Butterfly Botanical Garden/ Puerto Moldonado and Cusco, Peru altitude 11,000 ft.

We bid adeau to our camp site on the river and said adios amigos to Percy, Roberto, and Tony then boarded the boat for an hour long ride back upriver to Puerto Moldonado.

At the check out center we were able to spend a few minutes in the butterfly garden/ botanical garden which was magical.




Off to the airport and then we arrived in Cusco one hour later. Our impression of this lofty place is that it is beautiful village surrounded by the sweeping grandeur of the magestic Andes mountains. The drive took us down streets lined with quaint shops/ restaurants and businesses all very orderly and inviting. There were several plazas throughout, each boasting its own Catholic Cathedral and gardens. Everywhere local women (often with babies tucked in slings across their backs) sold trinkets to tourists.

My greatest joy was when we opened the door to our suite in Casa Andina that overlooked a small plaza Las Nazarenas surrounded by a Precolumbian art museum and Catholic cathedral. The hotel is housed in the oldest house in Cusco (built in the16th century) by a prominent Spanish family. The room is breath taking with its stucco walls adorned with fresco paintings and plaster beams. There is a cut stone fireplace which the staff will come and light on the chilly nights. Furniture is comfortable and in the style of Spanish Mediterranean. These are views from our hotel room overlooking the courtyard and the plaza.

I'm suffering from altitude sickness and some stomach ailment from the camp water so it was a tremendous relief to be in this place. The staff brought cocoa tea to help us acclimate and we ate dinner in the hotel restaurant that night with soft music playing and candle light on the table. I believe that this is one of the most romantic places we've stayed in for a while.