Gracetown

Ben and Jacqui - wedding. Prevelly.

Date Day (with Henry)

Pork chuc with green tortillas and pumpkin seed dip

Pork 

Marinate pork fillet chopped into thin minute steaks in 3 lime and 1 orange juice and salt and pepper for 20- 30 mins. Drain juice and reserve. 

Saute in a pan until golden.

Add the reserved juice and simmer gently for about 5 mins. 

2 red onion cut in half and peeled with pepper and salt wrap well in aluminium foil. Roast over fire or in oven 

Chop the roasted red onions into slices and mix with lime juice. 

 

Dip

1/2 Red onion cut in half and peeled with pepper and salt wrap well in aluminium foil. 

3 tomatoes in half with salt and pepper and wrap in aluminium foil. 

Cook over the fire or in an oven. 

Can also use banana leaves instead of aluminium foil. 

Blend a cup of roasted then ground pumpkin seeds with mashed tomatoes and onion pieces and coriander leaves.

Chaya tortillas 

2 large handfuls of Chaya (substitute with spinach)

Put in food processor or cut very finely

Mix equal parts water and cornflour 

400g flour with 400mL water for 10 people 

Mix with a pinch of salt and the Chaya 

Knead until smooth and then shape into bowls and squash into tortilla 

For chayita fold into three 

Deep fry until golden around the edges 

Tortilla and fajitas

1kg flour (corn) 

1L water 

Pinch of salt 

Squash between two plates 

Cook with no oil in hot pan 

Chicken marinate in lime, salt, pepper

Cook chicken

Separately cook onion, capsicum red and green 

Add chicken lime juice and then at end coriander. 

Beans

Cook chorizo in crumbles 

Add beans and simmer 

Tipon

Terraces with flowing water.

Pisac markets

Talked up as the best markets in the region.
I preferred cusco San pedro markets. Cheaper and less touristy than pisac.
Still fun for a look.
We ate at one of the restaurants near the veg market and I was food poisoned. Luckily it only made me sick for the afternoon.

Pisac archaeological site

Spectacular!
A great day trip drive to see the sacred valley. 200 soles for a private taxi for the day.
Awana Kancha, pisac ruins and markets, tipon, pikillaqta.

Awana Cancha 2

Awana Cancha

On the road from cusco to pisac.
Alpaca and llama zoo. Run by a group of families.
Free entrance. Small donation to feed the animals.
So fun!
Also a small weaving, spinning, dyeing demonstration.

Another three festivals in Cusco

Every day there is another excuse to have a parade with a marching band in Cusco.
Today it seems like there were three!

Co-op building

Human conveyor belt

Salinas de Maras

Salt mines just outside Maras.
Intricate design to allow the salty water to crystallise in various ponds.

Peru or Mexico?

Moray

Incredible Incan ruins.
Tucked in a valley near Maras. Impossible to see even a sign of them until standing right on the edge.
Concentric terraced circles. Pollen from many different plants and soils from all over the Andes have been found here. Temperature varies as much as 15C from top to bottom.
The theory is that it was used as a biological testing ground. The different levels mimic the different climates through the Incan lands.

Town of Maras

The stepping stone for Moray.
A cute little sandy town made of mud bricks

Views on the road to maras

Dogs at tambomachay

Tambomachay

Caught a taxi from cusco to tambomachay. 20 soles.
More Incan ruins.

Choco Museo