Cusco and Trip to Puno (click on picture for more)
We spent some free time in Cusco and then took a bus trip to Puno. Terry spent the free day going to the weaving studio and got a chance to do some weaving with some of the native weavers in the area. That afternoon we explored Cusco. The next day we took a 6 hour bus trip to Puno. The bus was a large excurson bus with a tour guide and we stopped at several places along the way for tours. It was very interesting to see how the rural folks lived in the high plains of the Andes. These people still live much as they did 200 years ago, in mud/adobe huts with wood heat. The fields have no fences and each herd of alpaca/llama/sheep is tended by one or more shepards. Its interesting to see people walking out in the middle of no where, just to get to the next village or field. Not much for transportation here.

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Terry and Rhea took a taxi to the weaving studio. These incan women spoke the native language, no english or spanish. The taxi driver could translate incan to spanish and Rhea could translate spanish to english if needed but communications were via hand signals mostly. Terry got to work with this woman for 3 hours. (Click to enlarge)
TerryWeaving1
Terry and Rhea took a taxi to the weaving studio. These incan women spoke the native language, no english or spanish. The taxi driver could translate incan to spanish and Rhea could translate spanish to english if needed but communications were via hand signals mostly. Terry got to work with this woman for 3 hours.
(Click to enlarge)
TerryWeaving2
(Click to enlarge)
RheaWithWeavers
That evening in Cusco Terry decided to buy some finger puppets from one of the children on the street. As she negotiated for puppets I decided to finally let one of the kids shine my boots. He hadjust waxed up one boot when all the kids started yelling that the police were coming and they scattered. We were left with unfinished shoe shines and hand full of unpaid for puppets as riot gear equipped police entered the plaza. We later found that it was not allowed to sell on the plaza, only on the side streets. After several minutes we left he plaza and the kids reappeared to get payment for their puppets. I found anothe young man to finish my shoe shine. I was so impressed with what he did with my crummy old boots that I took a picture to show how fine the boot looked compared to the other, unpolished one.(Click to enlarge)
GarysBoots
That evening in Cusco Terry decided to buy some finger puppets from one of the children on the street. As she negotiated for puppets I decided to finally let one of the kids shine my boots. He hadjust waxed up one boot when all the kids started yelling that the police were coming and they scattered. We were left with unfinished shoe shines and hand full of unpaid for puppets as riot gear equipped police entered the plaza. We later found that it was not allowed to sell on the plaza, only on the side streets. After several minutes we left he plaza and the kids reappeared to get payment for their puppets. I found anothe young man to finish my shoe shine. I was so impressed with what he did with my crummy old boots that I took a picture to show how fine the boot looked compared to the other, unpolished one.
My professional shoe shiner.(Click to enlarge)
GaryGettingShoeShine
My professional shoe shiner.
One of our guides, Daniel, invited the whole crew to his house for supper one evening. Featured appetizer was guinea pig. Several guinea pigs came out cut up into 5 pieces each. The animal was quartered and the head cut off and each piece was very obviously deep fried guinea pig. Kind of a greasy, stringy meat, but what little we could peel off the bones was not bad.(Click to enlarge)
DinnerAtDaniels
One of our guides, Daniel, invited the whole crew to his house for supper one evening. Featured appetizer was guinea pig. Several guinea pigs came out cut up into 5 pieces each. The animal was quartered and the head cut off and each piece was very obviously deep fried guinea pig. Kind of a greasy, stringy meat, but what little we could peel off the bones was not bad.