Machu Picchu, Peru

(see map) - trin: After completing the Lares Valley trek we were bused to Ollantaytambo where we waited to board the Machu Picchu Train. The train has large glass windows and roof. We were able to sit back and take in the view through the valley up to Machu Picchu Town/Aguas Calientes.

On the train (and many other tourist places) they played Peruvian flute renditions of American classics. Some of the songs included: Moon River, Chariots of Fire and My Heart Will Go On. It was fun to play Name that Tune at first.

That night we stayed at a hotel in Machu Picchu town. This is unavoidable on most of the alternative treks. We think this kicked us out of the experience. Had we hiked into Machu Picchu we may have enjoyed the ruins more.

That being said, we did rise early so we could be at the park in time for the sunrise. But, the clouds did not cooperate and we did not get our Ah... inspiring sunrise moment. The ruins were impressive but I think the dramatic mountains and cloud forrest are what make Machu Picchu stand out from other sites. For more information on Machu Picchu check out wikipedia.

After the tour we hurried to the Waina Picchu trail and climbed to the top. This was the most rewarding part of the day for us.

Looking back at Machu Picchu from Waina Picchu. Waiting for the clouds to clear.

Making my way down a very very steep staircase. You can only take it one stair at a time.

After we finished exploring the ruins, we had a long wait in Aguas Calientes for the train back to Cusco. This town has developed at a very fast rate to accommodate the tourists flocking to Machu Picchu. It is a place where the old meets the new. The red building is our hotel. In the shack next door they still cook over an open fire. The town is now trying to put some urban planning in place. A plaza and central church were recently completed.

Technorati Tags:peru travel, peru, machu picchu, inca trail, trek machu picchu

Lares Valley Trek, Peru

(see map) - mike: There are three ways to reach Machu Picchu:

1. Hike the extremely popular Inca Trail, 3 to 4 days
2. Take one of the "alternate" hikes, 3 to 7 days
3. Via a bus to Ollantaytambo, train to Aguas Calientes, then bus to the entrance (no hiking)

All three options can be booked in packages either ahead of time from home or from Cusco. We read it is cheaper to book once in Peru although we did not price it to compare.

The Inca Trail appealed to us because it is the only option to hike directly to Machu Picchu without stopping for a night hoteling in Aguas Calientes as required on alternate treks. The downside (upside for some) is that the trail is often fully booked with a max of 500 people (including guides and porters) starting the trail each day leaving the campgrounds swarming with people. It often books up months ahead which was the case while we were there so we opted for one of the alternates called Lares Valley Trek through Qente Adventure Trips.

Our group included a bilingual guide, Miguel, 2 cooks, 2 horseman, 3 horses, us and 2 other guests (Amy and Patti, see link on right side) from Canada. Being our first guided trip, we looked forward to the pampering it would include: a prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner, dining tent, bathroom tent, and not having to carry our packs.

Day 1: Bus from Cusco to Lares Valley stopping at a local market for provisions and a hot springs for a dip in chocolate colored water where our gleaming white bods definitely turned locals heads. Then off on a mild hike meandering up Lares Valley past small villages living off the land in small stone houses and still relying on primarily barter to obtain needed items. At camp an industrious gal from the village laid out a blanket with a variety of drinks including a nice cool beer I enjoyed.

Stack of cheese at the market

Chips and guacamole for our first course at lunch. Check out the real metal silverware! Amy and Patti shared the dining tent with us and coincidentally were also on a year trip so we had a great time chatting about past experiences and future plans.



High altitude football

Our stuff on horseback quickly passes us

Throughout the whole trip kids would run from their homes and ask us for candy. Our book suggested to avoid this practice as it creates bad habits (and bad teeth) though Trin found them hard to resist particularly when they sprinted a quarter mile for a "dulce". One disappointed kid I said no to actually let me start to walk away and chucked a small rock at me!

Day 2: The most grueling day of the hike up over a 4300 meter or ~14k feet. Thankfully we were well enough acclimated and didn't have much trouble with the altitude.

Church we passed before the climb

This baby llama (maybe alpaca?) was crying for his/her mom and almost followed us. These guys roam freely but Miguel mentioned they are not wild and provide wool and meat to nearby villagers.

