Up early again for the day tour to Rainbow Moutnain! Wooohoo! Julia also reserved a spot for today with MPR, but as luck would have it, we were placed into 2 separate groups. Oh, well. It seemed strange we couldn’t switch around, but the guide didn’t seem to want us to. No worries, we’ll catch up with each other on top of the mountain…right? Haha. My group is apparently a Spanish-speaking group, and everyone is from Latin America, and then there is me. Haha. I’m excited to use my Spanish, as I haven’t been using it much the last several days. The guide keeps checking in with me, “Amelia, did you understand,” hehe, and I always say yes, but I think he doubts my abilities. 

We had a 2 hour drive to our breakfast spot, and then another 2 hour drive, this half, quite bumpy and raucous. I tried my best to sleep, but it is so hard on these types of roads, lol.  Our guide explains that we won’t have a ton of time up on the mountain, so he explains some of the history to us on the bus ride. The mountain was first “discovered” in 2014/2015 and had previously been covered by snow. But with the changing climate, the colors began to reveal themselves to those lucky enough to be in the vicinity. Since its discovery, it has quickly become the second most visited place in Peru, after Machu Picchu, of course. 

As we get closer to the entrance, the mountains on either side of us begin to show some color, deep burgundy red….

And soon, we are unpacking from the van and getting ready to climb the approximately 2km walk up to the viewpoint. Now, here I am, post-Salkantay, feeling pretty sturdy in my body and my lung capacity at altitude. But, this IS signicantly taller than where I was, so I wonder how I’ll do. 

I intended to add on a separate trail to the Red Valley to see more impressive colors, but I’d have to be quick to fit both in. I begin before the group and take off with a swift trot. I’m doing fine until I encounter the first good-size incline. Uffffff, this is tough, lol. But even on the walk up, we were greeted by wildly vibrant blue color along the trail, and we could begin to see the infamous colors of THE Rainbow Mountain. 

My pace slowed significantly, and with each passing horse and extraordinarily fit local asking if I’d like a horse, I began to consider it. Haha. But I refused. I came here to hike and challenge myself, and I would be caving in if I were to pay for the horse. So I carry on, dragging my feet, step by step, and after what felt like an eternity, but only 5 steps in reality, I’d need a break. 

I eventually am passed by someone on the tour, and he was struggling a bit as well. We end up encouraging each other to reach the top. 

When we finally make it, we get in line to take a picture at the first viewpoint area. The line is quite long, but I think we both weren’t ready for the final hike up to the highest point, lol. Our guide hurries us along, though, saying that we should go up first, and on the way down, there will be fewer people at the bottom viewpoint. Okkkaayy……here we go, lol.

Much to my surprise, I rocked this ascent. There were steps, and as much as I could say I hate steps, I now realize my body prefers them to a gradual inclined path. My quads must be built for this, whereas my poor calves can barely withstand the inclines, lol. I cruise up, barely affected by the altitude, or maybe it was my adrenaline pushing me forward, as I could see a giant wall of clouds moving in. 

Once we reach the top and look back at what should’ve been the beautiful Rainbow Mountain, we see it’s absolutely covered in clouds. Dang it! Haha. We were fortunate enough to see it at the bottom and to take photos, but I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t be disappointed if we didn’t get to see it again. 

We get in line to take a picture with the summit sign, and I can see some alpaca all dressed up and with sunglasses on, hehe. My friend Julia, who I haven’t been able to find, has been talking about getting a picture with the sun glass wearing alpaca, so I think to myself, “If I can’t get a photo of Rainbow Mountain, then I’ll do the cheesy photo with the alpaca.” My turn comes to take my summit photo, and we’re still signicantly socked in, lol. So, I head immediately to the fun alpaca. So worth it! Haha

Our guide instructs us to wait at the top, as the weather can change at any minute…kind of sounds like New England, haha. So we wait. Freezing cold, with a fierce wind blowing. Maybe this wind will blow the clouds away! 

After about half an hour or so, the excited cheers and yelps of people surrounding us alert us to the slowly revealing moutnain! Its happening! We’re going to get a great view! Hehe. We all watch in anticipation and start snapping a ridiculous number of photos, just in case the clouds decide to cover this beauty again. But it keeps getting clearer and clearer! Omg YES! Haha. 

Our guide turns into a photographer and helps us all get great shots with the Rainbow Mountain. I am so happy and grateful she revealed herself to us. Because I waited, however, I no longer had time to do the Red Valley part. I was disappointed, but I think I would’ve been more so if I had attempted Red Valley and missed Rainbow Mountain. I also heard from Julia afterwards that some guys on her tour did it and said it was really difficult. Hehe. Britt and Kim: I don’t know how you did it all! You are hiking beasts! Hehe. 

On the way back down, we were granted many more photo ops as the sun shining on the colors made them even more spectacular. I think by the time we were back at the van, I had taken roughly 300 photos, lol. 

On the way back, we stop at the same spot for lunch, and continue the second half of our drive to Cusco. It stated raining pretty heavily, and again, I tried to get comfy and sleepy, but I am no good at sleeping in vans, lol. So I began going through my photos and deleting the unnecessary ones. I still have some work to do, but I managed to get though a lot. 

As soon as they drop us off, I head straight to my hostel…I’m so cold! Hehe. But all my warm layers are buried in my daypack, so I just try to get back fast. I rest for a bit on the bed…bad choice….haha, and wait for Julia to return so we can grab dinner. 

I was so comfy and tired, I almost opted out of dinner, but I was hungry, and when Julia texted me, we decided on an Indian place not far from where we were staying. Okay, I can rally for that. The food was AMAZING! Maybe because we’ve been eating a lot of typical Peruvian food, especially on the hike, now, having something different was such a nice change of pace. 

We shared stories from our day trip that we meant to do together, but never found each other, lol. It was fun to hear a different perspective from the same exact tour. Overall, we both felt like it was a rather rushed day, not enough information as to the history of the mountain and surrounding area, but for $22, not a bad time. 

Back to the hostel I go, and watch a tiny bit of Netflix before passing out. Hehe

April 17th: Day after Salkantay

Today is all about relaxing, haha. I woke up and had breakfast at my hostel, which was way more than I had imagined. There was a small buffet table with fruits, bread, some cheese and deli meat, along with coffee and tea. I thought that was plenty, but THEN, a woman comes and asks if I’d like orange juice and how I’d like my eggs. EGGS? Hehe. After being on the trail, eggs became a delicacy mostly reserved for those with allergies. The rest of us were fed a sweet breakfast, usually with fruit and some sort of sweet pancake. I think one day we all got eggs, and we were tickled to our core, haha. It’s amazing what tiny little things we take for granted, but I love having the reminder. 

After breakfast, I walk over to the Machu Picchu Reservations (MPR) office to collect my duffel bag and pick up my survivor shirt! Hehe I’m so excited! I didn’t think we’d get a shirt, either, since this was the cheapest trip option out there. I can not speak for the other companies, but if you have doubts about the price, don’t! This trek was amazing, and I’d do it again with MPR. While I was in the office, I also resevered a spot on the Rainbow Mountain Tour for the next day. I had a really hard time deciding to do Rainbow Mountain or Palcoyo. Palcoyo is lesser known and hosts far fewer tourists than the infamous Rainbow Mountain. That was a huge plus for me, in addition to seeing 3 colorful mountains and a stone forest along the way. All in all, it seems that Palcoyo offers more, even a better view of the largest monuntain in Cusco, Ausangante, a glacial mountain. 

So why did I choose Rainbow Mountain? I think a big reason was the elevation. I enjoy challenging my body, and I thought the Salkantay Pass would be the tallest I’d ever been, but, as it turns out, Rainbow Mountain is taller by about 2,000 feet! Haha. That really had me going, lol. And I was considering doing both, but it would be back to back, and I’m not sure I’d arrive in time for my overnight bus on the second day. I’ll just have to save Palcoyo for my next trip to Peru, hehe. 

I drop my laundry off at the hotel and apologize for how bad it smells, lol. 5 days walking will do that, plus a wet swimsuit, haha. Gross! Then I head out to do a bit of shopping, some water, lotion, shampoo, etc. Once I’m all settled, I pack a bag and head out for the day. 

My first stop is the Inca Musuem. I heard great things about it, but it wasn’t included in my tourist ticket of Cusco. I was disappointed to learn that, but the entry was only 20 soles, so I decided to enter. It was also a good chance to shield myself from the midday sun for a bit. It was cute, but not as informative as I would’ve liked. My favorite realization was how many smaller communities/ethnic groups the Inca took over and incorporated into their empire. Most of the guides I’ve had seem to almost praise the Inca, especially when in relation to the Spanish invaders. However, the Inca were not so different when absorbing other peoples into their culture and cities, no? 

After the museum, I head to a recommended coffee spot, thanks Dana and Hayden! I didn’t get a balcony seat, but as luck would have it, shortly after I ordered a cappuccino, the people at one of the window seats left! I quickly and swiftly took over, hehe. 

I say there by the balcony, admiring the views of the Plaza de Armas and the cathedral, blogging about the Salkantay. Could life get any better? Hehe. After nearly 2 hours, I decided to say goodbye to my little creative and inspiring corner, and attempt to shop for a sweater. 

I’ve been wanting an alpaca sweater. Sorry, Dana, lol. As cheesy and touristy as it is, they’re so cute! I’m fine with a fake one, with just the design on it, but I’m also interested in finding one made of real alpaca. Lord, help me if I get one when it comes time to take care of it, haha. 

I must’ve entered every single store, with fake sweaters and supposedly real ones, and not a single one calls to me. I don’t want to buy one unless it’s “the one.” Haha. So, my search continues. 

I met up with my friend, Julia, from the trek, and we sat in the Plaza de Armas for a bit, and it’s so nice to just relax and people watch. It was too early for dinner, so we head over to a coffee shop to have a drink and a snack. On our way, we ran into some of our trail friends, and we have an impromptu gathering! We then send out the call to whoever is around come by and share one last moment together as the Sexy Donkeys! Hehe. It was just as magical as it sounds 🤗.

After everyone parted ways, Julia and I decided to go to her favorite vegetarian restaurant she had come across in Cusco. El Encuentro. The portions were astronomical in size, lol. I felt so bad not to finish, and having no fridge at my hostel, I didn’t feel I could take it to go. But, the food was delicious! After dinner, we said goodnight and went our separate ways. 

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April 19th: Cusco

(Post-Rainbow Mountain; blog to come soon)

I attempt to sleep in, but wake up around 7, lol. Now that I think about it though, I guess that IS sleeping in when my wake up has been around 4am every day so far, lol.

I take a lovely waterfall shower and start to get ready, packing as I go. I head down to breakfast with my iPad, and plan to sit here and finish catching up on my blogging drafts. I get pretty far, and after too many cups of coffee, I pack it up and head upstairs to organize my backpacks for the hotel check out. 

I check out of the hotel, leave my larger bag, and head into town for one last day in Cusco. So sad! There are so many other things I would’ve liked to do in addition to what I already did, but I suppose there is never enough time, is there? Hehe. 

