In Search of the Inca

Had a very smooth transition from the very lovely city of Santiago to Cusco in Peru. The flight was only slightly delayed but progress through Cusco immigration was incredibly slow. Luckily the transfer vehicle we ordered was still waiting for us. Well it wasn’t quite what we ordered. We booked and paid for a minivan and ended up with some beaten up old saloon! Still the representative from booking.com came in the car with us to make sure we ended up at the right hotel and offered to book some tours and things for us. We said that we would contact him when we were settled. We unlocked our apartment and were incredibly dismayed to find there were three bedrooms besides the kitchen and the living area …we thought, oh my goodness, so we’re sharing the space with two other people! The guy on reception explained that in these apartment hotels all apartments have three bedrooms so each apartment can take up to 6 people. We are only using one bedroom and consequently only pay £30 a night for the whole place . It’s a quiet residential part of town but only 15 minutes from the centre. The view from the bedroom is lovely if I adjust the curtains to block out the unfinished buildings in the area. There are many unfinished houses in Cusco with people living in them for two reasons: one because they do not have to pay taxes on the property til it’s finished and two because they build a bit when they have the money.

Because of the altitude, Cusco is 3,400 metres above sea level, we were advised to rest up today, and to eat small meals frequently. We decided a short walk wouldn’t hurt us so we’ve been out to see the plaza and the market of San Pedro. We were plagued in these areas by people trying to sell us tours and tat. I started off being really polite saying no gracias, no Gracias but in the end I got so fed up I made up odd responses for my own entertainment! ‘Nah chubuno’ and ‘nej haftsy’. It stopped them pursuing the conversation. I know they have to make a living but it really is relentless. Had a super, tasty veggie ceviche sandwich and a coffee. I popped into a hairdressers to get my fringe cut … she spoke Spanish and I replied in English and it’s a good result considering. She went to so much trouble combing my hair and blow drying my fringe and adding product … all for 10 Peruvian soles (£2)

Fun fact: despite being close to the equator, Cusco has a cool and humid climate due to the elevation. Sunrise is just before 6am and sunset is just after 6pm. At 3400 metre above sea level there is only about half the oxygen available in the atmosphere compared to sea level. This is what leads to altitude sickness. We are being cautious and slowly building up our levels of exercise.