Calca, Peru

Calca, Peru

Inspired by the mochileros in the treehouse, we're trying hitchhiking. So we head to the road towards Cusco. After a few minutes of walking, we stick out our thumb and it doesn't take long for a huge truck to stop and the driver says: cusco? get in get in quickly..... Vamos So we climb up into the driver's cabin and off we go. Our driver's name is Angelo and he will be our friend for the next 200 km. One might think that this journey will be quick. But that's not the case when you're driving uphill and downhill and uphill again, over 3000 meters high mountains with 30 tons. But we enjoy our ride, we have plenty of time to admire the landscape, learn new things about the country, the fruits that grow here and of course about the food that all Peruvians are so proud of. We make a stop for lunch and to buy fruits, and Angel (or hombre del fuego as he is also called) can't help but invite us to everything. We drive at a leisurely pace of about 20 km/h and our new friend tells us his life story: he was kicked out of his house by his father when he was 14 and joined a youth gang. When they tried to rob a drug courier, all the members except him were killed. He goes to Lima and manages to get by for a while until he meets the owner of a transportation company who decides to help him. After doing small odd jobs and errands for him for a few years and obtaining his high school diploma on the side, he gets a job as a truck driver. And so he has been on the roads of Peru and neighboring countries for the past 10 years, always happy to give someone a ride and help out. Because for every good deed he does, there will also be something good done for him or his children...... The hours pass until it gets dark and we still haven't reached our destination. We sleep at a gas station. It's pretty cozy and comfortable when you share a driver's cabin with two other people. The next morning, finally in Cusco, we exchange phone numbers and agree to let each other know if we want to be on tour again with the best and most beloved truck driver. :)

After our truck tour with the hombre de fuego, we treat ourselves to a delicious cappuccino in Cusco. From here, we continue on to the 'valle sagrade' to Calca. Unfortunately, our couchsurfer isn't home, so we stay with a friendly mamita.

Calca is a mega cozy place, we spend most of our time sitting around the Plaza and enjoying the hustle and bustle around us. We stroll through the market, drink delicious fruit juices, and enjoy palta with bread and cheese. Music is played on the main square and we quickly become models. After days of extensive personal hygiene, we take a trip to Pisac. The town is overcrowded with tourists and the market offers all the souvenirs you can imagine. We're pretty overwhelmed, it feels a bit like walking through a shopping city. On a terrace, feeling safe, we watch the market from above and decide to walk back to Calca on foot. Along the way, we have a delicious 'strawberry cider' and when it gets dark, we hop on a truck that takes us the rest of the way home. After a hearty dinner, we have the biggest food coma ever and fall into our beds.

The cozy days in Calca come to an end and we continue to Urubamba, where we meet Albero, a very nice Chilean from the treehouse, again.

Together, we embark on our Machu Picchu expedition.

In our minds, all of this takes about two days and we leave all our belongings with a couchsurfer. Fresh underwear, a sweater, and plenty of bread and chocolate are packed.