Friday, August 29, 2003

It's the same story every time we set off on vacation - in order to get things reasonably tied up at work so you can go away with a clear conscience, the last week or two of work is just insane. This time was no exception. And packing for this trip seemed more complicated than usual. Because we will be camping at high …

I was reluctant to get out from under the covers this morning. We had warmed up our little sleeping nest, but the room was cold! Luckily, hot water was available for a warming shower. We dressed quickly, did a little repacking, and walked to the breakfast room. We kept putting on more layers of clothes. The temperature is probably in the fifties, …

We woke up at six this morning to get ready for our excursion. Breakfast at the hotel was good, with fruit, cereal, breads, and eggs cooked to request. Then we went outside the hotel where bicycle taxis looking like tricycles with a two-person passenger seat in the front were waiting to pick us up.

We were biked down to the docks. On the way, a …

This morning we woke up early, and we grabbed our clothes and stuffed them under the covers to get them warm so that we wouldn't freeze later getting dressed. We finally got up around sunrise, got dressed and threw on enough outerwear to get to the outhouse. Antonio brought a bucket of (ice cold) water to our door to wash up, and then we went down …

Bob actually woke without his headache this morning. Maybe we’re getting used to the altitude. I never thought I would long for humidity, but my hair is full of static and my nose bleeds because at these elevations the air is so dry.

A bus came to pick us up for the ride to Cuzco. Our guide had bought us tickets through a local tourist …

This morning was a little more relaxed, since Vidal, our guide, was not meeting us until 9 AM. We showered and had breakfast, watching a parrot in the courtyard while eating. Almost by chance we climbed to the second floor of the inn and realized that we had a great view of the town, including the cathedrals in the main plaza.

Vidal whistled …

Well, this morning we had an interesting but completely unplanned experience.

Bob had a spell of running to the bathroom in the night, although repeated applications of Pepto-Bismol had cleared it up by morning, leaving him feeling OK if a little weak. But I woke up with a very swollen left eyelid, obviously an infection. So I got dressed and …

This morning we got to the trailhead a little early. I'm glad that we don't have to feel rushed. Lots of women were waiting at the trailhead, carrying baskets of hiking related items such as water, candy, gloves, hats, ponchos and bamboo walking sticks to sell to the trekkers. I bought a hat shaped like a baseball cap but in fabric woven in …

Well, all things considered we slept pretty well last night. It was not too cold when we went to bed. I slept in a long underwear top and bottom with a sleeveless fleece and socks. I put some of tomorrow's clothes in the sleeping bag with me so they would be bearable to put on in the morning.

In the night we heard barking dogs a few times and …