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Day eleven, Rainbow Mountain, May 31st, 2022

Andean Lodges Hosts
Andean Lodges Hosts
I woke to a cold, sunny room, and awesome views outside as the sun came up and lit up the frosty landscape around us. Llamas roamed around outside and added to the scenery. We had a lovely breakfast spread and prepared for our final day and highest day of trekking to the Rainbow Mountain. Our llamas were packed, horse and horseman ready, we said farewell to the Andean Lodge and its hosts. Angela reviewed the itinerary for the day, and we set off into the most uniquely beautiful landscape. It was a cold morning, and frost remained on the ground for hours into our hike. Lots of colorful mountains surrounded us, some topped with glaciers. Little vegetation other than lichens and small plants are seen. It is a peaceful walk with gradual elevation change. As we near the pass that takes us to rainbow mountain, my head starts to ache a little. I know that it is likely the altitude and I stop frequently to sip hot coca tea out of an insulated travel cup. It is an overcast day. Part of me is grateful that we have less exposure and part is sad that the clouds dampen the colors we would likely see in full sun. As Rainbow Mountain approaches, we see droves of people coming from the valley below. Angela explained that locals are allowing people to come for a one-day experience. We are at over 16k feet at this point, and I mention to Angela that it must be difficult to go from Cusco at a little over 11k feet to Rainbow Mountain at over 16k in a few hours. Angela agreed that it is not ideal but the community benefits economically from the extra visitors. I have a moment of gratitude for the pleasant and serene walk in as we move into a crowded trail up to the viewing area for Rainbow Mountain. At the top it is neat to see the naturally occurring rainbow on the adjacent mountain. I found taking photos difficult due to all the visitors, Donnell and Heidi climbed higher to another viewing area and took some of the best photos. I was feeling my headache and did not want to go any higher today. Lisa and Angela stayed with me in the lower viewing area. After viewing for a while and lots of photos, we descended the mountain to a parking area where our horseman and hosts were waiting with a beautiful lunch spread. We were in a tent this time due to the wind, but the lunch again was amazing with lots of fresh veggies, avocado, breads, and tea service. After lunch we thanked our hosts, provided a tip for all our host staff with our head host, Justino and packed up the van to head back to Cusco. It was a long descent down mountain roads to reach the valley and main road to Cusco. I was thankful for our driver and his ability to navigate this terrain. Angela was another wonderful guide for our final couple of days. Angela provided an authentic point of view on the culture and politics in Peru. She was also excellent in her understanding of the natural landscape and was a perfect guide for Rainbow Mountain and Andean Lodges. As we neared Cusco, our group was concerned that we did not have return COVID testing set-up. Angela made a few calls and, presto, a COVID test center would send someone to our hotel prior to our departure tomorrow. At dusk we returned to Hotel San Agustin on Sol St. in Cusco. We said our goodbyes to our driver and tipped him appropriately. Angela stopped in the hotel with us, made sure we were all set and then we said goodbye to her as well. We gave Angela notes of thank you with her tip and a few extra treats. After Angela left, we quickly gathered as a group to go over everything needed for our return trip. Heidi and Donnell set off to an ATM for cash to pay for our COVID tests, while Lisa and I headed toward a laundry service that Angela recommended. We laundered 4 kg of clothing and collected other items that we donated to a local family of a former Inca Trail cook (Mario) who passed away due to COVID and has young children still at home. We are fortunate to be able to help and grateful that our guides Ayul and Angela were able to help us prepare and deliver these items to a family in need. After packing up, Lisa and I had a final dinner at the French café next door to our hotel and toasted to an epic trip.
 

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