Cusco
Cusco is 3500m above sea level. I did not appreciate before we got here what that really meant. It means that a 2.5 hour walk left me feeling like I'd climbed a mountain or gone for a long, hard run. Its gorgeous though. We've stayed in two hotels so far (after the awful nights sleep we'd had on a coach and in a single bed in Lima we felt it was worth spending a little more than we had budgeted for for the first two nights, but now its back to reality) and both have amazing views over the city. 

Huge mountains are the backdrop for some lovely architectural features and sprawling housing for the hundreds of Peruvians that make their living from the tourist trade. When in the main square, on average we get asked once a minute whether we would like our shoes shined, to buy something or to come into a restaurant, tour office or massage parlour (an actual massage parlous, not a brothel, although having said that I haven't been into one so maybe I'm wrong). 

But I really like it. It's not nearly as smelly or noisy as lima (although it has it's moments), the people are friendly and helpful and it feels really safe (there are police in every main tourist area, blowing their whistles at tourists that walk across the grass). They also have menus in English which is a huge help -  in Lima we often selected meals at random. Our Spanish is improving but stringing together sentences has been our focus rather than the Spanish for chicken schnitzel or chinese-style spaghetti. 

Because of the altitude we've not done a huge amount since we got here, trying to acclimatise that we don't get a headache every time we stand up? Having said that today went and saw some tour operators and are looking forward to going rafting and then into the Manu nature reserve, i.e. The jungle. Can't wait! 

Grace.