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Ok, 2 entries in one day, we´re doing well!
We left off on the way to Cusco, due to our expensive time in Huacachina we decided to slum it in Cusco and so found a ridiculously cheap hostel. This means pretty much no heating or hot water and dirty. Anyway, we survived it long enough to book our trek to Macchu Pichu. We booked a 4 day Lares trek which was basically a 26 mile trek over 3 days, then spending day 4 at MP.
The trek itself was pretty tough in places, hiking for up to 6 hours a day and climbing to 4,500m. We had a good gang of people though I seemed to be the most unfit, I guess 6 years sitting at a desk 10 hours a day wasn´t the best training, but having 2 young American´s who carried their full ruck sack while I struggled with my day sack wasn´t helping in making me feel good. Luckily I had packed a Steve who doubled as a bag carrier so I had the last laugh!
The trek was fab, we didn´t see any other tourists the whole time apart from the other trek group
with the company we went with. We saw local children along the way, farmers, alpacas, llamas and the odd Condor. One local family agreed to letting us see their house, it was amazing, like stepping back in time, they all live in one room, where they cook, sleep and keep their guinea pigs which they then eat. They were very friendly and we had all brought little gifts of pencils, rubbers and toys for them to say thanks for letting us nose around their home.
The weather was ok for the trek, though it got really cold at night, so much so that there was ice on our tents, they hadn´t really warned us about this, and Steve only had his normal sleeping bag so he was freezing on the first night, I had one of the hired bags and was still pretty cold in that, any part of your body not wrapped up froze so you had to sleep with your head in the bag - you can imagine how nice that is after hours of trekking with no shower! The first thing we heard in the morning was the chap in the next tent moaning about how
cold he was, Steve took no chances the second night and got a spare sleeping bag from the guide.
On night 3 we got to stay in a hostal near MP then we got up at 4.30am to be there for sunrise. MP was pretty damn cool, words can´t really describe what it´s like to be at the top of a mountain looking down at a city built 500 years ago. We got there in time to take some great shots before the 1000 other tourists turned up. We walked to the Sun gate, a 45 minute walk uphill to the famous gate overlooking the city and spent quite a few hours in the city mooching round.
On return to Cusco we booked ourselves into a slightly nicer joint (hot water and clean), spent one final night with the gang from the trek, which involved car bomb shots, salsa and some UK versus USA dance moves.
As it was Steve´s 30th on Sunday I found a really good deal at a 5 star hotel, not realising until it was booked (and they sent me the confirmation in English) that I had booked the honeymoon package. So we
had to pretend we were on honeymoon on arrival and anytime we were asked!! It was fantastic chilling out in a clean massive suite, drinking champagne (well a slightly dodgy Pervuvian champagne substitute but when in Rome…) and stuffing our faces with the minibar and room service. When we got back to our room after dinner we found they had made the bed up with flowers in a heart shape and little petit fours on the pillows.. I´m thinking lets pretend we´re on honeymoon wherever we go and see what we get!!
We sadly had to leave the hotel on Monday and go back to a less salubrious hostel, we then did a city tour of Cusco which was ok, but after seeing MP was a tad dull and there were so many tourists that it made you feel like you´re on a gravy train.
The following day was my bday and we went on the sacred valley tour which was fine but again, a tourist gravy train so not as good as we had hoped. We then got on a night bus to head to Arequipa, we booked a nice one (what a bday treat!). As we
were queuing to get on it, we had to hand over our passports and they guy was really stern with us, then he grabbed my passport off me, I thought he was going to say there was a problem, or that I didn´t look like my photo but he actually just asked if it was my bday and when I said yes he started singing ‘happy birthday’ so loudly that the rest of the queue joined in!! V sweet but I was mortified!!!
So we are now in Arequipa and about to embark on another trek, this time a 3 day one through the Colca Canyon, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon apparently. Poor Steve, I am sooo going to moan when I have to climb 1000m in 3 hours!!
Will let you know how it goes….take care for now
Jane and Steve xxx
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Cathy
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I have just been catching up on your blog.. it looks like you are having an amazing time, and yes, I am suitably jealous.....cx