Arequipa

My next stop in Peru was Arequipa, the colonial capital of the region by the same name, which had not one, but three volcanoes you can see in the distance. Shockingly I went down in elevation, but still managed to be higher than both Denver and Flagstaff. This was relevant when I went running a couple of days later.

My new friends and I boarded the bus in Puno and several hours later, and a roadside pee stop, we made it to Arequipa. It was getting pretty late, so we got in a taxi and headed to the old city. Eva and I didn't have a booking, so made the rounds to find a hostel with hot water and wifi, for not a lot of money. After a few tries, we got a room and took showers immediately. After checking into the real world (aka social media), we called it a night.

The following morning, after breakfast on the rooftop, we headed our separate ways to different hostels. I booked a room at a place close by where I was able to get my own room for a few nights. I spent the morning catching up on things and making a plan for the following days.

There was another guest somewhere around my age that seemed nice. However, there was also an older guy that was pretty friendly with her. He wasn't staying there, but I would see him hanging around the next few days. I wasn't entirely sure what was going on between them, but it definitely seemed off. I didn't want to pry, but was curious of the situation. She left the same day I did, and it seemed, without him. Which may have been a good thing.

Hostel patio. 

I decided it was time to get lunch and go check out the city. After a burger and beer, I walked to Plaza de Armas. I was surprised to find hundreds of pigeons hanging around. I almost thought I was in NYC. But you would never see this many in one spot. And people were enjoying it. I like birds (not pigeons), but prefer them to not surround me and fly around. There's a reason why there's a horror movie called The Birds. The church in the background was beautiful though. 

Pigeons everywhere.

I made plans to meet Beatrix (from Portugal) and we headed to a nearby rooftop to have a few drinks. We just hung out and chatted as the sun went down. She's a pretty cool girl and it would be great to meet up with her someday. We'll see where our paths take us. 

Rooftop drinks.

We walked around town after getting our fill of beer, and got a glimpse of the church at night. It's very pretty and reminds me much of the various cities in Spain, like Seville. Those Spaniards know what's up when it comes to their churches.

Beautiful at night.

The next morning I got myself motivated to go for a run and boy was it a doozy. The last time I ran was about 2 weeks prior in Buenos Aires. I knew I wouldn't run much in Cusco, but I didn't think I would go that long. Again, I wasn't fully aware of the elevation I was at. Yes, there was a reason why my miles were slower and why I only got 3 of them in. I was wiped out. That's what happens at 2380 meters. I'd like to think altitude training will only benefit me. But I think I need to be there long-term. 

Trying to get some miles in at altitude.

Later that morning, I met up with my new friend Eva (from Hungary) to go see the Monasterio de Santa Catalina. Beatrix had gone and said it was really cool. Normally it wouldn't be something I would put at the top of the list, but I'm glad I went. Throughout the beautiful grounds, everything was painted blue or red. Really great for photos. 

Blue arches.

Halfway through our exploring the arches, alleys, and rooms, we stopped to have dessert for lunch. We tried the local artisanal queso helado. You would think there was some sort of cheese involved, but unfortunately there wasn't. I know. I know. Cheese in ice cream? But they add it to cake, so I'm convinced it could work. Anyway. Back to the cheese-less ice cream. It was like a creamy shaved ice. I enjoyed it, especially since it was hot out.

Queso helado.

We continued to explore the grounds and proceeded to take photos of each other throughout.

Posing against the blue walls.

The painted red and blue walls with the narrow roads were so cute and quiet.

Narrow roads.

We eventually finished our tour of the monastery, and I went to get a beer. Which ended up being the only beer I could get there. Choosing to have only one versus not being able to get a second are two very different things. Since the Presidential election was the following day, no one was allowed to sell beer. There is no way they would be able to get away with that back home. After not getting a second beer, I decided to see if I could get one somewhere else and eventually find dinner. Well I was successful. Since it was tucked away and a tourist spot, they were a bit more lax on selling alcohol. I got a bottle of a local beer and sat with Beatrix, who I randomly ran into, and a few of her friends. 

