Cusco

After our trip to the jungle we went back to Lima for about 3 days. Then we headed to tourist city of Cusco, Peru! As soon as we got off the plane we could definitely feel the high elevation. We decided to walk around Cusco and take a bus tour to get acclimated. Lots of people that over do it get altitude sickness, which can be completely miserable!

We waited in front of this building for the bus and I bought some key chains from a street vendor for some friends while I was standing there. I have better pictures on my lap top that I will have to post later! All these pictures were taken from my phone.

 Our tour guide chattered away as we headed up the windy roads. There were a lot of people from Brazil on our tour! Brazilians seem to love to vacation in Peru!

 Look how these rocks are cut so perfectly to fit together! The Incas were definitely an amazing people! Too bad they worshipped nature and not God. There is a lot of nature worship in Peru.

 I gave this lady a tip so we could take a picture with her and her baby and their llamas. I took a chance of taking a close up pic of a llama, and thankfully it chose not to spit on me.

 Random picture with Bro. Keith Nix photo bombing!

 Doesn't it look so snooty? As if I were American scum!

 100% Baby Alpaca! This sweater was very soft! I didn't buy one, but I did eat Alpaca at a little restaurant we stopped at in Cusco after we gallivanted around the city. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great, either. I think I'll stick with chicken!

 This guy was carrying a Charango around (South American instrument - an ancestor of the guitar)  and I went up to take a look at it. He started trying to sell it to me for a ridiculous price. I just wanted to look at it, and when I started to walk away he dropped his price significantly. This is why I love going to the little outdoor markets in Peru, because I love haggling with the people. lol It's not mean! They expect you to. Many of them seem like they don't want to budge in their prices, so when you walk away as if uninterested, many times they come after you saying, "Ok, ok, senorita," offering you a lower price. They would rather get something than nothing.

 In our hotel lobby in Cusco they had this little set up of hot water, coca leaves, and sugar. (Yes, coca leaves is what they make cocaine from, but it does not have bad effects on you by drinking it in hot water) This is a drink to help with altitude change. We put the dry leaves in the hot water and drank it... not too great. But then again, not too bad. I was so thankful our hotel room had good water pressure, and hot water at that! The room we had in the jungle was a totally different story.

 I love the bright colors!

 Here was one of our tour guides on the trip. (The one in the hat.)

 The look out over the City of Cusco. It was so pretty! Not to mention really cold!

Annnnnd somehow the Charango picture got way down here. They used to make them out of Armadillo shells, but this one is just a mimic. I shall try and post more pictures of Cusco soon, along with the pictures of our trip to Machu Picchu!

-Jen