I’ve officially been in Peru for one year, and the last 12 months have been filled with innumerable memories, challenges, and new experiences. Poroto has become a 2nd home to me, and the intricacies and abnormalities of Peru have become part of my daily lifestyle. As I continue to embrace the opportunities presented to me here in Peace Corps Peru, I was fortunate enough to celebrate my “one year” mark with an incredible visit from some of my best friends from home. Seeing them was a much needed reminder of how much I love about home and the incredible network of friends and family I have in the US. I can sometimes forget that Peace Corps is a 2 year experience rather than my entire life, and seeing my friends reminded me of not only how fortunate I am to be here, but also how many things I have to look forward to upon my return.
Machu Picchu is the iconic image of Peru and is considered one of the 7 modern wonders of the world. I’ve seen pictures, watched documentaries, read books, and heard stories of friends who have visited. I tend to have high expectations, but somehow after all the buildup I was still incredibly impressed by this ancient Incan city.
Our trip began with an epic reunion in Lima with lots of jumping and screaming, as you may expect. Keep in mind that Gibbon, Kera, and Jordan are all blonde, so their presence was especially notable here in Peru. We briefly explored Lima before heading to Cusco the following morning.
As we descended by plane through the fluffy white clouds and the crisp blue sky, Cusco awaited us below. We arrived in the city and immediately began to explore the impressive plazas, churches, and other sites of Cusco. We wondered through the streets, enjoying the artisan crafts and introducing my friends to the most popular Peruvian foods and drinks. We shared stories from the past year over tres leches cake, chicha morada, alpaca meat, and exotic fruits. We wondered around the San Blas neighborhood with its quaint cobblestone streets and red roof houses, enjoying incredible views of the city.
Sacsahauyaman, impressive ancient ruins constructed of enormous stones, overlooks Cusco from above. We hiked up to the ruins and were dwarfed by the gigantic rocks that composed the fortress. These formations are especially impressive because they were built without any modern machinery or tools. In order to move the rocks they were wrapped with rope and dozens of men would pull in unison to transport them from one location to another. A few years ago local members of the community attempted to recreate this “building technique” and were unable to successfully move the rocks.
The following morning we began our “Inka Jungle Tour,” a 4 day trek leading to Machu Picchu. The adventure began with mountain biking beginning at an altitude of 4350 meters. The air was cold and crisp with the glacier Abra Malaga dramatically contrasting the bright blue sky in the near distance. We put on ridiculous safety gear including knee pads, elbow pads, enormous helmets, and electric yellow vests and began our ride. The views were remarkable; the trip started with harsh cliffs and glacier views at the high altitude climate but we could see the gradual changes in the vegetation as we descended. The dry cliffs transformed into lush green mountains as we wound along the curvy roads that led to the small town of Santa Maria. The majority of the roads were smooth and easy to ride on, but the last portion was extremely rocky and dusty. I was coming around a curve on this portion, when I began to pick up speed. Losing control I kind of panicked as my wheels skidded on the rocks and gravel. Before I knew it I had wiped out hard, and to my embarrassment the entire group was looking on. I think this little spill may have been karma for making fun of our safety equipment, but I had scrapes and several grapefruit size bruises to remember the first day’s activities.
After reaching Santa Maria we were all tired and hot, but happy after a full day of biking. Although we were running behind schedule we decided to continue with our white water rafting portion of the day. Safety standards here in Peru aren’t quite on par with those of the US, so our safety lesson consisted of being thrown a paddle and helmet and told a few quick directions in Spanish. We piled on the rafts and began to ride down the river. Our guide didn’t speak English, so our group’s reaction to the key commands “Forward, Stop, Left, Right, etc.” were somewhat delayed. We followed the course of the river as the sun began to set over the surrounding mountains. As darkness slowly filled the canyon, we finished our rafting, left exhilarated and content from a full day.
The following day we followed along the river admiring the surrounding greenery and beautiful mountains. We began hiking up narrow jungle paths, lined with banana trees, coffee plants, and other vegetation. This area produces a substantial amount of organic coffee beans, so we were able to see small family-run farms harvesting, drying, and packaging coffee beans along our path. After a demanding morning of hiking we stopped for lunch at the “Monkey House” which afforded incredible views of the river and jungle below. We sampled fresh fruit juice, coffee and coco beans, and even tried on traditional Peruvian garments. We continued along the Inka Trail, climbing narrow stone paths overlooking a 1000 meter drop-off. It was an incredible experience, and the adrenaline pumping through our bodies was evident as we carefully chose our footing on the narrow paths. When we reached a resting point on the trail we learned about Incan traditions and history as we participated in a traditional ceremony using coca leaves. Coca leaves are a significant part of Peruvian culture, used to combat altitude sickness and provide additional energy. The hike continued for several more hours as we bravely crossed swinging bridges, narrow planks, and river walkways. Towards the end of the day we piled in cable cars and used the pulley-system to cross the river. Once again darkness came earlier than anticipated, and we completed our day’s hike in complete darkness. Luckily, we finished our hiking at natural hot springs, so we were able to relax in these natural stone swimming pools filled with hot water from surrounding springs.
The next morning we were able to begin the day with an incredible zip-lining adventure. We hiked deep into the “canopy” and prepared ourselves for the thousands of meters of cables that lied ahead. I strapped myself into the pulley, overlooking the surrounding mountains and canyon below. On the count of “tres” I was launched forward and flying through the air, over 1000 meters off the ground. The views were incredible and the experience was unlike anything I’ve done before. In between the six cables we hiked up steep cliffs and continued along the picturesque zip-line route. We spent the rest of the day hiking, stopping for lunch at a quaint little restaurant nestled in the forest. After several more hours of hiking we arrived in Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. The hiking and trekking had been fabulous, but we were quite excited to arrive and prepare for the following day. We enjoyed the night eating some delicious food and relaxing in our hostel overlooking the river below.
We woke up before dawn to go to Machu Picchu. I’ve heard so much about this iconic landmark, I was afraid my expectations would be too high. However, as we slowly climbed the winding roads over the early morning clouds to reach the entrance of Machu Picchu, I knew the experience would be incredible. The early morning fog rested casually on the backs of the mountains, blanketing the village of Machu Picchu in a hazy mist. After a few minutes the sun began to rise and slowly burn off the fog, revealing the expansive ruins below. We explored the ancient city, marveling at the creative and impressive architecture laden with history and meaning. Llamas wondered the grounds, lazily gnawing at the green grass and providing life to the ancient buildings. 
After our tour Gibbon and I decided to climb Machu Picchu Mountain, which summits at a height of 3200 meters. The trek was extremely steep and narrow, but the intense hike led to an incredibly rewarding view. From the peak of this mountain we were able to see Huayna Picchu Mountain behind Machu Picchu which became nothing more than a miniature village from such a height. Deep green mountains and stark white glaciers contrasted with the blue sky as we looked out at the landscape below. Machu Picchu was incredibly impressive, and despite my high expectations I was in awe of the history and beauty of this ancient civilization.
