Week 14 - Cusco in Peru

We noticed the altitude. It's really not to be underestimated. Headaches, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, and sore throat have been accompanying us since Bogota (2640 meters above sea level) and of course it didn't get any better in Cusco (3399 meters above sea level). But Cusco itself is really worth a visit. A beautiful city. Our hotel and later our hostel were in the historic center of Cusco. It had very nice buildings, a lively market where you can find everything from fruits to meat, household items, and souvenirs as often in the South American cities, and to our delight it was also Carnival that week. There were many parades. Luckily, we were warned that on one Sunday we shouldn't take a walk in the city if we expect to return to the hostel dry. There was a huge water fight with foam sprays going on. Tourists were, of course, good targets, so we had to arm ourselves with such a foam spray as well.

Cusco is known as the starting point for trips to Machu Picchu and other sights. Naturally, Machu Picchu was also on our agenda. In a way, it was a birthday trip! Cedi turned 30 years old! We organized train tickets with Inca Rail and an entrance ticket for the ruins city at the urban Cultural Office. The next day, it started. We left our big backpack at our hostel and first took a bus and then a train to Aguas Calientes. A small (very ugly) tourist village at the foot of Machu Picchu. We spent one night there to be driven to the entrance early in the morning by bus. Unfortunately, everything was completely covered in clouds. We actually had tickets for the ascent to Huayna Picchu. Personally, I wasn't a big fan of this quite dangerous ascent. Due to the weather, we agreed to only do the small hill (Huchu'y Picchu - can only be done if you have the entrance ticket for Huayna Picchu). It must be said that you have to be back at the gate by 10 am to sign out of the book. The decision was absolutely right. Although the whole ruins city was initially covered in clouds, the clouds disappeared after two hours and we had a perfect view! There was only one other person on the mountain besides us. The clouds around Huayna Picchu only cleared shortly before 10 am. We also started our descent and spent a few more hours among the ruins. By then, it was sunny weather. The view of the surrounding mountains is unbelievable. It's hard to imagine how the Incas built this city so perfectly in the 15th century. When visiting Machu Picchu, we recommend buying the Huayna Picchu tickets if possible. You can pass through the entrance gate at two times of the day and only 200 tickets are sold each time. The hiking trails are therefore not so crowded. I really enjoyed the view without the many other tourists. The general area is already very touristy and crowded. I was glad that I could at least enjoy the whole spectacle in peace at the beginning. I can't say how it was on Huayna Picchu. But Huchu'y Picchu was perfect for us. We left the ruins city in the afternoon. Shortly after, it started raining. After a lunch and a mandatory piece of birthday cake, we took the Inca Rail back to Cusco.

Two days later, another highlight awaited us. The Rainbow Mountain, as Vinicunca is also called, is a mountain southeast of Cusco. With its seven different colors running parallel to each other, it looks like a rainbow. The colors were formed by layered minerals that accumulated here for millions of years. The mountains were only discovered a few years ago. Before that, they were still snow-covered. The pictures on the internet are beautiful and of course convinced us. We booked a visit with the tour operator 'Rainbow Mountains Travels'. It cost 30 dollars per person. To escape the crowds, we started at 3:00 am. After a few hours of driving, a small breakfast was on the program. Then we continued to the starting point. From here, we had to walk. About 90 minutes to just over 5000 meters above sea level. At first, you see green, partly snow-covered slopes, llamas and alpacas. The view really has to be earned. It was incredibly exhausting, the air is unbelievably thin, and I can really say that I reached my limits. Luckily, we made it just in time. It wasn't sunny, but the famous slope was free of clouds and we could see the different layers of colors. We spent about half an hour at the summit before starting the descent again, if only to prevent altitude sickness. On the way back, we encountered hundreds of people. They didn't know yet that they would make the very strenuous ascent in vain because shortly after us, thick clouds covered the slopes.

Of course, we also had to plan our further journey in Cusco. We decided to buy a bus ticket with Peru Hop. Peru Hop is a bus company that functions like a hop-on-hop-off bus. You can get on and off in the cities you want. A very easy way to travel. We took it easy in Cusco for the last few days. We strolled through the streets, ate delicious food, or enjoyed the sun on a park bench.