Day Thirty-Five

Oh boy 2 am! 

As in we all had to wake up and layer up at 2 am to head out to tackle rainbow mountain. 

It all started with a 3.5 hour bus ride to the base of the mountain. Monica said the breakfast would not be much, but it was amazing. It included scrambled eggs, the best bread I have ever had in my life (with butter and jam), hot chocolate with cinnamon (which I mixed with an espresso pack - so smart). When our bellies were full and bathrooms used, we headed out on our mission.

There were two options: hike the 3k to the 17000 ft summit or take a horse. I know what you would want me to choose mom, but I chose to hike instead because I was going crazy from not running and needed a challenge. And a challenge it was. That is not just me saying that either, my professional hiker friends said it was more difficult than Angel’s Ledge. In order to conquer this feat we had support from our canine friend, who we named Ian but ended up being a girl, and the Hamilton soundtrack. Eventually, Cati, Daphne and I walked in front of the group because stopping for too long hurt our knees. We walked along to Cati’s hiking playlist ,Trail Mix- no nuts just bangers; t’was lit. The top part was the steepest and most difficult to climb, but I did it without falling. Of course, the view from the summit was incredible. On one side were the rainbow mountains with the colors appearing to run down the mountain, on the other were the snow-capped Andes which greatly resembled the Swiss Alps. Fun fact: rainbow mountain was only discovered 1.5 years ago by a couple of hikers from Israel. Obviously, we did all of the necessary photo shoots with help from the people we met who lived in Boston (Beacon Hill - yep that’s right, yuppies who made fun of my authentic South Bostonian accent). I still had a lit time and ate my banana before climbing down because it got too cold. 

I thought I was going to fall of of the side of the mountain when we were descending. However, I was saved by my sock-glove invention. Yes, that’s right your girl is a genius. Everyone made fun of me but were copying me by the end: using socks for gloves because I was too cheap to by gloves (it works all the same). In this particular moment, I put my sock-gloves on (still need to think of a creative name- sorry) then put my jacket over my hands, put my hands under my butt (I did not want to risk ripping the Lulu’s obviously) and slip down the mountain. That’s right Mom and Dad, I was the obnoxious American to slide down the top of mountain because I knew I would fall if I walked down, but hey, I thought it was a great example of my engineering prowess (thanks Northeastern Engineering). We hikes backed down, thankfully we didn’t need to stop as often, but it was more difficult on the knees. Actually, my fingers swelled to the size of sausages due to the lack of oxygen, but don’t worry we survived. 

Eventually, we all made it back on the bus and stopped at the same place as breakfast for lunch on the way home. I must day, it was one of the better versions of chicken, rice and french fries that I have had here. We headed back home where we all took naps before our last dinner together on the dialogue ( I also broke and reconstructed my Rubix cube but that’s a story for another time). 

We ate dinner at a hotel and it was the bougiest experience of my life - we ordered red wine and everything. I ordered the grilled shrimp for an appetizer and split with Nate who ordered the mushrooms. For the entree, I got the lamb and grilled eggplant with goat cheese. Sorry dad but I think this might have been the best meal of my life, it even had really good sauce and an onion ring (we need to learn how to make it). For dessert, I had vanilla ice cream with warm apples, pears and caramel sauce (also I did not know cheese plates were a popular dessert but hey, the more you know). After three hours and a group photo, we finally headed home to pack and sleep. 

Day Thirty-Four

Today was the day that we all waited for: MACHU PICCHU!!!! We started with a 4 am wake up call and 1.5 hour bus ride. From the bus we took an hour train ride. Then, we took a bus up the mountain from the train. Honestly, a part of me thought that we would fall off of the side of the cliff, but my bus buddy, the tour guide Jose, assured me we were safe. Jose was actually very talkative and told me all about the Incans and asked me about my life, going as far as to ask me to come back to Peru after I graduate so that I can help solve the water crisis. I said maybe.

As we drove up the mountains, it came into view and was positively stunning, I could not believe we were actually there, Machu Picchu. Pictures do not do it justice and there are no words to describe its beauty. Let’s just say that I now understand why it is one of the seven wonders of the world. 

