Cusco – amusemusings

I hadn’t even heard of Rainbow Mountain prior to visiting Cusco. It’s not in the guidebooks. Malene heard about it from a couple guys in her hostel. It was “discovered” in 2016 (yeah right, just like MP was discovered in 1911… what about all those locals who knew about it?). Okay, so Vivicunca mountain was “discovered” by someone who could monetize it for tourism in 2016 & dubbed it Rainbow Mountain for the various mineral deposits found in one place & arranged so beautifully in a sort of “rainbow” painting atop a mountain. But the tour involved a 3am pickup, 3hr one-way bus ride, difficult 7-8hr hike at 5000m (WHAT!?!) & a return at 8pm. Due to the early wake up call, altitude, difficult hike, schedule & the fact we were taking a night bus that very night at 10pm to Lake Titicaca, Amy wisely bowed out. But Malene & I were on board because the photos were phenomenal. I had to see it.
It was a tough day. I’ve never been in altitude like that – it’s difficult to breath at 5000m (15k feet US folks – & the hike starts at 4800m so it’s all day long!) much less hike for 7 hours. We got some assistance on the latter. Locals & their horses lineup to help the tourists get up the mountain because we definitely need help as the hike is no joke. The horses of course can’t take you up the steepest parts but they can give you a break in between those to try to catch your breath. Of the 3+hr hike up & back, half of it was probably spent on the horse. It was worth it as I was still suffering from a deep nasty chest cough that further complicated my breathing.
But the journey & the reward were both stunningly beautiful. The actual Rainbow Mountain is located in this vast valley surrounded with glaciers over 6800m. Team Lucky brought the good weather on the hike in as it started off sunny & blue skies, requiring nothing more than a long sleeve tee. Weather can change on a dime & by the time we were descending from the peak, which was freezing cold due to heavy winds whipping past those glaciers, it had begun to hail & then snow. On the way down, that snow turned into heavy rain. But I’ve never seen anything like this & I felt really blessed to visit. It also felt special to be seeing something that not too many others have seen. So many folks venture to Cusco for Machu Picchu, but not many yet for Rainbow Mountain. I suspect that changes once word gets out & the guidebooks print their next edition. While Machu Picchu is obviously the most popular attraction in Peru & perhaps even all of South America, Rainbow Mountain was by far the best experience for me & certainly tops my list of trip highlights so far (on land so excluding the Galapagos). But you’re not going to make me rank them right?

The hills you pass in this lush green valley provided a glimpse of the crazy colors we’d soon see

Then out of nowhere pops this snow-capped beauty… Ausangate Mountain

Still only wearing layered SS & LS tops on the ascent. Still sunny.

This was my horse, Corre Camina (Run Walk… hehe), quite possibly the smartest, fastest & strongest horse on the mountain. I tried to capture his owner’s, Joaquin, sandaled bare feet. Joaquin was maybe the fastest, smartest & oldest horseman on the mountain who flew up quite muddy terrain wearing nothing but sandals. What I failed to capture was his mouthful of coca leaves. Ahh coca. For those who don’t know, coca is the plant from which cocaine is extracted using all sorts of ugly chemicals. But in its natural state, coca is a safe stimulant that’s much better for you than caffeine. So all throughout Peru (& now Bolivia), I’ve eschewed coffee in favor of coca mate (tea) every morning. And on special days such as this where I need a little extra burst of energy, I chew on a couple leaves (takes 15 mins to feel it). But I certainly don’t chew on a full mouthful. But then again, Joaquin got up that mountain a helluva lot faster than I did… his larger lung capacity helps as I’m sure does the coca. If only it were legal in the US (even the UN considers it illegal but that’s driven by the antiquated US). Oh wait. It’s legal in the US for one company… Coca Cola so it can make its billions of dollars a year. But it’s illegal for everyone else in the world to use or chew even when it’s been part of the SA culture for thousands of years. I am so tired of the US’ hypocritical fucking laws. So unfortunately, I won’t be bringing any coca leaves back with me.

Believe me, there’s a massive 6800m high glacier in the background

If you want to dork out like I did, here’s videos at the top of the 360 degree views:

https://youtu.be/V4M5XdfgzLY
https://youtu.be/DOCoUkKnEUM
https://youtu.be/Q5DSUANAh1s

As an aside, if you’re considering doing the hike, make sure you spend a lot of time at high altitude before doing the hike. And don’t be too proud to use the horses. We had been in high altitude for a decent amount of time & still used the horses. The altitude, hike & changing weather is no joke. Several people in our group hadn’t climatized & refused the horses’ assistance & ended up severely ill (vomiting) from altitude sickness afterwards. Not a fun way to end a spectacular day.

I find that most travelers gloss right over Cusco as their primary destination is the nearby Machu Picchu but it’s quite a lovely city. We also toured the nearby Sacred Valley including various Incan ruins before heading to Aguas Calientes to tour MP. I went caption heavy on the photos below so I’m keeping this brief. You’re welcome.