After about a week in Ecuador, I started having stomach issues. I had gone to the doctor in Tarqui, Ecuador during October, and then again in Arequipa, Peru, about a month later. They gave me several medicines, but they only helped so much. With that being said, I decided to go to a clinic in Cusco where they ran several tests and it turns out I had salmonella in my blood system. I ended up spending the night in the hospital room hooked up to an IV that distributed antibiotics into my bloodstream.
Overall, not the best first day in Cusco, but it was a much needed break and at least we got to watch several movies in the hospital. With several antibiotics and a sancochada/bland diet, we were sent back into the real world and did a free walking tour to learn about the city.
On November 13th, we took the train to Aguas Calientes, which is also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo. The next morning we took the bus to Machu Picchu and witnessed one of the seven modern wonders of the world. After a mini tour, we hiked up Huaynu Picchu, which is the highest mountain overlooking the sacred valley. It was difficult, but the satisfaction of making it to the top was worth it. That same day, we hiked to the sun gate and then called it a day.
Huayna Picchu 
Machu Picchu
After Machu Picchu, we took the train back to Cusco where we stayed at Selina Plaza de Armas. The next day was a much needed rest day staying in the hostel and exploring the area around Plaza de Armas a bit. On November 16th, which was my mom’s birthday, we decided to do something extraordinary. We took a bus to Rainbow Mountain/ the Red Canyon and hiked to an elevation over 5,000 meters. The trek was slightly brutal, but chewing coca leaves definitely helped.
Rainbow Mountain 
Red Canyon
We then had one more day of rest before taking a flight to the Peruvian, Amazonian city known as Iquitos.
Sophia's Bella Vita 