WIRY: Cusco Edition



All the activities. All the altitude. All the modes of transportation. All the coca. All the corn. Cusco was so much of so many things. Does that even make sense?! That's how I felt the entire time I was in and around Cusco, and I LOVED IT ALL.

We arrived in Cusco, Peru- altitude of 11,150 feet (3,399 meters for the non-Americans) aka altitude-sickness-land, took most of the first day attempting to adjust to said altitude while exploring the city, then spent a day traveling to and from Machu Picchu, then the next day climbed a cliff to sleep in a pod on the side of said cliff, then the next day zip-lined down from said cliff pod to be driven directly to the Cusco airport to return to our brand-spanking-new home in Lima that we had only just arrived to 36 hours prior to departing for our Cusco adventure.


Sorry for the way-too-long run-on sentence paragraph thing there, a clear sign that this trip was another one of those #ThisIsWhyIRemoteYear trips - a concept described in my Patagonia post - that are challenging to describe and extraordinary to experience.

Wait, back up, so what happened in Cusco? Let me break it down in order of best to least best (in this instance least best is still really really good):

1. CLIFF PODS!!! A month or so before I started Remote Year, I saw a sponsored post on Facebook for this cliffside pod "hotel" somewhere in Peru. I distinctly remember pulling up my Remote Year itinerary to check if we went to Peru, strictly so I could stay in one of these pods.

Fast forward to March (aka my Peru month because yes, my itinerary does include Peru) and I made sure those cliff pods were the very first thing I did (technically we went to Machu Picchu first chronologically, but we booked the pods first- semantics).

oh you know, just pod stuff

I can't find the exact article from that Facebook post, but this CNN article does a great job summarizing the experience. It was FOR SURE one of the coolest things I have ever done. Digital advertising works guys! #advertisingnerdalert

Ain't no party like a pod party!

2. Cusco / Coca / Corn: Huge shoutout to my Cusco crew: Ray, Josh and Kate. Throughout the trip we were all drained from multiple flights in a short time span, daily 4am wake ups, and of course the altitude. It did not get us down though: we drank some coca tea, chewed some coca leaves, ate some corn (ok, that was just me, there's corn in all forms everywhere and I'm here for it!) and had the best time. At times I thought there was no way I could keep my eyes open or move another muscle, and somehow we would all muster the energy for whatever our next activity was, whether it was finding food or climbing a cliff to get to our bed for the night.

Fun fact: Coca leaves are illegal in the United States. Outside of South America, most countries' laws don't distinguish between the coca leaf and any other substance containing cocaine, so the coca leaf in general is prohibited. But the leaves are natural (obviously - they are leaves after all) and have all sorts of nutritional benefits. They are widely used in Peru to combat thirst, hunger and fatigue! And we can attest to those traits, they were a lifesaver.

Corn is the empanada of Peru / and coca tea time is crucial

3. Machu Picchu: On our "Machu Picchu day" we woke up at 4am, took an Uber to our 4:50am bus, rode the bus for 2 hours to our train, took the train 1.5 hours to another bus which took about 30 minutes and BOOM just like that we were at one of the Seven Wonders of the World!

Machu Picchu was certainly a sight to behold, and the logistics of getting there were mind boggling. However, it just did not feel as gratifying knowing we sat on our butts all day to get there, while Inca Trail hikers were spending multiple days trekking to reach the same spot. It's still unique, and stunning, and a phenomenal opportunity for Instagram pics (#forthegram siempre), but it felt a little tourist-trap-esque. For that reason, Machu Picchu landed in these rankings as least best.


Side note / another fun fact: Did you know Machu Picchu was only recently (in 2007) announced as one of the Seven Wonders of the World? Based on an internet poll?! I did not know that prior to this trip, and it led to a lengthy group discussion about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World vs. the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. How and why were all these places designated with such a prestigious classification? We decided Natural Wonders should be a separate list, differentiated from Man-made Wonders (like Machu Picchu). Am I right? Let's start a new internet poll...

P.S. WIRY = my new shortened version of "This Is Why I Remote Year" - let me know if you hate it and maybe I'll try to come up with something different / better

 P.P.S. Cusco was my 5th Remote Year #sidetrip and let it be known that I have no upcoming trips planned!! Lima, my current city, seems fantastic so far (it reminds me so much of San Diego *heart flutters*) and I will be spending the remainder of the month basking in it. VISITORS WELCOME @Erica @SammyB 
Location: Cusco, Peru

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