Peru day 5: Machu Picchu!!!!!

Woke up at 7, consolidated our things and packed our hiking bag. Went down to brekke where we met a retired American flight attendant and her husband. Had a ham and cheese sandwich a banana and 2 fried eggs. Then a little after 8 we were off to find the bus. Hopped in the line which took about 10 minutes--luckily we already had tickets and up the mountain we went. About 30 minutes door to door with multitudes of switchbacks and narrow roads and no guardrails. Then we entered the park. Up and to the left as the girl from the Irish pub recommended. We followed circuit 1 to the guard house to get our money shot without a ton of tourists in the background. Bam. Done! Followed the walkway in the direction of the sungate and saw some alpaca/llama and then passed through the streets of the ancient town to find the waynapicchu hike entrance. 2 hours round trip... up the tall mountain in the background. In line at 954 and through the entrance at 1000. This hike was killer. One hour uphill the entire time. Narrow steps and many switchbacks. We had numerous catch our breath stops and shared a slimfast bar we snuck in. Must of te strap areas had a steal rope to hold onto. The views from atop were insane. Machu looked tiny. We took alotnof photos and then started the hike down. Through a narrow cave and aa steap staircase. Slow going down the hill side stepping most the steps down as my feet were more than double the width of the step. Met an Aussie couple on their honeymoon who speant 5 days hiking the inca trail prior to this. They also did ethe two hour hike up the route to the gates. Yuck. Anyway. Made it down in 45 minutes for a tidal of 2.03 speant on the mountain. At this point our legs were shaking and we were starving. Found our way to the bus line which was about 20 minutes and we were on our way down. It was everything I thought it would be aside from the tallest mountain hike.

Made it down in about 20 minutes and saught out a restaurant along the sacred river. Found one and split a cheese curd guac appetizer, I had a beef and pesto noodle dish and matt a chicken bow tie pasta dish and then we walked through the markets and back to our hotel to collect our things 330 and we weee on the move fo get to the train. Passed through the entrance and found our train no problem 2 hour train ride and then we hopped onto a bus for another two hours. The bus dropped us off by a market and by the restaurant we are at the first night with colon in Cusco. I ordered the alpaca and matt a pork chop. Good thing we got there when we did. A croup of 20people young showed up and took all the time. Dropped the postcard for kaylee off and hailed a cab. 15 soules later we were at our hoaral checking into the same room we had preiouaky. Hopefully flying to Lima and home tomorrow.

Peru day 3: travel to Machu Picchu

Woke up at 830; showered packed up and went down for brekke. Special omelet and bread with meat and cheese again. Then we went in search of an ATM. Passed by a market and picked up Bryson a birthday present and then found me an adult alpaca sweater. Matt picked up 2 3liters of water and waited for our taxi driver. 150soules for a ride to ollyantatambo, which is about a 2 hour drive no stops; but he was going to stop along the way. He arrived a few minutes past ten blocked traffic down the one lane road and we quickly loaded all our gear in the trunk and off we were. We stopped at a couple lookouts and then went to an alpaca producer where they demonstrated how they make yarn from alpaca hair. We saw the weaving process, one table runner can take up to 1.5months to create. They use natural things to dye the yarn as well. Then we were set lose to please buy something. Ended up buying matt a hat and me an alpaca throw blanket for 115soules (~35$). This spot also had a cuy (guinea pig house) which held a couple dozen guinea pigs (much cuter before they are baked in an oven)

Continued on our way stopping at a gorgeous overlook of orubamba before continuing onwards. We reached ollyantatambo around 1230; and our taxi driver brought us to the train station to get our train tickets and drop our luggage off so we could venture the town before catching our 430pm train to Machu pichu. Our driver dropped us off at the town square where we found a second floor balcony to enjoy a "happy hour 2x20s pisco sour" soaking in the ruins of the last town of the sacred valley. Then we walked the square and found a woodfired pizza shop overlooking the ruins of ollyantatambo. Finally we still had 45 minutes; we went atop a Panoramic view cafe and had a brownie with icecream and cappuccino for dessert. Finally time to board the train, picked up our luggage, found our carriage, ran into a klm fa who was worried about getting home because of the Air France strike and we were in our seats for the 1:40 minute ride to Machu Picchu town (aka Aguascalientes) we were served a biscotti snack and coffee and I was dozing in and out of sleep trying not to be car sick with the consistent sway back and forth along with the constant change in speed.

