MACHU PICHU
I was struggeling with my body all day forcing myself to keep moving, so i can not have the best opinion about this place… but i share what we ve got.
First of all… tonns of people. Daily limit is 2500 people – for Huayna Picchu (the Little Brother on the side) only 400 – we couldnt get this ticket. Unbelievably good luck we had with the weather – cause we are in a rainy season now and its little chance to see all from the clouds… we had the most amazing sunny day ever with clear sky.

High altitude sickness was making everyones life a bit harder – especially climbing on the stone stairs up and down. The surrounding is taking your breath away. Green mountains till u can see – and here is Machu Picchu, like a mountain without a top, a plain field but with hundreds of layers of terraces mainly for agricultural reasons.
Nobody has any idea about this place… Why did they built it? What was the reason? And… how the f*ck??? Perfect walls made of millions of tonns of stones in an altitude higher then 3000m… and its a proper city with water channel, temples, houses, squares, astronomic places etc etc… It is shocking u – mainly the idea of this whole construction.

On the other side… was a horrible experience. Full of tourists from “latin selfie-lovers” to “american retired grandparents” who could hardly walk in these stairs… this ruins everything. When u need to wait like 10 miutes to join in the cue of people with massive cameras goes up to a temple… u might change your mind and try to follow n “alternative” route.
Here i do feel to mention.. we all have the same opinion: they absolutely overprice this whole scenery – but with everything. From the train (120 dollar!!!) u need to catch to come to AGUAS CALIENTES (which is a horrible experience how the turism can kill everything authentic), from there u get a more expensive bus (82 sol) to take u up to the ruin and there… u pay the entrance (128 sol). Not cheap at all.

Even if u would like to do the inka trail in a cool hippy way – like walking 4 days on the mountains till u reach Machu Picchu: u can not do individually because its not safe at all. You need a guide and a tour with a group – which cost around 600US dollars minimum. Soooo… think it twice. Amazing place, but people here sold their soul just because they could.
The only way it worths to visit: sleep in Aguas Calientes – not because the village is nice – but for an early start to the top – u can get a bus around 6-7ish and get there before the rush of tourists.

CUSCO
From the Sacred Place we were rushing back to Cusco to continue the jourey. U can get scared easily when u see the outside suburb (the road which is going to the valley thru up the mountain): rubbish hills and fighting abandoned street dogs between hardly standing households with shit and dirt all around. Really really shocking… but then u come closer a bit…

Try to start your visit in the Plaza de Armas which is in the very central. Just simply beautiful. It doesnt really matter which way u gonna carry on, every street has got its own charm and western hint. U might get the first negative thoughts about it – but eventually u need to admit that for our comfort we do need an “organic coffee shop” (remember the story i just mention a log post before…).
Cause we love this wild romantic feeling, the tiny white old houses with colorful windows and balconies, the “cobbled streets” and baby llamas in every corner… still we need our necessary everyday stuff, like a good french bagette, a nutty brownie or a creamy latte. And supermarket please – thanks God!
So… shame or not shame… we do need these “standard” to live somewhere ·happy ever after·, and u can find all of this in Cusco. Sad or not – they clean the streets and take the rubbish because of us (appearantly because of the rich americans but almost the same-same… but different :). WE LOVE CUSCO.

BUT… just to show that there are 2 sides of every stories… we arrived and checked in our hostel (InkaClub Hostel – closed to the Plaza de Armas) with satisfaction: finally hot water!, useful internet!!! and a kindof private for a price of a dorm room (6bed but it was just 3 of us and no bed bugs! :P). Only thing we needed to get done: laundry. Lots of laundry.
Unfortunately we were listening to the receptionist guy and we did turn right from the hostel. At the end of the street we saw a sign and we went in. Well… the view with the smell took our breath away hahahahaha… soooooooooooooooo disgusting place u rarely see. And there was a young boy around 14 maybe who were measured our clothes and we agreed to pick it up around 8pm. We did have a bad feeling.
Anyway – meanwhile we found out what we wanna do for the next couple of days and we payed for a 3 days tour to the AMAZONAS, in the MANU National Park. The pick up at 7am.

Time was ticking and we went back for the clothes… was waited for an hour – when 3 little boy (incuded the one before) around 9pm jumped off a bus, ran inside and gave us a massive bag of clothes. We paid the price – 2pesos per kilo. Walking home planning the special peruvian dinner what we wanted to have soon…
Gigi started to organize her clothes from the bag… and “this is missing”… and “this is missing”…” this as well”… Gabor was coming and saying the same… the whole bag of white clothes -what Gigi strongly asked to wash separately- was missing. Like 4 kilos of stuff. Obviously we ran back – door closed again, nobody there.
In that night from 9pm to 12pm we went back like 4 times… we could talk just with the neighbours – the boys didnt turn up. Little mother fuckers. Nice memories… Gigi were on the edge of crying. But at least now she has lots of space in her bag to do a big shopping in Rio de Janeiro :).

Conlusion: leave your laundry in a big central – never in a tiny garage and dont deal with 14years old – whatever! Oh, and as a backup u should always leave an extra half day to recollect your clothes if something gets f*cked up or missing! Lesson learnt!