The lands around Cusco have a funny way of turning a simple walk into a full-blown adventure.
We started off innocently enough, wandering through the hills, when suddenly—boom—secret tunnels. Proper, duck-your-head, slightly-spooky tunnels once used by the Incas during the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Nothing like a bit of ancient hide-and-seek to get the heart going. You half expect someone to whisper, “quick, this way!”
Feeling brave and possibly a little too confident, we followed a mountain stream upwards. It was all very peaceful… until we met the ladder. Calling it rickety is generous, this thing had character. The kind of character that makes you question your life choices halfway up. Still, step by wobbly step, we climbed—because turning back would mean admitting the ladder had won. At the top, though, it was magic. Quiet, grounding, and a perfect moment with Pachamama.
We finished at Sacsayhuamán, where the stones are so perfectly placed it feels like the Incas had a giant set of Lego… just without instructions.
Adventure, a few laughs, and only minor ladder-related trust issues.
