My actual plan is 5-6 days all in TdI/SV: acclimatise in the first 2-3 days then on D4 go back to Cuzco for the train ride to MP, overnight in AC that day, go up to MP again on D5 and that night head back to TdI. Actual Cuzco part comes after all that.
Yes I guess it might not be worth the bother to go up to Cuzco just for those extra 2 hours of train. Maybe I will pick one of those days in Cuzco to just take a ride down to Olly and then back w/o visiting MP since I'd have already been there 2 days.
The pill is acetazolamide, and let me tell you, it's no fun. My fingers and lips were tingling for 3 days!
Originally Posted by
Thunderroad
You're welcome, travels!
Perhaps I still don't understand your plan. Is it five days SV (including 3 TdI), then backtrack for some time in Cuzco, and then finally MP? If so, I don't think the backtracking is worth it. I'd suggest the SV, then AC/MP, then finally Cuzco. You can get from the SV to AC/MP on either the train from TdI (or really, an easy five minute walk away) or from Oly (which I'd recommend as a second place to stay in the SV if not all your time is at TdI).
Anyway, you're going to see great scenery whether in a car or a train, including while you're bopping around the SV. (It's a lot easier to do that with a driver who knows his way, including on a few slightly hairy portions of the area, though not impossible on your own.) So I wouldn't think it worth it to go out of your way for extra train time. You'll have plenty of train time going from TdI or Oly to AC and then back from AC to Cuzco.
Sorry, I don't have a clue about getting a SIM card.
By the way, there's a prescription you can get to help prevent/alleviate altitude sickness. I forget the name.