Day 10 - Cusco!!

Welcome to our fancy hotel, Casa Elena. 

Cocoa tea! (we're basically on cocaine, guys) :)

You'd think another travel day would be uneventful. 

And you'd be right. Sort of. 

We spent the first half of the day leaving the Iquitos POPP compound and flying to Cusco. We arrived at our hotels and settled in by about 4pm. I'm impressed by the modern conditions and cleanliness of the city. Of course, it is a popular tourist spot, so it makes sense. I can't help but miss the simplicity of the rural Iquitos, though.  Nonetheless, we are here, so let's take advantage. 

After orientation, we ate dinner and shopped. A group of us stopped at an AMAZING restaurant called Greens Organic Restaurant. Definitely among the pricier eating places, a group of about eight of us enjoyed a mixed variety of gourmet foods like creamy spinach ravioli, ratatouille, vegetable curry, and alpaca with squash. If I get the chance, I will stop by again for sure. My vegan friend Rick called his food the best he's ever had. 

We split off to shop after our great meal. Souvenir shopping for me is hard because all the items seen the same everywhere for the most part, so you have to resort to bargaining to make sure you get the best for your limited soles (Peruvian currency). You also have to dodge rapid remarks such as, "We are the only ones who sell this," and, "You won't find a better price anywhere!" I love it when the shop caretakers bargain with you on a friendly level, making hilarious smart remarks that connect the shopper to the sellers in order to raise sale probability. Genius. Thankfully, as I have said before, I enjoy the stressful thrill in this sort of strategy game, and tonight was a lot of fun for me and my friends. I can't wait for Shopping Sunday, haha. 

Tomorrow is a venture through the Sacred Valley, and we will finish the day in another hotel even closer to Machu Picchu in anticipation for Sabbath's venture. The days are truly coming to a close, but it's not over until it's over. We have done our mission work, and it's time for us to explore God's beautiful and magnificent creation for ourselves. 

Note:

We are at 12,000 feet up. Sometimes we are getting light headed and/or breathing heavily. Machu Picchu is actually at lower elevation of 8,000 feet. Oxygen tanks are in the next room. 

It's great up here.