cusco
Given that I found my initial trip to Cusco too short-lived, it was always on the cards that I would return. Particularly as it would help stagger the journey as I made my way south into Chile. I hadn't reckoned on taking company with me but my time in Trujillo was an enjoyable so I figured why not! Jacky adds to my enjoyment when traveling around. Language and all. But I was tiring of long bus journeys by this time so after a little investigation figured I would fly there. Beats a 26 hour 'tour de force' of a coach trip! Also, the prices were pretty reasonable. In a flurry of excitement I booked another flight from there to another favourite, Arequipa. From there I would continue south to new places.
Mind you it was one of the worst flights of my life. As the flight makes its way over the Andes and one looks down, it's hard not to think of the film 'Alive' and the prospect of eating frozen human flesh. This thought is particularly vivid when the plane is bouncing around on air pockets that lift one's ar*e high off the seat. And for prolonged periods of time with hands violently grasping the arm rests. It certainly didn´t help reading the inflight magazine either. One page proudly boasted of welcoming 50 new pilots into service after completion of their three month training programme. I wasn't at all inspired that each had completed a mere 35 hours flying time! And they looked so young!! My deepest regret in those horrible moments was having told no one back home that I was flying. The flight path into Cusco is hazardous too. Plenty of mid-air turning and positioning to get steady for the runway. I'm not at all used to it. When you find yourself sitting at a right angle to the seat you soon apprecite an uneventful flight. I was extremely happy to land. So much so that I committed myself in a night of relieved drunkeness.
Cusco, as mentioned before, is a lovely place and this time I got to see the full range of tourist attractions and sights. All at a nice leisurely pace too. At one point I even thought another trip to Machu Picchu was in order. But I nearly had a stroke when I realised a train ticket would cost $105. So I packed Jacky off to see it alone.....Peruvians pay $9! Other things that I missed out on the first time around were the cultural performances. Dance, etc. I was particularly fond of a kind of high tempo salsa dance popularly found in Lima. It involved a guy and girl dancing with one of them frantically wriggling their ar*e. Attached to said ar*e is a paper hankerchief. The other dancer holds a candle to the hankerchief ( which is waved from side to side with the use of ar*se wriggle) attempts to set it alight. Naturally the professionals failed to get the cloth ablaze when dancing with one another. But the foolhardy tourists who accepted the invitation to the stage soon found their ar*e on fire!
Cusco remains a personal favourite.
Mind you it was one of the worst flights of my life. As the flight makes its way over the Andes and one looks down, it's hard not to think of the film 'Alive' and the prospect of eating frozen human flesh. This thought is particularly vivid when the plane is bouncing around on air pockets that lift one's ar*e high off the seat. And for prolonged periods of time with hands violently grasping the arm rests. It certainly didn´t help reading the inflight magazine either. One page proudly boasted of welcoming 50 new pilots into service after completion of their three month training programme. I wasn't at all inspired that each had completed a mere 35 hours flying time! And they looked so young!! My deepest regret in those horrible moments was having told no one back home that I was flying. The flight path into Cusco is hazardous too. Plenty of mid-air turning and positioning to get steady for the runway. I'm not at all used to it. When you find yourself sitting at a right angle to the seat you soon apprecite an uneventful flight. I was extremely happy to land. So much so that I committed myself in a night of relieved drunkeness.
Cusco, as mentioned before, is a lovely place and this time I got to see the full range of tourist attractions and sights. All at a nice leisurely pace too. At one point I even thought another trip to Machu Picchu was in order. But I nearly had a stroke when I realised a train ticket would cost $105. So I packed Jacky off to see it alone.....Peruvians pay $9! Other things that I missed out on the first time around were the cultural performances. Dance, etc. I was particularly fond of a kind of high tempo salsa dance popularly found in Lima. It involved a guy and girl dancing with one of them frantically wriggling their ar*e. Attached to said ar*e is a paper hankerchief. The other dancer holds a candle to the hankerchief ( which is waved from side to side with the use of ar*se wriggle) attempts to set it alight. Naturally the professionals failed to get the cloth ablaze when dancing with one another. But the foolhardy tourists who accepted the invitation to the stage soon found their ar*e on fire!
Cusco remains a personal favourite.
posted by Ciarán at 10:26 p.m.
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