Machu Picchu & Rainbow Mountains

Cusco welcomed us with a delayed, turbulent landing, rain, and a clueless taxi driver. Much later than expected, we arrived at our first Airbnb accommodation. We were warmly greeted here and tackled the hurdle of climbing six flights of stairs without an elevator, with all our luggage at an altitude of 3416 meters, so we were quite exhausted. However, the beautiful room and the hospitality of Eduardo and Kettlin quickly made up for it. The next day, we wanted to go to Aguas Calientes, the starting point for Machu Picchu. We didn't have tickets yet, neither for the journey, nor for the entrance or the return journey. Only the hostel was booked. But since it was already late and we couldn't organize anything anymore as planned, we had to get up early the next morning and hope that everything works out.

We were already ready at the bus station at half past six in the morning, which should take us to Santa Maria. The employees of the different bus companies were shouting wildly at us. It was quite a competition here. After 6 hours by bus and 1.5 hours by minivan, we walked along the tracks for another 2 hours to Aguas Calientes. That was the cheapest option for us, and during the hike, we already saw parts of Machu Picchu between the mountains. Now it was a race to the ticket counter and the train station. Overjoyed that there were still tickets available for Machu Picchu the next morning, we were not too upset that only the expensive train tickets were available for the return journey. To celebrate the day, we had alpaca for dinner - delicious!

Our alarm clock rang at 4 am. Here we go, today was the day, and we were already very excited. Equipped with headlamps, we walked for half an hour to the entrance and then climbed quite a lot of stairs for about 2 hours. Buses kept passing us, but we wanted to climb the mountain with all its stairs. Whoever climbs stairs for 2 hours is even more delighted at the top! And then it happened - Machu Picchu was right in front of us. An incredible feeling! We walked through the ruins for over 4 hours, the weather cleared up after the morning fog, and we enjoyed the sunny morning. The Inca city is located at an altitude of 2430 meters and was built in the 15th century. It is estimated that 1000 people lived here, and there are a total of 216 stone buildings today. We were curious to compare Kuelap and Machu Picchu. Both sites are super interesting, but Mapi is not as authentic as Kuelap. Much of it has been reconstructed, and the paths between the ruins are all 'one-way streets,' which made the exploration tour a bit like a maze. In the afternoon, we returned by Inkarail train. Between all the mountains, always along the river, the leisurely ride (I don't think it went faster than 40 km/h) was really beautiful.

The next day, the plan was to sleep in. After a delicious breakfast from Kettlin, we explored Cusco. There were nice cafes, interesting churches, and numerous bars around the Plaza de Armas. We also visited the Inca Museum, a beautiful viewpoint with a view over Cusco, and a small ruin. To end the day, we had a delicious evening drink at the Pisco Museum with Luisa, whom we had met in Kuelap.

Even earlier than for Machu Picchu, we had to get up the next day. We were picked up at 3 am, and we went to the Rainbow Mountains. Here again, we were lucky because we were the only participants in the tour - no wonder considering the time. Three hours later, the ascent began at 4450 m. Our destination was 12 km away, at 5035 m. We had already acclimatized well to the altitude, and after a delicious breakfast from our guide, we arrived among the first visitors at the top. We were rewarded with bright sunshine and a colorful view. It was quite cold, but with such a panorama, nothing could make us leave so quickly. Gradually, the 'latecomers' arrived. The ascent was possible on foot or on a horse, but we felt sorry for the animals. On the way back, it started to hail a little, so we quickly made our way back to the minibus. The local cook, whom we had dropped off in the village that morning, prepared a Peruvian lunch for us. We spent the evening comfortably in the accommodation and prepared ourselves for the journey to Puno the next morning.