The Witches Market..

Guest post on India Bazars here... :)
Can also be found on Lonely Planet

Meena

BBC Languages...

I fell in love with Spanish a while ago..  But as far as learning it goes , progress has been slow..

But I did find some wonderful resources on my search for easy ways to access the language..

One such site is BBC languages.

Its a 12 part course with a lesson every week. It focuses on the conversational method of learning, which in my opinion is one of the most effective. Too often a language learnt in a classroom does not automatically equip the learner with the fluency that comes from just speaking it on a regular basis.

What I liked most about the course is the content. For instance, one of the lessons is about hauling a cab and checking yourself into a hotel. In the conversation , you are asked for your passport as part of checking in... On my recent visit to South America, this bit was repeated verbatim.. and as my face lit up in understanding, we proceeded to check in :)

So if you are looking to learn a language and time doesn't afford you a class, then this is a very good option to consider..

Meena Venkataraman

Scenes from La Paz..

Of newspaper clippings and war heroes who live on..

Unfortunately we had no clue what was on print. We only had an inkling that it was something interesting when a couple of people got the paper and stood engrossed, some walking away slowly like they had been taken over by the content...

Crossing Over.. (From Peru to Bolivia)

Its not often that I've crossed over from one country into the next.. A pedestrian bus, halted on the border its passengers getting off to have their passports checked. The border control a small dimly lit office, with two guards not very menacing looking standing outside ushering the lines of tourists shuffling in..
We took the bus from Puno in Peru, having visited the floating islands of Titicaca and not wanting to linger on in Puno any longer. Puno save the islands did not have much to offer. It was extremely touristy and small as it was, we were done walking the few streets the previous evening..

The drive to La Paz was beautiful. We wound our  way round roads hugging the mountain side , never once steering clear of the beautiful waters of Lake Titicaca.  Her mood was definitely a different shade of blue to what we found in Peru. We caught some pics on the mobile , as the camera had lost charge..

Lake Titicaca..

We were in and out of border control in half an hour. We had to change buses at this point. We hauled our luggage and hurried to the bus stop. I was already panicking as we were a little late.. The better half assures me that the bus will not leave without us.. This only makes me walk faster.. :)

Border Control - Bolivia

We board our bus in Copacabana on the Bolivian border. Pity we don't get to see much of this city. I've read and heard so much about Copacabana, that I feel sad that our encounter with her is barely fleeting.
Our journey inside Bolivia was fairly uneventful until the bus pulled over and we all disembarked...
We were told we would have to take the ferry and our bus would be ferried too..
I have never seen anything like this before. It was chilly and pulling our jackets closer for warmth, we hurried to buy tickets. We got onto the ferry. It was dark. The ferry was packed. There were about 8 life jackets for the entire boat. The motor roars to life and the boat moves swiftly along, its noisy passengers punctuating the otherwise silent night..
And then the boat stopped. A problem with the engine we are told. At this point there nothing much we can do but sit and wait...
Ten minutes later we are on our way..

Crossing Lake Titicaca

Once on the other side , we await our bus. The scenes unfolding are intriguing. As we stand a truck is ferried across in a what looks like  a huge flat boat being rowed across the river. Take a few pictures.
Its freezing . There's nothing much around this place.  After what seems like a looooong time our bus arrives. And we are on our way to La Paz..

Meena Venkataraman

The Uros Islands of Lake Titicaca..

Travel Diaries: 8th Oct


The Reed Islands of Titicaca


There are plenty of tours on offer...and the thing to do in Puno is visit the reed islands of Titicaca.
We haggled a bit and got ourselves what we though was a good good deal for 15 soles each.
We were picked up from our hotel and found ourselves waiting in the port.  The port is incredible, crowded with boats,  and to the naked eye looks like they are encroaching on the land beyond into the Hilly city of Puno

The Port in Puno

Our boat was soon ready. And before we knew it we were off on the ride. The invigorating breeze  carried the smell of the water as the boat sped through the clear waters.  Our first glimpse of the Islands of Uros was when we saw cows eating grass on what looked like land....

 Our First glimpse of the Uros Islands

The Uros are an ancient  tribe. Legend had it that there were here on Earth even before the Sun , the sustainer of life warmed it. Every civilization seems to have a tale very like the Garden of Eden...
And in this culture it is believed that the Uros, once so mighty that they could not even be struck by lighting lost their super human powers on account of disobeying the law that they should not mix with humans. The condemned tribe became the Uro Aymara.

"History becomes legend and legend becomes myth" - JRR Tolkein in the Lord of the Rings


Whatever the legend has to say may seem impossible to believe, but this is known for certain that the Uros predated the Inca Civilization. The Reed islands are masterfully built and speak volumes of what the Uros were capable of. They once payed taxes to their Inca conquerors and were even taken as slaves.

