Buying Rainbow Mountain Tour in Cusco While Staying at El Viajero

Having concluded my weekend in Lima, I returned to Cusco. The 22 hours long bus ride seemed as neverending as when I went the opposite way.

Instead of going back to Hostal Margarita where I stayed when I first visited Cusco, I however decided to try out El Viajero Hospedaje, because it was close to the bus terminal. I quickly came to regret the decision.

El Viajero

The room at El Viajero cost 30 Soles, the same as at Hostal Margarita, but to my shock, after an hour of stay, the owner switched off the wifi router, shutting off the internet for me.

Photo: El Viajero Hospedaje in Cusco, Peru - I Had to Get Up at 4am but Waited 2 Hours for Tour to Rainbow Mountain to Arrive
Photo: El Viajero Hospedaje in Cusco, Peru – I Had to Get Up at 4am but Waited 2 Hours for Tour to Rainbow Mountain to Arrive

When I confronted him about it, he said I’ll only get an hour of internet, and if I want more, I would have to pay for it. I quickly said I’m canceling my stay there and demanded my money back, because before moving in, I had done what I always do with every single place before I pay for a room – I asked whether the rooms come with free wifi internet. Whereas he confirmed I’d get free internet with the room, I agreed to stay there, so now that he was changing the rules after the game has started, I was having none of his crap.

With unshakeable determination I told him I demanded my money back and proceeded to pack up in order to immediately leave. After that, he said he’s gonna turn the internet back on for me, although after a few hours, he turned it off once again.

That sparked another argument from me, until he eventually agreed not to turn it off again.

Booking Tour to Rainbow Mountain

Meanwhile, I went out to find out what it’d cost to book a tour to the Rainbow Mountain. I have never heard of the Rainbow Mountain before (known locally as la Montana de Los Siete Colores – the Mountain of Seven Colors), but it was strongly recommended way back after I had just landed in Peru, and hang out in downtown Lima with Isadora from Brazil.

Photo: This Is Emma, She Is British, We Climber Part of the Rainbow Mountain Trail Together
Photo: This Is Emma, She Is British, We Climber Part of the Rainbow Mountain Trail Together

I went to a few tour operators in Cusco and enquired about the prices for the Rainbow Mountain. While there were some overpriced options, general cost seemed to be in the neighborhood of 60 Soles for the trip, including the 10 Soles entrance fee (Peruvians milk tourists every chance they get, so every time there is a new attraction, they instantly introduce an entrance fee).

Several tour operators advertised what they promoted as a great price for the trip to the Rainbow Mountain at 50 Soles, but that was just a marketing gimmick, because unlike the regular 60 Soles worth tours, the 50 Soles ones did not include the 10 Soles entrance fee so the end cost for the unaware tourist would in the end be the same anyway. It would appear that the deceptive marketing works out well, because in the tour bus I took, all but two people fell for it, thinking they got a better deal.

Photo: Alpaca Calmly Grazes on Grass Along the Trail to Rainbow Mountain
Photo: Alpaca Calmly Grazes on Grass Along the Trail to Rainbow Mountain

The Rainbow Mountain tours start early in the mornring. The include pickup from the hotel and I was told to be ready for my pickup at 4:30 am. Whereas the tour would last whole day, what it meant for me was that I would have to leave my room at El Viajero with my backpack, because there was no way I was staying there for another night

I would have preferred to have stayed in a reasonable place where I would have been able to leave my baggage while I’m up on the mountain, but El Viajero simply wasn’t that place, so I had no option but to haul all my crap with me, so I can book me a room elsewhere after I’ve returned from the Rainbow Mountain. Standard check out time in Cusco is ridiculous 10am. The return from the Rainbow Mountain was not expected until 5pm.

Photo: Indigenous Girl I Met on the Way to the Rainbow Mountain
Photo: Indigenous Girl I Met on the Way to the Rainbow Mountain

As is also pretty standard with tours in Peru, even though I got up at 4am in order to be ready for the pickup at 4:30 as per the instructions I got, the tour bus didn’t show up to pick me up until 6:30am. I would have gotten 2 hours more sleep, had they been up front with me that nobody’s gonna bother picking me up nowhere near on time. After my previous experience booking a tour in Peru, I should have known better.

Food Included

The Rainbow Mountain tour also included breakfast and lunch. As is almost always the case, each time the tour comes with a meal included, you’d be better off paying less for the tour and not have it included, and either bring your own sustenance with you, or pay for your own food along the way.

Photo: Drivable Section of the Road Leading up to the Rainbow Mountain Trail
Photo: Drivable Section of the Road Leading up to the Rainbow Mountain Trail

The included food is in a restaurant that pays the best commission, and it’s mass produced to maximize profit. I was told it would be a buffet style service, but all there was for the breakfast buffet were a few baked breads with butter and jam, plus a cup of tea. The latter was the only thing I used, as pure carbohydrates with no nutritious value of the rest did not attract me at all. Luckily, as far as the tea was involved, the restaurant did provide coca leaves, which are known for being beneficial when braving high altitude, and give the drinker a bit of an energy boost.

The lunch, which was served in the same restaurant on the way back from the mountain, was not a big win either. A tray of rice, a tray of a bit of chicken, a plate of lettuce and a pot of soup were provided, but there was so little of each, by the time one half of the bus filled up their bowls with soup, there was none left, and likewise, with the exception of rice of which there seemed to be enough, only the first ones at the tray of chicken got a reasonable portion.

