The Peru trip turned out to be a perfect story arc. Before the trip, our expectations had been building up. We bought books about Peru’s history and booked several guided tours centering on the city of Cusco. On the first day, all our plans got punched in the face. We underestimated the impact of high altitude sickness. The 3,400 meters above sea level knocked three of us down on day one. Dizziness, headache, throwing up, panting, and feeling very tired accompanied us for three days. We had to cancel 2 out of 3 booked tours and rest in the hotel most of the time. Luckily, the sickness died down dramatically on the fourth day. We got up at 3:30am to meet our guide for the two-day Inca Trail hike. Despite losing sleep the entire night, I got up feeling energetic for the hike. We hiked 12 kilometers on the winding mountain trail at about 2,600 meters above sea level. We successfully arrived at Machu Picchu without any trouble. The scenery along the trail, and seeing Machu Picchu from three different angles — at the Sun Gate, in the valley, and finally in front of the stone walls — proved that all the sweat was totally worth it.
Cusco
The cup perfectly describes the first three days of our stay in Cusco. We didn’t stay in bed all the time and ventured out every day, but it was strenuous, not fun.
Night in the City Square
Sacsayhuamán
Dog
If you are a dog lover, you will appreciate the charm of South America. Unlike cities or suburbs in the USA, you’ll find dogs living a cozy life in towns and cities. They roam freely on the streets, sharing the road calmly with people and cars. You’ll see them lying under tables, on the grass, in the middle of the road, or on the stairs, taking a nap, undisturbed by any strangers. Sometimes they’ll just come up to you and let you pet them. Leash laws? Barking at strangers or other dogs? Those are so foreign to them. Heaven is already on earth, at least for them.
Food
Walking down the streets of Cusco, the smell from nearby restaurants always catches your attention. And the food tastes as great as the smell suggests. I think it’s heavily influenced by Spanish cooking. It just reminds me of my disappointment with the French and the Spanish. Why did you guys lose the French and Indian War? If you had won, I could enjoy better food in North America too.
Inca Trail
Machu Picchu
Final Thoughts
As I clean up photos and videos and write this blog, I can’t help having this surreal feeling. It might be that the modern city of Cusco was built on the ruins of the old one. Or it might be the ruins of Machu Picchu, which successfully hid themselves for centuries and then chose to reveal themselves to us. The parading locals are celebrating their version of the Catholic faith in their colorful clothes. You can’t deny the religion is Catholic, but you also notice that the black gorillas at the front never showed up in Seville or other Catholic cities. The old lady in traditional clothes and hat, holding an alpaca, wants to rent the alpaca to you for photos. You know she is a participant in the big tourism industry, but her hat, her clothes, the wrinkles on her face and hands, the alpaca — they are all as real as it gets. Somehow, the Inca, the Spaniards, 1532, 2026, the alpaca, Machu Picchu, all fell out of their own niches in time and space, into my dream. I know they are out of place, as I feel they are real.
Maybe the opening sequence of the 1972 movie Aguirre: The Wrath of God can help me share the surreal feeling with you.