Peru trip backgrounder

June 20th 2012 marks the beginning of a 3 week adventure in Peru. Not only is it my first time in Peru, but also my first time entering the South American Continent, PERIOD. Largely planned from scratch, with a little help from Intrepid Tours on Bloor in Toronto, this sojourn has been long in planning, but somewhat short in preparation.
  Why now, when we could be missing some of Canada's finest weather?
  The Festival of Inti Raymi marks the celebration of the Winter Equinox and takes place on June 24th in Cuzco (aka Cusco) in South Central Peru. Essentially a one day Party, not unlike other Festivities I have attended in Guatemala and Nicaragua, it provides a chance to see the local population at its Folkloric best, reliving the ancient rituals of their forefathers.
 Rolling the Calendar back a couple of days, our flight from Toronto connects in Panama before landing us in Lima somewhat late at night on June 20th. Pre-arranged taxi and hotel arrangements should allow us to wake up safe and sound on June 21st, allowing us 2 days to explore the country's Capital, taking a trip to the beach and generally relaxing before we start popping diamox pills for our Saturday ascent to Cuzco- altitude 11,200ft.
  Faced with the options of a 90 minute plane ride or a 18 hr bus ride from hell, we opted for the former, arriving in Cuzco on Saturday in time to grab a lunch and find our hotel before setting out to explore the Festival sites.
  Assuming we survive the Sunday Festivities, we meet a small group of fellow travellers for a week of exploration which end with a highlight viewing of Macchu Picchu on the weekend before returning to Cuzco for an overnight rest before making an all day bus trek to Puno and Lake Titicaca. While it sounds like a punch-line for many jokes, it is one of the worlds highest lakes and is famous for its inhabitants reliance on reed boats and actual man made reed islands to provide homes with some degree of shelter- originally protection from warring neighbours and possibly Spaniard marauders.
  Two days there, one of which is a home stay with a local family ( dont forget the kwellada!) will be followed by a bone shaking bus ride to the town of Arequipa and its famous Canyons, both twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. A brief 3 day visit terminates with a flight back to Lima for a free day before returning to Canada on July 11th
 Assuming internet access, spare time and endless enthusiasm, the journey will be retold in day to day, more detailed form as we move from location to location.
  After a year and a half my Spanish is somewhat rusty and the local accents will no-doubt be less recognizable than those of Central America.
  It should be fun, it could be dangerous- but that's what get's the adrenaline up and lets you know you are alive.
  Shit happens occasionally, but Divine Intervention is often there to CYA and make a really bad situation a source of humour the next time you tell it- and I have the scars to prove it.
  So this is Dangerous Dave's Dumb Dramatic Dialogues of Distant Journey's, signing off, from Instalment #1
  Check back in 2 weeks and watch the trip unfold!