Photo: Restaurant Was Not Much, But Mountainous Scenery It Was In Was Breathtaking
Photo: Restaurant Was Not Much, But Mountainous Scenery It Was In Was Breathtaking

Basically, for my breakfast buffet I got a cup of coca tea, and for my lunch buffet I got a scrap of chicken with a small side of veggies and that was it. The jugs of juice that accompanied the lunch were filled with some syrup water loaded with sugar.

Other than that, the trip to the Rainbow Mountain itself was amazing. For me, it counted as the best experience I have had in Peru, mostly because it was the first time I climbed to over 5,000 meters above the sea level and even though it was tough on my body, I pushed myself and battled through the low oxygen environment and did it. The feeling of accomplishment was amazing, as were the views of the spectacular mountainous scenery.

Photo: Those Not Fit Enough to Hike Up the High Elevation Trail, Can Use Services of the Many Horsemen with Horses
Photo: Those Not Fit Enough to Hike Up the High Elevation Trail, Can Use Services of the Many Horsemen with Horses

Just as Isadora strongly recommended a trip to the Rainbow Mountain to me, I also strongly recommend it to anyone visiting Peru. It’s a high altitude hike so it’s not a walk through a park, but if you push through and reach the top, the reward will be very much worth it.

Photo: Rainbow Mountain - Hell Yes I Did It!
Photo: Rainbow Mountain – Hell Yes I Did It!

Pelicans at Callao Port and Boat Tour to San Lorenzo and El Fronton Islands

My weekend in Lima was coming to an end. I got to sample amazing ceviche, and hung out at the capital’s coastal areas. Along with Maria, we concluded our weekend together with a boat tour to the San Lorenzo and El Fronton islands.

Isla San Lorenzo is the largest island of Peru. Except with a special permit, the access to the island is banned, so one can only observe it from a boat. The nearby Isla El Fronton is home to an infamous Peruvian jail, in which former President Fernando Belaúnde Terry was held as a political prisoner. Later, Maoist guerrillas from the Communist Party of Peru Shining Path were imprisoned, and extra-judicially executed during a rebellion there.

Photo: Pelican in Lima, Peru
Photo: Pelican in Lima, Peru

The boat set to approach and pass by these islands departed from the Callao Port, and we just caught the last ride of the day. The sun was setting when we departed, which at first seemed cool as even though Lima is permanently cloudy this time of year, the sole thought of sailing into the sunset added a lot of romanticism to the “date“.

On the other side, not being that far from the equator, the transition from daylight to night is fast in Lima, so by the time our boat reached the islands, there was nothing to be seen. It was pitch dark. Moreover, with the sun, the temperature dropped rapidly too.

Here’s the video from the port. It shows the last but one boat docking, continues with the plentiful pelicans that hang around the port, and concludes with our departure from the port in the boat:

The Pelicans

There is a constant and rather abundant presence of the pelicans at the Callao Port, and whereas they are used to the presence of boats and people, they maintain pretty close proximity.

The people feed them, so that brings them ever closer to us, but there’s also a lot of plastic floating in the ocean, making them confuse it for food. It’s a sad sight, really.

Photo: Pelicans Hang Out Close to People and Boats at Callao Port
Photo: Pelicans Hang Out Close to People and Boats at Callao Port

End of Weekend in Lima

Me and Maria have greatly enjoyed each other’s company during my brief detour to Lima, and even though I had to return to Cuzco after the weekend, it was clear that we’ll hang out again. But now I had another 22 hours long bus trip to undertake, and it was as brutal as the first.

Trip to Malecon Pardo and La Punta del Callao in Lima

After munching on true Peruvian ceviche, and enjoying a few games of pool followed by a couple of Cusquena beers, Maria returned home to spend the night with her family while I went to the room rented from the Spanish woman in San Miguel. In the morning of the following day we met up, and went to the La Punta district in Callao.

La provincia constitucional del Callao (the constitutional province of Callao), while technically a part of Lima, is administered by its own government that’s independent from that of the nation’s capital.

Twice resurrected from the ruins, Callao’s history is shrouded in myths and legends of submerged cities, as well as stories of pirates and hidden treasures.

Foreigners don’t tend to have Callao on their itinerary, and for the most part – rightly so. It’s a low income, high crime area that in many places resembles ghetto. It’s home to Peru’s main port, which has served as the main port of the Spanish colonies since 1537, but visitors arriving by way of cruise ships are warned by the staff and the tour guides not to venture into Callao because of the out of control levels of crime.

The one area of Callao that stands out is La Punta – the upscale home to luxurious mansions, with works in progress on remodeling its Malecon.

Photo: Malecon Pardo Plaque at La Punta
Photo: Malecon Pardo Plaque at La Punta

Lined with narrow cobbled streets, the smell of fresh fish floats in the air around La Punta, as delightful restaurants along the waterfront invite you in for “mariscos” (seafood).

If you tag along swimwear, La Punta also has a stretchy beach (Playa Cantolao) with round rocks in place of sand, which, albeit challenging to walk on barefoot, are said to provide therapeutic reflexology effect to the feet of those who brave them. The Pacific Ocean water at the beach, however, is cold so you’ll also need to tag along thick skin.

