Cusco the home of the Inca’s. I’m super excited to be here! We have a total of 12 days around the region and they are jam packed! 3 days acclimatisation at Ollantaytambo, 3 days hiking in the Lares, two days on the Inca Trail and four days in the rainforest. All back to back!

But first, after another early flight, I needed coffee and the boys needed food! Luckily our Hostal served a simple breakfast over a great view of the old city. Its tiled roofed buildings could have been European but somehow it felt more authentic than the pristine roofs of Venice or elsewhere.

We had just one day and night exploring Cusco, buying souvenirs, stocking up on supplies and snacks, and of course watching another England game. I loved the vibe of the city, a mix of modern comforts and ancient culture.

I wish we had booked a couple more nights to explore further but we also needed a rest and time to recoup before our epic hikes to come. Ollantaytambo was calling.

A small town in the sacred valley known as the gateway to Machu Picchu because of its train link. On first appearance it’s a typical tourist spot, but scratch below the trinket shops and bars aimed at backpackers and you find a peaceful town with evidence of its Incan history.

The town is still built on the original Inca blueprint, its narrow paths and flowing aquaducts giving it an ancient feel. That along with the fact you find Inca ruins everywhere! For example we went for a massage and the room had been built on the exact floor plan of an Inca house. The walls to about 1/3 of the way up made of beautifully interlocked stone work.

Our first full day we headed early to the famous Ollantaytambo Inca ruins. As we climb a series of impressive terrace the sun heat built as quickly as the oxygen appeared to thin, but at the top we were rewarded with our first look at the iconic Inca stone work and amazing views of the town.

It’s crazy to think these walls have stood over 500 years, through earthquakes, purposeful destruction of the conquistadors, adhoc scavenging and more recent tourist trampling. There interlocking surfaces still siting perfectly.

We had heard the town got busy from 11 till 3 as the tourist buses and tours made their way through… but for our early visit meant we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

Tummies rumbling we headed to find lunch, we chose a restaurant with views of the ruins and the streets below. It was fascinating to watch the town go from sleepy and calm to completely overrun with tourists in a less than an hour. The streets below also became hectic with vehicles beeping and every kind of tourist imaginable. Those carrying enough for a year trip to those in flip flops and headphones. Old, young, couples, families, massive tour groups. The ruins we had just left were now swarming in people. Feeling relived not to be in the throng of it, It was a fascinating watch from our terrace up high.

The rest of our days in Ollantaytambo were spent in pretty much the same fashion. Early explorations and then hide up on a terrace and enjoy people watching.

Our last day however we decided to leave the comforts of town and head out on a horse ride in the surrounding countryside. When deciding what difficulty to book, husband revelation that he has doesn’t “think been on a horse ride” surprised me… we have been together so long and done so much, it seems crazy that there are still somethings we have yet to do together. We have rode camels, donkeys, elephants and even ostriches… how they heck had we missed horse riding 😂😂

Time to rectify that omission…