We started with a two our tour, here is what I learned. A few Incans escaped to Machu Picchu during the Spanish invasion of Peru (and the mountains were closer to the gods/sun). They built the city from the bottom up, and about only 40% of the city is actually visible. There are many parts that were not restored after the professor from Yale discovered it in the early 1900s because they did not want to harm the surrounding flora and fauna (environmentally-cautious: my type of people). Apparently, only about 800 people lived in this city, and they ate a largely vegetarian diet because it was safer (side note: their poop resembled that of alpacas). The Incan, however, not only had hundreds of maidens, but he  had fresh fish delivered to him every day and had the only indoor bathroom in the city. The more you know. All throughout this tour, Jose made environmental comments and looked at me every time, I guess you could say we’re basically best friends now. Obviously, we also took many photo shoots: group, individual, polaroid, with banana, with ruby cube, with tattoo, you name it. 

After the tour a group of us tackled the supposed to be two hour hike (one hour each way) to la Puerta del Sol. I hate to brag but we accomplished the feat in a half hour. The view from the top was breathtaking. We looked down onto the city and the mountains that towered around it. We repeated our photo shoots and made some friends along the way, they were from Arkansas and knew how to solve a Rubix cube. We took our final photos and left the wonder of the world. Once we got to the town, we did some light shopping and got dinner. Then, we boarded the train where we were treated with a rather odd performance of a guy dressed as some sort of animal in a traditional costume who made weird noises and an alpaca fashion show. Then, we headed home and slept for four hours before rainbow mountain. 

Day Thirty-Three

Today was a lighter day as we only had two activities. Nonetheless, we still had a three hour bus ride to start. First up was Sacred Valley. It was beautiful, like all of the other sites that we have seen that were tucked into the mountains. We were surrounded by the towering Andes, and despite grey skies, the view from the top was simply unforgettable. Fun fact: they call Sacred Valley sacred for its fertile soil, river and ideal climate. Also, it has over tens of thousands tombs, which are now only full of small bones after the Spanish ransacked them and stole all of the valuables that the Incans were buried with. 

After Sacred Valley, we had a huge buffet lunch. All of the options were traditional Peruvian dishes, which was great to try new things. Infant, on of these meals was alpaca, which I tried. Honestly, it was a tougher meat that tasted just like the beef in beef stew. Unfortunately, they didn’t have cut so I was not able to try it (see Mom I’m not that terrible after all). After lunch, we went down to the garden next to the river. Here, there was an alpaca and llama just chilling. We took pictures and played with them, and yes, I did feel some remorse for my earlier actions. Og well, I got over it. 

We boarded the bus once again and headed to the Templ of the Sun. Stairs. There were so many stairs, which were especially difficult to maneuver in the high altitude. Once we achieved the impressive goal of reaching the summit, we took the obligatory group photos and polaroids of the stunning view, then headed back down. 

Once we got back, we had a low-key night in order to prep for Machu Picchu tomorrow!

Day Thirty-Two

I was not a happy camper this morning. Last night, I did not sleep at all; the combination of the altitude, uncomfy bed and a sick roommate made for a sleepless night for Hannah. Regardless, I got up, did my planks, took my shower and packed my bag for the day. I ate a breakfast of fruit, granola and yogurt and set off for the  day's adventures. 

Today, Kaleb was my bus buddy, I even let him borrow my extra pair of headphones. 

His tattoo was healing nicely, making me want one even more. Our first stop of the day was los anillos agrícolas de Moray. It was cool; mostly large circular terraces used to grow the 7 different types of quinoa, 1000 different types of maíz and 3000 types of potatoes. 

The second stop was the salt mines. Again, they were interesting, just a bunch of different rectangles filled was salt and water from the mountain. It was cool to walk between them, but it was another quick visit. Then we sat in another breathtaking plain that looked onto the mountains.

The final stop was the textile mill. Here, they demonstrated how the alpaca fur was cleaned, dyed and spun. They use insect blood and other natural ingredients with a chemical to change the shade of the yarn. Then, it is spun twice and used to create different clothing products. 

When we returned for the day, it was about four. We went to Papacho's for lupper and I got another salad. Then, it was time. I finally did it; I got a tattoo!! It's of the chakana symbol with the sun and moon inside, I love it! However, I must admit that I could not have done it without all of the support (thank you Nikki, Jacob, Mikaela and Ryan). Also, shoutout to my main man Jose for the amazing art, even though he laughed at me. All in all, it was an eventful day. 

