Coporaque

At length, we arrived at Coporaque and our hotel, elevation somewhere between 11,000 and 12,000 feet. No longer gasping, but not out jogging either.

Mountains to the west; what we could not see until the next
morning was the big, very active volcano lying behind the
clouds

The hills and mountains are covered in terraces, pre-Incan, our
guide said

As we drove through the village square, I noticed what
appeared to me to be a full dress rehearsal for a very big folk
extravaganza, big even for this little village of some hundreds

Our hotel, wings branching to all sides

Dinner menu; only one copy

I opted for the alpaca steak; probably it was the altitude and
the long day of fighting between the guide and the Swiss
woman; Vicki had two bites; tastes like a thin slice of over-
cooked beef; very lean and very healthy, the guide said;
another once in a lifetime experience...

With high anticipation, I walked into the village; the band and
the procession had disappeared

Although many costumed people still were milling about

Later Vicki joined me and we explored bits of
the square; the only Gringos around

Not all the bits

The square has eight arched entrances

Communicating with extraterrestrial aliens from outer space