Machu Picchu!

We just got back to Cuzco about an hour ago, and took some laundry in to be washed. Our conversation last night with our guide, Alvero, went like this;

Travis; Alvero, our room stinks!

Alvero; Really? Did you talk to the desk about getting another room?

Travis; It´s because we´re in it!

And it´s true, from all the rain, mud, animals and jungles our stuff had a funk for sure. Travis had quarenteened 2 pairs of his socks in plastic baggies they were so bad. But it´s good to get some clean clothes, since we only brought about 4 shirts and 2 pairs of pants total for the entire time we´re out of the country.

Some fun things you might want to hear;

The bathrooms are very scary. Usually just a hole in the ground, and in the nicest ones, a porcilan toilet but never a seat. And never, never any toilet paper. Ever. That was a rude thing to have to get used to.The taxis and busses here are out of control. I am afraid for my life everytime I climb into one. Pedestrians, cows, dogs, bikes or usually other cars have to jump out of the way and they never have the right of way. It´s very scary. And the streets are very narrow, usually barely enough room for one car. If two come in opposite ways, they honk until one gives up and backs up for the other to pass. there are also no gaurd rails, and as many people cram into busses and taxis as possible.

There are hundreds of dogs in the streets. They usually have homes, and hang around in the streets since there´s no porch at their house or just for entertainment´s sake. There is every type of dog inçmaginable. No specific breed, just all sorts. We always try to give them a scratch for good pet karma. (Poor lonely Gus!)

We saw Machu Pichu today! It was pretty crowded, but we managed to get some very good pitures without many people. Dad, I tried to fly my kite for you, but there was no wind. I packed it the whole way through the Salcantay trek and was so excited to fly it for a picture for you!

Maybe there will be wind in Bolivia. I was thinking about you though.

The dollar is about $1 to about 3 Nuevo Soles, the currency in Peru. We eat very well, Peruvian food is fantastic. Lots of soups and eggs. During the last day of our trek, some guiy climbed up a tree and started throwing avacodos down. I took one, and as soon as it´s ripe I´m gong to eat it for breakfast. (Breakfast is usually bread, butter, jam and hot water for hot chocolate or tea.)

My Spanish is improving in leaps and bounds, and I can understand most conversations and can jump in sometimes. I had a conversation with the cook during the trek when Travis and the guide were doing something else, and he didn´t speak any English. We talked about the cats and chickens wandering around in the ´kitchen´(the adobe hut the animals usually lived in) and about our families. I was pretty proud of myself.

We take a bus (6 hours) to Puno, Peru tomorrow. The floating islands are there, in Lago Titicaca. We´ll stay there the night and then cross into Bolivia the next day.