Day 3

We had trouble posting this entry originally so we'll post it now a little out of order.

Day 3 Peru - Live life on the edge….

Buenos noches from under the Peruvian stars. We are here sitting on a terrace in the Andes Mountains looking at the moon and the stars. Our third day in Peru has been absolutely amazing. We left off this morning later than planned because, as Marlene put it, "my watch was confused". We were very sad to leave the cobblestone streets and bustling town plazas of the beautiful Cuzco. First, we drove to the Santuario Animal de Ccochahuas, a rescue animal reserve outside of Cuzco. There we saw (more) llamas, alpacas, parrots, macaws, Andean deer, tortoises, and gigantic condors that put on quite  a show. We "awwed" at the adorable pumas who were spotted sleeping and cuddling together in their cave. From there we continued on into the Sacred Valley, one of the most beautiful and breathtaking sights that I've ever seen. From the rushing Urumbamba River to the snow-capped mountain peaks, there is absolutely no way to describe it. One thing we have discussed while we have been here is how words and pictures simply do it no justice.

Our next stop was at the Pisac market, where we haggled for alpaca scarves, intricate jewelry, beautifully woven bags and blankets, and even machete knives. This was my favorite part of the day--the market was so lively and full of bright colors and it was a great way to practice our Spanish. It was full of music and bird noises (made from little wooden whistles) and you soon forget that soles are much less than the American dollar. We spent over an hour here shopping and yet most of us only spent thirty dollars for loads of different things.

Our journey continued onto Ollantaytambo (we keep pretending to know how to spell these names), where we were able to see some more Incan ruins. They were positioned high on a cliff (and required quite a climb), but the view was completely worth it. Our hotel was right next door and it is absolutely charming. After check-in, we went exploring behind the building and ended up playing soccer all evening. We will come back to Texas in great shape after running around with almost zero oxygen for hours on end. According to Nicole, "a flappy ball on a terrace in the Andes mountains was the best day of my life." 

Today was truly amazing, though, and loads of fun. We are so excited for Machu Picchu tomorrow.l

By: Liliana (Lindsay) Elaine Struthers

P.S.- Contrary to Mrs. Isbell's initial belief, there is a moon over Peru...