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Typical Latin American issues, nothing more. I'd suggest a Rough Guide or Lonely Planet book for many of your questions. They are well worth the money.

nartreb wrote:I would recommend against flying to Cusco from Lima, the altitude change will make two or three days rather unenjoyable. Next time I'll try the bus.

Edit for clarity: the bus takes about 20 hours of travel time, so you'll gain altitude more gradually (routes via Nazca or Arequipa, so most of the gain in the second half of the journey). This should help with acclimating. If it works, you can actually enjoy the sights in Cusco. Plus, you'll see more of the country. The coastal deserts are pretty interesting, very different from anything I'd seen before.

Have you tried the bus from Lima to Cusco through Arequipa ?
I know, that the buses from Arequipa go through Mirador De Los Andes mountain pass (4800 or 4900), and instead of acclimatization the body just gets shocked. I heard about people get unconscious. Does the bus from Arequipa to Cusco avoid this somehow ?

Do you know about acclimatization hikes in Cuzco area to prepare myself for future hikes, for example to get an acclimatization for Inca Trail and to get ready for Ausangate Circuit trek (there all sleeping points are over 4400 meters) ?

Regarding acclimatization, to start with walking around Cuzco is a good first step, since it is at 3400m. There are then a couple of day hikes in the city and near surroundings to archeological sites such as Tambomachay, Puca Pucara, Qenqo and Sacsayhuaman, that are really interesting and good for acclimatization.

I then did a 2 days trek in the sacred valley with a guide, in which we reached almost 5000m. After that I did the inca trail with no problem at all. I learned a lot with the guide about local culture and history, so I really recommend him. Yo can contact him here: http://bit.ly/1Gk4hqA

And I went there in january, rainy season, but had no rain at all! So you can just be lucky...