On September 10 we left Lima for a short one hour flight to Cusco, nestled into the Urubamba Valley in the Andes mountains. Cusco’s elevation is 11,200 feet (3,400 meters), so roughly 50% of visitors experience altitude sickness. Our hosts provided a bowl of coca leaves to chew to alleviate the symptoms.
Once we landed in Cusco, we had a 90 minute shuttle ride to our B&B in Urubamba. The Cusco street markets were interesting, and I couldn’t identify much of what was for sale. Dogs were everywhere, many of which were strays digging through garbage to survive.
In Urubamba, many people get around town with the aid of a Tuk Tuk, or auto rickshaw. These little vehicles can transport a few people quickly through crowded and narrow streets.
We didn’t sleep much the first night in Urubamba. Barking dogs kept us awake much of the time, and the roosters began crowing around 2:45 AM. Ear plugs will be on the shopping list today. I’m looking forward to exploring more of Urubamba today and getting some much-needed rest before we head to Machu Picchu tomorrow.
