Cusco- Colonial city, Christmas farewell - hot springs between the beauty of nature and the poverty of the people

A small insight into our expedition to Machu Picchu has already been given. But there is much more to say about Cusco. A beautiful colonial city located in the Andes Highlands at 3800m that is supposed to be our home for Christmas. Surprisingly, we meet Martha and Terry, an Irish couple, again on the summit of Rainbow Mountain, who also invite us to an Irish tradition, 12 Pubs for Christmas. We also meet Stephan, the Dutchman, and Michael, another Irishman we already know from Medellin. On December 23rd, armed with red Santa hats, we start with a group of 30 men and women at 2 pm with 12 Pubs on Christmas. The goal is to drink a beer in each pub. The difficult part is that each pub has a different rule (e.g. drink with your left hand only or no swearing). If a rule is violated, a shot must be taken. After the 6th pub, it's already difficult not to swear, we are completely drunk and have a cozy evening with friends. The next evening, we recover from the hangover, what fun! In the evening, we have a Christmas dinner at the hostel: grilled guinea pig, meatballs, potatoes, and many other traditional Peruvian dishes complete the dinner. Strengthened by the gastronomic feast, we then go to Plaza de Armas at midnight to set off some fireworks. In Peru, a gigantic fireworks display is held on Christmas, not professionally, but by everyone. At the local, probably craziest Christmas market I know, you can buy all kinds of fireworks. Even the professional stuff. So Plaza de Armas becomes a battleground at 12 o'clock. People shoot giant firecrackers at each other, and all around, a spectacular display lights up the night sky. The next day, we start the day with mulled wine and a few beers, as well as Secret Santa for lunch.

On the second Christmas holiday, Erick, our receptionist and new friend, as well as a fresh father, invited us to go to the mountains with him. We set off to hot springs in the mountains. So we start at 7 o'clock in the morning towards the bus station. On the way there, we get a classic breakfast from a street vendor. There is a liquid food called Macka and a Quinoa mixed drink. Both drinks are extremely filling and rich in nutrients and protein. One glass costs 1 Sol, equivalent to about 30 cents. Satisfied, we continue on the bus to Tinka. The bus ride takes about 3 hours. On the bus, Erick talks to a man who turns out to be our future new cook for the evening and the next morning during the conversation. We talk more and more and Erick enthusiastically tells us about all his social projects that he has going on for the poor in the country. He tells us that he builds and renovates houses for people who have absolutely nothing. A house, a proud 9 square meters, costs about 1000 Soles, or about 300 euros. The reason he can build houses so cheaply is that the basic form of the house is built of MDF wood and then additionally insulated with other building materials. The construction of a house only takes a day. He says that together with the donations collected by his mother, who lives in Germany, they can build about 20 houses for the people every year. In general, we increasingly get the impression that Erick is a person with a big heart and the urge for change. He, himself a father of twins, earns too little to be able to support his family, but still gives his last penny to help other people. A truly strong and impressive young man. When we arrive in Tinka, we first have lunch in the city before quickly going to the local village shop to buy groceries for the coming days. With a shared taxi, we head to the mountain village, where we also find the volcanic springs. It is a simple village with about 20 houses, surrounded by the picturesque landscape of the mountains and lush green meadows, at an altitude of 4800 meters. Once there, we settle into the quarter, a converted stable. There are about 10 beds there, which are intended to provide shelter for visitors to this village. But before we plunge into the hot springs, we take a short walk in search of llamas and alpacas. Soon we find them, and our cook Vasillio catches an alpaca for us and shows us how to recognize the quality of the wool. The animals are super fluffy and soft and are sheared once a year. The wool is then used for blankets, sweaters, hats, and other clothing items. After the information session, we finally go to the pool. The water has a pleasant temperature of around 40 degrees, while the outside temperature is about 8-10 degrees. A wonderful way to warm up. So we end the day with beer in the pool, great conversations, and a beautiful view of the mountain panorama. Vasillio cooks us dinner by candlelight before we are forced to go to bed as the weather has changed and heavy rain has hit us. The night was bitterly cold, despite numerous blankets. A first taste of life in this little village. The people here are extremely poor and have no electricity or heating. We have always wondered why the children here have dirt on their faces and why they don't wash themselves, but as we have been told, it is not dirt, but burns caused by the icy cold. Here, Peru's other side is revealed to us, a side far from tourism, a side that shows the poverty of the people, the poor education, and the rampant corruption in this country. And this is where Erick comes into play again, he has so many ideas and directly supports the poor. We have decided to support him and will set up an account on our blog where donations can be made. For us, 10 euros may not be much, but for the people in Peru, they can make a big difference. So we ask you, if you can spare some money, please donate. Thank you very much!

Account holder: Erick Flores Figueroa

Account number: 002-285-136458548181-54

SWIFT code BCPLPEPL

The bank charges a transfer fee of 1 US dollar for each transfer.

The next morning, we jump into the hot springs once again before heading back to Cusco after a good breakfast. We give a generous tip to Vasillio, our cook, and then start our journey. On the way there, we once again become aware of the labor system. Many people, like Vasillio, work as day laborers. Always in search of work, they take any job they can find. So we meet a mother with her sleeping child again. She takes the opportunity to check the tickets of the guests for a meager wage, just to earn some money. In this country, a lot is politically wrong, but the people here are so friendly, open, and warm-hearted that you can easily fall in love with this country. Peru is a land of adventure and diversity and has completely captivated us with its charm! We already love Peru and will return as soon as possible! More information will follow soon! Until then, yours Marius and Max.