Peru recap, Day 4

If you're bored of reading Peru recaps, my apologies. I'm trying to write everything down while it is still fresh, but even I'm annoyed by the monotonous "and then we did this" tone these posts have taken. If you could use a break, why not watch this? Otherwise, feel free to humor me, below.

Tuesday morning we woke up bright and early for our flights to Cusco, only to sit in the airport for four hours. Minor flight delay. No explanation. Originally, our flight was due in at 11, and our first tour was starting at 1:45, so we started getting a bit nervous that we would miss a big part of our package. Fortunately, we landed around 1 and arrived at the hotel right on time to begin our Cusco City tour. Unfortunately, we didn't have any time to change, so I spent the day in my schlubby travel outfit and Heather spent the afternoon freezing without a jacket. Minor issues.

Cusco was spectacular. If Lima was like Rome (gray, old, crumbly, loud and hectic), then Cusco was like Florence (brown, artsy, warm, laid back). Our city tour took us to the Basilica Cathedral, Covento de Santo Domingo, Saqsaywaman, and Tambomachay. Then, our tour guide took us to an alpaca factory/retail store to show us how to tell the difference betweem real alpaca wool and manufactured. (Hint: real wool is softer, smaller. It also requires shampoo to clean it, which is why I didn't come home with sweaters for anyone. I don't imagine any of us time for hand-washing.)

Before we headed back, our guide took us to one final place, the name of which escapes me, but it was a ruin above the city that used to hold human sacrifices. We were literally climbing through caves at sundown to get to the specific area. I took a picture after we were done; tell me if you think the many orbs in it are dust or ghosts.

What? It's Halloween? I'm just sayin'...

It felt like we packed two days worth of activities into just an afternoon, and one of the things I liked most about this tour company was that every day in Cusco felt like that. They packed so much in, so much more than any of their materials suggested, my vacation theme of "surprise and delight" continued. Peru Gateway Travel, by the way, was the name of the company. I would recommend it to anyone looking to do something similar. They were uber professional, provided awesome, English speaking tour guides that went above and beyond anything I would have expected, and really made this part of our trip so fabulous. And no, they are not paying me to write this.

Let me talk about the hotel for a minute. I mentioned awhile ago that technically, it was considered a hostel, at least by name. I knew we would have our own room and own bathroom, but other than that, I really did not know what to expect. Well, again, I was impressed, and pleasantly surprised. The room was small, and the bathroom was not that of the Radisson, but it was cozy and adorable. There were two twin beds with nice bedding, exposed brick and wooden beams, cable television, a fireplace, a space heater, hot water, and more free internet in the business center downstairs! We also had free breakfast included every morning. Really, it was nice.

Or at least it was nice on that first night. By the second night, after our rainy day in Machu Picchu, I didn't so much appreciate the threadbare towels; and by the last night, I was gagging on some mildewy smell. There was also the small annoyance that our "included breakfast" only included rolls and jam and cheese, and they charged for extra slices! But the bread and the jam were made fresh, daily, and other than waking up to gunfire on that last morning, I couldn't really complain. Much. This was an adventure vacation, after all. The accomodations were just part of the adventure.