For my 40th birthday and celebration of post-surgery recovery, Jim and I went to Peru! Here we finally arrived in Lima after two flights!
The next day we took another flight to Cusco! Elevation 11,152 feet!
We got picked up by our horseback riding tour guide and saw this army shield on the mountainside.
Pachacuti- the Incan ruler who prettymuch was in charge of most that got built/expanded in the Incan Empire.
The hillside of Cusco is filled with homes layered up the mountain.
Our first stop was the fortress Saqsaywaman. Built by Pachacuti, it is incredible because of the giant stones fit perfectly together without mortar. The shape of Cusco is a giant puma and this is the head.
Alpacas grazed the fields
They were so cute! But apparently they can spit several meters into your eye if mad. Also, can attack with cloven hooves. So we didn't get too friendly :)
Newborn baby alpaca! So cute! The sun was blazing hot here, with the high altitude you could just feel the rays of sun stronger.
The incredibly carved stones fit so perfectly you could not fit a piece of paper between them.
The corners were interlocking and have survived earthquakes.
You can see a fault line in one of the big rocks, but not in the corner where the most stress would typically cause a break.
Tall doorways mean something special- like a temple or area for special people.
The site is quite large when the work they had to accomplish to get these up here is considered.
After touring Saqsaywaman, we began our horseback riding tour. These people own a ton of land in the national park and we went all over, even galloping (both Jim and I felt on the verge of falling off lol) and going to ancient sites from the trails on their land. We were thousands of feet higher than Cusco now.
Tried to fit sunblock hat and helmet and got partial of both.
Thistle bush just like in Scotland!
Hard to capture the perfectly blue skies and open views all around.
We are riding Peruvian Paso horses. They are unique because they pick up front and back legs on the same side as they walk. Their gait is very smooth, it was a comfortable ride for hours.
The horses navigated very skinny trails, sometimes with dropoffs. Beautiful countryside!
View of some Incan ruins
View from some ruins
Incan tombs that were ruined by the conquistadors looking for gold.
They carved this stone to mimic the shape of the mountain view in the distance. They had a great appreciation of nature and beauty. One big distinction from these and the ruin in Belize is that I saw no carved animals or faces or symbols here. Not even sun clocks. This was as specific as it got.
Temple of the Moon. They are doing archeological work here.
Flocks of sheep with their female shepherds were scattered all through the area. Sheep dogs even came up to us once while we were riding and barked a ton very aggressively (doing their job) and the horses didn't even flinch it was amazing.
Hard to capture the beauty of these open vistas! The altitude made it harder to get oxygen, so we felt tired more easily and just felt the heat easier too.
Some newborn lambs in the mix, so cute to see them zoom around.
Through eucalyptus trees- not native to Peru- but smell amazing and have taken over lots of areas. They didn't use to have tall trees like this.
Incan quarry with lots of hiding places and even offering stones.
With their limited tools, it is unknown how they could carve so much and so well.
We also saw Tambomach'ay- a series of aqueducts, canals and waterfalls that run through the terraced rocks.
(John lost his first tooth while we were gone. My parents made sure the tooth fairy visited, and John made sure we got several shots of his dental development!)
We had a peaceful lunch in the shade of the eucalyptus trees. Delicious chicken cordon bleu with carrots inside as well, and a cold pasta salad. Mango juice to top it off with a cool breeze.
We also went to Puka Pukara, a site of military ruins. We were pretty tired at this point!
Inside a holy area, we learned that the Incans often had three steps- past, present and future. You can see the three levels here.
But even on the way to lower elevation, I started to feel really sick. Nausea, headache- even though I was taking Diamox which is supposed to really help with altitude sickness as well as Dramamine which is really good at suppressing nausea. They gave me some oxygen and had me sniff some really strong something that kinda cleared the brain lol.
That night, though, I experienced swelling that was scary all over and horrible nausea that just seemed to be getting worse. Jim took his translation app and went for help. Oxygen cans did nothing. Jim gave me a blessing. Finally, the front desk guy brought a nurse who only spoke Spanish. I surprised myself by understanding almost everything she said and being able to communicate clearly my symptoms. It was a blessing. She gave me and IV and gave me 5 different medicines along hydrating saline. She gave me pills of everything so that I could continue taking the meds. I felt better immediately. Like, within 10 minutes. It was incredible and such a relief that I went to sleep soon thereafter. In the morning, I research the meds and decided not to take the one for a cold or vaginal infection or suppressing acid production in the stomach. lol. She covered all the bases. But there were a few that I did take that helped with inflammation and nausea. I feel very blessed that I could be taken care of. At this lower altitude, I felt a lot better by morning- a little exhausted from the night before, but it was wonderful to have the symptoms so much lessened.
