Where's my soccer jersey?

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Stuck in Lima waiting for our delayed flight to Cusco, I sit with my friends sleepily. To protect the identities of the innocent and guilty alike, I'll refer to them (appropriately) as Stinky Buns, Saggy Buns, and Silly Buns. In any case, I feel like this lull at the start of my vacation is a good opportunity to make my first entry. Although there is very little to write, I still feel the need to fill this space, this time. Perhaps, I could answer the question of why do I travel? Well, that answer won't be coming in these pages (at least not a deep one anyway). I figure, this journal will serve me best if I can find the time to jot down the funny things along the way. Most likely, I won't put down anything that one can read in a guide book, so this will be of little use to the practical traveler (which is my hope).

The hilight of this vacation will be a 4 day trek along the Inca trail to Machu Picchu for which I am rather unprepared. The trek follows a trail that skirts 10,000 feet for most of the time and ascends as high as 14000 feet. I am not in good hiking shape at all. My body has gone to hell since I moved to California. I hike much less these days and I run even less frequently. A pushup is an unknown expression. Ah, but suffering is good for the soul, so my soul will be fed well over the next week.

One thing I have learned while waiting at the airport is that in this country, you are royalty if you play soccer. While waiting on line to check our bags in, we got totally skipped by some soccer team. Geez, it's not like they're hockey players.

Anyhow, as I wait for my flight, I decide to brush up on my non-existent spanish. All the spanish I know is what I've learned from Taco Bell commercials.

Eventually, the fog lifts from Lima, and we get on our flight to Cusco. As we exit the airport, all the cab drivers rush Stinky Buns, the tallest member of our group. We get our first lesson in bargaining in Peru and overpay for a taxi ride to our hotel where we crash for a bit and then head on out to explore Cusco. The town is a bit dead on Sunday, but we get to know the surroundings.

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Photos

My bible for the next 2 weeks
Waiting in the coffee shop at the Lima airport for our flight to Cusco

We Made It
Finally made it to our hotel... Terra Andina. Silly Buns and I share a chair.

Terra Andina Courtyard
View from Saggy Buns' and my room.

Outside Terra Andina
The streets of Cusco have a slight Paris-like feel to them. Here's Stinky and Silly Buns taking up space.

Mural
Huge mural along Ave del Sol