This has been a very long day. We started the day very early in Lima. We needed to be up, dressed, packed and downstairs in the hotel dining area for breakfast as soon as it opened at 7 a.m. It was a simple breakfast buffet. We also had to check out of the hotel as our taxi driver was to pick us up between 7:20-7:30 a.m. We finished breakfast at 7:15 and went to the front lobby. Jose David had arranged for and paid the taxi company last evening so we didn’t have to do anything but get in the cab and go to the airport. The lady at the front desk of the hotel had the name of the taxi driver and made certain he told her his name before she would let us go with him when he arrived at the hotel. In fact, he came in and didn’t give her the information she wanted at first so she sent him back out to his cab. Then after she did some checking she called him back in and gave him the approval to let us go with him. The traffic was unbelievable!! But, he got us to the proper area of the airport safely and in good time. In fact, we were checked in and had exchanged some more American money for Peruvian money by 8:30 a.m. We had some time to look around in the airport shops before going through security and to our gate. Boarding a bus we were then taken out to our flight on LAN airlines. There are flights to Cusco several times a day and the gate area was full.
The flight was fairly short…just about 75 minutes. Cusco is at an altitude of 11,200 ft in the Andes Mountains. As we were descending to the airport the plane made several circles. It seemed like it was spiraling downward to get to the right spot before landing. After picking up our luggage we looked for the door to go outside where our ride to the hotel is supposed to be waiting. Before we found the door one of the airport porters came to us and asked if we were McPherson. We said yes. He said he would take us to our driver. We went out to the outside where there were several people waiting for passengers. Most were from tour groups or hotels with the name(s) of the passengers they were waiting for. There was not one for us. We stood and waited and the porter kept looking around. He asked what hotel it was. When Sam said he couldn’t remember, he’d have to get into his bag to get the information the porter named one hotel, which was the correct one. Shortly after that a man came to the gate and talked to the porter and the porter came to us and said that was our driver. He took our bags to the man’s car and they verified with Sam the name of the hotel. He took us through Cusco. It is very pretty. Of course, there is the typical sights one sees in other areas of buildings partially built and some finished buildings next to others that will never look finished. But, there are also many green areas, trees, flowers, monuments. Soon he was turning into an area of very narrow streets with little shops and balconies, big cathedrals and plazas. Turning up a very steep and narrow cobblestone street he stopped suddenly in front of a door. We were at our hotel. The Hotel Argueologo. It’s perfect!! But, after we got out of the car he wanted paid a full taxi fare….$20 US or 50 Peruvian. We thought the hotel had arranged for someone to pick us up. We had made those arrangements when we booked the hotel. Especially since the airport porter knew our name and what hotel we were going to. But the driver insisted the hotel had not hired him. So, what else to do but pay him. We did ask the hotel when we got inside and registered and they did say they did not send anyone to pick us up. Strange……. I think somehow we got duped by the driver.
Our room is right off the center courtyard of the hotel. It is a small hotel…just 17 rooms but so very quaint and they are very, very attentive. The room is very nice and the staff has made sure all our needs are being met. They even presented us with small cups of coca tea….to help alleviate the altitude difficulties, which are fairly common here. We came from an altitude of sea level this morning. I was not going to drink any of it but finally decided to sip on it as the headache started in soon after we arrived. I only sipped about 2 oz so I don’t think I had enough to really help much. Perhaps the 2 extra strength tylenol did better. As soon as we were able to get checked in we took off exploring. We are only about a 5 minute walk downhill from a very large plaza…the Plaza de Armas…which is surrounded by little shops and has two very large cathedrals on it. It was about 2 p.m so we stopped at one of the restaurants and ate Peruvian hamburgers. They were huge!!!! We couldn’t eat everything. We then walked around looking at some of the stores. We found some very expensive stores and many little shops selling all kinds of things. We also found a little alley way going back to a little Peruvian Indian market. In all the little markets we found many of the little men and women who you would typically identify as Peruvian Andean Indians in their native dress. Before long we were tired and needed to go back to our hotel…..uphill all the way!!! It gets dark about 5:45 so we wanted to be at the hotel by then, which we were. We rested for about an hour then went to the hotel restaurant for a light supper. A very nice restaurant where again we were catered to. I had a delicious chicken noodle soup and Sam just had a dark chocolate mousse!!. Now to get ready for our adventure to Machu Picchu tomorrow..bright and early. Hope I get rid of this headache tonight!
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