The Reed islands of Titicaca

We got of from our boats to a traditional welcome from the Woman folk of the Uros and then sat around listening to our guide talk us through how the islands are built

Earthern Pots

Woman of the Island Cooking..

Handicrafts made on the island..

Cooking fires are always built on a layer of  stone or clay. This is done to protect the highly inflammable reeds from potential fire accidents.

The Reed Boats

The reed boats are one of the oldest known boats in the world. They take up to a month to build. These boats called Tatora are the principle means of communication between the islands.

Model demonstrating how the islands are made

The islands are made from what is called 'Tartora Reeds'. The reeds are native to the ecosystem here . The dense roots of the reeds form the base of the island. It is this base that supports the layers of reeds put out on top. The reeds rot and so have to be regularly replaced. The reeds are even eaten and are believed to keep teeth and gums strong. We were given samples. Lets just say its an acquired taste :).

You bring out the Peruvian in me :)

The people here turn to the sea for a living, in recent times supplementing their meagre incomes through tourism. We were welcomed warmly into their houses. It was fun trying on the local attire. :)

The Reed Boats of Titicaca

We took a small boat ride through the island. It was lovely. The short ride took us to an island on the opposite side , a much bigger and more touristy proposition.

The Island of Titicac

There are close to 40 islands in this area. Our guide pointed out to solar panels. There were schools on the islands. But the closest Universities are all in Puno.  There are close to 2000 people who live here.  Only a few actually live in the island. Through the years , through marriage there has been intermingling between the Uros and the people from mainland Puno. The original language Aymara is no longer spoken. Through the years it has been linguistically eroded and has consequently almost disappeared.

It is amazing that the people of the Uros have managed to maintain their culture in the midst of all huge challenged , the chief among them being loss of livelihood to commercial fisherman. Tourism has provided sustenance and thrown in some sort of a lifeline. No matter what hurdles they have left behind over  the present century will present bigger challenges. And here's hoping that this ancient people show the same resilience they have shown over the past 500 or more years.

Driving Down (From Cusco to Puno)..

Travel Diaries: Oct 8th

We left early to Puno.  The sun had just risen. Still tired after the trek, we relished the slow pace we had set ourselves that day. But strangely we got on the bus ruing the loss of an entire day in travel. Its so much more convenient travelling overnight. But this was the best we could do. We decided we would catch some sleep. Half an hour into the ride we realised how wrong we were. The scenery was in some ways overwhelming , nothing like what I had seen before.
In a bit I was wide awake , camera in hand, not knowing but hoping that  my lens would somehow obliterate the reflections from the glass windows in front of me (No the windows could not be opened , if that's what you are wondering about :))


We drove along sides tracks laid deep into the gorgeous tawny brown ground. A sprinkling of houses provided the right amount of detail. The rolling hills in the background, gentle and all observing stood back silent enjoying the gentle sun. There were no trees. But inspite of the dry earthy colours of the landscape shifting rapidly past us, the mind seemed to conjure up images of the rich earth lying beneath suggesting life and continuity rather than  the opposite...






The railway line foretold our journey, almost prophetic, withholding just enough for us to savor the experience by ourselves, but travelling with us a fair distance before vanishing behind the hills.





Llaamas graze, their heads bent. Some it  seemed were also keeping watch as they others devoured the warm grassy earth beneath :)





We stopped at a place. There seemed to be a lot of activity ahead and around us. We got off to explore. It was a street Market; Alpaca shawls, sweaters, bags, gloves, local musical instruments all on display, Passersby busy haggling out a good deal..
The mountains stood out in the background, stark against the vibrant hues all around

A bustling Market by the roadside..

"Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard 
    Are sweeter: therefore, ye soft pipes, play on; 
Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd, 
    Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone" (John Keats in Ode on a Grecian Urn)






We departed. The sun was beginning to set. Grey waters of a sullen river flow past. They seem to catch the light of the setting sun. The sky is overcast casually threatening rain, holding back probably just for the fun of it or so it seems.

Our first glimpse of Lake Titicaca

Our first glimpse of Titicaca was breathtaking. Stretched out in infinite blue she almost looked like the sea.
All around we could see millions of rooftops...
M

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all 
       Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."  (John Keats in Ode on a Grecian Urn)

The Inca Trail (Day 4)..

Travel Diaries: Oct 7th


Winay Wyana -----  Destionation: Machu Pichu!!

We hardly slept last night. The anticipation of being there was unbearable :). It was much warmer that the previous night. We were to leave earlier than usual and breakfast was unthinkable so early, though i did try to coax myself into eating some toast.

