Cusco - 21st April 2009

After 2 nights in the jungle it was time to head to Cusco, 3400 metres above sea level. At this point in my life, I think that's the highest I've been (outside of a plane), but this is a record which will continue to be broken over the following days and weeks. The distinct lack of oxygen is quite apparent, making it occasionally difficult to get a full pair of lungs. But we had a couple of days here to acclimatise to the altitude before we set off the magical inca trail.

Cuzco is a cracking little city. Historically it was the heart of the Inca empire and this is still apparent today with huge Inca built walls and steep cobbled streets. But Cuzco's main purpose today is that of a gateway to the Inca trail and Machu Picchu for the hundreds of tourists that visit every day.

The pairing of old and new within a city centre works as well here as I've seen anywhere else. The city is extremely clean, and visually stunning. The local people add colour and soul to the city and, rightly so, seem clearly extremely proud of their home. But on top of the history and picturesque buildings, the city offers some pretty good nightlife. We were only there a few nights, so unfortunately couldn't experience too much, but we did have some great meals out and some top experiences in local bars.

One bar in particular with a local band playing was incredible. I'm not sure whether its “Tourist scepticism” but any mention of a “local cultural band” and I tend to lose interest as I imagine a long line of people dressed in “cultural” clothes singing old folk songs and finally passing around the hat for tips.

How wrong I was. Amaru Pumac Kuntur are from Cusco and played what they called “new age Inca fusion”. Whatever it was, it worked, and they were amazing and completely blew everyone's socks off. For the 8 piece Inca fusion market, they've killed it. Off the charts.

I would love to have stayed in Cusco longer, but one of the downsides of being on an organised trip is the need to keep moving. It really is a charming little city, and somewhere I definitely want to return to in the future.