Going Going Going and Cusco

The alarm went off at the crack of dawn once again, as it has done several times during this trip. I awoke and decided to skip the cold shower and instead sit outside to watch the sunrise to the sound of the roosters’ crow. It was time to leave Iquitos and although the experience hadn’t been exactly what I had imagine it would be, it was still an experience – a very interesting one – in fact, so I wanted to take a moment and take it all in. I wanted to breathe the jungle air once again, deeply and aware.

I walked to the airport because Juan lives really close. The sun had risen and I soon regretted skipping that shower.

After a delayed flight and a foodless morning I was back in Lima. I got off the plane and immediately had to find my way to the bus terminal. The tranquility of the jungle seemed already far behind. I was running to catch a bus to Cusco and it was a marathon from there on.

After 22 hours on a bus I arrived at Cusco().

Because of the celebration of the 100 years of discovery of Machu Picchu there were tourists and music at every corner. I could feel celebration all around.

I was in dire need of a shower, so before anything else I found a hostel with a “hot” shower. Although I learned, way in the beginning of my trip, that an actual hot shower is a luxury difficult to find for $10 a night.

Regardless, after the very needed shower I went out and walked around the city. The colonial architecture, the many churches and plazas and the booming commerce (mainly catering to tourists) make of this city a really vibrant one.

I walked around for most of the day along cobbled streets until there was nothing new to see. Cusco could easily lure me into its party atmosphere and it would have taken me a while to move on, so on a whim I purchased a train ticket and headed to Aguas Calientes, the nearest town to Machu Picchu, that same night. I picked up my pack and I was back on the road.

I arrived in Aguas Calientes around midnight. I caught up with some Korean friends I had met previously and we chatted for a few hours (hostelling is a very social activity). I slept for maybe three hours and awoke at four, before sunrise, to stand in line and get tickets for Machu Picchu. At around six o’clock I was on my way to the ancient Inca city, hiking alone up the steep trail as the sun started to show from behind the mountains.