Chapter 5: The Sacred Lands of Peru

                Chapter 5: The Sacred Lands of Peru

Welcome to the land of spirituality, flavors, and gigantic landscapes where condors, pumas, and snakes are considered the magical creations of the Quechuan gods Pachamama, Inti, and Willaq Umu, housed within the all encompassing spirit of the mountain, Apu, the most cherished and feared metaphysical entity. 

              Part 1: Morgan's visit to Lima and Cusco

My hardworking doctor finally earned herself a vacation (or two, with the second one coming up—stay tuned), and we decided to meet up in Peru to explore together. The past years of medical residency combined with the usual stresses of living in the US and the recent Colombia experience have taken a lot out of her, so here we are trying to fill up our cups a little. 

For this part of the trip, I left the machine in Quito and flew to meet her in Lima, where we spent a few days exploring the city and eating things Anthony Bourdain would approve of (more on that later).

                                           Lima #1

                                            Lima #2

                                          Lima #3

Touchdown in Cusco, climbing adventure in the heart of the sacred valley awaiting immediately. 

What a fine via ferrata this was... 

View from the pod that we stayed in overnight at SkyLodge.

Just floating high above the valley floor, how cool is that? 

Meet Waffles - the most fluffable, fluffiest Fluffmaster General of all the fluffballs out there. 

He warmly welcomed us to our next adventure, a gorgeous cabin stay at the Mountain View Experience in Maras.

"I have no legs, but I'm ZEN as fuck!" - Waffles, peruvian Philosopher, 2025. 

                                        Alpacattack!

Part of every stay at the Mountain View Experience includes a hot tub party with the resident llamas and alpacas, snacks provided.

It is a little strange just having a single horse power, but I got to admit, the torque they put out is impressive. Chances are mine needed a software update as the throttle delay was not geared towards off-road use...

Of course we had to visit this one. What an incredible sight. The low clouds in the high jungle of Macchu Picchu put an extra layer of mystique on its ambiance.

A "quick" hike to the top of Maccu Picchu mountain along tree covered stone stairs...

will reward you with a 360° viewpoint across one of the seven wonders of the world. In my case, Macchu Picchu representing #4 in the quest to visit them all. 

Coming down from our Macchu Picchu high, we got even higher in Cusco (in altitude) which sits about 1km-1mi above the sacred Inca city. Speaking of high, to combat the dizzy heads we found some vendors in Cusco’s street markets selling the magical combo of coca leaves and quinoa root charcoal. Chewed on at an exact ratio of π times thumb you can summon the ancient benefits of the coca alkaloids without stepping into illegal territory. Quite fun, but takes some getting used to as overdoing it results in the inability to use your mouth for regular day activities like tasting things and talking uninterruptedly. 

And since we were already committed to experiencing Cusco’s eccentricities, we decided to dick around in the suburbs a bit on the hunt for weird things. All in the name of science of course.

                                   What the dickens?

Wandering through Cusco proper. Typical local nom noms include Chicha (a fermented corn kombucha) and maracuya ice cream. How delightful!

Plaza de armas in Cusco - means you have to stick your arms out the window, correct?

Listen up architecture nerds! If you're on the search for perfection, bring a sheet of paper and try squeezing it in between these stones. I couldn't stop staring at them. Incredible. Apparently the Inca had nothing to do with their creation as they are way older. But you know how it goes, old architects never die. They just don’t know when to draw the line.

Cornerstone weighing around 200 metric tons as part of the gigantic and mysterious construction of Sacsayhuaman. The two theories I've heard about this place include military installation and spriritual grounds. Either way, whats your theory for moving a 200 ton rock up a mountain?

A natural rock sliding park? Apparently the going theory is that the thousands and millions of pre-Incan, Incan, and Spaniard butts that went down these channels have actually smoothed and polished the rock into actual slides. And you can get some speed on them!

May I introduce Raul, the best tour guide and friend in Cusco. I linked up with him in 2016 (virtually) with the goal of meeting him on the central America trip. We finally got together, almost 10 years later. What a blast! 

And as life gets sometimes, one of Morgan's high school friends happened to be in town for a quick visit. Finding out last minute, we grabbed some quick drinks and called it a "see-you-next-time-in-Europe.” Hasta luego! 

Also, big thanks and shout-out to Morgan for planning and finding some truly unique activities and locations in Peru. Thank you my love! Great job and well done.

