Cusco, Peru: Oldest continuously inhabited city in South America

Hola Amigos!

 

I just wanted to drop a short note letting everyone know we have arrived safely in Cusco, Peru after the very long bus ride.  I threw up twice on the trip due to motion sickness and possible altitude sickness.  Obviously going from sea level to 12,000+ feet (the guide book said Cusco was at 3399 meters which is more like 13,000+ feet- I don't know what the correct elevation is) means that the bus has to take some pretty damn windy roads.  That is what gave me the motion sickness.  Dad, maybe you would have liked this road trip since you like the windy mountain roads, but probably not in a bus.

 

The elevation change does make a noticeable difference in how I feel.  I am light headed and a little dizzy at times.  We are just taking it easy tonight, and I am going to go for a nap now when I am done with this a-mail.  We have only walked around the main square since it was not far from our hostel.  We didn't have the energy to do much more than that, but I am sure that will change tomorrow.

 

The pic attached to this posting is of the Plaza de Armas which they also have in Lima.  This square is nicer and has some colonial architecture framing the square.  Since Cusco was one of the major Inca cities, it happens to be the oldest continually used city in all of South America.  This would be the St. Augustine of North America.

 

Well, that is all for now.  We hope to book our trek to Machu Picchu tomorrow (we won't go tomorrow, just to book a reservation).  We also may be completely screwed. We know for sure the famous 4 day hike along the Inca Trail is fully booked through November 21st, but we will try another way to get down there.  Yes, I said "down there".  Lol  Machu Picchu is about 2500m or 7600 feet elevation.

 

Ciao for now,

 

Sean