Another early rise. We have to pack and get our things to the lobby for a flight to Cusco. The problem is that the 757 is too big to land at Cusco so we have to take a plane on Peruvian Airlines. Lima is at sea level but Cusco is at over 11,500 ft. Maybe the plane could land at Cusco but it might not be able to to take off. The air is very thin. To do that we have to pack so that we can leave our big bag on the 757 and just take our small checked bag and our carry-ons. The plane into Cusco is a 737. On the way to the airport we got an interesting lecture about Peru.
Geographically, there are three sections to the country. There is Lima, at sea level and where it never rains. The weather can be humid but because of the cold Pacific currents it rarely, if ever rains. All ground vegetation is irrigated and the water for human consumption is from runoff of the Andes. There is the Andes region which is overcast a lot of the time and gets a lot of rain. The weather is very unpredictable there. Then there is the jungle region which also gets a lot of moisture. Being on the other side of the Continental Divide, the water flows to the Amazon. The geography and the cultures of the three regions are distinctly different. Still, Peru has been quite stable since the 1990’s and is doing quite well economically. Mining, agriculture, fishing, tourism and a few other sectors have kept things stable. Inflation is about 3%. There is free medical care, free and mandatory education and there is mandatory voting.
We landed in Cusco and boarded our buses. The first stop was at the Central Plaza and a visit to the cathedral. Mining has been essential to Peru. The cathedral demonstrates some of the amazing use of gold and silver from the area.
On to the hotel. The hotel is a converted monastery and they did it right. They have maintained the monastery architecture and feel while creating a very comfortable environment. The inner garden is gorgeous. Everything is restored and the rooms are very nice. Not over the top, but very comfortable. The help is more than gracious. Instead of doing a side tour we decided to rest in our room and acclimate. Supposedly the air in the room is oxygenated to help prevent altitude sickness. Counterintuitively, while Cusco is at over 11,000 ft., Machu Picchu is at 6000+ ft.
After our nap we took a stroll around the city plaza. I wanted to buy a hat with an all-around brim for our visit to Michou Pichou. An excellent dinner was served in the hotel and then we went to an area where local weavers were demonstrating their art. Weaving is quite an art in Peru. Even watching them do it, it is hard to understand how they can weave such intricate patterns. Everything they do is a primitive art form. They form the thread by hand, no spinning wheels for these artisans.
Tomorrow is the the real kickoff to the expedition, the tour of Machu Picchu.
The plaza in Cusco.