Peruvian Haircut!

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Hola Blog Readers, Worried Parents and Bowel-Movement Enthusiasts,

I wrote the last blog just before we went out for a meal in Puno I seem to remember. We found a nice little restaurant down a back alley which gave a really good set menu for 15 Soles. We walked outside and this man I recognised was walking past us. I thought he was one of my old primary school teachers but it turned out to be the actor who plays Max Scully from the Australian soap Neighbours. Laura said I played it cool and didn´t look like too much of an idiot. I think she´s probably just not wanting to hurt my feelings. She had no idea who he was and just kept walking before realising I was talking to him!

Luckily a market had been set up on the said street and we did a little bit of shopping for presents and for ourselves. We´d been disappointed with the lack of shops opened during the day but then realised it was Sunday. We booked a trip to the floating islands so we did that the morning after. Unfortunately, it is seriously tourism overkill and the women on the islanders seemingly forced to do a dance for people leaving the island. The low point being when they said, "Asta la vista baby". Oh dear. Thankfully, later on in the day we got stopped by a guy working for an NGO helping islanders from a different island called Taquili. One of the islanders was practicing his English with us for the first time to tell us about the island and he did really well. We were kicking ourselves that their company wasn´t advertised at all otherwise we would have probably enjoyed the experience a lot more.

Yesterday we got our last coach trip from Puno to Cusco. Annoyingly they put us on a non-direct service even though we specifically asked (and paid) for a direct service so we got to Cusco 2 hours later than expected. We had a good wander around the town and ended up having dinner at a place called The Witches Garden. The food was good, but expensive, and the owners were French-Canadian so I was able to perfect my French whereas Laura struggled. Our hostel is actually really nice and we´ve got a great room.

Today we had a nice breakfast before going into town and buying a ticket for about $25 which lets you into loads of museums in Cusco (each of which costs around $13 individually!) so we spent the day rinsing our ticket for all its worth. The museums are really small but often contain some really interesting Inca stuff - including some mummified remains! I also got a haircut today from a Peruvian Barber shop. I think it´s excellent. It included the use of a cut-throat razor! We´re planning on going to Pisac tomorrow where there are some Inca ruins and some great markets. Then we´re going to some more famous ruins the day after before doing some more shopping. Then it´s onto Machu Picchu! Can´t wait!

Tink and Laura

PS: The bowels are satisfactory at present.

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Comments

[Clare]

Tink - Many thanks for the bowel update! Glad you're enjoying yourself and even getting in some celeb-spotting. Laura - I'm going back to Birmingham on Sunday, what am I supposed to do for a week without you?! Fortunately Lauren is back this weekend because Becky isn't til mid next week and I'd be duvet-less haha. Hope you're getting in lots of exercise ready for our 10 storey trek to the Sociology Dept... Muchos besos a mis amigos, Clare xxx

[Tink's mum]

Haircuts!
Tink - you'll have to start a separate blog on interesting places I've had my hair cut. The last time it was in the rag market in Birmingham (remember I was there - was it July?) and he also had a cut throat razor to clean up the straggly bits on your neck. If this one lasts as long, it'll be money well spent (which I know you're always on the lookout for!)