As I write this I am sitting in a quaint little café in the center of Cusco feeling slightly less irrational and irritated than a few hours before. Jon and I were both really looking forward to this part of our trip where both my brother and Jon’s friend, Kyle would be joining us. Jon is a great guy but he is not the easiest travel companion. He has very strong unique opinions (his friends know what I mean) and princess like tendencies (one day I may even attempt to put a pea under the mattress to see if he feels it). And trying to get him excited about anything is a feat similar to moving mountains.
Anyways, I had these fantasies, as I am sure Jon had similar ones of his own, of all four of us spending time together for the most part with brief periods of Jon spending time with Kyle alone and my brother and I, who have similar travel styles, being able to venture off to explore small towns, sites and unique restaurants.
It started out this way but slowly progressed into a “brocation”. You know, where men in their 30’s gang up together, go out, get drunk, stay stupid stuff like “is your child for sale” and “can I topple over your family jenga game” and then don’t want to do anything the next day because they are too hung over. Last straw for me was when they went out for pizza and came home 7 hours later without asking if I might have wanted to join them afterwards and then could not possibly fathom why I was upset. Let’s just say my fantasies were shattered and I can pretty much guarantee I will not be taking another “brocation”.
I hate to admit it but Jon is looking quite dapper. He had his teeth fixed in Cusco and the dentist did a fabulous job. He happily reported to me that on the way home he received many more offers for “full body” massages from the ladies in the street.
On a side note, Cusco is a beautiful city with a quaint center. However, we all really enjoyed getting out of the city and going into the sacred valley to the smaller villages. There is a lot to do in the area and we were lucky enough to spend a night in Augus Calientes and Ollantaytambo after the hike. Pisac had a quaint center, fantastic craft market and impressive ruins. We also went white water rafting, took an ATV tour and completely blew our budget.
Cusco center, baths at Augus Calientes, Pisac center and craft market and my brother and I in better times at the Pisac ruins.
Where we stayed in Cusco, Hostel Wara Wara, a family run hotel with two adorable children up high on a hill (aka. A lot of steps to get home). We had a private room with a views of the Plaza de Armas and a bathroom for $42 a night including breakfast. They had a gorgeous outdoor seating area and common area with a bar and the most outstanding views of Cusco, particularly spectacular at night. They would also make a homemade dinner or lunch if requested.
View of the common area of the hotel and the stairs leading up to the hotel.
Where we stayed in Augus Calientes, El Mistico, a good-vibe hotel at the edge of town far from the train with river views. We had a private room for 4 with two rooms connected by a bathroom with for about $70 a night including breakfast. I don’t have any pictures because I was still feeling a little unwell.
Where we stayed in Ollantaytambo, Mama Simone, a quaint, super clean hotel at the edge of town with gorgeous gardens with hammocks and a fire pit and a bubbling creak running through the property. We had a private room with a bathroom for $42 a night including basic breakfast with the ability to pay extra for other items. This was one of my favorite places we stayed.
The inside common area and the beautiful outside garden.
Journey with Christina 