The tour to Cusco
The bus was to leave Puno at 7.15am in the morning. Hhmmmm. Heard that one before. We were on the bus on time but continued to wait for other tourists from other hotels in the vicinity. Well, at least being first on meant that we were in the front seat with good views. Hhhmmmmmmmm.
It was quite pleasant, lolling in the front seat, watching the rain pour down as we waited for our fellow passengers. Should have known it wasn´t going to last!!
The school mistress of the bus company slowly but surely ascended the bus steps with her clipboard in hand. She demanded our names as she peered down her long powdered nose at us. We gave up our identities and she scoured her clipboard. Our names were demanded again. We found our names on the clipboard for her – what a relief! But then – how dare we – sit in the WRONG seats!!! Stand up immediately and move to seats x and y!! We were laughing to ourselves about this – even more so when we realised that our seats were, as usual, at the back, just to encourage the onset of piles on the bumpy Peruvian roads! We were not alone in being told to move. One guy who had selected the back seat had to move to our warm seats at the front – and sit next to the witchy school mistress until she had all her passengers subdued and in situ!
So eventually, we were off – on an hours tour around Puno picking up the rest of our fellow passengers. The last pick-up was a large group of Americans who surrounded us at the back. It was interesting to hear of their ailments over the past few days and how they all had their potions at the ready to combat the altitude sickness.
The bus journey comprised a days tour of a few sites on the way to Cusco, with everyone piling off the bus to see some basic ruin or museum, then getting back on again. The Americans in particular made the most of these stops to “do some serious shopping”. At each stop the souvenier stalls were all very similar so we weren´t quite sure whay they found it so fascinating each time. Hey ho, at least the locals got to make some money.
We had a lunch-stop at a purpose-run services for the bus tours. This was in a pleasant courtyard and a buffet style lunch that proved to be pretty good. After lunch and back on the bus, we had “entertainment”. Some tone-deaf Peruvian with his out of tune guitar “sang” three similar sounding “songs”. It was bloomin awful but everyone applauded politely which just encouraged him more. He trotted up the bus with his hat out, which again, everyone politely filled and then he got off the bus after his free ride home. The sense of relief was overwhelming!
Eventually we got to Cusco late afternoon and waited for the smaller bus to take us to our hotel….
Tags: Peruvian tales
mihai