Yes to craft beer.

After my beer, I headed off to dinner (where I didn't have beer). I came across a recommended restaurant and enjoyed a dinner of potatoes and alpaca. Typical fare for the area. 

Potatoes and alpaca.

The following morning, I got another run in at altitude before my flight to Lima. I headed over to the Yanahuara neighborhood, which offered some great views of the surrounding volcanoes. It's such a shame that it's been so hazy, but glad I got a nice view before leaving town. I would have loved to linger and explore the neighborhood, but I had to get a move on. 

One of the volcanoes in the distance.

I headed to the airport and got on the plane to Lima. Before leaving the region, I got some nice views of the landscape below, before heading to the ocean. 

View from the plane.

Lake Titicaca

It was time to head down south and see another part of Peru. I was on the fence whether I was going to attempt to see Lake Titicaca. I heard the Bolivian side is a lot better. But since I was in Peru, I figured I should see a bit more of the country. And I'm glad I did. I also didn't want Machu Picchu and the surrounding area be the only thing I saw. 

The overnight bus wasn't as smooth as I hoped. The roads weren't great and I was reminded of the overnight bus I took in India. There was barely any sleep given the constant bumps. We made it to Puno around 5am. Since I had booked a tour, someone was waiting for me. Which I was grateful for. They took me to a hostel until it was time to get picked up for the boat ride. I was able to snag a nap. And a shower. Good thing as there wasn't a shower in my near future. I also noticed during my nap that I had to catch my breath every so often. I wasn't sure what altitude we were at, but I suspected I didn't get much lower than Cusco. Well it turns out that I actually went higher. I was now at to 3800 meters, where Cusco was at 3399 meters. I was at one of the highest navigable lakes in the world. 

I got picked up and of course it was raining. I was second guessing my decision. All I wanted to do was be on a boat in the pouring rain for 2 days. The little of what I saw in Puno didn't help with decision. Luckily it stopped while we waited for the boat to get loaded. We were on our way around 8am and made the slow ride to the Uros Islands. 

The rain had stopped, but it remained cloudy as we got off the boat to explore the straw islands. They were man-made islands. So cool. But not sure if I could live on them. We got a tutorial on how they create sod blocks and then layer them with straw. Then they proceeded to build the huts that they lived in. There's even a school on one of the islands. So interesting that people live this way, and so close to the mainland. Apparently mostly children and older adults still live there. Once kids are old enough, they head to the mainland for various reasons. 

Floating Uros Islands. 

We continued on our way and had a very long boat ride to Amantani Island. Good thing the weather turned for the better. I headed up top to enjoy the ride and the views for the 3 hour boat ride. I met another American girl, one from Portugal, and another from Hungary. We would hang out over the next couple of days and longer. 

On a boat. 

We arrived on Amantani Island and the group split into smaller groups, and we were escorted to local family homes. We followed our host up the hill and through winding sidewalks and fields until we arrived at her house. There's no way I could find her house again. There were many houses that were similar looking, and I couldn't keep track of what sidewalks and fields we walked through. We were welcomed into her home, where her father and baby lived. We weren't sure what happened with the father of her baby. But he wasn't in the picture. I'm sure there's a good reason he's not there. 

We were all starving after such an early start and the long boat ride. Fortunately there was food ready for us to consume. And of course lots of potatoes. I like potatoes, but they aren't my favorite. But I ate as much as I could since I was so hungry. 

Starving for more potatoes.

We paired up and settled into our home for the night. I was rooming with Eva, from Hungary. After a little bit of a rest, we were escorted to the meeting spot where we would start our hike to the top of the island. It was starting to get dark, and I think they had hopes we'd see a nice sunset. We didn't. Even with the sun being blocked by clouds, it was still a spectacular view. 

