060730 - On the way to Cuzco, PER

We wanted to start off nice and easily with a good breakfast and some coffee. The day before we were being told that boats leave frequently back to Copacabana. But as we see almost have the island stumbeling down towards the port we stop one campesino and he tells us that boats only leave in the morning and late afternoon. So we join the human chain and get to the port just in time to enter a boat before leaving. Almost 2hours later we are back on main land. We get a bus ticket and head out of Copacabana around 1:30pm. 4 hours later we arrive in Puno, PER. From there we want to go directly to Cuzco. But no buses leave before 8pm. So we stroll around the city. Enjoy some juicy grilled chicken and are back at the terminal just on time. The ride to Cuzco should take that long and as soon as 5am the next morning we arrive. For an instance we stop, rest... and continue to our next destination.

Since Cuzco is the main point from where people leave to go to Machu Picchu we want to take a different road and safe some bucks. So we take a bus to Ururu and from there to Ollyantantambo. We arrive around 11am and feel like being run over by a truck. From here a train goes to Aguas Calientes, aka Machu Picchu Pueblo. The cheapest fare (Backpackers Noche) is already gone so we take the next best thing and looking forward to leaving at 12:30pm. Bu wait: we don't have any more money!!! I run back to the village (the train station is a little out of town) and start looking for an ATM. There is one... But to my luck it is out of order! I head back to the station and now it is Hamster's turn to find a place where he can cash in his travellers cheques. He manages to do so -- and finally we are the proud owners of a train ticket for the 12:30pm train.

As we come back the guy at the train station tells us that the train has been cancelled (due to little amount of passengers) and that we have been shifted to a later train, leaving at 3pm. So once more we head back to the town looking for a coffee, keeping us awake.

Around 5pm we arrive in Aguas Calientes, check into a hostal (we are lucky: most hostals charge 25 USD; we manage to find one for 50 Soles (around 16USD) and go out for dinner. As there are many happy hour offers the night continues longer than any of us expected...