Cusco and Rainbow Mountain

Highlights:
- Really nice small hostel, with our room looking out over Cusco, and free coca tea at all times which helped with the altitude
- Josh went to watch the football which was a bit dead but he enjoyed, and he also enjoyed watching a lot of football on TV too!
- Serena did a chocolate bean to bar workshop which she enjoyed, and kindly shared the finished product with Josh!
- We got some tips off from a lovely local woman who used to be a tour guide before having her baby - Serena was handed the baby to help the woman get her on her back to be held!
- Booking the Inca trail and Machu Picchu trek through WhatsApp and meeting the man in the park to hand over lot of money for it - felt very dodgy but worked out great!
- Hiking up rainbow mountain which was our highest yet at just over 5,000m - we managed with the altitude surprisingly well and it was a beautiful mountain
- Hiking the other side of rainbow mountain in the red valley which was absolutely stunning, and we had the trail to ourselves!
- Free walking tour around Cusco which was interesting and we bumped into people we met a couple weeks before which was a nice surprise
- We had dinner and drinks (pisco sours of course) with people we met in Costa Rica which was fun

Lowlights:
- We expected it, but rainbow mountain felt extremely touristy with a long line to take photos and lots of people
- Not really a lowlight, but a very stressful time rushing around trying to buy lots of souvenirs to send home before the post office closed on the day we left!

Food and drinks:
- Some good menu of the day places where we tried some more local food, including quinoa soup which was so tasty and healthy, and definitely one to recreate at home
- Delicious alpaca with a side of risotto for Serena and a wood fire cooked pizza for Josh one night, and alpaca stroganoff and alpaca in mushroom sauce another, both at a cost restaurant right near our hostel
- We went to a nice cafe with views over Cusco and had hot chocolate and juice
- Delicious crêpes for dinner (Josh was sensible and had savoury, Serena had banana, chocolate and coconut - when on holiday!)
- We bought chocolate bars from a shop, one with cacao nibs and the other with quinoa that was like rice crispies - both really tasty
- Serena had a sweet tamal from a street food stand which was delicious and extremely cheap, and we tried lucuma (a type of fruit that tastes nutty) chip ice cream
- We ate shepherd's pie at an Irish pub which was not quite like home, but good enough to satisfy a craving!Meer informatie