I fell in Love with Peru the Day I Landed in Cusco

In the short plane ride between Lima and Cusco, Peru, I met a young man named Gabe. He was there to hike to Machu Picchu and we got along like old friends.

I was super tired from only a few hours of very interrupted sleep, but talking to Gabe lit me up. When we landed, he and I shared a ride in a cab to my friend Macey's hostel. I loved listening to him talk to the cab driver in Spanish and felt shy to even try.

I was fascinated by the color of their money and the shape of their buildings. The cars drove as if there were no traffic laws, and busses emmitted way too much polution for my head and lungs.

I was captivated by everything I saw, and felt exhilarated to be on a new continent and out of the United States. I was grateful to have Gabe to chatter away with, as it was his first time out of the US, too.

The cab driver took us onto roads that looked like sidewalks (and traffic goes 2 ways!!!!), then dropped us off a half block from the hostel.

Here is Gabe walking by a dog on a roof as we approached our destination:

I could already feel the magic in the air, every cell in my body felt different as a walked toward Casa De Mama with Gabe. Maybe it was the altitude, but I prefer to think it was Peru itself... I had no idea what to expect of the coming days, but I knew I was approaching something really magical.

Next I will write about my morning in Cusco with Macey!

You can read about my first leg of the trip here: