luhnylife

We’re off to Peru. First Stop – Cusco!

EEEEK! We’re going to Peru!

I woke up stupid early today, of course. I had 20,000,000 things on the brain and could NOT calm down enough to go back to sleep. Funny enough, Matt got up shortly after I did. 

We drank some coffee, I started doing all the things, changing the sheets, watering the plants, laundry, finishing the Christmas cards…  Eventually, we headed to breakfast. 

 Then watching other people’s videos, a shower, and FINALLY! 

A smiling woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a gray sweater, posing with a man in an orange jacket, both carrying backpacks. The background features trees and a building.
Waiting for our Uber.

We got into our Uber and got to the airport, and between being dropped off and getting all the way through security was a whopping TWELVE minutes. Nuts. Then we went down the escalator and walked right onto the little train and directly to the Capital One lounge… Where they told us there was a fifteen minute wait that was really only ten. Damn, this is starting off well….

A smiling couple sitting in airplane seats, with cabin interior visible in the background.
Flight number one.

Leg one was uneventful, we landed in Houston and had plenty of time to find our next gate. The flight to Bogotá wasn’t bad, with the exception of the flight attendants saying we were having a medical emergency about an hour in and asking for doctors or nurses… Apparently whatever it was got resolved, because we didn’t hear anything else about it. The rest of the flight was fine, complete with dinner at around 1:00 in the morning… Matt liked it, I didn’t…

We landed in Bogotá and found the Priority Pass lounge, and had coffee. One more hop!

View from an airplane window during landing, featuring dark clouds and a colorful sunset with city lights visible below.
We landed in Bogotá right as the sun was starting to rise.

We headed to our gate and got there, 45 minutes before our flight, in time to hear “last boarding call…” WTF??? We showed our passports and boarding passes and got on a bus, which proceeded to take us way far away to another whole parking area for planes at the airport. For a minute I wondered if we were being kidnapped… I joke. But still. We ARE in Colombia…

Ha that was an experience. After being driven around for about 10 minutes, we got to our plane and got aboard. Another pretty easy, uneventful flight, and we were descending into Cusco. 

This was another beautiful landing. The deep Andean valleys, which were a stark brown, contrasted with the green down in the valleys… And as we got closer to the airport, we started seeing the colorful rooftops of the buildings around the city… Beautiful!

View from an airplane window showing rugged mountains and valleys below with a plane wing in the corner, indicating descent into Cusco, Peru.
An airplane wing with a logo flying above a colorful landscape of houses and hills in Cusco, Peru.
Landing in Cusco.

We got off the plane and went through customs. I don’t understand why there’s never a bathroom before you have to stand in that line. I SO had to pee!

Customs went easily, I found a bathroom, we found a taxi, and got to our hotel – the Pumamarca Guest House. It’s on this narrow street, just a random door in a wall, that opens up into a courtyard type area where three buildings are all kinda bunched up on each other… So cool. Our host took us up to our room and we laid down for an hour (I insisted, we were so damned tired) and at least tried to sleep a bit. I was so wired that sleep didn’t exactly come, but it was nice to get horizontal for a bit. 

Then, we went exploring. The squares are awesome, the churches are beautiful, and the streets are narrow. The first street we walked on, you literally had to turn sideways so the car mirrors didn’t hit you as they went by. Nuts!

Narrow cobblestone street in Cusco, Peru, lined with whitewashed buildings featuring blue accents.
A colorful, narrow staircase leading up a street in Cusco, Peru, flanked by textured walls painted in vibrant hues of pink and orange, with traditional stone steps.
Narrow, narrow streets.

We found plenty of cool buildings to look at and sights to see… This is an old city, with the churches dating back to the 1500’s, I think. Tomorrow, we will go inside some of them and check out their adjacent museums. 

A historic church building in Cusco, Peru, featuring ornate architectural details, bell towers, and a green entrance, surrounded by people and benches in a plaza.
A close-up view of a historic building entrance in Cusco, Peru, featuring a large green wooden door adorned with decorative brass knobs, framed by intricate stone architecture.
Front view of a historic church in Cusco, Peru, featuring two bell towers and a decorative facade, with people and cars around.
Churches.

We stumbled into a little place for lunch after wandering around and being accosted from every direction by people trying to get us into their restaurants. We didn’t want a ton of food, but we were pretty hungry. 

The place we went was called Mera. We had ceviche (trout – YUM) and this charcoal yucca that I’m still not sure what it was. Pretty tasty, though. 

After eating, we made our way back to the hotel and showered and chilled out for a bit before going back out for dinner. 

Matt had seen a sign outside a little bar that advertised the soccer game between Peru and Argentina, and we thought it would be fun to go there for dinner during the game. We’ve had good luck with soccer in South American countries. 

We somehow found that place again, and it turned out that it was a hotel lobby with a “to go” food cooler and a tv. And not a soul in it. We decided to go back to the sports bar – La Fabrica – that we had seen and watch the game there instead. 

WORTH IT! It was loud, it was lively, and the food was great! We sat in a booth that was contained in a glass partition type thing that you could close the door to if you wanted… Super cool! We tried the Cusqueña Negra beer and then the Dorada, and they were both quite good – I hadn’t had a good, dark, malty beer like that Negra in a long time. They ran out, so we had the Dorada second, and it was good too. And the lomo saltado that I ate was out of this world! I guess it could have been because it was the first real meal we’d had in over 24 hours, but…

A close-up image of a bottle of Cusqueña Negra dark lager beer on a wooden table, with a brick wall in the background.
A plate featuring grilled beef topped with sauce and vegetables, accompanied by white rice and French fries.
Food and beer. Necessary after a day like today.

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and passed out.

I didn’t sleep the best, my head kinda ached and I think I was just over tired… And I woke up at some god-awful early hour like 5:06 am or something… Ugh. I read a book in bed for a while and finally about 8:00, Matt woke up. 

We went up to breakfast and ate, and figured out what to do with ourselves for the day. I’d made a map of places I thought would be cool to go to and I pulled it up and we headed off after brushing our teeth and stuff. 

We headed out and up. And up, and up, and UP. Holy shit, we were effectively doing a stairmaster at 11,000 ft. We were heading up to a supposedly beautiful view of the city, and boy did we have to climb to get up there! 

At one point, the road we were supposed to take was closed, and I was rethinking the whole thing, when a local came out and asked if we were going to see the Cristo Blanco. That was, indeed, what we were headed up to see… The guy assured us it wasn’t too much further, and up we went some more. 

The view from up there was amazing. Cusco isn’t a huge city, and from our vantage point we could see the main square and all the little streets that wind around through town. The statue of the White Christ was kinda cool, too. Guess I’m gonna have to do a little research on it. Anyway, it was interesting. 

Statue of Cristo Blanco with outstretched arms against a cloudy sky in Cusco, Peru.
A large white statue of Christ with outstretched arms, against a cloudy sky.
Cristo Blanco.

We headed back down the road and ended up on someone’s driveway with a pretty deep creek at the end of it – thanks, Google maps! Luckily, we saw a bridge down the way a little but and managed to get across. 

We ended up at one of the national parks in the area, or rather an Inca sight of some sort – Saqsayhuman. It was super cool looking from where we were, but it cost some money to get in and the pass allowed us entry into four different parks. The guy at the ticket office said it would take about four hours to see all the things, so we decided to wait and go to all the parks when we get back from Machu Picchu. 

Close-up of an ancient stone wall with large, precisely shaped stones in Cusco, Peru.
Close-up of a massive stone wall made of large, interlocking stones, showcasing the intricate masonry typical of Inca architecture.
These stones have been in place for thousands of years. SO cool.

We wandered our way back down into town and found ourselves being accosted again by a guy in the Plaza de Armas to go eat at his restaurant. We said what the hell and he led us into an alley, through another courtyard type thing with several buildings around it, up some stairs, and into the restaurant. It’s no wonder they try to grab you on the square. There’s no way you’d ever find the entrance without being shown. 

Close-up of colorful handmade yarn decorations, featuring various vibrant pom-poms and tassels in shades of purple, red, blue, yellow, and green, displayed against a blue background.
Colorful yarn balls in shades of pink, green, orange, and brown hanging on a decorative string, with a rustic wooden background.
A stone church with a bell tower located on a hillside, surrounded by green grass and trees under a partly cloudy sky.
Narrow cobblestone street in Cusco, Peru, lined with whitewashed buildings and colorful rooftops in the distance.
A narrow cobblestone street with steps leading up, flanked by whitewashed buildings and dark stone walls, under a cloudy sky.
A narrow cobblestone street in Cusco, Peru, lined with white-walled houses and flower pots, leading downhill with a view of the city and mountains in the distance.
A cobblestone street in Cusco, Peru, with colorful flower pots lining the sides and a view of the city below. The scene captures traditional architecture and the surrounding mountains.
More town wandering.
A view of a large historical building with ornate architecture in Cusco, Peru, surrounded by rooftops of the city.
The view of the plaza from the restaurant.

Lunch was AMAZING. We had more ceviche, as well as some snacks – some papas rellenas and some fried cheese type things with guac that were to die for. And I finally got my pisco sour. YUM!

A vibrant plate of ceviche featuring salmon chunks, garnished with fresh lettuce, onions, and edible flowers, surrounded by a mix of vegetables and accompanied by a side of traditional corn.
A plate of golden empanadas arranged in a circular pattern around a small bowl of guacamole, accompanied by a side salad and two bread rolls.
A plate with two golden-compressed balls, likely a type of fried snack, served with a fresh salad of onions and lettuce.
A beautifully presented pisco sour cocktail garnished with a flower, sitting on a table with a view of a town square and cloudy sky in the background.
Ceviche, papas rellenas, and pisco sour at Mechita.

When we’d finished eating, we went back to the Mercado San Pedro, which we saw yesterday but didn’t go in. We went in today – wow. There was everything from shit shacks with crappy souvenirs to whole pigs and chickens to fruits and grains and everything in between.  We weren’t there too long, but it sure felt like we were in the thick of it. 

Pigs wrapped in plastic displayed at a market.
A colorful display of tropical fruits and packaged goods at a market in Peru, featuring bananas, papayas, apples, and pineapples alongside various coca products and drinks.
A cheese stall at a market in Peru, featuring various types of stacked cheeses and vendors in white aprons attending to customers.
All kinds of stuff at the market.

We took a different way back to the hotel and bought some pineapple from a street vendor – my mother would FREAK between all the raw fish we’ve been eating and then the street food! That pineapple was to die for, though!

Back at the hotel, we chilled out for a while before showering and heading to dinner. 

A historic church in Cusco, Peru, featuring intricate architecture and twin towers, surrounded by people and greenery in a lively square.
A cobblestone street in Cusco, Peru, lined with rustic buildings featuring traditional architecture and colorful doorways under a cloudy sky.
A narrow street in Cusco, Peru, lined with colorful buildings and string lights, featuring signage for local businesses.
Narrow street in Cusco, Peru, featuring steps leading up, stone walls, and potted plants along the sides.
Evening walk to dinner.

Dinner was at the Limbus Restobar. It was up a hill and had another amazing view of the city. We ate out on the balcony and watched the lights come on in the city – it was beautiful! We sampled some of the local beer (Bardock Beer Company ) – an IPA for me (it was actually a REAL IPA!) and a pale for Matt.  My mac and cheese with grilled shrimp was delicious, and so was Matt’s chicken fried chicken-type thing and pasta. 

A panoramic view of Cusco at dusk, showcasing the city's rooftops and hills illuminated by lights against a twilight sky.
The view from the restaurant.

We made it through dinner and one beer and were done. We managed to get back to the hotel shortly before the skies opened up all the way – it was raining a little, but we didn’t get THAT wet. 

We were in bed stupid early, but whatever. Tomorrow, we board the first train of the trip!

Here’s the video:

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luhnylaura
We live the most amazing life. The things we’ve gotten to do, the places we’ve gotten to go, the people we’ve gotten to know along the way…
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