Cusco and Machu Picchu

After an overnight bus from Puno we arrived in Cusco just in time to watch the second Ireland and Australia rugby match at 5 am. Since they won we decided to treat ourselves to a nice breakfast. As we walked through the main plaza we saw multiple dance groups practicing their dance routines in preparation for the Inti Raymi festival the following weekend. We were amazed to see them still practicing an hour and a half later after we had finished our breakfast. Peru were playing their first World Cup soccer match that day against Denmark. Peru haven't played in the World Cup since 1958 so there was plenty of excitement around the city. There was a big screen erected in the main plaza to show the match and the plaza was packed with supporters. Although Peru lost the game 1:0 it was very exciting being part of the supporters cheering on Peru.

Una and Eadaoin decided that they wanted to do Machu Picchu four day jungle trial the following day however Rob and I wanted another day of rest before doing the trial so we said "hasta luego" to the girls the following morning at 7am and rolled over back to sleep for another few hours. When we got up Rob and I listened to Clare Limerick hurling Munster semi final while watching the World Cup games. After Clare won Rob was in a great mood for the day so we visited the chocolate museum. We learned about how chocolate is made from start to finish and then got a chance to taste weird flavours such as salted chocolate, quinoa chocolate and 100% dark chocolate. It was nice to taste these flavours however I think I'll stick with normal milk chocolate.

We booked our jungle trial with Ecopacker travel which included mountain biking, white water rafting, 20km hike and zip lining before ending on Machu Picchu. There was only ourselves and another couple from the Netherlands on the first day so it was quite a small group. The mountain biking started from the snowy part of the mountain and ended in the jungle. It was all downhill which was fun however as we had just cycled down Death Road, cycling on a tarmacked road didn't feel as exciting although the scenery was very pretty to look at. On the second day we did the 20km hike through the jungle. We started at 7am and didn't reach our next hostel until 6:30pm so we were all wrecked. It was interesting to learn about different fruits from the forest and also we saw where coffee and coca plants are grown. The day felt very long and we were delighted to finally reach our hostel for the night. On day three we were joined by another couple from Venezuela who were only doing a three day trip. We went ziplining in the morning but Ecopackers Travel had booked a separate zip lining company for Rob and I so we went to a different place. We weren't very happy with this because the company had not told us that we were not going to be doing all of the activities with our group. Eventually when we met back up with our group we walked four hours along railway tracks around the base of the mountain that Machu Picchu is located. It was cool trying to look up to the top of the mountain in an attempt to get a glimpse of Machu Picchu.

Day four was the best day of the trip as it was the day we eventually got to visit Machu Picchu. We woke at 4am and waited in line for the bus up to the entrance. It was breathtaking to see the famous Inca site when we finally entered the national park. We went down to a viewpoint waiting for the sun to rise. It was winter solstice so as the sun rose the sunlight aligned through a window passage similar to in Newgrange. This was beautiful to see. Our guide then gave us a tour of the site explaining how it was built and why the Inca's picked this mountain to base their site. I found the tour very interesting as I didn't know much about the Inca's prior to the tour. After the tour Rob and I hiked up Machu Picchu mountain for a higher view over the Inca site. This hike was very difficult as it was very hot and there was not much shade to rest in however it was worth it to see the stunning view when we eventually reached the top of the mountain. After having a final wander around Machu Picchu we headed back to Cusco on the train from Aguas Caliente. I wasn't overly impressed by the tour as we have biked and ziplined in nicer places on this trip (I know I've been spoilt) however I did not expect to be as amazed by Machu Picchu as I was. It has definitely been a highlight of Peru.

The next few days we relaxed and watched the World Cup matches. The festival that was on for the weekend was called Inti Raymi. There was a parade to celebrate the sun Gods and is every year around the winter solstice. The days leading up to Inti Raymi there was multiple street dance competitions and drumming parades. The winner of this competition then gets to perform again during the Inti Raymi ceremony. I really liked Cusco it was a very pretty city and plenty of places to lookout over the city. The festival ensured that there was always a buzz around the city and since Peru were playing in the World Cup there was a party atmosphere in the city. Eadaoin and Una loved the city so much they decided they wanted to stay longer and applied for a job behind the bar in the Wild Rover Hostel. They got the job which was brilliant but it meant we had to say goodbye sooner than expected. I'm going to miss having the girls around however we have had some amazing experiences and memories together from the trip.Baca selengkapnya