The Last Full Day

Hi everyone - Brendan here.
We have come to out last full day in Peru! While it is rather sad that we will be leaving tomorrow, we are glad to be heading home soon to see everyone we miss so much. Cusco has been an amazing experience. Since we arrived from Chiclayo on Monday, we have spent our time fending off altitude sickness (some of us responded better than others) and trying to do as much as we can with the time we have left. A group of us who were feeling up to it went on Tuesday with Nathan, our contact here, to visit an orphanage run by his organization called Pura Vida. We spent the afternoon with some wonderful young children who we have been carrying donations for since we arrived. They were wonderfully grateful, and we were just as pleased to be able to spend time with them.
Yesterday was our crowning adventure, breaking from our non-touristy approach to this trip - we went to see the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. And what an amazing experience that was! They are every bit as picturesque as pictures paint them out to be, and even more besides. It is an incredible feeling to walk down the narrow cobblestone streets built centuries before, and to see the mountain city that no European settlers ever found. The day itself was rather long, as we left the hotel at 7 in the morning and were not back until 3am today. We had to take two busses, a train, and another bus to get there, and the same on the way back. It was well worth the exhaustion though - we can cross it off the list of things to do in our lives! It really was remarkable.
Unfortunately the group has already started to break up, as Gary had to leave us early this morning to be back at school for his convocation. It is bizarre not to have everyone at meals after all this time, but we wish Gary the very best! We miss you already, my friend.
The story of the day is that Cusco is essentially in lockdown because of rioting protesters in the streets. Don´t be alarmed, we aren´t in danger - the citizens of Cusco realize that their city is a HUGE tourist draw, so they accomplish political change by holding protests rather often. Thus, no taxis or busses are running during the day today and tomorrow. They hope that by decreasing the tourist revenue, the local government will give them what they want. It is actually rather exciting to watch! Because of the lack of public transit, we wil have to leave the hotel early tomorrow morning to get to Cusco airport. Then comes 24 hours of transit time until we arrive home Saturday!
We hope that everyone is well at home, and that you are as excited to see us as we are to see you.