Peru - Cusco & Machu Picchu
9 Days in Peru
From September 13 to September 21, 2019, we traveled to Cusco and Machu Picchu, Peru.
Friday, September 13, 2019
Day 1: Today we landed in Lima from Sao Paulo. Once we went through customs, we had to recheck in our bags and it was not very cheap. Chad bought some coca leaves and coca candy at the airport so we wouldn’t get sick with the altitude. People suggest you stay in Cusco a few days before actually starting the hike to Machu Picchu so you can get acclimated to the high altitude. We arrived in Cusco at around 5 in the evening and caught a taxi to Sonesta Hotel Cusco. It was a really nice hotel that wasn’t in the center of the all the hustle and bustle but still in walking distance. We got to our room and couldn’t check into our rooms because I forgot my phone in the taxi. Oops! Chad caught an Uber back to the airport and luckily my phone was still the taxi car! We checked in, dropped our bags off, and walked around the town. The town’s people were having a parade when I received an email from Kusa Treks saying that we were supposed to meet up with our guide for the following day. We headed to Kusa Treks headquarters and met our guide Edwar who talked to us about the following days plans and gave us a duffel bag to fill up for the porters to carry along our trek. After that, we ate at Chicha for dinner. The Peruvian food was very delicious. We had pork belly, octopus, raw alpaca, and ceviche. As we were heading back to our room, we bought some warm apparel along the way. Tomorrow would the start of the Machu Picchu hike!
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Day 2: in Peru
Day 1 of the Machu Picchu Trek
We checked out of our room early in the morning and left our luggage at the hotel. Edwar came to pick us up at about 5:30am and we picked up the other couple that were on the trek with us. We stopped in a small place to grab a quick breakfast, fill up our water camos, buy toilet paper, and whatever else we might need on the trek. We stopped in Ollantaytambo to pick up the porters, walked around a little, and then we were off! It was the beginning of a life changing moment! We were finally headed to Machu Picchu. The first day wasn’t that bad because most of the hiking was generally flat. We got to our camp site a little early and everything was set up for us already by our porters. We were able to relax a little before dinner time and look at hummingbirds and other types of birds only found in the Andes.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Day 3: in Peru
Day 2 of the Machu Picchu Trek
Today we woke up early and started our trek at around 7am. It was the hardest day of hiking. We had to hike 3 hours uphill in the morning, have lunch, then 2 more hours uphill to Dead Woman’s Pass, and then 2 hours downhill to our campsite. During lunch, I got altitude sick and ended up throwing up right after lunch. I had a hard time carrying my backpack after lunch and Elio, our other tour guide, ended up carrying my bag all the way to the campsite. There was a nice couple who gave me some Diamox for the altitude sickness and some nausea pills. I think we were the last people to make it uphill…but thankfully we did! Going downhill was easy for me but Chad’s knees were killing him. We go to the campsite right before the sunset but Chad wasn’t feeling so well. He didn’t end up eating dinner and just rested for the night. I tried to eat dinner but ended up getting sick again. I think the altitude got to both of us.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Day 4: of Peru
Day 3 of the Machu Picchu Trek
Today was a really long day. Most of the trek was downhill but my legs were so sore from the day before. We ended up being the last people to the campsite and made it just before the sunset once again. This day had the most historical sites that we visited. Everything was so beautiful and we got to see our first llama! In total, we probably hiked for almost 10 hours! This was the last night that the chefs for our tour made food for us. They even made us a cake! They were all super nice.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Day 5: of Peru
Day 4 of the Machu Picchu Trek
