Crossing Lakes, Crossing Borders, and Heading to the Inca Capital of Cusco — 🌏 The Story of Week 22 of Our World Trip 🌏

The Kitamura Family's World Travel Journal ↓

The moment the sunrise at Uyuni reflected on the salt lake, and the boundary between the sky and the earth disappeared.
Sena started to regain her energy little by little while drinking cocoa,
and Moa-san was laughing while playing catch on the salt.

That scene
seemed to reset everything,
both the fatigue and the anxiety of the journey.

On the bus to La Paz,
the children were fast asleep,
and the city looking down from the cable car
looked like a giant maze floating in the sky,
making me feel that our journey had entered a new phase.

Altitude sickness anxiety,
car breakdowns,
lost backpacks,
Sena's fever,
and her miraculous recovery.

Week 21
was a week where the feeling of "overcoming it as a family" remained strong.
See the details of Week 21 here ↓

And so, the journey moves on to the next stage.

Crossing the lake,
crossing the border,
to the Inca capital of Cusco.

Glancing at the Island of the Sun and the Island of the Moon,
crossing the lake by boat,
passing through a peaceful border,
and surrendering ourselves to the swaying of the bus,
the family heads toward a new land once again.

Week 22 is a week that awaits with Inca history and the road to Machu Picchu.

From the white world of Uyuni,
passing through the sky above La Paz,
and then to the Andes mountains.

The journey continues,
changing its scenery significantly once again.
🇯🇵→🇺🇸→🇲🇽→🇨🇷→（🇨🇴）→🇧🇷→🇧🇴→🇦🇷→🇨🇱→🇧🇴→🇵🇪now

11/24 Crossing the lake, crossing the border, and heading to Peru

Departed at 6:30 AM.
The innkeeper gave us bananas.
We headed to the meeting point by minibus,
and from there, we transferred to a large bus and left La Paz.
On the way, the bus had technical trouble,
and we unexpectedly had to switch buses entirely.
We then transferred from the bus to a boat to cross the lake.
Travel really doesn't go "as planned."

Even so, we arrived safely in Copacabana.
We didn't go to the Island of the Sun or the Island of the Moon,
but walked around the town and had lunch at a cafe.

We departed again after 5:30 PM.
We were lucky to get cama seats on the first floor.

Immigration for both Bolivia and Peru was completed peacefully.
Sena was doted on by the staff on the Peruvian side,
and we gave stickers to the Hong Kong women we became friends with.

At night, we headed to Puno, but we couldn't use our cards,
so we couldn't eat dinner.

11/25 Arrival in Cusco and the shock of losing my Wise card

Heading straight to Cusco.
After arriving, I was taken to my accommodation by minibus.
It was a relief to be able to check in early in the morning.

After resting a bit, I went to the Centro to have breakfast.
I had a sandwich and a croissant at a place that accepts cards.
Delicious.

I withdrew dollars and soles at an ATM,
and when I tried to buy water at the market, I didn't have small change, so I bought a large amount to use up my cash.

Dinner was at the cafe next to my accommodation.
Peruvian food is truly delicious.

However, when it came time to pay, I realized my Wise card was missing.
Did it get swallowed by the ATM...?
I'm in shock.
I took a shower and went to bed early.

11/26 The 12-Angled Stone and the miraculous return of my Wise card

Breakfast at the hostel.
The fried eggs are delicious.

On the way to the bank I visited yesterday to check on my Wise card,
I happened to discover the 12-angled stone.
I didn't notice it at all at first,
but I realized it was there because tourists were taking pictures.

At the bank, they told me to 'come back at 5 PM,' so I took a walk around the city.
I had matcha and matcha cheesecake at a Japanese cafe.
It was a comforting taste.

I had lunch before heading to the Temple of the Sun.
And when I returned to the bank—
I found my Wise card.
I'm so relieved.

11/27 Preparing for Machu Picchu and meeting fellow travelers

A slow morning.
Sena ate a hearty breakfast.

We negotiated the bus to Machu Picchu
down to 35 soles per person and booked it.

We bought a ton of souvenirs for 4,800 yen.
Super cheap.

In the evening, we talked about travel at the hostel entrance with travelers from Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (Tony and Duka).
They were great people, and it made me interested in Eastern Europe.
We exchanged contact information and told them to let us know if they ever come to visit.

For dinner, we got choripan and tequeños to go from the restaurant next door.
I ate and went to bed without taking a shower.

11/28 Walking the Stand By Me route

The morning is early.
We were supposed to meet in front of the hotel at 5:50, but the staff didn't arrive until after 6:00.

We were driven to the bus terminal,
and once we boarded the bus, we met two Japanese travelers, Takuto and Takuya.

After five hours of being jostled, I wonder how many mountains we crossed.
We arrived at the Stand By Me route.

We ate our leftovers from yesterday,
and after saying goodbye to Takuto and Takuya, we headed toward Aguas Calientes.

Uka stopped walking early on, finishing after just 10 minutes.
I walked along the tracks playing word chain games with Sena.
The rain made it muddy, and my sandals were slipping, which was tough.

Even so, Sena walked more than half the way on her own.
I gave her a piggyback ride about three times.
In total, we walked for four hours.

We ate at a restaurant near our lodging,
but when I went to take a shower, there was no hot water.
I told the front desk and went back in to try again.

We have an early start tomorrow, so it's time for bed.

11/29 Machu Picchu, the moment the fog clears

Woke up at 5:00 AM.
Breakfast at 5:30 AM, and took the 6:40 AM bus to Machu Picchu.
The bus stop had a long line.

