Back in Cusco...again! I actually have two groups of visitors coming down from The States for vacation. And what better place to show off the culture and scenery of South America than in Cusco and the Sacred Valley of The Inkas? Cusco is packed with adventure and a great place for those with only a short vacation. They each have only 8 or 9 days for the entire trip ...a traveling blink to me....but for them it's all they've got. I have no idea how the working class does it! So I've returned to Peru to play tour guide and enjoy some company from back home. First up is my buddy Doug who came down to visit me in Argentina two years ago. Our first order of business was to rent motorbikes for a three day journey to wherever we could get to. So with a cheap cartoon map of the Cusco area in hand, off we went. But not for long. Doug's bike had almost immediate flat tire problems just when we were inconveniently far enough away for the rental shop to help us. Compounding the problem even further, it was good Friday and the Easter weekend. The tire repair shops were all closed! Now, if there's one thing I've learned about 3rd world developing countries like Peru and England for example, it's that patience is the best medicine...everything will eventually work itself out. To our surprise and delight, it was most often the children that helped us the most. While broken down in Pisac, it was 12 year old Francisco who bailed us out the first time. He used his bicycle to run around town and find a repair guy to fix the flat. A day later in Lares, another small boy helped us locate and then buy a tire pump...this tire was cursed and even after repairs, still seemed to find a way to lose air. Aside from that problem, the scenery along our chosen routes was absolutely stunning. There is no better way to see a country than by motorcycle. You get everything...the heat, the cold, the rain, the sounds and the smells. The ride down the Lares Valley delivered amazing mountains topped by ancient glaciers. Waterfalls, rivers, and the multi-shades of green farmlands that climb steeply toward the sky decorate the landscape. The people that live here survive off the land. Basic food crops and livestock feed the family. Departing Lares, we made our way to Paucartambo, a town rarely visited by Gringos and about as 100% Peruvian as it gets. Arriving after dark in Paucartambo felt like coming into a city in the 17th century. Cobblestoned streets, colonial architecture, and locals in native dress populate the street scene. The following day, we returned to Cusco via Huancarani and Caicay until we reached The Sacred Valley Road. We have a few hours now to prepare for our next adventure...The four day Inka Jungle trek to Machu Pichu! We're on the move.....