On the limit!

So actually we were supposed to go back to Lima on the 28th. But that literally fell into the water! Due to the flooding, many hostels have no running water and drinking water is also limited. That's why we decided to stay in Cusco a little longer. Recently, tours have been offered here to a unique natural spectacle: the Rainbow Mountains. Actually, we wanted to see that anyway but didn't have enough time. So we were pretty glad that we still got to see it. We didn't have much time left, so we booked the tour for the 29th. We were supposed to be picked up at the hotel at 3:30. This is because it takes 3 hours to get there and the weather in the mountains often gets worse in the afternoon. So we waited patiently in the hotel lobby. We waited and waited and waited until it was 4:40... actually we had given up hope that anyone would still come, but the man at the reception called the agency for us. They told him they would be there in 10 minutes. We were actually picked up at 5 o'clock, but of course we had to pick up other participants afterwards. A little annoyed, we left with a 2-hour delay. Fortunately, the rain stopped a few kilometers before our destination. After a spartan breakfast (1 jam sandwich and tea), we started the hike. After the first climb, you could rent a horse. We thought if we can do Machu Picchu, this should be easy. But then the first problem came up: due to the constant rain, the path was now only mud and we had to be careful not to slip. But well, the weather got better and the sun slowly came out. After 1.5 hours, we reached the checkpoint, where we had to pay for another ticket because our guide didn't know if it was included in the tour price (we can get the money back from the agency..)! But well, unfortunately it started raining again and no one else was on the way up except for our group, everyone was already going down - we were the last ones. From here on, it got more difficult: the path was steeper and the altitude was taking its toll on us, it's really much more difficult to breathe. The goal was still far away, the rain didn't stop and we started freezing. Many gave up on the last stretch and got on a horse. And maybe that would have been better. The last meters were terrible: we could hardly breathe and had no strength left, plus the rain had turned into snow/sleet. When we finally reached the top, the view was not that great. Yes, we saw a few colors but everything was very dull and covered in clouds! We only had a few minutes up there anyway, because a snowstorm was approaching. Honestly, we just wanted to go down, we were disappointed with what we had seen and it was freezing cold. When I wanted to put on a jacket, I could hardly move my hands and someone had to help me! The way down was hardly better. With a handful of people, we walked through the snowstorm! It was freezing cold and we couldn't feel our hands and feet anymore. The path got worse and it was inevitable to slip or sink into the mud up to our ankles. Our feet got wet, of course... Any strength was gone due to the cold, disappointment, the exhausting climb, and lack of food. This really pushed us to our physical limits. If it had been possible in any way, we would have given up immediately but of course that was not an option. After a 2.5-hour descent, we finally reached the bus at the bottom. Now there should be lunch - at 4 o'clock?! - otherwise we wouldn't have had any food on the whole way. And then there was still a 3-hour drive ahead of us, but we were so frozen that it was also terrible. When we finally arrived in Cusco and looked forward to a shower and bed, there was the crowning moment. I said the name of our hotel, but we weren't allowed to get off there. At the other end of the city, they only said: the trip ends here, everyone get off (if they had told us that earlier, we could have gotten off much earlier), so we had to walk all the way through the city until we could finally get into our bed. It may be possible that these mountains are incredibly beautiful in good weather and with a more organized tour, but for us it was one of the worst days of the trip. Well, at least we can now claim to have been on a 5000m mountain. Just google *Rainbow Mountains Peru* and see what it can look like! (I have to admit that our pictures are somewhat enhanced!)