Well after a nice flight to Cusco international via Lan Air (by far the best flight of the trip), I took a small, smoking taxi to the central bus station in Cusco from which buses left for Urubamba. No one at all spoke any english. They simply noticed all of the crap I had on my back and knew exactly what to do. A nice man almost immediately threw my bag up on the roof of the 10-12 person bus tied it down with some rope and after paying him 3.5 soles (1 dollar) we were off!

The bus ride took approximately 1.5 hours and was crammed. Once we got further into the spectacular sacred valley we came upon Urubamba. This was the first peurvian town I actually got to walk around in and really look at, and it is very apparent that this country is in the third world.

After getting off of the bus--the real adventure began--trying to get to Incaland hotel.

Little to my knowledge and the knowledge of my guide book, this place actually no longer exists. I took a taxi from the Bus station and drove to what I would later find out was the former Incaland hotel. I could not communicate with my taxi cab driver so I sat there for a long time trying to figure out what in the hell I was going to do for the next two months!

I found another hotel in the guide book which was open and which I figured had to have someone who knew about Incaland. We got there and I payed the taxi cab driver and found out that Incaland was closed and to reopen under a new name.

I took a small little moto-buggie back to the place I was just at, and walked right into this construction zone. I had to negotiate some security guards at the same time.

What I saw was Incaland hotel being completely demolished. The guard told me to walk through it and I would eventually see Nick's House. I finally stumbled onto Nick's compound where he and Maria were having coffee and breakfast. We got to know eachother and they showed me to my room which is one of their guest houses. Once inside I collapsed.

At about 2ish Maria came by and asked me if I wanted to eat lunch. At lunch I met William and Tanny (sister sp?) and Erin. Erin is hear from Wisconsin doing the same thing as I am. He seems to be a nice guy and speaks about as much spanish I do.

Some english person is coming in three days to kick me out of my current accomidation at which point I will move to another guest house.

I have talked with Nick and Maria and it seems as though I am to make myself as much as home as possible.

After a 2 hour nap or so I walked around the complex and the train station and eventually around a part of Urubamba. Nick must be in at least his early 80s, but is still seemingly sharp. Maria is a good deal younger. They sold Incaland to a right Italian who is going to build a giant hotel in place of Incaland. Nick and Maria's current plan of action is to bring their train station up to date and offer an airline like ticketing system.

Today has been a real shocker. The next two months are goung to be very interesting.

Nick encouraged us to go out tonight. Maybe we will....

As far as the phone situation is concerned, I am not sure what Im going to do at this point. I am going to ask Erin what he does.

After a long delay on the tarmac due to weathe in shreveport, I finally began my journey to Lima at about 1200pm. The flight took a little over 2 hours because according to the captain we had to avoud the wrath of God (we took a northerly route around the weather).

Atlanta airport was busy as hell. It seemed as thought everyone and their mother were trying to get into South and Central America. It was funny to sit back and watch the flight attendants get increasingly angry at the mass of people who refused to obey the boarding procedures. I finally got on the plane just under 30mins late and after another 30min delay on the tarmac in Atlanta we finally took off.

The flgiht was long and cramped. I sat next to a nice Japanese man who had flown all the way from Tokyo. If he could be in a good mood after something like a 24hour plane trip then I could be too. We had a couple really interesting conversations about MLK and malcom X.

I finally go into Lima after the 6.5 hour flgiht and made it through passpost control very easily. My bag was damn near the last one off the belt so I was a bit stressed out at the very end. Customs was a joke.

Exiting the secure area I had to push through a couple hundred people who were waiting for family members and such. I nearly trampled a couple old ladies who were in my way.

The Lima airport is nice and clean and I was able to find a nice resting place for an hour or so. I was able to check in soon after and did so. I am currently checked in all the way to Cusco, and now just have to wait until my flight leaves at 550am.

I am tired and bored. Dont mind the typ-os.

I might purchase this rent-a-cellphone deal for 9.99 which will allow me to make realtivily cheap calls to the USA and able to recieve unlimited calls for free. I will see.

I will make phone contact in Urubamba for sure if not Cusco.

Thats it for now!

So I have decided to spend the night in the airport on the 6th and catch a flight out on the 7th at 500am. This will be slightly more painful but a good deal simpler.

I will be leaving Shreveport on the 6th of July at 11:18am from Shreveport Regional Airport. I will be flying into Atlanta and then flying directly to Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima. I should get into Lima at about 11:59pm. There is no time change from US central standard to the local time in Lima.

I am planning on staying at least one night in central Lima in one of the hostels my guide book recommended (Moon).

Hopefully I can meet up with an old friend of mine who has been studying in Peru for almost 6 months now. He will be leaving the day after I get in, so the chance is slim.

After at least a night in Lima I am going to take a flight from Lima to Cusco in the Urubamba valley and then a bus to Urubamba where I will be staying. I was planning on taking a 20-24hr bus ride from Lima to Cusco, but the flights are only about 40 dollars more expensive so I opted for the flight.

Once I get the right address of where I am staying I will post it. Right now all I can say is that I am living with Nick Asheshov and his family at his hotel called Incaland Hotel.

So this is the blog on which everything i do in peru can be read!

This means i can be lazy with my emails.