Tuesday, July 13, 2010

TO CUSCO!

So, after spending a couple days in Lima, walking around the Miraflores neighborhood, eating ceviche and exploring the grocery store, we decided to get a flight to Cusco, our final destination.

The flight was short and sweet, once rising above the Lima haze you're able to see the Andes mountains poking above the clouds. We're soon flying above the mountain peaks and after an hour we start descending. The city is in a bowl surrounded by mountains so the plane must descend and turn 180 degrees very quickly in order to hit the runway. It felt like an amusement park ride, somewhat sketchy, but all the Peruvians on the plane seemed calm so I figured it was normal. The altitude is 11,500 ft. and you can really feel it when you step off the plane. In fact three weeks later I still feel it. I'm not getting headaches anymore but I still get out of breath easily, especially after walking the 3-4 blocks uphill to get to our hostel (This is where we're staying by the way - http://www.lokihostel.com/en/cusco ). We arrive at the hostel and discover that it exists almost as an island inside Cusco, a self sufficient entity that survives in and of itself. That is clearly hyperbole but stands to prove a point that one could spend many days or weeks without ever venturing more that a block from the hostel. With the bar (where I have been bartending in exchange for accomadations, free meals, and 40% discount) as it's heart, and only Wi-Fi spot in the hostel, you could see why it is the most common place to be seen, eat, work, or compute in any way. Needless to say it gets a bit old.

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