Even though weather in Lima is not sunny this time of year, the temperature was comfortable with it being neither hot, nor cold, nor windy. We paused on Malecon Pardo to enjoy the sound of waves and watch the ocean for almost an hour. It was very relaxing and bonding.

Photo: Chill on Wall of Malecon Pardo
Photo: Chill on Wall of Malecon Pardo

While Callao deservedly has the reputation to back up its rough environment, and the abundance of soldiers with machine guns patrolling its streets was a frequent reminder of the type of area Callao is, the Colonial houses that add color and character to Callao may be worth one’s while. Nevertheless, even though I have never encountered any kind of trouble in Callao, I wouldn’t recommend anyone wandering there without a person who knows the area.

Malecon Pardo as well as the rest of La Punta are a whole different story and are generally safe and rewarding to visit.

Eating Peruvian Ceviche for the First Time

While still in Cusco, I told Maria whom I was going to meet in Lima, that even though at the time I’ve already been in Peru for 3 weeks, yet have still not eaten a Peruvian ceviche. Since we maintained contact the whole time on the internet and finally set up a date to meet up in real life, I thought it would be the perfect time to finally try ceviche.

Under normal circumstances, I take the masculine role in a relationship, but whereas I’m not familiar with Lima and she is from there, I gave the responsibility for picking up a suitable restaurant for my first time pure Peruvian ceviche to her.

She picked a restaurant called El Chef y El Mar, and it did not disappoint. Located in San Miguel where I was staying, the more upscale restaurant had the prices to match the quality and the atmosphere, but that only made the place more perfect for the occasion.

Photo: Triple Ceviche Platter from El Chef y El Mar Restaurant in Lima, Peru
Photo: Triple Ceviche Platter from El Chef y El Mar Restaurant in Lima, Peru

At El Chef y El Mar, there were several dished with ceviche on offer. We picked a platted for each consisting of two different forms of ceviche and a creamy rice with the calamari. I asked for my ceviche to be extra spicy, Maria went for medium spicy. It was delicious to the last bite. I could not have asked for a better place, company, and type of food to start my addiction to ceviche.

Ceviche Origins

Ceviche is considered one of the flagship dishes of Peruvian cuisine, being one of the most traditional meals offered in Peru.

Photo: Peruvian Ceviche Made from Corvina - Chilean Sea Bass
Photo: Peruvian Ceviche Made from Corvina – Chilean Sea Bass

According to the Peruvian historian Javier Pulgar Vidal the name ceviche comes from the Quechua word “siwichi“, which means “fresh fish” or “tender fish“. One hypothesis proposes that the words Siwichi and Sikbaǧ were confused during the conquest of the Inca Empire by the Spaniards, which caused that it was transformed into the name with which we know it today.

Peruvians claim that ceviche originated in the Mochica Culture on the Peruvian coast, more than two thousand years ago. However Ecuadorians maintain the pre-Inca Empire people along the Ecuadorian coast used to prepare the same cold fish dish for just as long, claiming the origins of ceviche were not exclusively Peruvian.

Photo: Creamy Rice with Shrimp and Spicy Ceviche Were Part of the Dish
Photo: Creamy Rice with Shrimp and Spicy Ceviche Were Part of the Dish

In both cases, ceviche was originally being prepared by marinating the catch from the sea with chicha – juice that comes from corn.

Later, with the Hispanic presence, two ingredients of Mediterranean cuisine were added: lemon and onion. The development of the lemon farms in the lands helped to shorten the time of preparation of this ancestral dish.

Ceviche Description

Put bluntly, ceviche is basically raw fish marinated in soury, vinegar like solution. If you like raw fish in sushi, you will likely love ceviche.

From my standpoint – having come to Peru from Slovakia, where what is known in Peru as Ceviche is commonly available in its Slovakian form as “Zavinace” and purchasable from pretty much any grocery store for under a Euro, I was already familiar with the type of fish and had taste buds tuned in to it.

Ceviche in general is not the cheapest dish to eat, but a trip to Peru would simply not be complete without giving it a try in some proper restaurant where it is properly prepared.

Photo: I Cleared by My First Plate of Ceviche in Peru
Photo: I Cleared by My First Plate of Ceviche in Peru

Caution eating ceviche is however well warranted, as improperly prepared ceviche can be the bearer of bacteria that could seriously harm your health and screw your entire trip.

Fish used to prepare ceviche should be fresh out of the sea and should be eaten early in the day. As a way to honor this requirement, many ceviche restaurants close in the afternoon.

Concluding the First Date with Maria

After enjoying the wonderful triple dish of Peruvian ceviche for the first time, with our bellies happy, I took Maria to a billiard club where she played pool for the first time in her life, and then to a bar where we downed a few Cusquena beers. Late at night, we parted our ways after what for both of us was a highly fun and fulfilling date. We had one more day to spend together afterward, and we both looked forward to it.

Photo: Bottle of Cusqueña - Peruvian Beer Out of Cusco
Photo: Bottle of Cusqueña – Peruvian Beer Out of Cusco

Staying in Lima with a Single Mother

After returning to Lima following my near 24 hours long bus ride from Cusco, I stayed in an apartment room in the district of San Miguel. The room was being rented out on a day to day basis by a young woman from Spain. What I didn’t know, was that the woman was a single mother living with her 6 year old son.

