Why Peru?
Visiting Peru was on my bucket list since 2019 when I heard a lot about the amazing country from one of my co-workers, Elise. Elise used to run her B&B in Cusco. Cusco is an ancient city in the Peruvian Andes, was once the capital of the Inca empire and is now home to many archaeological remains of the region. Cusco is also the major city to fly to visit Machu Picchu, one of the seven wonders of the world. I am also amazed at how vast the Amazonas are and how much of the forest is untouched by humans.
I was planning to go visit a shaman and do prolonged intermittent fasting in the Amazon rainforests next year when I turn 45, but I don’t think that’s happening. I am also equally curious to know more about Ayahuasca, a plant-based psychedelic that is very popular in this region. Though curious, I am not interested to try myself. I have seen people hallucinate, vomit in buckets and later feel like they found meaning, purpose and satisfaction with life. Thanks to YouTube for educating me, but no thanks. I am a bit scared to try Ayahuasca, as there are many fake shamans who might perform ceremonies with money-making as their prime motive. I also strongly believe one can seek peace, purpose and meaning in life through meditation and mindful living.
Booking flight
Skyscanner is the website introduced to me by Lenara, one of my friends who is an online booking expert to look for flight deals. I was able to book 2 round trip tickets from Vancouver to Lima (Aeromexico) for under $1600. I also booked Lima to Cuzco (Sky airlines) round trip for 2 people for $210.
November 3 (Thursday) – Took public transit to YVR, and reached the airport 3 hours before the scheduled departure to Mexico. Had the worst experience during check-in and security clearance. Looked like every department was short-staffed. we made it to the gate just in time. A few minutes late, we would have missed the flight and the fear of missing the flight made me run from the security clearance to the gate. After boarding the plane, I realized that my jacket went missing. Not sure if I missed it at the security check or dropped it while running towards the gate. My neighbour Viraj, who was working at that time at the airport checked for me but couldn’t find it. what a way to start the vacation hey…
November 4 (Friday) –
- Reached Mexico City airport early in the morning and had just enough time to board the flight to Lima.
- At Lima airport, we had 3 hours of transit and so we had a relaxing lunch/dinner at the food court at the Jorge Chavez International airport.
- We had roast chicken, sweet potato, corn, grilled chicken gizzards and the famous Inca cola. Inca cola remained me of a drink made locally in small towns in South India (Bovonto drink made by Kalimark). Surprisingly, the gizzards were very tasty. Planning to grill the same way the next time I buy gizzards here in Vancouver.
- At Cusco’s Alejandro Velasco Astute International Airport, we were greeted by our shuttle driver. He took us to El mariscal hotel for a fare of 20 soles. He was accompanied by his wife and daughter who were seated in the front next to him. Kayal tried to have a conversation with the family but with no Spanish, she was able to only get to know their names.
- We checked in at El Mariscal hotel and climbed two sets of stairs to get to our room. After dropping our bags, we went to the neighbourhood market and bought some fruits, kombucha and natural yogurt. I was told that having local yogurt the day you land on a foreign land will help your stomach get adjusted to the local food. We went back to our room and asked for a pedestal fan since the room only had a portable heater and we found the room warm. The front desk lady gave us a weird look and said no one ever asked for a fan and it gets really cold during the night. I jokingly said “We are from Canada”. The lady didn’t respond but probably would have thought that I was a weirdo.
- Cusco sits at 3,399 meters above sea level and we were warned about altitude sickness. Taking it easy for the first few days, drinking lots of cocoa tea and of course taking altitude sickness pills will help one to acclimatize. Flying from Vancouver ( 105 meters above sea level) straight to Cusco, we were totally fine and thought altitude sickness did not affect us. Just before going to bed, I googled to find that altitude sickness starts 6 -12 hours after you land in Cusco. Seriously guys? I was getting nervous…
Expenses in $CAD
- Nov 3 (Public Transit to the airport) – $6.05
- Nov 4 (food & drinks) – $48
- 2 nights stay at El Mariscal hotel, Cusco – $90 USD (120 CAD)
November 5 (Saturday)
I was nervous and got up with a severe headache. Felt like the worst hangover I ever experienced in my life and it was without consuming any alcohol. we had breakfast and the front desk lady gave us a Sample pill that helps to minimize altitude sickness. “Alti Vital” is a natural pill that helps you with altitude sickness. We went to Inca Explorer Viajes (the travel agency that I was communicating with from Canada ) to pay for our local trips. To our surprise, the agency was not open and I tried contacting Arthuro (the consultant of the travel agency), but no response. Without wasting much time, we went to a neighbouring agency and booked the same 2 tours and almost saved $250 CAD. Kayal & my coworker Mia suggested that I do not book online and go directly to any agency which will help me to save money. They were right.