Miguel's watch photoed while resting from the top of Condor Pass.

Another shot on the pass looking back the way we came up.

Shot of a local villager and her wares along with our gear passing us on the second day.

Example of rock houses and walls sporadically built in the valleys.

This little tent had a makeshift toilet for our convenience. Worked great except for the one time in the middle of the night I staggered over to the tent to find the toilet gone (stowed because of dogs) and settled for the nearby bushes.

Day 3: Another mild hike down to a village called Willoq, where it was market day. Nearly everyone was decked out in bright orange and red ponchos, skirts, and tops. The market seemed to be the primary social gathering and including all ages chatting, flirting, snacking and buying goods. Soon we were loaded onto a bus to Aguas Calientes.

Technorati Tags:peru travel, peru, machu picchu, inca trail, trek machu picchu, lares valley, lares valley trek

Pisaq, Peru

(t) So, Mike and I didn't book our Machu Picchu ahead of time. Yes, I know we are crazy. But, it wasn't really that big of a deal. We were doing an alternative trek and it was early in the season. We found thee options. All leaving in two days. This allowed us an extra day to acclimate and explore the nearby Sacred Valley.

We took a local bus to Pisaq. I was relieved to get out of Cusco. Especially, after the mob incident (see Cusco). We stayed at Paz y Luz a B&B/Spiritual Center on the outside of town. It was definitely was peaceful. We sat on our porch and watched the corn grow.

Besides the corn, we spent the day exploring the Inca Pisaq ruins. The ruins top steep mountains overlooking the valley and are spread out over a large area. The different classes of people (royalty, military, farmers, etc) lived and worked in separate areas. The areas were connected by trails. Here I am navigating a scary staircase connecting two areas.

Mike passing through a tunnel along one of the trails.

Pisaq (the town) below. When we were done checking out the ruins, we hiked down to the town. We could have hiked up too but opted for a taxi ride. At this point, we were still sucking air on any incline what so ever.

When were reached the town's plaza we were inundated by locals selling handy crafts. Mike loves... shopping for handy crafts. Fortunately, we found refuge on the edge of the plaza at the colorful Ulrike's Café.

When we returned to the B&B, there was a group of pigs blocking our path. The neighbors' dogs cleared them out of the way but they sent them straight at us. At this point we were use to encountering domestic animals along the road but this was our first pack of pigs. The little babies were very cute.

The next day we took the local bus through other towns in the Sacred Valley. We stopped in Urubamba for lunch. It was siesta time when we arrived and the streets were pretty much deserted.

After lunch we headed back to Cusco in a shared taxi (everyone pays a set price and you leave when the car is full). That night we packed and readied ourselves for the Lares Valley trek.

Cusco, Peru

(m) After a flight from Lima we landed at our highest destination yet, Cusco, at 10,800 feet. This former capital of the Incan Empire, is nestled in the Andes Mountains and has an interesting mixture of Incan and Spanish architecture. 300k inhabitants live here and it is a well traveled tourist destination serving as the airport and bus gateway for anyone interested in visiting Machu Picchu.

Plaza de Armas, my favorite thus far, is surrounded by two stone churches, restaurants, and shops. Linger too long and someone will definitely try to sell you postcards, candy, or an alpaca sweater.

A sea of terra cotta roofes climb up from the plaza into the surrounding hillsides.

Coming from sea level in Lima we were advised to take it easy the first day and allow time to acclimate before rushing out to the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. Besides taking Diamox prescribed in the US to ease altitude sickness, we also drank Mate de Coca which is made from the same coca leaves that cocaine is chemically derived from.

My first cup of Coca Tea, after burning my lip, did indeed help my headache.
Not to worry (Mom and Dad), the analogy we heard is that mate de coca is to cocaine as poppy seed bagels are to opium. In fact, Pope John Paul II himself enjoyed a cup on his visit to Peru. Coca leaves have been drank and chewed for thousands of years serving as a pain killer as well as a hunger and fatigue suppressant. After the Spanish conquered the area in the 1500s, they originally banned the consumption of coca due to religious reasons however quickly realized their local labor pool for mining and other activities worked much more effectively (and with less food) with coca leaves and reversed the decision. The United States has tried to eradicate coca plantations in Peru and many local politicians voice frustration over what they consider our blind policy and lack of consideration for their coca leaf tradition.