At first I was concerned over the lack of disclosure that a child lived in the same apartment, as the presence of a young child typically means a lot of screaming and running around, but in this case, the little boy was very well behaved and my entire stay was reasonably peaceful.

I instantly got along well with the woman as well as her child, and could tell the boy truly lacks a father figure in his life. My being the age of what his father just about could be, he always sought to hang out with me, talk with me and play with me.

The moment I moved into my room, he came over and started talking to me about his favorite football team. He then fetched his football trading cards and showed me his favorite players.

He then would hide behind a curtain and poke his head out, to provoke me into playing hide and seek with him. He kept relentlessly engaging me in conversation, and I gladly chatted with him and shared manly wisdom he craved but lacked in his life, but I was in Lima only for two days and I had a girl waiting to spend time with me.

Photo: These Signs Reminding of No Discrimination Can Be Seen All Over San Miguel Department of Lima
Photo: These Signs Reminding of No Discrimination Can Be Seen All Over San Miguel Department of Lima

The boy was so excited to have me there, it was always a challenge tearing myself away from him, and I had to explain to him that as a man, like him, I can’t ignore a woman waiting on me. Then I had to lie to him that I’ll play with him more after taking care of my girl. I knew very well I would not be returning home before he heads to bed, but that was the only way to calm him down and let me go without feeling hurt.

Long But Scenic Bus Trip from Cusco to Lima

I commenced what was to be the 22 hours long bus ride from Cusco to Lima on Friday at 1:30pm. The checkout at Margarita Hostel was at 10am, which I thought was really aggressive, but found out that it’s a common checkout hour for the majority of hotels and hostels in Cuzco.

Photo: Scenic Mountainous Terrain on Road Between Cusco and Lima
Photo: Scenic Mountainous Terrain on Road Between Cusco and Lima

To avoid incurring additional charges I checked out at 10am, and headed down to the bus terminal. Since I had a few hours until the departure of my bus, I popped into one of the nearby restaurants where I ordered “almuerzo” (lunch menu). I picked a table close to a power outlet on the wall, and plugged my laptop in it, thinking I would spend the time I have until the bus arrives by doing some work on the computer.

To my surprise, the waitress demanded that since I use their power outlet, that I pay for the power usage on top of the food I ordered. I was ready to leave when she said that, but after she clarified that it would be just a Sol more, I said what the heck, and agreed to give her the damned Sol for the power I’d use.

It was after leaving the restaurant when I came across the festivities in celebration of El Señor de Huanca.

The Civa bus left on time, but it was full to the last seat. I had a chubby guy sitting next to me (there are a lot of overweight people in Peru as their diet is rich in carbohydrates), who had foul odor to him and snored a lot. While I could not have done much about his odor, I did not put up with his snoring and each time he disturbed me with it, I disturbed him by poking him to interrupt his snore.

Photo: Another Bus on Road Between Steep Hills
Photo: Another Bus on Road Between Steep Hills

The beginning of the ride, at least until the night fell on the country and I could not see much anymore, was through the mountainous terrain of the Peruvian Alps, which were just spectacular. The progress was slow, as we were slowly gliding down winding road into the valleys, before climbing up equally winding road up on hills, to do it over and over again. It was one huge canyon after another and driving through them was as scenic as it gets.

That explained why the bus ride would last the predicted 22 hours, because you truly can’t pickup much speed on those steeply inclined roads full of sharp turns. Having secured a front row seat right above the driver, I had the panoramic views of the country we were driving through. Unfortunately, pictures taken through the tinted windows during a very bumpy ride are doomed to lack in the overall attractiveness no matter what.

Photo: Yes, We Descended Down the Windy Road on Opposite Side of Canyon
Photo: Yes, We Descended Down the Windy Road on Opposite Side of Canyon

Having to spend 22 hours on the overcrowded bus was however no fun at all. I got no sleep and very little rest. Luckily, 5 hours before the projected end of the trip, when we stopped in Ica and unloaded some of the passengers, two pretty Venezuelan girls took the seats across the isle from me, so I spend the rest of the journey chatting with them.

Photo: The Only Image I Took with Venezuelan Girls on Civa Bus Turned Out Blurred
Photo: The Only Image I Took with Venezuelan Girls on Civa Bus Turned Out Blurred

That made the rest of the trip more enjoyable and pass faster, however the projected 22 hours journey ended up being 23,5 hours long, because of heavy traffic causing jams across much of Lima. It’s never fun when you’re stuck in a confined place for 20+ hours and then your transport barely moves because the traffic is so congested, it can’t move.

I knew my friend from Lima was waiting for me at the bus station, so realizing that not only will I not arrive in time, but I would be an hour or more late, was only adding to the anxiety. So when I finally did arrive, after almost the entire 24 hours on the bus, getting off that thing and giving a real life bear hug to my internet acquaintance felt amazing.

Here’s the video of the section of the trip:

El Señor de Huanca Festival Celebrations at Bus Terminal in Cusco

Every September 14, the El Señor de Huanca (The Lord of Huanca) festival is celebrated in Cusco, Peru. In 2018, September 14 fell on a Friday, which was just the day when I was leaving Cusco for a weekend in Lima after spending just a day there. As I reached the bus terminal on foot, I came across groups of dancers dressed up in costumes, accompanied by marching bands, who caught my interest so I paused for a few minutes to snap some pics and videos of them.

