I am so excited to be back traveling, and this time, the chosen place is Peru 🇵🇪! I’ll be doing the typical attractions, and my highlight will be the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu! I’ve given myself 3 days in Cusco to acclimate to the altitude, so hopefully I’ll be ready to face the challenges of hiking at elevation. 😅
I flew into Lima, and everything was going smoothly until I made a mistake that nobody ever wants to, and it’s quite an embarrassing one for a seasoned traveler 😅😂. After getting to my accommodations for the night, I spoke with the owner to arrange my transportation back to the airport the following morning for my flight to Cusco. Well, even after LOOKING at the flight, I confirmed with him that my flight was at 8:15am. The next morning, about 10 minutes before we were supposed to head to the airport, I realize this grave mistake, and know there will be no way I’m making the 6:45am flight I actually had. It was 6 when we left the guest house, and boarding had already started by the time I showed up at check-in, and I couldn’t get through. Womp womp. *Hangs head in shame* Lol. 😅🤣🙈
I was so shocked and embarrassed at myself, the only thing I could do was laugh it off. Like, who does that? Haha. If you know me, you know I double and triple check just about everything I do! Hehe. But I suppose I DID check. It was just that my brain somehow misread the information ever so confidently, lol. Oh well, what’s done is done, and now it’s time to problem solve and move on.
I was prepared to purchase another $100 ticket because I wanted to be sure I’d make the next flight to Cusco at 8:45am. I went through the process of buying a ticket, but it didn’t show any seats available, and I was slightly concerned it was full. So, I decided to wait until I was told to seek help, around 6:50am, when I officially would’ve missed the flight. The help desk was so speedy, and they just asked for my passport and 5 minutes later, I had a new boarding pass. No fees, no questions, no problems. Lol. Great! Thanks, LATAM! Off to security I go, with about half an hour to spare before I need to be at the gate.
I make use of that time by swinging into one of the lounges for a quick bathroom break and some breakfast snacks. Once it’s time to be in the gatehouse, I check with the gate agent that I hold a confirmed ticket and don’t need to do anything else. All set! Hooray! And before long, we boarded buses and were driven to our remote plane. I stow my big bag, and I see someone in my seat. I politely ask him what seat he has, as I think I have 10D. He looks at me and says, “Yeah, that seat over there. This one is F.” And he proceeded to explain the alphabet to me, as I sometimes do when working. OMG. Haha. Again! 😂🙈. Another dumb travel faux paux! I really must be tired, or maybe the hidden stress of missing the first flight is catching up to me, lol. So, I again laugh it off and take my aisle seat.
The flight is quick, about an hour, and when we get to Cusco, I have a taxi driver reserved through the hostel. It’s probably unnecessary, and I’ve yet to check to see how much I overpaid by…but, there is some peace of mind, especially when traveling solo, that I’ve got a recommended service waiting for me.
I had several hours before I could officially check in to the hostel, so I stow my luggage, and hit the town! I’m only a few blocks away from the main center, Plaza de Armas. I take a good loop around, and find a restaurant recommended to me by my backpacking buddies, Dana and Hayden. So I decided to have a good, healthy meal and orient myself a bit. The resturant was utterly spectacular! Hanz Craft Beer and Restaurant. It’s on the second floor of a building along the main square. The views were unbeatable, and the service was top notch! I felt like I was flying in Delta One….I was even give a hot towel! Hehe. I ordered the Salmon Ceviche and tried the cutest tasting flight I’ve ever seen of their beers. Of course I had to have one! Hehe. But, my focus is pure water while I try to acclimate as quick as I can for the Salkantay Trek. I was also served some hand crafted bread—cinnamon and quinoa flavored, paired with a quince jam, and when the check came, I was brought a tiny little mango dessert! Hehe. Amazing!
After lunch I walked to a look out point, and it did not disappoint! But, I’ll tell ya, the walk up was no picnic, lol. I know its just my first day here, but I’m still surprised how winded I get so quickly, hehe. Salkantay is going to be a beast! I walk around the San Blas neighborhood, and based on some google research, its sort of the hipster place to be. I wouldn’t mind walking around there again; lots of tiny streets with little cafes and such.
Next up was to officially check-in at the hostel and move my stuff from storage to my home for the next 3 nights. The room is cute! And there is only one other person in the room, score! I had about 45 minutes to spare before embarking on a free walking tour, so I decided to relax and write! Hehe. Gotta keep up with the writing or it gets overwhelming!
The free walking tour was easily one of the best I’ve been on, all thanks to our guide, Paul. He was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and included some fun stops to try the traditional Incan beer, chicha, and we tried very hard to eat roasted fava beans…we nearly cracked our teeth on them, lol. But we learned they have a high amount of calcium, and they were actually quite tasty and a fun little snack…so long as you let it soften in your mouth first, haha. We also stopped by a chocolate shop and tried all sorts of varieties of chocolate…so yummy! Hard to pass that up, hehe. Earlier we passed by an Incan wall that had a puma and serpent, and at one time, a condor, designed right into the placement of the gigantic stones. So cool! Near there we were given a small llama keychain, and as tacky and silly as it is, it was a really nice touch, as were the other freebies.
Some things I learned on the tour:
- There are 3,000 species of potato in Peru
- Some theories state the Inca reached as far as Polynesia
- Inca built with anti-seismic construction techniques
- Green stones were brought 64 km (40 miles) to build a temple in Cusco
- The original design of Cusco was in the shape of a puma
- The original Inca city lay 4 meters below the modern surface
- It took the Inca 8 days to reach Machu Picchu from Cusco
- The clocks have a mistake in Roman numerals, IIII instead of IV
There were only four women on the walking tour, and we all are traveling solo! The very last part of the tour concluded in the Pariwana Hostel, with a pisco sour mixing class, hehe. We all decided to join for that, and once everything was ready, we went behind the bar and were instructed step by step how to make the popular Peruvian drink. Well worth the 15 soles! Once we polished our off drinks, 3 of us decided to grab dinner together. We got a recommendation from the front desk, Sumaqcha Restaurant, and went on our way.
We all had alpaca meat! I love to try new things, and all I can say is that it was similar to a steak/red meat. Possibly a tad more “game-y” than beef, but honestly, it was hard for me to tell, lol. While we were enjoying our dinner and our conversation, we witnessed two tables order cuy, or guinea pig. It came out on a giant plate, all sprawled out as if it were alive and laying down, haha. Complete with a traditional Incan hat! Hahaha. I HAVE to go back there to try it and get my picture, lol. I wish I had ordered that to begin with. Next time.
Taking Off With Amelia 