I normally only book hostels and hotels a few days in advance, which can mean scraping around for somewhere to stay but this one came by way of another hostel being full. While staying at Loki in La Paz, Bolivia I thought it best to ask them to book me into the Loki in Cuzco, Peru as that was my next destination. However the Loki Hostel was full. I was e-mailing Panny Yu and she had suggested staying in Pariwana. I hadn’t heard of it, but e-mailed them and they had a vacancy so I was sorted. After a long bus journey across the Bolivia to Peru border, I arrived in the city of Cuzco a few hours later than expected due to the fact our bus broke down about 6 times. Sitting beside me on the long bus journey was Edwin, a Cuzco man living in Bolivia, we enjoyed a chat and he shared a taxi from Cuzco bus station to Pariwana with me, which got me there around midnight. It was nice to be in such a cosy hostel as I was welcomed straight away by Fernando on reception and allocated Room 207.
Free tea and coffee. Especially loved the Aniseed and Coca tea. At high altitudes, this kind of beverage is often a Godsend.
My bed the first night I stayed in Pariwana Hostel – bed 2 in room 207.
Reserved for me – nice! Very comfy beds in Pariwana!
Another excellent energy drink in Peru. Inca Kola – not really “cola” in flavour but very refreshing and energising.
One of the joys of globetrotting – Peruvian Soles and Centavos.
Nice wee kitchen.
The lounge and pool room. This was definitely one of the better hostels I stayed in for entertainment and comfort.
Night time view onto the streets of Cuzco, leading up to the impressive Plaza de Armas.
Night time view.
I left Cuzco to do the four day Inca Trail and the hostel handily had a storage option, decently priced too – wasnt going to cart almost 30 kilograms round The Sacred Valley for 4 days!
The courtyard in Pariwana Hostel.
Of course feasting your eyes on the above is what Peru was all about for me. From Pariwana hostel in Cuzco to Ollantaytambo to the start of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes, this was some journey my friends…
The hostel was a mind of information for the Inca Trail and lots of other sightseeing.
A nice sentiment to fuck in the bar or the kitchen. Didn’t see anyone having sex in Peru though.
Hostel dorm door. In a strange way it reminded me of former Channel 4 TV show “The Crystal Maze”, as not only did they have an Aztecs round (OK, not Incas I know) but they had wee rooms with wooden doors like this to do the activities in!
The courtyard. Spanish Colonial influences.
The street where the hostel is, early morning.
The other way down the street.
The front entrance to Pariwana Hostel, Cuzco, Peru.
Cuzco is cosy and idyllic. Typically Incan, typically touristy. It sprawls up into the hills and disappears deep into the valleys.
A nearby main street up to the walls of the city.
Leaving Cuzco by bus to begin the Inca Trail. The bus took us past Urubamba and to the settlement of Ollantaytambo.
From Pariwana Hostel and out of Cuzco – this was my bus view of the marvellous city.
In iPod land on the bus to Ollantaymbo. Sheer bliss.
And after the Inca Trail I was reunited with Cuzco, my bags and the wonderful Pariwana Hostel again.
Reception.
My new bed in Pariwana on arrival back. This time I was bed 6 in room 102. This room had a shower ensuite in it, just the tonic I needed after 4 days of not showering or cleaning on the Inca Trail.
There was the small matter still that it was Christmas Day! Or Christmas Night! It was time to celebrate Christmas Day again, this time in the bar in Pariwana Hostel. It had been an absolutely action packed 24 hours. Awakening at Winaywayna before 5am for breakfast, hiking past Intipunku to the marvellous Inca Ruins at Machu Picchu, relaxing with Guinea Pig and phoning my parents from a phone booth in Aguas Calientes. A visit to the hot springs there, a train to Ollantaytambo, a bus to Cuzco, check in to the hostel and time for a beer I thought. Life was sweet but I was absolutely shattered.
My jaunt in the bar to celebrate didn’t last too long in my tiredness. But I managed a beer and a few good chats with my fellow travellers, including a surprise appearance of a random flag…
Yes, this flag – the blue and white flag of Shetland (The Shetland Islands in Scotland). I had a nice chat with the girl. I think her name was Lindsay. I also met Dave from Dublin – the Irish lad who had given me a bottle of water the morning I began my Inca Trail. I thanked him a lot for that and also met an Australian lady called Teigan there.
How tired do I look here? In the early hours of Boxing Day in the hostel bar at Pariwana. Oasis song “Supersonic” came on and I enjoyed it, and my Cusquena beer, which once finished was the cue I needed to rest my weary head.
A few more photos of the view over the street around 1 or 2 am.
Breakfast time the next morning in the bar at Pariwana Hostel, Cuzco. It was soon time to leave Pariwana Hostel behind, after two nights there following the Inca Trail (three nights in total). In terms of cosyness and relaxation it’s one of the best hostels I’ve stayed in.
Hostel Name – Pariwana Hostel
Location – Av Meson de la Estrella 136, Cuzco, Peru
Website – Pariwana Hostel
Nationalities Met – Peruvian, Taiwanese, Japanese, Scottish (Shetlander), Irish, English, New Zealand, Australian, American
Rooms I Stayed In – Room 207 (bed 2), Room 102 (bed 6)
Nights Stayed – 3
Key Song –
OASIS – SUPERSONIC:
My Videos:
ARRIVAL AT PARIWANA HOSTEL IN CUZCO:
CHRISTMAS NIGHT PARTY AND DRINKS IN PARIWANA HOSTEL IN CUZCO:
CUZCO CITY CENTRE AT PLAZA DE ARMAS:
Another Video:
A NICE WEE PR VIDEO BY PARIWANA HOSTEL:
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