NOW, CONSIDER: Cusco City at 11,152 ft.
And Vinicunca (another name for the Rainbow Mountain, from the local ‘Winikunka’) at 17,060 ft.
Will #ThePSN survive the 6,000 ft difference?
To be honest, I felt sick on top of the mountain.
Pressure headache, nausea, exhaustion after 1.5-hour hike going, and another 1.5-hour hike going back.
But I knew I’ll be damned if I didn’t do it when I had the chance.
***
For bragging rights, and beautiful, surreal photos, I hiked.
I climbed the Rainbow Mountain.
And I survived!
That’s why I am #ThePSN.
That’s why I am a legend.
I wouldn’t give up even if it kills me. Haha.
***
Now, back to the strike.
The tour operator said, I didn’t have to worry.
We leave Cusco at 4am so the transport strike is no problem.
The bus ride to the entrance of the Rainbow Mountain hike is three hours, anyway.
Also, we come back at 6pm so the strike would have been over.
***
Three hours bus ride going to the entry to the Rainbow Mountain, plus maybe 30-45 minutes breakfast/toilet break.
I dunno what happened, but we were there at the hike trail entrance at 9am.
And were given instructions to be back at the bus by 1pm.
If we had the right mind, we should start our descent hike from the mountain at 11:30am. (I told you, 1.5-hr hike one way!)
***
Bus left for trip back to Cusco at 1:15pm, had a lunch/toilet break.
(But I didn’t have the appetite to eat. Just too nauseous from the altitude).
We arrived in Cusco around 5pm.
I ran to visit the Convent of La Merced (paid extra) to cover what I missed of the city tour which I already paid for, but which couldn’t be refunded because the trip to the Rainbow Mountain was not sanctioned by my tour package.
***
In the morning of Day 7, I did more Inca ruins/church museums on my own by just paying extra.
I told you, I wasn’t going to miss anything!
Got money, will have anything money can buy.
I covered them all—the sun temple at Qorikancha, the Society of Jesus church, the Cusco Cathedral with its two adjoining churches: Triunfo and Sagrada Familia.
I even visited the Museo de Arzobispo since I did the Cathedral package.
When I exchanged stories and showed photos with my tour mates, I ended up going to more places in Cusco than they have covered in the Cusco City tour which I missed by going to the Rainbow Mountain.
***
In the afternoon, we flew from Cusco to Lima.
I had 12 hours in Lima before flying to Mexico City the following day.
I hit Grindr again.
This time, the prostitutes were on. Escorts. Or in their language, ‘scort’.
I was so horny, but I was out of US dollars.
I also spent my last Peruvian sol on refrigerator magnets.
***
Damn! Sexy boys for as low as $40 (150 soles).
Do I withdraw from the ATM?
But I hate ATM fees, and the bad conversion rate.
And I’m afraid the ATM will malfunction on my last night in Peru.
What if I couldn’t retrieve my card? (Like what just happened to one of my tour mates the other day?
Or just like what happened to the Los Angeles Airport when I left?
I meant to withdraw $200 at the airport, but somebody’s card was stuck and I couldn’t get any more pocket money.
I survived Peru with a mere $300! Haha.)
***
In the end, I decided I’m too scared of catching Covid too close to my flight.
I decided ATM withdrawal is too much trouble.
I decided prostitution or paid sex is not really my style.
I decided my first night Grindr hookup in Peru (he was out of town shooting a music video on my last night) was so great an experience I didn’t want to ruin the memories.
So, I just played with myself to sleep, and woke up feeling great for my flight back to the US via Mexico City.
***
The Rainbow Mountain was a great extra in my Peruvian trip.
I only wanted Machu Picchu when I booked the tour, to be honest.
But when I was in Peru, there was just the itch to do more.
What really pushed me to do the Rainbow Mountain?
Well, the dancer who danced in my hotel bed on my first night in Lima.
He said, “Oh, you have to visit the Rainbow Mountain. It’s really awesome!”/PN
