Cuzco is by far the best city I´ve visted yet. You can tell it´s very Inca -- handmade stone walls, elegant Incan designs on everything, bright colors, narrow roads, interesting food, friendly people. I would upload photos, but this Internet cafe computer barely is running the Internet.
Took a small plane this morning from Arequipa to get here. The Canadian woman next to me on the first leg of the flight only woke me up after we flew over an active volcano...Damn Canadians. But more on them later.
On the second leg, I sat in the row behind the emergeny exit row. In front of me sat six Japanese tourists. Turns out you have to speak English or Spanish to sit in that row, which they didn´t. Pity the poor stewardess who had to expalin to them for 15 minutes why they had to move...All the while, the woman next to me was texting in Japanese. Surreal. There are so many tourists here from all over. Everyone keeps asking me what part of Europe I'm from...
The plane also flew over Lake Titicaca. It was a beautiful lake, of course, buy I thought the Andes were more stunning. Jagged and sawdust brown...golden almost.
Back in the check-in line at the airport, four Canadians were behind me. When the check in lady listed them as Americans, they started shouting "We´re not American," "We´re not." It was bizarre. I guess there´s no worse fate these days...
Peru is also very nationalistic, but not in an obnoxious way. Except, of course, the huge carving on the side of the mountain here that says Viva Peru Glorioso. Long live glorious Peru.
But it really is nice here. The city goes up into the hills from the main Plaza de Armas. Going to check it out this afternoon and tomorrow before getting the train Saturday to Machu Picchu.
Will write more when I can. Hope this finds everyone well.
K
