Nadia's Peruvian Adventure!
"Peru was a life-long goal for me..."
...and many obstacles led me to end up in the 2024 Machu Picchu Challenge in no other than Peru. No more than one week after completing the Cambodia Community Challenge in 2023, I booked my Peru trip, and it was HAPPENING. I nearly had to pull out a few weeks before, but I managed to work around it and on the 21st of November 2023, I arrived at Cusco airport after almost 3 days of travelling. (I had extended this travel time as I found it nearly $2000 cheaper to book the flight from Melbourne than from Perth).
Arriving in Peru
Whilst I found that it was a little more difficult to breathe (due to the altitude) AND drag along all my luggage, I instantly fell in love with the sea of lights that I could see in the shape of mountains.
I got through customs at the airport, and panicked when I couldn’t see the driver that I thought would pick me up. I quickly booked a taxi to my hostel and began to walk outside with the driver. Little did I know, the taxi drivers need to wait outside the airport on the departures side, so my driver was there, and I made my apologies to the taxi driver that I had just booked.
I was lucky enough to spend 2.5 days in Cusco before heading to the airport to meet my Group Mentor and Team. I spent this time adapting to the altitude, recovering, and eating some REALLY good food. I explored the city, and attended to the basics, getting myself set up with some toiletries, a SIM and some cash. The Banco de la Nacion in Cusco has no withdrawal fees on the Peru end, so it is the cheapest option for cash withdrawals.
Meeting My Group
On the Saturday, I caught a taxi from my hostel to the airport. It was super cheap, around $5AUD, and had a lovely conversation with the taxi driver about the local attractions and Incan history. At the airport, I met my Group Mentor and team. We had a driver pick us up and load in our bags to the minibus, and then we were off on our way to Casa de Placido, our home throughout the program. This was in a small community around a 10-minute drive from Chinchero in el Valle Segrado, or the Sacred Valley, around 3800m above sea level (it’s a big jump in altitude). However, the homestay here is incredibly picturesque, on a lake surrounded by mountains and paddocks with many different animals. It is a very calming place to stay.
I will add that the facilities, whilst westernised, may be a shock at first, as the toilet and shower is 30m across a field. You get used to this pretty quickly though, (and if not, you can look forward to a hostel or hotel at the weekend if you like!)
Upon our arrival, we received a beautiful greeting from the incredible family who run the homestay, Placido and Basilda. Pongobamba is a very traditional village, and Peru is a country steeped in tradition and culture, so it’s such a special experience. You are welcomed openly into their family, and they are so hardworking. All the cooks make the most delicious homemade food as well with fresh, locally grown or sourced ingredients.
There are many activities surrounding the hub, some are an extra cost, some organised by your Group Mentor for free.
Our Project
The school that we supported was a beautiful, smaller school with 1 class per year level. The teachers were helpful and so willing to learn English as well, which was helpful as they often helped with the classroom management aspect of our workshops. We took a games-based approach, focussing on a different program in each of the weeks as this was a new partner school for the FutureSense Foundation, and the students had very limited English knowledge. Most of the time, our Group Mentor was available for translating, which was super helpful. Incorporating art, games and sport, we covered a few topics, including nutrition, which was incorporated into our week 2 project, creating a mural for the outside of the dining hall.
Salkantay Trek
A huge Part of the Machu Picchu challenge was of course, the 5-day Salkantay trek! I will spare the details of the actual trek as this can be read in Chloe’s blog here.
I will instead list my Top 3 Challenges and Top 3 Highlights.
Challenges:
- I was unwell at the beginning of the trek as I had a tooth infection, and I have asthma. With the first two days being predominantly uphill, I thought I was DOOMED. But the guides were incredible. Whilst I moved a lot slower than the rest of the group, we had two guides, and one stayed at the back with me the entire time and encouraged me when I really needed it. Within the first two days, I really believed in myself and was able to push through. Whilst it was challenging, I enjoyed the entire process. Plus, the guide, Jimmy, was great to chat to and shared knowledge about the land and Incan history.
- As we were trekking in wet season, we experienced 3 landslides along the way. Again, the guides were so knowledgeable and experienced that although it was a more difficult, it was a manageable transition around them. The most intimidating landslide was the one with running water, but all the guides along the trail worked together to come up with a safe solution to get all hikers and equipment across (including some people who weren’t part of our group). Noone was left behind, and everyone felt safe and supported to get across the landslide. I cannot stress enough how safe I felt during the process. They even tested their solution themselves before even moving hikers forward. It blew my mind how amazing they were.
- On the final day, you are told that it is a flat 3-hour walk to Aguas Calientes. It is, but you must climb up a few flights of stairs first, so keep this in mind and be prepared for that extra use of leg muscle. The walk was actually quite quick and took less time than catered for, and Aguas Calientes is a beautiful town!
Highlights:
- I rode a horse up to the Salkantay Pass peak, as I was unwell on the second day, so I was the first person up there. I was there for around an hour with only 1 other person, both in our own spaces taking in the views. We were lucky enough to have a clear sky, so it was very peaceful.
- The descent into the jungle was magnificent, as you watch the rocky landscape turn into lush, green jungle.
- Reaching Aguas Calientes! (Until we had to say goodbye to our guides- this was very bittersweet!)
Free Weekends
I was in Peru for just under 5 weeks all up, spending my time across Cusco and the Sacred Valley. This meant that I had a total of 4 weekends - aside from the weekend of the trek, I spent my remaining weekends in and around Cusco city. I am very partial to a hostel, particularly ones with a lot going on, so I stayed at Viajero Kokopelli. The rest of my group opted to go in together for an Airbnb, a great and cheap option if your group want to stay together and have a bit of luxury.
I’m a firm believer that no matter how adventurous of a traveller you are, you need at least 1 pyjama day. There is no shame in this. Of course, I went out for the basics and for food, but the Friday after the hike, I relaxed in the evening, I slept in on the Saturday morning and I had an easy day. When I felt recovered, I checked out the local markets. There are several markets around, but on a Saturday morning, the locals have a second-hand market as well near the bridge and where the collectivo depot is. These markets go around the outskirts of the San Pedro Markets – the cheapest tourist markets and best place to get a fresh juice or smoothie!
There are also a number of Artisan markets and indoor markets across the Plazas, and there are even outdoor markets along the main Plaza.
I was really lucky to meet not only some incredible travellers at the hostel, but also some really lovely Peruvian people. I had a great experience practicing my Spanish speaking and understanding, as well as learning to salsa dance. My small group of new friends also enjoyed a bit of karaoke, which there are a few opportunities for in Cusco! I have to say that my best night out was going to the karaoke bar with some locals.
All in all, Peru has delicious food – such as Lomo Saltado; beautiful, welcoming people and breath-taking views and I cannot recommend it enough. I am beyond excited to return to Peru in 2025 to discover other areas like Huacachina, Arequipa and Paras, as well as return to Cusco and the Sacred Valley.
