Hotel Garcilaso Ii Cusco

After breakfast we depart the jungle by boat for Peurto Maldonado. Fergus spots a few caimans (not bad considering they are noctural creatures) and large turtles en route. After a few games of UNO at the airport we leave for our short flight to Cusco. Back at Hotel Garcilaso (Calle Garcilaso phone 51.84-233.031 or hotelesgarcilaso@hotmail.com or hotelgarcilaso@hotmail.com) we head for "Splendid" to catch up on some laundry! Then its a visit to a wee cafe for some desserts. We call in for a se...

We slept one night in the Hotel Garcilaso #2 and enjoyed our 5th straight night without hearing a single noise (the first 4 were in the Inka Lodge hostel in Lima). Thatīs kind of amazing considering the amount of travelers there are in such places and the quality of the walls' isolation. We spent the day exploring Cusco and we admittedly this is the most beautiful city weīve seen ever. Check out the pics and see for yourself. The place is safe in the center but I wouldnīt wander in some stree...

We arrived in Cusco, the capitol of the Incas, yesterday afternoon.  There is no comparison between Lima and Cusco; it's almost like they are two completely different countries.  People still wear traditional clothing, llamas and alpacas roam the countryside freely, and the entire city has been well preserved as it a UNESCO World Heritage site.  It really is beautiful and exactly what my minds eye had imagined Peru to be.  Upon arrival yesterday we walked around the Plaza de Armas and went to...

An early start again with a welcome breakfast of rolls and jam, followed by omelette. We also experienced our first cup of "Coca Tea", reputed to combat altitude sickness (it is no accident that itīs name is the beginning of a notorious substance, as the tea leaves are from the aforementioned plant)! We headed back to Lima Airport for our domestic flight to Cuzco with Lan Peru. Once beyond the grey smog of Lima, the scenery of snow capped mountains peaking through a layer of white cloud was t...

Hola! Ich glaube ich kaufe mir bald ein T-shirt mit der Aufschrift: NO GRACIAS !!! Wenn du naemlich als Tourist durch die Strassen von Peru (oder besser gesagt ganz Suedamerika) laeufst, wirst du etwa alle 20m von Einheimischen angequatscht, ob du vielleicht: Wasser, Gatorade, Chocolat, Armbaender, typische Malereien, Massagen, Tattoos, Cocablaetter, Tuecher, Muetzen, Handschuhe, Guerte, Huete oder vielleicht nur ein bisschen weisse Schnur (...) oder dein Gewicht auf einer normalen Waage, wae...

Arrival into Cusco at 11300ft was something special! We flew in from Lima and after flying over some snow capped mountains we had to bank fairly seriously to actually land! I was talking up my previous experience at high altitudes so didnīt think that it would get to me...I was wrong! I have been higher, but it was gradual, not instantly being exposed to it. Liz and I were both out of breath and later in the day the headaches started. But it was only for the first day, and plenty of water hel...