Photo: El Señor de Huanca Banner
Photo: El Señor de Huanca Banner

Characterized by a pilgrimage of devotees from Cusco and other parts of Peru, and even from different countries including Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Chile, their primary goal during the El Señor de Huanca festival is to go to the Sanctuary of Huanca to receive blessings.

The sanctuary of the Lord of Huanca is located at 3,100 meters above the sea level in the foothills of the Pachatusan mountain in the district of San Salvador, province of Calca in the department of Cusco. I had my bus ticket booked for the day, so I did not participate past watching the promenade in front of the terminal.

Photo: The Lord of Huanca Procession Carrying the Image of Christ
Photo: The Lord of Huanca Procession Carrying the Image of Christ

The most devout do the pilgrimage to the sacred sanctuary on foot – a feast that takes around 6 hours, according to what I was told. Estimated 30,000 pilgrims make their way to the area each year.

Even though I haven’t been there, I understand that the Sanctuary of Huanca contains the stone painted with the motive a Christ overwhelmed by the lashes – the Lord of Huanca.

Photo: This Presumed Devotee Demanded Money for Forcing Himself Into My Picture
Photo: This Presumed Devotee Demanded Money for Forcing Himself Into My Picture

Origins of Faith in Huanca

There are two main stories of how devotion to the image of stone began.

The first story dates back to 1675. Diego, an Indian tired of the mistreatment by the Spaniards, escaped to Huanca and prayed all day so they would not find him. Then the image of the bloody Christ would appear before him. Amazed by the miracle, Diego sent a painter to that precise place to reproduce what he had seen. Where the stone was painted, a chapel was built that would later become the sanctuary.

Photo: Simulated Fight with Fake Penis Grab
Photo: Simulated Fight with Fake Penis Grab

The other version speaks of a Bolivian named Don Pedro Valero, who met a foreign doctor who, miraculously, saved him by giving him a water treatment. In return, the doctor, who responded to the name of Enmanuel, only asked Valero to visit him at his home in Huanca. Great was his surprise when, in 1778, he arrived at the place and the settlers told him that in that town there was nothing, just an abandoned chapel. Terco went to the designated place and found a stone painted with a whipped Jesus Christ. The incredible thing was that the face of the son of God was the same as the person who had healed him.

Here’s the video of the devotees dressed in costumes celebrating El Señor de Huanca with a dance in the street in front of the bus terminal in Cusco:

Touring Downtown Cusco Alone on Foot

After settling at Margarita Hostel on Avenida El Sol in Cusco, I went out to explore the city. Cusco is the most popular city in Peru as far as the number of tourists is involved, and notwithstanding the proximity to Machu Picchu, after a short period of time touring the city alone on foot, I was amazed by the fusion of the Andean and Spanish cultures in the middle of beautiful landscapes, with the abundance of historical buildings often built on bases and walls of ancient palaces and temples of the Inca Empire that seemed to be greeting me after every corner I took.

This is not surprising, as Cusco was the hegemonic center and the capital of the Inca Empire (locally known as Tahuantinsuyo), and the most important urban center of ancient Peru at the time.

Brief History of Cusco

The city, founded by the Inca Manco Cápac, was made up of large palaces, temples and courthouses, with streets and squares, surrounded by extensive areas for agriculture, crafts and pre-industrial production, reaching its greatest development during the reign of the Inca Pachacutec in the fifteenth century.

Photo: Statue of Inca Manco Capac on Top of Fountain at Plaza de Armas
Photo: Statue of Inca Manco Capac on Top of Fountain at Plaza de Armas

When the Spanish conquered the Inca Empire in 1534, they founded and built the Spanish city on Inca enclosures and buildings, which can still be seen.

Despite the passage of time, Cusco remains an attractive city for tourism and maintains a remarkable monumental ensemble and the coherence of its urban layout; its streets interspersed with the same magnetism, colonial constructions and Inca walls, churches and pagan temples, archaeological sites and rural haciendas.

Altitude of Cusco

Located in the Peruvian Andes at 3,400 meters above the sea level, which albeit being a few hundred meters below that of Puno, Cuzco is still at a high enough elevation to warrant caution and take the possibility of altitude sickness seriously. I felt partially acclimatized, having lived a week in Arequipa and three days in Puno.

Still, as I walked the sloped streets of Cusco, I was continuously reminded by the shortness of breath that the elevation I’m in is high and I need to be at minimum aware of it, if not taking active steps to alleviate its effects. Luckily, the occasional shortness of breath was the only effect of high altitude I have experienced, with other common symptoms, like the headache, overproduction of phlegm in the throat and nose, or even fever like symptoms completely avoiding me.

Touring Cusco’s Downtown Core

The Historical Center of Cusco has been continuously inhabited since before 1,400. A royal cedula of July 1540 refers to Cusco as “the very distinguished, very remarkable, loyal and very faithful City of Cusco, the main city and head of the kingdoms of Peru“.

Photo: Busy Traffic in Front of Convent of Santo Domingo in Cusco
Photo: Busy Traffic in Front of Convent of Santo Domingo in Cusco

From the records by some chroniclers, and from the latest satellite images, it is known that the first urban layout of the city had the shape of a puma.

The narrow cobbled streets, churches, old neighborhoods and colonial houses, as well as several archaeological monuments, are a sample of a mestizo culture that has survived time, invasions and natural disasters, and remains alive despite the passage of the centuries.

