Cusco

For Ben, the bus from Lima to Cusco was a journey to forget. The concept of a 21 hour bus ride after the difficult hikes we completed in Huaraz seemed like an excellent prospect for forced downtime and much needed rest. The buses here are actually quite comfortable and are similar to plane travel back home - blankets, pillows, food service and the chairs recline quite far.

All that said, beware of the mayonaise and chicken sandwiches! Ben got it bad starting sometime before midnight and continuing throughout the morning hours as the bus snaked its way over the mountain passes from sea level up to Cusco at 3300m. This experience put Ben in bed the entire first day in Cusco. Unfortunately, Patricia caught the same ailment two days later and had a similar experience. Each of us took turns as nurse maid, picking up soups to go at the local restaurants.

This was the lead up to the four day trek by the famous Inca Trail to Machu Pichu. Patricia's timing was especially bad as she only had one day rest before setting out on the trip.

Cusco itself is an incredibly beautiful city set in a valley surrounded by mountains. The original Inca plan for the city was the shape of the Puma and the city certainly meanders in a very organic way. The Spanish colonial architecture blends easily with ancient Inca ruins and modern peruvian construction. The Plaza des Armas is a bustling square with beautiful churches, just up the hill is the San Blas area with its artists and cozy streets, and local markets offer all of the fun of chasing down food supplies between crowds of people, noise and smells. The narrow streets offer a new adventure at every turn.

Around Cusco are some small but excellent Inca sights. We managed to negotiate a tour of the coungtryside between sites by horseback. El Blanco and Brown Beauty were fine steeds. Patricia was a very understanding cowgirl as her horse was well and truely in charge.