Licensed to ill

Well it was bound to happen. I got Diarrhea. Damn! I got up at 5am and packed my things quickly in hopes that it will all make sense later.
Luckily my sister Aissa was on Facebook chat so we messaged back and forth for an hour. I told her all about the tragedy that is my stomach and butt. I quickly grabbed breakfast, made two more runs for the bathroom, then I waited for a woman named Dina who will be my minder (she will take me to the bus station). To Cusco I will go!
The old man who works graveyard hours at this hotel is cute. He reminds me of a loyal servant like Igor but a little less harsh. His name is Washington and he wishes me well travels as I leave.

Last night I had a look at my photos of my trip so far. I feel like I have been in Peru forever. This is odd because I should be having the time of my life! I have to say, I'm homesick. The fact that my travel itinerary is so jam packed also contributed to the exhaustion and therefore homesickness. I have this as my last week in Peru so I banished all negative thoughts and decided to be present in the moment. Earlier when Aissa and I were on Facebook chat I recall her telling me that the reason she hasn't been messaging me often is because she wants me to be in the moment. I'm not in Vancouver and I'm definitely not in Toronto she reminds me.

The ride to Cusco is long and winding. I felt really ill as I got higher up in elevation. I got to the bus terminal in Cusco and paid a taxi 7 Soles to take me to hotel kilombo. It totally felt like a youth hostel. I was extremely cold and it was rainy. Still feeling ill I decided to stay in the hostel and update my blog.

My mom and my sister got a hold of me while I was online and they advised me to drink sprite and eat bananas. This will strengthen your stomach they tell me. So I stepped out quickly to search for a quick healing. Came back with two bananas, sprite...cookies and a cake. I couldn't resist!

At about 7pm the person working at the front desk called me to tell me that a tour guide was here to explain what will be happening in the next few days for the jungle trek triathlon.
As the tour guide debriefs me I notice he was really cute. I also notice that I may have bit off more that I can chew with this tour. I'm not at my 100% and was starting to doubt my ability physically. He explained that the next morning a van will come pick me up along with other tourists to take us to a mountain. At about 5,000 meters high we will begin a two hour descend on mountain bikes. The van will be following behind us. We will hop back in the van for about another hour drive (there's construction on the road which is why we needed the van ride). We then get back on our bikes for another two hour descend. We then leave the bikes and our van to trek for an hour. Then two hours of river rafting will begin. We will stay in a simple hotel overnight (dorm style). The next day will be more challenging. A full eight hour trek follows with some difficult terrain (this also includes a part of the original Inca trail). We end at Aguas Calientes where we are free to jump into the natural hot springs. The next day is about a six hour trek but it will be on flat terrain so I'm told it's not that bad. On the final day we start at 4am with a 1.5hr trek to Machu Picchu. In my mind I already decided that I will not be staying a full day in Machu Picchu as I've got a sacred valley tour the day after.

After the orientation with the tour guide I messaged with Aissa a bit more. Then I showered and packed a bag for the adventure to come. Nervous but hopeful. I pray.