Peru Travel Diary Part 1

8.9. 21:45
Wow. Four days ago I arrived in Peru and only now is the first time I feel like writing. There are too many ups and downs keeping me from it. It’s so unbelievable what I’m doing here. It’s been only four days, but it feels like an eternity. It’s incredible what you can experience in four days. Let’s start at the beginning.

Most of you know how long I’ve been dreaming of coming here. My flight to Lima was from Barcelona, and because it is a very expensive city, I decided to do Couchsurfing. While the original app is now only available with a fee, there are free alternatives and I found someone who hosted me through BeWelcome. He was a really nice and chill guy; we had great conversations and the next morning I left for the airport. After the security check, I looked for a place to charge my mobile devices. I found a workspace where some people were already seated and sat across from a guy. I needed to change my SIM card and struggled a bit to open it. He saw it out of the corner of his eye, started smiling and we started talking. It turned out that he would take the same flight as me. So we talked for hours and hours until it was finally time to board the plane. We were both very excited, me for the next step of my life and he because he would visit his family after not seeing them for years. It was a great feeling to share the excitement.

13 hours later, we arrived in Lima. It was my first long-haul flight in 6.5 years and the first time I had to queue for immigration again, my European passport not giving me an advantage this time. I have to say that the flight was way more comfortable than I thought it would be, considering I chose Level, the low-cost daughter company of Iberia. They even gave a blanket and headphones for free. I knew food wasn’t included in my low-fare ticket, so I came prepared. I got more than enough, I actually even have some leftovers right now.

Before my arrival, I arranged to stay with someone from the peace organisation I’ve been involved in for many years. She told me to take an Uber, but I chose the public bus to an area not too far from her, and took an Uber from there. She was very relieved that I took the Uber at least for the last bit. She is my mother’s age and I could feel she was very worried about my safety. Finally, I arrived and we met in person after speaking over WhatsApp for months. Her husband also made a short appearance; he had to wake up early the next day. She and I talked for hours and hours until I finally went to rest. The next morning I woke up earlier than the alarm I had set to go have breakfast with her. I’m so grateful I never experience jetlag. I don’t know why, but as soon as I’m in a new time zone, I’m adjusted. I often say that I’m a chameleon.

We went to an incredibly beautiful place with a nice view and I had my first Peruvian breakfast, which tasted delicious. The view was stunning and I couldn’t stop smiling. Before we left, I starred out from the balcony for a long time, just watching the people and traffic on the streets and processing that I was finally here. After so many years of wanting this. I just couldn’t stop smiling.

After breakfast, we took a nice long walk before going back home because she and her husband were invited to lunch. They left me the keys and told me to just leave them inside when I would leave and that I could take anything I wanted from the fridge. We said goodbye, knowing that we would see each other again in a couple of weeks, when I would take my flight from Lima to Mexico City. Ever since then, she keeps checking in on me. I feel like I find a mom in every place I go and I think that is so beautiful when my own mom and I are separated by countless kilometres.

I went out to have lunch at a cute little place. I have to say (and I knew this before through my Latino friends) that it’s not easy to find a place with vegetarian options. Then it was time for me to go back to the airport to catch my flight to Cusco. At first, I also wanted to do Couchsurfing and I even found someone who would have hosted me last minute. But as always, I want to be honest and not only share the good and fun sides. I started to have a lot of pain due to a bladder infection I’ve been having for quite some time now. I haven’t been to a doctor because I was hoping it would resolve itself and I was in preparation mode for my trip. There were also a few days where it was good, so I hoped that I wouldn’t need one. People who know me know how much I avoid taking pain medication, but this time I had to make an exception and I took one ibuprofen. Because I was in so much pain, I decided to book an accommodation, even though I wanted to avoid spending money on accommodations. The first one didn’t respond and it was already 9 p.m. when I arrived in Cusco, so I booked a different one. I was in too much of a bad mood to be bothered by public transport, so I chose to take an Uber to the accommodation.

