Long dirty weekend

Just got ready to put up many shiny new pictures on the site, but the computers here are rubbish Windows 95 type jobs, so no luck yet I´m afraid.

Due to crapness of computer, will summarise weekend briefly, so apologies in advance for abruptness. Thursday, left at 3pm to drive to s#*thole town, to be sent up a mountain to wait until 6am for average looking sunrise. Death defying journey back down mountain, with dirt road only 2 inches wider than bus, with 200 foot sheer drop down side of mountain. Words cannot describe the fear. Back to s#*thole town, slept in dirtiest school ever before being taken to restaurant for sheeps intestine soup, which made me nearly vomit. Oh yeah, and this town has no toilets and no water, so everyone, including myself, had to wee on the floor. In the street. Classy.

Slept in school Friday night, in room with the worst snorers EVER, luckily bumped into ProPeru peeps in town on Saturday morning during the terrifying chaos they call a "fiesta," so decided to hitch a ride to Cusco with them. Uneventful journey, until stopped by police for using public toilet without their permission. Peru, corrupt? Never!

Got to Cusco at 5:30 for most heavenly (and most needed) shower ever, then to pizza place for yummy dinner. Went to UKUKUS, crazy dungeon club with attached tattoo place (SUCH a bad idea!) where they played wicked 80´s music of my whole childhood. Early night. Phew!

Sunday, up early for another shower (ah, the novelty of being clean!) and to call Jon. Then to Pisac. Thought would be beautiful ruins viewed from afar, instead beautiful ruins that had to climb bloody mountain to get to. Pisac much like Machu Picchu, but cheaper and less green. Then to modern town of Pisac, seemed to be most beautiful place on Earth compared to s#*thole Paucartambo. Ate more pizza, then spent 2 hours shopping for gifts. Harder than it sounds. My haggling skills are not great in English, let alone Spanish, so most of the time just paid full price for what would be a steal back home (fiver for lovely jumper), or walked away and came back saying "tengo veinte soles" ("I have 20 soles") and getting a bargain that way. Bought a bag, jumper and groovy gringo cowboy hat for myself, and not a lot for anyone else. Really want to get large colourful rug to hang on wall in new house, only 30 quid each, maybe could beat them down more, hope you don´t mind Jon? ;)

So overall, wicked country, nice and cheap, if a little (!) dusty. The food is usually pretty good when it´s not being scary. Wet Ones are my new best friend, highly recommended if planning a trip to Peru!

This weekend going to Bolivia and Lake Titicaca, which I am sure will be great, and weekend after that to Machu Picchu, the lazy way - train!