Return to Peru, Cusco, and Pomacanchi

It was very nice, the nicest place we've stayed in all our trips. Our room had three beds, other rooms had one or two, and one room upstairs had five for large groups. Our room (#3) had a "widowmaker" for hot showers, and the other rooms are on a tank that is heated by a natural gas heater, so we all were able to have nice hot showers. Amand, the proprietor, is very welcoming and gracious. The casa has stairs to the roof, where you can go and look out and take photos of the city of Cusco. It is located an easy walking distance from the main square, as well as from two of the Indian markets for shopping. (Actually, the third market was walking distance for us also, but about 1 mile away.)

Amanda serves coffee, tea, and pan (bread) and jam for breakfast whatever time you need to leave, including at 5am, when we needed to catch a train to Machu Picchu. On more "normal" mornings, you also get wonderful tamales made of corn, with some sweetness and raisins in them. Clean towels are provided, as well as toilet paper, something not to be taken for granted in Peru! She also makes the beds for you while you are gone. There is a lovely garden in the courtyard of the casa.

We stayed twice this trip; on the first stay, I left a necklace and earrings in the room. A quick call from the airport and she held them for me and had them waiting for me on the return trip. Ten dollars per person per night is very inexpensive for the level of treatment and service.

Urpi is the Quechua word for pigeon, but the sound of the name pretty much echoed our experience. The food was very good - the only thing good there!

We had a fairly large group, mixed native Peruvians and Americans. We were seated upstairs, where the tables were tightly packed together. I was right next to the bathroom. Service was incredibly slow; it took 20 minutes or more to get our drinks. Then, while we were waiting the long additional half-hour for the food, the little girl across from me cried out la cucaracha. That needed no translation, and sure enough, crawling up the wall near me was a cockroach.

After dinner, and asking for the check twice over another 20 minute period, we all got up and walked out. At that point, we could see the waiter frantically grab a calculator and run around totaling the bill.

A 10% discount was offered because of the bad service, and dinner for 10 was only about 120 soles (no alcoholic drinks), but I'd recommend eating elsewhere!

We had dinner at Inka Grill. The location is excellent, right on the Plaza de Armes. The atmosphere was wonderful and the service excellent. We were pleasantly surprised at how low the prices were in relation to the food we ordered.

I had had a large lunch, so I had the Lyon-style onion soup (French onion soup). It was excellent, piping hot, with a wonderful topping of bread and cheese. The others in my party tried the pizza (Inka Grill special) and Lomita Saltada and pronounced both also excellent.

They had a neat table as you came into the restaraunt, with local produce and a really neat candle.

The Patiti restaurant on the Plaza de Armas in Cusco is a don't-miss. Fine cloth tablecloths, impeccable service, complimentary garlic bread and pisco sours, and excellent food make it hard to beat. The menu is varied, and the Peruvian specialties like alpaca steak in blackberry sauce or ricotto rellena are excellent. For those wanting less exotic food, the pasta, such as fettuccini alfredo, is also excellent.

Also, they had one of the cleanest public bathrooms I've run across in Peru! An incal wall that the restaurant was built around helps the atmosphere, and musicians often come in to play. And although it is a luxury restaraunt, most Americans will find it much less expensive than you would expect.

The second stall in the Miraflores Indian Market is run by Katty. She has very good quality sweaters in both alpaca and cotton, plus shawls, ponchos, silk scarves, and more. I found her willing to bargain, as all good market stall owners will, but she had some of the best variety of sweaters and a wonderful array of sizes. I especially recommend her baby alpaca shawls and ponchos- absolutely beautiful and for wonderful prices. And an incredible variety of colors!

Okay, I know, you've looked at the photos. But really, I just love blue; she has things in every color imaginable!

This trip, we picked up a translator in Lima and brought him with us to Machu Picchu, Cusco, and Pomacanchi. Our translator/guide was Carlos Verdeguer Orihuela. Although he and his company, Andes Trek, specialize in adventure tourism, he did a wonderful job with us not-so-adventurous folks.

Carlos had a wonderful can-do attitude, and the only time I heard him say "no" was when I wanted him to use the shower in our bathroom, as his didn't have hot water. He did an excellent job of translating in some very unusual settings. We joked that his wife would never believe him when he returned home and told her that he preached a church service, bought 86 cuy, married a couple, and taught leadership training, all in a space of 5 days! I highly recommend Carlos; I found him intelligent, a good companion, trustworthy, and a lot of fun!

AndesTrek
Av. Larco 101 Of. 213
Lima 18 - Peru
info@andestrek.com
www.andestrek.net
511-797-7660