The Historic Center of Cusco, despite many historical events and natural disasters which occurred, is in an amazing state of preservation; and thanks to that, the City of Cusco was declared Cultural Patrimony of the Nation in 1983; the same year it would be declared a Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Cusco Massage Services

With Cuzco being as popular as it is with tourists, and with Avenida El Sol connecting directly to Plaza de Armas, it is expectedly replete with various travel agencies looking to score tourists’ dollars for themselves. The good thing about that is that they are a bountiful source of maps of Cuzco for those who don’t have MAPS.ME open source maps app on their smartphones.

As a backup, I always have the off-line map of the country I’m in downloaded on my phone, but where there is an opportunity to pickup a printout of a map, I do so, so as not to drain the phone’s battery by constantly looking at its screen.

Seeing as Plaza de Armas is just a short walk up Avenida El Sol from where my hostel was, I took the walk to snap a few pictures of the downtown square. The moment I reached Plaza de Armas, I was jumped by a swarm of women offering me massage services.

I was quoted prices around 50 Soles per hour, which albeit touted as a great price, is indeed no so great for anyone who’s had a massage in Asia.

Photo: One of Better Looking Baits for Massage Parlors Approached Me While Taking Photo of Plaza de Armas in Cusco
Photo: One of Better Looking Baits for Massage Parlors Approached Me While Taking Photo of Plaza de Armas in Cusco

At the time of my visit, 50 Soles equaled a little more than $15 US. You can get a 1 hour full body Thai massage for $5 in Thailand, 1 hour of full body Khmer massage for $4 in Cambodia, or 1 hour of full body general massage for $3 in the Philippines, and if that’s also your thing (such as it is mine), Asian girls are fit and attractive, whereas Peruvian women are overweight and generally lack in the overall corporal attraction level quite a bit.

So for me, getting an hour long massage for $15 US from a woman who’s at best a 3 or 4 was a no go. I’ll save getting massages for where they cost $5 or less and are given by girls who are a solid 8 or 9. I flirted with some of the girls offering massages in Cusco, but never ended up getting one.

Convent of Santo Domingo

I started my tour of downtown Cusco by visiting El Convento de Santo Domingo, because it was located directly on the opposite side of Avenida El Sol from Hostal Margarita. The convent of Santo Domingo is built on the foundations of the Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun).

Photo: Peruvians Baiting Tourists to Spend Money in Front of Convent of Santo Domingo
Photo: Peruvians Baiting Tourists to Spend Money in Front of Convent of Santo Domingo

Plaza de Armas

Cusco’s main square Plaza de Armas occupies the same place as the Plaza Huacaypata (Quechua for voice, moan or lament) that was drawn by Manco Cápac when he founded the city of Cusco in the 12th century. It was the place where the Inti Raymi – a religious ceremony in honor of the Son god – was celebrated in the time of the Incas.

Photo: Arches on Plaza de Armas with La Compañía de Jesús in Background
Photo: Arches on Plaza de Armas with La Compañía de Jesús in Background

From the arrival of the Spaniards it was somewhat diminished in its dimensions by the perimetric constructions, which adorn the square to this day, like the Cathedral, the Church of the Company, the portals, arcades and large houses. Today, the houses surrounding Plaza de Armas are homes to jewelers, travel agencies, tourist restaurants, massage parlors and other establishments catering primarily to foreigners. Strangely, there is no McDonald’s, KFC, Starbacks or the such at Cusco’s Plaza de Armas.

Photo: The Cathedral of Cusco Overlooks Plaza de Armas from Steps
Photo: The Cathedral of Cusco Overlooks Plaza de Armas from Steps

Jose Gabriel Condorcanqui Noguera, better known as Tupac Amaru II, the leader of a large Andean uprising against the Spanish, was executed at Plaza de Armas on May 18, 1781.

Cathedral of Cusco

The Cathedral of Cusco is a catholic temple built on what was the royal palace of the Inca Viracocha (Huiracocha). It was built with blocks extracted from an Inca site very close to Sacsayhuaman. Construction began in 1559 and was completed almost a century later.

Photo: Wide Angle Shot of La Catedral del Cusco
Photo: Wide Angle Shot of La Catedral del Cusco

Church of the Company of Jesus

Iglesia de La Compañía de Jesús is a colonial Jesuit Temple, built on the Royal Amarucancha Palace of Huayna Cápac in 1,571. It is said to be surrounded by labyrinths and secret passages, in which Notable characters of the conquest and Spanish colony were buried.

Photo: Church La Compañía de Jesús in Cusco, Peru
Photo: Church La Compañía de Jesús in Cusco, Peru

The Convent of La Merced

The building of El Convento de la Merced looks very much like El Convento de Santo Domingo (see above). Its almost rustic walls contrast very well with its beautiful columns and its baroque bell tower.

In the basements of the church are said to rest the remains of the Spanish conquistadors Diego de Almagro, Almagro El Mozo, and Gonzalo Pizarro.

Photo: Snake Decoration in Front of El Convento de la Merced in Cusco
Photo: Snake Decoration in Front of El Convento de la Merced in Cusco

San Pedro Market

From Plaza de Armas I walked on to Plaza de San Francisco, and from there along Calle Santa Clara to San Pedro market. The vendors sell fruits, dried nuts, health care products, and other items commonly found at markets in South America, though being so centrally located in Cuzco, the great part of the market was dedicated to selling overpriced handicrafts to unaware tourists.