Top of Amantani Island.

There was a tradition of walking around the Pachamama temple 3 times and putting a rock somewhere nearby it. I believe this was an offering to Mother Earth, but can't quite remember. After the hike, we headed down and waited for our family to get us in order to head back. Mine was nowhere to be found. So I set off with a few other people. Eventually she found me. Good thing as I would have just wandered around for a while in the dark.  We headed back to the house for dinner, which included quinoa soup, rice, and a pasta dish. Oh and of course coco tea. Have to make sure we still don't get altitude sickness. We had gotten pretty chilly on the hike back, and of course no electricity, means no heat. The food helped warmed us up. 

Host family and new friends.

After dinner, we dressed in traditional garb and went dancing. Locals provided the traditional clothing for both the women and men,  and I was happy to put more clothes on. We didn't stay out too long, but we danced around a bit with a local band playing music. It was fun, but I was getting tired. I was happy to experience a local dance. But also happy to head to bed. 

Traditional outfits.

The following morning, after an early breakfast, we headed to the neighboring island, Taquile Island. Even though you could see it, it still took some time to get there. After about an hour, we arrived. It was a beautiful day, and we headed up some more hills to reach this plaza for the views. And this sign. New York was 6702 kilometers away. 

New York is far away.

After checking out the views and a local photography exhibit, we continued on our way. We came across the cutest little girl. She didn't really know any Spanish since she was Quechua. But she was happy to have photos taken with us. More importantly though, she wanted to see the photo on our smart phones. What a different life we have. I know there were no smart phones around when I was her age, and I grew up in the country with very limited interaction and technology. But it's still amazing how people choose to live a certain kind of life. I guess if you don't know, you don't miss it. I can see the appeal, but not sure how long I would realistically last. Maybe 2 weeks. Maybe less. 

Adorable Quechua girl.

We arrived at our lunch spot, got a lesson on how wool is clean with natural soap from plants, a dance and music segment, and then another delicious local meal. I was definitely impressed with the soap. I want to try to use more natural products. It's something I've been thinking about. I'm feel like I'm stuck on certain brands, but I'm going to make more of an effort moving forward. 

Local music.

We walked to where the boat was docked, and headed back to the mainland. I spent the boat ride napping, and talking to Abby from New Mexico and Beatrix from Portugal. I always love meeting people from back home since not enough Americans travel abroad. And of course love meeting people from other countries and getting to know them. It's nice to see how we are different, yet similar. Same same, but different. 

Leaving Taquile Island.

It was such a quick visit to Lake Titicaca, but I'm so glad I went. The two days were a little bit of whirlwind, but I got to see some amazing things and meet some amazing people. Eva, Beatrix, Beatrix's dad, and I headed to the bus station as we were all on our way to Arequipa, a beautiful colonial city about 5 hours away. 

Cusco Round 2

Sally and I made it back to Cusco. It seemed like ages since we left since we had done so much in the 6 days we were gone. We went to our hostel to pick up our bags and moved on to our next spot. We had planned to stay there, but the guy was giving me a little bit of grief on the cost of the room. And he didn't have a room for us for 2 nights. So we peaced out to find another place to stay. We luckily found a reasonably-priced hotel with a nice patio and an excellent breakfast.

Cusco Jungle Hotel.

The following day, we got on a minibus to check out the small, nearby town of Chinchero. We looked for the local bus, but couldn't see it anywhere. Before we knew it, we were ushered on a minibus full of other tourists. They were even under the right bus sign. Oh well. After waiting for a little bit (and an attempt to find one that was leaving sooner), we were finally on our way. We got off in Chinchero and went to look for the weavers the town is known for.

After asking around, we ended up at a building full of garments for sale. It looked like the right place. The ladies offered us coco tea right off the bat. My aunt then took the lead and asked about the weaving process. They walked us through what is typically done. First, they showed us the white yarn that has been gathered and how they dye it with natural products. There were various leaves for green, maize for purple, and crushed cactus bugs for red. Their blood I think?There were other natural ingredients for all shades and colors. Some woman were spinning the yarn as we learned more. 