After booking the tours, we went to few different places to exchange money. The best exchange (for the whole trip) I got was 2.8 soles for 1 Canadian and 3.9 soles for 1 American dollar. It was Kayal’s idea to buy some matching sweaters to wear at Machu Picchu and we were very glad that we purchased them. The pictures taken wearing those sweaters turned out to be great. We went to J Jonas restaurant in downtown Cuzco ( recommended by Mia ) and loved the food and the service. We had chicken soup, purple corn drink, trout ceviche, alpaca steak and deep-fried ice cream. While having lunch, our heads started to pound again and I ran to a nearby pharmacy to get more “Alti Vital” pills. Later, we went to “Plaza de Armas” to take some pictures but I told Kayal that I need to go back to the room since my headache was getting worse. on our way to the hotel, we changed one of our phones to a local sim card. 7 days of unlimited data for $10 US was a great deal compared to $14 Cad per day by our local Canadian provider (Koodo mobile).
we also stopped by a local market and got some fresh fruits and hesitatingly had some fresh juice made in front of us. I had green juice made with celery, lime and ginger and Kayal had mango & passion fruit juice medley. we requested the lady to use bottled water to make the juice but she said that she only uses boiled water. We shouldn’t have listened to her. We had an upset stomach later during the night and thank god, Kayal had some pills that saved us. At the hotel, I was unable to find my wallet and I started thinking that there was a girl who stood very close to me, might have pickpocketed my wallet. Soon, I found my wallet dug deep into one of the numerous bed sheets in my room. Felt bad for blaming the girl. went to bed 😴 early since we needed to be ready for our sacred valley tour the next day by 6.30 am.
Expenses in $CAD
- J Jonas Cocina fusion – 64
- Local SIM card- 14
- 2 sweaters – 32
- Photo taken with local people & lama – 7
- Sacred valley tour booking – 28.50
- Rainbow mountain tour in ATV – 93
- Fruits & Juices – 9.25
November 6 (Sunday)
Around 6.30 am, we got boxed breakfast from El Mariscal hotel and checked out. Someone took us by foot to Ruinas street and we waited for about 10 minutes until we got into our tour van. The tour guide Elizabeth was very active and spoke very basic English. The first stop at the sacred valley tour was at Chincero. The moment we got off the van, Kayal started vomiting. Elizabeth was kind enough to apply some medicinal liquid onto the face and stomach of Kayal. She also asked Kayal to inhale the same liquid which was apparently good for altitude and motion sickness. Chincero is located 30 km north of Cusco and has beautiful views of the Urubamba mountain range. It sits at 3762 meters above sea level, so is higher than Cusco. Chincero is also believed to be the birthplace of the rainbow. We visited the rainbow mountains on November 8, Tuesday. The terraces and aqueducts were built for farming and agricultural purposes. This fertile soil was used to cultivate potatoes, quinoa and fava beans.
Chincero is also known for its local weaving and we were taken to a local weaving store where we had a demonstration of how the weaving was done on a small scale. The weaver told us that all the dyes that they use are chemical-free and they only use colours extracted from plants and purple corn. Kayal ended up buying 1 sweater made from 100% alpaca wool and another one made of 50% alpaca wool. We bargained and paid 450 soles in total. Probably, we were the only ones in our tour group that bargained. I am happy about it.
We then visited Moray ruins which is about 50 km from Cusco. The deep bowl-shaped hollows of Moray look like a roman amphitheatre. They are circular in shape and have stair-like terraces climbing up to the valley floor above. The full purpose behind these concentric terraces isn’t fully known. However, it is widely believed that the ruins were once an agricultural laboratory used by the Incas. (www.theonlyperuguide.com)
The next stop was at Maras, a neighbouring town near Cusco known for the salt evaporation ponds. We reached there during mid-day and it was very very hot. Those salt evaporation ponds look like Santorini, Greece due to the all-white background. we quickly took some pictures and headed to a buffet restaurant for lunch. Kayal sat outside and just had some soup and tea for fear of vomiting again. I had a very light lunch since I was not feeling that great either and also didn’t feel like eating alone when Kayal was just resting outside the restaurant.