Day Thirty-One

Due to the absurd altitude, I could not run this morning and probably can't all week. I guess it is good to give my legs a rest but it is drivibg me insane. I try to workout a bit when I wake up in the morning, but nothing helps the constant bloated feeling that comes from eating a diet of bread, potatoes, rice and chicken. I said it before and I will say it again, I cannot wait to go grocery shopping  and to run in Boston.

Nonetheless, Cusco is beautiful. Toda, we all got together after the hotel breakfast and toured the city. Mom, you would love it, there are alpacas, llamas and goats everywhere. Also, rainbow flags are ubiquitous throughout the city. At first, we thought Cusco was just a very progressive city celebrating gay pride, however we soon learned that that was simply the flag of Cusco. In fact, the Incans celebrated the sun and saw rainbows as sacred signs from the gods, therefore it is fitting that the flag is a rainbow. Also, all this month Cusco is prepping for the celebration of their special day on June 24, so it's a party 24/7 here.

Today's tour was filled of various different places. To start, we the Templo del Sol. The architecture here was simply beautiful. In the past it served as rooms for the Incans to live and worship. The original beauty however is perfectly preserved. In the middle of the stone rooms, there is a stunning courtyard surrounded by perfectly sculpted arches and intricate paintings. On the outside of this temple, there are terraces that overlook the mountains and city. Also, the influence of the sun is very apparent here as well as there is a sun in almost every painting and even sculpted above every door way. I saw many good designs that would make great tattoos (sorry dad).

The second stop of the day was another church: la Basilica de Catedral Cusco. If I am being completely honest, it reminded me of all of the other cathedrals that we have visited complete with catacombs and all. Of course, the artwork and architecture were stunning, especially the façade. When we finished the tour of the three different parts, we headed for lunch. I found a salad and it was great: a real day maker.

After lunch we headed to Sacsayhuamán (pronounced "sexy woman). This national park was a large open field with terraces in the grace. When we got there, there were a bunch of llamas/alpacas roaming freely and we decided to chill with them for a bit. Then, as we sat down for the lecture, the dog herding the llamas came and sat right in my lap. Yes dad that's right, I almost brought home a new friend. As we left Sacsayhuamán, we went through a tunnel that was very small and dark and I did not like it. It only got worse as I accidentally almost picked some random guy's nose as he headed in the opposite direction through the dark. 

Next we went to the Tambo de Puca Pucara which was basically a spiral with tombs inside. It was cool inside of it, but there was not much to see. We ended the day at Templo de agua de Tambomachay. Again, it was interesting to see the natural fountains and pose like penguins on the rocks, but the visit was quick.

Upon our arrival to Cusco, a group of us headed right to the tattoo parlor. I was determined to get one, but I made the boys go first so that I didn't get infected. Kaleb got the Andes mountains on his foot and Jake got the chakana and Caral design I picked out on the inside of his left heel. They didn't have time for me, and I was still deciding, so we just headed to Paddy's Pub from there to watch the basketball game. Oh that's another thing, the boys decided they needed to take an Always Sunny picture because the bar had the same name, but they needed a Dee. Apparently I was blonde enough to play the part, but as time went on they thought that "the analogy was falling into place." That's about it for today.

Day Thirty

Thirty, flirty days flew by so far. 

I got up early this morning so I could go for my last run in Lima. If I'm being completely honest, I'm ready to go back to Castle Island. The slippery sidewalks and constant stopping is getting to me, I cannot wait to just go run in my normal loops. I will miss the view though; it's hard to beat running along the malecón and seeing the surfers in the Pacific below the cliffs. On my way home, I stopped to pick up flowers for my host mom. I went with my favorite, sunflowers, with a bit of baby's breath (Emily would be proud).

After I showered and dressed again, I had to finish packing up my bag for Cusco. Then I had my last breakfast with my host mom and Estaban. The French open has been on the TV all week so there was not a lot of conversation as Ana María was enticed with the match. I do not really understand tennis and cannot really get over the ridícula noises they make while playing so I just ate my breakfast and thought of anything I might have forgotten to pack. Another truth: I cannot wait to grocery shop for myself again, I am so done with bread.

