25.03.2008 Cusco (Preparation day)

The Original plan was to go to visit the city of Pisaq (interesting ruins again), but since we passed last night by Enigma Tour, the tour operator for our excursion to Machu Picchu, we realized that we had some things to take care of... Not mentioning the panic last night when we wanted to verify our reservation and we realized that we should have paid the remaining balance before 11am yesterday morning... Of course we couldn´t get through to them on the phone, so we jumped into a taxi and rushed over... Finally everything turned out to be ok (they are better organized than us!), and we got the equipment list, so today became a Preparation Day.

One of the most important and most difficult missions of the day was to find a super market. Minimarkets and street vendors are all over the city, but a real super market... Especially since the one mentioned in our guide book had been closed down... So we asked around and got plenty of directions and walked for few hours... so we combined the second mission of the day; to find a hotel for return from Machu. And we saw some interesting ones... When we finally found the super market and got all we needed it was lunch time. And just after the lunch we found a hotel too, right in the main square, with an elevator! (the first one we have seen in Peru...)

Other difficult mission of the day was to get the required rubber tips for our walking poles. Steph was ok, the first pair fit just fine, but Jo´s poles were too thin. So we had to go back to the shop with the poles and finally the only solution was good old scotch tape... So, at this moment we thought that we had everything that was needed. Time for group briefing.

The group is going to be 12 people with 2 guides. In our briefing were 1*mother and daughter and 1*father and son and us (this group had all hired a porter). All the info was basic hiking info until we got to the point of sleeping bags and mattresses. We of course thought that the price included the hiring, but apparently not... So for a moment we looked like real blonds when they said that we didn´t have bags or mattresses... (another little panic moment) but it´s all arranged, the power of dollar!! So, now we think that we have everything that is required for tommorrow morning! Ready to go to see the magical Machu Picchu, the next news will posted when we get back, around the 30.03.2008. Wish us luck hiking through the Inka Trail, where the highest point is 4200m, the daily distances are between 9-15km, and the temperature goes below 0C during the night in some camps.