Hola chicos !!

Well, because we changed our itinerary since we left San Pedro de Atacama (Chile),we decided to take things a little bit slower. Not only because we wanted to, but also because our health forced us to. Apparently, our stomaches were not made for Peruvian food the first couple of days......

After Arequipa,we took the night busto Cusco. Busses of the company Cruz del Sur are really something special.It´s like checking in into an airplane. First your online booking voucheris turned into a real ticket. You hand in yourluggage, and getyour luggage receipts. Then you buy a special tax-ticket to be able to leave the bus terminal. Then you check in to the waiting lounge. Luggage that is too big has to be checked in as well. You and your luggage are searched and scanned with a hand scanner. When you board the bus your ticket is checked again including your passport. When seated you are filmed with a hand-held camera and have to face the camera. Then you get a safety video. You get airplane food. Seats recline as far as business class airplane seat. You get movies, bingo, and a real bushostess of course ;-)
And after 10 hours you´ll arrive in Cusco :) Our hostalwas built on the mountain slopes, so we had a wonderful view of the city. The only downside was walking up the hill to reach the hostal. You try that at an altitude of 3300 meters! It simply leaves you breathless!
We stayed only one night in Cusco, because we went to Machu Picchu the next day. We didn´t ´do´ the Inka trail, because of the altitude and also because everyone does it, because you should. So we didn´t.
We just jumped into a collectivo (private van that drives when full) that took us to Ollantaytambo, halfway to MP,in 2 hours for 2,50 euro per person.
Ollantaytambo is a beautiful village,wehad time to lunch and walk around for 30 minutes before jumping in our prebooked ridiculously expensive train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu pueblo). The trainride through the canyon was really spectacular! You could see the landscape change fromhigh mountain vegetation into subtropical jungle as we went down. Aguas Calientes is at 2000 meters. Machu Picchu itself at 2400 meters.

Aguas Calientes is really a tourist trap and ugly on top ofthat. But the surroundings are fantastic. Lush tropical plants and majestic mountains!
The next morning we went up to Machu Picchu around 6 am. We first climbed Machu Picchu mountain, which has fantastic and mystical views onto Machu Picchu proper, which was partly surrounded by clowds and mist. Also the fauna was beautiful on the way up with loads of orchids! Afterwards we backtracked a part of the Inka trail until the Sungate, Intipunku. Unfortunately Machu Picchu was onlyvisible for a few seconds from here because of the clowds, but we really could experience themagical surroundings of MP. Then we hiked down and visited the ruins. It really gives you a good idea how the Inkas must have lived. All in all a beautiful day, and well,you simply have to block out all the American and Japanese tour groups. You can´t have it all!
We got down to Aguas Calientes around 1 pm, had lunch and got back to Cusco around 9 pm.

After being down at 2000 meters, we had to get used to the altitude of 3300 meters again. This was OK, because Suzan´s parents arrived to Cusco the next day straight from Santiago, Chile at sealevel! So their adaptation symptoms were even worse than ours.

We spent some very nice days together. Visiting all kinds of churches in Cusco (they have a lot of them) and on monday of the Holy Week, we saw the procession of the Señor de los Temblores, commemorating an earthquake in Cusco in the 17th century. It started at 2 pm and finished at 9 pm. A beautiful mix of religion and local culture,with a black Jesus, which was carried arround in the procession and showered with local red flowers, and old guilds and fraternities taking turns carrying the massively heavy statue of Jesus. During the evening hours, the procession got more solemn,withcollective prayers and expressions of deep religious belief. Peoplecried whenthe statue of Jesus passed by them, or kneeled down in prayer.

Pretty impressive to stand betweenthe Cusceños and experience this with them.

The next day, we had a more earthly experience. We rented a car and drove through the Sacred Valley (Machu Picchu lies at the end of the Sacred Valley), and visited a coupleof the Inca ruins and sacred places that areequallyimpressive as MP. Beautiful Inca terraces, salt pansand ruins, and Quechua villages. And last but not least, again Ollantaytambo, which we all 4 enjoyed very much!

Of course, we did some shopping inCusco, you simply have to. Very beautiful cloth, scarves,musical instruments, paintings etc. So we were very good tourists :)

The next day, after some very nice and ´gezellige´ days, our ways seperated. Suzan´s parents left for Machu Picchu and we continued onwards to Puno, atLagoTiticaca.

Our next story will be about Lago Titicaca.In the meantime, take care and adios!