Cusco

We arrived in Cusco after a long but relatively pain free overnight bus from Arequipa and spent the majority of the day sleeping off our tiredness. For one night only, our home was el Mariscal hotel:

Abi’s Rating: 8.5/10 – “Chilly but there was a radiator so then I got really hot. Cosy and good for fat naps. Nice bathroom”

Mike’s Rating: 8/10 – This was a late change as it advertised cable tv and did not disappoint. Breakfast served in the room was a lovely touch.

We ventured out in the early evening to have a delightful chinese meal before returning for an early night ahead of another early start!

Aguas Calientes

The less said about the Rugby World Cup final here the better. The boys played terribly and got battered. I suppose it was a blessing in disguise as we had to catch the PeruRail train to aguas calientes and therefore (thankfully) missed the last 10 minutes.

The three hour train ride was incredibly scenic and Abi enjoyed the views (and complained vociferously that I was spending too much time reading instead of looking out of the window- seen it before love).

As soon as we arrived we headed for a cafe for a bite to eat before setting off in search of Hostal Dalila. It was not where it said it was on the map and we had great difficulty locating it. We enlisted the help of a local and he solved our problems by calling the hostal and asking for directions.

It was not my best pick. It was located down a dodgy looking alley way and the reception was tiny (Abi was adamant that the chap on the other side of the other side of the desk had a mattress and pillow underneath).

At first we were shown to the room directly behind us but we politely declined (on the grounds that it backed onto the aforementioned alleyway) and instead began the climb up to the 6th floor. It is worth noting here that the rooms on every floor in between were empty.

Abi’s Rating: -3/10 – “Number 1, it was nowhere to be found. Number 2, once found it was in a talk corridor that stunk. Number 3, there was a grotty mattress under the stairs. The guy was nice though. Number 4, he asked if we want to sleep in the dungeon. Number 5, we were taken past 5 floors of empty rooms. Number 6, the stairs smelled like horse. Number 7, wires hanging everywhere. Number 8, the curtains were like damp towels. Number 9, the bed had silky sheets from 1963. Number 10, the bathroom had no toilet seat. Number 11, the room smelled like horse. Number 12, you could hear children. The wifi was alright, the view was nice and the shower was quite hot.”

Mike’s Rating: 2/10 – What she said but less dramatic. We actually slept fine. We couldn’t leave our luggage so had to do so elsewhere.

We secured our bus tickets for the following morning and managed to have a pair of wonderful pizzas which certainly boosted morale (in addition to 2 late Liverpool goals against Villa).

The weather was fairly horrid was we retreated to our palace and hoped for better luck in the morning.

Machu Picchu

The rain hammered against the tin roof as the 4.30am alarm sounded.

We decided to delay our trip to the bus stop until around 5.30 and emerged from our accommodation in search of somewhere to store our belongings. We found a nice looking hotel and managed to drop off our bags before heading to the bus stop.

The loud noise we had heard was actually the rushing of the river and although the skies were bleak…there was no rain falling.

The new bus queueing system was rather efficient and we were at the entrance (about a 20 minute bus ride up) at bang on 6am.

In a bid to thin out the crowds the ticketing system now gives different times and it seems to work quite well. And I was delighted that the “you must have a guide” rule is not enforced, so we waltzed in.

At this precise moment the heavens opened and we were well and truly drenched (I’m so glad that I managed to pinch Dad’s rain coat).

Some absolute bafoons were in flip flops (actually one was in bare feet) which was just mind boggling.

As we reaches the first viewpoint…this is what we could see…

Thankfully the clouds slowly began to drift away as the rain ceased and we were treated to some spooky but incredible views over the ancient Inka city.

Some people that I have spoken to say they are underwhelmed by this world wonder, but I maintain that it is the best place that I have ever been. Even (and maybe especially) on a cloudy day, the sight of the city steadily revealing itself at different intervals as a joy to behold.

I was particularly proud of this photo as apparently “I jumped the queue” according to a fellow tourist…it isn’t Disney land chap and I certainly don’t queue for a photo. The Inka Gods agreed and duly brought down a curtain of mist as soon as my photoshoot had ended.

Abi and I walked 25 minutes or so to the Inka bridge which looked a pretty dangerous passage. The sheer edge below showed that it was fraught with danger and we overheard a guide saying that very few people cross now and even then they do so with ropes.

As we explored the great city itself the weather started to improve and there were even some glimpses of blue sky. Huaynapicchu became visible and we even got to see Machu Picchu mountain (that Dad and I had climbed in 2015).

The views of the surrounding mountains that protect the city were breathtaking, as the clouds crawled over the peaks and down the side of them, creating some fantastic photo opportunities.

As the crowds gathered at the viewpoints above, we contentedly headed for the exit.

It all meant that we were back on the bus just after 9.30am and back in the town of Aguas Calientes by 10.

With 5 hours to kill before our return train to Cusco we had a wonderful breakfast that consisted of omelettes, toast and cookies.

After stringing this out somewhat we headed for the museum which is located about 20 minutes outside of the town itself. It was small but interesting and we got to cross a cool bridge on the way.

Abi and I engaged in a bit of nature spotting outside the museum and we followed the progress of some ant like creatures who seemed to operate in pairs – one would religiously follow the other around.

Cusco (take two)

The return to Cusco was nearly four hours, and although the train was very comfortable, we were very grateful when we arrived back to the outskirts of Puno. A very friendly taxi driver David (like David Beckham he said) took us the 30 minutes to the centre of the city so that we could collect our big bag from hotel mariscal. He informed us it was a short walk to our Air BnB.

Short it was…easy it was not. A bear vertical incline up a set of gruelling steps left us panting as we reached the desired road. I only contrived to knock on the wrong door but the owner pointed us in the right direction and we arrived at Erivita and Oliver’s House:

Abi’s Rating: 9/10 – “Very comfortable beds, really warm. Toilet was a bit dirty and shower was too hot. Wifi was really good”

Mike’s Rating: 9/10 – Our best Air BnB yet, the bes was extremely comfortable, great facilities and a lovely roof terrace. (Point off because the toilet bin was not emptied in 3 days).

We spent the next couple of days relaxing and spending a lot of time horizontal as we were shattered from a string of early mornings.

We did manage to venture out to magnificent cathedral which is home to some stunning photos as well as enjoying a delightful lunch overlooking the Plaza de las Armas.

One night we had KFC which was a big moment for me as 4 years earlier I had been denied this luxury by my Father. In all fairness it was quite gross but it was something I had to do!

We also treated ourself to a large cooked breakfast at Jack’s cafe but I somewhat ruined the experience as Abi was convinced that I had been kidnapped. We could only pay by cash so I went on a wild goose chase in search of a functioning ATM and did not return for nearly half an hour. I returned to a cross face and a cold breakfast!

The rain continues to follow us and there were a couple of torrential downpours. I could sense another coming and went to collect our laundry at the allotted time of 8pm. “It is not ready so come back at 9” was the inevitable response and of course it was chucking it down by then. I ventured out in my swim shorts and made my displeasure known when I whisked the laundry away.

We packed (our least favourite activity as it happens every few days and is rather annoying) and set our alarms for another early start. But we were both very excited…

Next Stop: Medellin – Colombia.

#WhatOddsPaddy

A fantastic few days to finish our time in Peru. We both loved Machu Picchu although I was not flavour of the month following my accommodation choice in Aguas Calientes. (Sometimes saving a couple of quid doesn’t quite pay off).

The numerous blankets and comfortable bed in the Air BnB put me back in the good books though!

Divorce Odds: The same as there not being any rain for the rest of the trip.