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So we had finally arrived in the city where we will start our Inca Trail. Before then, we have 4 days to discover the city and see the local attractions! We had been given a few warnings about what to expect in Cusco from other travellers, both before we left England and in the past few weeks... they were all correct!
More travellers than you´ve seen in any other place in S. America... check.
Offered a massage on nearly every street corner around Plaza de Armes... check.
Every restaurant or bar in town has a tout outside trying to get you in... check.
Some great sights, restaurants and bars... check.
A beautiful city with great architecture... check!
We´ve now been here 2 nights and one full day. The first day we spent looking around San Blas area and Plaza de Armes. We also visited the Qorikancha... the guidebook says "If you visit only one site in Cusco, make it these Inca ruins". The site is now the church of Santo Domingo and the more recent building of the church and the Inca ruins themselves merge together in places. Very interesting to see the Inca stone buildings and how they built in special ways to safeguard their buildings against earthquakes.
In Cusco, I´ve eaten possibly the biggest hamburger ever to be placed in front of me... a monster indeed... I´m very proud of myself for finishing it, then helping to eat the potato fingers with guacamole dip and a little of Jo´s pumpkin soup .
Yesterday we booked to go on a horseriding trek today (Weds 10th) to cover the 4 local Inca ruin sites of Saqsayhuaman, Qenqo, Pucapucara and Tambomachay and looked forward to doing so. Unfortunately Jo has been too ill to go on the trek. So we hope to visit these sites tomorrow if Jo is feeling well enough.
Well sadly, although Jo improved enough to go out for walk last night and watch me eating, she didn´t improve enough during the night to do anything today! Hence I´ve spent a morning faffing around with "admin" tasks then a billy-no-mates afternoon walking around Cusco taking some photos, looking in a few shops and churches and eating pizza alone in a restaurant. The chap in the pizza restaurant clearly felt for me as he dropped the price of his 'pizza for one' to entice me inside!
After avoiding the many offers of massages, I´ve returned to the hostal to find Jo around 50% better (her own words ). This is good news indeed and means I may have a dinner companion yet again!
Tomorrow is our final day before the Inca Trail. Our briefing with the guide is tomorrow night at 7pm, so before that it´s gonna be cram in as much as possible.
Friday 12 October
Jo was better again today. This was just as well as I didn't want her to miss the trek! Contingency planning had been put into effect just in case of continued illness but luckily not needed.
Not wanting to risk a relapse we stuck in town and had a good day getting the last minute items for the trek... the readies to pay the balance, rain ponchos, headtorch, tp, handwash etc
I can't let a blog go by without mentioning food... lunch was in a small cafe with a wonderful passion fruit cheesecake for dessert!
The orientation meeting went well.
More to update soon...
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