Packed , we set off at 4:30 AM. It was close to an hours wait at the gate.  We were the fourth team that got there and we waited for the gates to open. They soon did..and then the rush began.
The final day felt like a race to the finish line, no kidding it really did. There were close to 15 groups all trekking up trying to get to Machu Pichu as soon as possible. The trail was narrow and we did our best to keep pace. After about an hour I started feeling the need for some sugar...So we stopped and got a few biscuits and later hurried up to Sun Gate to catch up with the rest of the group.

 Our first glimpse of Machu Pichu from Sungate

Sungate is our final pass . The final leg was a steep stretch of close to 50 steps and then we were there in Sungate ('Intipunku'), and in front of us was Machu Pichu.  When we first got there I couldn't really spot what we wanted to see as there were so many other things in the scene of view too :) ..And just when I was thinking where is Machu Pichu , I saw it . (It somehow reminded me of the episode in Friends where Rachel can't see her baby in the scan :D... Don't mean to digress;)).

Relaxing at Sungate

After catching our breath , we walked the final stretch to Machu Pichu.  Along the way we stopped to get a few pictures under the fledgling rays of the sun. It was beautiful!

A more atmospheric shot of Machu Pichu , (along the way)

And Finally we were there...!... The moment was surreal. We could scarcely believe it.  Machu Pichu is more beautiful that anything I had seen in the pictures. During the trail I did wonder at times if it would be as good as everyone said it would be. But it was a whole lot better than anything I had expected.
I just can't imagine that something like this was built 500 years back and if the ruins are so spectacular ,I would have really liked to see this sprawling Inca city during its moment of glory centuries back.

Hmmmmmm

Machu Pichu

We took loads of pictures standing here...  And then we just sat there taking everything in.

We did it!!... The entire team 

Machu Pichu!!

'Machu Pichu' means Old Mountain  and was discovered by Hiram Bingham who thought he had discovered the Lost city of the Incas. At 2432.75 m, it strategically overlooks the Urubamba valley.

I was there :)...

Machu Pichu

There are several theories behind the origin and purpose of Machu Pichu ranging from it being the birthplace of important Inca Woman to it being the residence of the Inca emporor.  Strategically located it definitely was a very important Incan city.

Llama

We walked through the city (which is hugeeee) and our guide pointed out to places of interest and explained the historical significance of these structures.

Agricultural Terraces..

There are two distinct sections the Urban section and the Agricultural Section..Our guide explained that the agricultural terraces seen were not just to prevent erosion , but for temperature control enabling crops like corn to be grown at this altitude (at which they normally don't grow).

Courtyard

'Recinto Del Guardian' - Guardhouse

Agricultural Zone

The Inca's believed in three world - the world of the serpant, the world of the puma and the world of the condor. The Temple of the condor has a stone structure resembling a condors face and wings placed in the center. There also was a small cave like enclosure where the remains of sacrifices to the gods were thrown. Apparently at the beginning of every year a Lllama was sacrificed and if the heart of the llama stayed beating it was a harbinger of good fortune.. A still heart spelt misfortune....

Temple of the Condor

Astronomical Observatory

Sun Dial in Machu Pichu

In all our excitement to get here , we did not factor in how much energy it would take to walk the city. We thought getting here was it... But no Machu Pichu tires you out :).. The inclined nature of the city makes sure that you work hard while you are here. It was a hot day and by mid afternoon we were tired.
So we walked back and took the bus to Aguas Calientes.  It is a small town known for its hot springs.
The group converged here for a meal together. It was good catching up and everyone seemed more relaxed.

The train tracks run along the roads and there are restaurants on both sides :).
Haven seen scenes like these among the Himalayan Kingdoms in India and this most certainly reminded me of home,

Aguas Callantinas..Peru Rail

Our train was only at 7:30 Pm. So we explored the town a bit. We tried converting some currency , but the rates were terrible, definitely a bad idea! We sat in one of the small cafes and enjoyed a meal. There was only one thing on my mind and that was a warm shower. But that will have to wait until Cusco.

Some light dinner and we were all set. The train was only as far as  Ollayatambo from where we took the bus back to Cusco.

Tired, but extremely satisfied I had to pinch myself to believe that I had just visited Machu Pichu :).

M

The Inca Trail (Day 3)..

Travel Diaries: Oct 6th


Pacamayo to Winay Wayna


Pacamayo is the highest camp site on the trail. Last night was freezing. And today will be the longest stretch in the  Trail. We climb down from Pacamayo which is at a height of 3500 m to Winay Wayna. 
Last night saw three members of the group falling sick. In the heartland of the incas it was the deftly brewed local tea by the porters in the team that helped.  So we set off at 5:30 PM



We climbed down and soon from a distance the circular ruins of Runkracay emerged into view. Like most other ruines of note along the trail , It was also discovered by Hiram Bingham.