The first place I went was Qoriqancha, a museum and an Incan temple that was converted into a church. I thought this was included on my tourist ticket, but it turns out, only the garden areas and a separate museum were. Slightly dissapointed, but I paid the entry fee and walked around the impressive building. Along the outskirts of the inner colonial courtyard were the remains of the former Inca temple. It was very neat to see them still intact, almost protesting for their place in modern society. 

This Inca temple was said to be one of the most important, and it was chornicaled by Spanish invaders. Famous for its golden adornments, all of which were stolen. While walking the grounds, I spotted a glorious hummingbird, eagerly feeding off the beautiful flowers in the garden, I’m surprised and delighted as to how many hummingbirds I’ve seen this trip. 

After touring the paid entry area, I walked over to the one that is actually included in my ticket. The museum was at least as good as the Inka Museum, albeit smaller, and I’d suggest doing the free one associated with the tourist ticket rather than going to the former. After the museum, you pop up in the open garden area, and there is nothing more to see here than what can be seen from the street…just an unobstructed photo opportunity, perhaps. 

I decided I’d look around for a massage…I’d been wanting one, but hadn’t fully committed. There are so many people on the streets offering them from as little as 20 soles, or around $5, but I was skeptical. Eventually my instincts told me to stop when this one woman was waving around her laminated sheet with the various options on it. I picked a full body massage, and paid about $30 for it. It was glorious. Much needed after the big hike, and after hauling around the daypack for so many days, hehe. 

I thought now it would be a good time for a little coffee break. I knew of a few places in the main square now, but I remembered a cute cafe I came across while aimlessly strolling before the trek. I thought I knew where I was going, but it became clear pretty quickly how wrong I was, when I hiked up a giant hill, and much to my surprise, this one didn’t have any cute alleys to take as a shortcut, lol. Oh well. At that point, I decided I would head down back to the main square. I find myself in the same cafe we had our Sexy Donkey reunion, and find a table by the window overlooking the square, and have a small snack of tamales and a beer! This place had some craft beer, and I decided that rather than a coffee, I’d try something a new brew. Delicious! And I sat here for quite some time, continuing to blog. 

It was getting close to the time I needed to head back to the hotel and grab my big bag and head to the Peru Hop bus station for the overnight journey to Arequipa. But, before I could leave Cusco, there was one more thing to check off my to-do list: eat “cuy,” or Guinea pig. I remembered the restaurant where they dress it all up, and I knew I had to go there. 

I walk in and I’m the only person there! The have basically closed after their lunch service, and I’m trying to eat at 3:15, lol. The gentleman that owns the place explained that, but said they’d take care of me. I mean, the door was open! Hehe. So I confidently order the guinea pig. It was so good! I didn’t really know what to expect, but it was seasoned nicely, and I almost hate to say it, but it was reminiscent of chicken, with white and dark meat. I thought it wouldn’t be a lot of food, but I underestimated that. I did pretty good, but there was plenty left once I’d had my fill. It was a tad expensive for a typical meal in Cusco, but it was worth it for my picture! Hehe. And to try something new….it didn’t seem right to leave without trying it. 

Just in time, I head back and grab my bag, and make my way towards the bus station. Not really sure what to expect, we end up on a single decker bus, with “semi-cama” seats, meaning they recline a good ways, but not fully. We were given blankets, which I didn’t expect, and I thought this may not be so bad afterall. Well, I was wrong, haha. There was a woman talking on her cell phone…I could tell she was trying to be quiet, but nobody else was making a peep, so it was quite obvious. And, I’m pretty sure she was painting her nails. Why? Why do people thing it’s okay to do that on public transit? I’ve seen it at least a handful of times on the plane. Let’s all agree not to do that, okay? Thanks. Haha. 

Then…..at some point overnight the heat got turned up to inferno mode. I was dying! Lol. My seat was by the window, and I guess right below is where the hot air was coming from. I tried to stuff the area with the extra layers I brought as pillows, but was too afraid to put my polyester puffer jacket in there, as I was sure it would burn, haha. I was miserable. Sweaty, sticking to my seat, and after looking around, it seemed everyone was knocked out, including the guide who accompanied us on the bus. I figured I could lean my arm agaisnt the cold window and make it through. 

Not sure how much sleep I got, I’m sure I got some, but dang, between the inferno and the bumpy ride, it definitely wasn’t enough, hehe. I’d find out later that my friend’s bus also had the heat cranked, and again, overhearing some people talking at the breakfast at the hostel, their bus was also hot. Why?? Whyyyyy??? Haha

We arrive to Arequipa around 5am and start dropping people off at their hostels. My hostel is located on a narrow street, so I need to get off the big bus and take a smaller “sprinter” bus the rest of the way. I get to the hostel, and there isn’t a room available yet, which was to be expected at 6 in the morning, lol. So I head up to the second floor and grab a hammock outside and realize just how beautiful this place is. I’m greeted by snow capped volcanoes straight ahead of me. Amazing! 

Stick around and find out what I did in Arequipa! 🙂

The next morning, we woke up before dawn to have breakfast at 4:30AM. It was a surprisingly solid meal including some eggs! … Which had become a rare delicacy the last few days; so many of our breakfasts were sugary and carb heavy, and not surprising since we needed the fuel to hike, but having eggs felt like such a treat! Hehe. It’s the small things in life 🤗.

As soon as we finish our breakfast, Julia and I decide to head out and begin our trek to Machu Picchu. It starts off easy, following the same road we walked up yesterday, but now we depend on our headlamps as it’s still pitch black outside. We make it to the first checkpoint, show our ticket and passport, and are ushered across a foot bridge towards the start of the trailhead. Here we go!

We climb for at least an hour and up a whopping 1,600 stairs! Haha. As if we hadn’t done enough walking and hiking already 😅🤣. But, that is the reason we are here, so why not finish strong? And tired. And sweaty. Lol.

It was no walk in the park. We went at our own pace, taking plenty of breaks and resting as needed; we’re so glad we decided to leave early. We weren’t pressed for time and could enjoy the arduous journey as best as possible. We were alone for a good chunk of the morning; I doubt too many others wanted to wake up even earlier than required, haha. But we did run into another couple of ladies huffing and puffing their way up. All of a sudden, we didn’t feel so out of shape or embarrassed by our snail pace, hehe.

Slowly, but steadily, we gradually ascended, step after step, until we could hear some flute music being played. We’re nearly there! Hehe. A man selling water and playing the flute began clapping for us as we rounded the final turn. We did it!!!!! OMG! Hehe. Sweatier than sweaty, but we arrived, huffing and puffing for breath, but we did it! 😁

We were early, so we made use of the restrooms, as there are none inside Machu Picchu. We were all set and ready to begin at 6:30, but apparently, some of our group was running late and caused a delay for all of us. We were a bit annoyed since we were so excited to get in, but when we did, none of that mattered, hehe. It’s Peru! Haha.

I had “circuit 1 or 2,” which includes the classic view of Machu Picchu, and I was with Julia and a few others from our group. We had a different guide, and he offered us serval generic descriptions of Machu Picchu, and I wish he offered more details, but it was great information overall. And to be fair, I’m not sure I could’ve retained any more facts and stories, hehe.

As we enter the archaeological site, we’re greeted by this classic view of an adorable alpaca and Machu Picchu in the background, hehe. We were trying to get ahead of the crowds, so it was a drive by picture opportunity, but well worth it!

Our first stop was a lookout point to see where the Inca Trail enters Machu Picchu. As we were talking about the immense network of trails, we saw a few weary hikers headed our way! I offered a, “Congrats! You made it,” but all I got in return were exhausted mumbles and furrowed brows, haha. I get it. I had been hiking for several days myself, but I guess we DID get to sleep in a bed and have a hot shower last night 😁🤣.

All of us, anxious to get to a viewpoint of Machu Picchu, hurriedly walk along the path, inching closer to the marvelous sight we know awaits us, just a bit further. The gasps of the group were audible and everyone immediately starts snapping pictures, although, our guide says there is a better view up ahead. We don’t care, hehe. We are setting our eyes on this magnificent site for the very first time.

We press onwards and find a space large enough for our group to gather, and our guide gave us some insights to Machu Picchu. We learned that the Spaniards never found it or even knew about it, and thats one reason they believe it’s in such good shape. Many of the “treasures,” are no longer there, as many artifacts went back to Yale with Hirham Bingham, who “discovered” it in 1911. I wish more artifacts would be repatriated back to where they came from…but that’s an entirely different rant, hehe.

There were so many opportunities to take photos, and we did not take those for granted! Hehe. Our guide was trying to move us along, but when you’ve made it this far, especially after hiking here, you take the extra moment to enjoy and let it all sink in.

It was simply magical being at Machu Picchu….the city has 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains, which the Inca considered sacred. I mean, after being up there, I don’t think you could visit and not feel a sacred, spiritual energy in that place. Absolutely stunning and awe-inspiring.

Apparently, Machu Picchu was abandoned in 1540, and nobody knows the exact reason why. Perhaps they knew the Spanish were here, and wanted to protect the city, so they left it, or perhaps they were concerned the Spaniards would come and the inhabitants chose to flee to the forest for safety.

Once we’d had our fill, we began the arduous downhill journey…. Our poor knees! Haha. I’d choose climbing up 1,600 stairs over going down 1,600 stairs any day! Haha. And by now, it was HOT outside. When I say we were drenched in our own sweat….it was literally falling off our bodies as we walked, haha. 🤣

We were totally beat after reaching the road, and we still had a bit of a walk ahead of us. We tried our best to shelter in the shade, but there wasn’t much to be found. We found a nice little lunch spot, Inka Tambo, and we decided we’d take a rest here. And what do we do? Climb more steps, as if we haven’t done enough already, haha, and sit on the second floor with a lovely little balcony view. We all chose the “menu del día,” which is essentially a 3 course meal, and there are options for each course. All for a whopping 25 soles, or $7, hehe.

More of our Sexy Donkey group joined us, and we spent one last meal together, reminiscing about the previous 5 days of struggles, joys, and utterly inspirstional views. We were so lucky with the weather and to have such a great group of people to share the moments with.

After lunch, we returned to the hostel to pick up the rest of our belongings and made our way to the train station. I was so excited to take the train! Hehe. I think everyone opted for this, as opposed to walking 3 hours back to Hidroélectrica to take a 6 hour bus to Cusco, haha. We’d done enough walking at this point, lol.

The train was beautiful! And it had cut-outs in the ceiling, so we all wondered what the upgraded “Vistadome” train had that we didn’t, hehe. Good call on choosing the cheap option, because our views were stunning! It began to rain, and we all were close to being lulled to sleep by the steady but sometimes rather jerky movements of the train.

Once in Ollyantaytambo, we found our van driver and piled in for a fast and furious ride back to Cusco. I think our driver had a date because he was overtaking just about everyone he could and nearly hitting animals along the way. Haha. I was in the back and missed most of the action, but I sure felt it, being thrown here and there, and everywhere, haha.

