Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right and forget the ones who don't. And believe that everything happens for a reason... If you get a chance-take it; if it changes your life-let it. Nobody said that it would be easy... They just promised it would be worth it. — Author Unknown
Thursday, March 7, 2013 (DAY 368)
Waking up at 7am exhausted from another night staying up until 2am engrossed in compelling conversation, it’s time for a quick brekkie at the hostel of free coffee and toast. Chatting with Aussie Adam, whom I met the night before, it’s time to head out. The night before we had debated taking the 20 plus hour bus ride through one of the world’s most treacherous roads that is susceptible to armed bandits, mudslides, local strikes blocking these narrow passages, or the 90-minute flight over the Andes. We chose the latter choice and just after 9am Char and I are on our way to the airport. Feeling a bit concerned since we booked our flight to Cusco with less than a 12-hour notice, we arrive at the airport only to discover that our reservation number we thought we had was not entered into the system. Stress levels were already a bit high after our taxi was navigating through morning rush hour and took us more than 45-minutes for our flight that was scheduled to depart at noon.
Waking up at 7am exhausted from another night staying up until 2am engrossed in compelling conversation, it’s time for a quick brekkie at the hostel of free coffee and toast. Chatting with Aussie Adam, whom I met the night before, it’s time to head out. The night before we had debated taking the 20 plus hour bus ride through one of the world’s most treacherous roads that is susceptible to armed bandits, mudslides, local strikes blocking these narrow passages, or the 90-minute flight over the Andes. We chose the latter choice and just after 9am Char and I are on our way to the airport. Feeling a bit concerned since we booked our flight to Cusco with less than a 12-hour notice, we arrive at the airport only to discover that our reservation number we thought we had was not entered into the system. Stress levels were already a bit high after our taxi was navigating through morning rush hour and took us more than 45-minutes for our flight that was scheduled to depart at noon.
Unsure what to do since we weren’t on the flight manifest, thankfully a very lovely Peruvian man helped us get a flight for $206 round trip when the bus one-way to Cusco is $80 each way. Running across six lanes of traffic with our backpacks strapped on and sweating in the mid-morning heat we were able to purchase the last flight from Lima to Cusco that took off in just over an hour. What a fiasco never book a flight 24hrs before you fly! After running back across the highway being escorted by our guide and scurrying through security, what would you know, flight delay! Finally taking a moment to breathe from the insane morning, the time is 3:30pm and we finally find ourselves boarding the flight for Cusco. Holler!! Once air-bound and being fortunate enough to have a window seat, this flight has been the most incredible scenery I have ever experienced. Even the photos don’t do it justice as I could see such fine detail on the mountain slopes of the Andes even while at such a high altitude. The clarity and precision of even the smallest shrubs was incredible, but at the same time I couldn’t help but think of the film Alive. Thinking about it I was unsure if I could do whatever it took to survive, but then looking over at Char I thought, if I could somehow get a hold of a bottle of Siriracha sauce she would be a delicious meal. Haha. Thankfully we landed without any problems and stepping off the plane you couldn’t help but take in the fresh mountain air. A small remembrance of Colorado came rushing back.
After living in a sunny climate for so long, it felt good to put on a jacket, scarf, and hat as we wandered around the streets of Cusco with an elevation of 3,400 m (11,200 ft). Taking our time to soak in the city, you could sense how alive the town felt even as the temperatures continued to drop. The live music and heavy foot traffic along the narrow streets kept a continued smile on my face. As we reached the Plaza de Armas I had to stop and stare at the countryside where the lights from the homes scattered in all directions looked as if fireflies were permanently placed against a black backdrop. So many times I had seen photos and films of the same streets I was walking and I felt a sense of accomplishment for pushing ourselves to arrive here from Bogota in just 6 days and covering more than 2,031km (1,262 miles).
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