The next and final stop before taking the train to Machu Picchu base (Aquas Clients) was the sun temple at Ollantaytambo. I thanked Kayal for including this place in our itinerary. I really loved climbing up those stairs to view the sun temple. Though Kayal wanted to climb up the stairs, she was too tired and stayed mid-way and waited for me to come back to the base. One needs to climb around 200 steep steps to reach the top of the fortress and the view from the top is spectacular. That was our last stop before taking the train to Aquas Calientes. We bid farewell to our tour group & Elizabeth and did a short 10-minute walk to the railway station. we stored our bags in the luggage storage area and took just one handbag with us to the departure bay. We took the Inca rail and it took us a little less than 2 hours to reach the base of Machu Picchu.
At Aquas Calientes railway station, we were greeted by our hotel staff and it was a short 10-minute walk to the hotel “El Tambo Machu Picchu”. After checking in at the hotel, we went and got the bus tickets that will take us from Aquas Calientes to Machu Picchu. we were planning to take the bus around 5.30 am the following day. Next, we went to a restaurant named “Full House” and had chicken soup, trout ceviche in spicy sauce, chicken fried rice and guinea pig chicharron. I love pork rinds (Chicharron) and assumed guinea pig to be some sort of pork and was excited to try something new. when the food arrived, I realized my assumption was totally wrong. The guinea pig was actually a rodent that was deep-fried and overcooked (burnt). What a disaster! The food was average. We went back to our room and slept though there was a girl crying so loud next door. It was scary but we were too tired to investigate the situation.
Expenses in $CAD
- Entrance ticket to archaeological sites – 57
- Bus ticket to Machu Picchu – 66
- Dinner – 95
November 7 (Monday)
We got up at 4.30 am, took shower and went to the bus station around 5.30 am. There was a big line up but we were moved to the front of the line since they were looking for only a couple to finish filling the last two seats in the first bus. we skipped the line but got seated at the very end of the bus. The road was winding and the ride was bumpy. kayal survived the 30 minutes bus ride. Alternatively, people hike the mountain to reach the Machu Picchu citadel. It takes approximately 2 hours. when we planned the trip months earlier, we wanted to hike this mountain but with the altitude sickness and the plan to visit rainbow mountain the next day, we decided to take it easy.
We reached the citadel at 6 am and it was very foggy. we also took a tour guide and he had 3 people in the group. Kayal, myself and a girl from the Netherlands. Freddy introduced himself and we went to Machu Picchu. He was explaining a lot of things like how the Incas kept this place a secret from the Spanish invaders, this place was an accidental discovery by an American professor, how the dead bodies were mummified using the local plants and flowers…
We stopped by the place where everyone can take a selfie with the best view of Machu Picchu (MP) in the background. It was toffy and started to drizzle too. It got cold and we were worried that it might end up raining and the fog not clearing for pictures. Freddy was calm and asked us to patiently wait for about an hour or so and things will get better. He was right. After aroid 90 minutes, it started to brighten up, the rain stopped and the fog cleared. We chose to stay the night before at Aquas Calientes so that we can take one of the earlier buses to MP when the crowd is very less compared to around 10 am. Most people do a one-day trip from Cusco to MP and they don’t come to the citadel until 10 am.
Some of the information from Freddy about MP:
- There were approximately 1000 people living in MP. It was communal cooking.
- The place was divided into two areas with the sun temple in the middle. The area left to the sun temple belonged to nobles and aristocrats. The area right to the temple was for the working-class people. one can find the distinction in the way stones were arranged in the walls of the houses. The stones were intact and placed on top of each other without any mortar in the nobles’ houses. Mortar was used in the houses of the working class since the stones were not intact.
- No slavery and no currency were used. Work and tasks were shared among people (Communal work)
- Gold was only used as ornaments since it was considered Sun God’s blood. Cocoa leaves were used for trade and it was a barter system.
- Mummies were preserved in fetal position, kept intact by applying special oil extracted from plants and flowers.
- Inca’s sacred number is 3. One can see a lot of rock carvings with 3 steps. The sun temple has 3 windows. They also believed in three life stages- underground (snake), the present (puma) and life above ground (Condor). The king also had three basic rule- never lie, never steal and never be lazy.
- They never believed in reincarnation.
