Oh geez... just EVERYTHING!

We arrived in Cuzco a few days ago. I'm desperately losing track of time here. Yesterday I thought that we would have to wake up today to go on our four day hike on the Inca Trail. ... No. In fact we arranged a briefing with the guide and he thought we were on crack (which is not all that uncommon here) because we asked him what time we would have to wake up "tomorrow." Ridiculous.

Speaking of crack... I'm sorry mom!!! I will have to give in tomorrow, though in my defense I have held out until now. Our guide pretty much said that coca is practically necessary for the climb to 4500 meters above sea level. It all has something to do with numbing the pain in the muscles from the lack of oxygen flow due to the altitude. The good part is we don't sniff it while listening to Marylin Manson... it's (sort of) just the natural leaf, dried, and you chew it like chaw - maybe with the ash of some other plant to enhance the effect... it's all biological really. Anyway, I just don't want to pass out and die since it's already difficult to walk down the street in the city without getting winded and it's only 3500 meters above sea level!

I did see one sad sight. I was on the bus to go on a tour of Inca ruins around Cuzco and this man had a sizeable mouthful of leaves and was holding out his hand for money. He had followed Mel and to the bus and then came to our window. Chewing and chawing while hanging on to his cane and with this pitiful, sad, hungry look on his face kept his hand held out to the closed windows of the tour bus. I did hear though, that although the leaf is not addicting, it does curb hunger and pain, so it was understandable that he chews and happens to be a beggar - or should I say it is understandable that because he is poor, he happens to chew coca...

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On a different note, the tour that we took the other day - after we drove off leaving the poor man and his leaf - was a tour of all the major Inca ruins just outside of Cuzco. Apparently, the Cuzco of the Inca people was litterally shaped like a humongous Puma. We visted the ruins of what would have been the head, although because the conquistadors used the finely chisled stones to build their homes, there was unfortunately only about 20% of the head left. Aparently the indescribably gigantic stone walls were just the wrinkle on the forehead of the Puma. This place is so amazingly full of history and awe-inspiring sights. The largest stone (in the wrinkle) weighs 300 tons... besides which they are pieced together without the aid of mortar or cement yet they have withstood every natural disaster (earthquakes being the main concern) and they have seen the destruction of the settler's architecture without being phased by the disaster. The greatest disaster that the Inca architecture has suffered is the looting. The walls of the buildings were commonly plated in gold and silver and were ornamented with their golden statues. In some places in the walls, you can see where they set precious stones directly into the walls. I am amazed at the advanced intelligence and ingenious architecture and political and social organization... I might even say (if it weren't so pagan) that it was even more powerful than the U.S. today.

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In an entirely different song, we've been having a blast (socially) too. Travelling is the best way to meet people. Of all the thousands of people that go to the U of M, there have never been as many wonderful and interesting (and friendly) people as there are on the road in South America. And there is never a lack of things to do or places to go to have a good time as a group. We have most of their contact information too, so when we return to BsAs there will be no shortage of weekend fun.

If I'm not dead in 4 days, I will write again soon!