Following our exciting two-day Machu Picchu visit, and after taking the bus back down the mountain, we finally left back to Cuzco. This time instead of staying down in the Sacred Valley we stayed in the city in one of the fanciest hotels I have ever been in.
It was built in the European style so it had a large courtyard in the center around which the ground floor was built. In the mornings they offered a complimentary breakfast (that was made to order) and I think the best part was it allowed us to sit along the courtyard with the morning sun streaming in.
The hotel also offered a local tradition, coca leaves. They supposedly help with the altitude adjustment as well as a nice “pick me up” throughout the day similar to coffee (but instead caused by a mix of alkaloids, including cocaine! but in a very small amount). The popular soft drink, Coca Cola, also uses an extract from the coca leaf for flavoring. Unfortunately I didn’t get to try it.
Also, there was a photo up in our hotel that I saw and thought was interesting. Our guide mentioned that at first it appears to be an angel crushing a demon, something quite popular in the 16th/17th century art styles. However she also mentioned that the angel is very European in stature, dress and appearance, as well as equipment they’re carrying, and while the “demon” doesn’t really have any demonic features, and is in fact with their skin tone and longer nose more reminiscent of the local population at the time. She said this was more likely something the Europeans would display as a sign of their dominance over the local populace, given the exploration and imperialism of the time.
While we were here, we went on a white-water rafting adventure! The water was freezing cold (I’m convinced I almost lost a toe) but it was a lot of fun. We did about an hour or 90 minutes worth of rafting and, despite the wetsuits, that was about all we could take!
After getting back to the hotel we decided on some Pisco Sours and a snack before venturing out for dinner. We had a little bar in the lobby so we went there. The Pisco Sour is a famed Peruvian drink made with egg whites, citrus juice, and Pisco, which is a type of brandy.
Next it was time to venture out and explore a bit. We walked directly towards the main town square from our hotel (again, think very old-world European city construct) and just meandered from there.
As we were walking we found a tiny walkway that wound up a hill and ended in these small stairs. That led us to a delicious dinner place!
The next day we got going and explored some other areas of town. We didn’t have a lot planned for this portion of the trip, we just wanted to explore this city in the clouds. We found an outdoor market full of fresh fruits and stall of other items people needed for their daily requirements.
We also found very interesting architecture, streets crowded with people, and overall a more laid-back approach to life than what we saw in Lima.
That evening we flew back to Lima for one more evening before flying back home. We decided to do a cooking class to learn how to make local dishes! The class was located in a beautiful restaurant with fabulous views of the ocean. The owner was also a mask collector and had amassed a very imposing display.
The chef came out and pulled his materials together. Our guide had brought over some items that he used to make our dinner that we had purchased from an open market similar to what we saw in Cusco. He was very friendly and obviously loved his job!
He also made a meal that translates into “jumping beef”, since beef cubes are sautéed in a pan at such a high temperature that they jump and pop across the surface.
Afterwords we all got to take pictures with him displaying our certificates, and we also got the three recipes we learned to take home and try to make ourselves. We have no done that yet, but something we should do soon!
After dinner we walked along the coast just enjoying our time in Lima before getting back to pack and travel to the airport. There are quite a few parks in Lima and you can see from the picture below how much of the highway traffic is routed along the coast, keeping the city free of that sort of traffic (however it is still slammed full of normal traffic).
We sat right in this park and enjoyed the last sunset we’d see in Peru.
and 
after 
the 
sun 
set 
the 
lights 
came 
on
And with that, it was time to return to the hotel and continue along towards home. Thanks for reading and as always, we’ll see you next time!
