Ahnalira
Posts: 17091
Joined: 7/6/2002
From: where Magic is real
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We are back on the road today. After four magical days in the Sacred Valley, we are saying good-bye (for now)
and heading higher into the mountains to Cusco. Our first stop is the famous Pisac Market.
You can get pretty much anything here from food to finery.
Sellers gather here for the day, bringing impromptu their families and mobile kitchens for feed themselves. This little one seems quite content to adorn the merchandise.
Disney gave everyone in the group 10 Sols with instructions to purchase a "White Elephant" gift for a dinner activity in Cusco. It was fun shopping for silly gifts through the market Afterward, we relaxed in a cafe with some Coca tea, and Alan found a friend. He finds them everywhere
Back into our vans, we climbed to about 12,000 ft elevation to meet and play with some Llamas and Alpacas. This is also a cooperative participating in the re-emergence of traditional Peruvian weaving... everything from raising the animals to selling the merchandise.
We were given alfalfa to feed them, and it brought out the childlike wonder in all of us! I found a little baby that I was training to follow me home
We finished this tour in their store... where everyone had even more fun
Back in the vans, we were all very ready for lunch in Cusco!
We had a choice of two appetizers:
Eggplant Stack
of Salad
Entree choices included a vegetarian Gnocchi
or Chicken with Rice
There was also a choice of desserts, but they both were sugar-ful so Alan and I didn't have one to take a picture of
 TIP 5 If you have special meal accommodations (Alan and I both maintain a sugar-free diet, and I prefer to be vegetarian), start talking to the guides about it immediately. This is the one area that, in the four Adventures by Disney tours we taken, attention to detail is inconsistent. Some guides are very attentive and some only make an effort when reminded. Oftentimes, there were no snacks that didn't have sugar in them so be sure to bring your own if you have bloodsugar considerations, and oftentimes I had difficulty getting protein (ie cheese) with my vegetarian meals. Towards the end of the trip, I had to order chicken to maintain bloodsugar balance. As far as sugar free desserts go, at best expect the guides to make sure the dining staff serves a plate of fruit. At worst, expect to have to remind the guides at each meal. Our tip is to just bring your own stash of sugar free treats. And our tip for any Adventure Guides reading here: A great way to increase your gratuity is to handle special meal accommodations consistently and attentively
After lunch.. well, we were tired. At a higher elevation again and after a full morning of activities, all we wanted was a room to rest and regroup. Fortunately, the hotel in Cusco is a short walk from the restaurant. Everyone headed to our own territory as soon as we arrived. We were on our own for the evening, and Alan and Marion and I were happy to relax at the hotel. We had a wonderful and quiet meal at the hotel restaurant, reliving the highlights of our adventure together.
Click here for last day in Cusco and finale
< Message edited by Ahnalira -- 10/28/2008 11:04:33 AM >
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Beauty and wonder everywhere I look. I am my dreams come true
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Sacred Valleys and Incan Cities Part 6 - Loco for Llamas - 
The first day we got to watch the wool being dyed with plants and then woven into thread by hand on a spindle and then woven on hand looms. It was WONDERFUL! ..and I thought of you