One MAJOR help was coca tea. It can be heavily processed to make cocaine, but in leaf form it has been used since the Incan times to help with altitude effects. It calms the stomach and has an anesthetic effect. I could immediately feel my stomach relax.
And totally enjoyed breakfast! Our hotel was right next to the mighty Urumbamba river and it was a wonderful background sound.
After a little relaxing, we changed our travel plans to stay at this lower altitude another night and get picked up for the Incan Trail trek from where we were in Ollantaytambo.
Also got another pic from John's teacher. I guess everyone knew about the lost tooth... haha
Cautiously feeling better and SO eager to see more of this little town, we ventured out for some lunch and exploration. This is the view towards the bridge over the river.
The view uphill (very steep) We didn't go that way lol
Across the street was a place recommended for us to eat. The people here are SO nice. Speak very little English and just appreciate everything. I took pics and wrote a review online and the restaurant owner was so proud and grateful and told me all about opening and his food. The dollar is very strong here, it was a blessing for us to be able to give good tips and show appreciation.
I decided against the alpaca burger or the fried cuy (guinea pig) and got mango chicken which was amazing with their homemade chips (from their super good yellow potatoes). And a glass of coca tea.
Lots of little cars and "moto-taxis" here.
I had purposefully chosen this hotel because it was close to the Ollantaytambo ruins and it was so nice to just stroll down the road.
Past that gorgeous river as we crossed the bridge.
And said to ourselves that we might not climb far today, let's just see how my body handles things. Jim, fortunately, had felt slight affects that first day but was fine overall. (My tip to others would be to drive straight from Cusco to lower elevation, not tour high at all)
Pachacutec had this built as terraces for farming. Another Incan leader used this city as a retreat from the attacks of the Spanish. The fortress up top was actually one of the few places they successfully defended from the Spanish. In one battle, they actually defeated the Spanish and also flooded the plains below. But, knowing the Spanish would come back with even more troops, they left.
It was pretty cool to see what the Incans had made!
View of Ollantaytambo
Little market below the ruins
At diner (same amazing place) I got a pic of the menu. The fried guinea pig is the most expensive by far!
The next morning at 6am we got picked up for my dream hike- the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu!
On the train, feeling okay, and praying for all the best!
On the train, over the speakers they had the love story of a soldier and Incan princess in English (somewhat lost in translation) and acted out.
Our guide told us to get ready, the train stopped in the middle of nowhere (it was on the way to Machu Picchu) and we hopped off onto the dirt. KM 104!
Crossing the bridge, we saw the mighty Urumbamba River, so strong there was no way to kayak it with all the rocks. Later on, we saw this from thousands of feet up and it was hard to imagine we'd been level with it at one time.
Not too far into hiking, we saw Incan ruins. It was fascinating to think of this waypost along the the trail and the lives of the people here in the middle of nowhere.
Along the Inca Trail, you hike 1-day hike is a full-day trek over 12 km (or 7.7 miles), with just over 3600 feet of elevation gain. So. Many. Steps.
Much more humid than Cusco, but not raining- yet.
Wooden bridges all along the way.
So. Many. Steps. But it was hard to get mad because I just kept imagining the Incans who built this and traveled this and I felt SO much awe!
Getting higher
We took a break and they handed out coca leaves. You don't chew them, just pack them into the side of your mouth and they eventually produce a juice that gives same effect as the tea if you swallow. It was interesting. I also took Pepto Bismol all day just to keep things settled. I had no idea how my body would be after that crazy first day, and I still had all that swelling and my stomach was just unhappy.
But it was such an amazing hike, I was distracted all the time- from trying to make it up the steps or from looking at these insane views. Look how small that mighty river already looks!
Some interesting plants
Getting up towards the clouds
Jim gave his walking sticks to a sweet little Chinese woman who had packed a TON. He also carried her bag. He is such a good man and so kind.