The walk to my new hostel was quite difficult, as it’s hidden down a little alleyway, and only has a tiny little sign, hehe. But man, oh man, is it a gem! They had put a hot water bottle between my sheets to warm up the bed! Hehe. Amazing!!! I mean, what sweet luxury is this after 5 days in the wilderness, haha. AND a waterfall style HOT shower! Omg. Haha. I have no regrets booking a private room after the hike. None, lol.

I skip dinner and just lay in bed relaxing, attempting to write, but realize there is no energy left, mental or physical. So, I begin a Netflix show and quickly fall asleep. Tomorrow will be a relaxing catch-up day, jusy hanging around Cusco.

Day 3 starts with more coca tea at our little huts… a girl could get used to this type of service! Lol. Fortunately, this campsite was very small, and our dining area was not up a large hill, hehe. After another wonderful breakfast, we began hiking.

The tricky part of today would be crossing landslides. Yes, you read that right; there were many landslides in the area, and the trail was actually off-limits, so we had to walk the road. Well, the road also had large landslides, which blocked our only way onwards. The scariest one was the second one we came upon. Our guide was our lookout, and he stared up to watch for any movement at all. The first person crossed without difficulty, but just a moment after the second person crossed, a rather large rock/small boulder came hurdling down. If he had been there seconds before, he many have been hit by it! After this, our guide changed his strategy, and rather than have us pass one at a time, he started yelling for us to go go go! Omg. Lol. So we RAN. When I say we booked it, we booked it, lol. Apparently, there was a man at the top who signaled to our guide that he was concerned more rocks were gonna slide down. Yikes! We passed close to each other’s heels, and the end of the “path” was extremely muddy, so we smashed into the puddles and it was tricky to move through without getting stuck. Now is NOT the time, haha. Fortunately, we all made it across with no other rock movement, but it certainly got our adrenaline going. Goooooooodmorning! 😅🤣 Hahah.

The rest of the journey to our campsite was pretty smooth, although we had to cross a few more landslides, some more recent than others. And only one other that was a little suspect. There was a small waterfall flowing down it, carrying with it small stones and sand. The guides did an excellent job at watching out for us and keeping us safe. Thank you, Machu Picchu Reservations!

Our campsite tonight would be in actual tents as opposed to the Andean Huts. We had some free time in the early afternoon, and we all decided to get comfy and enjoy the beautiful scenery of this place. There was a soccer field as well, and a rather competitive game broke out between the “Peruvians” and the “Gringos.” Hehe. It was quite fun to watch.

I made use of the free time to grab a beer and toilet paper from the little store, and as I’m walking towards the cheering section for the soccer game, I think to myself, “a beer in one hand, and a roll of toilet paper in the other… what more could I want?” Hahah. We also overhead someone shout, “toilet paper!” To which we all chuckled and instantly understood, lol. Hiking in the wilderness is a great reminder of the small pleasures in life, like toilet paper. Hehe.

Later on, we all chose to do the excursion to the Santa Teresa Hot Springs. Ohhhhh yeahhhh, haha. After 3 days of hiking, it was time to soak in a warm pool, hehe. On the way, we had a blast listening to some “old”music from around 2010, played by a young, quiet Dutch man, which was a surprise for all of us, hehe. We van-karaoked, and laughed hard as we were careening down the bumpy, windy road, being tossed to and fro.

The hot springs were lovely, and we soothed our sore muscles and enjoyed each other’s company, getting even closer as a group. After our time in the pools, we had a chance to grab a drink outside. I tried a passion fruit Pisco Sour, which is the popular cocktail to have in Peru. It was quite tasty, even if our table was crowded and the atmosphere chaotic, hehe. We were jammed into a small area, and it was difficult to move around at all, and to try and order a drink was even harder, lol.

Eventually, a big tray of “Inka Tequila” gets passed around, and one of the guides leads us in a big cheers in honor of what we’ve accomplished so far. Here we go! Haha. And with that shot, I could instantly feel my cheeks getting red and my body temperature rising, lol. And that’ll do, haha. We have our longest day ahead of us tomorrow, and we need to be ready, hehe.

Before bed, I try to charge my phone with my portable charger, and I get an error message I’ve never seen before: my phone was telling me the charging port was wet! Noooooooo! It wasn’t ever near the water at the hot springs, and I didn’t drop it or do anything that would accout for this issue. Dannnnng it! Well, I left it overnight, hoping by the morning, I’d be able to charge it. Nope! Uggggghhhh. I’m feeling so dejected and worried….I can’t believe my phone is gonna die before getting to Machu Picchu! It CAN’T happen! So I ask the kitchen staff for some dry rice, and they look at me like I have 3 heads, haha. I explain why I need it… but that morning was our last breakfast with the cooks, so maybe they really didn’t have any, but I found that hard to believe. Oh well. I try going to the little store, owned by the people who live here, and they have rice! OMG! Yesss! I got my half kilo of rice and immediately submerged my phone, lol. I just won’t take many pictures today, in case it can’t charge, that way I’ll have some juice left for the biggest day.

We begin hiking, and we have a total of 3 hours uphill, which sounds awful, but I tried to frame it in a positive light….we wouldn’t be at altitude, so it should be “easy.” Haha. Rigghhht. It’s so steep! And by the end of the day, we’ll have walked around 15 miles. Sigh. We’ll get thorugh, somehow, though! Haha.

Part of our ascent was along the ancient Inca Trail, complete with plenty of large steps. How did they do it? They were shorter in stature, and my 5’7’’ self had trouble propelling myself up some of the steps, lol. Despite having plenty of oxygen to breathe, it was extremely exhausting.

We make it to a place called Llaqtapata, an Incan building, with, get this, a view of Machu Picchu from across the valley! WHAT?! Hehehe. Again, upon seeing the cradle where the Incan city lies, the muscle soresness was instantly gone. Haha. It was impossible to make out much more than the mountain peaks and the terraces, but there it was! Hehe. I turned my phone on for some photos, and tried to charge it, and it worked! YAY!

My relief and joy was short-lived, though; the phone only charged for a moment before quitting on me again. Dammit! Back in the bag of rice, it goes, lol. My phone’s own purgatory. Haha.

We continue our descent, which will also be about a total of 3 hours. We quickly come to another excellent viewpoint of Machu Picchu, and we have a bit of a photo shoot, our spirits are raised, and we find ourselves ready to keep struggling with the downhill.

This downhill was, without doubt, the absolute worst, lol. It was extremely steep, very muddy, and it had those loose rocks, which made slipping an imminent danger, lol. Thank God for walking sticks! Some hikers refused them, but I have no shame and will never turn down a pair of hiking poles, lol. I like to think they make me look like a professional hiker, haha. Oh, and they’re VERY useful, hehe. 😅🤣.

Just when we thought we coudn’t go on anymore, we saw the bridge we needed to cross at the bottom of the mountain! Wooohooo! We made it! Another hiker, Brit, and I decided to run down in excitement, lol. It was adrenaline fueled and was exactly what we needed. We make it to the meeting point and wait for the rest of our “Sexy Donkeys” to arrive. It was a much needed and deserved break….our poor knees! Haha.

The next bit of hiking was mostly flat as we trudged on towards Hidroélectrica for lunch. We passed an absolutely stunning waterfall that immediately reminded me of the Steall Falls in Scotland. Very Harry Potter looking, hehe. And then, as we were walking, there were loads of butterflies everywhere! It almost felt like a butterfly tornado, hehe. One even landed on my backpack! What an amazing experience! Something to distract us from the now scorching direct sunlight, beaming down on us, lol.

We make it to the main road, and the moutains that surround Machu Picchu loom over us, and it’s intimidating to see just how tall and remote they are. Our guide pointed out what was left of the original Inca Trail, right across a giant rock face. How in the world?! It’s now impassable due to a landslide, but I just can’t imagine constructing the trail there.

We have a much needed, perhaps overdue lunch….it’s clear everyone is wiped out. Pink faces, sweat dripping down from everywhere, less conversations, and blister first aid treatments, lol. We were spent. We ate our food and at this point, we were given back our duffel bags, and were instructed to take out whatever we’d need for the rest of the trek, as our bags would be sent back by car the next day to Cusco. Normally, they’d be back the same day as us, but due to the many landslides, the journey back is a bit difficult, and so we had to adapt.

My daypack is now STUFFED. Lol. Luckily, it’s a flat walk after lunch, but another 3 hours worth of walking along the train tracks. It’s a fun walk, way more shade that I expected, and I’m grateful because I was getting quite burnt at this point. Along the way, we spotted some Inca terraces that were part of Machu Picchu, but this was at the bottom of the mountain and inaccessible to visitors. Cool!

The train tracks were sketchy in some places, crossing on the wooden ties, with gaps over a rushing stream of water. Better not misstep! Haha. And we passed by a construction site where they are rebuilding the tracks after what looked like a devastating flood destroyed an entire section. We were rerouted and crossed a bridge that had sandbags to step on. This sure feels safe, lol. Not to memtion their construction tape, bright red with a skull and cross bones, which absolutely inspired confidence in the structural integrity of the bridge, haha.

We make it off the train tracks, and now we’re on the main road in Aguas Calientes. Hooray! Only 30 more minutes to our hostel for the evening. But guess what. It’s uphill. Uggghh, haha. By now, we’re all more than ready to get there, so we hustle our way up the steep road.

Once in the hostel, we are grouped into our rooms for the night. I’d be rooming with Julia, Brit, and Kim, all of whom I’d spent the most time with during the past several days. Perfect roommates! We hurriedly get to our room and are so excited to sleep in a real bed! And have a hot shower! Hehe. We take turns showering but soon realize our room has zero ventilzation, no outside windows, no fan, no A/C. Lol. So it was quite humid in there. Gross. But, coming from 4 days of hiking, this was a 5 star hotel! Haha.

We head down for our last dinner as a group, and we have to turn in our hiking poles, as they’re not allowed inside Machu Picchu. Dang it! The hike up there will be….fun without out them, haha. Almost our entire table orders a Pisco Sour, haha. We’ve become so close in such a short amount of time, and we laugh about this and reminisce about the last few days together.

After dinner, our guide gives us a briefing for the following day. It’s quite chaotic, as the individuals in the group have different circuits, different entry times, and different train departures. There is so much information given that I can’t possibly retain it all, and my only hope is that it all works out, haha. Which it usually does.

My entry ticket to Machu Picchu was for 6am, but our guide told us we should meet up there by 6:30, and the plan on entering at 7am. On the ticket itself, in the small print, it says you only have a half-hour window to enter. Ummmm… I ask our guide for clarification, and his response is, “It’s Peru, it’ll be fine,” hahaha. My favorite quote of the entire trip. Hehe. He does this all the time, and I trust him. It’s supposedly a 1.5 hour hike up to the entry point. I plan to go with Julia, and as we had routinely brought up the rear of the group, so we planned to leave earlier.

Time to rest up for the big day tomorrow! Machu Picchu, here we come!!! 🤗🥰😁.

