¡Ahí Los Vidrios!: Finalizing Details!

Alright! So, Megabus tickets are booked! Before I proceed, let me back up and explain about this Megabus process. The Megabus is this intriguing little (big) bus that shows up at a certain hour at a certain sidewalk in Knoxville (and other towns). You book online for really cheap (sometimes as low as $1) and you can go to a lot of really cool places. Anyway, it will be taking us to a shady little parking lot somewhere in Washington D.C., drop us off, and leave us to our city wisdom to figure out what to do. But don't worry! I've done this before. And, as travelers, we are not frightened off by mafia-like instructions and transportation. Also, Megabus, as I mentioned before is CHEAP. So, I'll deal with it being a little shady solely based on the fact that it's cheaper than any other means of transportation to DC.

Look how friendly!

Alright, so Megabus explained, let's move on. Maybe I should explain why going to DC has anything to do with Peru. Well, as I mentioned, we like being cheap, and as it turns out, flying from DC to Cuzco happened to be the absolute cheapest flight we could find. So yes, it may take 10 hours of extra travel time, being dropped off in the middle-of-nowhere DC to wander around with all of our luggage for hours and miles of exhausting podiatric torture, etc etc, BUT we will save $1200 each! That is one thousand and two hundred big fat George Washingtons per person that will be saved. So, is it worth the exhaustion and hassle? That's a big resounding YES.

Moving on. Once we arrive to DC, in order to evade complete exhaustion and unending pain, we have decided to stay in a hostel for one night. That way, we'll suffer the hassle of the bus ride, we'll suffer the pain of hiking the length of DC to get to a metro, and we'll suffer the back pain that 50 pounds of backpacking and travel gear is sure to cause (let's keep in mind, I'm 5'2 and only weigh 110 pounds...miles of walking with a 50 pound backpack is practically superhuman for me...also gives me the most amazingly strong back you've ever seen, I'm practically She-Hulk)--all for only one day. THEN we'll get an amazing break. Hot showers, nice beds, etc. Doesn't the hostel seem like such a nice idea? The hostel we're staying at in DC (of course, the cheapest one) is the Hilltop Hostel--"Housed in a converted Victorian hostel in a suburban area of parks and gardens, we have comfortable dormitory accommodation. Lockers and linen are provided and facilities include wireless internet access, satellite television, a fames room, a kitchen, laundry and a back yard with a BBQ area, outdoor games and hammocks," doesn't it sound just lovely? Also, it is directly across the street from the metro. That's only like 300 feet to walk once we get off the rail (you have to think about these things, you know). Then we get to repeat said travel hassles for day two. Only this time it will involve customs, delays, layovers, and more. Less back pain, more headache.

Mmm! Look at those nice, comfy beds waiting for us!

Then, we will fly from the Dulles International Airport to Bogota, Colombia, from Colombia to Lima, Peru and from Lima, over the Andes mountains, to Cuzco!