High Society

After a night in a bleak-looking Lima, the final stop for me was Cusco in Peru. This is a true city among the clouds, being almost 4000m high in the Andes. Judging by the breathtaking views on the flight there, virtually the whole of Peru is Andes, with little settlements crouching in valleys among the giant mountains.

Cusco (which was a larger place than expected) is a tourist destination as a stepping stone to Machu Picchu, an abandoned Inca city which is a visual wonder. We had a couple of gentle days in Cusco first to acclimatise to the altitude, which suited fine. Cusco was picturesque itself, a plateau surrounded by hills and mountains, and with a collection of both inca ruins and 15th/16th centuary spanish structures and churches to see.

The place we stayed at was an adapted 400-year-old building, but getting there generated a feeling only of relief rather than wonder - it was up a very steep street and the 3 or 4 minute walk straight up just killed me in the altitude. (Reminded me of the Mount St walk up to Vic Uni, only if you were carrying a sack of concrete). It was just as hard on the last day as the first, and much time was spent gasping at the top next to a smiling local security guard. Seeing other locals jogging up it in tracksuits did little for the self-esteem either!.

I signed up for the local gimmick of roast guinea pig, partly to exorcise memories of their complete lameness as a pet for Bef in her youth. The fun was all in the sight of it spread on the plate, tiny teeth still in sight. I can with some solemnity report that it was a stringy meat that was not worth the effort hacking away for each mouthful.

In the end we only just managed to book the bus/train to Machu Picchu for our last day there, as tourists book up transport there quickly. This created the bonus of the chance to watch the Champions League final on the day before, which I duly did in a small but worthy sports bar on top of a market. And a glorious final it was, two teams at the top of their game, full of drama and skill, and with a euphoric finish (for me anyway).

The trip to Machu Picchu required a 6am departure, which needless to say was four hours earlier than I arose all trip. It was a sacrifice worth making, Machu Picchu is an stunning place - an abandoned city surrounded by cliffs and mountains, just an amazing imposing site for an abandoned city. Our rather fun guide pointed out many signs of the incans' building and astronomical talents, including temples where the sun shone exactly through the window at the equinox, a carved stone facing exactly the compass directions, their use of boulders underneath as earthquake proofing...impressive stuff, and clearly the locals are still proud now.

Sadly I didn't find a map to el dorado, so with no further excuses the time finally came to take my leave of Beth and Chris (who's adventures continued to Cuba) and South America, albeit after an inordinate amount of time in airports and cramped seats. A mighty fine few weeks, though it was busy enough that the return home to rest has been great too.