The guest house seems to be full of Americans. At breakfast today, I was talking to 2 University Professors of Nursing who were here to set up a programme for students to come and stay for a month next year to assist with Community Health and Education. There seem to be a number of organisations and projects here that are trying to help Andean women, in particular, as they have especially harsh living and climatic conditions to contend with in the mountains.
Having been given the password for a faster internet service, I then spent the morning updating the blog and applying for more housesits. Wifi internet in Ollantaytambo is notoriously slow and therefore frustrating. Outside of the guest house, most of the cafes advertise wifi but the service is no faster. It is just how Ollantaytambo is!
I eventually went outside and walked along to the Inca Bridge over the river and then along the river on the other side. The path climbed steadily upwards and I was afforded good views of Ollantaytambo in one direction and the glaciers (under the clouds) in the other. I intended to walk to the first Mirador or lookout but, for some reason, my legs were feeling like lead and I was noticing the effects of the altitude, so didn’t quite make it.
Back in town, I went to the same cafe as yesterday for lunch. The service was still good as was the food and I could watch all the people streaming up and down the steps of the ruins. It seems that the afternoons are when all the tour groups visit.
I stayed in my room then for the rest of the day. I hadn’t slept well at all last night and didn’t feel like going out again. Having bought an avocado at the market place, I had sufficient food so half heartedly watched some really bad television and read for the rest of the evening.
Nicky Abroad 