Today we woke up at 3:15am, ate a quick breakfast, and started hiking at 4am. We had to wait in line at a checkpoint until 5:30am…then we could finally start our hike to the Sun Gate. It normally takes about an hour and a half to hike but Chad and I booked it and made it up there in an hour. We were able to see the sunrise hit Machu Picchu and it was AMAZING. Although I didn’t show it, I was really excited. Before getting to Machu Picchu, Edwar showed us how to make an offering with coca leaves. It was a cool experience and it reminded us of home. We too give offerings and thank the mountains on Maui as part of our Hawaiian culture. Edwar gave us a tour around Machu Picchu and told us some history of the place. Chad and I went up to Waynapicchu, it’s another hill to hike and once at the top, you can see a different view of Machu Picchu. I was dying going up it since we were hiking the past 3 days. Once we finished visiting Waynapicchu, we had to catch a bus to Aguas Calientes. It took about 45 minutes waiting in line for the bus and then another 30 minutes for the bus ride. When we arrived at Aguas Calientes, we met up with Edwar to have our last meal together. Chad decided to eat cuy, also known as guinea pig, and it wasn’t too bad. After lunch, we caught a train ride back to Ollantaytambo and then a car from Kusa Treks bought us back to Cusco. It was a long and exhausting, but very exciting day.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Day 6: Today we were supposed to go on a hike to Humantay Lake but we were so tired from our trek that we cancelled it. We were able to relax, go to our hotel’s brunch, and walk around and explore Cusco. It was so nice. Cusco is such a beautiful place. We went to the mercado close to our hotel and bought a few things, including a duffel bag I love so much! Chad waned to go to San Pedro Market so we walked there. We stopped at another market before reaching San Pedro Market and it reminded us of the markets in the Philippines. San Pedro Market was so cool and so much fun. There were so many different things to buy. We bought some goodies to bring back for our families and friends. Chad ate some ceviche at the market, drank a smoothie, and we caught a taxi back to our hotel. In the evening, Chad wanted to go back to Plaza de Armas and take some pictures. We decided to grab dinner in the area and were treated with a nice view of the square.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Day 7: Today we woke up early to go to our tour of the Rainbow Mountain. The altitude was so high that I got sick…again. I had to use a little oxygen tank to help me breathe better. Chad had a great idea of getting a horse for both of us to ride to make it easier to go up the mountain. We made it to the base of the mountain much quicker than if we had walked. We hung out on the mountain a little while, ate some alpaca chicharon, and just took in all the beauty on that mountain. Since the tour took most of the day, we ate some tapas in our hotel, met up with Edwar for the last time, and relaxed in our hotel room.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Day 8: Today was the day I was most looking forward to after Machu Picchu. First we ate brunch at our hotel and then we visited an animal shelter. We had a driver take us to the shelter and met up with our tour guide, Albert, who showed us all the animals they take care of. The tour lasted only a couple hours but we had so much fun feeding the llama and alpaca. There were all kinds of animals that the shelter rescued such as condors, vicunas (similar to llamas and alpacas but will spit in your eye if you get too close), spectacled bears (the only bear native to South America), Peruvian hairless dogs, and more. We even got to see how the traditional tapestry is made and how they dye the colors of the yarn. After the animal shelter, our driver took us to see the Statue of Christ that overlooks Cusco and then to a restaurant I picked out for us to eat at. It was called Pachapapa. It was a nice place that, if you didn’t have reservations, you’d need to sit with other people from all over the world and mingle with them. We headed back to our hotel, got lost along the way, eventually found it, and rested until dinner. Chad wanted to check out this place called Los Perros for dinner. It was a cute little pub with boardgames.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Day 9: today we ate brunch at our hotel and checked out. Our flight from Cusco to Lima was around 9:45am. We landed in Lima at 11:15am. Our next flight to MIA wasn’t until 9:55pm. We paid to leave our luggage at the airport and explored Lima a little. We ate at this really nice restaurant called La Rosa Nautica that was suggested to us by a friend. It was on the ocean and served seafood. It wasn’t a cheap place to eat but we were lucky because the US dollar goes further in Peru. Our meal might have cost us $200-$300 if we ate in the US, but it was just over $100 in Peru. Chad wanted to check out the casino as well so we stopped at one before heading back tot he airport. Lima is really different compared to Cusco. It was more like a city and we preferred Cusco. Overall, it was an amazing trip and we’d definitely go back to Cusco someday and maybe even do a different hike to Machu Picchu!