Cool in Cusco

Like, actually freezing! Lima was already a huge step down in the temperature and humidity but Cusco is something else! It's warm if you're in the sun but in the shade and at night it's so cold!

Ciaran and I jumped on our flight from Lima and after Friday's events I felt much better when we collected Sal at the Terminal Terrestre after her 22 hour bus ride. I probably needn't have worried so much, it sounds like the bus ride was relatively comfy!

Some might find it crazy, but we're staying at the same hostel chain in Cusco. Despite our bad luck in Lima the Pariwana hostel there was really good and the staff so helpful when we we were robbed. We also didn't pay a penny to stay there after what happened. The Cusco one seems good so far, with one significant difference: the bedroom doors are locked! So, why they don't do this in the Lima Pariwana is beyond me.

Anyway, we had a bit of a mooch around the town and went to check that Sal would be OK using a copy of her passport on the trek, which she will. I like the feel of Cusco already. It's a big and beautiful city, set in a mountainous valley and overlooked by Cristo Blanco and a large cross, which is lit up at night. The main plazas have a real colonial feel to them and even clouds in the sky always seem to look good. Although, as jumping off point for Machu Picchu, it's gringo heavy, cuscqueno people and culture abound.

In the evening (freezing!) we went to meet Jess and David. We first met them just after our kiwi cave rafting experience in Waitomo; we were on our way out and they were on their way in. We spoke to them for all of five minutes, where we found out that Jess lives just around the corner from Ciaran's Mum. They seemed so nice and it was just such a coincidence of where Jess lives, and she had mentioned that they would be on Cusco in June, so on the off chance I left our details at the tour office and we've kept in touch since then on Facebook!

We went to Chicha, another of Gaston Acurio's Restaurants, where unfortunately Jess fell ill just as our food arrived. It was such a shame for her and David - the food was delicious. So, after stocking up on Alpaca gear in the morning, we met her and David again the next day at Chocomuseo, the Peruvian branch of where we did our chocolate making in Antigua (feels so long ago, now!)

Afterwards we took a taxi up to 'Sexy Woman' - Sacsayhuaman and Cristo Blanco, to have a look at the amazing view of Cusco up there. There was a Peruvian man playing his flute and guitar, so I asked if I could take his picture and what an amazing picture! He also sang me a little song (and tried to sell me his CD)!

Back in town we were taking Jess and David to the market where we bought or Alpaca stuff from. On the way there we came across another market in the square right next to our hostel, where locals were playing some sort of bingo and a totally fixed game of hoopla. It looked really easy to win as you were close to the items, but each one was on a round circle of wood, and your hoopla ring had to fall properly over the this and not just the item. Impossible!

We also tried alpaca for the first time, from a street vendor. It was so good, I can't wait for more! Food in Peru has been so good, so far.

I can see why so many people end up spending weeks in Cusco, it's such a nice place to be in and walk around, with so much to look at! But tomorrow we're leaving on an early start, for the first day of our Inka Jungle Trek. Exciting!