¡El Perú!

Last week, I had the great privilege of going to Peru for a week with my study abroad program. We stayed in Cusco, Peru, also known as the historic capital of the Inca Empire. It was truly a beautiful city -- probably the most beautiful city I've ever seen. The only thing I didn't like about it is that there were so many tourists. I know I was one of them, but it definitely got old being asked every second if I wanted a massage, scarf, or earrings. We stayed in a very nice hotel in the historic section of the city, which was absoultely beautiful. Unlike Ecuador, Peru's currency is not the U.S. dollar, so converting money was definitely an interesting experience. Everything was a lot more expensive in Peru in comparison with Ecuador -- Peru's economy is largely centered around tourism, which explains the higher costs. There is so much history and rich culture in Peru, which made the trip even more enjoyable.

Our trip consisted of many visits to Incan ruins -- I had no idea there were so many! The ruins were all incredible -- hopefully the pictures will do them justice. The big excursion was obviously Machu Picchu, which I had been looking forward to ever since I knew I was doing this program. Ever since I learned about Machu Picchu during my Hispanic Cultures I course at Columbia, I knew I had to see the ruins as soon as possible. When I was deciding where to study abroad, I was pretty set on either studying in Peru or Ecuador, because I knew that is where a lot of the Incan ruins were. I never have really been into architecture or ancient cultures, but for some reason, the Incans fascinate me. Although they were brutal and violent and killed thousands, their mastery of rock and other natural resources is literally incredible. Okay, I'm going to stop rambling about this now and get onto the pictures :)  

The airplane that we took from Quito to Lima, Peru was definitely the nicest flight I've ever been on!

¡Llegamos en Cusco, Perú! 

So we were definitely traveling in style...this was the hotel room that I shared with my girl, Casey! The first night, I took my first bath that I have taken in 4 months. It was glorious!

These were our incredibly comfy, queen-sized beds that we had all to ourselves :) We were definitely in heaven.

We stayed in a hotel in the historic section of Cusco -- the architecture is beautiful!

Couldn't get enough of it.

Baby alpaca :) It was scared of us!

This is the first archaeological site of Incan ruins that we visited. It's called Saqsaywaman, pronounced "Sahk-sy-wuh-man" but its nickname is "Sexy Woman" :)

This was the former capital of the Incas and a famous battle site between the Spanish and the Incas. AKA, pretty epic. 

We took many pictures with rocks, all week long :)

This is the only original doorway left from the Incan empire. The reason why it's not a perfect rectangle is because the slanted shape makes sure that it won't collapse.

Crazy view of Cusco.

Me & my superstar friend, Maggie :)

Love the clear blue sky of Cusco -- that's how the sky looks every day...amazing!

El Jesús Blanco that looks over all of Cusco. 

The Incans made a lot of tunnels out of the rocks -- I had to duck in most of them because I have feeling that the Incans were short, like mostly everyone today who lives in the Andes.

Postcard material. 

Baby goat that I just wanted to squeeze!

This picture is dedicated to my mama, as she is obsessed with trees :) IT'S A GIFT!

This sign made me LOL.

Snow-capped mountain in the background.

Terraces -- the Incans were famous for these too. They had agricultural and astronomical significance.

My girl Casey and I, loving the view :)

Bellísima.

Kinda looks fake, but it's forreal.

We visited an indigenous community outside of Cusco (Chinchero), and the women in the community showed us how they colored their yarn with plants, in order to make clothing and other gifts.

"In you there are no limits" - Inspirational sign at the university we visited in Cusco.

We toured a school (elementary, middle, and high) that was basically the most epic school I've ever been to. This playground speaks for itself. The school's motto is "Aprender jugando" which translates to "Learn by playing," which is another reason why this school is so awesome!

These were our tour guides -- probably the best (& cutest) that we have had yet.

More of the beautiful school.

This is the lab where the kids work with plants for medicinal purposes. Forget about chemistry or biology! 

Mother-baby alpaca love -- had to get in on it!

This is an Andean dog. As terrifying and ugly (sorry, perrito) as it looks, it helps with a lot of human sicknesses and diseases. The temperature of its body can get up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit!) 

This is the Andean cóndor, the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere.

This is an Andean cat -- pretty fierce.

And these are Andean deer - so presh!

I was surprised by how friendly and nuzzly they were :)

These are the pumas, which have a lot of spiritual significance in the Peruvian culture. 

More terraces.

Some more archaeological ruins that we climbed.

This day I was all about climbing rocks :)

Life feels so much cooler up on top of a rock.

See the face? SO COOL.

Pwetty.

This is me & my boo on a little date, in the city of Aguas Calientes (Hot Waters/Baths) -- this is on the morning before our ride up to Machu Picchu!

Did you know that Machu Picchu, or "The Lost City of the Incans" was originally discovered by an 11-year old boy?

Looks fake, I know. LA BELLEZA!

This too looks like I was cropped in, but I promise you this is really me, SO HAPPY to be in the epic presence of Machu Picchu.

Did you know that Machu Picchu was voted one of the new 7 wonders of the world (in 2007)? HOLLA! 

So awesomely epic. Words can't describe.

Columbia girls!

Me & Denver with his Andean scarf on (even though everyone thinks its an LGBT flag.)

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) Perfect day.

If you get up at like 3am in the morning and you're one of the first 200 people to get there, you can climb this mountain to get an even more epic view of Machu Picchu. Who's down to come back to Peru one day and do it with me? I'M SERIOUS.

Had to take a fierce woman in black photo.

Piedras <3

All day babyyy.

Chillen in an Incan window.

PTL for Machu Picchu!

Unreal.

Look at that stone mastery!

So if you couldn't tell already, Peru was amazing, beautiful, and unforgettable. I def. want to return one day to do more awesome things. So if you're reading this post, I definitely recommend Peru, as well as Ecuador. There are so many more tourists in Peru, and it seems to be a lot more popular than Ecuador. But, as many people say, Ecuador is one of South American's hidden treasures, so don't forget about Ecuador when you're on your South American adventure!

On another note, I only have 1 week (yes, 7 days) left in Ecuador. It's crazy how 4 months has flown by - it has been a long time but at the same time "el tiempo ha volado," as my host mother would say. For finals, I had 5 papers and 2 presentations to prepare -- as of right now I'm done with all of the papers (por fin!) and I just have to present in my Social Psych and Kichwa class, and then I'm done academically for the semester -- thank God! For my last weekend in Ecuador, I'm going to a beach in Las Esmeraldas (it's called Mompiche), which is kinda far away but it's supposed to be beautiful. Don't worry folks, I'll definitely lather myself in sunscreen every moment so that I don't get second degree burns from the Ecuadorian sun again! ¡Chao!