The Incan Grudge Against Me

I am not sure what I have done to an Incan in a past life, but their spirits do not like me in the present. Knowing that I despise cold and dislike rain, the Incan gods have brought both in full form - PLUS with a bipolaresque teasing of glorious sun - each day we have been in Cusco.

This morning, for example, it was finally not AS hard to get myself out of the warm covers and into the cold world outside of bed, and by the time we had breakfast and a healthy dose of cocoa mate tea to run around the town, the sun was shining and I felt warm. So we went up to the Incan ruin high up a hill overlooking the city, Sexywoman (er,it just sounds like that, but its spelled so many different ways in Quecha I am just going with that). We were just finishing our tour and contemplating the mystery of Incan construction when the thunder started and the dark foreboding clouds in the distance were not quite so in the distance. So we walked a bit faster back to town, arriving just as the rain began to pelt us with some mighty conviction. When just half an hour earlier I was Dancing like an Incan with my tank top and soaking the sun. We went back to our hostal before meeting up with a Pacific Northwesterner I met at the language school in Ecuador who is now also in Cusco, during which time the Incan gods brought us HAIL. By the time we went to leave again, the hail subsided but the remainder of the afternoon was intermittent rain and constant cold. Brrrr.

When I visited the main Incan site in Ecuador, Ingapirca, it was also pouring rain and cold. And after the constant sun and heat in Argentina, where you almost could not sleep because of the heat - fabulous, this is quite the transition. Its not even like Seattle drizzle -though glad I am not in SNOW today, suckas.

We sought relief from the weather by gorging in a cool restaurant (though no go with the hummus to satisfy my craving, as it kind of tasted like ... well, nothing) and the indoor local goods market (pigs balls or cow heart, anyone? If ONLY we could have trusted the $1 ceviche, but that would likely bring along major digestive problems from the market. No street food). Then Ming and I went inside the main cathedral, but both of us are kind of creeped out by churches so that did not last long. We have been taking it easy thus far in Cusco, but tomorrow we will spend a full day in the Sacred Valley. Will be going to the Big MP after the New Year, now, because the trains are so packed with people that is when we can go, just in time for the raise in prices for 2008. Happy New Year.

Rain coat, check. Going to make a run for it ... and pray to the Incan gods to forgive me for my past transgressions...