Cuzco, Peru Adventures October 2008

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Well, it has been a wild ride since arriving in Cuzco- acclimatizing to 10,000ft/3,400m, being pan-handled constantly and spending a night in the hospital have all been a part of the Peruvian experience so far.

Connie arrived on Sunday 10/12 after 30 hours of flying on 5 different planes. The first day included getting oriented to the city, eating and going to bed early with a huge headache. Cuzco has the feel of a southern European city complete with tourist shops and restaurants for all types of travelers. It is uniquely Peruvian with traditionally dressed women selling their artwork and traditional food. Acutally, it seems as if everybody here had something to sell! There is a great local market in the center of town for buying fruits, vegetables, meats and handicrafts. The Peruvians are very welcoming and happy to help with any questions. The dogs are free to roam the streets, lead their own lives and take advantage of the market food that ends up on the floor.

Jeff´s arrival on Monday was a little more unique. He was immediately seen by a doctor in the hotel for sand fly bites on his legs. It ended up costing us a night in the hospital in which Jeff was hooked up to an IV to reduce the inflammation on his legs from 150 bug bites.

We were released from the hospital on Tuesday and went for some breakfast and town orientation. In the afternoon, we went up to the Sascayhuaman Ruins (Incan) also known as Sexy Woman Ruins for those who cannot pronounce it properly. The rock walls were massive in size and there was still plenty of archaeological work going on in the area. The steep uphill climb definitely helped us to acclimate to the high altitude.

On Wednesday we took a local bus crammed with people to the small town of Chinchero where we hiked along the Inca Trail towards Huayllabamba in the Sacred Valley. We were rewarded with an incredible view of mountains, glaciers and a small village surrounded by terraced mountain slopes.

The last two days have been spent preparing for our 4 day biking trip in to the Sacred Valley- buying food, bike parts, eating dinner for under $1.00 and organizing logistics. Sorry for the brief update, but our time here at the internet place is running out!

We will keep you updated as our adventures continue! Photos will follow as well, no worries!

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Photos

Hotel Cusi Wasi
Breakfast