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Today is day 1 of the hike, meeting at another hotel in Cusco, there will be 11 of us on this trip and our tour leader is Oscar. He has made it his mission in life to have the most positive reviews on the Backroads site and he has been the number 1 trip for the past 3 years. This should be very interesting.

First stop this morning was a woman’s co-operative and animal sanctuary, We toured the alpaca, llama and vicuña that they kept there and also saw 3 condor that are being rehabilitated ready to release back out into the wild. The purpose of the community is to provide work for single women and also to keep the weaving and natural dyeing traditions alive. They start the learning process as children and all of the patterns and designs are learnt without written instructions,

We then started part of a gentle hike for today, and surprise number two was that Oscar had arranged for the local shepherd to hike the first part of the trail with us with her alpaca, one of which was a beautiful 2 week old.

We arrived at our lunch spot and were greeted by local music. We were then treated to a 20 minute ceremony performed by an Andean Priest. Which included a lot of information about the reasons for the rituals.

Then we went to enjoy lunch, I am sure they will not all be as fancy as this but we did throughly enjoy it. Lots of local foods that we have not had before.

After lunch we continued our hike, past the temple of the moon and then onto the Inca temple of Sacsayhuamon where we were given a brief history of what was currently known as about the site and its uses. We then walked on back to the town and had a relax in our room before dinner

Today we decided to stay in and around Cusco and just take it easy ahead of the hike start tomorrow. After breakfast we walked up to another part of town that we have not visited and because we were a little later, the streets were already crowded. Late morning we went back to the hotel and just before we left to go get lunch it started to rain so we about turned and had lunch in the hotel.

The rain stopped and we went out again, while walking around the main square we bumped into a couple of Brits and after a brief conversation, worked out that they were from the same town as Rob, they were part of a tour group and as they were walking away, they mentioned they owned an Alpaca farm in the UK !! How small is the world sometimes. Their farm is called Pennybridge Alpacas and they have over a 100 animals.

Dinner tonight was Italian and it was excellent but on the way there we saw a parade it was a bit spooky as some of them had full face knitted mask, talking of which, how spooky is this piece of art in our hotel room!

After dinner we walked down to the main square again and there was national dancing happening again. Will post the video to facebook later. Tomorrow we move hotel and start the hike to Machu Pichu. May be able to blog tomorrow night as we are still in Cusco but will then go dark until a week Sunday.

We spoke to the concierge and explained what we wanted to do last night and they suggested a driver and 3 locations. So it was booked for 9.30 this morning. We had breakfast at the hotel and were serenaded by what looks to be an electric harp. Then got ready for our trip

Our driver was called Juan and the transport was a nice roomy SUV/people carrier. For which we were very grateful, given the state of a lot of the cars on the road. Tread on the tires seems to be optional. Juan spoke very little to no English which was about the limit of our Spanish, so there was a lot of hand gesturing going on. He pulled over for us to take photos of lake Huaypo a very large horseshoe shaped lake. Once we were outside of Cusco it was interesting to see all the crops growing and everything being done by hand. The soil looked excellent and it was good to see that the crops were being rotated to allow the soil to recover.

We carried on up to about 12000ft and stopped at the Maras salt pans, here is a link to get all the information for those of you that are interested https://www.peruhop.com/maras-salt-mines/. We had a good walk around and as you can see, the salt is still collected by hand. We found our driver and headed out to our next stop

Next stop was the archaeological site at Moray https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moray_(Inca_ruin) we walked around for about an hour marveling at the ingenuity and skills of these ancient Inca tribes

On our way to our next location we briefly stopped to see these ancient food storage buildings built into the side of the hill, I can’t tell you where exactly this was as hand gestures just didn’t cut it!

Last stop was at Chinchero, we roamed around the town with its endless textile stores, most of which were shut as it was May Day. Finally at the top were more Inca ruins and just before we explored them, the locals were gathered in the market square, dancing playing music and drinking beer. Alpacas have been seen by the side of the road for most of this journey and they were also wandering around the ruins. https://cosituc.gob.pe/chinchero/

On the way back to Cusco I noticed a lot of the houses had little ceramic bulls on the roof, somewhere in pairs and some had a cross between them. With the help of the internet, i found that they are called Pucara Bulls and they represent strength, fertility and protection. These bulls are all made by local artisans in Pucara a small town in Southern Peru.

Back to the hotel and down to the square for a much needed coffee and a cake as we had not stopped for lunch and then early evening we ate pizza at a local spot as it had proper wood fired ovens, it was delicious.

