Leaving Cusco - yay!

Tomorrow we leave Cusco for Arequipa, also in Peru.  We'll be taking an overnight "luxury bus", leaving at 8P, arriving at 6A, cost $40. When we bought the tickets we were asked for our dinner order (they serve it on the bus), and I understand our seats lie completely flat, and that movies are shown.  Report to follow.

We're excited to be leaving Cusco, in part because the air is very thin here, and it's so touristy.  Cusco is 3400 meters above sea level -- for comparison Denver is about 1600 meters.  We thought we were doing great, adjusting to Quito's 2850 pretty easily three months ago.  After two weeks here we're still puffing with exertion, yawning lots, foggy headed, and kind of fussy.  Our recent jungle foray provided respite, and proved the theory it's altitude related, so we're out of here, into thicker air.  Yay.

A last bit of Cusco before we go.  There was another fantastic religious procession, one of middle schoolers that was adorable, and showed the depth of appreciation and the efforts to keep alive their heritage.

 

Dancers coordinating.  Some of the girls had shorter hair, and so had yarn extensions to complete their braids.

Drummers, mostly girls, pretty serious about their work.

Mary, angling into church.

We caught the return procession, taking Mary back home about 90 minutes later.  And there were different costumes in this part.

Cool, smurfy hats.

This white-masked dude was in charge of the gourd-rattling farmer -type guys.  They really shook those gourds,  and made a great clattering noise.  

Coming out, many girls were beflowered, in hand and on their heads, with sweet pouch purses. 

This littler Mary and was preceded by a group of about 20 donas (older, important, elegant ladies) -- these were the only non-middle schoolers in the procession.  They seemed to be having as much fun as the kids.

This version of Mary was reading as she went back.  

Mary in another dress, with Jesus in Incan garb.

The sweepers followed right behind, cleaning up confetti thrown in the procession.

Clearly there's so much meaning I didn't get.  I do wish I had the Catholic and Incan backgrounds to understand it all.

And one final bit on Cusco.  Folks in Peru have roof ornaments, too.  Except for the occasional plain cross, they are bulls, and sometimes with.  They live on the rooftop/roofridge like those in Cuenca, and are in place to provide balance, and a god presence, of course.

Roof bulls for balance and fertility.

Quite common:  bulls and bottles.

And you leave them in place even when you add another wall.  Bad luck to remove them.