Travelling karma

Obviously I was owed some good travelling karma after all my exertions over the last week getting everything packed and cleaned while Millay lived it up in Peru. I whizzed through all my connections and flights without even a queue at security let alone a delay. Flying in to Cusco just after dawn over the Andes mountains was a spectacular reward for the previous 24 hours worth of travelling. The clouds we were flying above thinned to reveal the crinkled dramatic landscape of the Peruvian peaks below. Lower flying clouds clung to mountain peaks like lost cotton wool whilst the valleys looked like they were filled with the effects of discard dry ice. I´d forgotten how spectacular the Andes mountains are and how flat the rest of the world seems compared to them.

In typically odd South American style we were welcomed at the baggage collection at Cusco airport at 6.20am by a 5 piece traditional band standing next to the baggage belt playing through a loud PA system. Most people had been travelling for at least a day and many had been staying awake with me overnight at Lima airport and so unsurprisingly sales of their cd were low! After meeting a tired Millay outside we made our way through the streets of cusco in a typical taxi eg. small, falling apart and smelling like the exhaust pipe empties into the back seat. After living in Ecuador for 3 months when I was 18 it´s amazing how familiar all the streets, sights and smells all feel. I´ve even got some Spanish coming back to me and even though many of the locals in this tourist filled town speak English I appreciate their looks of pity as I try and order lunch whilst Millay hides her head in shame beside me. Luckily her Spanish is sounding awesome so all I´ve got to do now and avoid losing her and keep her healthy and we´ll be fine!