Cuzco


It has been a crazy busy couple of days.

We left the hotel in Quito Monday morning headed for Lima – the flight was delayed a little but not a big deal. There were a few of us, actually of the group of 14 that were together in the Galapagos 6 of us were headed to Peru and one had just come from there. None of us were headed on the same tour again though.

I got to Lima and quick little nickel tour on my way to the hotel. I am roommates with a girl from Kelowna, B.C. We had a meeting with one of the tour reps, although not the one going with us on the Inca Trail and the we just walked around the city & had dinner at a tiny outdoor cafe. I have to say that I really didn’t feel very safe. Even during the tiny tour I was shocked at how poor the city was, or some sections of the city. Some of the places look like just a step away from a shanty town.

Tuesday morning – terribly early, even for me, we headed back to the airport for the flight to Cuzco. It was delayed a little as well.

We haven’t stopped since and I am about to fall asleep as I write this. We got to our hotel & while they checked us in we were given some cocoa tea for help with the altitude. We had a little meeting about what was going to happen during the day and then we headed out. Our tour guide is wonderful. His name is Roger – he has worked with GAdventures for awhile and has been to Toronto for their annual meeting. A big deal in the tour company I have learned.

He gave us some tips for dealing with the altitude and then he let us try some natural, Inca oil like stuff. You put it in your hands and then breath it in a few times and rub it in your hands. It was quite nice. I don’t know if it works or not but I do seem to be fine so far – I haven’t taken anything for the altitude yet. We all bought a small bottle later at the market to take with us up the trail.

Roger then took us on a walking tour of Cuzco. It was great! He told us a lot about the Inca religion, his family still follows the teachings. He gave us lessons in the different herbs while we walked through the streets lined with old women trying to sell things. Then we went to a market – it was really a different world. So many different types of food. He told us what the different items were and how things worked in the market. The old ladies selling things on the street were there because they are too poor to be inside he market.

You may not believe this but I actually tried all kinds of new things today, really I did! Roger had one old lady peel some kind of vegetable for all of us to try. It tasted a little like pumpkin but I don’t know what I was and then we peeled some fruit that was weird looking and you had to kind of suck it. It was good but had seeds in it. He also bought some bread that was honestly about the size of a bicycle wheel and everyone just breaks pieces off and eats it as the day goes along. Then he took us to a fruit stand where an old lady made fresh juice for everyone. It was unbelievably good and we got to choose which flavors we wanted!

After we walked around and looked some historic sites, Roger took us to lunch although it was 4:30 by this time. He explained that at his altitude we don’t need to eat as much as normal and to definitely not eat a big dinner, lunch should be the main meal. He took us to a small cafe where all we had was chicken soup – he ordered it, and we had the bread that he bought earlier. It was the best chicken soup I think I have ever had – sorry Mom & Aunt Sheila! It was a large pottery bowl with one whole potato, one whole carrot, one whole chicken breast & some noodles, with of course the chicken broth! Yummy.

We had to almost run back to the hotel because we were meeting another group that is joining us on the hike up the trail. We spent pretty much the rest of the night getting ready. We have to leave our luggage here at the hotel, we will carry a backpack and we have sherpas to carry our sleeping bags, tents, food, etc.

I am heading to bed now, truly exhusted but excited about the next few days. We go to then Sacred Valley tomorrow, stay in another hotel tomorrow night & then start the hike the following day. I will be unplugged for awhile as I am leaving everything here at the hotel.

P.S. some strange thing I ate today didn’t agree with me – I hope I’m okay…

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