Cusco 2.0

After my first visit to Cusco a few weeks ago I was happy that coming back here now I didn't really have to worry about the altitude anymore as I was actually coming from a higher region. Altitude still sometimes made me struggle when walking uphill and I realized there is a reason everybody walks slower here. But I was pretty used to the feeling of being out of breath easy by now and other than that I didn't feel it anymore.
All together I stayed almost 2 weeks in and around Cusco including a daytrip to Montaña de siete Colores, my 4-day Inka-Jungle-Trek to Machu Picchu and a quick 1-night visit to Pisac in the Sacred Valley. Cusco was my base for the days in between and I usually used them to organize stuff and chill.
I stayed at Pariwana Hostel for the whole time. It wasn't the cheapest place but really nice with big common areas outside and inside (lots of hostels in Cusco only have open air common areas which get quite cold after sunset), hot showers and a great breakfast. I met lots of people here and we explored the city together during the day or went for dinner at night.
After the Inka-Jungle-Trek I had one of the most unexpected and amazing mornings of this trip. On the trek I had met Sarmad from Lebanon. We weren't in the same group but still met for all the activities along the trek. We had planned to meet for a drink in Cusco the night after we got back but as it was already pretty late we decided to skip that. But Sarmad asked me to join him and his friends the next morning to go to an adventure park for bungee jumping. As my budget was pretty low by now I knew I wouldn't be able to actually join them jumping but I decided to come along to watch anyways. So I met them at their hotel the next day expecting a quiet morning. But once at the adventure agency Sarmad said he would pay for me so that I could join them jump!
First I thought this is something I cannot except. But than I remembered I had been in a similar situation before. Years ago I was traveling in Turkey and I had met Kavit from London in Istanbul. We went to Capadocia together where most of the tourists take a balloon flight over the amazing landscape. I didn't have the money for it but Kavit offered to invite me. I felt I couldn't except it and told him I didn't want to go. In the end he took another guy from his hostel as he was just looking for someone to share this experience with and he knew the money wouldn't hurt him. Kavit and I are still friends and I learned from him if someone offers to pay for you it's ok to take it. It might just make the other person happy to see you happy. And it's mostly more fun to enjoy something together.
So suddenly I signed a paper saying that I fully accept the dangers of jumping of a 120m high plattform and found myself getting ready for something crazy.
The jump was incredible! When I talk about it now I can't believe that I went through with it without hesitation. You enter the cage on the ground and get pulled up to the 120m. When the door opens you have to step out on a plattform and stand right on the edge. One of the guys still holds on to you and you stretch both arms to the side. Now he counts to 3 and the moment he lets go you have to jump off. The moment you dive into nothing was the most intense feeling ever. It's scary and freeing at the same time! I never gonna forget that feeling - and I'm so thankful for Sarmads generosity to make this possible.
The rush of adrenaline kept me busting for the rest of the day. We all had lunch together but then the guys had to go to catch a flight to Arequipa.
Elsa, the french girl I had met on my tour to the Floating Islands, got to Cusco as well for my last two days. We met up for drinks and dinner and went to a concert together afterwards. It was a band combining modern and traditional instruments and rhythms. First I wasn't to sure about it but it was actually quite fun.
My last full day in Cusco I went up to the Christo Blanco overlooking Cusco. The Christ was pretty small compared to others I had seen but the view from up here and the climb up through the small alleys of Cuscos less fancy residential areas was nice. On my way down I went to explore the neighborhood of San Blas. It's a nice area with lots of shops and restaurants that you could find in Europe. They had nice local products that weren't the typical tourist trash you find everywhere else. Unfortunately now my budget was really limited as I had just bought a surfboard in Nicaragua ☺
For lunch I met Elsa in a vegan restaurant so many people had recommended to me I felt I couldn't miss it. And it fulfilled its recommendations. The lunch menu was a soup, a salad to choose from a buffet, one of two mains to choose from (I had stuffed Yucca on mashed green peas), a dessert and a juice. And all that for 15,- Soles (about $ 4,-).
As it was pretty crowded we shared a table with two guys and started talking. We had a really nice conversation about work & life and ended up staying a lot longer than our lunch took.
After this it was time to start saying goodbye as I was leaving for Lima, my final stop in South America, the next day.Read more