The best thing about Abancay, was my sleep, and leaving the town…:) Oh! and there was hot water in the shower. They say if you don’t have anything good to say about a place, then you shouldn’t say it. So I will mainly comply with convention, and won’t say it. What I will say though, (‘cos it’s not like me to hold my tongue..:), is that some towns lack any sort of cohesion, in all matters. There are clearly no rules about where you build, or how, or roads that serve the populace. Incredible!!
Immediately on leaving the hotel, the proprietor was lovely, we started climbing, and climbing, and climbing. The scenery soon changed from drab dun colour of everything, to trees, and greenery. From 2460m, the pass crossing the Cordillera Villecabamba range, peaked at 4015m, before dropping down to Cusco, which is 3416m.
The mountains and gorges were spectacular, especially when the sun shone through the clouds. Our photos don’t do any sort of justice to the splendor. Often what would be a great photo, is inhibited by anywhere to pull off the road to take the shot. The road conditions, have been very good. Traffic, moderate. Mostly big trucks, grinding their torturous way up and down hills and around hairpin bends.
Arriving into Cusco
This very much a tourist centre. There are Europeans everywhere. Machu Pichu the drawcard, no doubt. Trouble for us is, to visit Machu Picchu you have to book months in advance, but it’s nearly impossible for us to commit that far ahead. Jen has been trying all avenues to make it happen, so let’s see how that pans out.
For accommodation here, the sheer volume of tourists and uncertainty if hotels can accommodate Poki at 2.4m high, we have to check the hotels out first, unless they specify. Our second choice turned up trumps. Jen booked the last room on Bookings.com and it’s perfect. There is a motorcycle tour party here from Brazil, riding mostly BMW’s, registered in Argentina. Poki just squeezed in between them and the wall.
It’s the smartest hotel we have stayed in too, since arriving in South America.
So, tomorrow we will take a cab into the city, we’re a couple of k’s out, and not only do some sightseeing, but pursue the Machu Picchu option. Regardless of success in that endeavour, we’ll investigate other ruins in the area, then head down to Lake Titikaca, and on to Bolivia.
Sport.
2 – 0 to the Brits today in the America’s cup racing. Most Kiwi’s have experienced nail biting races in the past, so we don’t get too carried away with early success. 4 – 2. Fascinating.
Women’s T20 World Cup cricket. New Zealand are into the Semi’s.
Not a ball bowled on the first day of the Black Caps men’s test with India, in India. Rain!!
A friends passing.
- Late addition. I’m extremely saddened to learn of the passing of friend and fellow Kirra Tours Coach driver/guide, Peter Napier. Brother Kelvin introduced me to driving tour coaches in the early 2000 and Peter was the senior driver. A nicer guy you could not meet. Humble and good natured and always helpful to newbies. Peter must have shown thousands of overseas visitors, our amazing country. Thank’s Kevin for the photo. RIP Peter.
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