Every morning at 7am they let off huge bangers as a call to worship! I'm guessing their bells are in need of a service....It's certainly not conducive to a lie in!
The view from our hotel window:
Friday was a quiet day spent chilling around the town, catching up with family on Skype and FaceTime (we're so grateful for technology), booking our next bus ticket and an evening snack at Paddy's Irish bar across the street.
Paddy's bar has a fantastic claim to fame. It claims to be, and I quote, "The highest 100% Irish owned bar in the world". I feel privileged to have been there!
Saturday was still chilled but with a pinch of activity.
After the morning Catholic explosions we headed to Cicolina's for breakfast then decided to take the Cusco city bus tour.
As we were waiting for our tickets we were approached by a middle aged Cusconian man trying to sell us grey, alpaca wool jumpers.
He had perfected the art of asking you to feel how soft they were and as you touched them, he let go and you're left holding merchandise you have no intention of purchasing!
I saw it coming and, as he draped it on me, I leaned forward so it wouldn't stay on me. Then proceeded 30 seconds of hilarious leaning action as he tried desperately to drape his grandad jumper around me!
It was all in good humour and he asked if Lauren and I were married. I said yes and showed him our wedding rings to which he replied, "oh" in a rather sad voice. "Unlucky" I replied and he burst out laughing in the loudest and best Borat-esk laugh I've ever heard! We all walked away in hysterics, loving a bit of international banter.
We bought our tickets and realised we were going to miss the Spurs game so postponed the bus ride to the afternoon and headed to Paddy's for Crystal Palace vs Spurs.
We spent most of the game chatting with Jay and Sunit from Manchester and Matt from Glasgow. Just as well as Spurs lost 2-1.
Interesting sign in the toilets:
Matt invited us for a pint at another bar across the road and we sat on the balcony, people watching until it was time for our bus tour.
We'd been meaning to do a bus tour since we arrived in Cusco 11 days ago but had been galavanting at Machu Pichu and in the jungle so had not got around to it until now.
Bus tours are another great way to see a snapshot of a whole city in just a few hours. It's best to do them as soon as you arrive so you leave yourself time to revisit the places you liked the look of. However, this was our penultimate day in Cusco so a little pointless but we were looking forward to it anyway.
Sadly the tour was the worst city tour we've done and consisted of a local guide talking very quickly through a distorted microphone situated downstairs on the bus (we, along with 90% of the passengers) were on the open top deck and could hardly hear a word he was saying. He sounded like the guys you hear at the fair instructing you not to bump on the bumper cars, again, something I've never really understood!
Anyway, we looked at what we thought he told us to and huddled together as the clouds gathered overhead.
Here's a few pictures from the tour:
Cusco's version of Christ The Redeemer
Plaza de Armas from above. This is where we spent our crazy New Year
Inca ruins in the hills above Cusco
As we made our way back into the main town, it started to rain but, as ever, we'd come prepared.....to look like a couple of smurfs!!
Smurf Selfie
We got another early night knowing we'd be woken early Sunday morning by the explosive Catholics.
So here we are, Sunday morning, just about to check out of our hotel.
We'll find something to do in Cusco today (hopefully indoors or hopefully the rain will hold!) and then a ten hour bus ride to Arequipa tonight and 2 days of excursions the 2 days following!
See you on the other side!
Hope you went for the bus-cama (reclining bed seats) and not just the standard coach! Rach
ReplyDeleteYes, we paid for full cama including turn down service and bedtime story ☺
DeleteGreat. Practice your numbers 1-20 as they usually play BINGO so you don't get bored. If you win you get a free ticket which would be handy for your next bus trip!! Unless they give you one back to Cuzco!! If you win, you also have to go upstairs and to meet your 'host' for the journey, and then speak over the microphone to wish all your passengers a wonderful trip whilst trying to stay upright, breathe in enough oxygen AND not vomit due to the altitude/the roads that go round and round and round and round! The one time I won Bingo I swapped cards with Paul so he had to get up. It turned out that another passenger one at the same time and they had to decide between themselves who would win the Pisco Sour (special prize that journey) Enjoy :) Rach
ReplyDeleteOh and you also need to know the letters B I N G and O to play the game.... so you had better look those up. It is a cross between bingo and battleships.
ReplyDeleteThanks fort the tip! We'll swat up! ☺
ReplyDeleteJust gets better! love Dad X
ReplyDeleteI love the toilet sign! I wonder how many people were actually fishing in the toilet to make them decide they needed a sign to prevent it?! What is the 3rd one?!
ReplyDelete