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Capital of the Incas...& touting

After we collected my passport from immigration in La Paz, we weighed up our options and decided to snap up the last two tickets on a flight out of La Paz to Cuzco the following day.

The blockades on the roads out of La Paz were firmly back in place after the weekend so bus travel to Lake Titicaca was indefinately suspended. We also heard that the parliament was having an urgent overnight sitting to try and resolve the issues being protested. If the president wouldnt step down, civil war was potentially on the cards according to staff at our hostel. Don't know if they were being melodramatic but we weren't about to risk it, especially as we have our Machu Pichu trek non-refundably booked for the 12'th of June. Hopefully we can get back down to Lake Titicaca afterwards. We at least had a nice view of it on our flight up to Cuzco.

Our first impressions of Cuzco are mixed. It is a beautiful town, no doubt. The main square is gorgeous. Its open and sunny and surrounded by some beautiful, big, old colonial churches. The streets have character and show remnance of its Incan roots. The Spanish built over most of Cuzco but many of the Incan stone foundations remain in the city and apparently there are lots of Incan ruins in the surrounding area which we will no doubt explore.

The town centre is very touristy though, which granted, means a great selection of shops, restaurants and bars. However, to go with every one of those shops, restaurants and bars there seems to be a dozen touts out on the streets competing to get the tourist in the door. There are also plagues of artisan salesman on the streets and in the main square. Not as pushy or relentless as the ones in Kathmandu or India but annoying nevertheless. We might check out some hostels up the hill to get away from it. Staying right off the main square seems not to be the greatest idea in Cuzco.

Has been great to catch up with a bunch of our friends in Cuzco though and looking forward to checking out some of the bars tonight. Last night was a write-off after we woke up at 4am to get to the airport in La Paz before the blockaders got started.

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