When the tour came to an end, we said bye to Freddy and the European girl. when we looked back, we saw a lots of people getting into MP. Glad that we decided to stay at Aquas Calientes the night before so that we can visit MP as early as possible. Aquas Calientes is also known as Machu Picchu Pablo. We returned to Aquas Calientes and had lunch (our first meal of the day) at Julien. We had coffee, Prawn cooked in Peruvian chilly sauce, Peruvian chilly chicken with rice, Pork chops (looked more like deep fried pork belly). The English menu description was a translation from the Spanish menu. Probably the right description was lost in translation.
Returned to our hotel (El Tambo Machu Picchu), grabbed our bags , took the Inca rail from Aquas Calientes to Ollantaytambo and bus to Cusco. At Cusco, it was a short walk from the bus stop to the Hawka Inca hostel. We checked in, went to plaza des armas, shared a pizza and came back to the hostel. We need to be up by 4 am tomorrow to go to the Rainbow mountain tour.
Expenses in CAD
- Freddy (Tour guide) – 40 USD = 55 CAD
- Lunch – 166 soles =60 CAD
- Dinner – 50 Soles=18 CAD
- Snacks – 20 soles =7 CAD
November 8 (Tuesday)
We got up at 3.45 a.m., grabbed the boxed breakfast from the front desk at the Hawka Inka hostel, and took the van to the Rainbow mountain tour at 5 a.m. We left so early just to avoid crowds at the top of the mountain since over 2000 people visit it every day. It’s a roughly 4-hour drive from Cusco on a gravel winding road and the road was only getting worse as we were reaching close to the base of the mountain. There are 2 ways to visit the mountain. Either one can hike from the base for 2 hours or take an ATV (Quad bike) that takes you to the destination in about 20 minutes. We chose to take the ATV since we were not fully acclimatized and Kayal was very sick. She even thought that she might need an ambulance to get back to Cusco.
The rainbow mountain was not known until 2015, though it existed there for centuries, covered under thick layers of Andean snow. Thanks to Global Warming! The first guided tour started in 2016. The vibrant colour of the mountain comes from large mineral deposits accumulated over a long period of time. This mountain stands at an impressive 5,200 meters above sea level, the same altitude as Everest base camp. It is recommended to go with an experienced tour guide and they carry oxygen tanks with them just in case … Stephanie, our tour guide was an experienced young Peruvian girl of Chinese origin. She sat next to me for almost the whole trip since Kayal took Stephanie’s seat in the front next to the driver. She was bi-lingual and explained everything in Spanish followed by English.
Our Itinerary for the day:
- Hostel pick up at 5 am
- 2 hours drive and breakfast stop for 30 minutes. Mediocre food
- Drove for another 90 minutes to the rainbow mountain base parking lot. The winding single-lane (for both sides) gravel road was very bad. Kayal thought it was not worth visiting the mountain with all the hardships.
- Take the quad bike to the top of the mountain and hike for 10 minutes to reach the viewpoint. Alternatively, you can also hike from the parking lot to the viewpoint. I had trouble learning to drive ATV. It felt like I am not getting the balance to drive safe. Every other member of my group left and I was still trying to figure out how to drive an ATV. Plan B- Kayal & myself sat behind regular bikes and we had individual drivers who took us to the top of the mountain. I was very glad that I chose to sit behind the bike since the road was too narrow & steep and I would have had real trouble maneuvering those rusty ATVs.
- Stayed at the mountain for 30 minutes. I tried to walk up the viewpoint and after a few steps, I felt very dizzy and just sat down. Did not bother to go any further as I thought I might faint. Took lots of pictures though and they all turned out to be great.
- Drove back for about 90 minutes to the same spot where we had breakfast. The lunch was okay. Nothing spectacular.
- Came back to Cusco around 4 pm.
It was an adventurous trip! Came back to the hostel, exhausted. Booked a shuttle for the next day from Lima airport to the hotel for 70 soles. Also, booked a taxi from Cusco hostel to the airport with some site seeing before heading to the airport for 100 soles.
Went to Plaza de armas, had coffee in a coffee shop and then went to an Indian restaurant for dinner. I liked the fennel tea more than the food. The grill platter was ok and both the main dishes almost tasted the same, probably they used the same sauce. Changed the local SIM card from my phone to Kayal’s since my phone’s battery was leaking. Came back to the hostel and slept.
