Bus ride to Puno

Buying bus tickets. Easiest way is to purchase from hostel's offers, cheaper way is to purchase it at the bus station (which you can bargain). Pick reputable bus companies, ask which company the hostel is working with then go straight to that bus's office. The buses are double decker, on top the semi-cama, the half inclined seats, and at the bottom, full-cama, more expensive fully inclined seats. Semi-coma is definitely enough for a comfortable 8 hour journey. The bus company will ask that you arrive half an hour early to swap tickets, pay departure tax, and check in luggage.

Early at 6am, we got up to hop on a taxi to Cusco's bus station across town for 8am bus. Swapping the purchasing receipt for an actual bus ticket then paying the the station tax, we went out to the bay where the semi-coma buses were parked. After watching our backpacks tagged and put in the bus, we hopped on to our seats, of course, armed with water, chocolate, apples, oranges, and dried mangos and figs. The bus was full of tourists chattering with each other. The seat was big and comfy though definitely a bit old and dirty, but who cares, the bus ticket was less than 20 dollars for an 8 hour journey.

Out of the busy city, into the suburbs and rural lands. Being a nature person, I was quite stoked on the promising landscape. Journeying along the infamous PeruRail track, through high altitude Andes, passing farmlands, small establishments and gorgeous mountainous landscapes. The nature's massive yellow carpet covering the fields, soft hills and rocky mountains. The playful clouds making creative shadows on mountainsides. The natives and the travellers briefly catching each other's eyes and observing each other. Being confined on the bus, there's nothing to do but to observe Peru's beauty with fellow travellers. It was my first long haul bus rides ever and it was surprisingly enjoyable.