Naturally dyed products.

We saw the boiling pot and they showed us a few ingredients, like lemon, that changed the shades of the various colors. 

Colors galore.

They then proceeded to weave a little bit on their looms. It looks like it would take a long time to create something. 

Weaving away.

Afterwards, my aunt proceeded to buy Christmas presents for everyone. The building housed the work of many ladies and they encouraged us to spread the wealth amongst them. There were a lot of similarities with all the items, so it didn't matter what stall they came from. They were all very sweet ladies. Oh and they fed us a delicious lunch. I think since we (my aunt) spent so much money they figured they could share their meal for a small price. 

The weavers.

After buying out the place, we headed to the ruins where we explored for a couple of hours. With our pass into the Ollantaytambo ruins, we didn't have to pay extra. Good thing as it wasn't cheap to begin with. 

Attempting to climb rocks.

We saw more terraces and more animals. We explored all the cool rocks around. And climbed up and down more stairs. 

The hole is bigger than Sally.

After getting our fill of the ruins and the nearby church, we headed back to Cusco. On the way back from the bus stop, I got really cold and just couldn't get warm. I thought I wasn't wearing enough clothes, but even after bundling up when returning to the hotel and getting under the covers to rest for a bit, I still couldn't get warm. And I wasn't getting hungry. Which is very unusual. Something was definitely up. So I decided to stay in and try to get some sleep. And that is what I did. I felt better in the morning, but not 100%. I made sure to eat some breakfast, mostly fruit since that went down easily. I really have no idea what I had. Seems like I caught some 12-hour flu. I was paranoid that I would be stuck in bed for a week. And just at the end of my trip. I was so happy that I got over it quickly. 

We spent our last day wandering around Cusco. We didn't do too much but check out a few markets and get food. 

Exploring Cusco markets.

Some of the food included this yummy papaya dessert. My appetite had returned. Good thing as I like eating too much. 

Payaya dessert.

As we walked around and throughout the day we noticed an increased police presence around the city. We learned it was because of protests for the upcoming Presidential election. From what I gathered the daughter of a previous President was the main focus. There were a variety of old newspaper articles from her father's presidential term taped up as a reminder of the corruption he was a part of. Who is now in prison. We had gotten the lowdown from our guides on the Lares trek, so were a bit more informed than we normally would have been. Unfortunately there is still a lot of support for Keiko. 

Reminders of the past.

Sally was headed back home and right before we went our separate ways, we came across the scheduled protest. We wanted to see what was going on, so we may have became a part of it. We were at the end of the parade, so we weren't holding anyone up with Sally's suitcase. Later on, when I went to find dinner, I saw more of the protest from the Plaza de Armas. It was definitely interesting to be present for such an important event. However, there has been no decision on who will be the next  President. The election was April 10th, but there will be a runoff in June. So only time will tell. 

Protesting Keiko.

We had a good couple of days in Cusco, but I was ready to move on and go somewhere else. I said goodbye to Sally and got myself on an overnight bus to Puno. I booked a tour for Lake Titicaca and was excited to see another part of Peru. 

Ollantaytambo

Sally and I went back to Ollantaytambo to explore a bit more. We liked what we saw a couple of days prior, so wanted to have more time there. We stopped at a few places, but ended up getting a room at the cute Picaflor Tambo Guesthouse. We accidentally chose one of the nicer places in town and didn't have to pay full price. Score. It being on one of the narrow, cobblestone streets, and across from the entrance to one of the hikes made it even better. 

Tiny streets of Ollantaytambo.

