Off to Cusco!
We had an easy drive from Puno with lots of children, adults and policemen out in the villages, waving. In many parts of our Tour, children were allowed out of school with their teachers or parents to watch us drive by. We arrived in Cusco by lunchtime, nervous of missing out on another hotel. Sure enough, our names were not on the hotel list! We made a fuss and insisted and were given rooms. The hotel, another Libertador, was excellent, although we found out later that the Monasterio nearby is even more splendid. We had a late lunch with Colin and the Robinsons and were very happy.
We decided to do our own thing on the next phase of the journey, forming ourselves into a new group in the Tourism and Leisure Category or TLC. We will plan our own route out to the Pacific and Nasca. We later had a very pleasant dinner on the main Plaza with the Hammonds, the Pelly-Frys and the Robinsons. I had trout again and declined the cuy (guinea pig), a local speciality. A musical group formed by architects from Cusco was playing but they were very loud. We have to leave tomorrow at 5.15am for Machu Picchu!
Distance driven, 330 miles
