CUSCO No. 2 - Fake Hostel, the 'Sexy Woman' and a Jesus

CUSCO No. 2 - Fake Hostel, the "Sexy Woman," and a Jesus

Accommodation

Our first booking turned out to be a fake hostel. The refund for the additional amount (the difference between the price of the first hostel and the replacement hostel) from Booking.com is still pending in August. What a lousy service and poor customer support. Very disappointing! Our backup accommodation, "Hostal Mágico San Blas," cost us 478 soles (= 118 euros) for seven nights. We had a private bathroom (without a shower curtain) and three beds. Unfortunately, the shower wasn't always hot... Breakfast was included as well - sometimes it took a bit longer since they had to fetch the bread rolls, for example. But it was very delicious: two rolls, omelet (sometimes), avocado or banana, butter, and jam. We could also make tea and coffee throughout the day. There was also an option for laundry service, but we found it too expensive.

Attractions

Since Pascal was quite ill on the first day, Jona and I ventured out alone. We walked over the "Sapantiana" aqueduct and the associated "Pasaje," which is a passage or alley with the same name, to "Sacsayhuamán," colloquially known as "Sexy Woman." With our "Boleto," we could enter for free and visit the beautiful ruins. There were also some alpacas :D Then we went to "La Vicuñita." This wasn't actually planned, but sometimes spontaneous decisions are the best ;) We got a private tour in English about the different types of camelids and had a look around the shop. They had very beautiful items, including a vicuña poncho for over $4000. We also visited the "Complejo Arqueológico Q'enqo," which was also included in our ticket. Already a bit tired of ruins, we walked through the ancient structures and enjoyed the small caves, the view from the eucalyptus forest, and the somewhat smaller "Q'enqo Chico." After passing by the waterfall and its associated ruins (which we only half-found), we went down to the "Mirador de San Blas" and then back to our accommodation. After a snack with Pascal, we visited the "Museo Histórico Regional de Cusco" (also included in our "Boleto"). Quite interesting! But our day was far from over. We also visited the "Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo de Guzmán" and the "Museo de Sitio Qorikancha" (both included in the "Boleto"). At the "Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo," we enjoyed a cultural dance show - a unique experience! 🤭 With our guide Wilson (whom we organized the day before after the dance show), we started at 9:15 AM towards the weavers' cooperative "Manos de la Comunidad." There, we had a private tour with Vanessa and could feed alpacas, llamas, vicuñas, and guanacos. We also saw the two condor "babies" that have found refuge there since 2003. State employees regularly come by to check on the condition of the two animals. We then exited through the shop ("Exit through the Gift Shop"), but we found everything a bit too expensive. After that, we visited the two ruins included in the "Boleto": "Puka Pukara" and "Tambomachay." The former is also called the "red citadel," and it used to be an outpost for the defense of Cusco. The latter was actually a water temple and featured a few fountains. Quite interesting! Our next destination was the "Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary," where we had a dedicated guide show us the different rescued animals. The most spectacular were definitely the condors, which were just one meter away from us and flew over our heads. At "Awana Kancha," Norma showed us the different camelids (as we had already seen at "Manos de la Comunidad"). Here too, we got to feed the animals and saw a "free" vicuña that had escaped its enclosure ;) Apparently, it happens often, so nothing to worry about. And off to Pisac! There, we strolled around the market a bit, had lunch, enjoyed some ice cream, and then walked to the oldest oven in the region. We bought four super delicious empanadas (two for us and two for Wilson). We visited the impressive ruins and unanimously agreed: almost as great as Machu Picchu! We then returned to Cusco with a brief stop at the "Mirador Taray." There, just before closing, we visited the average "Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de la Municipalidad del Cusco." Quite exhausting! I had a pretty bad cold and went through almost a whole roll of toilet paper blowing my nose. The day after was a bit more relaxed. We went to drink juice at the market and then to the "Museo Maximo Laura," a great museum with weavings by a man titled "Living Human Treasure of Peru." Incredible! Then we visited the "Museo de Arte Religioso" (although neither Jona nor I are particularly big fans of religious art), the "Mantay Modern Art Gallery," and then "Qorikancha," which we couldn't see a few days earlier due to time constraints. We had already been to the associated museum. We walked through the various rooms without a guide and saw amazing stone walls (that withstand earthquakes), a beautiful garden, information panels about weavers, and finally a modern art exhibition (but it was too modern for Jona and me, we didn't like it). We also got to sit in the choir stalls of the adjacent church "Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo de Guzmán," where we had been a few days before. On the way home, we stopped by an art workshop where they make stone jewelry. Then we ate bowls at an Asian restaurant, did some quick shopping, and the day was done. We spent the last day with Jona shopping: I visited "La Vicuñita" again, while Pascal and Jona went to the jewelry store that sells stone jewelry. We took Jona to the airport and then up to the "Iglesia San Cristobal," where we were also allowed to climb up the bell tower. Both Pascal and I managed to bump our heads quite hard on the hanging bells ;) And just like that, our second stay quickly came to an end.

