Looking to get away from the tourist zone at least for a couple of days I got a local bus to Sicuani, 2 hours south which while not exactly isolated (it's on the main road from lake Titicaca) is deffinitely unvisited. However I was disapointed, the town is largely made of concrete and dominated by a startlingly ugly bridge and council building. Someone has painted these in bright orange and purple to draw attention to them, whereas any decent person would have them buried in the dead of night. Since I was only there for a brief overnight stop I chose a cheap hotel near the bus station. Now I know why it was cheap, the anouncements of buses arriving and departing were clearly audible until about 2am. After that there was a few hours to sleep before the manager put the radio on a 5.30. Not a private radio, but a loudspeaker system designed so everyone could hear it.
I took an early bus to the small town of Raq'chi to see the temple to Virracocha, the only building from Inca times with surviving walls two storeys high. There I was compensated for the bad night by being the only visitor for well over an hour. I also got an excelent guide, Alberto who not only showed me the ruins but took me to visit his family who make pottery for the local markets. He then then got me on the bus back to Cusco as he was on his way to start training as an official guide.
As there are only a few days till I do the trail I've decided to base myself in Cusco and do daytrips, at least that way I'm guaranteed food and sleep. Tommorrow Sacsyhuaman.
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