Day 17: Cusco, Peru

Of course I booked us on the cheap airline that runs to Cusco from Lima but the catch is that it runs once a day and that it leaves at 5:40am. That meant a pretty early wake up call and a taxi waiting to take us to the airport at 3:45am. Either way, things went smoothly and the plane departed and arrived on time. The flight was short (1 hour) and has some really cool views of the Andes Mountain Range as you fly here. Amazing snow topped peaks and green valleys nestled in the clouds. It really was a welcomed change to the major cities we've been visiting lately.




Our taxi was waiting in Cusco to take us the 10-15 minutes to town so we could check in and start to get settled. Altitude is not something to take lightly. My Utah ski crew will appreciate that Cusco is approximately 11,000 feet above sea level (Alta is about 8,500 feet). So after a nap and guzzling some water and coca leaf tea we set out on this hilly town. Some of the streets required that we stop to catch our breath before proceeding further uphill. Which is why its impressive that Archana & Richard completed the 4 day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu in this altitude.

The town of Cusco itself is really quaint. From our room we can see down to the Plaza de Armas (main square). The only disturbance to get used to are the vendors. This town is a jumping point for Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley and is centered around tourism. Therefore the vendors swarm in certain areas trying to sell you paintings, clothing, tours, massages (I may have to partake tomorrow), even pictures with llamas (some baby llamas too). But outside of that the town is actually a cool spot with tight streets, old churches and buildings, and small restaurants, cafes, and bars tucked about.







I would also like to add that my Spanish is steadily improving and I'm even ordering my meals in Spanish these days. Although I have to admit that it's muy helpful (y cool) to have an esposa that habla espanol cuando cosas get hairy!

Aleks: goatee-less picture above
Caragh: you will kick nobody! and comments are welcome (I personally didn't like the goatee, was just testing it out...again)
KR: Yee-Haw!!
Wood: Construction is looking good. Fried eggs look better here.
Allison & Jill: (next paragraph is for you)
Nad: Thanks for the letters showing up at our destinations!!

For those that are keeping track of my underwear situation, I have indeed brought 5 pairs on this 4 month trip, and the good news is that I've only used 2 so far, so I should be able to go a long time before needing a laundromat. Ilana is a trooper.

Can I get three cheers for Ilana!!

HIP-HIP.....
HIP-HIP.....
HIP-HIP.....

Hasta luego

FJ