Just Around the Riverbend

     We arrived in Cusco a couple days ago to our hostel Pariwana. All of us were super stoked because the vibe and amenities and everything were fantastic. We were just using it as a stop over for the day but after our other adventures we'll go back for five. 
     We mostly had a low key night, went to a market with our new friend tourist Tom and had a dinner at the hostel before going to bed to prepare for our early morning. 
     We were picked up at 8:30 in the morning by Willy our guide for white water rafting. After about a 90 minute drive we made it to the Sacred River Valley where we were briefed for safety and wet-suited up. Rafting was so much fun, super chill floating when we weren't in the rapids and crazy but awesome in them. Willy our guide was super sarcastic and friendly too. 
      He let us jump off a bridge into the rapids which was freezing but amazing. He had other games for us along the way too including our "baptism" since is was our first time rafting which involved jumping out of the boat and floating down the rapids for the last bit. Again, freezing, but totally worth it. 
     After we had changed we had a lovely lunch with our guides who then dropped us off at our hostel in Ollantaytambo. It's a beautiful quaint little city with Incan ruins and cobblestone like streets. Our hostel Casa de Wow! is run by a precious couple named Winn & Wow, she's American and he's Peruvian. 
     We made a couple friends and had a nice dinner at a really great pizza place, then stopped by a local bar to try a pisco sour, which is super typical around here. After that we turned in for the night and woke early this morning for breakfast and exploring the town a bit. 
     We did a little shopping around the local market and had a lovely lunch at a local cafe that benefits children in the region. We also hiked some ruins right behind our hostel which was incredible. It's a little more difficult in the altitude but nothing too crazy; and it's totally worth it. It's so surreal to think about how long they have been there and where they placed them on the mountains without modern tools. And this was just a warm-up to Macchu Pichu!
     We're now on a train headed to Aquas Calientes a small tourist town near Macchu Pichu, and then tomorrow we hike the ruins! Can't wait.