Mountain biking

Decided to take a little mountain bike tour around the Cuzco area today. Wasn´t too bad. Not nearly as good as the mountain biking I did in Ecuador, but had a decent enough time since it was just me and the guide, who turned out to be really cool. Good opportunity to talk Spanish all day. I was wondering why I was understanding him so well when he told me his native language is Quechua (still spoken by the native Peruvians), and didn´t start speaking Spanish until a few years ago. Non-native speakers tend to be easier to understand it seems.

Anyway, thankfully, weren´t too many uphill stretches on the ride today as I still have not gotten used to the altitude up here and I´m not in that great of shape to begin with. But I would say that I´m breathing easier today than yesterday anyway, meaning that I can walk up small inclines at a normal pace instead of taking it slow like I´ve got all day...which I do have all day but still....

The trip today included a couple rides on local buses. Those trips are always interesting in this part of the world. Buses completely packed with locals getting on to sing and play guitar for money...not to mention the way the drivers careen around the turns. And I was just reading about a bus that fell off a cliff here in Peru and killed 12 people. Worked out alright thankfully.

And so the five day hike to MachuPicchu starts tomorrow at 0430. Hiking and o´dark 30 wake-up calls...maybe I should´ve just stayed in the military.