Finally arrived into Cusco after our taxing 50 minute flight from Lima after being greeted with amazing views over the Andes from the plane window. Cusco already seems so different from Lima in terms of the climate, arcitechture and most spectacularly of all the views!

Both suffered with the symptoms of altitude sickness yesterday as the city of Cusco sits at an impressive 3500m above sea level. We made use of our hostel straight away and tried to sleep off the worst of it...didn´t really work as well as we´d hoped but we got up at midday and headed into the centre of Cusco. Cusco itself is a beautiful city (photos so far don´t really do it justice, but more to follow) as the part we are staying in, San Blas, has evidence of the colonial Incan buildings and narrow streets. After confirming our places on the Inca trail for the 10th Jan we also booked ourselves onto a couple of tours to see the other Incan ruins around Cusco, hoping that they might help us combat the altitude sickness for good?

Set off on our first tour today to see the sites around the sacred valley. Both got up not really knowing what to expect but feeling excited. It was only after our pre departure briefing by our very knowledgeable guide Martine Martinez that we were told that we would be visiting a site at 4800m above sea level! As you can imagine made our stomachs churn just at the thought. To give you a quick description, tour was amazing, learned so much about the Incan civilization and their culture whilst being surrounded by breathtaking scenery and very friendly Peruvian people, oh and Sarah managed to throw up at the ancient Incan archaeological site at Pisaq! Suprisingly after our very overpriced and unidentifiable buffet lunch Sarah perked up, with the help of some Oreo cookies and was perfectly fine to view the sights at the highest part of the tour in Chinchero.

Just got back to our hostel after a good day and after sampling a local pizza, and are now ready for bed. Hope all is good back in blighty, cold I bet? Take care and talk soon B&Sx