As we got closer to the clouds, the magnificence of the view just kept getting more breathtaking. You often have to hike to a summit to get a view, but we were treated to views like this the whole time because the hike just took us along the mountainside up and up.
Along outcroppings with not tons of foliage between us and views. Steep dropoffs, but a decently wide trail.
The river, ever-shrinking below, by a hydro-electric plant. Yes, here in the middle of the Andes!
See that "patch" ahead? That is our 30 minutes before lunch destination! I couldn't believe we'd have to hike that far, we'd already been hiking for hours and it looked so far away!
Then I looked back and saw where we'd come from and how far we had come already.
The walking sticks really helped. Can you guys believe the Incas made this trail?! This trail was not the one mostly used- the train had been placed on that trail. This was used as a sacred walk (camino sagrado) for a pilgrimage in the 15th century.
Views back
Views ahead- yes, more steps lol.
Jim became friends with the tour guide at the back of the pack. He was a total native, his first language is Quechua and he only learned Spanish in school. He told us all kinds of words in his beautiful native tongue. And also handed Jim this bug on a stick, and only after telling him it was poisonous! haha Jim dropped it.
Orchids were all over. They had very thick stems almost like bamboo. Very hardy.
Hey we're closer to that "patch" which we could now see was terraces like we saw back in Ollantaytambo.
Waterfall along the way. I love seeing waterfalls on hikes!
And then it was raining. Boy did it get humid under those ponchos, but the rain was heavy enough we needed them or our overnight clothes would've been soaked.
Another large waterfall
So beautiful, and only to be found in the hard trail. The difficulty of the trail and my health made each moment like this all the more peaceful and breathtaking.
The rain made it more tricky- there were steps down too, which were kind of annoying because we knew we'd be headed right back up! I wanted to have a little discussion with the Incas about now.
And then, when we got to Winay Winya- that "patch" with the terraces- I could understand everything. This view was unreal.
We were with the clouds, in them and above them. The Andes stretched out in majesty as far as the eye can see, untouched and glorious.
Then we ascended steep, endless steps to the top of the terraces at Winay Winya.
Look at that baby Urumbamba river, so far away!
I wondered just how they got so many stones up here so perfectly. So much work!
The Incan flag has 7 colors. This had 7 windows. So much symbolism everywhere.
Still more hiking to go before lunch, we left the terraces of Winay Winya behind.
Above the clouds!
At lunch, they handed us chicha morada, a sweet drink made from purple corn.
Then they brought out tons of food a crew had brought up the mountain earlier. It was incredible! I was still just feeling a little nausea/swelling/blah so I had the llomo saltado (beef and potatoes) but it all looked incredible- fish and guac and more food than we could fit on the table.
Our hiking group- 3 Chinese women, 1 Spanish woman (it was her birthday), an English couple, and a mom from New York with her two daughters in their 30s.
Onward! Or I could stare at this all day!
It was incredible to be hiking and taking on stairs and then boom this view is right to the side. Just unreal.
The second part of the day was "Inca flat" which means up and down but not killer (sorta?). This was some super-steep down.
And catch your breath because back up we go!
Such cool trees all over!
Then- at the almost end- was the "gringo killer" haha
So steep you use your hands and basically bear crawl up.
My view from the top of the gringo killer stairs.
And then we ascended to the Sun Gate, where the sun shines at sunset giving the rocks a beautiful glow. Can you see the glow ahead?
8,924 feet high. Only accessed from the Inca Trail and once the access for only the elite Incans. You can see Machu Picchu as well as the towering Huyana Picchu (and I thought to myself, did I really sign up to do that tomorrow? yikes!)
Jim went back and got a pic of the Sun Gate. It had such a glow.
What a feeling after a very long day of hiking!
Then we began winding our way down into Machu Picchu. The timing was just right- the ticketed crowds had melted away and the clear skies gave us incredible views as we made our way to more viewpoints.
Three levels again! This time a totally different guide taught us this Incan belief. I believe it was their way of understanding premortal, mortal and eternal life.
Look at that majestic Huyana Picchu. I guess the Incans thought it was amazing and decided to build a trail to the top of it. I told Jim we'd have to wait and see how we felt the next day because it looked impossible.
My dream for many months was to make it to this spot, after accomplishing the Inca Trail, and my eyes watered at the beauty and feeling of gratitude for the experience.
