Category Archives: Peru

Back to Lima, Feb. 6-8

We flew back to Lima on Feb. 6. We nearly missed our flight because they were changing gtaes around. At the Cusco Airport, there’s no signs that show gate assignments after security, and any announcements are as unintelligible as any other airports. Thanks to Lisa who kept nagging the TACA emplyees to figure out where we were supposed to be, especially after they started giving us contradictory information.

I had the Lima part of my culinary tour on the 7th, but it wasn’t as good as in Cusco: a redundant market tour, less time actually hands-on cooking, and the meal was ceviche which I’m not a big fan of.

On the 8th I took a bus tour of Lima, and then late that night I headed for the airport.

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It’s all uphill from here: Cusco, Feb. 4 to 5

Cusco is actually at a higher altitude than Machu Picchu.

I came down from Machu Picchu on the 12 o’clock bus. Then back on the train to Ollantaytambo, then back in the van to Cusco. Another G Adventures group though they had trouble with their van, so we almost loaded them into ours.

Just as we were leaving the hotel to go to dinner, the power went out in the city. The restaurant was actually lit with candles when we got there. (Presumably the kitchen ran on gas for cooking.)

The next day the older half of the tour group took a regular city tour of Cusco (by bus). In the city proper we saw the cathedral and the Dominican convent, both of which were built on top of earlier Inca Temples. The latter suffered earthquake damage which exposed the underlying Inca foundations, since the slopped wall construction is more resistant to earthquakes.
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The tour then went to several sites in the area surrounding the city Continue reading →

Machu Picchu, Feb. 4

Leaving at 5:45 am, we finally head to Machu Picchu. I was the last down to breakfast, so it’s my fault if we missed the sunrise.

There’s a rather harrowing bus ride to get up the mountain.
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And finally the pictures we’ve all been waiting for: Continue reading →