Day 4: Salkantay Begins!

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!! It’s finally here, the biggest highlight of my trip to Peru—The Salkantay Trek! 5 days of hiking, reaching an elevation of about 15,190 feet/4,630 meters, and ending with a journey to Machu Picchu! I am so thrilled to be doing this, although there is a certain level of self-doubt as to how well I’ll do, walking approximately 47 miles……hehe.

I arrive at the pick-up spot and quickly make friends with Julia from the Netherlands. We were one of the first people to arrive, but we ended up in the last row of the van on a bench seat. At first we thought, great! We’ll have extra room, but two more guides joined us, and it was quite “cozy” in the back, hehe. We managed just fine, although at one point, I thought I’d bite my tongue off, it was so bumpy back there, lol. 

We have a nice breakfast along the way, the excitement of the group beginning to materialize. With only one more stop before the trailhead, it was almost time to take our first steps of hundreds of thousands coming the next several days. Our next stop was our last chance to buy water, snacks, and plastic bags to keep our belongings dry, should the weather take a turn for the worse. One more hour to go!

As we continue our drive, the scenery is already fantastic; cotton ball clouds floating effortlessly between the mountain peaks, playing a coy game of hide and seek with the peaks, teasing us with the views they are shielding. The mountains we can see are stark and a lush green that reminds me of Jurassic Park. The road follows a huge, rushing muddy river below in the valley, and the remoteness of where we are sets in. 

The van rolls to a slow stop, and we can see many large white vans and even more horses and donkeys up ahead. This is it! We’re here! Ahhhh! We get out of the van, double-check we have everything we need for the day’s hike, and pack the rest into our duffel bags, which we’ll get once more at our camp site. We help each other apply copious amounts of sunscreen because the sun is HOT. Haha. It’s already burning our skin, and none of us want to carry a daypack on burnt shoulders. The elevation here is 12,834 feet/3,912 meters. Before we begin hiking, we get together as a group and are given a short briefing of what lay ahead of us today. We chose a group name after some suggestions were thrown around by our guide, and we landed on the quirky, “Sexy Donkeys”,” haha. It became our motto and our motivation in our most difficult moments. 

Our first hurdle is pretty much hiking straight up hill until we reach the Humantay Lagoon, an other-worldly turquoise lagoon at the base of a snow capped mountain. The hike was brutal, and the altitude was already prohibiting us from breathing well. This is gonna be a long day, let alone a long 5 days, haha. We encourage each other and finally make it to the lagoon, where it starts to sprinkle rain, and I worry we’re headed for some wet hiking and obstructed views. 

I hiked up to a viewpoint at the lagoon and was not disappointed…it was worth the extra steps and tough breathing. The lagoon looked like a watercolor painting, and not something I was seeing with my own eyes. It was magical! I suddenly forgot how difficult the hike up was, and simmered in the beauty of my surroundings, tickled by the fact that I was actually there. I have never seen a glacier until now, and it’s unreal! Its as if the glacier itself is a sculptor and is slowly carving out the lines and angles of the mountain it calls home. 

I know we have so much more to see, but I’d be happy to spend all day here, hehe. But soon enough, our fearless guide, Ronaldo, gathers us together to continue our journey to camp. The next section is all downhill, which we all wrongly think is a god-send. The trail was rocky, and the small boulders were difficult to get around and quite slippery. We enjoyed some great conversations on the way down, and before we knew it, we came to a resting place. With only a few short minutes to eat a snack and apply more sunscreen, we were on our way once more, the final stretch to our campsite. Which, of course, was uphill, lol. Here we go again! 

Although difficult, we now had a spectacular view of the Salkantay Mountain….OH. MY. GOD. It was amazing, and it was just the right motivation to get us the rest of the way. Our campsite sat at 13,122 feet/4,000 meters, and we could definitely feel the elevation here. The “best” part of this campsite was that our communal dining area was even further uphill than our Andean Huts….meaning we’d have to hike up and down for dinner and breakfast the following morning, which would be in the dark, AND with our daypack and duffel bags….Grrrrrrreeat. Lol. 

I suppose it was all expertly designed to acclimate us to the higher elevation, for which I am grateful now, but it was hell in the moment, haha. I did have a slight headache at camp, similar to what I experienced on my first day in Cusco, but nothing worse, which I was extremely grateful for. 

My new friend, Julia and I shared an Andean Hut together, and we’d continue to room together along the hike, and get to know each other quite well. She told me of a really interesting concept hostel that arose in the Netherlands, and their theme is “Seek Discomfort,” following the age old adage of going outside of your comfort zone brings you the most growth. The hostel invited solo travelers from around the world to get together and be social. I absolutely loved this concept, and even more, the motto. I will make an effort to incorporate that into my daily life… Thanks, Julia! 

In the morning, the cooks woke us up at our huts with a hot cup of coca tea, which gives energy and is extremely helpful when dealing with altitude. What a way to wake up! Hehe. We gathered our things, and trekked up the steep hill for breakfast. Today we’d be tackling the highest point on the entire trek; the Salkantay Pass. I was pretty nervous for hiking up there, and our guide offered horses for some of the group to take. I struggled a bit yesterday, but I came here to hike, and deep down, I knew I could do it. About half our group opted for horses, and the other half decided to hike. 

The hike itself wasn’t awful, it started off with some “Inca Flat,” or rolling hills, lol. This encouraged me greatly, as it wouldn’t be all uphill the entire time. We also crossed an even flatter area before the gnarly section began. There were two options, the classic switchback trail, nicknamed the “gringo killer,” lol, and the shortcut. Our guide told us to take the shortcut….and perhaps it was shorter, but it wasn’t any less steep, hahaha. 

I struggled quite a bit here, as well, and the more I progressed, the harder it was to breathe. But I found my pace and kept my motivation high, and continued on, even at a snails pace. By now, the rest of the hiking group was well ahead of me, but I persevered on my own and found peace in the solitude.

Before I knew it, I reached the summit and found my group, and when they saw me, they cheered for me and gave me high fives, hehe. The BEST! And, although it was pretty cloudy, we had an excellent view of the Salkantay peak…absolutely unreal! Hehe. I’ve never hiked so high, and it was exhilarating, to say the least. 

We enjoyed the views up top for a while, trying our best to shield ourselves from the cold wind. At this point, I had all my warm layers on and was still quite cold. I’m sure being wet from sweating so much was no help, but it was manageable. 

Soon again, we were on our way down; another 2 hours or so of downhill….brutal! Haha. The loose rocks were slippery, and our knees and ankles were in danger of being twisted or tweaked, so we walked mainly with our heads down, lol. The second we’d look up to enjoy the view, a “whoop” would escape, as your boot rolled sideways on a loose rock. Lol. But the views were amazing, as we descended the high alpine towards the cloud forest. There were colors of green and yellow, and meadows began appearing with horses grazing leisurely in the fields. 

We had a wonderful lunch, always so much food! I suppose we need it all for this amazing feat we’re undertaking, lol. Once everyone had their fill, we once again began hiking, more downhill. Haha. This part of the trail took us through the cloud forest, and we began to see more bugs, and it got steadily warmer and more humid. I spent some time talking with another guide, William, and he explained to me how hard it is to maintain a relationship with this job. He goes out once a week for 5 days, and his ex-wife couldn’t handle that much absence, so they split up. I am so grateful for the guides who make these treks possible, and learning about some of the difficulties made me appreciate them even more. I can’t imagine doing that once a week… I figured they did this every other week or so. 

FInally at our next campsite, we have hot showers and WiFi! Wooohoo! Hehe. I was honestly looking forward to a cold shower, since it was quite warm towards the end of our hike, but, the lines were so long, and by the time I had a chance to shower I was cooled off and opted for the hot shower, costing 10 soles, or around $2-$3. Worth it! 

Our Sexy Donkey group played a fun couple rounds of Uno, paired up, because we were so many. What a classic game to bring traveling, hehe. Thanks, Julia! We had a ton of laughs, and it felt like we were really starting to bond at this point. We knew each other’s quirks and personalities, and were making jokes with one another. 

After dinner, we all crashed hard in our Andean Huts, to complete day 2 of hiking. Tomorrow would be quite chill, and we have a fun activity planned! 

Day 3: Saqsaywaman, Q’enco, Temple of the Moon

I woke up at 6 today in order to make it to Saqsaywaman when it opened at 7. It was supposedly a 40-minute walk, but it felt like forever, and it probably took me closer to an hour, hehe. I began my journey and quickly realized I had my work cut out for me. Cusco sits at 11,152 feet/3,399 meters, and where I was headed was 12,139 feet/3,700 meters! Almost 1,000 feet in elevation gain. It was a gorgeous walk, and it was so early that there was no traffic, and only a few people walking dogs and running. 

The walking directions led you to the back entrance of the archaeological site, and those were the toughest stairs to conquer, lol. But I was wonderfully rewarded when I finally made it. I had my tourist ticket stamped, and the guard, Alex, noticed how much I was sweating..haha, thanks! 😅. We chatted for a minute, and he recommended muña (a Peruvian mint) for the altitude sickness. Which, I’m happy to say I am not feeling hardly at all now. I started with a pretty noticeable headache, but it never reached the painful throbbing level. The worst for me has just been getting winded really quickly, haha. Anyways, he spots a muña bush right next to one fo the Inca walls, and he walks me over there, and we go under the rope meant to keep people out, and he plucks a handful for me to have. I was so touched at his kindness, and this is a great example of why I love to travel. You just never know what you might experience or who you might meet. 

I continued on my way and realized just how large this place is! I couldn’t believe it! I walked this way and that way, trying to absorb it all, but I was clearly unable. It was really foggy, and the clouds gave the site a mystical feeling. Oh, and I was pretty much the only one there! Hehe. Go early and beat the crowds! 

I loved walking through these giant doorways, wondering what it was like in its heyday. 😍🤩

After spending longer than I anticipated here, I exited by the main entrance and soon realized the error of my ways. I had intended to walk from Saqsaywaman to Q’enco, and possibly visit a huge statue of Jesus, hoping for some great views. Well, the short way would’ve been to exit where I entered and cut across to the Jesus statue, then meander up the road to Q’enco. What did I do? Haha, oh, so much more…

I start by walking down the road to the point where I started the steep stairs into Saqsaywaman. I could’ve climbed again and done what I had intended….but…..because I’m me, I knew if I went into the San Blas neighbhood, I could see a colonial aqueduct that was built on a previous Inca version. So, off I go! Haha. It’s all part of the adventure! Hehe.

I saw the aqueduct and a famous street in the neighbhood, where the houses covered in hanging flower pots and the street with potted plants on both sides, Calle Siete Borreguitos. I’d say it was worth it…. always is! Hehe. But soon, I had to climb again…up to the road. So. Many. Stairs. I kind of wished I had counted, lol. I had one major mishap where I followed my google map directions up an enormous stair case, and nearly made it to the top, only to find out the rest of the way was closed off due to construction. Ugh. Back down I go! Only to walk a few staircases over and climb up all over again, haha. I was exhausted, to say the least, haha. 

