Day 8
Because we are gluttons for punishment and/or because we can't bear to miss out on some of the attractions Cusco has to offer besides Machu Picchu, Stu and I signed up for a day excursion out to a site called rainbow mountain before departing on our trek.
The only full day we had left in Cusco after the trek was the day after we reached Machu Picchu. Rainbow mountain is 3 hours from Cusco by car so we woke up at 4 am to meet our guide in the lobby of our hotel by 4:30. I can freely admit that both of us entertained the idea of pretending we had slept through the alarm when it rolled around, way too early after the late-night return from Machu Picchu. Luckily, we did manage to push ourselves out of bed and were able to sleep in the van. I actually think sleeping might be the best way to ride in a car in Peru as it keeps you blissfully unaware of all the hi jinx and precarious maneuvers your driver might be pulling to get you from A to B.
We woke up two hours into the drive for breakfast at a small cantina attached to the tour agency before continuing on the final hour to rainbow mountain. Better rested, we were able to stay awake for the final leg of our journey and enjoy the agrarian surroundings and continued beauty of the Andes.
At an astonishing 5100 meters above sea level (higher than our summit on the way to Machu Picchu), Rainbow Mountain (aka Vinicunca or Montaña de Siete Colores) is an interesting geological feature, formed by the unique mix of location on the border of two tectonic plates and the rare combined presence of several vibrant minerals exposed by erosion and the tilting of part of a tectonic plate.
Yes- those are some skittles. I decided to taste the rainbow as well as see it.
Rainbow mountain has been known by locals for years as a sacred site and is a popular part of a 6 day hike through the Ausungate mountains. More recently it became famous through stunning Instagram photos and a more direct option was created for people who couldn't commit to such a demanding endeavor. The increased tourism is hastening the erosion of the mountain, despite attempts to corral tourists to maintained trails.
The hike up to the mountain itself wasn't so bad, or, at the very least, felt easier for not requiring us to carry 12 additional kilos up the incline. The mountain lived up to it's name, and was quite beautiful and colorful, but it was the other vistas nearby that took our breath away (I mean, more than the altitude already had). There was one view in particular, with a perfectly white glacier behind a rust-red peak, that felt like it had been photoshopped into reality.
We, along with a couple other members of our tour group, opted to hike back a longer route through the aptly named Red Valley. Where the Rainbow Mountain had felt surreal, this place felt like another world entirely, possibly one engineered by George Lucas. The rocks seemed almost like half-sunken spaceships jutting from the red dunes, and the spongy green moss stood in stark contrasting streaks. We took a TON of pictures because we'd never seen anything quite like it.
The hike through the valley was relatively solitary, a nice change of pace after Machu Picchu (selfie capital of South America) and Rainbow Mountain (which takes honorable mention). The entirely hike was also downhill, again, a nice change of pace. We got to walk across a ridge line, sprint down towering sand dunes, wave to the last lonely baño, bounce across fields of spongy moss, and tromp through a herd of alpacas. We made it back to the bus just as hail and thunder began to strike.
We had an unmemorable lunch at the same cantina, and made it back to Cusco by 4pm. We had dinner at a place recommended by locals and fellow hikers alike, which served tapas that would've passed muster in any foodie city in the world. We tried one of just about everything, from duck prosciutto with arugula to alpaca carpaccio with goat cheese to scallops in mango chutney. It was a spectacular send-off to Cusco.
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