Another early morning, we left our hotel and picked up another couple that was also going to hike Rainbow Mountain. We stopped for a quick breakfast and then arrived at 7am at the base of the mountain. It was a much shorter hike than yesterday but a sharper ascent and elevation. The peak is at 16,522 ft above sea level. Damny smirked when he saw visitors riding horses and motorcycles to the top and told us we were NOT going to need that kind of assistance. We will take it one step at a time. I was definitely challenged on this trail, taking many breaks getting up to the top. It was amazing to see the colors and the valley below!
I'm glad we did this hike, as it's one of the most iconic places to visit in Peru. Had we not done The 7 Lakes of Afdfdsajf, I probably would have been more impressed. But after the tranquil and magical hike from the day before, this place was nothing in comparison. Our descent was much easier but we saw the swarms of tourists coming up the mountain (walking, riding horses/motorcycles) and we were grateful to have come early in the morning when we did. We stopped at the same place for lunch on the return and got back to Cusco around 3pm. We went over to a local museum and wandered around the town square. We made a stop at a convenience store to get some local beers and snacks. We were floored at how little our total came to, for all the Gatorade, Coke, two beers, chex mix, and candy, it was only $7.
We had reservations that evening at Chicha por Gaston Acurio. Abby and Nate had recommended this prix fix menu and it did not disappoint! It had seven courses, two of which were desserts. Pisco Sour aperitif plus three wine pairings. Everything was delicious and I can say that I did, in fact, try the guinea pig, in the form of a delicate Pekin-style guinea pig taco. Like that, it was quite delicious!
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