So, our journey continued today towards Peru and the Inca Trail. It must have been the hottest night on record in BA and we managed to get no sleep before waking at half three to get a taxi to the airport for a flight to Lima. The flight was grand, five hours or so, got fed and slept most of the way (Regina did anyway as usual by the window seat). The views out the window were gigantic (does that work teachers???). The Andies stretched out in all directions, I saw lakes, and glaciers (possibly salt flats), salt flats (possibly glaciers), canyons, cliffs, rivers... the lot. My junior cert teacher would have loved it (I got an A in junior cert geography by the way). After a while we hit the pacific and turned right... bye bye views until we land in Lima, nice and industrial looking with a dark beach (like san francisco if I remember correctly). We went through the usual million check points and forms to be filled out, got our passports stamped and restamped and off to domestic check in for the flight to Cuzco. Got some food, and I bought a nice peru tshirt for a tenner (so clean I put it on straight away). Off we popped on our way then to Cuzco and queue Reginas highlight of the trip, a massive sweet with chocolate and caramel in it (dulce y leche... very popular in SAM).

Got off the plane and went for some maps of the city. I went to the tourist info counter and got a nice map, while Regina decided to go talk to a tour operator that was pretending to be an official tourist information desk. When I got over to rescue Regina, the lady was asking what time she could come and see us in our hostel, or when she could call us.... I think she was weeping as Regina left shouting she loved her.. but anyway!!! Outside we get a nice taxi man outside who gave us a bit of a tour (en route of course, nothing scenic..... we are irish and smelly looking). Our hostel is at one of the tops of the city. The city itself is a bit of a Neidin, quite a large area of flat surrounded on all sides by mountains. Some of the mountains have images cut into them... VIVA PERU something something on one of them, some images on the others. The view out our room is of the entire city, and from the old town side too so we can see the cathedrals and churches very well. The cathedrals are built on the sites of the Incan kings and the design of them is something I have never seen before anyway. Very detailed, but kind of rough looking, quite hand made looking!! We decided to go for a walk around the town the next day so I will do my best to be a tour guide for ye in the next entry

At this stage we had noticed that we werent able to breath properly, we were giddy as bajeepers and couldnt walk for more than 5 steps without taking a break..... were all those cakes starting to catch up on us??? We were starving (at half three we decided to go for dinner so we could be in bed by seven. Went to a place called Chez Maggys (for obvious reasons to one half of those reading this blog), and had a nice feed to bring the moods back up (we get a bit cranky when we are hungry it seems... who knew). Off back to the hostel then to skype the families to let them know we had arrived (arent we good). Regina headed for bed to write up her blog, and I went to the computer to fix up my pictures. Regina was wearing her Blue sweater and I had my new Red Tshirt on (earlier today I couldnt even unlock the door, but now everything seems clearer, woops). That was more or less it for day one I think. Regina might add a bit later. Our clothes are gone out to the laundry, and are back at eight, so she will be ultra happy then.... clean clothes, shower, and the latest edition of Glamour magazine.... in english..... woop woop everybody!!!

Tomorrow we tackle walking up hills, small hills, 3500metres above sea level.... its going to be fun