Jim took a moment to relax- after all, he'd been carrying another hiker's pack (this time the Spanish lady who was really struggling with each step. She refused help until I told her it was our birthday gift to her. Special moment of kindness Jim gave her to help)
Alpaca grazing on the terraces of Machu Picchu
Sunset was so beautiful, and without crowds it felt like we were alone in discovery of the Wonders of the World
Jim with our guide in the back who we became friends with
I made it!
We took the last bus of the day from Machu Picchu and drove on switchbacks to reach Machu Picchu town a half hour down the mountain.
Went right to the hotel. The river was right outside! Epic! Had Jim kill a huge spider and decided to keep the windows closed despite the stuffy room. Took a shower and then went to dinner.
Ate dinner but only remembered to take a pic once my desert was mostly gone. I was SO tired!! We ate at 8pm and had been going since before 6am, gone up thousands of feet in elevation and conquered innumerable steps. Slept very well and only thought about spiders a few times. Took meds to help my nausea and rested.
Ate light the next morning, not feeling super.
Took the bus up to Machu Picchu and it was another bright and clear sunny day.
Amazing views at every turn, with the guide sharing historical facts along the way.
I was feeling altitude. We had been up high for a few days again now and I was melting. But I really really wanted to do the impossible hike. I have developed some determination I think.
So I admired the Incan irrigation.
Kings area
Moon window (started forgetting what I was seeing)
And eventually, it was just so hot, Jim just asked if we could go wait for the other hikers at the start of the hike. So while they finished their Machu Picchu tour, I sat in the shade with Jim and geared up.
I took a selfie, but nobody needs to see my pale face lol. I was happy to see that river so small again and the mountains all round.
This was 1000 feet up in 1 mile. Yesterday's stairs had nothing on today's stairs.
When we got glimpses of our destination it seemed impossible.
But the trail was here and I could take these next steps, so I did. We took plenty of stops, I had the muscle for it but did need to catch my breath- I felt winded so easily, but as soon as I caught my breath I felt totally fine going forward. It was a strange combo.
Gorgeous views along the way
For safety, there was a thick cable rope. We clung to that and I made sure my balance was always in favor of falling safely just in case.
Some areas like this were tricky and we needed that cable to be safe. I took very few pictures since I was so focused on safety and keeping up pace.
Within one hour, we had ascended Huyana Picchu! We carefully scooted backwards on this rock, which had a convenient chair-like backing for Jim's safety.
Yesterday's views were dwarfed by this fantastic 360 view.
Coming down was an adventure too!
Only the New Yorkers had decided to do this strenuous hike with us. You can see Machu Picchu and the switchbacks taken by the buses down to town.
And, ironically, on the way down there is a sign to walk carefully. Like, dude, by this point if you weren't walking carefully you wouldn't have made it.
As you leave Huyana Picchu, there is a super skinny cave where Incans said you could leave bad energy behind. Compared to the heat of the day, it was cool and quiet and felt refreshing as I contemplated leaving behind the negative.
I turned back as we went to the trail start and still couldn't believe what we'd done!
There were some steep stairs going up at the end, because Incans are fun like that. So we waited for the rest of our group for a bit. A light sprinkling of rain was refreshing too.
We made it!
Tired reality pose
Can you see the giant condor wings and head?
Lunch before heading back to Cusco. Maracuya juice (passion fruit) like I used to drink way too much of in Ecuador. The overlap of culture from my experience as a teenager in Ecuador was one of the delights of this trip.
Shopping at the train station I found a chess set! With Incan warriors and Spanish conquistadors that are hand-painted.
Jim actually had a phone call with work here in the middle of nowhere lol
Ready to take the train home!
Air conditioning and snacks made for a nice ride home They even had a "fashion show" with clothing made from alpaca and I got a beautiful shawl made with 100% baby alpaca fleece.
Gazing at the river on the long ride back. We had to wait for several trains to pass and it made for a long, long ride home.
Late night arrival at the Marriot Convento in Cusco! After all that hiking, I wanted some luxury and air conditioning! (Also to flush toilet paper, yay!) Room service and coca tea!
Met a baby alpaca the next morning.
We had some coca tea and had fun feeding this guy.
Alpaca facial expressions are hilarious!
