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Other entries in Cusco

Cuzco

Arriving in Cuzco, we realized that we have really started traveling again.  We thought Cuzco would be a more built up metropolis given all the travelers and tourists that come and go through Cusco on their way to Machu Picchu.....  But, it's definitely a more rustic place complete with the cobblestoned alleyways and roads winding their way through the town.

Since we had such a great time at the Loki Lima, we decided that we would stay at the Loki here in Cusco.  The hostel is set VERY high on the hillside overlooking the town of Cusco.  Even though we're only a very short walk away from the centre and Plaza d'Armas, it is a VERY long walk back up the hill.....  And at altitude of 3500 meters, well, you can definitely feel the affects on an uphill walk!

For a while now , we have been contemplating  if we should actually do the Machu Picchu hike or if we should just take the train and bus to the site.  Our indecision comes from all the other treks we have done on this trip - Tiger Leaping Gorge in SW China is by far the most beautiful and amazing trek we have ever done and it cost only $5.  Tibet trekking to Everest basecamp was a thrill cause we were in the middle of nowhere and the surrounding landscape is unlike an we have ever scene AND we were going to Everest, and the cost was $75/person for 3 days.  The Mt. Kilimanjaro climb was definitely an ego booster as hiking to 5895 meters is the highest we will probably ever hike to, but the cost of $1000 each was a wallet buster and as compared to the other amazing treks, really was not as beautiful at all.  So on our way to Peru, we really debated the Machu Picchu trek considering that even the entrance fee in the last year has gone from $20 each to $40 each!  What would that mean for the trekking prices and would it be as amazing as we had once anticipated?  Before leaving on this RTW Machu Picchu was one of the #1 things we wanted to do, but now that we were here, we were really thinking about taking the train and as such, we had sent home our cold weather gear because we wouldn't need it on the train.

After being in Cuzco for 1 day, we ran into friends from Lima all crying in pain from the hike, but all saying how great it was AND saying they had found a tour operator that was not costing the $375 each but a better $200 each.  We looked into getting to the site independently but taking a train from Cuzco to Aquas Calientes ($80 rt on the cheapest train, $115 on the nicest train), bus from Aquas Calientes to MP ($12 rt) and entrance to the site ($40),  would have cost, at a bare minimum $130 each.  So for us, having 3 cooked meals a day for 4 days at $200 each, was a great deal.....so we signed up for it.  Without our cold weather gear!

We went from not doing it to doing it and then back again a couple more times and realized that our decision is the right one..  That and the fact we didn't want to regret not doing it when we finally returned home.... ..so in 2 more days we'll be on our way.  Considering that it is the rainy season, it's still pretty busy with travelers since they close the trail for maintenance the whole month of February and everyone is trying to go before this time....we're in a group of 16 and we have to carry our own stuff, except for the food to help cut the cost from the usual $375 to $200.  I guess we'll see if we get what we paid for!  Wish us luck!

...oh, but not having cold weather gear gave me an excuse to shop.  So I bought an awesome llama/alpaca sweater for $6 and it's super warm!  And super cheap!