Photo: Main Entrance to San Pedro Market in Cusco
Photo: Main Entrance to San Pedro Market in Cusco

As a matter of fact, pretty much everything was heavily overpriced in the market. Fruit availability was decent, but the prices excessive. However one stall, which sold dried fruits and nuts was worth it for me due to the availability of Brazil Nuts, Almonds and dried Figs. The prices weren’t the greatest, but I was more happy with the ability to buy healthy, non-perishables than anything else, so I adequately resupplied.

Photo: Santa Clara Arch on Way to San Pedro Market
Photo: Santa Clara Arch on Way to San Pedro Market

Opposite San Pedro market is Orion supermarket, where local mineral water in 2 liter bottles was sold for only 2.40 Soles. That was a great price in the country where a 2 liter bottle of ozone treated tap water normally costs 5 Soles (yes, Peru is expensive). So in spite of being generally pricey, this quality mineral water, which was also highly alkaline (PH 8.5) was available in Cuzco at a better price than treated tap water without any nutritious value in the rest of the country.

Short Stay

Overall, my introduction to Cuzco was OK. I got the feel of the city, got to know its vibe, got myself oriented in it pretty well, got to know where to find reasonably priced accommodation and where to purchase essentials for survival. But my initial trip to Cusco was not meant to last.

Photo: Convento de Santo Domingo at Night
Photo: Convento de Santo Domingo at Night

Upon my early morning arrival in Cuzco, I took advantage of a temporary promotion for return trips to Lima by the bus company Civa, who sold the return tickets for 90 Soles. Having chatted on the internet since arriving in Peru with a girl from Lima, and having arranged an opportunity to rent a room in an apartment owned by a Spanish woman living in Peru for 50 Soles a night, I combined all three to spend a weekend in Lima and return to Cuzco afterward to begin my trips to the sites of interest during weekdays, and not during overcrowded weekends.

There was more to explore in downtown Cusco, but I chose to return to the room in Margarita Hostel to spend the night, after which I was scheduled to take the 22 hours long bus ride back to Lima.

Bus Trip from Puno to Cuzco

After returning from the trip to pre-Inca ruins at Sillustani, where the sun was frying the visitors alive, I found myself back in Puno. I had my half trout meal for 8 Soles, and went to wait for the bus to Cusco (interchangeably spelled “Cuzco”) at the terminal.

Photo: The Last Picture of Puno and Lake Titicaca I Took Before Leaving
Photo: The Last Picture of Puno and Lake Titicaca I Took Before Leaving

Scheduled to leave Puno at 10pm, I had to withstand 4 hours of bone-chilling nighttime after the sun set at 6pm, before I got on the bus. Luckily, I had a pretty good seat, but was unfortunate to have a snorer right behind me. He made everything worse when he took his shoes off and his stinky socks turned the entire couch into a gas chamber for the rest of the trip.

We arrived in Cusco at 5am. The 7 hour journey was nothing fun, but was not that bad. Cusco, being also at high elevation, is likewise cold at night, but nowhere near Puno cold. I waited at the bus terminal until 6am, so I could walk the streets in search of a hostel during daylight.

Photo: Bronze Statue of Inca Chieftain Near Bus Terminal in Cuzco
Photo: Bronze Statue of Inca Chieftain Near Bus Terminal in Cuzco

A friend from Lima recommended me to check out Pariwana Hostel, so I looked it up on a map and headed there on foot. It took me about 30 minutes to cover the distance from the bus terminal to the downtown area, only to find out that Pariwana is unreasonably expensive for my taste, with beds in dorms shared among 12 people costing 35 Soles (around $10 US), while a room with a matrimonial bed cost 185 Soles (around $56 US) per night.

Similar to Miraflores in Lima, these are the type of prices I’d expect to see in Western Europe, not in South America. I turned on my heel and headed back down the streets in search of something more economical.

Photo: Selfie as Inca Warrior
Photo: Selfie as Inca Warrior

Eventually I booked a room in Hostel Margarita located on Avenida El Sol, which is the avenue leading all the way up to Plaza de Armas. At a cost of 30 Soles per night I was happy with the room, even though it did not have a private bathroom and the shared bathroom had no doors, so anyone could walk in on your showering at any time, and there was no toilet paper at all provided for use by the guests.

The hostel was also being repainted from the outside, so there was a lot of construction site type noise, but that only lasted during the day. At night, the hostel was reasonably quiet and I was able to get much needed sleep. I also liked that after truly freezing nights in Puno, the night in Cuzco, albeit still cold, was significantly less cold so I did not spend the entirety of it shivering.

Tour to Sillustani Pre-Inca Ruins Outside Puno

While my first night in Puno was plagued by cold and noise, the second one was just cold. But it got really cold. It was reasonably quiet in Hotel Inka Tours, which I desperately needed, but as the wind picked up at night, it got so cold, I could not stop shivering.

I concluded that I simply am not equipped for stay in such a cold place, and made the decision to leave after the second night. Puno was colder than I expected and I simply did not have warm enough clothes to handle the relentlessly cold nights.

I checked out of Hotel Inka Tours at 11am and headed for the bus terminal where I purchased a ticket to Cuzco on an overnight bus. Whereas several providers offered these trips, I specifically asked each one if they would hold my luggage until the bus’ departure at night, so I can go out and do some more exploring during the daytime.

