Cuzco, Peru

Cabana was amazing, restorative, and requires way more thought and care in writing about it than i have time or patience for right now. But just know it was perfect in every way.
Friday afternoon we had bought tickets for the 3 o´clock combi to Puquio, but didn´t get around to leaving until about 40 minutes later because that time was spent trying to get everyone to fit, but mostly arguing about whose fault it was that we were trying to fit 22 instead of the customary 18 passengers in the 15-passenger van. Finally some sort of agreement was reached, and we took off, myself plastered against the window by a dozing old man and Molly sitting precariously on half of her butt in the front of the bus. Then along the way we picked up one more old man from the side of the road. The trip was long, and there was no chance of changing positions, but the scenery was more than enough to distract me from all of that. we dipped in and out of valley after valley, passing ancient chacras and roaming llamas with colorful tags hanging from curious ears. We arrived in Puquio after dark, with very little certainty that we would find a bus to Cuzco, but full of hope. The lady at the bus station told me the first 4 were all full, and all that was left were the cama style tickets (bed) that cost 130 soles (about $43). This is outrageously expensive for Peru, and I didn´t like her attitude, so we headed out hoping that there might be other options. Around the corner, on the less pretty side of the street, was the bus terminal that peruvians leave from. They had tickets for 40 soles each (about $13), which was much better. just as we were about to pay, the electricity went out and stayed out until after we left. But Peruvians are always ready, and pulled out their little candles to light up everything form the bus terminal desk to the chicha vendors on the street to the restaurant down the street where we got some bread and cheese and tea.
As soon as we started loading onto the bus we knew it would be a different kind of adventure -- people were crowding the entrance, pushing and shoving to get to the door, to sell tea or bread to the passengers, to try to sell tickets, to try to get on for cheap... then as we found our way to our seats we were pushed and shoved from side to side, overwhelmed by the smell of urine. A man came walking down the aisle after a little while looking for excuses to kick or talk down to the people on the bus, whether for carrying alcohol on with them, for smelling like llamas, or other things that i didnt understand. After an unfortunate incident with the bathroom on board, we took our sleepy pills, hugged our valuables close, and eventually fell asleep between the snakey curves of the mountainous roads. i woke around 5, just in time to watch the sunrise over the andes outside the window, which was beautiful. we started descending into Cuzco around 7, and it was nothing like what i expected. not that i´m really sure what it is i was expecting... I think the only image i had of Cuzco was from the Motorcycle Diaries when that little boy is taking them on a tour if the city, telling the stories behiind the massive rocks laid so perfectly by the Inkas hundreds of years ago. i´m not sure what to make of Cuzco yet... it´s beautiful in a very unique way, and we´ve so far only been in the touristy section. Our hotel is about $7 each a night, which is a little more than I wanted to pay, but the hostel owner is incredibly sweet, as are her two dogs and cat that wander around the patio making friends with the guests. We´ve been wanding around a bit, looking for places less touristy that wont completely rip us off... You can rest assured that anything catered to gringos (clean, tidy, prices nicely marked, lots of space, no garbage on the floor) will charge you double for anything -- food, stuff....
Sooo... not really sure what we´re doing here. Not going to do Machu Picchu this trip for several reasons (but that just means i´ll have to come back some day) and we´re trying to travel really cheaply... which is hard to do here. Hopefully some camping in the Sacred Valley is in our future, and visits to other ruins that are closer by and cheaper. Then maybe on to Lake Titicaca, although I´ve heard its freakishly cold there.
Thats about it... spent too much time interneting already. Ready to go explore some more. Love to all, keep your comments coming.