Lima to Huacachina to Cuzco

After our day in Lima we decided to make our way south. In an attempt to avoid a 24 hour bus ride from Lima to Cuzco we opted to break up the trip and stay in an oasis town called Huacachina for the night. Random fact: a picture of the famous, and very very random oasis in the middle of miles of sand dunes, appears on the back of the 50 sole note. Anyways, we arrived in Huacachina and checked into Casa De Arena Hostel. It served its purpose but was kind of a dirty place with rude staff. But while we were there we paid about ten dollars each to go on a dunebuggy tour and go sandboarding. Very worth the 30 soles. But after a day there we realized that besides a variety of sand activities, there is really nothing else to do there.  So we decided to take a bus from Ica to Cuzco, which would take 16 hour and cost 90 soles a person ($30).  Anticipating that there would be no food provided on the bus we decided to try and find some near by (we had fifteen minutes before the bus departed).  Unfortunately the bus station was located near what must have been the busiest round about in the city.  After playing a game of human frogger we made it across the busy streets and found a chicken place called Rocky's.  We talked the waiter into getting us some chicken and French fries to go in literally 3 minutes.  We put our Soles on the table and sprinted back to the bus station.  After almost getting run over by multiple insane taxi drivers and nearly missing the bus we made it to our seats and began eating our chicken.  To our dismay dinner was actually provided and we risked missing the bus and our lives for nothing.  After eating both of our dinners we fell asleep to a series of the worst American, Espanol dubbed movies ever created.

We arrived in Cuzco, checked into Loki Hostel and went out for some local Peruvian cuisine, guinea pig. Well, Trevor and Mike from Germany got the guinea pig. We also ordered the chicha (saliva fermented corn beer), or so we thought. After the meal was over we were informed by the waiter that there was actually no alcohol content in the disgusting-pink-lukewarm-frothy substance. But it set us back about 1.5 soles so we really couldnt complain. We then headed to a local Irish pub and watched the New Zealand/Australia Rugby match. After finally indulging in some cold alcoholic beverages, we went back to the hostel for a power nap before venturing out into the Cuzco party scene. We went out with our new German and Australian friends to a some bars/clubs called Mama Africa, Mushroom bar?, and Inka Team. After many pisco sours we wondered back to the hostel at aroune 12 or 1. As a side note, Cuzco is one big maze of steep cobblestone hills, and our hostel sits right on top of one.

We are headed to shop the many tour guide agencies in Cuzco for the best trek to Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas.  We are planning to do the Salkantay Trek so we will not have access to any form of modern technology or conveniences, including showers (Julia's bummed) for five days.