And once I did make it to the top, my directions told me to go right. If I had gone left, I would’ve just followed the main road up to Q’enco. But I follow my directions and it leads me again, the back way, haha. And it was a VERY long and steep road. I actually walked half of it backwards, as it was easier on my body, lol. The locals must’ve really wondered what I was doing, haha. 🤪

Alas, I make it to Q’enco, an Inca religious/ceremonial site. One of the main attractions here is the Sacrifice Chamber, where it’s surmised the Inca used to make mummies and sacrifice some animals. It was pretty cool to walk in there, but after visiting the expansive Saqsaywaman, it paled in comparison.

After a short visit, I decided to walk about 15 minutes to a free site, the Temple of the Moon, which I had heard about from a man I ran into when leaving Saqsaywaman. He was very friendly and told me that he was a guide for Saqsaywaman, and as amazing as it is, there are other sites around Cusco that most tourists don’t know about. The Temple of the Moon was one of them, and he told me there was a stone with a relief image of decapitated monkeys. One idea as to the significance of this imagery was that perhaps the Inca knew humans descended from monkeys. I didn’t see these stones, but I did look it up on google afterward, and it looks like they are really there! I also saw photos of the inside as well, but it was roped off when I went, and as much as I would’ve liked to explore inside, I respect the preservation efforts. 

Much like Q’enco, I felt like there wasn’t much to see after Saqsaywaman, but I’m glad I went. 

That is, until I had to walk alllll the way back down to Cusco, haha. I kept telling myself I’d just grab a taxi, but it was all downhill, and I had already done the hard part, haha. So I kept on, but this time, I followed the main road, and actually was right near the entrance to the big white Jesus, so I figured I might as well go up and check it out, too, lol 😅.  The views were pretty spectacular, but there wasn’t much else to see besides the giant white Jesus, hehe.

When it came time to choose a staircase to climb down, I had some doubts, and I was worried I’d find the same one with construction. I finally decided on one, and as far as I could see, it was fine. Well. It wasn’t. 😆 Haha. Really?! I found the stupid construction again! Dang it! I was immediately filled with a sense of dread and regret for not taking a taxi, lol. Only one thing to do, though. Start climbing. *winces* 🥲.

I only climbed a few stairs and noticed a detour…it was less than safe looking, but I took my chances and went. There was a thin rail to keep us from falling of the quite high ledge this path was on, but I kept to the inside and made it to secure ground in just a few minutes. Thank GOD! Now I knew where I was and actually enjoyed the descent towards the main square, Plaza de Armas. 

I decided I would eat at Paddy’s Irish Pub, the highest Irish-owned pub in the world! A recommendation from a friend, and it did not disappoint! Thanks, Josie!! I was the only person there and got the only table right in front of the window that overlooked the main square. Yay! I ordered a burger and a beer and was planning on going through photos and catching up on text messages. But then, I notice a woman looking over, and I invite her to come and take a picture. She was grateful and asked if I minded if she and her boyfriend joined me, to which I said, of course! These are the kinds of encounters that make traveling so fun and interesting. You never know what the day has in store for you. They were Kathryn and Entienne, from Canada, and we shared some time together, talking about our Peru experiences, and then a guy walks over and asks us if we are willing to help with some promotional videos for the pub. Okay, sure! Haha. So he took a couple videos of us saying cheers, and now we might be viral on their Facebook page! Haha. Didn’t know I’d be an actress today. Lol 😆.

Soon, they went their own way, and a couple who had sat down next to us started talking to me, and they were visiting from London to see their daughter, who has been traveling since January. I just LOVE these random meetings and finding out about what other people are doing. And as if that wasn’t enough fun, I leave the English couple, and a woman grabs my attention, and says she’s a solo traveler and overhead some of my recommendations to the couple. I told her about the Sacred Valley Tour from yesterday and told her to book it, hehe. If only I could earn a commission! Lol! And shout out to another solo female traveler! Heck, yes! 

After all this excitement, it was time to slowly make my way back to the hostel. I wanted to look for the infamous, tacky, and touristy alpaca sweater. Sorry, Dana! 😅🤣.  I quickly realized the cheap ones are clearly NOT real, but I don’t care. For $10 or less, it’s a fun thing to have, lol. I did find one I LOVED, but it was also way too big. Dang it! Haha. So I went to every other store along the way to the hostel, looking for it, but to no avail. Maybe I’ll find it somewhere…or I may have to settle for something else, hehe. 

I run to the Salkantay pre-trip meeting at 7, have a quick dinner, and grab my clean laundry so I can properly pack for the big 5-day hike! I have to be at the meeting place at 4:45am, so I hope to sleep the best I can to be prepared! Let’s DO this! 😁

6:00 AM wake-up time for the all-day tour into the Sacred Valley! There are 5 major points of interest we’re about to tackle in a day’s work. Herrrrrreeee we go! Haha

Stop 1: Chinchero

Inhabited since before the Inca, but made famous by the Inca king Túpac Yupanqui, who decided to construct his home in this location. With the Spanish invasion, the most impressive Inca buildings were replaced with colonial churches. Many of the Inca temples were deconstructed, and their materials used to build churches or were built right on top of the foundations of the Inca temples themselves.

We were the first group to enter this beautiful space, and when we thought we had seen the most beautiful view, our guide encouraged us to keep going, and it got even better! If this is just the first stop, I’m positive this will be an incredible tour!

Stop 2: Moray

As we descend from Chinchero, I gaze out my window, watching the clouds hug the mountains, protecting their peaks from the reach of our cameras. There were a few times we were lucky enough to see a glacier peeping through the clouds! I can not imagine how drastic and rugged these mountains must look with no cloud coverage at all….absolutely breathtaking! 

Moray was an agricultural monument that was built into an already existing depression in the landscape. Made of concentric circular terraces, it burrows deep into the mountain, creating a series of microclimates along the way. The very bottom, the deepest terrace, could reach temperatures of 32 degrees Celsius, or 89 Fahrenheit! Amazing! This allowed the Inca to produce mountain, coastal, and tropical crops all in one place!

These terraces also had their very own irrigation system, most likely fed in the dry season by the glacial and snow runoff from the surrounding mountains. There is a smaller circular terraced site just off to the side of the larger Moray. The Inca made a practice model before committing to the larger and more extraordinarily impressive finale. 

Stop 3: Maras Salt Mines

This place was really impressive! We drove along the side of it and got incredible aerial views…it’s massive! The salt pools are only 12 cm deep, and there is a hot spring directly under it, which is necessary for the process of saturating the rock and evaporating the water, leaving behind the salt. The Inca used salt to preserve meat, to make mummies, and it was also used as a bank; salt could be traded for other commodities.

Before we actually arrived to the mine, we stopped by a store and sampled chocolate with the salt extracted from the mine. It was so good! I definitely caved and bought some chocolate and salt. Let me tell you, the smoked salt smells amazing! Maybe it’ll help deodorize my backpack, haha 🤣😅.

Stop 4: Ollyantaytambo

Now this, THIS, was my favorite of the day. We learned that the suffix, “tambo,” means “resting place.” Along the Incan Trail, there are many tambos made for the messengers who would run around 15 km a day, the “chasquis.” The chasquis would run relay-style with messages to different Inca cities. In this way, they were able to cover an unbelievable amount of land in a quick amount of time. According to an online source, “25 runners could cover 240 kilometers in one day.” (HTTPS://historia.National Geographic.com.es/a/chasquis-mensajeros-inca_15459). That’s approximately 150 miles! Wow! I just LOVE this! Just that alone has re-ignited my desire to be a strong runner and to one day conquer the marathon! Hehe 🏃‍♀️😁.

Back to Ollyantaytambo, this fortress was the last stop before beginning the road to Machu Picchu, and was constructed to protect the infamous site. This impressive site was still being built when the Spanish came, with evidence on some of the large stones with their hoisting points still intact. 

At the very top was going to be the Temple of the Sun, created with MASSIVE stones. Many of the Inca sites have these superhuman sized stones, and thinking about how many people it would take to move said stones (500!), let alone chisel them to perfection, is utterly mind-boggling. Absolutely incredible ingenuity!

Across the way from the fortress, there were visible structures on the opposite hill, very high up. Those were used as natural refrigerators! Ha! I love the Inca! They took advantage of the cool glacial breeze to keep their food storage cold…amazing!

Stop 5: Pisac

Phew! Finally, at the last stop of the day. This was a city for the average person and can be distinguished from the Inca Imperial buildings by the construction style. The Inca elite used the large boulders, perfectly cut and placed on top of one another without any kind of mortar, for temples and palaces. The average people used smaller stones and mud. The most impressive part of this site was the 150 terraces! Similar to Moray, they were able to create micro climates by changing the height of each terrace, allowing more or less cool air to reach each terrace.

Behind the terraces were moutains that were used as a cemetary. Mummies were placed in the fetal position and into circular holes in the mountain. In this way, the deceased were given back to “Pachamama,” or “Mother Earth,” and the cycle of life continued to rebirth and reincarnation. In Quechua, there isn’t a way to say goodbye, as the cosmology and philosophy suggest that life never ends, and instead a heartfelt “See you again” was said in place of “goodbye.”

This day tour was jam-packed, and it was all worth it! I only wish we could’ve seen more! Haha. Below is the tour I did, and I would highly recommend it. I looked around for other tours, but I couldn’t find one that included all of these places.

From Cusco: Sacred Valley & Maras Salt Mines Tour with Lunch

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.

Day 7: 

Today we’d be embracing yet another difficult hike…much less than Haleakalā, but a challenging, steep, 2-mile uphill incline. Hehe. But, before we do much, we stop by Maui Coffee Roasters for some coffee and some breakfast. We’ll need our energy for the Waihe’e Ridge hike. This hike boasts magical views of the ’Īao Valley, and the north shore coastline, and of course, the lovely volcano.

This trail has two parking lots, a higher and a lower overflow lot. We rolled the dice and went up to the top, only to see that it was to capacity. BUT! We noticed some people walking down, and we asked them if they were headed out, and they were! Wooohooo! So we waited a minute or two and quickly took over their parking spot. This saved us close to an extra mile of uphill walking! Thank you, gods! Haha.

The first part of the trail was not very cute, hehe. A super inclined cement walkway. Absolutely trash for already sore and tired legs, haha. But it was short, and once we got to the top of that mess, it was a natural trail for the rest of the hike. We started through a little pine forest that reminded us of any woody area in New England. And not for nothing, the shade was life-giving, hehe. 

We climb our way to the top of the 2-mile trail, taking many much needed breaks, often with a beautiful scenic overlook. 360 degree views from up here…we could see Haleakalā looming in the distance, with the low laying lands near the airport, we could see the cliffs and the ocean of the West Maui Mountains, and the absolutely magical ‘Īao Valley….looking like it was straight out of Jurassic Park. I think I had a silly grin on my face for the entirety of the hike, taking in all the amazing sights I was experiencing.