Traditional weaving
The hotel was built in the basement of a Spanish convent. Pretty cool.
City center of Cusco. Lots of people wanting to sell you food, trinkets and city tours. Spanish cathedral.
City center
We watched some local performers
And toured a local museum. Very short doors!
I'm picturing Book of Mormon sling use here.
Club with varying accessories
The upper floor was Spanish stuff, but it felt kind of sad after the Inca stuff.
I was feeling off- back at this high altitude- so this delightfully heated pool and spa were so nice.
Delicious food with fresh herbs from their hotel garden to make a special mint tea to soothe my stomach. Despite the amazing hotel, my body just hurt until we flew out the next morning. I am so grateful for the medicines and blessings that helped me make it through the tough side of altitude sickness for me. The overall experience and hike was incredible and I'm so glad I did it!
Within a short time of being in the pressurized air cabin of the airplane, my body felt better and better. We flew to Lima, then to Trujillo, then drove a few hours via shuttle to a very remote part of Peru called Chicama. Home of the world's longest wave and not much else. I was already feeling so much better after so many days of hurting, I was just happy! And can you feel Jim's excitement? The hotel manager (only person who spoke English in the whole time we were there) wanted to show us the spa and other stuff, and Jim was like- can I pick out my surf board? So cute.
Pic of the rules and surf areas. Because there is a strong current, you hire a boat to tow you to the top of the wave area and you surf until you've drifted down and raise your hand to get picked up again.
First views of his dream wave.
Imagine if California fell into the ocean and AZ had a front row view of the Pacific.
Rickety steps down to the beach. The wave starts past that point in the distance.
First meal on a pain-free stomach in a week. Wohoo! They had a huge menu and wow it was tasty!
View out the back of the hotel- nothing alive. Just total desert. They don't get rain here. Maybe few times a year.
Dreamy sunset.
Jim went out bright and early to surf. None of the boat guys spoke English. He used his limited Spanish and accidentally asked "se vende?" meaning can I buy it? They told him he could buy a boat in Lima. haha. Finally got communication down and figured it out. Also, some guy with a drone took these shots and we randomly saw him later (wanting to hire him the next day) and he'd already taken these!
I ventured out for long walks along the beach to watch Jim, see lots of crabs, pray and think. It was so peaceful after all that hiking and touring and altitude sickness.
The morning clouds protected me from sunburn (my wrist got badly scorched that first day in Cusco) and it was just so comfortable to stroll the beach. There were handfuls of people walking, taking pics, etc.
The landscape was like the moon!
And I also played name-that-dot trying to find Jim by his posture and movements haha.
After his morning surf session, we used the hotel bikes and went down the boardwalk- a short mile strip along the beach. There is really just a handful of hotels and restaurants you could blink and miss it. But it was fun!
Then we went the other way and rode/walked up to the cliffs over the wave. Staying far from the edge, it was cool to see how the waves were SO long!
Yes, there was really nothing out there but rock and hill!
Such good food.
Ice wonder plants that I can't get to thrive here. They had irrigation at the hotel (water is from aquifers underground) so could grow desert plants.
Jim went out for an afternoon surf so I floated around in the infinity pool.
After a few hours of surfing- too much wind in the pm for as good as the morning- we floated around the hot tub and met a couple from Costa Rica.
This pic does not capture the beauty and scope of color in this moment. Unreal.
The next morning, Jim (sore from the awesome day before) went out for more fun!
I found something green! I was actually trying to get close to those birds that made sounds like kids yelling but they always flew away.
Jim in his tow boat
Jim waiting for a wave
There was a hollow with a little area carved out. There was a picture of Jesus so I looked on the back and it was a pass along card from the church! It had a bunch of stacked rocks around it, so I just left it there, wondering how it got there!
Finished!
After lunch, we hiked as far down the beach as we could. It was several miles down before we realized it could go on forever!
The wind had really picked up and my hair was going crazy! We made our way back hot and windblown. Sand was even in my ears.
Back in time for the perfect sunset with dinner.
Chicama was such a beautiful, unique place!
Finally coming back home! We were gone for 10 days and it was the trip of a lifetime. Lots of adventure (both the crazy sickness and the planned stuff like hikes and surfing) for sure! I am so grateful to my parents for their loving care of the kids and for Jim being so amazing during every crazy part of the trip. An incredible experience!
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