Blogs from Cusco, Peru, South America - page 438

Train: Aguas Calientes to Cuzco Hotel: Sonesta Posada del Inca Cusco (Cuzco, Peru) $65 We woke up very early this morning to catch the first bus up to the ruins. It was looking like it was going to be a gorgeous day, with a clear blue sky. When we arrived in the ruins, the first Inca trail hikers were just starting to arrive. We ran into the Swedish girls again that we had met on the Colca trip, one of them was in pretty bad shape from the hike. I had done the hike on my previous trip; it's by far the most strenuous undertaking I've ever done.. the main problem was the altitude. We had breakfast in the Machu Picchu Sanctuary hotel, which is run by the Orient Express group. It's the hotel that's actually ... read more

Hotel: Sonesta Posada del Inca Cusco (Cuzco, Peru) $95 We moved over to the Sonesta hotel this morning, it was right off the square, and right across the street from the hotel where I had stayed in 1998. We were upgraded to the suite, which had a great view out over the rooftops and into the Plaza! We had several errands today, laundry and arranging our tours to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. We visited several of the museums on the Cuzco visitors ticket today. I had missed Qoricancha on my previous trip, what a mistake! It was fabulous inside with the old Inca stone walls. We did a city tour that afternoon, going out to Sacsaywaman (Sexy Woman), Puca Pucara, and other Incan sites.... read more

Arrived in Cuzco bright and early on Suzy's birthday...was greeted with a birthday hug by the owner of the Hostal Resbalosa, where we are staying in Cuzco. Went to a restaurant called Macondo for dinner, which is supposed to be nuevo andino/ jungle cuisine...what can i say, it was ok, the chocolate mousse for dessert was the best part, though! Relaxed and took in the charms of this beautiful city...smaller than Arequipa, with a few more backpackers, of course. Highlights include the excellent Museo Inca, and the Santa Catalina church, which is now a museum full of religious art...from the Cuzco school. Also, there being a number of supposedly Irish, English and American pubs/ restaurants, we found ourselves looking for some kind of food that would remind us of home. The food in these places isn't ... read more

Day 1 - Getting going A 5.30 pickup took us by minibus with the group to KM82, the point on the railway where the 4-day Inca Trail started for us. We got aquainted with the group: Laura, 21. Cambridge girl, full of energy. Seems to have been everywhere. Dave, late twenties ;) Scotsman with a bit of Irish. Full of knowledge, a chatty world traveler. Author of "Poland under the Comunists". Seems to have been everywhere, literally. Stephanie, 26. Canadian, relaxed and well balanced holidaymaker. Obviously the more adventurous kind. Pete and Sarah, 25 and 26. English and Irish explorer types with all the gadgets. Aly, 26. Our guide, a Peruano. Very knowledgeable and interesting fella. After being surrounded by a mad mob selling walking sticks and bottle holders (they surrounded and followed the jeep until ... read more

Hola from Cusco. As we rest our weary muscles after the Inca Trail it gives me a chance to update you on travels so far. After Puno, we spent a couple of days in Arequipa, a pretty city set in a valley with volcanoes in the distance. There are two things you need to know about Arequipa. It is the home of Juanita, an Inca Mummy found at the top of a nearby mountain when a neighbouring volcano melted the snow, thus revealing the body. She was a teenage girl chosen as a sacrifice in a time of crisis who walked up to the 6,000m + mountain top to her fate. There were several mummies found in the region and it is a grisly insight in to Inca Culture. The Santa Catalina Monastery was toted as ... read more