The next day, I was better, but I knew it was probably time to see a doctor to get antibiotics, even though I had never taken them before (I got one shot one time for my foot injury in Bali). You can imagine how desperate I must have been. First, though, I went to the nearby market to have breakfast and was surprised how it worked. There were benches in two rows in front of the market booth that sold food and you ate it right there. I ordered arroz con huevo, which was rice, potatoes, vegetables and egg and a very common breakfast in Peru. I also got Inca Kola, which was recommended to me, but I have to say I didn’t like it; it contained way too much sugar (and I love sugar). It even had a label saying, “high in sugar, don’t consume excessively”. Then the lady also offered me Mate (a hot yerba infusion), something I would never refuse. I paid € 2,5 for everything.

Then I made my way to a doctor to see if I could get a prescription, but unfortunately they wanted to charge me € 75 and I didn’t want to pay that much just for a prescription. So I decided to just ask in a pharmacy and see if I could get it without one. I didn’t, but she gave me two other medications, which I’m taking now and so far I’m luckily pain free. I am a bit afraid, though, that it won’t last because according to AI it’s only treating the symptoms and not the cause. Meanwhile, I did see other pharmacies in less busy streets that seemed “shady” enough to sell antibiotics without a prescription. I asked in one but they only had that type of antibiotics that wouldn’t help for my case (amoxicilin). Later that day, I still met the guy from Couchsurfing just to hang out and it was a great idea, because he was able to show me places no tourist would ever find.

We spent the whole day together and I walked about 20 kilometres that day. I really admire my body for being able to walk that much less than 24 hours after my arrival in a town with 3,500 metres of altitude. The only thing I noticed was that I needed more breaks going upstairs (and most of the path was upstairs), but other than that I was completely fine. I didn’t bring food or enough water because I didn’t know that he would take me to even higher places. Hungry and thirsty, I followed him around until we finally arrived back in the city centre in the evening. I was so hungry that I got the next best thing, some sort of corn with vegetables (including algae) from the street. It was alright, but not a dish I would try again.

The next day I had my organisation day. First, I went to a police station to get my clean criminal record, which I need for a volunteer position I applied to. It wasn’t easy as a foreigner, but I managed. Then, I got a SIM card to have internet and again, it was very complicated, because of a new law they made this year in Peru, that prohibits selling SIM cards to foreigners. By coincidence, I did find a shady place that sold me one by having it in their name and giving it to me. Later, I even found an ATM that would allow me to get cash with my digital card. I’ve been looking for this ever since I noticed that most of the places only accept cash and if they accept cards, they add a 5 % commission. But unfortunately, most of the ATMs don’t have NFC yet. With my physical cards I also have to pay a lot of fees, so I was really happy when I finally found this ATM.

When I finished all my organisational things, I went to a museum. Honestly, it wasn’t very special. I was expecting more after reading the reviews on Google and didn’t think the entrance fee was worth it. Then I had lunch and on my way back to the accommodation, I passed by a Plaza where they did a lot of traditional dances. I stopped for a while to watch.

Finally, I went back and on my way I stopped by one of the street vendors who makes fresh orange juice. One bottle costs 5 Sol, which is about € 1,3. I bought one in the morning, but I only had 10 Sol and they didn’t have change. So I told them to leave it and that I would come back in the afternoon to get another bottle. He remembered me and smiled when I finally got it. Then I rested a bit before going out one more time to buy a few groceries for the next day, when I would go to Aguas Calientes, the town next to Machu Picchu. Because the train ticket is super expensive (150€ back and forth!!), I decided to do the cheap alternative, which was a 15€ bus to a town called Hidroeléctrica (I thought that’s a type of vehicle when I first heard it) and walk the remaining 10 kilometres to Aguas Calientes.

