June 13th

June 13th

After a wonderful nights sleep in our luxurious hotel, a group of us set out on a hike. Dr. Garcia planned on taking us on a path she took 25 years ago, but there had been a landslide that completely shut down that route. Walking there we were able to see the hot springs, which looked more like large hot tubs filled with yellow water. We then embarked on a different trail that began along the river. The river is full of gigantic rocks, making it impossible for any kind of water sport, but I loved the sound of water rushing past the rocks. It almost sounded like we were next to a waterfall.

                We then took a trail that said it led to waterfalls. After holding our breath past the dump, we followed the railroad tracks on a beautiful path through dense greenery. It felt like something out of an adventure movie. As we pushed forward, the scenery became more and more green, until it looked like we were in the jungle. After about an hour, we reached the first waterfall, which was small, but ran all the way down a 100 foot mountain. I climbed up some slippery rocks to get a better view, and when I turned around my group was out of view. After some running through the jungle we were reunited and a couple of us proceeded to the big waterfall. It was beautiful! I had never seen a waterfall before, so I think I was especially excited about it. I could have sat there all day, but we had to make a long trek back for lunch.

                We met back with the whole group at a swimming hole and a couple of us put our feet in the water, which was unbelievably, ice cold. Once we realized that the group was not going to make it back in time for lunch, Kourtney and I ran as much as we could back to the hostel to let the group know that nothing bad had happened. Running through the jungle was very hot and sticky, but it felt satisfying once we made it back. We then went to a fancy lunch buffet that was super delicious, and then spent the rest of our time in Machu Picchu roaming through the market. It was really fun bartering for prices!

                We then took the long train ride home to enjoy our last night in Cusco. A couple of us went to a pizzaria for dinner when we got back. We sipped on hot chocolate and were serenaded by a guitarist. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel, relaxed, and complained about having to leave that beautiful city.