On the Quest for White Jesus ... and getting lost...

From the center city of Cusco you can always look up to see Cristo Blanco (White Christ) from the top of a near distant mountain. The name is not very creative - it's an all white Jesus perched up on a hill with arms wide open looking to the heavens above.


Another student and I decide we are going to walk to see White Jesus (please note I am the only one who refers to the statue as such - the other student kindly refers to it by it's proper name). We did invite another student who had actully already made the quest and knew the way but he got food poisoning from the Indian food we ate the night before. I was smart enough to take pepto the night before and was feeling better. (And I know - who goes to an Indian restaurant while in Peru? But the food was banging...) Thou I  did feel bad for this fellow student´s sickness I did take note that there was a very specific reason he was invited. He knew the damn way. Nevertheless - he said it was just straight up this one street and we marched up with adventure in our spirits.


And got lost.


Sidenote - I definitely have a blister and not frost bite. So I had a little baby limp.


Now, please note that almost all these tourists I am with are hikers and backpakers and cook on a stove they carry in thier bag for food they got from who knows where. Then you have my short stubby self in the hilly mountain terrain. Breathing all hard. Trying to act like I'm not breathing all hard. Next to the backbackers (well maybe a couple steps behind). Having to take pictures of the terrain to catch my damn breathe.


So this is the setting of the adventure as we walk uphill to White Jesus. It starts to rain so we take cover in front of someones house. Which of course I'm fine with becuase it allows short stubby self to rest. We take pictures as we wait.


And then we walk.


Past the entrance of the ruins.


And walk.


And walk.


Taxis wizzing by honking at us to see if we want a ride.


Cuz they're like what are these two idiots doing walking up this hill.


Take a picture to document our lostness.


And eventually make it to the other side of the ruins and ask where is White Jesus.


Backs toward the other side of the ruins we originally past.


So we march back down hill. And what do we see looking down at us from the original entrance we past but White Jesus. Who is conveniently blocked by trees on the view uphill but not downhill. So we ask the entrance guy- how do we get to Cristo Blanco? He tells us to see him (White Jesus) is free but not the ruins where he is located so if you want to pay the entrace fee you can. Or take a taxi. Or walked back down the hill to find some dangerous and steep and probalbly rotting stairs. Those are free.


(blank face)


Hmmmmm...


We'll come next week when we get it as a part of our city tour.


Took pictures to document our defeat.


And walked back down.

This is as close as we got.


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