Up and out by 6am, we wanted to take photographs of some of the streets before they get crowded. It was lovely to wander around with minimal traffic and less people. I love the ornate carved balconies and the narrow cobbled streets. Most of the old historic buildings (like our hotel) have been converted into hotels, but they have kept a lot of the original stone work and design.

Back to the hotel for a leisurely breakfast and then off for another walk. I wanted to see the market and as expected it was very busy and bustling, there were as many vendors outside as there were inside. I found it amusing that the meat, fish and cheese were not covered but all bread was! I decided not to take photos of the local delicacy, it’s called Cuy here but to you and me it’s Guinea pig. There were piles of them either roasted, boiled or salted yuck!

Rob decided we should get some extra hill work in before our big hike so we walked up to the Square of the Temple de San Cristobal one of the local guides told us we were at 10,000 feet. It was certainly an interesting walk up there. We could see all of Cusco below us and the mountains out to the other side.

Back to the hotel for lunch and a rest and then over to the Temple of Santo Dominigo which was the main building for the Inca religion before the Spanish invaded.

We ate dinner out at a local Vegan restaurant, I was definitely off meat after the visit to the market. The food was really good, we both had pasta dishes and then Rob thought it would be a great idea if we walked up to the top of San Cristobel again. So we have managed 8 miles today although not exactly rushing, it does mean that we are adapting to the altitude.

Although we booked the flight through Delta it was code share and operated by LATAM, they treated us very well but the plane did look pretty ancient. It was an overnight flight from Atlanta to Lima and then transfer to a Domestic flight to Cusco. We did not get much sleep and so we are dragging a bit. We are here for a 9 day lodge to lodge hike on the Inca trail with Back Roads finishing at Machu Pichu. But given the high altitudes we thought it wise to stay in Cusco for a few days in advance.

As this is also supposed to be a celebration of Rob hitting 70 last Saturday, I booked the Palacio Del Inca and we were not disappointed. The location is right in the center of Town opposite the temple of the Sun God and parts of this building at from 1250AD, it was then taken over by the Spanish when they invaded and has gone through a number of other iterations including being a museum to be the hotel that it is today. If you look at the Stone work under the flags, you will see a relief of a snake, which is from the Inca period. The Interior of the hotel is beautiful and we were lucky to get an upgrade to a suite so we are very comfortable. We were treated to a delivery of fruit from the hotel and a bottle of Wine from the guide that is leading us for the Hike.

We went for a walk around the town but we were keeping is slow and steady, we can both feel the effects of the altitude. A quick little nap after lunch. At 5 the hotel has someone conduct a tour of the main parts of the hotel and tell us about the history of the building. At the end of the tour we were treated to the most amazing ceremony to represent the Inca culture and religion, he must of used at least 12 different musical instruments all imitating and reflecting the beauty of the land, sky, animals and flora of the region. The large stone is a 8 angled stone which is very important in the Inca religion.

We had dinner in the bar and then went for a walk into town again, there was a parade of dancers going through the main square.

To round the evening out, the hotel delivered some nice desserts for us to try, I think we will both come back heavier than when we arrived!

On the Saturday we actually had a rinse and repeat day, train back to Montreal, same hotel and then off to see IQ in concert again. All good but not exciting to write about. (Girls – ed.)

Sunday turned into foodie day. I wanted to have crepes for breakfast and after googling it, the most highly rated was a 20 minute walk, down towards old town. It was called Madison Bagatelle and it did not disappoint.

We walked back down Rue St Paul, the main street in old town and noticed the queues outside of Olives and Gourmand. We walked back to the hotel and then got a message on facebook from a trusted friend that said we should definitely visit Olive and Gourmand, what a coincidence. We decided to walk back down there and after a 30 minute wait, we sat inside and were treated to a great atmosphere and really good food. I had a 3 cheese panini with caramelized onions, Rob had a chicken melt sandwich.

We rounded out the night with a visit to Siam, a Thai restaurant. I asked for a non sweet cocktail and was presented with a Green Garden. It was delicious as was the Duck curry we both ate.

Up early on Monday and off to the airport, we boarded our flight about 30 mins late but after another 45 minutes we got back off. There was a mechanical issue and they had no idea when it would be fixed. We were able to transfer to another flight and after 9 hours at the airport we were finally on the way back to Atlanta.

Reflections on the visit, even though Quebec City was the place I was really looking forward to visiting, I preferred Montreal. Old town in Quebec City although very pretty, was also quite touristy in my opinion. Also once outside of the main area, there were countless homeless people and the streets were strewn with rubbish. It is an “in between” season, no snow but also no greenery yet, so maybe another visit at a different time

First lets spend a little time talking about our hotel, its under the Marriott brand but is part of their tribute portfolio group. The decor is very modern but not as urban as their Moxy group. They certainly had some interesting Artwork in the communal areas though.

