Day 7 - Peru - Cusco

My alarm went off at 4:45 am - UGH! We had to leave for the airport at 5:30 am. Our 45 minute flight left at 5 minutes to 8. I got lucky and had not only the fire exit seat with extra leg room, but no one sat beside me. I only wish the flight had been longer. I slept almost the whole time - JOY!

Our hotel rooms weren't ready yet in Cusco so we went for our orientation walk shortly after we got there. If I had known how long it was going to be before we got back I would have taken more things out of my backpack.

We walked by many churches and squares and we covered a lot of ground.

Cusco is a very hilly city and the elevation is just over 11,000 feet. I was struggling to keep up and I felt 20 years older than I am! Some of the streets are extremely narrow and the sidewalks are as well.

If it weren't for my altitude sickness pills which I taken morning and night, I'd be in bed with a headache. The air here is so incredibly dry as well to the extent I bought saline solution for my nose, something I never use back home.

Some of the group went for lunch together and others did their own thing. I had an alpaca burger and it was great. Our waiter brought us all kinds of specially made sauces. Some were good and some were Hot! Cusco is big on tourism, unlike the other places we've been. As a consequence, we found the restaurant's service to be much better than we have experienced so far. I'm sure our waiter made good tips.

After lunch, Pele our guide, took us to a place where they make jewelry. We were shown how to tell the difference between real silver and nickel. You can actually rub it and tell from he smell of the metal. Their showrooms had such beautiful stuff and I got swept up with the others. I bought a gorgeous multi-coloured silver bracelet, as well as some silver earrings with a small orange round shell in the middle.

Then we went to an alpaca wool factory and there, we were shown how to tell the difference between real alpaca wool, products and fake ones. Again the showroom was nearby and I found a gorgeous sweater I just had to have.

By then it was getting to be late afternoon. While the rest of the group walked back to the hotel, I stayed in the square taking photos and buying a few souvenirs for people back home.

On my way back, I found an ice cream store and bought a small chocolate brownie cone.

Some of us went for supper in the hotel around 7 pm. We all just had soup because our lunch was so substantial.

I. Am. Beat.