Rainbow Mountains & A Golden Birthday

Before heading out for our 7 day trek through the Andes (post coming soon), we hunkered down in Cusco for 10 whole days, hoping to explore, practice our Spanish, hike, and [most importantly] celebrate Ben's golden birthday! After taking a few days to adjust to the altitude (which is real, friends... very real), we headed off to Rainbow Mountain for our second Peruvian trek.

Rainbow Mountain just opened for hiking a couple of years ago, and they already get hundreds of tourists each day. You can get a cheap tour from anyone on the street (~$30), but you arrive with the masses. We opted to pay a bit more through Flashpacker Connect, and they picked us up at 2:30 a.m. so we could beat most of the crowds. We were glad we went this route, mostly because we are pretty strong hikers and don't like getting stuck in a slow moving line, but if you don't mind crowds, opt for the cheaper option.

Other important things to note about Rainbow Mountain:

• It's GORGEOUS. So beautiful. Highly recommend. Even if the weather is garbage, it changes so quickly at that altitude, that you'll almost always get some views of the mountains.
• It's hard. The altitude is tough- 5,200 meters, over 17,000 feet. For reference: cruising altitude for airplanes flying from Madison to Chicago is typically around 10,000 feet. If you have altitude meds, take one the night before and one the morning of to help.
• Also, because of the altitude, it's cold. Wear layers and bring warm mittens/hat for the top.
• You can pay to have a horse carry you to the top, but everyone who hikes will sneer at you for cheating.

Unfortunately, once we finally got our heads and guts settled down from the altitude after Rainbow Mountain, we had a nice bout of the stomach flu. As a result, we wound up eating mostly soups and bread while staying as close to our Airbnb as possible to try to recuperate before we hit the trail.

Lucky for us, though, we were in pretty good shape for Ben's GOLDEN birthday! We spent the morning chatting with his mom and sister, and afterwards he received some new Patagonia gear, coffee from his favorite Cusco spot, and tacos. Here's a preview of his new gear:

Even with the sickness, we were able to get out quite a bit around Cusco. Here are our favorite restaurants we would recommend to anyone heading there:

1. Le Buffet Frances: The best coffee we had in Cusco at a great price. Delicious quiche, and breads (perfect for an upset tummy). Highly recommend.
2. La Morena: A bit pricey, but the best service we've ever had, and the best ceviche too!
3. Monkey Coffee: I don't really like falafel, but we both LOVED the falafel here. They have pretty good organic coffee, and a cool vibe too.
4. Calle del Medio: Fantastic cocktails, friendly bartenders, balcony overlooking the Plaza de Armas, and great wifi. It's a perfect spot to hang out for the afternoon.
5. Sumaq II Cusco: An unassuming, off-the-beaten-path, local place with incredibly fresh local fare at a great price. A do not miss.
6. Any Polleria you can find. These are like rotisserie chicken shops located everywhere. Just ask anyone you see for a recommendation near you. So delicious.

Non - food related recommendations:

1. Obviously, Rainbow Mountain.
2. San Pedro Market: It's one of the nicest markets we've been to on this whole trip. It's a legit local thing (not as much a tourist trap), with lots of food stands, groceries, as well as opportunities to buy your standard alpaca get-up.
3. A little shop located in a back alleyway around here. There are a lot of "same, same, but different" shops around Cusco, and it starts to feel like most of it was just made in China. We ended up finding this old lady's shop, and she sells antique, handmade classic Peruvian tapestries. We almost bought 3 until we remembered we only have backpacks (and shipping from Peru is expensive). If you're looking for something authentic, it's worth seeking this place out!

Most of our pictures are from our absolutely incredible, budget-blowing adventure through the Salkantay + Inca trails, which we'll post soon, so stay tuned!