Once on top of the ridge, we had the picnic area to ourselves for a minute, and we rested our exhausted legs and took in the beauty. We were soon joined by a group of older women from Canada. They looked like they were having the time of their lives! Hehe. We exchanged pictures and got some insider tips from them, as one of them has a house on the island. They quickly headed back down the trail, mentioning how good an ice-cold Corona sounded, and Tony and I couldn’t help but agree, hehe. We would come across these women again, but they were hoofing it down the trail, much faster and nimbler than we were. I hope that I am able to do all those things at the age!

We finally make it to the end and back to our steaming hot car, lol. We decide we’re going to visit the ‘Īao Valley again and sit in the icy cool, healing waters of the river. Something like an ice-bath for our tired legs. Before we get there, we notice a cute roadside cafe on the edge of a coconut tree farm. We stopped in for some refreshments. 

Soon, we were in the river, holding our breath just to dip our feet and legs in….Brrrrrr that water was cold! Hehe. But it felt so good! The clouds were thick and rolling in, and without the heat of the sun, it was quite chilly all around. We didn’t stay too long. 

We went back to our little oasis to shower and relax for a bit before going out to karaoke with Christian and Paige. 

The karaoke spot was a fun little bar in Kihei called “Life’s A Beach.” Little did we know this would be a momentous night for Tony, as he was finally introduced to a Bloody Maria (Bloody Mary, but with tequila), and a Michelada (beer with something like a Bloody Mary mix in it). We had fun singing and cheering other people on, and soon, it was time to call it a night. 

Day 8:

Today was a lazy morning start…sleeping in felt amazing after our big hikes and a night out, hehe. We woke up, and our wonderful host had prepared us fresh squeezed orange juice, lattes, and a little toast breakfast: a hole in the wall. The middle of the toast was carved out and a fried egg in the middle, and the cutout was the shape of a dolphin, which was placed on top! What a cute idea! Hehe. We are so lucky 🙂

The first stop is always a coffee stop, hehe. I asked my friend, Jaimee, what her favorite coffee spot on the island was, and she recommended Akamai Coffee. I’d like to try as many different coffee places I can, and I hadn’t tried this one yet, so that was the plan. We found a cute little trailer cafe with no line, so we drove up, and I indulged in a honey lavender latte that was so tasty! Very different, but worth the try. Felt just right for a cloudy, slightly rainy day. 

Today we decided to go back to the Kihei area, since we really hadn’t explored that part of the island yet. We started off on Glass Beach, where it seemed like there would be tons of sea glass laying on the beach, but we didn’t find as much as we’d hoped. We did see a huge seal sunning herself…it was quite overcast, but I’m sure she felt warmer than in the water, hehe. 

After Glass Beach, we worked our way to the aquarium. Tony was really interested in going, and we were told that the whale 360 movie experience was worth it. Upon entering the aquarium, we realize it’s all outdoors! How cool is that? The larger exhibits with the biggest tanks were inside, but to get to one place to the next, we had to walk around outside, and I have to say, that was quite nifty. 

We make it to the whale show and are given 3D glasses, and it’s EPIC. The sound is loud enough to shake the seats we were sitting in. I had been wanting to do a whale cruise, but it didn’t work out, so this was a pretty cool alternative. I probably wouldn’t see the whales this close on the whale watch anyway. Hehe.

After the aquarium, we plugged in the address for the Maui Brewery….so excited! We have already sampled some of the beers at local restaurants, but there’s nothing like checking it out straight from the source, hehe. 

The brewery was large and open, a beautiful breeze blowing in, and we arrived just in time for happy hour! Wooohoo! Tony and I each ordered a flight and some snacks :). The food was delicious and the beer was tasty! Between the two of us, we almost sampled all the beers they had on tap, haha. Flights are the way to go! Tony finished up with a rootbeer float that looked yummy, well, if you like root beer (not me!), hehe.

After our yummy dinner, we decided to check out the sunset on a beach recommended to us by our server. The waves here were pretty big, but not as chaotic as Secret Beach. We took the boogie board out and had so much fun riding the waves back to shore. I’ve never done this, besides the more standard and less efficient body surfing, lol. It was quite the thrill, speeding along with the wave. I had a couple of really good runs and plenty of not so great ones, haha. As the sun was setting, I was constantly on the lookout for a whale sighting. I was in the water, trying to catch my last good wave, and just along the horizon, I spotted a whale breach! It was picture-perfect with the golden light of the sunset reflecting on the water. How lucky am I?

What a beautiful end to another lovely day in Maui. Before driving back to our little oasis, we decided to have a drink at the Mexican restaurant across the street to wait out the traffic. The bartender here made one mean and spicy michelada! So yummy!

Day 9:

Today we would be tackling the infamous Road to Hana. The whole road is about 64 miles long, has 59 bridges, the majority are single lane, and over 600 curves! It’s quite the adventure just to drive it, but the beauty of the road is found in all the places to stop along the way to checkout waterfalls and beaches! There are some sites that require an entry fee, but I’m proud to say that we managed to avoid those and still saw everything we wanted! Hehe.

We passed so many waterfalls along the road, but many were dry! Or, at least, it looked like it would’ve been a rushing river or waterfall, had there been any water, hehe. We didn’t get out of the car, but did the best we could with drive-by photos. Many of the waterfalls that did have water required parking along the narrow road, and honestly, after our bamboo hike, none of these waterfalls compared, hehe. So we were just as happy seeing them and continuing on our way. 

One really cool spot we found had several lava tubes along the side of the road. There is one big one right before you enter Hana, but you have to pay to go in. I did some research and found a GPS coordinate for a free lava tube! Hooorah! We stopped, and the first one we identified, we were able to walk into, but there wasn’t much there; just a little cave. Then, as we were headed back to the car, Tony spotted another opening that looked like a lava tube entrance. We check that one out too, and before I know it, Tony is out of sight in the back of this amazing tunnel. He continues to explore and sees light! I follow behind him as quickly as I can without tripping over the coarse lava rock, ducking to avoid hitting my head. I was successful for a little bit, but then *bump.* Ouch! Haha, I knocked the top of my head on the same spot Tony did, just seconds earlier, lol. Thanks for the warning, babe! 🤪

Inside a freaking lava tube! 😍🤩🌋

Minor injury was worth it, as we saw a huge opening in the tube with long tree roots covering the entry. It was magical and otherworldly and every bit free! Hehe. I highly recommend the stops off the beaten path to see something a bit more unique, and for staying more budget friendly. 

We stopped by Aunt Sandy’s Banana Bread, almost at the halfway point. Banana bread is quite popular, and quite the delicious snack on Maui. The little peninsula where this place is located is quite beautiful and worth stopping for some pictures.

Our favorite stop of the day was easily the Red Sand Beach, in Hana. We had some trouble finding the right trail, or at least, I did 😅, haha. But once we found it, it was a quick walk through a fairly treacherous path along a cliff of crumbling lava rock. But soon enough, the mystical red sand beach lay before our eyes. It was stunning, to say the very least. If you come for nothing else, this beach is worth the long drive…I’ve never seen anything like it! We explored the secluded beach and marveled at the color of the sand, the natural wall protecting the little inlet, and some wonderfully turquoise water off to the side. The best part was there were only 3 or 4 groups of people here! Nice! 🙂

Once we reached Hana, we realized there really wasn’t much to do; I thought there’d be a little downtown shopping area, or some restaurants, but there was hardly anything! Hehe. One little market and several food truck options for food, but no big restaurants that I could see. I was interested in going a bit further past Hana to see a few more points of interest, but honestly, after the Red Sand Beach, I felt so fulfilled and convinced we wouldn’t see anything better, so we began driving back.

On the way back to the busier area of the island, we stopped at a free black sand beach. The popular one to visit along the road is in the Wai’ānapanapa State Park, which requires an entry and parking fee, and it’s a timed slot. By the looks of the pictures online, I’m sure its worth it, but it seems to be a top spot, and easily busy and crowded. We found another black sand beach that we could drive down to, in the Honomanu Bay Area. We started by walking down the road, thinking the quality of the road may be less than we were willing to risk in the car we were borrowing, hehe. But, not even 3 minutes into the walk down, a couple of locals stopped us and advised us to drive, since it was quite the walk down. They assured us the car would make it just fine, and we trusted them, said our Mahalos, and walked back up to our car.

A short drive down, and the beach was right in front of us. It wasn’t as black as we were hoping, but it was certainly dark sand, especially where the water was reaching. It did remind me of the black sand beaches in El Salvador, and my memory doesn’t do me justice, as I can’t recall if the sands were darker or not there. Hehe, guess I’ll have to plan a trip back there ASAP. After a few minutes enjoying the sand and skipping some rocks, we jumped back in the car and continued our return journey.

As we got closer to familiar territory, we passed by the entrance to the bamboo waterfall hike we did earlier in the week, and it was all closed off, and there were people sitting under a big tent to send people away who may have planned on going. Weird! We slowed down, and Tony asked why it was closed, and the response we got was simply because it was on private land and there were too many incidents. Huh! Later on we asked his friends their thoughts on the situation, and they filled us in on a little tradition some locals take upon themselves to thwart tourists from visiting certain places. Whether or not this was what was taking place (the set up looked pretty professional and legit, and was spotted twice along the road), it was still a bummer to see such a beautiful trail blocked off. Glad we did it when we did! 

We passed through Paia and Tony committed to purchasing a beautiful Maui hook he had his eyes on since we first walked by it at the beginning of the week. So beautiful! I picked up a lovely ring I saw and couldn’t resist…I’ll think of Maui every time I wear it! We snagged some gelato for a quick afternoon pick-me-up, and headed back to the car.  

We ventured to Secret Beach, where Tony once again tried to boogie board….except this time, he wasn’t as successful as the first, hehe. These waves were more wild and breaking closer to shore, making it much more difficult to secure a good ride. Womp Womp. A for effort, though!

After tiring out from the beach, we snagged some late lunch/early dinner at Tobi’s Poke….one of our best decisions yet! It was so tasty! After dinner we popped over for a couple of drinks at one of our favorite spots to finish out a most glorious day. 

Day 10:

Good morning, Maui! Today we’re set to hang with Christian and Paige again, doing one of Tony’s favorite things: disc golfing! Woohoo! Annnnnnd, the course is on the side of the volcano! How cool is that? Makes me wonder how many disc golf courses exist on the slopes of dormant or otherwise volcanoes. 

First stop was a cute little farmers market, where we’d be meeting up with Tony’s friends. We beat them there, and I got a coffee… are we surprised? Lol. I also ventured around the different vendors and bought myself a coconut to sip on, and later snack on :D. I LOVE some fresh coconut water! We did another lap around the market when Christian and Paige got there, and soon we were caravanning towards the disc golf course. Apparently there aren’t really directions on google maps, and its a tricky spot to find, nestled among the trees and trails. Fun!

We arrive and it’s COLD! Hehe. I knew I’d get hot from disc golfing, and being in the sun, but starting off was quite frigid. I risked not taking a jacket, and I was happy with that decision just a few moments later when we emerged from the shaded practice basket and into the blazing sun. Aaron, a friend of Christian and Paige had a bag full of discs, and let us choose our weapons for the afternoon. He misheard my name, and called me “Yellow,” so naturally, I chose a yellow disk, lol. It was meant to be! 

