We arrived at Lima in the early afternoon. Because the next day we were traveling to Cusco we took it easy and just explored the city a little. Although Lima and Cusco are 45 minutes away in plane, there is a huge difference in not only temperature but altitude. Coming from Orlando, which is 82 feet above sea level, versus Cusco, which is 11,152 feet above sea level, one needs to get acclimated to the altitude because you will begin to feel short of breath, dizzy and fatigued. The city is mostly based on tourism so most the hotels provide oxygen masks and coca tea that helps with altitude sickness.
Throughout the week we visited many places, but I’ve picked my top ones to share with you.
1. Sacsayhuaman
After resting the first day we traveled to Sacsayhuaman, a city of Incan ruins near Cusco. It was filled with lots of rocks and lots of grass, but why I enjoyed this place was the abundant lamas to take pictures with. In addition, there were natural slides that have formed over the years and it was like a historic park.
2. Machu Picchu
After acclimating to the altitude, we began our adventure to the lost city of the Incas. Our tour guide picked us up at precisely 6:30 AM and we traveled by car 2 hours to the train station where then it took another hour to get to the city of Machu Picchu. Once we arrived at the town there was another bus that had to take us up a mountain and we had finally arrived. Walking through the mountains surrounded by the ruins took my breath away. We explored the city the entire day stopping and enjoying multiple photo sessions with lamas and the ruins. One thing I will say is yeah, it’s incredible but it is also a workout! There are many stairs and hills one must climb to get the perfect photo, but it is worth it.
3. Rainbow mountains
We had to wake up even earlier to hike these mountains because it is even further away from the city. Because we were there during the rainy season, it was around 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit. We were surrounded by snow, there were some serious winds, and the altitude was even higher! As we began the hike, they give the option of walking or riding a horse. In that cold and altitude, I was not about to walk. It took a lot of effort and oxygen to get to the top but unfortunately the fog and snow did not permit us to see any of the colors on the mountain. More than anything, I was just proud of myself for making it up there.
4. Parque del Amor
The last few days of our trip we spent by the beach in Lima. El Parque del Amor had to be my favorite place. It is filled with love quotes and benches made out of mosaics. It is a nice place to enjoy a coffee overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
edited by ku