Cuzco

By the time I arrived in Cuzco I was in the mood to settle in one spot for a bit. As I still had a few weeks left in my trip I decided to spend a couple weeks in Cuzco, which I had heard good things about. It was an easy decision because a bunch of friends I had met earlier in the trip were going to be there at the same time. This boded poorly for me doing anything constructive (as was the case) but meant that good times were practically guaranteed.

The square.

I’m not going to go on too much about what happened in Cuzco. You had to be there. We spent a good dose of our time in the Wild Rover bar. This hostel is a bit of a special experience which has to be done at least once if you travel South America. I would advise against staying any significant time or working there if you at all value your health (especially your liver). But it’s the best party hostel on the continent, and there are several of them in a few cities.

The fountain.

Cuzco itself is a very beautiful place which seemed to offer the opportunity to participate in many wholesome activities if you weren’t too hungover. But for me it was just a nice place to chill out by day. I’m told it looks like a poor man’s European city. The square is impressive, with a beautiful big open space and a fountain. One side is lined with a kfc and a McDonald’s which is hugely disappointing (unless you’re hungover), but at least they’re in an incredible building. Cuzco is a bit of a tourist trap though – it tends towards expensive and everyone is trying to sell you something.

Cuzco's flag.

Cuzco is the closest major city to Machu Picchu, which is why it is so geared towards tourists. Machu Picchu was the next adventure in my itinerary (I’m lying, I made it all up as I went along) and I was stoked to be doing it with Townie, my long time travelling buddy, and Eric, who I met during my bender in Sucre and had seemed solid then. A few nights drinking with him in Cuzco proved we would be good company. I was looking forward to having myself a time on the 4 day trip.