Anyway, before we knew it we were pulling into Machu Picchu town. Grabbed our bags and were on our 6 minute walk to our hotel through weaves of merchants selling the same: alpaca sweaters and blankets and table runners and alpaca statues and jewelry. Ended up buying a baby alpaca figure. But made it to our hotel. Nicest hotel I have ever paid to stay in. King size beds, rainshower head blackout shades, wowza it was nice. We then asked for advice from the front desk agent on how to get bus tickets. Buy them tonight! So we set off to buy bus tickets (2h hike up 1h hike down or 20min bus ride each way for 24$. Made it to the bus ticket booth only to be turned away because we didn't have our passports. Also, being 7pm we were worried about the restaurants closing. So we decided on a place that had Mexican and pasta and matt would stay and order the 4x1 pisco sours for 15s while I walked back the 6 minutes to the hotel and back with the passports. Get the passports and get back to the bus ticket station only to have forgotten the cc. Go up 50m to the restaurant to get the cc from matt and back to the ticket booth only to find out they only accept MasterCard. Good thing we had pulled out 250s in ollyantatambo. Paid the 155s and then went to the restaurant to join matt. He ordered me the chicken quesadillas and he ordered himself a pesto spaghetti dish with chicken. His dish was way better than mine. Finished it up walked the markers back to the hotel. Picked up waters and off to early bed for a big day. 7am wake up, brekke, bus around 8am to Machu Picchu waynapicchu hike at 10am train at 4pm to a bus in ollyantatambo. To Cusco by 8 pm to our hostel to check flights and determine a ride home Monday.

Peru day 3- Cusco!

Barely heard Colin leave at five am, then before we knew it it was 830; showered dressed and were down for brekke before they closed. Had a European bread meat and cheese and ordered an omelet special-- onion, mushroom and ham with cheese omelet. Yumm. Then we were off to find a open top bus tour. But before we left we asked about scheduling a taxi with tourist stops along to way to ollyantatambo. 150s and 10am pick up. 3s=1$. Perfect. Off to the town center for a bus tour. 25s and we were united with a group that just started. We did a little walking tour around town then hopped on a city cruiser bus as the open too bus is too big to maneuver the tight streets and 90 degree turns. We went past both churches and a water fountain before heading out of town to hop on our double decker open top bus. Drove past the sachychuea (or something like that ruins) out to an inca shawman house where we put coca leaves in a fire and he removed the evil spirits by hitting us with some green plants and then washed away te evil spirits with some aromatic waters. Got my pictures with a 5 year old inca girl and her baby alpaca (pagame!! She would say if you took a picture without paying her) then off to an alpaca shop, with non stop buy this buy that and then to the Jesus Cristo statue overlooking the town of Cusco and down back into town. It ended up being a three hour tour. Then we set off to find some woodfired pizza; at another ma and pa shop and then to the cocoa museum for for some dessert. We learned about the different regions where cocoa beans grow and the process of getting the cocoa beans out of the pods and roasting them and then separating the cocoa butter from the cocoa powder and then finally tasters the different types of chocolate. We detoured into the cocoa mieseun because it looked like rain. No rain. After the free tour we went back to our room for a siesta. Woke up around 530 and daughter out seledonias mesa; the restaurant recommended by joey. Cuy and soup and a pisco sour and a beer. The soup was a chicken noodle with vegetables and was quite delicious. The cuy-- bakes guinea pig came out head, teeth, ears feet fully intact. Trying to eat it but the skin was practically impenetrable. We were able to get to some of the meat; which was salty and pork tasting. Unable to handle the rodent stares matt attempted to decapitate the thing. No luck. Luckily the soup was filling. After some hearty laughs and a 6$ tip we were done with the food and ready to walk toward old town. Heard some love music and walked up three flights of a cafe and found it. Two rounds of pisco spurs and a lot of Elvis covers and we were ready to retreat back to our hotel after picking up some water. Next morning, wake up pack, brekke and hop in the taxi to ollyantatambo.

