peru - cusco

It all started out beautifully.  We purchased tickets from the Cruz del Sur...the "fanciest" buses in Peru for our 15 hour journey from Nazca to Cusco.  In a double decker bus, we were going to be on the first level with about ten other passengers, a bathroom, plus movies and meals included.  Guy and I weren´t able to get seats together, but figured it wasn´t a big deal.  When we boarded our executive accomodations at eight o´clock, I was excited to see how plush everything really was!  I was offered my dinner right away, as the other passengers had already boarded, watching a movie, fully reclined in their leather seats.  As I ate my surprisingly delicious dinner, I thought, this really isn´t going to be bad! 

A few hours passed, and I realized my stomach was starting to churn.  The lights were all out, and I was having a heck of a time getting comfortable and falling asleep.  The journey from Nazca to Cusco is known to be a bit tumultuous, due to the fact that the altitude rises so drastically, not to mention the CONSTANT hair pin turns the bus takes through the mountains.  I realized I was having a harder time breathing, and realized that altitude (and motion) sickness were starting to hit me.  All I thought was...I have 13 more hours of this.  Panic.  As I tried to soothe myself and calm down, I decided I better scope out the bathroom situation, just in case.  By "scoping out," I hadn´t intended on walking in on the man across the aisle from me.  Oops.  Oh well, I´d only have to sit next to him for another 13 hours too.  Sweet humiliation.  When I returned to my seat, the woman across the aisle from me (luckily I had a single seat by myself) was hypervenilating.  I guess altitude sickness was hitting her too! 

As soon as I got comfortable and just started drifting off, I woke up with a start.  I grabbed the door and "ran" (as much as you can on a bus) to the bathroom.  A lot happened in there.  My hands ended up in places I would never have dreamed, (as I am such a germ-a-phobe), but the bus was throwing me in every direction as we scaled the mountainside, I had to keep myself from falling into the toilet or on the floor.  So when I finally retreated back to my seat many minutes later, a line had formed behind me.  I sat in my seat worrying about what I would do if the bathroom was occupied should I need to return.  I frantically pushed the button for the stewardess (or whatever the bus equivalent would be) to come to my rescue, but she never appeared.  Finally, several minutes later, she peeked her head in to attend to the lady next to me and I practically mauled her to get me some mate de coca, or coca tea.  Drinking coca tea or chewing on coca leaves in the local remedy for altitude sickness. 

As I sat in my seat, praying for death, the woman next to me brought my sickness to a whole new level.  She began to get sick.  In her seat.  Next to me.  A lot.  I proceeded to do the only thing I could think of to keep myself from losing it...put on my headphones and shove them into my ears.  There was one music station available on the bus, and it was terrible karaoke equivalent songs being song by a latina woman who thought she should over-pronounce every word.  Not to mention the songs playing were "Rock With You" by Michael Jackson and "Glory of Love" from the Karate Kid movie.  There was no where to escape.  I looked behind me to see what Guy was doing, and there he was, sawing logs, fast asleep.  Of course. 

So there I was, hour after sleepless hour, feeling as if I was on the worst rollercoaster ride of my life, just waiting for it all to end!  When the sun finally appeared, I made another trip to the bathroom, this time getting thrown into the back wall from the force of the bus turning, only to look up and see cows out the window for a brief moment. What a weird night.

When we FINALLY got off, 15 hours later, I felt as though I was still on the bus.  Guy got us on a taxi and to our hostel in no time flat, where I spent the next several hours doing nothing but drinking coca tea and chewing coca leaves and feeling very miserable. 

Fast forwarding a bit, (a few days later) I have, I believe, completely recovered and am quite grateful for that!  Once I finally was able to emerge from our hostel (which I love to death), I was able to walk the city with Guy and see that Cusco is a very charming city, by far the most charming in Peru thus far.  The mountainside views are stunning, the colonial style buildings beautiful, with cobblestone streets and the most impressive Plaza de Armas with incredible views in every direction.  Of course, we have been hounded more than ever in Cusco, with people wanting us to buy their wares, shine our shoes, visit their restaurants, take their tours, and take photos with them.  But these people are just trying to get by and performing their occupations, and its just part of the whole experience that has to be accepted, or you´ll go crazy.  I did succomb to one, however...the native women and children dress in their traditional clothing, often with baby goats and llamas, and offer to take pictures with you (for a price of course).  I couldn´t resist cute children and animals...so here you go!

As much as my experience in Cusco has been a bit tainted by illness, it is a quite stunning city, and the perfect place to get used to the altitude before heading to Machu Picchu!