We walked into the old town again and headed towards Chateau Frontenac, unfortunately the underground exhibit is closed until spring. But we were able to see the Dufferin Terrace slide, although it is only in operation during the snow and ice season. We walked around the Governors promenade and got a pretty good view of the St Lawrence although the weather is in the in between time, not covered with snow but also not into the greens of spring yet.

We had just started back to the hotel when we got a text from Rob’s daughter to say they were in the old town and so we walked back to meet them. A major part of the reason for doing this is for Rob to see the band that his ex brother-in law writes and plays lead guitar in, his ex wife manages the band record company website his daughter is over here helping with the merchandising etc. We walked around town with them for a little bit which also gave Rob a chance to catch up with Ari and Sandra other people involved with the band. We went to the Irish pub for lunch and then parted ways as we needed to get back to hotel ready to change for the gig.

We (he) decided we should walk the 3 miles to the gig with a quick pit stop at a local bar for some amazing chicken quesadilla and a rather nice margarita for me. Being connected to family meant we were able to go in through the back and sit with the band but also meant that I got to help with the merchandising sales.

To be honest I was not super excited about seeing the band as they are Prog Rock and the closest I ever got to that was listening to Asia. But……. I was completely wrong and the show was brilliant. It was also very special to see such an engaged audience. We went back stage afterwards, said our goodbyes and took an Uber back to the hotel. The band was so good, we are going back to Montreal in the morning to see them when they perform there. The band is called IQ. https://www.iq-hq.co.uk/ go on their website and listen to the latest album Dominium

We were up early and ready for the train to Quebec City, seems there is some advantages in being “more mature” we were put into a separate queue and allowed to pre board ahead of the crowds. The train was comfortable and although it was not quite as scenic as Rob had imagined it (when he was last here, it was mid winter and everything was snow covered) it was still very pleasant. My attempts to stitch were not successful as the sway of the train contradicted my trying to put needle through the linen.

A brisk walk to our hotel to drop off luggage, only to find there is an ancillary workers strike currently in the city, only impact to us was the hotel restaurant was closed and rooms would not be cleaned until we leave. Although everything was clean and tidy. Very interesting wallpaper on our level, the outside corridors look like they have Aran knitting on them. As it was now past 1pm we headed out to explore the city, with a quick stop at the local cafe for some more poutine, Rob tried the one with Bolognese on it this time.

After lunch we headed for the old city, that involved a lot of steep climbs and stairs but was well worth it. The buildings and streets are great, cobbled streets and a few impressive murals alongside some pretty old stone buildings.

While down at the waterside just below the old part of the city, we saw search and rescue carrying out a training exercise to retrieve an injured person from the river. I am glad they were practicing as it looked really hard to get the guy out of the water and onto a back board ready to be hoisted out.

After all that walking around, it was time for our afternoon snack! Can’t leave cakeboy too long without food and it would be rude not to join him!

Back to the hotel to have a brief rest before heading out to a Brasserie and Microbrewery that was nearby, 2 pints of Leonard Cohen IPA, yes I only drank half of mine, with some very nice food. The place was really busy and the chatter was infectious. It was great to see the place so popular. Rob had another pint and for those that know him, that means he was tipsy and goofy for the walk home. Early night and looking forward to tomorrows adventures.

Good job we checked the weather before packing yesterday, there was fresh snow and below freezing temperatures in both Montreal and Quebec. Plenty of warm clothes and coats added to the pile.

Very early start to the day but an easy flight to Montreal, first view from the plane did not disappoint. Our hotel is centrally located and we had great views from the 28th floor. Rob made himself comfortable on the chaise while we decided on what we were going to do today.

First stop lunch and we knew we wanted Poutine a staple of the region, chips, gravy and cheese curds washed down with a nice French wine and a IPA for Rob.

Suitably nourished we walked down to old town and the port area for a look around, Rue Saint Paul is being dug up at the moment, probably ahead of the tourist season, but it did not spoil our walk. It really reminded us of France and all the walking in the cold weather meant we earned a coffee and a pastry ( we ate them too soon to add to the photo, oops)

Back to the hotel for a warm up and then a walk to find a hotel and bar that Rob stayed at over 40 years ago. It was quite a walk to find where it was as Rob missed the street name and we walked a nearly a mile further than we needed. When we located the right street, the hotel had gone. The bar was still there but is closed on a Wednesday! We did, at least, get to see the Leonard Cohen Mural and the Basilica