Exploring, partying and a visit to a chocolate museum in Cusco

Cusco- the Inca capital. There is no where else like it in the world. The narrow winding pebbled streets, vibrant markets, centuries old architecture all linked in one way or another to the remarkable Inca history.

It is also one of the biggest tourist capitals of South America which sadly means that the city comes with the all of the usual pitfalls of mass tourism. Animals are decorated and exploited for photos, restaurant prices are seriously inflated without a local anywhere in sight except for the ones serving the food. We knew that it would be touristy. We had no idea of just how much. Having said that, there is a reason people flock here and so we went with the flow, embraced the madness and had THE BEST TIME!!

With the Inca trail done, it was time for relaxation, indulgence and PARTYING!!! The first half of the day post-hike nobody wanted to do anything, after what we put our bodies through they got a well deserved break. At 1 there was movement as we were taken on a walking tour of the city by our leader Jonathan, through local markets, trying interesting foods, learning how to tell the difference between real and fake alpaca wool (baby alpaca wool and maybe alpaca wool) and generally taking in the intoxicating atmosphere of this fascinating city. We went to a chocolate museum where we were given an explanation and tour by a guy who had the makings of being a stand up comic! Quick witted and hilarious, he had us laughing the entire time. We listened, laughed and tasted for the best part of an hour so if you are ever in Cusco and want some entertainment that has nothing to do with Incas, go to the Chocolate museum and ask for the guy named Gil!

By night it was on! Everyone was ready to let their hair down and celebrate our hiking achievements. Our indulgent dinner was not only the best meal we’ve eaten in Peru, but one of the best we’ve had in our life. 15 of us chatting, ate and drank in awe of what each other looked like with make up on or clean shaven! After the initial shock of seeing my clean shaven hubby who hadn’t shaved for a whole month the group consensus was this- he just took 10 years off his age!

Dinner turned into more drinks at a nearby Irish pub (the highest Irish pub in the world) which turned into more drinks and dancing at a club down the road which turned into..

ONE OF THE BEST NIGHTS EVER!!!!

Shots, beers, pisco colas, salsa dancing, the Grease medley, the Macarena, 90s hip hop, dancing on bars, dancing in a circle, dancing on each other! The whole group was in spectacular form!!

And from somehow making it to the hotel in the wee hours of the morning, we emerged in less than spectacular form. One by one we dragged ourselves to the breakfast area. Most made it to a chair, some did not…one stoically made it into the room before falling in a heap on the floor in front of the bread looking like a hangover cocktail of death and hell. Another proclaimed that he needed to spend the entire day next to the toilet. Strangely, he looked fresh as a daisy, but when we told him that his response was ‘I might look good, but I feel like shit!’ Two others told us they were robbed, one by a guy who had told her that it was 5 soles for a taxi to the hotel, when she checked her wallet later on she found all of her money gone except for exactly 6 soles. Asshole!! But we all laughed at the fact that he left her the exact amount needed for a taxi home…what a lovely guy!! Devesh couldn’t figure out why his shoulders were in so much pain until he remembered that he’d hoisted two of the guys up onto them on the dancefloor. Tragically hilarious- Most of us didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or just vomit, in the end it was a bit of everything, but all were in agreement on one thing: It was completely worth it. The night was SENSATIONAL! and the perfect end to one of the best weeks of my life!!!