Hi again from Cusco, one more time, where the air is thin but the weather is fine. I hope you’re all staying safe and dry with all the flooding I hear is going on back home. Ironic, isn’t it? Before coming to Peru, all I was reading about was how Peru was underwater, suffering some of the worst flooding in decades. Now here I am, and the weather’s perfect. And meanwhile, it’s flooding back in Canada. Go figure.
Brunch and goodbyes
Our day started with a bit of a lazy lie-in this morning. I took one last long, luxurious shower at the hotel, we got our bags together, and checked out of the lovely boutique hotel we’ve been staying at this past week.
Vanessa and Marie-Andree had to leave early afternoon for the airport for their flight back to Lima. So we decided to go out for brunch first. We headed up to an Australian-style cafe that is rather famous in Cusco for providing comfort food to backpackers. There, we met up with Tennille, the Aussie we’d met in Lima on our first day’s walking tour. She just finished her Inca Trail trip and got back to Cusco last night, and was happy to come meet us and swap Machu Picchu stories.
After a delicious brunch of pancakes and coffee, we browsed a few of the shops one last time. Vany and Marie each got a couple of last souvenirs, since, hey, last day and everything. I on the other hand still have to schlep around anything I buy for another two weeks, so I’ve been pretty careful about purchases thus far. I did buy a (fake, but whatever) alpaca tuque, mind you, which I’m sure will come in handy in the chilly weather of Bolivia.
Finally, it was time to head back to the hotel so Vanessa and Marie could pick up their bags and catch their taxi to the airport. I must say, they’ve been absolutely wonderful travel companions these past ten days, and it was tough to say goodbye. We exchanged hugs and I sent them on their way. Ladies, I’m so glad to have gotten to share such an awesome experience with you. We will surely remember this forever! Safe travels back to Montreal, and see you in two weeks.
Shopping, museums, and more beer and chocolate
Tennille didn’t have any specific plans for the afternoon and neither did I, so the two of us wandered around for a couple of hours. She helped me carry my bags to the hostel where I’m staying tonight, on the other side of the historical centre. After the nice places I’ve been staying with Vany and Marie, it’s a bit weird to go back to hostel dorms. I’ll have to get back into the right mindset to adjust to not being able to spread my stuff out all over my room anymore, to have to go down the hall to use the bathroom, and to not have enough outlets by my bed to charge my stuff. But this place is perfectly fine for the night.
After I checked in, Tennille and I just meandered around the streets of Cusco, checking out all the same shops and sights that we’d been seeing all week. The views don’t ever really get boring here, though the alpaca handicrafts are starting to. We stopped in at yet another craft chocolate store, where I indulged in more tasting of local varieties of single-origin chocolate, and bought a few more bars to take home. ‘Cause, why not, eh? We also stumbled on a brand-new tiny cafe from a craft brewery in the Sacred Valley, where the owner was nice enough to let me have a free tasting of the two beers he had on offer.
We walked back up to San Blas Square, where a small handicraft market is held outdoors every weekend. We checked out the views from some of the different parts of town, and just spent one last day getting lost in the cobblestoned streets.
On my own again
Mid-afternoon, we were both getting tired. So I split off from Tennille and wished her a bon voyage, and she went back to her hotel for a siesta. I decided to head back towards my hostel to do the same.
On the way, I decided to take advantage of the ten-day tourist ticket we’d purchased earlier this week for the Sacred Valley sites. It included entrance to a number of museums and attractions around Cusco, so I popped into both the Contemporary Arts Museum and the Historical Museum for a quick peek. Both were moderately interesting, I suppose, though I’m not really much of a museum person. If I’d been more motivated, I could’ve made the effort to see some of the archaeological sites around Cusco that are included in the ticket, including the Sacsayhuaman ruins. But I wasn’t really feeling up to it.
Low-key evening
Late afternoon, I went back to the hostel to chill out for a bit. I had done more walking today than on previous days in Cusco, and was starting to feel the effects of the altitude on my lungs again. I’m going up even higher tomorrow, so I wanted to take it easy. I drank some coca leaf tea and just hung out in the common room using the WiFi.
Vanessa and Marie messaged me around dinnertime to say they’d arrived in Lima safe and sound. As it turns out, their flight was cancelled, but the airline put them on another flight by another airline leaving slightly earlier, so it all worked out well. That’s Peruvian airlines for you, I guess. Anyway, they seem to be quite safe and happily checked into their nice hotel, ready to check out the pool and sauna. They’ll be flying back to rainy Montreal tomorrow.
I was running low on soles, and I didn’t want to withdraw more since I’m only in Peru for one more day. So I opted to eat the free included dinner at my hostel, rather than heading out to a restaurant. It was a rice and egg combo with avocado that was quite tasty.
At the moment, I’m hanging out in the small hostel bar, listening to 90s tunes and watching the ubiquitous soccer game on TV. (It’s South America; there’s always a soccer game on TV.) It’s probably going to be an early night, since I have to be up before dawn to catch my bus up to the lake tomorrow.
Cusco, it’s been great. Onwards and upwards.