Cusco and Machu Picchu

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Hey,

Okay, I´m gonna keep this very brief as it´s mostly about the photos.

Fighting fit, we explored Cusco, it´s beautiful, colonial and very very tourist friendly. We went around every museum possible, most of which were rather sparse and disappointing. We also walked miles and miles to local Inca ruins that were pretty cool and the exercise was good.

On the streets in town, the restaurants and bars try to drag you in, there are people trying to sell all kinds of tourist tat, flyers for massages and tours and even plenty of people trying to sell you marijuana. You start off saying no a lot, but soon just start ignoring everyone, it´s much easier. Luckily we didn´t say no to one guy with a flyer and it turned out he was advertising an English pub round the corner that we didn´t know existed. Now I know you´ll all have been abroad and avoided the English pubs in ´The Med´ like us, but after 3 months and numerous belly problems the thought of a nice safe roast dinner was amazingly appealing. The food was so good we went back again to get some Heinz baked beans on a jacket potato. The manager came over, an English guy and it turned out he worked for Chrissie in a pub years ago. Him and his wife had bought the place a couple of years ago. As much as the thought seems tempting, both Chrissie and I decided it´s a little too far from home to do the same thing.

Cusco is the start point for getting to Machu Picchu, usually via the Inca Trail. Luckily we weren´t able to do the Inca Trail as you need to book months in advance and we came away on a whim. I say luckily as it is a hard 4 day trek and Matt certainly wasn´t well enough for that yet. We booked the sedate (old person) tour for two days. A bus through the Sacred Valley took us to several small Inca sites and then we caught the train which winds you through a stunning river valley to the town of Agua Calientes. The town is entirely made up of hotyels and restaurants catering for the thousands of visitors who need a bed and food before visiting Machu Picchu. We ate and slept and then rose at 5am to get there before the crowds.

For anyone reading this who doesn´t know what Machu Picchu is, well it´s FAB thats what it is! You know how they try and wow you with Stonehenge by saying that they had to drag stones all they way from Wales for it, well they did the same kind of thing here, but built an entire city not just a pretty circle and just to make the challenge worthwhile, they stuck it on top of a mountain. It´s wonderfully preserved and restored for something created 600 years ago. We explored the city all morning and then hiked up the mountain to the sungate to get the amazing highground view. The clouds roll over the site and surrounding mountains causing it to disappear and come back into view in seconds. The whole place just feels a bit magical and we hope the pictures get at least a little of that across.

Love
Matt and Chrissie
x x x

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Photos

Saqsaywayman (pronounced sexy woman) ruins
And the imminent thunderstorm

Chrissie gets hungry while stuck on the train
Uh-oh beware the sulk!