Cusco - Machu picchu

We travelled to Cusco on an overnight bus with one of the cheaper companies on offer. This turned out to be a bit of a mistake. We got on the bus in Areqipa at about 8pm and the bus was due in at cusco about 5.30am. No sooner had we started moving than a video came on the TV screen, which we were sitting very close to. For the next hour we had to endure a Peruvian brass band commercial - a not very good Peruvian brass band - blaring out at us and jumping about inca ruins on the screen. Not a good start, as we were both knackered. In addition to this the bus was absolutely freezing, and there was a draft coming through the window, for the entire journey. There was also a big fat woman who was a couple of rows back snorting and grunting in her sleep which was extremely annoying. The worst of it was yet to come though. When we arrived we got off the bus and found a hostel and went straight to bed, having had next to no sleep on the bus. When we got up to go have a look round the city Jenny realised that her phone had been knicked from the bag. Someone must have reached under our seat to get it, because it was on the floor the whole time, at our feet. So the first place we visited in the city was the police station. Got a report, which was like pulling teeth. Took the officer about 30minutes to write 4 lines of notes on what happened. Having acheived this we had to go to the bank to queue for an hour and pay them for a copy of the police report, then return to the station with the receipt. A total hassle. Anyway, afterwards, we went and got a bite to eat.......during which we realised that the cameras had also been stolen from the bag. Couple of idiots. So we had to go back to the police station to explain this. Needless to say the officer thought that we were trying an insurance scam. He did believe us in the end, and we did get our report a day and another trip to the bank later. Not a good start to Cusco. We have chipped in together and bought a new camera between us.

Cusco is at an altitude of 3,500m (11,500 feet). At this height, everything is such an effort. Both me and Jenny have suffered quite a lot from altitude sickness. Both had really sore stomachs. The locals say that coca tea, made from the leaves of the cocaine plant abundant here, is the antitdote, so we've been drinking gallons of the stuff.

Also got some pills from the pharmacy. Apart form all of this Cusco is a really nice town. Loads to do and see.

Lots of locals clad in traditional gear with llamas or alpacas in tow. Jenny is using up most of the memory on our joint camera taking pictures of the llamas and alpacas.

We have not done too much in Cusco other than try to aclimatise to the altitude. Just been taking it easy.

The initial plan for me was to be to do the traditional inca trail up to Machu Picchu. Unfortunately I wasn't organised enough to get on one of the tours. You have to book it 3 months ahead, not 3 days as I imagined. Don't think we'd have managed given the altitude sickness anyway. Instead, we took the lazy way up, by train and bus. Train costs an absolute fortune.

Jenny was struggling a bit on the journey and had to hang her head out the window for most of the journey here, again because of the altitude. We stayed last night in Aguas Calientes, the town from which you take the bus up to the ruins. It's a bit of a dump and overpriced.

There are hot springs however, which we went to yesterday afternoon. They also serve the local beer by the litre which is helpful, although expensive.

This morning I dragged Jenny out of bed at 5 am to try and get the first bus up the hill.

Managed to get the second one and arrive not long after the sun was up. The place is absolutely amazing. Unfortunately we had to wait quite a while for the cloud/mist to lift before getting a proper view. Thankfully it did lift, and turned into a really nice day. I had very high expectations of the place, and wasn't disappointed. It's incredible. Wandered about the ruins for a most of the morning. Decided not to pay for a guide. Did a bit of evesdropping on other English tours, lurking about in the background pretending to be interested in something else. Although Jenny was impressed by the geography of the place, don't think she was that impressed with the ruins because they are only 500 years old, and "the Romans probably had electricity 500 years ago". She was impressed with the llamas/alpacas roaming about the place though, so we've got even more pictures of them after today.

Killing time just now waiting for the train back to Cusco. We've been waiting until both of us felt a bit better before trying the local delicacy of oven baked Guinea pig (or Indian Rabbit). Think tonight could be the night though. Probably going to head for Lake Titicaca tomorrow. It's another 500m higher which is worrying on account of the altitude sickness.