Peru day 2: travel to Cusco

Woke up at six, showered, and were ready for our 630am taxi leaving behind my shower toiletries. Made it to the airport through the mess of no rules to follow traffic in ten minutes. Colin matt and I checked in for the 810am flight to Cusco which happens to be delayed until 840; thanks google. Checked our bags and were off to find brekke. McDonald's mcjuevo and coffee for us (7$) and Colin got a traditional Peruvian brekke consisting of a meat sandwich and potatoe fries. Before Lon. We were walking through domestic security and waiting for our seats to be cleared. 20 open and we all got seats on avianca but none together. Oh well. Quickly matt and I booked a hotel in the historic old town of Cusco for 53$/night which actually had three beds in it. Landed in Cusco after a short hour flight and said our goodbyes to Colin after solidifying a taxi. He was going to his treking company, afraid he was a day late for his 5 day trek and no clear explanation and we were off to our hostel. Dropped off Colin and we were on our way to the hotel when he messaged saying he missed his trek and is now on a four day trek the next day. Since we had 3 beds in our room we invited him to crash one night if he wanted. He worked his way to us while I sipped on some coca tea. Dehydration headache from the previous day was intensifying. Colin dropped his bags off and then we went to search out the paddys irish pub. Pisco sours for Colin and I and matt ordered a dark lager. The boys also had a grilled meat and cheese sandwich and I had a quesadilla. Colin met some guys from Australia and chatted about their trek stories. Then to the cathedral square steps. The altitude was causing my headache to pound so matt and I retreated for a siesta while Colin was off to do whatever. We woke up around 530 and headed back into town and tried to ignore the non stop pestering to buy this buy that. We ended up at a beer hall before heading back to the hostel to meet Colin for dinner.

Met Colin for dinner who explained he met a pretty girl on the steps who talked him into an open too bus tour and he bought a few alpaca sweaters and some energy drink. He also had a meeting with his treking company and is now squared away. As we were getting ready to go to dinner at te place joey recommended matt realized he didn't grab his credit card from the beer hall. We had the front desk call down and sure enough they still had it. So now we had to walk always to go get the credit card. We ended up getting sucked into a restaurant that was nearby the beer hall, 2/20s cocktails. I had a flor de caña & Coke and the boys had johnny walker & Coke. We ordered 2 alpaca dishes and a traditional Peruvian appetizer consisting of chicken skewers, chicheronnes, and potatoes. We got chatting with the server who's mother spoke no English and chatted the night away it was quite funny hearing Colin's stupid stories and then the translation reaction. 178s later we were on our way home. Stopped by the market and picked up a couple waters and were off to bed. Colin with a 5 am wake up; matt and I just need to be up before 9 for free brekke.

Peru Day 1-- Travel to Lima

Woke up at seven, checked flights and decided to catch the 9 am to ewr as ewr had more comfort plus seats available and a shot at first class. Packed up our things and walked to the train station. For listed for our flight to ewr and then into our flight to Lima. We noticed an Oo (skywest) employee with a 2014 hire date from ewr to lim : spe, c. Hmmm could it be? Then we looked at the map to ewr list. Same spe,c Oo employee listed. It must be Colin Spencer--Matt's old student he flight instructed with and I went to elementary middle and high school with. Matt texted him quick to which he realized he listed himself on the wrong flight, he meant to list to Iah. But matt talked him into catching the delta flight to ewr and riding down with us. Matt and I got seats to ewr and we were off. Landed in ewr with about 1.5 hours to take off. Picked up some pholly cheesesteaks filled up 1 of the 2 water bottles and patiently waited for our seat assignments. Got 2 seats together in the exit row. Quickly booked a hotel nearby the Lima hotel, and Colin who ended up sitting just across the aisle from us bought a room in the same hotel. Then 7 hours of horrible united service ensued. Would pass through for dinner service and barely ask you what you wanted and the drinks if you didn't answer quick enough you weren't getting anything. But; matt and I watched like 3 movies --pitch perfect 3, wonder, and some WWII movie.

Before long we were landing in Peru. Customs was a joke per usually. Collected our bags and off to find a taxi. 40s would bring us right to our hotel. Done. For checked in. Decent enough hotel and The desk worker ordered is a van for fhe
Morning. We went on a wild food chase. Orders street enchiladas and tacos and retreated to our rooms. 630am cab to try the 8am to Cuzco