23 September 2007 - Cusco, Inca Trail and Puno

Hola!! What a bus journey to cusco, 16 hours. Even on a decent bus its a long time and a rough ride. The roads were twisty and the driver thought he was Lewis Hamilton!! But it was worth it. What a beautiful city. The main square was a great place to chill out and watch the world go by. There was a real relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The altitude got us for a couple of days, even when u get used to it stairs are still a challenge!! Talking and walking was out of the question so Karl got a break!! We found some great hang outs, Jacks cafe, uptown and Paddys the highest irish pub in the world (where we managed to squeeze in some footie and rugby!!) The real McCoy was a great cafe, serving proper english food. They did a lovely sunday dinner. The owners were a couple from Rugby and he had even played football in Desborough!! How wierd.The night life was good and there was always salsa dancing to watch, they were really good!! We didnt have a go though!!

Cant get over how many dentists there are out here. Enquired about a job but pay was no good, ha ha!!

Saccsyhuaman was an inca ruin site which overlooked cusco. It had a stunning view up there and it was interesting to learn some history of where we were.

The inca trail was amazing!! It was alot tougher than we thought. The 9km trek took us 6 hours and the terrain was rough. I was not feeling my best either so it was a real achievement when i had finished. It was well worth it though, when Machu Picchu came into sight it was breath taking. Definately be one of the highlights of the year!!

Our trip to Puno was easy only 6 hours and the bus was cheap and spacious and the driver didnt have a death wish!! Puno itself was a busy town with lots of traffic. It sat on the edge of lake Titikaka, which is the worlds highest lake. The lake is so big that half is in Peru and the other half is in Bolivia. We did the floating island of Uros tour it was wicked!!! We visited families that lived on islands made from the reeds that grew in the lake. It was mad. The island was soft to walk on, it was a real experience. They built there houses, boats and everything out of the reeds, it was incredible.

We were in puno for two nights. The food was mega cheap, a two course meal with drinks was only two pounds!! The rain came though and it hammered it down both nights!!

Off to Bolivia now so, adios amigos!!