Blogs from Cusco, Cusco, Cusco, Peru, South America - page 63

The bus journey from Arequipa to Cuzco doubled back on much of that we had travelled through getting to Arequipa from Puno so we did it in one 10 hour stint overnight. Amazingly the bus got in an hour early - at 5am, so after ignoring the accommodation touts (if you didn´t like the place they took you to what are you going to do at 5am in the morning when its dark and you´re in a strange city) we hung out in the station with a mass of locals until it got light. We then caught a taxi to the place that Adam stayed 2 years ago as it's in a great location. They had a free room at a fair price so we checked in, and it wasn´t even 7am! 10 minutes later we ... read more

Hey everyone, Sorry- it looks like the pictures that I tried to upload last time didn't work. I'm going to reupload them this time. So, I was offered a great job through the institute in Costa Rica! I am going to be the Academic Coordinator for the San Jose Maximo Nivel. The pay is significantly higher than a teacher (still crap for the US... but i'll be able to live pretty well there.) I'm so excited about it because not only will I be able to do administrative work with a decent title and resume builder, but I will be teaching 3-4 classes as well. The hours are pretty intense.. but I think it will all be worth it. I bought a plane ticket and they funded $250 of my flight which was pretty helpful due ... read more

We left Puno early and headed to Cusco, all hoping that the strike was over and we didn´t get stopped just outside the city. Apparently during the strikes people block off all the roads with big stones and boulders and if any cars come along they start throwing rocks at them...hence all the worrying when we left! Luckily when we got nearer to Cusco the stones had been removed enough to allow vehicles through but we still had to swerve to avoid a few piles! When we arrived we just had a wander round the main square and headed to a little craft market where we tried our skills at bartering, they worked but we could have done better! In the evening we headed to a cool bar where drinks were served in plant pot type ... read more

I spent the past weekend taking advantage of how close I am to so many Incan ruins and playing the tourist role. My roommate, Alex, and I traveled around Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Saturday we went to the market here in Cusco which was quite an experience. The market is enormous and there are hundreds of people from the 'campesino' (the sorrounding rural areas--farmers and such) selling fruits, vegetables, maize, beans, and fresh meat, amongst other things. We definitely turned a lot of heads as we were probably the only non-Peruvians there! On Saturday afternoon we took the City Tour with a guide around Cusco...we went to Incan museums and ruins, and Catholic Cathedrals. The Cathedral here in Cusco (you can see a picture in my last entry) is pretty incredible. There are a dozen ... read more

We are in Cusco, which the Incas referred to as the ´umbilicus´ of the world. We arrived about a week ago via bus from Puno. It was a nice bus ride and we stopped along the way at various Inca Ruins and a church in Andahuayllias. We were excited when we got to Cusco because it is such a cute town and has a beautiful Plaza. There are many churches built atop Inca Temples. Lots of stonework is left from Inca times. It is very sturdy and has survived earthquakes. We will be here in Cusco for 4 weeks, living with a host family. We met them a day after we got here and were lucky be placed with a really nice host family. Our 'mom' Nancy, is a retired teacher. She has four kids. Her ... read more