I’m glad I also walked more than 10 kilometres that day to be prepared. The next day it was time for the big journey. On my way I met a nice couple from France, who was about to do the same. Together we hopped on the 7-hour bus ride and then started our walk. They told me that they’ve already been at Machu Picchu a few days before but the weather was so bad, they wanted to try again. They didn’t have tickets though, and to my surprise they told me that you could get one for the next day because it was low season. The guide confirmed that and they all told me I could get a second ticket for the same day. There are about 8 different routes, so I thought why not, I’d probably never come here again. I’m really grateful I met them because talking with them made the 3-hour walk to Aguas Calientes way shorter than it probably would have felt by myself.

We went straight to the ticket center after arriving and joined a huge queue. Finally, we were all able to get tickets and happy, they went to their accommodation whilst I prefered to eat first. I found a really good place with lots of vegetarian options and not too pricey in comparison with the other restaurants. The staff was super super friendly; they chatted a lot with me. On my way to the accommodation, a guy from a restaurant who first tried to get me to eat there, started talking with me. He had a very friendly, open charakter, so I gave him my Instagram when he asked for it.

I’m glad I booked a hostel for those two nights, because although I usually like to have my own room, I met a wonderful fellow-traveller from Argentina. We hit it off from the very first second and had a great, but short time, before going to sleep. I also met the guy from the restaurant and had my first date with a Peruvian. So many things were happening in one day!

The Argentinian girl recommended her guide to me, and after talking with her and the French couple, I realised how special Machu Picchu really is, and that I shouldn’t save money here. So I contacted the guy and booked a private tour with him. A contributing factor was that the second ticket I got was only available for 9 a.m. and the first one I already had was for 7 and it was the longest route. I only booked the 9 a.m. one because the vendor said that it was ok to be 45 minutes late. The tour guide, though, promised that he would handle everything, so we wouldn’t have to rush through the first tour. It’s 22:54 now, so it took me an hour to write these lines. Now it’s time to sleep because I have to wake up at 5 a.m. tomorrow for my Machu Picchu tour. I know future me will appreciate the effort. This diary is not only for you, but mainly for myself, to not forget all the details of my travel adventures.

10.9. 7:25
I’ve been to Machu Picchu! It feels like a dream. How fast did the time go by? I booked my tickets in May and now I was actually there! I woke up early yesterday and the guide picked me up at the hotel at 6 a.m. and we made our way to the bus. My friend who I met in the hostel the previous day came along because she had the same tour. There was already a huge line at the bus stop, but we didn’t have to wait too long. We used the time to eat some of the breakfast the hostel prepared for us. A guy scanned our tickets and checked our passports. I told him that I had two tickets close together and he said that it’s best to let them scan both tickets right away at the entrance of Machu Picchu, so they would let me in if I’d arrive late for the second route. About half an hour later, we arrived at the entrance of Machu Picchu. Right at 7 a.m. they started scanning and, as told, I showed the guy both tickets, but he didn’t seem to care. He said he was only responsible for route 3 and not for 1, which was my second entrance. So my guide told me to give him my passport and tickets and that I should wait for him. I did as told and a few minutes later he came back and said all was fine. He talked to the guy at the other entrance and they kept my ticket there, so later I would only have to show my passport. With everything being sorted out, we started our tour. My friend was already on her way; we said we would catch up on the mountain Wayna Picchu, which was included in our ticket. The guide started the tour and explained a lot. I was glad, I ended up deciding to do it with the guide because there’s no single sign with explanations.

When we arrived at the entrance to the mountain, he said he would wait for me at the main entrance until I came back. I had to sign the log book (again, they checked the ticket and passport as everywhere). It was 8:15 and I started the climb. I’ve been on many hikes, but this one was truly challenging. A lot of steep stairs, often with nothing to hold on to. I’m sure that in Europe it wouldn’t be safe enough for that to be allowed. As always on hikes, I was super fast, but I did have to take many breaks like anyone who was going up.