I had some time after breakfast to turn in my essay for chapter four and catch up on my blogs. Ana María has a match tomorrow so she walked me downstairs early to wait for the bus. I waited in the lobby from 10:20 to 11:20 for the bus, but I did come eventually. At the airport, we were confused as to where we were supposed to go so we were rushing and confused to start the day. When we finally found the correct line, we had 20 minutes until boarding. Thankfully, we were able to check in , run through the airport, go through security and get to our gate in the time we had left. However, this rushing was all for nothing as our flight ended up being delayed about an hour, so we all got snacks and waited.

On the flight, I had an aisle seat which I greatly appreciated. I spent my time listening to Taylor Swift, who is newly on Spotify, and solving my Rubix cube. In fact, my Rubix prowess is so impressive that the man sitting catty-corner to me asked to borrow my cube and solved it in less than five minutes. It was quite the international bonding experience. 

When the flight landed, I made the first mistake. I jumped off the plane, ran to the bathroom while babbling to Nikki about how cool Cusco is. Suddenly, it all caught up to me and I felt the altitude. Thankfully, they were handing out free coca leaves and I stuffed my lip full while waiting for luggage.

Once we got to the hotel, I put my bag down and napped like the champ I am. I woke up to walk to La Plaza Mayor for the soup dinner. Finally, I headed to bed and finally slept.

Day Twenty-Nine

Last day in Lima :(

I went through my morning routine per usual, but today instead of walking to El Sol, I had to pack my stuff. I truly cannot believe my time in Lima has come to an end. It's so hard to leave now that I got settled into my routine and now that I know how to navigate the city. Also, knowing that Trump is still president and actively denying climate change has me hesitant to return to Boston. However, I have a little pup waiting for me back home, so I guess there is a bright side. 

After struggling to decide how and what to pack, I needed a mental break so I walked to Parque Kennedy. I met up with Cati and Kelly at Starbucks and from there we went to get our nails done (gel French manicure of course). It took a bit longer than we anticipated so by the time we finished hanger was approaching quickly. Thankfully, we headed to La Lucha and appeased our appetite with one of the best sandwiches I have ever had (it was basically a steak and cheese with sautéed onions but one of the best nonetheless). Knowing I still had some packing to finish, I started the walk home, but first Cari and I stopped at the Rubix cube store. That's right, your girl now owns a 4x4x4, it's going to be an interesting plane ride. I also had to stop to buy some Pisco so that I can bring a bit of Perú back to my family. I just really hope the bottle doesn't break in my bag. Send positives thoughts to the wine bottle in my luggage as well. I do not really want to have to buy a completely new wardrobe because all of my clothes are covered in rosé.

Eventually, I finished packing, shoutout to Spotify for putting Taylor Swift's entire music back on and having Lil Yachty's new album, it really helped me through the strenuous packing process. I realized today that one of the things that I will miss most about Lima is the music. It's reggaeton all day every day here and it's lit. It's playing everywhere from the clubs to the grocery store to the elevator, it's always a party. 

Now that packing was finished, I had to get ready for dinner. I apologize but I gave up trying to make my hair look nice. I was going to get it done but I ran out of time, so I just left it down and let the Lima humidity do its thing. For dinner, we went to La Rosa Náutica, but first we had to bring all of our luggage to the bus which was difficult to do gracefully in a dress and heels. Nonetheless, we survived and made it to the most famous restaurant in Lima. In fact, we had the entire upstairs to ourselves and it was honestly the most beautiful restaurants I have ever been to. It is on a pier right on the water so you could look up to the lights and the cliffs on one side, and on the other the Pacific ocean stretched out into the dark. The lights from down the coast sparkled through the windows, and the restaurant itself was simply gorgeous. As always, we were running on Peruvian time so the dinner in its entirety lasted from 8 to 12. The food was delicious (I had a pisco sour, goat cheese salad, corvina and the coco de popa), but some of us had to find ways to occupy the wait time. I now know how to fold a napkin in to a rose and how to make a paper airplane. Although we planned to go out after dinner, many of us could not muster the strength to rally and go out. Therefore, I ubered home with Nathalie and went to bed.