Right off the bat, the course is difficult, with us hurdling our discs across the road, and up an open field with the basket out of site. Okkkay, guess we’ll just send it as far as we can and hope for the best! Haha. We all threw and took multiple attempts and eventually found the basket. Almost lost a disc or two in the trees…hehe. That’s how you know its gonna be a great run. 

We meander through the course, easily the most difficult course I’ve ever been to, and tons of fun! We took a snack break with a view to die for: We could see the West Maui Mountains straight ahead of us, and both the North and the South Shores. So neat! Soon enough we were ready for more and continued on. The course was a ful 18 holes, but we opted to cut it short as the hunger pains kept growing in our empty stomachs. 

We head to a little resturant called the Kula Bistro, and the food was AMAZING! And they had some killer deserts all lined up and tempting us from the display cases. One for frozen options, and the other for your standard refrigerated ones. We eagerly await our meals and as soon as the sustenance hits our lips, we are satisfied happy campers. After our lunch, we said goodbye to our new friend Aaron, and thanked him for letting us use his discs. Thankfully, none were lost! Woohoo! And we all parted ways. 

Tony and I had grand plans of going back to the Maui Brewery, so we also said goodbye to Paige and Christian for the night, as they had some things to take care of at home. We decided to go to our little home first, to freshen up before going out again, and we got a little too comfy resting on the bed. We pushed ourselves to get up and out, but opted for trying someplace closer than the 40 minute drive to the brewery. I was on the hunt for a more local, unique bar we could grab a celebratory drink for the end of our trip. 

I found one, and when we arrived, we noticed a sign on the door announcing it was closed to the public for a private event. Bummer! Right next door was a place called BB’s. We tried our luck there and went in. Looked pretty shady from the outside, and inside was equally, if not more so, hehe. We take a seat at the bar, the place was empty with the exception of one table of people. We asked for cocktails, and the bartender said he doens’t do that….with a bar full of alochol behind him. Hmmm…okay….I guess we’ll leave, then! Lol. The bartender suggested another place next door, Ray’s Deli. Deli? Ummm…okay, I mean we’re here, so lets give it a go, haha. The door says its karaoke, and we walk in, and are again greeted with a divey bar, but this place at least had a few more people around. We sit at the bar and this time we don’t chance a cocktail and instead opt for a beer. Meanwhile, Tony is looking up other places, since, clearly, my research has not led us anywhere intersting. Or maybe more intersting that we were hoping for? Haha. 

Tony finds a Mexican place along the way back to where we were staying. You can never go wrong with Mexican, right? On our way, we see some sirens and some traffic forming ahead of us. What’s going on? We begin staring ahead, and we notice fire! From where we were, I thought it was a flame thrower, lol. Big streaks of fire shooting up towards the sky. Tony thought maybe a car had run off the road and caught on fire. As we get closer, we realize its a brush fire! Oh no! After the devastation of Lahaina, we were concerned and sad to see that. Thankfully, though, we could see the fire trucks already on their way.

We make it to Fernando’s, the Mexican resturant, and walk in, and again. Dead as can be. Lol. What the heck?! Haha, destined to have a rather lame last night, but thats okay, we had quite an amazing trip overall. We had some fun drinks, a margarita and a Bloody Mary and feeling just slightly defeated for the evening, headed back to our little room.

Day 11:

Our last day on the island! Wahhhh! Haha. We woke up to tangerine juice and lattes. One last morning pampering before leaving the island. How perfect! Hehe. Today would be a pretty relaxed day; we were headed to the Ka’anapali Coast to watch Paige climb a coconut tree. She was doing this as a part of a small demonstration day for the children living on the resort who were displaced by the Lahaina fires. I didn’t catch his name or what he does, but some guy pays to have ponies brought once a month, and tries to get another “act” to give the kids something to do, take their minds off everything they’ve been through, and hopefully to inspire them in ways they can make a living in the future. I was really impressed, and thought it was a really cool idea.

So, we make the hour drive over there, and we do pass by Lahaina. They’ve blocked off the entry roads to drive through the town, but even along the bypass road, you could see the scorched land and melted elevator shafts remaining. We found it odd that in some places, there was clear and utter devastation, but there would be one apparently perfectly fine house. Seems like the fire jumped around a bit. 

We learned that the fire was likely started because of power lines, and based on what Tony had seen, they are quite dated, and it makes sense. Then of course, the hurricane force winds blew that fire all over the place, destroying homes and taking lives in an instant. Now Lahaina is in the process of a long and tense clean up. I saw a news article just recently saying they’ve found a permanent site for debris removal, but while we were in Maui, it seemed like a heated debate among the island. Everything is shipped in and out, and the same could be the case for the debris, but then, who will pay for it? So many questions and logistics…it’ll be a years long process before anything rebuilds again. Lahaina Strong!

Onto a lighter topic, back on the resort, the scenery and views reminded me of my layovers to the island. What I was seeing now were the images I had in my head of Maui. A mixture of turquoise and deeper blue waters, a fairly large beach area, and beautifully landscaped trees dotting the resort boundaries. It was beautiful, for sure. While we were hanging out, Paige told us to keep our eye out towards the water, as there had been some whale sightings! Yay! Hehe. 

After hearing that, my eyes were glued to the water, in the hopes of catching a whale breaching, or even a tail coming down into the water. At first, my chances seemed bleak, but then I began noticing splashes that couldn’t possible be the waves breaking, and I knew it was from the whales! Hehe. Now if only they were closer. Oh wait! My camera has a mega zoom, maybe I can use that like binoculars! Bingo! Haha. 

With my zoom turned up, we could easily make out the whale tails and see through the splashes. And we ended up seeing so many! We saw the spray from their blowholes as well! It was amazing! By the end of the day morning, we had seen 2 or 3 breaches as well! We weren’t lucky enough to snag those on camera, but it was remarkable to see with our own eyes. 

Soon we headed to a restaurant called Castaway Cafe for lunch. Tony and I ordered drinks and food right away as we were quite hungry, lol. Paige and Christian would be joining us, but they had some things to take care of before. We had a nice view of the water again, and were sneaking peaks to catch some whales, hehe. We had completely finished our meals by the time Paige and Christian came, and they brought a friend! The more the merrier! We enjoyed the company, the food, the drinks, and soon it was time to part ways. 

But not before Tony caught a fabulous breach as he was walking back from the bathroom. I turned and caught a bit of it, but everyone in the restuarant was ooohing and aahhhing, hehe. So cool! And what a way to wrap up our trip in Maui. 

Tony and took the car and did a car wash and a quick wipe down, and met up with Paige and Christian at their house. We had talked about going into the ‘Īao Valley for a dip in the river, but it was quite clouded over, and we opted not to go. We hung out at their house for a while, and we were serenaded by Christian, who can play the harp! No way! That was pretty neat! I learned a bit about how the harp works, and my nerdy self was super interested in that. 

As our departure time came closer and closer, we decided to go out for one last drink. We found a place on the way to the airport, and Christian came with us, to drive the car back. So we had our final mai-tais and some snacks, and took the dreaded ride to the airport. We said our goodbyes and see you soons, and we headed towards check-in and security. Byyeee Maui! Until next time! Many Mahalos!

Day 4:

Slow morning for Amelia today…I think I’m still on East Coast time, waking up pretty early, hehe. I played around on my phone for a while, read a little in a book I bought about Hawaii, and was about to start catching up on Netflix shows when Tony began to stir. 

We had plans again with Paige and Christian, but they weren’t quite ready yet, so Tony and I got dressed and headed to Baby Beach. Not a terrible place to wait, hehe. On the way we stopped by our favorite, Paia Bay Coffee and Bar for some breakfast. Delicious! I got the Local Moco again, and Tony got Katsu Chicken and Waffles. We shared the dishes and fueled ourselves for the day. 

Next up: the beach! The water was absolutely stunning, and I can’t believe how good the photos came out! Looking back at them, I could hardly believe they weren’t edited at all….but they weren’t! The turquoise colors came through amazingly, and the red rocks seemed to glow! 

As if that wasn’t cool enough, we saw 5 more seat turtles on the beach! WOW! Hehe. They look like a part of the scenery, just a stray rock here and there, but the closer you get, you begin to make out the shape of the turtle. It was so cool to see so many! That brings our trip total up to 7! It was so hard not to want to lay down next to one and cuddle it, haha. It was really nice to watch people keeping their distance, and knowing that one reason the turtles feel safe is that they are left alone to do their thing. We hung out here for a while, enjoying the magnitude of the ocean just in front of us and the quintessential view of the green sea turtles on either side of us. 

Soon it was time to meet up with Christian and Paige, and they took us to a little paved hiking trail in ‘Īao Valley to see “The Needle,” a needle-like rock outcropping in the valley. These mountains looked like something out of Jurassic Park, and Paige told me that when it rains, there are little waterfalls that pop up all around and make it even more impressive. 🤩

After the needle, we moved on to a local swimming hole in the river. We parked the car on the side of the road, crossed the street, and went under the road by way of a little tunnel, made for the flood waters to pass through. What a cool experience! We followed the path, and eventually, we made it to “the spot.” But, as soon as we got there, Paige realized how much it had changed over a short period of time. Having been there recently, she said all the rocks had shifted, and the swimming hole they frequented had been rearranged and wasn’t quite the same. Bummer! Apparently, it had rained a lot the past week, and the power of Mother Nature herself moved the large boulders and rocks out of place. So neat!

We learned that it’s a tradition in the ‘Īao to move the rocks around to create nice swimming hole areas, so Tony and Christian attempted to do just that, moving huge rocks from the riverbed It was fun to watch, and they accomplished a great deal, but it wasn’t quite enough to create a quiet swimming pool. Still fun and entertaining, nonetheless. 

Paige offered me a spiked kombucha, which I had never tried before, and it was quite tasty! Mahalo! Cheers! Hehe. I may be looking for those in the future. Some alcohol with probiotics, okay :D. 

After our river fun, we headed to Costco so Tony and I could supply up for the rest of the week. Costco is apparently the cheapest place on the island to get anything. Even the local grocery stores are quite pricey. Not a terrible idea when vactioning in the states to stop by the local Costco to stock up, hehe.  Will keep that tip in my back pocket for future adventures. While at the beheamouth warehouse store, we indulged in the cheapest feast we could’ve found on the island. Delicious, yet heavy. Haha. 

We headed home and were greeted by a live band playing in the garage! How coool! They were really good and playing some easy listening/psychedelic rock. We just hoped they’d finish sooner than later because tomorrow we plan to hike to the crater! 😅🤣 Wooohooo! 

Day 5:

Hello Haleakalā!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

We woke up around 5:30 to finish prepping for our biggest adventure yet on Maui….a 13 mile volcano crater hike! Yipppeeeeeee! I’ve been so excited about this, I was awake and ready to go far before the alarm clock went off. Hehe. 