Being one week from Easter we read of a religious ceremony that evening which we decided to check out. By dark we had made it to middle of the plaza and became insanely squished in by what we felt must have been every inhabitant in Cusco. After a chilly one hour wait a precession including a hand carried float with Jesus on top, lite by red lights, lumbered up the main street towards the church. Just before entering, several of the local police and fire trucks turned on their sirens for a couple of minutes which was followed by a roar from the clapping and cheering crowd. The church doors slowly opened allowing the Jesus float to stroll into the church.

Shortly after, the crowd began to clear the square and we found ourselves caught in a river of people which quickly began pushing and leaning into our backs and pressing us into the people in front of us. Teenagers were gitty with the borderline chaos and we fought to keep our cool having no idea this followed the ceremony. Some small children and their parents were noticeable distraught as we neared the main bottleneck leaving the square so after considerable effort we heaved ourselves onto the nearby sidewalk to watch the river of people flow by for 20 minutes before proceeding back to our hotel happy to be "home".

Trin eating one of the many complimentary bread and jam breakfasts we've consumed each morning in South America ever since leaving the much more satisfying ones at Veronica's in Xela.

A random one foot deep plus hole in the sidewalk Trin inadvertently fell into as we explored the city. A bruise would linger for a couple of weeks. Note this is only a reenactment of the actual event earlier in the day.

Lima, Peru

(see map) mike: We visited Lima on our way to the ultimate Peruvian destination, Machu Picchu. We spent two and a half days in the large metropolis. Eight million, roughly one third of the country's population lives in the capital city. It is divided into 50 neighborhoods many of which are called Joven Pueblos (young towns) populated by people migrating from the countryside. These areas are built without planning on the outskirts and often lack electricity and running water. We stayed in a fashionable neighborhood called Miraflores. The owner of our hostel, Angelo, greeted us with a brief lesson in Peruvian history and outlined an agenda for our time in Lima. Then we were on our way.

Our first stop was lunch. While in Lima we ate ceviche daily. It was so... good. Corn nuts are served as a pre-meal snack. The corn nuts are made fresh at the restaurant and they are a thousand times better than the ones in the bag at home. We also tried chicha morada, a drink made from black corn. It is a sweet bright purple drink that is suppose to aid digestion. Corn plays a big part in Peruvian food both on the coast and in the highlands.

Then we walked out to the cliffs over looking the Pacific Ocean which are lined with parks and restaurant. One of the parks is called Lovers Park and true to its name, there were many young couples sitting along the mosaic walls.

Brave tourist can paraglide on the thermals rising off of the cliffs. There were people of all skill levels trying their luck the afternoon we were there.

The next day we visited the central district. The first stop was the Convento de San Francisco where we toured the church and the catacombs below. The catacombs were claustrophobic and a little creepy. All of the bones have been neatly arranged in different formations.

Next we walked to the Plaza del Armes to watch the changing of the guards. It was a long elaborate presentation which they do everyday. It drew a large crowd of both foreign tourists and Peruvians.

It seemed like nearly every car in Lima is a taxi. Apparently, because of the high unemployment and underemployment many people become taxi drivers. Despite the high gas prices in Peru (some of highest in the world) taxi rides are very cheap. Supply and demand.

Next, we had lunch at a restaurant run by a French order of nuns. The food was excellent and the nuns were so genuinely nice. While there we noticed that everyone around us was using the Lonely Planet Peru book. That was how we all found the same out of the way restaurant inside the nunnery. This happens all the time, Lonely Planet Syndrome.

After lunch we happen upon a Palm Sunday procession with a band, incense and the whole deal. It was the first procession I had seen outside of the movies. Thirty two men strained under the heavy load and would take breaks between each song.

While in Lima we also visited a pre-Incan ruin. We're not including pictures because we have many pictures of ruins to come. At the Natural History Museum we tried to get up to speed on the ancient cultures: both Inca and pre-Inca.

Last stop was the beach which you can see was very crowded. Sadly, it was also very dirty and polluted though it does not seem to deter the locals.