Peru: The Machu Pichu, Bungee Jumping, & The Inti Raymi Festival

I started my week in Peru flying from Bogota to Lima at 5 am. But before i flew to Lima I heard about the Inti Raymi festival, the biggest celebration in Cusco. Despite an expensive domestic flight to Cusco, being able to participate in the festival and a chance to visit the Machu Pichu made the decision worth it.
I slept most of the day and woke up just in time to see a little bit of Lima before my second red eye flight in a row to Cusco, a city situated about 11,000 feet high.
I arrived in Cusco and was denied space in the hostel because of the festival and had to settle for a $4 a night hostel where i met two Australians i would hang out with for the next few days.

After a bit of Coca tea and pancakes i began my wandering in Cusco.

The train tracks to the Machu Pichu

I found this indoor market and bought a bag of coca leaves. Coca leaves are used to make cocaine. But indigenous people also chew them as a mild stimulent and for a few days, so did i. Chewing the leaves basically numbs your mouth and is supposed to help with the altitude and stop hunger.

The next day I woke up pnçy to climb a massive hill in order to watch the Inti Raymi parade, celebrating the Incas.

On the way people were cooking cuy, also known as guinea pig in english.

These steps probably look steep and they were, but not nearly as tiring as the rest of the way up.

This was a view from just the first few minutes of climbing the hill to the Sexy Woman ruins where the parade was held.

However, the night before the entire city was out celebrating the start of the festival. Traditional looking Peruvians, tourists, modern looking peruvians, etc. were all partying, drinking, dancing, etc.

Each town nearby or neighboorhood would march through the streets in their costumes.

I did not drink because the next morning, at 4:30, i would wake up to get the train to the Machu Pichu.

The Incans built this incredible city and inside one of the buildings i found an Alpaca. Alpacas look like Llamas and are known for having the highest quality fur.

On the train ride back i hd an interesting conversation about life with a woman who started traveling at 17….she´s probably in her 50´s now. She owns a company that organizes a conference for the leaders in travel (the one´s that basically design tours, promote destinations….representatives of the tourism for various countries). Yeah, she got to see the Machu Pichu for work!

The Machu Pichu was excellent but from all of the walking I did, my awful bed, and a lack of sleep, i felt sick the next day and stayed in bed.

Feeling refreshed the next morning i took a walk mid day and passed many travel agencies advertising bunjee jumping. It only took a minute of consideration before i was paying a nice english speaking guide the $65.00 to go bungee jumping an hour later. We got in a taxi and 20 minutes later after driving further up in the mountains we arrived at an adventure park with paint
ball, bungee jumping, etc.

The guys working there strapped me into my harness and raised the platform where a minute later i listening to the words, 3……..2………1………and i jumped…………then screamed!

I am really glad i did it.

I went out that night with some new Irish friends from the hostel who i played cards with for most of the night, to Mama Africa, one of the local nightclubs.

But at 8:30, i taxied it to the airport for my 3rd flight in a week to return to Lima.

In Lima I toured the city, starting with a church that had underground catacombs that they buried over 25,000 people in. No pictures were allowed so i can´t show the thousands of bones scattered throughout them.

But afterwards i visited the city´s biggest black market to go shopping for dvd, clothes, etc.

I finished up in the city center with a movie, the end of days i think. The center was beautiful at night with its lights and churches.

When I returned to the hostel i met a group of Peruvians friends who were here for the party the hostel was throwing. We went out to another club and had a really fun time.

I woke up rather late the next day to eat one of the best lunches yet, fried fish! The restaurant was literally one block from the ocean so it figures.

Later in the day i took another taxi to the airport in order to board my flight to Sao Paulo, Brasil. And that´s where I have been the past 2 days.