, and which we will help paint)

(Right - the children's

playground is dusty, but provides room)

(Left - the kindergarten class)

(Right - the toilet block, which is cleaned by the students. Many of the children have to be trained to use a flush toilet)

(Left - this wheat field will produce crops for the school)

(Right - The school has a small pen of fowls - to provide eggs. Hens not following the rules become part of the alternative meals!)

(Left - parents are rostered on to cook a daily meal for the children)

(Right - our store room for our equipment, and tools)

(Left - the room full of goods made by the Mothers for sale to the tourists - the group meets regularly and is called Talleries)