Peru 2015/16 - Cusco - Miercoles - Horseback Riding

It is another lovely day, blue sky with fluffy white clouds, warm enough to be in a t-shirt. I have a sun burnt nose! It has been like that since I got here though dark grey, angry looking clouds can move in rapidly. Once there was a thunderstorm overnight and I have dodged a couple of brief showers. It is rainy season, Robinson at G Adventures says it is unusual and to prepare for rain on the trek. I bought a rain poncho today in the hope that will prevent it from raining. I also bought ear plugs (I have been warned that New Years Eve will be very loud and its the first night of our tour), bug spray and a flashlight.
Chris and Jason came to my hotel and we were picked up for our horseback riding excursion here. The drive out of town was fun with clogged streets, honking horn and a very creative approach to traffic lanes (basically as many as you can fit between the buildings) but it didn't take us long to get out of the congestion. I was happy to see that we were provided with riding helmets.

Jason's horse had to give her foal a little snack before leaving. Then he went back to grazing.

Chris mounted and ready to go.

My horse, named Super. He was fine but I'm not sure about super.

We rode up the road a bit and then onto trails through a field with lots of free range horses and foals. First stop was the Temple of the Moon.

Gabriel telling us about the site.

Altars cut into the side of a rock outcropping and caves where ceremonies were performed for the dead. They were mummified in the fetal position and buried in tombs with food, clothing, tools etc. The Inca believed in reincarnation.

Mounting up again (believe me the mounting part is not as easy as it used to be) we set out over the mountain. The horses knew which way to go, climbing in a zig zag pattern up the steepest parts. The scenery was magnificent with Cusco in the valley below us and mountains all around.

Passed llamas

Storms were coming in and twice I put on my poncho but it never actually rained. We heard thunder and watched lightening above the mountains. I can only imagine what that will be like when trekking.

We stopped at a flat spot near the top and Gabriel (our guide and co-owner, with his brother, of the horses) talked about the Aug 1 ceremony on that spot to Pachamama (Earth Mother).

Passing storm with a great light show.

Glimpse of Cusco in the valley below.

We ate the snacks provided and then remounted (this time the young boy, along to help, was having a great time giggling at my difficulty mounting - we had to find a bigger clump of grass to use as a mounting block). Down hill, through trees and meadows, over streams and gullys. |My poncho made it difficult to get to my camera so no pictures of that part.

As we returned to the "ranch", we were greeted by Jason's horses foal looking for another snack.

Gabriel fed the horses before we left and as the food was in the back of the car

the car was mobbed.

Super knew something was going on

A couple of them took matters into their own hands.

 It was an expensive excursion by Peruvian standards, $45 US, however we were gone for 3 1/2 hours and much of that was on horseback. Gabriel and his young helper were with us all the time often on foot, keeping us safe. Gabriel's English was excellent and he was a willing guide.
As we drove back into town it started to rain, great timing and after a short wait for the shower to stop we headed back to Chis and Jason's apartment to make supper. While there the rain was so torrential on their corrugated plastic roof that it was impossible to talk. Oh that will be fun when trekking!

Market at night

Home to do the blog and again Internet too slow to load up pictures so this was finished on Thursday morning