Vacation Days: Cusco, Peru

Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Hey there! I would to go back in time a few weeks and share some more pictures from my trip to Peru and Panama! I gave you an overview of my hike on the Inca Trail and my whirlwind of a stay in Lima, and now I'd like to show you the photos I took during my 2-night stay in the quaint, charming, beautiful city of Cusco. I stayed in Cusco (known as the heart of the Andean religion) a few nights to acclimate myself to the altitude (which was NO joke) before heading out on the Inca Trail.

Okay, I'll stop yammering!


Aww, doesn't my little (giant) backpack just scream excitement? Not pictured: the two other bags I brought with me. Because I'm a pack mule and a disaster when it comes to packing. Moving along.

The beautiful view landing in Cusco, AKA: Sweet baby Jesus I'm going to be hiking something similar to that s.o.b. soon.


When I arrived at my hostel they greeted me with a map of the city and coca tea, which is supposed to help you adjust to the altitude. I drank a lot of it while I was there. Fun fact: I also had the most bizarre dreams on the trip, which I later found out from my guide was a result of drinking coca tea, which, oh did you know is what a certain substance that rhymes with "propane" is made out of? Um, nope. Didn't know.

(Mom, it's not the same, I swear.)

I kept seeing these signs everywhere, which I (*ahem* logically) assumed meant "no trumpets." After sipping on about 7 coca teas, I realized it actually means "no honking your darn car horns."


(Mom, I'm kidding, RELAX.)


The soup there is legit.

SO IS THE GNOCCHI.

I paid roughly $1.75 to get my picture taken with this alpaca baby. I was so excited, and I posted it all over my Instagram and Facebook with a million exclamation points, declaring to the world my love for alpacas. Imagine how awesome I felt when I showed this picture to my guide Ludwig on the Inca Trail, he laughed, and said, "Oh Kimberly. This is not an alpaca. This is a sheep."


Let's forget that whole "Kim has no idea what a sheep looks like" thing ever happened.

We're going to call this next section, "Kim Discovers what 'Perspective' in Photography is, and Demonstrates it Over and Over Again on Some Churches".

Apologies in advance.


I actually went to mass on Sunday though I am neither a) Catholic, nor b) Spanish-speaking, so I had little to no idea what was actually going on. But the church was beautiful, and I did get a few "Please Don't Let Me Die on the Inca Trail" prayers in, and I did in fact live, so all in all I think it was a good decision.


 
This picture was taken on my first day in Cusco because I was hunched over in the fetal position in a corner and needed a break. You see, after drinking my initial propane tea, the hostel manager urged me to take a nap to help acclimatize. I said, "Nah, I'm good! I want to go explore!" So I went exploring, tried to walk up this hill, and ended up doubled over in an alley, trying to rediscover air.

And that's that! I absolutely fell in love with Cusco, and I definitely recommend visiting if you ever get the opportunity. The city is so charming, the people are warm and inviting, and it is rich with such culture and history. If you hike the Inca Trail, I recommend staying in Cusco at least two nights beforehand, but actually more if you can. The altitude is seriously a force to be reckoned with.


But leave your trumpet at home.

*All photos were taken with my Nikon D60 and my iPhone.

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