Boarded the bus and departed.
Arrived at the Machu Picchu entrance just after 7:00 AM.
It was foggy, but
it gradually cleared up as we walked.

I will never forget the view at that moment.

Sena walked on her own, and
Uka also walked at the end.

On the way, we talked to a group of three Japanese travelers, and
the two-hour tour flew by.

On the way back, we ran into Takuya from yesterday by chance.
The kids were super excited.

The descent took an hour.
We were exhausted.

We tried hitchhiking a police car, and
to our surprise, they stopped.
A miracle that they dropped us off near our accommodation.

After that, we went to a massage place in front of the hotel.
Successfully negotiated 40 minutes for 50 soles.
The hot stones felt great.

Lunch at the market cost 68 soles in total.
Cheap.

Walked around the town a bit and relaxed at the accommodation.
Sena pulled Uka's arm hard, causing a nursemaid's elbow.
Reduced it with forearm supination and traction.
After that, she played with her mother and it fully self-reduced.
Glad it wasn't serious.

Thought about our next destination at night but couldn't decide.
Ended the day with beer and snacks.

11/30 The day I return by Inca Rail

Finished breakfast early and headed to the station.
Relaxed on the Inca Rail to Ollantaytambo.

From there, took a bus to Cusco.
For lunch, had scrambled eggs and a bacon sandwich at a bakery.
Dessert was tiramisu.
Delicious.

For dinner, had the usual at the restaurant next door.
Still haven't decided on my next destination.

🗻 Week 22 Summary

— Crossing lakes, crossing borders, and heading to the Inca capital —

Still holding onto the lingering memories of Uyuni, our family departed La Paz.
After a bus breakdown, a transfer, and a boat ride across a lake—a truly South American travel experience—we arrived in Copacabana.
We gazed at the Island of the Sun and the Island of the Moon in the distance, walked along the quiet lakeshore, and headed to the border on an evening bus.
We crossed both the Bolivian and Peruvian borders smoothly, had a heartwarming moment where Sena was doted on by an official, and exchanged stickers with a traveler from Hong Kong.

Once we arrived in Cusco, we prepared for the next leg of our journey while enjoying walks around the city and local food.
However, I felt a pang of anxiety when I realized at dinner that I had lost my Wise card.
The next day, the card was miraculously found at the bank, and the tension of the trip suddenly melted away.

After that, we set off toward Machu Picchu,
walking for four hours in the rain on the 'Stand By Me' route,
and Sena walked more than half of it on her own.
At Machu Picchu, we witnessed the moment the fog cleared,
reunited with a traveler we had met the day before while descending,
and even experienced a 'travel miracle' when we successfully hitchhiked a police car on the way back.

On the final day, we returned from Ollantaytambo to Cusco via the Inca Rail,
and the scrambled eggs and tiramisu we had at a bakery
were the perfect way to wrap up a long week.

🌈 Week 23 Preview

— The lingering memories of Machu Picchu and the 5,036m summit —

The emotion of that moment when the fog cleared at Machu Picchu
still lingers somewhere in my body.
Week 23, which begins while holding onto those memories,
starts with a 'quiet time' of slowly savoring the city of Cusco.

We walk up to the statue of Christ on the hill,
look out over the city,
and the children laugh at a crepe shop.
It is a soft Cusco morning,
where the tension of the trip seems to melt away.

However, in the latter half of the week,
the journey begins to move in a big way again.

We tour the ruins around Cusco,
walk through the terraced fields and the Temple of the Sun,
and the sight of the children climbing on their own feet
reflects the 'growth' of our family's journey.

Along the way, Mami falls ill,
and there is a moment where we decide to extend our stay.
Travel is not always smooth.
But those fluctuations make the story deeper.

And the climax of the week is
the ascent of Rainbow Mountain.

Waking up at 3:30 AM,
being shaken on a bus for four hours,
riding a horse,
walking,
and gasping for air as we reach 5,036m.

The rainbow-colored mountainside that spreads out beyond the final steep shortcut.
That view
will become a special snapshot in our family's journey.
At the end of the week,

we fly to Lima,
experience the atmosphere of a modern city,
and the children's excitement rises.
Uka's 'first successful trip to the toilet'
is also a small, big event waiting for us on the trip.
Week 23 is a week where

'stillness, physical fluctuations, challenges, and a sense of accomplishment'
become a single flow.
From the lingering memories of Machu Picchu

to the summit of Rainbow Mountain.
Our family's journey continues to change its scenery in a big way.

Thank you for reading this far.
If you would like to enjoy the continuation of this story, please be sure to check out the next article as well 😊

When traveling, you encounter situations like these many times:

・Things not going as planned
・Getting sick
・Children refusing to walk
・Losing your wallet or cards
・Being unsure whether to go or stop

Having traveled around the world, I felt once again that

what supports a journey

is not knowledge or equipment,
but rather

👉'how you make decisions on the spot'

.

Based on the experience accumulated on this trip,

here is how I organize:
・Whether to proceed or stop
・Whether to wait or move

・Whether to change plans or continue

✈️ Travel Decision Axis
I have summarized the 'decision-making axes before and during the trip'.
▶︎ Travel Decision Axis

Also,

as a way of thinking common not only to travel
but also to physical health and daily life decisions,

▶︎ Decision axis for deciding whether to rest or proceed without hesitation (Archived Edition)
(with sheet)

▶︎ 3-second decision-making to eliminate hesitation
− The complete version that allows you to decide 'continue or stop' in 3 minutes −

I have also summarized this.

Travel is not just about seeing the scenery,
it was also a time to face my own decisions👍

For those who need it,
I'll leave it here quietly 😊