Cusco

Left for the airport at the crack of dawn today only to realize that yet again, Lonely Planet was correct. most flights to Cusco get delayed or cancelled due to weather. So from about 7am to 1130 we sat in the airport until our flight finally left around noon. However once we were on there i realized why flights get delayed bec. of weather in Cusco. It was definitely one of the crazier landings Ive ever done. It{s gorgeous as you come over the mountains and out of the clouds, but you{re literally right next to mountains!! kind of scary. then the plane circles around real quick and has to drop fast and land on the runway. It was pretty amusing. We met some funny older Americans on our flight who provided us with entertainment. Though it was embarassing for a moment when they started telling us how they went on tours of the slums in Lima. just seemed like they were on one of those tours that exploits hte poverty here. but anyways...
Cusco is fantastic!! (Nooner, you were so so right!) This really feels like what I imagined Peru to be. THe city has gorgeous buildings and theyre all built into the hills. the city sits sort of in this tiny valley surrounded by lush green hills (always with the cross and - or Jesus looking down) It{s definitely chillier here, sweater and hat weather, and it was pouring when we first got here, but it{s fine now. Our hotel is fantastic, Ninos Hotel. It{s run by a woman who works with the impoverished children in CUsco providing them with healthcare and dentists. SO proceeds from our stay go to that. IT{s pretty amazing and they have all this gorgeous photography at hte hotel of the kids. each room is named after one of the first group of kids she adopted. v. v. neat
After dealing with logistics we went to the gorgeous Catedral in the PLaza de Armas. It was amazing and tacky at the same time. Lots of doll Jesus{ and Mary{s and tons of neon lights. BUt it apparently has the largest bell in all of south america. we had a great meal at Chez Maggie. they have this little fire oven where they make pizza{s that are fantastic when it{s cold and rainy outside. now as for the altitude, it is kind of insane. I defiintely recommend at least a day to get used to it! It{s really hard coming from NYC and being used to walking fast bec. you just cannot do that here. I made the mistake of running up the stairs in our hotel and was so winded i felt dizzy. haha it{s really really bizarre. but to counteract that they give you the cocoa tea when you arrive. i{m sure most of you realize what that really is. it{s pretty good actually, sorry mom and dad. dad, you{ll probably have to explain to mom wht it is. and mom, don{t tell your class about that one. hehe
tonight if we{re brave we might attempt the cuy, guinea pig, but since most of the pictures we{ve seen look like the actual guinea pig roasted i{m not sure if we can stomach it. (apparently in most of hte pictures in Peru of the Last Supper, Jesus is dining on guinea pig. it{s hysterical! i{ll definitely get postcards)
Tomorrow we head out to the Sacred Valley, specifically Pisac and Ollantytambo, and then on to Machu Pichu for Sunday!