On to the next one (Peru)

Hello everyone!

Last time we wrote we had just left the farm and made the 14hr trip to Cuenca. That was last weekend but it already feels like a long time ago. We had a busy week and spent lots of time on buses (but managed to see some pretty cool places too!).

We spent two days in Cuenca. The first day we spent getting used to civilization again by walking around the beautiful colonial city and indulging in some excellent food.

Shaina polishing off her delish breakfast omlette

A typical street view in the old part of town

On day two in Cuenca we headed to the nearby Cajas National Park (elevation 3900 masl). It was very cold and wet but a very cool place to see. We went on a beautiful 4 hour trek through mountains, around lakes, and through a cool forest.

Marsh at a lookout at the beginning of the hike

Shaina in the woods

After returning from the national park tired and wet, we went for an amazing dinner at a Spanish tapas restaurant in town. The next morning we said farewell to Cuenca and we were back on the road to Vilcabamba (a small village in the mountains of southern Ecuador). The trip was another 8-9 hours on the bus but we loved Vilcabamba the moment we arrived. We had made a reservation at a hostel based on the recommendation of a friend we met at the farm and it was amazing! It was resort living at backpacking prices! The place had awesome views, great food, a swimming pool and spa!

View from the hostel's dining area - town of Vilcabamba in the distance (2km)

We had two days in live in luxury in Vilcabamba. On day 1, we went for a 4 hour trek to a nearby waterfall. The first half of the trek was along a river to the waterfall, while the second half was along a mountain ridge overlooking the valley of Vilcabamba. It was a great day!

Us at the waterfall

The valley of Vilcabamba on the way back

Day 2 in Vilcabamba, we relaxed (with 75 minute massages for $18!) in preparation for our farewell to Ecuador and for our legendary journey that was to begin that evening. Starting in Vilcabamba we took a 1.5 hr bus to Loja. In Loja we met up with a friend from the farm for dinner and then got on an overnight bus from Loja across the Peruvian border to Piura (9hrs). In Piura we quickly grabbed some food and Peruvian money (Soles) and jumped on the bus again heading south to Chuclayo (3hrs). In Chuclayo we at a quick lunch and had an hour to kill with some errands before taking yet another bus to Trujillo (4.5 hrs). We arrived in Trujillo at 7:30pm exhausted after nearly 24 hours of busing ....but we are crazy and tried to jump on the 9pm overnight bus to Huaraz....but it was sold out. So we were stuck in Trujillo for a day and had to take the night bus the following day. To kill the day in Trujillo we visited the nearby Chan Chan ruins (the captial of a pre-Incan society). They were nice but we're hoping to be more impressed by Machu Picchu :)

Shaina at the Chan Chan Ruins

Last night we took the night bus from Trujillo to Huaraz where we are now. Huaraz is a city of 90,000 people close to the Cordillera Blanca (the highest mountain range in Peru). We will be here for the next 4 days in order to do a 4-day trek through these stunning mountains (with a guide). It should be a good practice run for Machu Picchu. After the trek, we head to Lima where we will recover in Luxury at the Marriot Hotel for two nights (thank you Schulich A-Team!) before flying to Cuzco on Oct 2 for our Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu adventure with our friend Barry!

Hope everyone at home is good!

Love Marsh & Shaina