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PERU

27-06

3 months on the road... We realized that we miss things and we get sort of tired of travelling. This is difficult to understand for some, but when you are travelling for a longer period of time, you do get tired. So it was time to decide how much longer we wanted to travel, and also which country we really wanted to explore before heading back... Peru would be our last stop!

From warm and tropical Galapagos to Cuzco was quite a shock because of the high altitude (3400 meter) and cold weather. We needed a couple of days to acclimatize before we could start exploring.

Cuzco itself is such a cozy and vibrant mountain town. We really enjoyed spending the days here. Cuzco is also famous for amazing restaurants, so that is great for foodies like us!

The views around Cuzco of the Andean Mountains are beautiful and there are lots of things to do. We decided to start our Machu Picchu tour from Ollantaytambo with a visit to the Maras Salt Mines on our way. These salt mines are built on the slopes of the mountains. Because of the altitude differences, this was a great place for some epic photos!

Many people go to Machu Picchu for sunrise, but we decided to go in the afternoon for sunset. It turned out to be a great decision as we didn't have to wake up early, the train ride to Aquas Calientes is stunning by daylight AND there were almost no people at sunset at Machu Picchu!

It was so good to share the sunset at one of the seven world wonders with only a handful of people. And even better: we were the only ones at one of the best viewpoints where we could see the last rays of sunlight on Machu Picchu. A place we have seen on photos so many times, but a photo can not capture this magical place. Finally we were able to see and experience it ourselves.

Another absolute highlight around Cuzco is the Rainbow Mountain. Only discovered recently as this mountain was always covered by snow. Due to climate changes, the snow disappeared and this beautiful, colourful mountain range appeared!

We woke up at 2.30 am to start our drive towards one of the parking spots around the mountain. We still had to climb approx. 1,5 hours to the top to have a perfect view on Rainbow Mountain. At an altitude of 5.050 meters and a freezing cold wind, this wasn't a walk in the park. But it was absolutely worth it! Not just the mountain itself is pretty, but the whole hike between snow capped peaks and multi colored mountains was stunning and jaw-dropping.

At the time we visited the Rainbow Mountain (June 2018) it wasn't crowded yet, but we think this will change rapidly as new tracks and facilities nearby are under construction. If you want this view to yourself like us then you have to be quick.

Linda has been to Lake Titicaca before on the Bolivian side. Now it was time to see the largest lake of South America and highest lake in the world from the Peruvian side, including a visit to the (very touristy) Uros floating island and Taquile island. It was a beautiful and sunny day, but very, very cold...

From Puno we took the bus to Arequipa, a beautiful city with a lovely climate. We loved our stay in Arequipa a lot because of the nice coffee shops, good food, great views on the volcanos surrounding Arequipa, the relaxed vibe and most of all because of the warmer weather :)

Many people visit the Colca Canyon to see the Condors. It is great for hiking too, so we decided to do a 3-day hike into the Canyon. With just a small day pack and our new 4-footed buddy, we absolutely loved this hike. The dog joined when we left Cabanaconde on the first day and followed us for 3 days. He proved to be an excellent guide as well! It was so quiet in the canyon and the scenery is absolutely stunning. It was though sometimes, especially the last day which was only hiking up, but we enjoyed the exercise too. And we saw the condors!

Via the Nazca Lines, Huacachina and the beautiful peninsula of Paracas, we arrived in Lima. Not only the last stop in Peru but also the last stop of our world trip... :(

We started our World Trip on 2 May 2017 and 1 year, 2 months, 4 continents, 23 countries, 59 flights, 416 days and more than 167.000 kilometers later we touched home ground... The Netherlands!

After a short stay in the Netherlands we officially relocated to Sydney in September 2018. A new adventure awaits!