Tony and I sleepily packed our backpacks and got ourselves as ready as one can at that time of day. We hopped in the car, plugged in the address to the crater, and we were on our way. Still overcome with sleepiness, we barely spoke a word as we drove in the dark, our epic adventure minutes within reach. 

As the sun was rising, we were driving around delicious curves of farmland in upcountry, slowly making our way up towards the incredible Haleaklalā (House of the Sun) summit. The road up is not unlike other mountain roads; skinny roads, steep cliffs, and terrifying turns. We entered the clouds, and almost as soon as we were admiring the cloudy, spooky environment, we just as quickly exited to find blue skies and a beautiful, bold, rising sun. There is something special about being above the clouds…. If that’s something you’ve yet to experience, send that to the top of your bucket list! You’re welcome! 🤗

We park in where the Switchback Trail begins…easily one of the most difficult parts of the journey. Tony, an experienced Haleakalā hiker, knew that the recommended route is to park here, and hitchhike to the summit, where we would then hike down into the crater, across, and up switchback, to get back to our car. 

We opt for the hitchhiking route…technically my first time ever hitchhiking, although, there was that one time in México I almost got stranded at Uxmal and hopped into a truck after an offer to bring me as far as Mérida, where I could get a taxi back to Valladolid…..hehe….😅.

Anyways…..determined to get a ride to the top, we follow the signs for the hitchhiker pickup pull off. Apparently, this is a well-known and warranted thing to do. We see many cars pass us by, almost all of them single drivers with plenty of room for us, but we’re passed by regardless. We start to debate how long we’re willing to stay here, wasting time, when we could be headed out on the trail. Our best estimate is that it’ll take us until sunset to finish what we have in mind. 13 miles is no joke. Hehe. It’s about 8:00 AM, and I’m wondering…..holy moly, what have I gotten myself into, lol. 

Just when we were about to give up hope, an old trusty rusty Toyota Camry slows down and agrees to take us to the top! Amazing! James is our driver and host, and it turns out he works at the observatories on top of the volcano! How freakin’ cool is that? We hitchiked, AND we got to meet someone who mans some of the most incredible telescopes out there??!?! No way! Hehe. So, on our way to the summit, we learned what each of the telescopes did, and just how important they are. Oh, and this amazing human also drove a stick, much to Tony and I’s approval. He handled the hairpin-death-defying turns as if he did this twice a day every day. Oh wait. He does! Haha. 

Once at the visitors center, we parted ways with our gracious host, James, and began our ultimate adventure: Hiking and surviving the one, the only, Haleakalā. We decide to check out the visitors center and grab a pamphlet and a map, just to be sure we know where we are gong. We couldnt’ help but buy a magnet and a couple of stickers for our water bottles, or maybe our special keepsake box. After all, the waterbottles don’t last forever. Haha.

We begin our long jounrey with Sliding Sands Trail, around 10,000 feet in elevation. Let’s just say, its COLD up there….lol. I only had a sweater I brought because Boston was below freezing when we left, and a puffer jacket, also mostly due to the cold in New England. Thank GOD, or Pele (the goddess of volcanoes), that I had these extra layers, hehe. 

Right from the start, the sights that lay before us were unlike anything I have ever seen! I’ve been up and around a few volcanoes, but this beautiful bit of Pachamama was different. It was as if we had been transported to Mars, or some otherworldly galaxy. The colors and peaks that lay before us were breathtaking! Just about 4 miles down into the actual crater, then we crossed the middle for about 6 miles, passing up close and personal with some of the cinder cones until we met the dreaded Switchback trailhead. We hiked up and up for about a mile or so, to then hike one more mile to the parking lot. EPIC.

We find one of the cabins that you’re able to rent in the national park….How amazing would that be???? Can you picture the night sky with zero light pollution at 10,000 feet?! It’s also said that the crater of Haleakalā is the quiest place on Earth…how cool! 🤩 That will have to be a MUST on the next trip out here, hehe. We make good use of the picnic table just out front and have a quick wrap and some snacks, fuel for the most difficult part of the hike yet: Swithcback. While we’re enjoying our brief respite, Tony spots a non-potable water spigot and ventures over and samples some. Cold and tasty, but not to be trusted, just in case. However, as soon as the water rushed out of the spout, two local Nēnē, the national bird of Hawaii, came rushing towards the spigot. Tony returned and let the water flow for our feathered friends, who seemed much obliged to slurp up the chilled water. There was a sign warning us not to feed them, but it said nothing about giving them some water! Hehe.

We finally make it to the notorious switchback. Approximately 2 miles left, and a big chunk of it is a treacherous, uphill, rocky footpath with an imminent death cliff on the one side of the narrow trail. Here we go! After hiking almost 11 miles so far, our already tired legs and lungs should have no problem doing this, right? Right??!! Haha. 

Slow and steady wins the race, and we bit by bit, rock by rock, make our way towards the heavenly parking lot where we left our car. At one point, we realize we’re running low on water. Uh-oh. I KNEW we should’ve brought more! Haha. Oh well, we’re here now, and we live with our mistakes, lol. Time to ration what we have left. We made it ¾ of the way up, and we turned on a particularly narrow hairpin turn in the trail, when a gust of wind came from nowhere and blow Tony’s hat off. Nooooooooo! Hehe. I caught up to assess the damage, and the hat lay just beyond our reach, about 10 feet down a very steep cliff. It was absolutely not worth it to try and fetch said hat, but it was such a bummer that it was in sight and retrieveable, that is, if we had the right equipment. Womp Womp. We considered it a sacrifice to the volcano goddess, Pele. 

We sip slowly on our half liter of remaining water, and encourage each other to finish this beast of a trail. We do finally make it, out of the switchback realm, only to realize there is another mile of trail, mostly uphill, to our car. We got this! Ughhh….it’s so worth it! Lol. #Dana&Hayden, hehe. Hope you’re reading this 😜.

Dehydrated, cranky, and exhausted, we make it back to the parking lot. Woooohoo! Mission complete! What an extravagant and wild and awe-inspiring hike! I LOVE the power of volcanoes…. Destructive, brutal, fiery, dangerous, yet, life-giving, passionate, flowing, and elusive. Such a paradox of a living being, and I will forever be amazed at Mother Nature and her tenacity to create and destroy at will. I am forever grateful for Pele and the multitude of other earth gods and goddesses who make our world what it is. Gorgeous! Mahalo!

After reaching the car and sitting down for the first time in a while, we decided it would be an excellent idea if we drove to the top again, just to fill all our water bottles from the potable water tap. We were parched! Lol.

Once that mission was complete, I persuaded Tony to drive to the very top summit to take a few more pictures. I mean, we’re already here, right? Hehe. We could easily see the outline of Big Island, and when I zoomed in with my phone, we could JUST make out the observatories on Mauna Kea. That’s been a big goal of mine, to hike Mauna Kea from the ground up. And also to star gaze at the summit. One of my favorite bands, Nakho and Medicine for the People have a song, “I Mua,” which heavily influenced my dream, along with an exploration of the volcanoes in El Salvador and Guatemala, and now, Maui. There is just something inspirational and gritty about a volcano, and I adore them! 🌋🌋🌋🌋.

Finally, we begin to make our way down the dormant volcano, the largest in the world. Tony is driving like an expert, but as the passenger, on the cliff side of the road, I had to close my eyes a few times for fear of what awaited us, if there were to be an accident and we should slide down the side of the steep cliffs to our demise, I didnt want to watch it happen, haha. Tony is an excellent driver and handled the downward road like a champ, but it’s always a tad unnerving being the passenger and glimpsing death so nearby, hehe. 

Once we were almost back to a normal route, off the volcano, we passed thorugh a eucalyptus tree zone, and with the windows down, it really smelled like pushing your cart through the local Home Goods and the dried flowers section with the eucalyptus bunches, ready to be purchased. Invasive, yet beautiful. 

We came back to our little oasis in Haiku, changed, tried to gather ourselves a bit, and ventured back out for a much deserved dinner. We ended up back at one of our favorites, the Paia Bay Coffee and Bar restuarant. We tried some new dishes, which were equally as satisfying as the last, and a few celebratory cocktails on our massive achievement for the day. 

Back home again, we emptied the car, showered, and passed out. 

Day 6: 

Today was an obvious sleep in kind of day; we needed to recover from our massive hike yesterday, hehe. 

So we slowly woke up, and we made a few wraps from our haul at Costco to bring with us on our beach relaxation day, packed what we needed, and we were off! Of course, we had to get coffee for Amelia, so we went to Baked on Maui, again….sooo good! 

We decided to hit up a target to find a replacement hat for the one that was sacrificed to Pele on Haleakalā, and along the way we passed a fresh fruit stand. I had been craving some fresh tropical fruit: papaya, coconut, mango, pineapple. So we stop by, and I score some fun bananas; they’re a slightly different species than the typical banana back home, and some papaya, which I scarfed down in the car, hehe. Sooo good! It kills me that you can’t buy ripe tropical fruit where we live. But, it makes it all that more special when in a place that has it :). 

Back on the road again, coffee and fruit in hand, we wind our way along the coast to Target. There wasn’t much in Target in the way of men’s hats, but we did manage to find a couple of things to walk away with, as always. Haha. We decided to try the Walmart that was across the street, since we were so close. 

We walked in and there was a whole section of souvenir tsatskis, and reasonably priced! Couldn’t believe it, lol. It was fun to walk thorugh those aisles and see what they had to offer. We both ended up finding a new hat; I had realize I forgot to pack mine for the day, and really didn’t want to be without one, sitting on the beach for the rest of the day. Satisfied with our purchases, we exit Wally World and finally begin our journey to relax on the beach. 

Baby Beach was calling our name again, as we didn’t have the muscle strength or energy to fight off the bigger waves elsewhere, so that’s where we headed next. One of the lucky purchases of the day was a little red shovel, which Tony used to expertly build us a superior sand lounge chair. Such a genius idea! No need to spend money on an overpriced beach chair; just shovel some sand around and create your own! Hehe. 

We relaxed in our sand lounger, having a snack, and admiring the different shades of blue that glistened before us. We took cat naps, played around on our phones, I did some blog work, and soon we were hot enough for a dip in the cool Maui waters. The area we were was so shallow and relatively calm, with the exception of the water pouring in over the rock jetty, and pushing in from the side where the jetty ended. This caused a unique effect where the little “pool” area would fill rapidly, and then just as quickly, if not faster, the water would empty out, creating a strong current that was fun to float down. 

We stayed at the beach for several hours, simply relaxing and enjoying the views. Are we really here?! As we start to get hungry, we get in touch with Tony’s friends, and we decide to go out to a ramen place we had seen earlier in our shopping adventures. Tony has been to ramen spots all over the country, his favorite being right near our hometown in Lowell, MA: 1981. So, it was only inevitable that we’d have to check out Ramen Bones on Maui. 

Overall, pretty good, but 1981 is still the forerunner for best ramen in the country. Kudos to you guys!