Cusco - City of the Inkas
Monday, and we had one final, extra day in the Jungle after the cancellation of our flight to Cusco on Saturday. Started off with excellent early morning observation sessions, Lee was at HOB and Rachael up at Canopy. The highlight of the morning had to be a mixed flock of tanagers, dacnis's and cottingas (all small high canopy birds) that came through and which both of us managed to see, Rachael from high up and Lee looking from ground level up.
After a very tasty breakfast we were both clearing vegetation from around some of the animal enclosures, Lee worked on the parakeets and curosaw enclosures while Rachael cleared soome trails through Winney, the Tapir's, enclosure.
That afternoon Rachael had a very very quiet observation session at HOB, while Lee went on a walk. Since arriving at Taricaya Lee has constantly mentioned that there was one group of birds he would really like to see, a Trogan. We'd left on Friday thinking he had not managed this. However during this walk not only did Lee see a Trogan, but two different species and three individual birds! How Jammy is That! He also spotted two Saddlebacked Tamarins.
Back at the lodge, while waiting for Rachael to return from HOB, Lee was minding his own business outside our room when suddenly he heard a scream from inside staff Rachel's room, which is right next door. It turns out she had put her foot in her trainers only to find something in there...and that something turned out to be a TARANTULA! Rachel then promptly killed it with a flipflop, only for it to have mysteriously disappeared moments later when Lee went to show Rachael...spooky....
Tuesday and this time we were leaving Taricaya for real. No options of coming back if the flight was cancelled we had to get to Lima whether via Cusco or not. With some sad goodbyes we left for town and headed to the airport. Fortunately the flight was not cancelled this time and we soon arrived in Cusco, the City of the Incas.
With limited time to explore we headed to the main Plaza immediately, admiring the Inca stonework of the walls as we went. Next we decided to visit one of the nearby Inca ruins of Saqsaywaman. Once we were up there the cloudy skies cleared and the warm sunshine poured out of the blue sky, we were lucky enough to find a guide who spoke english and didn't cost a fortune to show us around the ruins of this Inca temple. The stonework of the whole area was stunning, with large blocks of stone fitting together perfectly with no gaps. To think this was all done without all our modern cutting and lifting tools and technology, we could only stand in awe.
With the sun setting and rain clouds building we walked back down to the city, with the red tile roofs unravelling before us like a wave rolling down the valley. Fortunately neither of us suffered very much with the altitude, only feeling a little breathless while walking up and down the steep, cobbled streets of Cusco.
We enjoyed a lovely evening meal with Maartje and then headed back to our gorgeous, spanish colonial hostal where for the first time in 2 months we slept with four blankets covering us!
Wednesday and the start of our epic journey to New Zealand! For the next three days we will spend nearly 25 hours flying and the rest of the time waiting in various airports, until finally on Saturday the 23rd of December we arrive in Auckland, New Zealand just in time for Christmas =0)
Monday, and we had one final, extra day in the Jungle after the cancellation of our flight to Cusco on Saturday. Started off with excellent early morning observation sessions, Lee was at HOB and Rachael up at Canopy. The highlight of the morning had to be a mixed flock of tanagers, dacnis's and cottingas (all small high canopy birds) that came through and which both of us managed to see, Rachael from high up and Lee looking from ground level up.
After a very tasty breakfast we were both clearing vegetation from around some of the animal enclosures, Lee worked on the parakeets and curosaw enclosures while Rachael cleared soome trails through Winney, the Tapir's, enclosure.
That afternoon Rachael had a very very quiet observation session at HOB, while Lee went on a walk. Since arriving at Taricaya Lee has constantly mentioned that there was one group of birds he would really like to see, a Trogan. We'd left on Friday thinking he had not managed this. However during this walk not only did Lee see a Trogan, but two different species and three individual birds! How Jammy is That! He also spotted two Saddlebacked Tamarins.
Back at the lodge, while waiting for Rachael to return from HOB, Lee was minding his own business outside our room when suddenly he heard a scream from inside staff Rachel's room, which is right next door. It turns out she had put her foot in her trainers only to find something in there...and that something turned out to be a TARANTULA! Rachel then promptly killed it with a flipflop, only for it to have mysteriously disappeared moments later when Lee went to show Rachael...spooky....
Tuesday and this time we were leaving Taricaya for real. No options of coming back if the flight was cancelled we had to get to Lima whether via Cusco or not. With some sad goodbyes we left for town and headed to the airport. Fortunately the flight was not cancelled this time and we soon arrived in Cusco, the City of the Incas.
With limited time to explore we headed to the main Plaza immediately, admiring the Inca stonework of the walls as we went. Next we decided to visit one of the nearby Inca ruins of Saqsaywaman. Once we were up there the cloudy skies cleared and the warm sunshine poured out of the blue sky, we were lucky enough to find a guide who spoke english and didn't cost a fortune to show us around the ruins of this Inca temple. The stonework of the whole area was stunning, with large blocks of stone fitting together perfectly with no gaps. To think this was all done without all our modern cutting and lifting tools and technology, we could only stand in awe.
With the sun setting and rain clouds building we walked back down to the city, with the red tile roofs unravelling before us like a wave rolling down the valley. Fortunately neither of us suffered very much with the altitude, only feeling a little breathless while walking up and down the steep, cobbled streets of Cusco.
We enjoyed a lovely evening meal with Maartje and then headed back to our gorgeous, spanish colonial hostal where for the first time in 2 months we slept with four blankets covering us!
Wednesday and the start of our epic journey to New Zealand! For the next three days we will spend nearly 25 hours flying and the rest of the time waiting in various airports, until finally on Saturday the 23rd of December we arrive in Auckland, New Zealand just in time for Christmas =0)
posted by Lee Barber at
7:46 PM
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