A dream that came true...on the way to a Machu Picchu (part 2)

Cusco

Next morning when I woke up the scenery was amazing, again somehow similar what I’ve seen before but different, I was so happy to see that scenery. I simply stared outside of the window and felt piece inside. I love mountains, I love hilly scenery.

We arrived in Cusco pretty much on time. Cusco is high above the sea around 3300m. We had taken the altitude medicine night before and I was feeling pretty ok. Only little bit light headed.

Also we had been given many advices how to get use to the altitude and not to feel sick.

 1) Do not eat a lot and do not eat anything heave, only soup if possible and drink a lot.

 2) Drink mate de coca (tea with coca leaves)

 3) Rest and sleep even if you don’t feel tired.

 4)Do not do a lot during the first day, just get use to the altitude 

In Cusco we’re staying with a German girl Magdalena, who we had met couple of weeks before and who kindly promised to accommodate us. House was about 10 minutes away from the city center by taxi. She had huge room with two beds just for herself and she was sharing a kitchen together with the family, who she was also working with. She like many others, were doing their volunteer in there. She just finished her studies (teacher too) in Germany and wanted to do something else before entering the compulsory teaching practice in Germany.  We had breakfast with her and of course Mate de Coca. After that we had nap as we’re told and in the evening went to have a dinner and just ate soup.

Second day we spend around center of Cusco, looking around and organizing the things for our hike. Cusco is very beautiful city compared to Lima, but nothing really special to me. I guess, the more I have travelled and more I have seen some things simply don’t feel as amazing to me, because I’ve seen other places, which have been more amazing in my opinion. But for sure after Lima, it was great to see blue sky and breath clean air and be in a small city, yes I would like to live there (once again I thought, living in Lima was a wrong choice for me, even I like my job very much).

As I had been sick before our travel and didn’t really have much energy to do a lot before, we had to spend quite a time simply looking for stuff. Luckily, some things were borrowed for me and I didn’t need to buy everything. We rented sleeping bags and I rented rain pants, I bought warm hat & mittens, fleece and a lot of other stuff (which we didn’t need in the end).

In the evening we had a meeting with our guide (who in the end was not our guide) to make sure we had everything and that we’re aware what would happen for the next few days and how our route will be.

Magdalena, waiting for our guide at the placa de armas

We packed until midnight and very late realized that mosquito repellent we had was not exactly what we would need, but everything was closed by then, I ran around every pharmacy but nothing! Luckily our fellow hikers helped us sharing their effective mosquito repellent, so we survived!