Cusco

Cusco was extreamly cold and very tiring. Upon arrival at about 4:30 in the afternoon, the freezing temeratures were noticed immediately. Our hostel did not send us a car pick-up like we were told. We walked outside, looking for our ride, and began to barter for a taxi ride to the hostel. The driver wanted 15 soles (5 from each of us), but he would not accept 12. We decided to continue and "find another taxi." Well, this was actually impossible, as there were no other taxis without fares already. Upon the driver´s way back to the car with one person, he said he would take the 12 soles and to get in the car. At this point we, or at least I, knew we had better take the ride as it was very cold and no other taxis seemed to be available. I think the driver made out with his original asking price of at least 20, as we gave him 12, and the other American girl gave him at least 8-12.

He dropped the other girl off first in the Plaza del Arms, and he then proceded to take us up the hill from there. He told us to get out, walk along the cobblestone path, and then follow the stairs up to the right. I was not exactly pleased, but I knew I could not argure. The Altitude in Cusco is 3300 meters and walking up the steps to the hostel was a feat within itself. I, of course, was quite far behind Erin and Jo Jo. When I got into the lobby of the hostel they were sitting on the couches, backpacks still on, panting just as heavily as I. We needed a ten minute rest just to walk up the next flight of stairs to our room. Most of the hostel was open air, so everything was freezing.

We quickly put on every piece of warm clothing we could find, and ventured out into the now dark city for dinner #1. We walked down the stairs and a closer street (different to where the taxi dropped us off) down into the Plaza del Arms. We found a Peruvian restaurant that looked very nice and proceeded to have my first taste of Peruvian food. We ordered a bottle of red made of grapes I had never heard of, local chicken dishes, and with the girls, dessert of course. We then wandered around the town looking in shops, the girls buying hatts and mittens made of alpaca wool, and searched for dinner #2.