Today we took Peruvian Airlines to Cusco, Peru, the start of our Andes trek. We found out very quickly what it means when someone says Peruvian time (5 minutes becomes 30). The flight went well and was very roomy (compared to American Airlines) and they also gave us a snack and drinks even though it was a short flight. Upon arrival in Cusco we gathered our bags and headed out of the terminal but didn't see a driver holding up our name, not a good sign. After waiting outside for quite awhile and being hounded by the taxi drivers, one of them offered to call our hotel and check on our driver. He told us he was on the way (10 min.). 30 minutes later we still had no driver so Kim went into the airport to call again. Finally, over an hour later, we had a driver and headed to Hotel Marqueses, our home for the next 2 nights. I can't get over the difference in temperature here compared to Lima. It was so cold in Lima on the coast and it is so warm here in Cusco (11,000' above sea level). I expected the opposite.
The hotel was located just one block from the Plaza De Armas (Cusco`s Main Square in this famous capital of The Inca Empire), close to all of the tourist attractions: museums, churches and convents such as the La Merced, Santa Teresa and San Francisco . We spent the day wandering through the streets of Cusco and perusing the markets.
View from our hotel window
Church in the Plaza De Armas
And yes, they do drive cars and buses up and down these tiny streets
Coming up the stairs at the hotel
Hotel courtyard
The owner of the Lima B&B told us his brother had just opened a new restaurant in Cusco. He gave us his card so we decided to try it for our anniversary dinner. We were welcomed with a Pisco Sour followed by a delicious Peruvian dinner. We even indulged in dessert. YUM!
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