20 Hours on a bus..

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We have completed our first SA long bus ride - we got on the bus at 2pm and 21 hours later arrived into Cusco. We were very, very thankful to have paid a little more for some luxory to ease into the travel style! The bus itself was the 'suite' and was filled with tourists only, I guess as it was expensive - although $65 for a 21 hour bus including recliner seats, in-built videos, meals and toilets didn't really seem that ridiculous. It was my turn for the Man Flu this time - which has been made alot worse by the altitude of Cusco being 3,400 my head has felt like it is going to burst the past 2 days, walking around always short of breathe this Inca Trek is looking harder by the minute!

The hostel is great! Has a huge room, really cool kitchen area that they make us breaky in and an ensuite with hot showers - luxory! Have began having more and more Coca tea, to help with the altitude sickness. If you have it just made from the leaves, its kind of like strong green tea but some places make it more concentrated and add sweetner to make it easier to down. The coca tea and leaves themselves are illegal in most places as they are used to make Cocaine - the strong powdered tea today definatley had our hearts racing they say its good for energy levels as the altitude can make you drowsy - seems odly addictive also hmmm.

Cusco itself is fun, definatley a tourist town with Llamas walking around for pictures and markets after markets of amazing alpaca wool jumpers, gloves, beanies - alpaca anything really! I can imagine we are going to leave with a few items that we will never wear again and have to lug around the world!

Plans for the upcoming week here is to go to school. Spanish school for a few hours a day to try and take some of the 'no entindieno' (i dont understand) out of the general consversations! We have gotten really good at asking the price of something, then we learnt quick there probally wasn't any point if we couldn't understand the answer so number studys have began - up until then Ricky Martin was helping a little - Uno, Dos, Tres, Quarto, Sinco, Sinco, Seis. But he does stop at six and he did repeat 5 twice - so thanks for the Ricky!

Then on the 6th we head off on our Inca Trek! Which is more known as Matchu Pitchu - The incas built the estate around 1450 and was built in the traditional Inca way, through polished stones and a lot of them! our trek is around 42 kilometres all up, and will have three nights camping in tents along the way! They do suggest thermals, some places will reach about 4,000 metres and will be snow. Awesome.

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Comments

[Jasmine]

wow!
Looks like your having amazing adventure so far! Im really enjoying the read!... Chayse loves the alpaca picture and asked where we could get one as a pet!... Be safe and can't wait to read more!!! xo