Is it the altitude or are we just severely unfit?

So it started like this...
We arrive at Cusco and immediately encountered our first tourist trap:
Man with trolley steals luggage and wheels outside whilst Rebecca and Annie trail behind following stolen goods. Man with trolley and luggage demands money. Becky and Annie cough up 2 dollars which is more than a 20 minute taxi ride costs and are confused as to what has just happened.
WELCOME TO CUSCO!
It's 6 in the morning and for some reason we are instantly whisked away for a whistle stop tour of the Maximo Nivel volunteer office. Blurry eyed we are then taken to our accommodation. In our heads (annie's head) and after 24 hours of traveling, our accommodation was going to be a shack on a mountain with merely a bucket to wash in. However, we were pleasantly surprised to discover an ensuite room with hot running water, alpaca wool blankets and breakfast already on the table! Eat...walk upstairs... rest from altitude/unfitness...shower...rest...unpack suitcase...rest...sleep...eat lunch...sleep.
We finally mustered up the energy to venture out in to the 'city' and eventually found the main square 'plaza de Armas' where we almost had a lamb thrust into our arms for money, but by now, we were wise to such tourist  pitfalls and made a hasty 'no gracias' type escape.
After wandering round a bit we decided to brave a taxi ride back to the 'Family house', a volunteer house we're staying in. The taxis look like they're about to fall apart and should have a remote control rather than a driver, but they only cost the equivalent of 75p for any journey! Eat...stairs...rest...put pyjamas on...sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep (as in long sleep).
TODAY, feeling slightly more alive, we had orientation for our placement that starts tomorrow... a direct quote from the orientating guy is that in our school the kids are ´very crazy´and will fight alot... and directions to the site include the term climbing a "small mountain" which sounds like an oxymoron if ever there was one. Plus in Annie's overly exagerated world, a "small mountain" is PRACTICALLY mount everest. Given that the altitude makes walking up stairs/unpacking the most tiring thing anyone can conceive, the kids will probably have to look after us on arrival. We then nipped home for lunch before returning for a 14 hour teaching English course condensed into 2 hours...he spoke fast.

Writing carved into the mountain... Viva el Peru

Boy carrying goat... For quite some time we thought it was a strange looking dog.

Political rallies going on at the moment due to elections in october. Crazy people driving through streets, shouting passionately in spanish...

The cathedral called the 'Basilica' in the main plaza.

Plaza de Armas, with a lovely fountain in the middle and buildings around it.

So after our first two days in Cusco, we are gradually acclimatising with the help of cocaine tea (mata de coca)... a local medicine. We start our placement tomorrow so we shall let you know how it goes. 

lots of love

Rebecca and Annie 

xxx