Cusco Wanderings and Inti Raymi

By Farah Ahmad – Guest Blogger from Cusco SALUD
It is hard to believe that I have been in Cuzco for two weeks already. At the same time it is hard to believe it's ONLY been two weeks when I look at the amount of things I've done since I've arrived. I wandered around the Sunday market and the ruins at Pisac. I climbed up to Sacsayhuaman (there are a million and one ways to spell it) and watched people set up for the Inti Raymi festival. I wandered the streets alone and with people that I met sitting in the beautiful Plaza de Armas. I've seen how, for over a week, there have been wonderful costumes and dancing in the streets with people at almost every age level. To be honest, the festival of Inti Raymi itself wasn't as wonderful as the week leading up to it so I would definitely recommend trying to plan a trip for the week and a half before the festival (even if you can't see the actual day of the event.) It was a great festive environment sitting in the crowd at the Plaza de Armas; similar to a ball game with vendors selling popcorn, kazoo-type toys, tamales, and more. The festival started at the Qoricancha museum, continued to the Plaza, and then went up to Sacsayhuaman. It included dancers coming in and surrounding the Plaza de Armas, the ¨head Inca¨ and people carrying idols including shriveled up mummies (which I saw more of later in the Inca Museum.)
I've also had time for a weekend trip to Puno and the islands on Lake Titicaca. Uros consists of man-made floating islands made of a reed called ¨totora¨. We stayed with a host family on Amantani and then spent the next day at Tequile where the men wear different hats depending on their marriage status. It was a wonderful trip for the beautiful sunsets and the hiking on the islands. Well, tomorrow I plan on going rafting so I better head to bed to rest up! More news later!