Transportation

We moved around the city on foot and by taxi. For the trip to Pisac, we also took a taxi; first, we asked the agencies (much too expensive), and then we asked the taxi drivers at the main square. They were able to offer us a much better deal, and the price gradually dropped from 360 to 140 soles. The agencies, on the other hand, offered us "special" prices around 540 soles, and my favorite was the agency that quoted us the ridiculous price of 240 US dollars 😂.

Food and Drink

• 61 soles at "Imperio Resto Bar" for
  • Ceviche,
  • Pumpkin cream soup,
  • Spaghetti with pesto,
  • "Lomo de Alpaca,"
  • "Pollo a la Parilla,"
  • Marble cake
• 28 soles at "Los Aromas de Ñucchu" for
  • Cazuela soup,
  • Broccoli cream soup,
  • Spaghetti with pesto,
  • Eggplant schnitzel,
  • Hamburger and fruit juice
• 9 soles at "Mama Coca" for "Lentejas con Trucha" (lentils with trout) in Pisac
• 4 soles for a scoop of copoazú ice cream in Pisac
• 16 soles for four empanadas at the traditional "Horno San Francisco" in Pisac
• 17 soles for a packet of Brazil nuts and pecans
• 33 soles at "Los Aromas de Ñucchu" for
  • Mushroom cream soup,
  • Beans with rice and oca,
  • Vegetable omelet,
  • Salchipapa (Jona was very sad when he tried the food)
• 15 soles for two juices at the market
• 3 soles for a "Queso Helado" on the street
• 45 soles at "Sueño Azul" for
  • Two very delicious tomato-cucumber salads,
  • Falafel,
  • Malawach (a filled flatbread),
  • Pancakes with chocolate sauce,
  • Two chocolate dessert balls,
  • A pitcher of lemonade (very delicious!)
• 27 soles for three juices at the market
• 30 soles at "Sueño Azul" for:
  • Hummus,
  • Eggplant salad,
  • and a few other dishes we didn't take pictures of
• 70 soles at "Sushimura" for two bowls and a cola
• 2.50 soles for three churros with chocolate on the street
• 30 soles at "Café Restaurant Julieta" for:
  • Two servings of Sopa Andina,
  • Escabeche de Gallina,
  • Milanesa de Pollo con Papa

Cafés and Restaurants

• Imperio Resto Bar
• Los Aromas de Ñucchu
• Mama Coca (Pisac day tour)
• Empaletados - Helados Artesanales (Pisac day tour)
• Horno San Francisco (Pisac day tour)
• Sueño Azul
• Sushimura
• Café Restaurant Julieta

Plants and Animals

In Cusco, we saw Peruvian nasturtium. Very pretty!

Interaction with Locals

We had a little chat with Wilson, our taxi driver.

Expenses

• 140 soles for our Pisac tour with Wilson
• 50 soles for the Cochahuasi Animal Rescue Center
• 15 soles for watercolor paints made from natural materials
• 40 soles as tips for Vanessa, Norma, and Wilsen during our Pisac trip
• 8 soles for two pins
• 78 soles for Jona's two sweaters
• 63 soles for Jona's second bottle of Matacuy
• 2 soles for Maras salt
• 180 soles for our relaxing massage
• 15 soles for the Museo de Arte Religioso
• 30 soles for entry to Qorikancha
• 30 soles for Jona's cushion cover
• 90 soles for Pascal's jacket
• 10 soles for Anja's pouch
• 105 soles for our deep tissue massage
• 60 soles for two cushion covers
• 30 soles for Jona's second cushion cover
• 222 soles for two pairs of baby alpaca gloves And we also bought gifts:
• Sweaters for grandma, dad, uncle Elmar
• Earrings for Eva
• Jacket for Benedikt

Laundry

We had our laundry done at a place across from Misky Papa’s for 4 soles per kilogram. In total, it cost 16 soles.

Jona's Flight to Frankfurt

Jona chose a flight with LATAM Airlines Peru.

• 19:35 to 21:05 from Cusco to Lima
• 23:00 to 17:20 from Lima to Madrid
• 19:45 to 22:35 from Madrid to Frankfurt He flew back with 22.4 kg and many gifts from Pascal and me, just under the 23 kg limit. We even had to give him Pascal’s backpack because our stuff didn’t fit into his own. Pascal continued his trip with Jona's backpack. Jona's flight was quite uneventful, exactly how it should be ;) No turbulence, a comfortable seat, and no crying babies next to him. The food was typical airplane quality and, therefore, perfectly acceptable. In Frankfurt, he was picked up by his brother-in-law (then still his prospective brother-in-law) and taken home :) It's great that he arrived so punctually and without any problems. So, thanks again for taking so much of our stuff with you, Jona 😁 We were very happy that you visited us and shared part of our journey with us!

Bus to Pisac

Pascal and I continued to Pisac the next day. Relaxation and rest were our keywords. For 5 soles per person, we took the minibus to our destination. More about this in the next article!