Just a bunch of Rocks

---

So got an overnight bus to Cuzco with Jesse straight after the Colca Canyon trek. Arrived early Friday morning so had a sleep and then had a wander round Cuzco. Is such a lovely place, lovely little streets and loads of good places to eat. Is just too touristy though, postcards being thrust at you, and the words massage señor.. message ringing in your ears.

Went out in Cuzco Friday night as we had heard of free drinks promotions gallor. Went to a couple of bars, numerous drinks later ended up in some very touristy clubs, nice to get a bit of home although the music wasn´t really my cup of tea, cheese!

Woke up with a stinking hangover and returned to the pub for the england match, enough said. Just had a chill afterwards and an early night.

Got a taxi out of Cuzco on Sunday to check out some ruins. Very expensive ticket, Cuzco is just soooo touristy and expensive, counting down the hours until we can get back out into the countryside on the trek. But that said Sacsayhuaman was really impressive, crazy inca´s and their crazy buildings using ridiculously big rocks.

Monday - Up at 4am to get the bus to the start of the trek. Started around 8pm, up a dirt track. Wasn´t that interesting but had heard better things about the days to come. First camp site was cool though, amazing view of the pass that we would climb on day 2. Camp site had a shop! Only in Cuzco, but welcomed a cold beer, even though it was freezing cold.

Day 2 - walked up over the pass, wasn´t very hard, much easier now I´ve been high already. Was very cloudy and walking down the other side couldn´t see anything at all. As we descended passed into cloud forest. Was a lovely change, nice and warm and very green. More beer, another shop!

Day 3 - walked through more cloud forest and saw some cool waterfalls. Me and Jesse marched the last 2hrs infront, a long days walking, so enjoyed some more beer in a cool little jungly village watching the world go by (very slowly) and for everyone else to catch us up.

After lunch went to some hot springs, loads of amazing pools with differing temperatures. Was so relaxing, just what was needed after loads and loads of walking. Had more beer and some rum with the Polish couple. Not a good combination rum and hot water, by the time we left couldn´t really walk straight. An managed to rip open a huge blister on the bottom of my big toe on a rock in the pools. Oops!

Woke with a very sore foot. Cleaned it and got a compeed on it. Decided not to risk too much walking, and as there was a bus/train option, decided that would be best. Boring though as everyone else was walking.

Rejoined the group and spent that night in Aguas Calientes in a hostel in preparation for Machu Picchu, oooohhh!!

Up at 4am (again!) to trek up to the entrance of Macchu Picchu. Was a really hard walk up and we were all shattered and soaked by the time we got there. Was a bus option but all decided to walk, foot was fine.
Was very cloudy when we got up there, pretty worried it wouldn´t clear, but as the sun began to shine the clouds disappeared, such an amazing view, even better than expected as everyone always says.

Had a quick tour and then climbed up Wayna Picchu to look back down. Was sooo high, a little scary sitting on rocks feet dangling down. So worth it though, such amazing views.

Had a relax there for a couple of hours and then came back down another way which took us on a detour though some more cloud forest, nice but too many steps for one day. When we reached Machu Picchu again, was pretty busy so had a quick look round and then got the bus back to Aguas, for beer and a burger! Looking forward to getting back off the tourist trail.

Trail/bus back to Cuzco and then went out for a fairwell dinner with some of the guys on the tour. Went to a traditional restaurant, had cuy (see pic) tasted like a cross between lamb and chicken, dark and greasy but quite like chicken. Was nice, probably wouldn´t do it again though, but thought why not!

Next time I write I´ll be in Bolivia, getting a bus overnight tonight!
7 and a half wks in Peru oops! Only just running over schedule, well worth it though.

---