Blogs from Cusco, Cusco, Peru, South America - page 180

Uma cidade interessante An interesting city... read more

Hi Everyone! I can't believe i haven't put some of these photos on the internet yet... about three weeks ago, Mike and I escaped Cusco for a weekend of relaxation and fun in Ollantaytambo, a tiny town about 2.5 to 3 hours away by bus and combi. it was awesome! We had a great time... Mike couldn't believe how many people were jammed into the combi... he kept counting and re-counting and the most at one time was 24 (there are 12 actual seats.) It was only a short ride (about half an hour) but by the time we got out, Mike couldn't feel anything below his knees and my ankles and toes were totally numb. Such is south america! Being away for the weekend did me a world of good. Teaching is still going well, ... read more

Sorry for the delay! Melia and I had a great trip to Machu Picchu this past weekend!!! We finished our school on Friday and then had a birthday lunch with our host family. It was our madre (here in Cusco, Lucia) Judi´s birthday. There was quite a feast. As with most things here in Peru it involved Coca Cola. Melia´s professora still thinks that there is actual cocaine in the Coke. If you are sick have some Coke and you will feel better. A big night out have some Coke and enjoy the evening. Thirsty have some C..... Well we had a very interesting meatloaf that was specially made for Judi´s Birthday. It was a meatloaf with extra meat, bacon, eggs, and sausage on top of the usual ground beef. It tasted a little bit sweet. ... read more

A few questions for you: 1) You drive a minibus. It has 14 seats. How many people can you carry? a) 14. You want your passengers to be comfortable and safe. b) At least 20. Preferably more. With sacks and animals too. 2) You drive a taxi. What safety features should it have? a) Crumple zones, airbags, seatbelts, ABS braking, etc. b) None of the above. In fact, if it has them, you should rip them out. And replace them with the following: 1 statue of Jesus, 1 picture of the Virgin Mary, some beads, frilly curtains for the windscreen and most importantly - a very LOUD horn that plays a silly tune. 3) You drive either of the above. Peru's streets make up a grid pattern with many uncontrolled junctions. How should you cross these ... read more

My friend Chris and me departed Colombia for Peru, and a two part trip: the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and the Amazon rainforest. After a couple of nights in uninspiring Lima (and a donation to the Casino at the Sheraton) we met with our group of fellow travellers and headed off to Cuzco, arguably the tourist capital of Andean South America. The group was made up of the usual melange of nationalities, with an especially welcome sprinkling of Scandinavians this time. Scandinavians, I am finding, are generally good people to hook up with as they tend to be rather less aggressively arrogant than some of our other European partners (ie the ruthlessly efficient ones or the ones who don´t use deodorant - you know who I mean). There was a wonderful couple from Norway, a ... read more