About 15 minutes from the top, I met my friend. She said that she signed the log book at 7:55, 20 minutes before me. We walked together for a little bit before I continued to climb by myself. I knew I could be late for the second entrance, but I didn’t want it to be too late. On the top of the mountain (2.693 m) I met a breathtaking view. I rested for a bit, had breakfast and took some pictures. My friend came too, we took one together and then I started my way back at 9:05, 15 minutes after I arrived at the top.

Obviously, going down was faster. On my way I met four girls from the U.S. who asked me how much more they still had to go. I told them the truth, that they weren’t even halfway and they shared that they didn’t have water, so I offered them some of mine, even though I didn’t have a lot left myself. They didn’t want to take it at first, but I insisted. They even offered to pay me, but obviously I wouldn’t accept it. I told them they would really need it. Two fellow tourists heard what was going on and gave them a spare bottle they had. The girls thanked us and said now they couldn’t give up, they had to reach the top for me and asked my name. I answered and they shouted, “We’ll do it for Karoline!”. I smiled and continued my descent. I made it to the checkpoint at 9:31 and let the guide know that I’d probably be at the main entrance in 15 minutes. I made it in 10 and was on time for my second entrance to route 1A (the ticket was for 9 a.m. with 45 minutes of tolerance). We started the route and the guide gave me a lot of insights. We took our time because I had nowhere to get to anymore today.

The route 1A included the mountain Machu Picchu, but they only allowed people to enter until 10 a.m. and we took until 11:15. But my guide talked to one of the workers and he let me enter the way to the Inka gate, which was about a 700-metre ascent and was also already closed at that time. Overall, there weren’t many people at all, and the weather was stunning. Sometimes I wonder why I always get so lucky when I travel, keeping in mind that the couple I met yesterday was doing a second attempt because they couldn’t see anything. Maybe it’s karma. I picked up some pieces of trash other tourists left as I walked through the famous Inka town.

I was already very hungry and walked a bit slower now. Surprisingly, my feet weren’t hurting as I continued to climb more stairs. I reached the gate at 12:15 and got to see Machu Picchu from the other side. Another stunning view of the 600-year-old Inka town. I made a lunch break and finally decided to go back. Around 1 p.m. I was back at the main entrance and entered the huge queue for the bus back to Aguas Calientes. The line moved fast. I spent about five hours at Peru’s most famous tourist attraction and tried to process what I’ve just seen and learnt. How lucky and privileged I was to be able to see and do that. My guide told me that I was the first Austrian he had and at the checkpoint in Hidroeléctricas, I was told there hadn’t been an Austrian in over a month.

Back at the hostel, I reunited with my friend. I quickly sent some pictures to family and friends, had a short call with my younger sister and went to lunch with another girl from our room. Later, I went out for a drink with the couple I met on my way to Aguas Calientes and my new Argentinian friend joined us, as did the tour guide we had at Machu Picchu. We didn’t stay out long, knowing that the following day we had to walk the 10 kilometres back to Hidroeléctrica to take the bus to Cusco.

The next day, the girls from my room and I had breakfast together and we said goodbye until we would meet back in Cusco. Then I joined the couple and we made our way to Hidroeléctrica. I was afraid that this time it would feel very long, but in fact, the two and a half hours went by super fast. It wasn’t long until we sat on the bus back to Cusco. This time, the ride was a bit tough because we sat in the last row and there wasn’t a lot of air coming in. I wasn’t able to sleep at all and arrived seven hours later super tired in Cusco. I still had a meeting for a volunteer position I got accepted for and went to sleep right after. Tomorrow I will rest a bit and organise a few things and on Saturday I will go to Rainbow Mountain. I’m way busier than I thought I’d be and barely had time to work on my projects. But I know there are a lot of places I’ll never see again, so I know it’s more important to enjoy and explore everywhere I go. Still, I’m looking forward to when I’ll be in one place for at least two weeks to have some sort of routine and get some things done.