We didn't have much time to do anything in regards to hiking after we arrived but somehow managed to crash a party. We heard music coming from the Sexy Llama, yes Sexy Llama, and went upstairs to investigate. The name and music drew us in. We found a bunch of women dancing and they waved us over. We figured why not. So we spent a couple of hours dancing and drinking beer. It was really nice of the locals to invite us gringos in. We may have been in our hiking boots, but they also worked as dancing shoes. And my aunt got her wish to dance for her birthday.  Apparently they were celebrating choquekillka. However when I googled it to learn more, the dates seemed off. Maybe it was an early celebration? Nonetheless, we danced away until we got hungry for dinner.

Dancing with the locals.

It was time to try some more local food. Quinoa was obviously on the menu, but it was time to see what the big deal was about alpaca. So that is what we did. We got alpaca pizza and steak to fill us up for dinner. It was actually really tasty. As a meat eater, it wasn't so crazy different from other meats I've had. I thought I was going to eat llama in Peru, but instead it was alpaca. 

Alpaca.

We spent the following day hiking around town. After breakfast, we headed up the hill to explore the Inca Granaries of Pinkulluna. It was kind of steep, but before we knew it, we had gotten pretty far up. 

The Granaries.

We reached the Granaries in no time and took in the view of the town down below. We couldn't stop there though. So we hiked up some more. We hiked quite a ways up and probably would have kept going if we weren't short on time. 

Ollantaytambo down below.

After reaching the bottom, it was time to grab a pisco sour to quench our thirst. We snagged the balcony and had a good view of the plaza below. We could people watch in peace.

Aunt Sally with her pisco sour on the balcony.

We enjoyed our pisco sours as we waited for our lunch, which consisted of cuy (guinea pig). One more item to check off the list of What to Eat in Peru. Good thing my aunt is up for trying new things just like I am. Although we had to turn away one of them since it looked like there was hair on it still. I usually prefer my meat to be skinned of any feathers or hair. The cuy was ok but I liked the alpaca better. There wasn't enough meat on the bones. Maybe I needed a bigger guinea pig. 

Cuy.

After lunch, we headed to the Inca Fortress and Temple ruins. We spent a couple of hours wandering around the temple ruins. These ruins are famous, and now known to me, because the Incas successfully flooded out the Spanish back in 1536. It was a major victory at the time. It's still impressive how long they've lasted. 

More ruins.

After our day of exploring, it was time to head back to Cusco. We only had a short time in Ollantaytambo, but I'm glad we made the effort to see more of it, and not just as a passing town on the way to Machu Picchu. It would have been nice to see more of the surrounding area. But let's be honest, I was a little tired from hiking. Another time. 

Picturesque town.

Machu Picchu

When I started planning for my Around the World trip, most of my destinations were unplanned. However, Machu Picchu was on the list from the beginning and I was so thrilled when I finally got there. It was a great finale to the three days of walking up and down mountains, sleeping in a tent, and squatting to use the bathroom at various locations in the Sacred Valley. 

We woke up super early and made our way to the bus to take the windy road up the mountain. If I hadn't hiked the last 3 days, I totally would have hiked up to Machu Picchu. For once, I was glad to be on the bus. We totally lucked out with the weather during our trek, so it only seemed fitting that it was raining when we arrived at the top. Seriously. 

Soon there was the realization of a lost phone, so we all put on our rain gear and attempted to find the missing phone. No luck. However, since we had spent about 20 minutes handling that, the rain got out of it's system and we were ready to go see one of the wonders of the world. 

First sight of Machu Picchu.

And boy was it a wonder. The actual ruins of Machu Picchu are nothing extraordinary compared to other ruins. However, when you look around, you can see what makes it special. The mist and mountains are so beautiful. And the thought of building a city on this mountain is pretty unreal. I can see how the site went unknown for centuries. The Incas deserted the city a century after they built it when the Spanish invaded. Eventually it was an American that brought international attention to Machu Picchu. 

Our guide Yoel was still with us, and took us on a tour of the grounds. But before we started, we had to get one last shot of the Green Machine (with our new shirts).

