Wednesday. After waking up to four previously set alarms, I
awoke again, but this time to a knock on the door. Dr. Brown said, “I hope you
guys are up!” and we quickly replied, “Of course” as we rolled out of bed. It
was 515 and our bus would be leaving in about 15 minutes. After final touches
to my suitcase, I was packed, but still half asleep. We split once again into
two buses and ventured to the Lima Airport. At the airport we slowly but surely
got through security and awaited the bus to take us to the plane. An hour into
our wait, we were informed that our flight was delayed. We all sat around and
talked about various topics including math classes and bicycles. When the bus
arrived, I chatted with a fellow American who owned his own vocational trip
business. We boarded our flight, the smallest plane I have ever been on and we
were on our way. We went up up up and saw various mountains and small towns
along the way.
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| Our Flight to Cusco |
When we landed, we were instantly greeted with the beautiful
scenery. We met with the rest of Dr. Brown’s family and collected our
belongings. We all walked slowly and cautiously to avoid an elevated heart
rate. We popped candy after candy into our mouths to help with the acclimation process.
When we got to the Mystic Hotel, Antares, we slowly set our stuff in our rooms
and prepared for a drinking contest. Not really, but we downed cup after cup of
coca tea to help any unwanted headaches. The day was designed to be simple,
full of napping, reading, and writing. I took a quick nap, but due to hunger
and excitement, I was restless. After some downtime, part of the group slowly
walked the half block to the supermarket. We bought water and a few snacks to
hold us over until dinner. We are staying on a very busy road next to a massive
market. There was a constant hustle and bustle going on outside. The roads are
a majority cobble stone dating back to who knows when. It was obvious that
there was an abundance of tourists walking around. The sidewalks are littered
with people, food, and merchandise which produces an aroma that is unlike
anything I have smelled before.
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| Plaza de Armas |
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| My dinner at the Vegetarian Restaurant |
For dinner, we all went to a vegetarian restaurant
where I ordered fried rice with eggs. It might have been the fullest I have
been throughout my stay in Peru. After dinner, we saw the Plaza de Armas, or the
city center of Cusco. The temperature took a plunge and I wished I brought my
hat. The street venders are well aware of this due to the abundance of hats for
sale at night compared to when it is warmer during the day. After a full day of
resting and taking it relatively easy, I was proud to have no symptoms of
altitude sickness.
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| View from the Hotel Roof Viva Peru! ~JH |
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