Cusco

---

Finally having arrived by plane in Cusco (from Tegucigalpa, Honduras) we reached our hostel and were shown to the room we booked with the cherubs (Simon and Lorenzo, who we met in Mexico). It was 7am, so they were still asleep - Simon was thrilled when we jumped onto his bed! Another English kid has been added to the group - Blaise, who went to school with the cherubs in London. Together, we all spent several days in Cusco acclimatizing, then did a hike up to Machu Picchu (separate entry).

Cusco is a beautiful city, full of colonial architecture and twisting cobbled roads. There are so many great places to eat and drink that we couldn't go to all that we wanted to. We had some great local dishes (although the food is rather bland compared to Mexico and Guatemala) but there are also some amazing British and American restaurants, which are cheap and good quality. British restaurants also meant dark beer of the quality we have sadly been missing.

There are a lot of tourists here, but the main squares and streets are bustling with locals at midday, which creates a nice, friendly city atmosphere. Every Sunday there is some sort of carnival, complete with giant crowds in the Plaza del Armas and a huge, huge parade with dancers, music, and people from every department in the Universities of Cusco (a lot of people in suits, just walking along).

One pre-Machu Picchu day, we went white water rafting with the boys. Apparently, this is a little more dangerous around this time of year - rainy season just having ended and all - and the rapids we ended up rafting were class 4 and even 4+. For reference, 5 is typically the highest, most dangerous of the classes. But our guides were excellent. They prepared us well, with a 10 minute lesson (arguably not much) and even a review. The boys sat up front and braved most of the waves, while we stayed dry by comparison in the back. Lorenz barely complained.

Our guide led us down the beautiful Urubamba river, and breaks between the rapids allowed us to enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery. But the water was cold, and we were happy to pry our hands from our paddles at the end of the 2 1/2 hours. We were escorted back to the lodge, where a hot shower and sauna awaited us. After some time, delicious lunch was served and we were driven back to Cusco.

---

Photos

Us in wetsuits
Simon, Lorenz, Blair, and Laura, pre-rafting.

Comments

[ElbizHh]

wo0la
mmm sisters i already sent a mail fo0r you..check it please. oh!! i´m so jelo0usS because you see like having a great time!! luv iaa BYeSs