Company Mer was happy to store my luggage until the departure so I bought the ticket with them, and proceeded to make arrangements to get me to the archeological complex of pre-Inka ruins at Sillustani.

Photo: Lama Used as a Lure in Front of House on Way to Silluani to Attract Tourist and Charge Them for Photos
Photo: Lama Used as a Lure in Front of House on Way to Silluani to Attract Tourist and Charge Them for Photos

Located on the shores of Lake Umayo in the Umayo Atuncolla district of the province of Puno, the near 40 kilometers long journey to the archeological site involved a bus to the access road from where I took a taxi to cover the last few kilometers.

Having passed by a number of traditional houses with llamas in front of them to attract tourists and charge them for taking pictures of the animals, I found myself at the entrance to Sillustani, which was likewise turned into a tourist trap with numerous sellers of overpriced handicrafts and high-cost bottled water. The use of bathrooms was also one of the most expensive in all of Peru. The entrance fee to the complex was 10 Soles.

Photo: Selfie at Lizard Chullpa
Photo: Selfie at Lizard Chullpa

Sillustani was used as a necropolis and is littered with “chullpas” – funerary towers built on the hill overlooking the Umayo lagoon. The location with breathtaking views of the lagoon would make for a captivating trip even if archeological sites are not your thing.

Chullpas of Sillustani

The chullpas are tower like structures built as tombs by the Qulla people, a subgroup of the Aymara indigenous nation, before they were conquered by the Incas, and later by the Spanish.

Photo: Set of Older Chullpas at a Further End of Sillustani
Photo: Set of Older Chullpas at a Further End of Sillustani

The majority of chullpas at Sillustani are circular and made of stones. In some, the archeologists found mummified bodies particularly well preserved thanks to the cold and dry climate of the Altiplano. The tombs also held ceremonial objects in gold, although the majority is believe to have been lost to grave robbers.

Photo: View of Lizard Chullpa from Location of More Remote Chullpa
Photo: View of Lizard Chullpa from Location of More Remote Chullpa

All Chullpas have a single, small door facing east. This direction has been symbolically chosen to represent the rebirth of the soul through the sunrise. The oldest Chullpas are said to have been built by the Pukara civilization at around 800 BC.

Photo: Ramp of Rocks Is Presumed to Have Been Used to Get Large Stones on Top of Chullpas
Photo: Ramp of Rocks Is Presumed to Have Been Used to Get Large Stones on Top of Chullpas

They are spread out across the hill, so even though I kept a decent pace without pausing for too long at any one structure, it took me an hour to get to all the main ones.

Lake Umayo

You can see the marshy side of Lake Umayo as soon as you enter Sillustani. But its true beauty does not reveal itself to you until you’ve climbed on top of the hill housing the Chullpas. With its flat-top island in the middle and steep cliffs on the fringe, the lake truly rewards the visitor braving the high elevation climb to Sillustani.

Photo: Flat Top Island on Lake Umayo
Photo: Flat Top Island on Lake Umayo

The 125 hectares large Umayo Island is called Intimoqo by the locals. There are diverse legends surrounding Laguna de Umayo, such as the one that says that its water is saltier because it is the tears of the princess Ururi, who poured them when losing her beloved. In the face of so much pain the Sun hid and there were years of drought and hunger, until their parents guilty of the drama, implored the return of the Sun, but their tears also arrived at the lagoon, making it saltier. After the return of the Sun, only the time and the less suffering of the people made it less salty, so that the fish returned and procreated.

Photo: Partially Collapsed Chullpa with Laguna de Umayo in the Background
Photo: Partially Collapsed Chullpa with Laguna de Umayo in the Background

What to Expect

The highest point of the area, according to the information I got from the locals, stands at 4,000 meters above sea level, which is a significant elevation so one should take precautions against possible altitude sickness. Having been built on a hill, the walking around Sillustani involves a lot of uphill trekking that is sure to get your heart pumping and lungs gasping for more air.

Photo: Lizard Chullpa Is The Most Iconic
Photo: Lizard Chullpa Is The Most Iconic

When I was there, the sun was blasting something intense, so making sure you put on sunscreen before heading to Sillustani. At that elevation you have 4 kilometers less of dense air blocking the sun rays compared to the sea level, but even though the temperature would not suggest it, the intensity of the rays is savage despite seeming that way.

Photo: Flowers Like This Surrounded with Thorny Spokes Can Be Found on Sillustani Hill
Photo: Flowers Like This Surrounded with Thorny Spokes Can Be Found on Sillustani Hill

A light jacket would also come in handy as once you reach the top of the hill, the wind really picks up. I did in in just a long sleeve shirt and was fine, but the biting wind would have been too much for a short sleeve.

Photo: Intiwatana - Ceremonial Circular Structure Build by the Incas
Photo: Intiwatana – Ceremonial Circular Structure Build by the Incas

Overall I found Sillustani overly touristy. The ancient structures were interesting, but for me the highlight were the views of the lagoon surrounding the hill on which the chullpas were built. Make sure you bring your own bottle of water so you’re not left having to buy the overpriced small bottles sold in the local shops lining the sidewalks of the village.

Photo: Chullpa with Umayo Island Inside the Lagoon
Photo: Chullpa with Umayo Island Inside the Lagoon