Two Towers Hike, Bonfire, and Ruins Tour

This past weekend, we met at 530am in the Plaza de Armas in Urubamba for our hike to two Incan towers on top of a peak surrounding the village.  Our guide, Ober, was a local Peruvian in his twenties with the lung capacity of Lance Armstrong and TheJim2.0 combined.  When we left, it was about 40 degrees, and we were all bundled up in hats and gloves.  Quickly, the chilly stroll turned into a rather challenging death march as the sun got hotter and hotter.  We made it to the top in about 3 and a half hours, albeit recharged with energy knowing that it was all downhill from there, literally.  We hung out on top for about an hour, had an early lunch, and took pictures of the ruins.  The walk, which turned into a run thanks to the incline of the hill, took about half an hour, just in time to enjoy a cold Cusqueña in town before the Duke kids who are serving in Cusco arrived for the weekend.

We ordered pizza from a small place in town, and the twenty of us Dukies hung out around the bonfire for the night.  We ended up at a "discotecha" called Manhatten, which has zero resemblance to or affiliation with the New York City borough but nonetheless brings the heat with the reggaeton.

Early Sunday morning, we left for Ollantaytambo and Pisac, two popular Incan towns.  Below is a view of Ollantaytambo, the starting point of the Inca Trail to Machu Piccu and the former palace of the Incan emperor, Pachacuti.

These stairs were tall enough to challenge my strapping, young mother, cardiovascularly speaking.

Another shot of Ollantaytambo.

 On our way from Ollantaytambo to Pisac, our van broke down, giving us some time to get laughed at by the countless tourist buses cruising by.  Fear not, I'm over it.

Side View of Pisac. Slight resemblance to the Hartford Meadows, minus the masses of underage debauchery.

Group shot on top of Pisac.

After we visited the Incan town of Pisac, we went to the Pisac Market, where a caddy loop at Rolling Hills can go further than it ever has.  I stocked up on some alpaca gear for the family, and left satisfied knowing that my mom will still be cold enough to ask me to return to Peru for more.              

Monday and Tuesday have been full of teaching the fifth graders about air and water pollution and numbers in English.  I finished my second book so far in Peru, and this sentence will serve as proof to my family that I know how to read despite how far behind I was and probably still am in terms of literacy of my older brother when he was 8. 

Tomorrow, I'll be kickin' it in the market selling tomatoes, peppers, and organic yogurt from the cows at the farm.  Tomorrow night, we have our volunteer dinner, and I'll be bringing my culinary dominance abroad with an epic spread of breakfast for dinner.  Forecast calls for some fresh fruit, chocolate chip pancakes, and a quiche good enough to make my hipster sister revert to her omnivore days.

That's all in Uru.

God speed loyal followers and casual creepers,
Chris