Motorcycle Diaries

We made it to Cusco and our intended hotel, El Balcon. The views from our balcony are beautiful. It took awhile to adjust to the altitude, but the mate de coca helped. The first day we explored the city and took it easy. The city of Cusco is so different from Lima. Cusco still has its old world charm - cobble streets, colonial architecture, and incan ruins everywhere - except for all of the gringo backpackers. The people here are very friendly and helpful. And there are coca leaves in abundance...


The second day Ray decided he wanted to rent a motorcycle. So we rode our little Honda 250 up through the Andes into the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Our main destination was a small Incan town called Pisac, which is primarily known for its huge markets. Riding on a motorcycle in Peru was definitely an experience, especially driving around the steep mountain turns with tour buses behind and infront of us. We made it and did a little souvenir shopping.


Pisac was also a great Incan site. After an hour of shopping we hopped onto our motorcycle and drove up the steep mountain to the ruins, which were amazing. Cut into the mountainside were rows and rows of terraces, which the Incans used for crops. This was also our warm-up for climbing Machu Picchu - after only 45 minutes I was out of breath, and a little timid from the centuries old steps without any handrails which cut into the mountain that rose thousands of metres from the river valley.

Today we stayed in Cusco and visited Qoricancha, an ancient Incan temple that was converted into a church called Santa Domingo. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors and greedy catholics, the temple of Qoricancha consisted of rooms lined with gold sheets weighing 2kg each! Pizarro and his followers sent the gold to Spain, which unevitably ended up in the gaudy roman catholic churches of europe.

Tomorrow is our last day in Cusco, then we take the train to Machu Picchu. So far, no guinea pig!