Cuzco & the Sacred Valley

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Sorry for the delay in getting out trip info about Peru up. Here are a few pictures till we get the write up done.


Upon arrival in Cusco we commented about a billboard we saw enroute to the baggage claim. It was a cheesy tourist photo of a family up at Machu Picchu, only one member of the family was turning away out the side of the frame obviously not feeling well. It was an ad for elevation sickness medicine. We had a good laugh. Then my body started telling me that I really should pay more attention to what that ad was advertising. By the time we got to our hostel: Amaru Hostal, I was starting to get sick with even the smallest movement.

So when I managed to recover a little we walked to the nearest shop and bought a few of these little wonder drugs. After about an hour with that big pill in me, I was feeling much better. These symptoms continued for about 24 hours before I could go without the pills. I never really got a good night sleep in Cusco, I believe that was also due to the elevation sickness.


To my amazement Lisa made the push for us to climb Huayna Picchu (the big peak just behind the ruins). So after signing in at the trail head we headed up - literally. The trail does not go more than 100 yards in the horizontal plane from the tail head but climbs as straight up a cliff as it can. The main ruins of Machu Picchu are at an elevation of 7,700', the top of Huayna Picchu is 9100'

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