First day in Cusco!

Hola! We finally made it to Cusco today, after a long, long day of travelling. 24-hours to be exact. We arrived around 7am, and it was freezing! I´m guessing around 25 degrees, a huge difference from the 105 degrees we´ve been experiencing in ATX!

We were picked up by the travel agency that we booked our trek through, and taken to our hotel, The Sol Plaza Inn. Cusco, so far is different than I had imagined. For some reason, I had pictured it more like Espana, but in reality, it´s more like Mexico, with a slight resemblence to Puerto Rico and Costa Rica! The buildings are old and runned down, the streets, cobblestoned and crazy, the people, dark and indigenious. Although, there is a cathedral in the Plaza de Armas, that does remind me of the ones I saw in Malaga. No doubt, a gift from the Conquistadors.

We were told to take it easy as we acclimated to the altitude, but i think we were way too excited to sit still. So, after a short nap in our tiny hotel room, we headed out on the town. We are staying in a great location, only two minutes from the Plaza. By noon, the Plaza was bustling with people, locals and backpackers alike. It was a surreal scene, a small town, surronded by the Andes mountains. Everywhere you looked, another piece of beauty. The sun had come out full throttle, but still the temperature didn´t feel any higher than 70 degrees, much more to our preference! We walked around for a bit, checked out the cathedrals, and took some photos with Andeans and their baby llamas! The history of the Plaza de Armas is so rich. Several battles and beheadings took place here in the mid 1500s, but you wouldn´t be able to tell by the cheery and relaxed vibe it now possesses. After walking around for a bit, we stumbled upon Trotramundo Cafe, where Tom, the owner of my restaurant, insisted that we eat at. I´m so grateful for the suggestion, as the views were breathtaking, and the food, fresh and authentic.

After we snacked, we started walking around aimlessly. We had no idea where we were going, but we ended up stumbling upon the most amazing outdoor market. Vendors everywhere, selling everything from fresh fruits to goats heads! As we walked through the chaos, we noticed that we were the only ¨gringas¨ around. When we stopped to take pictures, or ask what something was, we were welcomed by the friendliest smiles. Vanny and I both had a lot of fun practicing our spanish, as no one really speaks english. Our journey through the outdoor market lead us to a grand indoor market, where we sat and drank fresh squeezed mango, papaya, and orange juice, for only $1.50 each, or 3.50 sols. It was delicious goodness. We also bought ourselves some alpaca hats and scarves to battle this freezing weather we are completely unprepared for. Somehow, after our plesant day of surprising encounters, we made it back to the hotel before the sun was totally gone and the chilly air returned.

Now we sit in the courtyard of our hotel, sipping on coca tea, which by the way, I´ve dranken a shit load of! I´m not sure if I´ve felt the effects of the altitude yet, 9,500 feet, or if its just the exhaustion from traveling and touring. Whatever it is, I´m feeling a bit lightheaded and am sorta having a outta body experience, but that might be from all the yummy coca tea! Oh, and everytime I climb a flight of stairs, I feel like a 300 pound man who has been smoking a pack of cigs everyday for 20 years!

Alright, we are off to eat cuy, guinea pig, can´t wait!

Cheers, V&V