We made it. 

The mist continued to move in and out, which made it even more stunning. 

Yes.

Joel took us on our guided tour to explore the ruins. We learned a bunch of stuff. Some of it stayed in my brain. Some did not. The lack of sleep from the previous week definitely caught up to me. I was pretty tired and at various points all I wanted to do was take a nap in the grass somewhere, just like the llamas.

Checking out the ruins.

But I powered through and continued to take in the scenery. Unfortunately we only had Yoel for a couple of hours, and after he concluded his tour, we said our goodbyes. 

We decided to leave the ruins, and take a bathroom and snack break. Afterwards, we were rejuvenated, and as a smaller group, we hiked up to the Sun Gate. This is where a lot of people conclude their trek to Machu Picchu. I can understand why this is so popular. I'm so glad we did what we did, and don't know what I didn't see. So this didn't bother me. Plus, we still got to see the view. Just from a different perspective. I have to say, the Incas were pretty tough though. Going up and down mountains on a regular basis is not easy. Especially at elevation. 

The Sun Gate.

We headed back out and took a break for lunch. We were allowed to go back into Machu Picchu 2 more times after the initial entrance. Without really planning it, we were pretty strategic with our exits. And knowing we had to go back up stairs again to get the main area helped. 

On our third trip in, we headed to the Inca Bridge. We thought we were going to be able to cross it, but no such luck. We are better for it. The hike to the bridge wasn't as strenuous at the hike up to the Sun Gate, but it was more terrifying. We walked single file and definitely as close to the wall as possible. If you fell over the edge, there would be damage. The hike was really beautiful, but I was happy when we got back to less treacherous paths. There was a reason why we had to sign in before embarking on the hike. I wonder how many people in history have fallen to their deaths. Or maybe I don't want to know. 

The Inca Bridge.

Before leaving, we took in Machu Picchu one last time. The view kept getting better and better as the day went on. And there were less people later in the day. I'm really happy I got to share this with these two. It was pretty amazing. 

Twin shot.

After our full day at Machu Picchu, we headed back down the mountain on the bus, and immediately grabbed a cervesa. We were so thirsty from the heat and all that hiking. I practically chugged mine. Also, it was time to properly celebrate Aunt Sally's 60th birthday.  

We found some wine and champagne at a local minimart. I thought about getting some good wine in Argentina to bring with me, but I don't think the porters would have been happy with my overweight duffle. So we had to settle for what Aguas Calientes had. Fortunately they had bubbly. There was no alcohol, but most of managed to put a dress in our duffle. So we all got dolled up (as best as we could) and went out to dinner. 

Dressed up for Sally's 60th.

We had a good night of dinner and drinks, but we were all pretty wiped out. So it ended up being an early night. Sally and I were going to stay an extra night, but decided to try to change our train tickets. So we headed to the train station the following morning. We successfully changed our tickets, but not without an additional fee. 

We spent what little time we had left wandering around Aquas Calientes. We also said our goodbyes to the rest of the group since we wouldn't be going back to Cusco with them. Oh, and of course we got ice cream before heading out. 

Aquas Calientes.

When we got on our train, we understood why the extra fee. Our ticket change resulted in a fancier train. It was all windows so we could see the surrounding mountains. Way better than the train we took up.

Fancy train ride.

While we were enjoying a beer and chatting with a couple from LA, all of a sudden a guy appeared in a crazy costume and danced around the train. I'm still not sure what they were celebrating, but it was entertaining. We also got a fashion show of various sheep and alpaca products. None that we bought of course. We may be on the fancy train, but we were not spending extra money on items that we could get in Cusco. Or not buy at all due to a budget. 

Celebrating something fun. 

The train ride went by so fast and all of a sudden Sally and I were back in Ollantaytambo. We had a couple of days to explore the cute town that we saw very briefly a couple of days prior.