The return to Cusco and the higher altitude caused problems for quite a few of our group, we discovered this morning.  Last night at dinner we could see Patty wasn't very well though she put a brave face on it and said she hadn't drunk enough water.  But she ended up having to get oxygen through the night and after the second lot just bought a tank and stayed in their room until it was time to depart.  Another lady had also had to get oxygen through the night.  But Craig and I were fine - we actually stopped the Diamox yesterday but kept up with the coca tea and our biggest problem was coughing and snuffling.  One lady in our group - in fact the one who had to get the oxygen said she'd been taking Diamox and had started to have tingling in her fingers (a common side effect) and it didn't seem to help her when it got right down to it. Guess we're just two of the lucky ones - or maybe it's all those lung function tests over the years at BSL which encouraged our lung capacity!

We didn't have a wake up call this morning and just had to have our suitcases out by 8am.  I managed to get another blog post knocked out and then we went for breakfast. We had one last tour with our guide Miguel to the Korikancha cathedral which was directly across the street from our hotel.  This was a fascinating blend of an original Incan temple which had then been taken over by the Spanish so now has a real Spanish feel around most of it.  But we were awestruck to hear that in the original Incan temple each and every block of the temple had been covered with gold - not gold leaf but real gold and in the garden outside there had been solid gold life sized statues of insects, animals, trees and people.  It was known as the Temple of the Sun and the gold represented the sun to the Incan people in the same way as silver represented the moon.  Again we could see the trapezoid structure of building to give strength. We also got to see a painting depicting the end of the Incan empire.  Atahualpa, the Incan Emperor had a meeting with Francisco Pizarro the Spanish conquistador - mainly out of curiosity - and Pizarro took him prisoner.  Pizarro only had about a 170 men whereas the Incan Empire was the largest in the world.  But it had a very pyramidical structure with only a few people giving the orders and the rest trained to obey so it didn't occur to any of them to mount a rescue, they continued to do what they'd been trained to do - respond to orders from the Spanish.  Atahualpa promised Pizarro a room filled with gold if he would release him and that's where much of the gold from the Temple of the Sun went - but once Pizarro had the gold he killed Atahualpa anyway.  It's been wonderful to gain some understanding of the Inca people.  Must say that we had an outstanding guide in Miguel - not too many dates - just lots of facts and stories and all so interesting.  He is so proud of his country and his heritage and that passion shines through when he's talking to you.  We were really sad to say goodbye to him - but if any of you are ever contemplating a trip to Peru and Cusco and Machu Picchu I have his contact details as he would be a fabulous guide for you.

When our tour finished we headed back to the hotel, paid our bill and then we were back on the buses and off to the airport.  At the airport I was talking to another one of our group - a couple from Boston. I'd heard that her husband had been really unwell the day before.  He'd become very unwell at lunchtime the day before.  She was saying that once she alerted the tour directors there was a doctor there within 10 minutes, then within half an hour an ambulance. They took him to hospital got him almost immediately into a room where he stayed overnight.  Gave him some infusions and he was much better by the morning and was discharged.  And the feedback from others has been how brilliant the medical services have been.  As she said, in the US she'd have called emergency and waited 10 hours for an ambulance.  Maybe some things to be learned from a so called third world country.

Our flight to Lima was only an hour and then we had a city tour of Lima which was really good - beautiful city though how anybody drives here is beyond me - I've never seen driving quite like it anywhere in the world - four cars all jockeying for a place in one lane! Apparently they have lots of accidents - surprise surprise.  (Michelle, Pete, Jenny - did you guys really drive in this crazy city??) Then we were taken back to Swissotel - finally all our luggage back in the same place.  I did a bit of sorting to get everything in order for our international flight to Santiago tomorrow.  Tonight was our farewell dinner and signalled the end of our tour.  We all met in the lobby and walked a couple of blocks to a private house where we had dinner.  This was like no other house I've been to - they have a collection of over 2000 nativity items and scenes (Deb -you'd love it!) and it's more like a museum than a a home.  We were welcomed by the owner and his wife who showed us through the collection then we sat outside in a central area and had the most delicious buffet.  I think they hire out to private parties, weddings etc.  We were greeted first with pisco sours - a drink I hadn't got round to trying but a must do when you're in Peru.  They're delicious - I could get to like them!

Our tour guides said their farewells and then we walked back to the hotel and had a nightcap in the lobby with Richard and Patty and then up to bed.

This Princess land tour which is done in conjunction with Lima Tours has been absolutely outstanding - the arrangements have been spot on, the hotels fantastic, the tour directors and tour guides some of the best we've ever encountered.  I will say that it's not for the faint hearted as its 6 days of go, go, go but thanks to the organization of our tour directors even those who at first glance looked like they'd never manage Machu Picchu have been able to realise their dream.  It's also been a great group of people -70 of us - but I'd say all fairly well travelled so respect the rules and understand them - turn up on time, follow the instructions and no whinging or complaining.  Top job.