Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu

On a memorably named street - Choquechaca - the memorably named Rumi Punku offers hospitality to the mid-range traveller. The Inka doorway that gives the hostal its name opens into a lovely courtyard surrounded by 4 stories of rooms. The rooms are not expensive given the fact that Cusco is a pricy destination in South America. The staff are one reason to stay here - they are very friendly, helpful, welcoming. They truly make you feel at home, from the moment you step in the door. Guests are brought to a living room filled with games & magazines, where they can sip coca tea while the rooms are being prepared and they are filling out registration forms.

The rooms we had on the first floor were a bit damp and a bit noisy, being next to the courtyard. I would recommend requesting the rooms on the higher floors. Still, we usually had hot water, and the rooms were very clean! The rooms even had a television, and being on the first floor was very convenient, as we were fresh to this altitude.

The hotel has internet access for free, in its game room where you can also watch TV and play games. They also have free breakfast in a warm room, with fruits, yogurt, fresh eggs, and bread.

We were disappointed that their jacuzzi was not in working order and couldn't find out why it was broken or when it would be fixed, due to lack of Spanish vocabulary.

We were moved to Los Apus when our original hotel was overbooked for our last night. It was a more upscale hotel than where we had stayed before, but still firmly in the three star category. We ended up with a really interesting room! It was on two levels, with the desk and wardrobe on one level, a short set of stairs, and then the two single beds, and the bathroom. It was like a loft setup. It also had an interior window onto the hallway, which unfortunately faced an always-on hallway light. It was like being in a log cabin. But the room was small and difficult to navigate. We were only there for one night, and had arrived late at night from the Machu Picchu train. We were very tired and disappointed at having to change, so I freely admit that may have affected my opinion.

We had the most wonderful lunch at Pacha Papa. It was very filling and fueled us for our afternoon hike. We had our first Coca Sours, and realized soon that we'd be drinking at every meal of this trip. The food at Pacha Papa is delicious and a great introduction to Peruvian highland cuisine. We had some potato dishes, sourced from the local potatoes (or "papas") that we could see all over this outdoor restaurant. We were seated near the outdoor oven, where we could see our entrees being cooked. It was a pleasant and relaxing place to spend the afternoon and I highly recommend it.