Peru trip - Puno to Cusco

This was a day we were all dreading as it entailed a 10 hour bus journey from Lake Titicaca to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas. The good news was that the bus was more spacious as well as much more comfortable than the previous vehicle we had between Colca Canyon and Puno.

They were also many stops on the way to break the possible boredom. We began by visiting Andahuaylillas, a town famous for its very unique 17th century church boasting a gaudy baroque interior. We also stopped to visit the Racchi ruins, known as "The Temple of God Wiracocha".

Just to get another serving of high altitude, we climbed to 14,300 feet to La Raya, the highest point on the road between Cusco and Puno, a place surrounded by glacier-covered high peaks and very thin air that none of the passengers were really looking for. This was another typical place for many photo opportunities among high-mountains and merchants trying to sell their alpaca woolen designs.

We finally got to Cusco without having suffered too much from what could seem like a horrible journey at the outset. The hotel, Quinta San Blas, we went to was very charming but had no windows which made us feel a bit claustrophobic.

That night marked another improvement for us as we were beginning to get acclimated to the high altitude, slept much better and took control of our headaches and nausea more thanks to swallowing ibuprofen pills, more so than chewing coca leaves. We should have done it right from the start!