Saturday 27th March - Day 21 - Vilcashaman

Weekend and time for another sight-seeing trip.  Up at 5p.m. in order to get a hot shower before we took our tour bus to Vilcashaman at 6a.m.  Vilcashaman is the second most important Incan city after Machu Pichu.  It was a three hour drive through unbelievably beautiful scenery but totally through the mountains and therefore nearly all hairpin bends and sheer drops down into the valley below.  Terror, terror, terror ....especially when part of the road had dropped away and a wooden plank bridge had been laid across the gap.  However, we made it there and back in one piece and although it was good to get out of Ayacucho for the day and we all enjoyed it, I dont think I would rush to go back on that particular trip.   On the way back we stopped in the middle of an area of land not dissimilar to the New Forest and then had to walk on to see a forest of Puya Romande trees.  These are like enormous cacti that grow to about 12mtrs and live for 100 years.  At the end of their lives they sprout a huge cone shaped flower and then die. 

 We were all looking forward to a nice end-of-the-day dinner on our return but sat down to seaweed, potatoe and carrot casserole complete with a few tasty little barnacles that were still stuck to the seaweed! Yuk.  Another packet of crisps and an M&M for dinner!

Some of the Incan ruins with a Spanish church on top of them

The main Incan King whose name escapes me but it's not Atahualpa

Incan Temple to the Sun God

A real live Gaucho

Sitting on the Sun God temple

One of the most beautiful views I've seen

Temple of the sun God

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday when Jesus rides on a donkey into town and the people lay palms on the road. I am going to Mass at the Cathedral in the Plaza de Armes at 7a.m. in the morning when the people bring their palms to be blessed before laying them down before Jesus. More on this tomorrow.