Ciao Huancayo ... Hola Cusco

Last night we said goodbye to 11 volunteers and the entire Tinkuy family. It is very difficult to leave a house full of people who are so amazing. It was a great experience to live with so many well travelled, international volunteers and a family of artesans. We learned so much from the family and culture of Peru. Our stay was so rewarding and a great introduction to Peru. Before we cought our 11 PM bus to Lima, everyone formed a procession line to see us off. The Irish girls gave us an Irish Blessing sign to hang in our home and Gerry and Salina gave us some tasty candy from Canada and Scotland for the bus ride. Thanks everyone for a warm and unforgettable send off!

Tino and Jesus drove us to the bus station and we drove through downtown Huancayo one last time. It felt like we were leaving home. The bus ride was, well, we don't know. We slept the entire 7 hours. When we woke up, the sun was rising and we were back in hectic, overcast Lima. We took a taxi to the airport. Our driver was nice, but he comfirmed our belief that taxi drivers in Lima are on a death wish. Have you ever driven 60 miles per hour and swerved at the last minute to avoid a large bus and then come to a complete stop inches from the next car? Well, we did that more than once. It was too early for that shit. haha.

The airport felt like a sanctuary from the craziness of the streets. It was so clean and modern. We checked in and got some food at Dunkin Donuts. The coffee was a nice treat, but the egg sandwich was greasy and just plain gross. Sorry Dunkin Donuts but you have no place in Peru. We missed our usual breakfast that Maria made back in Huancayo!

We paid our airport tax (5 dollars US) and headed to the terminal. After a short wait we boarded the LAN Peru jet plane. It was interesting to board the plane because we walked onto the runway and entered the back of the plane instead of the front. The ride was really smooth and only lasted 55 minutes. They fed us a nice sandwich and some mate de coca. Outside the window we saw the Andes mountains poke through the top of the clouds. The rocks were so colorful and dry. Occasionally we could see some snow caps and deep blue lakes. We imagined what it would have been like to have taken a bus from Lima to Cusco through those mountains. It would have taken at least 20 hours! We were happy with 55 minutes of flying.

The landing in Cusco was perfect. The best landing so far on our trip. Inside the airport we were welcomed with an interesting mix of traditional Peruvian musicians and in your face travel agents ... all by the bagage claim area. One thing we quickly realized about Cusco is that there are many tourists here and it is a World apart from Huancayo. It is an absolutely beautiful city full of ancient history and beautiful stonework. The city was built by the Incas in the shape of a Puma, and it was thought of as the naval of the world. The original Incan name of the city was Qosqo, which in Quechua (Incan language) means Vital Center since we are in a valley (altitude 11,000 ft.) surrounded by the Andes mountains. The Incans regarded Qosqo as the center of corporal energy where feelings reside. The Spanish later changed the name to Cusco.

click here to learn more about the history of Cusco. It is really fascinating.

Our hostal is located in the San Blas area of Cusco. This area houses many artist galleries, cafes and plazas. All of the streets are made of cobblestone and are just big enough for one small car to squeeze through. We have really nice hot water in our shower and a tall wood planked ceiling with a sunroof. There is so much character and charm to the hostal. It beats any Holiday Inn in the states!

Tomorrow we plan to walk around and get a feel for the city. There is just so much to see and do that we want to take our time and absorb as much as possible. This area is known as the archeological capital of the World so we plan on visiting many ruins. We also want to learn about the history of the Incas and how ancient Qosqo became the modern city of today.