The inca ruins of Runkuracay

Inside the ruin of Runkaracay

Overlooking the Pacamayo valley, it probably served as some sort of watch tower and might have been a resting place for travelers walking the trail. We walked on. The climb got a little steeper as we made our way to the second pass  Arba De Runkuracay.

 Lake along the way to the pass

The trail got prettier as we walked on. Once we got to the pass we were rewarded with a spectacular view of the peaks. It was only the first few hikers who got to see the view and it soon fogged up.

View of the peaks from the pass

We rested a while enjoying the scenery and waited for everyone to get here. It was unimaginable for me that those who fell sick the previous night trekked this stretch. It was demanding enough when you are fully able.

The path we climbed to get here...

The trail got narrower as we climbed down. Our knees hurt. But the views got prettier. We were promised that we would see loads of inca ruins today and with that driving us we walked on.

Climbing down from Arba De Runkuracay..

The stone staircases were built differently. They had been carved into the mountain by the incas and the steps slightly tilted upwards. The genius of this was that in a downward slope it gives the walker. a near horizontal footing.  Sayacmarca was our second stop. Saycmarca means inaccessible town and seeing the ruin tells you why

The Ruins of Saycmarca - 'Inaccessible town'

The vegetation changed drastically as we lost height. Yesterday was dry, but today was all flowers and sunshine and plenty of trees. The most exciting bits of the trail for me was passing through a small Inca tunnel. Its amazing that these structures were carved through the hard mountain rock centuries ago.

Walking through the Inca Tunnel

No am not posing :)

Phuyupatamarca

The ruin on Phuyupatamarca is incredible. From a distance the terraces that are the defining feature of the ruin were spectacular.

close with the ruin of Phuyupatamarca

Getting here involved a slight detour and meant we would take a good hour or so longer to get to our final stop. But it was well worth it. 'The Town in the Clouds' it most certainly is. The views from here are spectacular. We could see the river in the distance. All the inca ruins we saw so far seem to have been built strategically. The kind of thought and engineering that must have gone into these ancient structures is unimaginable.

A section of the ruins of Phuyupatamarca 

The view of the river from Phuyupatamarca

View form the top

We hurried back on our way. It was almost evening and we wanted to get back before it was dark. It was a little difficult finding our camp site as there were close to 15 teams camping in Winay Wyana. Luckily everyone was friendly and helped us get to our spot. We hurriedly dumped our bags and headed to see the ruin of Winay Wyana.

Winay Wyana

Winay Wyana  is beautiful, the biggest among the ruins we have seen so far.  We were told by our guide that the ruin is possibly much bigger as sections of the forest around it haven't been cleared yet!!!!

The entrance to the ruin

'Winay Wyana' in Quecha means 'Forever Young'. It was supposed to serve as agricultural terraces . There were several beautiful rooms on the top of the ruin overlooking the entire region. The view was amazing! The setting sun was the perfect foil to this incredible location.

Perfect locations and big groups call out loud for a picture. So we requested a fellow traveller while we stood and smiled.  The picture taken we walked away. It was only when I aimed my camera for the next shot that I realized I was missing the camera cover. Precious that it is, I panicked. I was certain I hadn't lost it. We combed the area and there seemed to be no trace of it. The only possible explanation was it wasn't returned. We looked in vain for the guy who took the previous picture. But he had long since gone.  My mind was swimming with thoughts . How could I have been so careless and how on earth were we to find a perfect stranger among hundreds of trekkers camping. We walked to the camping site and S spotted the guide with whom the other group was visiting the ruin. In broken spanish we explained to her that the gentleman who took our picture probably inadvertently took the camera cover. She promised us that she would speak to him once he was back and   we left giving her details of our camp site.

We walked around and then walked back to our camp site.  Everyone was more relaxed with the hardest part of the hike behind us. Everyone got there and dinner ended with a celebratory note with the chef bringing in a freshly baked cake!!!!!!... How someone managed to make something like that without an oven is a question we couldn't answer (and he didn't either :)). But the cake was one of the yummiest I have eaten.  Just as I as devouring this dessert something sweeter surfaced. The stranger who took our group picture at Winay Wyana that evening came by to return the camera cover. He had accidentally and probably by habit of taking pictures put it in his pocket. God Bless him!

We were told about the need to rise early the next day and warned about the hordes that were trying to get there :). Having walked a good 15 km we were ready to go to bed :)



M