           Part 2: The culinary extravaganza of Peru

Do not look at the following footage if you already feel even the slightest bit hungry. The author of this post does not assume responsibility for any of the following: acute munchies, crumb apocalypse, chocolate stains on fabrics of any kind, empty pantry cabinets, higher than normal grocery bills...etc. 

Nailed it Peru! Colors, flavors and presentations 10/10. 

                          Part 3: Peru on wheels

Saying goodbye to the Ecuadorian Andes and hello Peruvian jungle. 

                              Border crossing La Balza.

Warm welcome on the other side by the kiddos...

as well as other riders on the road.

Being the fifth tallest waterfall in the world at 771m, Gocta Cataracts is a monumental sight. A quick 2.5hr hike from the parking lot to the falls will make you want to take a high pressure shower in the cold free-leaping waters of the falls. Out of my own experience I can say that it's not a fun experience as the winds and waterbursts will make you blind and slip on the slick rocks. 

Oh look, a rattle bike! They are common in the Peruvian andes and hungry for attention and maintenance.

In northern Peru, beauty comes in many forms. Admiration and respect being at the forefront of emotions coming to mind digging through the endless memories.

Take a minute and let the following photos sink in...

What vegetable do you need when your tire is flat? 

A-spare-I-guess.

Also, ever thought about this - when you run in front of a car you'll get tired, but when you run after it, you'll get exhausted. Strange how language does and doesn't make sense sometimes...

No I'm not going to make another tire joke, I'm TIREd of them! 

All jokes aside, what better setting is there to be repairing your beloved machine?

Situated at 15200ft/4600m the laguna 69 is a hard earned trophy. At 8mi/13km round trip, we barely completed the hike in 3.5 hrs. 

The path up to the lake was stunning views almost all the way, to say the least.

Times like these are rare like gems in the rock, it takes a lot of work to procure these moments... all the sweat, hard work, and patience eventually lead to unforgettable memories - forever and perfect and just for yourself to nourish the soul throughout all thats to come in life.

Around Lima and further south all the way to Arequipa, this is as much view as you will get. Five straight days of offroad, five days of joint pain, an adrenaline hangover, a couple of dust lungs, a two-time busted rear tire, and a squeaking bike have resulted in mountain fatigue. At this point we actually embraced riding the perfectly boring roads. 

Within the endless sand we found some relief at the Huacachina Oasis, near Ica. 

Even the aliens thought Peru is cool enough to be the place to leave their mark on this planet.

May I introduce - AREQUIPA, a town and landscape of stunning beauty (drone shot). 

Two massive volcanos Chachani and Misti watching over Arequipa. Both around 6000m/19,700ft, they pose a massive challenge to the ambitious few out there willing to risk their lives for the thrill of achievement. One of those knuckleheads being my new found buddy Martin. Born in Huaraz, he's been breathing that clean and crisp mountain air his whole life. Nowadays he can proudly call himself a mountaineer, guide, and ultra-marathon runner, finding his own peace in challenges that could easily be the end to an average person.

At this point, not sure who is more loco, the guy who runs at altitudes I can barely breathe in or the gringo on the right that signed up for a trail run with him.

Fermented Quinoa chicha provided the necessary energy to bring me back to life post-run.

Beautiful Arequipa, hope to visit you again someday! 

A strenuous ride across desolate landscapes with breathtaking views, herds of Alpaca and Vicuna, endless rains, below-freezing temperatures, a mountain pass crossing at night in a snow blizzard, and icy roads for the first time made me question if I could actually reach my destination. Pain is temporary and a necessary evil, so lets just embrace it for once, shall we? 

And again, it was worth it. Colca canyon, the deepest of its kind in the entire world. And the cold frozen bones shall be forgotten immediately!!!

Everything has an end - only the sausage has two. Do I need to explain that this saying might be german? 

Whether we like it or not, Peru is coming to an end for us. There is so much more to see and ride, a country worth coming back for. Nevertheless, here we are on our last stop close to the bolivian border at Lake Titicaca, where the Uros people have figured out how to use reeds in order to build floating islands. They are bound to their own tradition by choice, unsupported by the government and solely dependent on tourism. 

Ciao ciao Peru, que estes bien and that the next el Niño will have mercy on your people.

Peru, you've opened my eyes and mind in many ways. This shall count as a tribute of respect to your people, your cultures, and your lands, as all of them are magnificent. Thank you for welcoming us tourists with open arms. We try our best to leave no trace, support where we can, and spread the word for your appreciation around the world. We show respect by dancing to your music, trying to speak your language, and eating your foods. Peru, your people will always find shelter and protection in my arms and under my roof. Thank you!