Expenses in CAD
- Rainbow mountain entrance fee – 50 soles = $18
- Tip to Stephanie – 5 USD =$7
- Coffee shop – 20 Soles = $7
- Indian restaurant – 137 soles = $50
- Room rent for Hawka Inka hostel (2 nights) – 57 USD = $77
NOVEMBER 9 (Wednesday)
We checked out from Hawka Inka hostel at 7.30 am and initially planned to visit 2 places (Cristo Blanco & Sacsayhuaman) before heading to the airport to fly to Lima. In order to visit Sacsayhuaman, you need to buy tickets and we found it was economical to pay 70 soles per person and visit 4 historical sites(Puka Pukara, Q’enqo and Tambomachay). The taxi driver agreed to take us to all places for 40 soles extra and so we paid him 140 soles in total. We hired a local tour guide at the entrance of Sacsayhuaman for 40 soles. I treacly liked the way he sold himself to us. He said it was the lightning temple constructed by the Incas to worship the lightning God for more rain in order to avoid famine and grow crops. This temple was constructed in the shape of lightning but the Spanish invaders destroyed most of it.
The next stop was at a co-op store. The driver said that it’s an animal farm and the entrance is free. Another tourist trap! we went inside and a lady came and started explaining the different kinds of Alpaca that they raise in their co-op area and all the sweaters were made from the fiber (similar to natural silk and hangs off the body in locks that have a dreadlock appearance) of the animals. The lady said that sweaters made from Vicuna ( a particular type of Alpaca ) is very expensive and one of the most sought after fibres in the world. The average price of the sweaters is around $6000 USD. She also mentioned that there are strict government regulations to make the sweater and Vicuna can be only found in Peru.
We also made a brief visit to Puka Pukara (Military ruins). There were vendors selling books about these historical sites and it took my memories to my childhood days where in India it was common to see vendors trying to see you books and postcards in tourist destinations. we also visited Q’enqo (It was believed to be a place where sacrifices and mummification took place). The final stop was at Tambomachay. Its precise function is unknown, but it may have served as a ceremonial site, an Inca spa, or a military outpost – or perhaps a mixture of all three. The Tambomachay ruins are a group of stone structures, carved, formed by aqueducts, canals and waterfalls that are from wells and thermal springs nearby.
At the airport, sky airlines made us pay $36 US for one of my carry on. I booked the cheapest ticket which only allowed us to carry one personal item per person (laptop bag, purse, etc.) We had 2 personal items and 2 carry ons. I was not sad since we didn’t pay anything while flying from lima to Cusco and also we checked those bags in. At Lima airport, we had our shuttle waiting with my name written on a board. It was a 45 minutes drive from airport to Lima wari hotel which was located in the Baranco area. We checked in at the hotel and went to drop our clothes for laundry. it was a one day service and they charge by weight. After dropping the laundry, we went along to find a coffee shop. With much difficulty, we found one and a mediocre coffee. Stopped by a store and bought water bottle and a bottle of Spanish Rioja (marques de Riscal 2016) for 40 soles. It was a deal compared to Canadian standards. Went back to the room and freshened up. Talked to the front desk and decided to go for dinner at Tia Mario restaurant (street food in a restaurant set up). When we walked towards the restaurant, we realized that we were in the wrong direction earlier looking for shops. we found lots of restaurants, coffee shops, super markets and money exchange marts. It was also a short walk to the beach front but access to the beach was not easy to find.
Tia Mario was a busy place with lots of locals (good sign). Luckily,we got seated without much weight. We had a pitcher of Chicha Morada (purple corn drink), my new favourite. We also had two skewers of anticuchos ( usually beef hearts that are marinated and grilled. This dish is considered cheap street food. ) and very tasty pork chops. The portions were really big. Though we were full, we indulged in some Picarones ( Peruvian doughnuts). Its principle ingredients are squash and sweet potato. we even enjoyed the spice sauce that they gave us as per my request. It was spicy and tangy. we went back to the hotel and slept well.
Expenses in CAD
- Taxi from Hawka Inka hostel to Cusco airport – 140 soles = $50
- Tour guide at Sacsayhuaman – 40 soles = $14
- 2 tickets to historical sites – 140 soles = $50
- Baggage fee at Sky airlines – 36 USD = $49
- Taxi from Lima Airport to Lima Wari hotel – 70 soles = $25
- coffee shop – 20 soles = $7
- Wine and Water – 50 soles =$18
- Dinner at Tia Mario restaurant -110 soles = #39