Day 9 / June 29, 2013 This morning I gathered all my things that had gotten scattered about over 7 days, packed and left my bags outside of the room before heading to the dining area for breakfast. After breakfast I said goodbye to the guides who had taken such good care of me. The boat and bus transfer went smoothly and we made it to the airport with plenty of time to have a snack before catching our flight to Cusco. We had about two hours and some of us were already hungry. The airport has a small grill there that fixes sandwiches and also sells chips and candy so it’s easy to get food, and if anyone needs help ordering the guide is available to help. If you can wait, the airline also serves a snack. On arrival Cusco we waited a bit for all the bags to be corralled and taken to the waiting bus. Hot coca tea was waiting for us as we boarded the bus. Once we got settled the bus departed, weaving through Cusco towards the Sacred Valley. Shortly after leaving we were served a box lunch. The vegetarian meal was a great pasta dish with a seasoned seitan. Seitan is wheat gluten, sometimes known as “wheat meat.” Also included were some fruit and cookies. Some might say it was too much food to ask one’s digestive system to digest considering the high altitude and low oxygen content, which slows most bodily functions — especially digestion. The ride to the Sacred Valley Camelid and wool museum was impressive and the group liked feeding the llamas and alpacas. I did too! I held on to the alfalfa so I could feel and watch them for as long as possible. I wasn’t missing any fingers; they didn’t even get close. We arrived to Yucay and the Posada del Inca Yucay was super impressive, especially since everyone was extremely happy to be out of humidity. I opened my luggage and every garment had a high content of moisture. I couldn't believe how seriously wet my clothes felt! Before dinner we met for a lecture on Inca history, specifically on Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu. For the four nights here we had the same menu to choose an appetizer, main course and dessert. The food was really tasty and nicely presented. Sleeping in the cool highlands was a welcomed change from the humidity of the jungle. Next post >> Previous post >> Learn more about this program >>