An early start leaving at 6.30am to get to Arequipa airport to fly to Cusco. A great flight seeing the snow capped Andes in the distance.
A perfect day to arrive in Cusco (23 June) as it was winter solstice celebrations so there was a parade/dance through the main plaza of hundreds of traditionally dressed people. The parade was seemingly constant from 11am to 11pm... An amazing spectacle, a real bonus. They were going to do it all again the following day. The participants had come to Cusco from many areas within distance, and each group appeared to represent different communities with their distinct personal dance and clothing.
Cusco sits at 3400 m asl, it was the capital of the Inca empire from the 13th century until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century (1532). There are partial buildings in the city that the Inca built, partially destroyed by the Spanish... then subsequently built/extended upon. The Inca stone masons sure knew what they were doing, the large square stone blocks fitting together perfectly with no mortar to hold them in place.
The centre of Cusco is all about the tourist, restaurants and shops/markets fill of 'stuff'. Alpaca/Llama jerseys, hats, bags, blankets... so much stuff it's hard to see how some make a living with so much competition.
A lovely city of colonial buildings. We walked through markets and to a lookout and then back down through throngs of people (largely due to the local celebrations) to view some of the churches. There are also traditionally dressed ladies posing for dollars with Alpaca and lambs (which they are telling the tourists are baby alpaca!!... ).
Prepare to be overwhelmed by those Inca folk...
The next morning an early start as we head into the Sacred Valley, the timing to try and avoid the traffic heading into Cusco for the ongoing celebrations. The valley was the site of intensive Inca agriculture, it has year round growing conditions with warm temps, little frost and good fertile soils.
Our first stop was the Pisac ruins, a hilltop Inca site with ancient temples, plazas, terraces, aquaducts and a cemetery in the hillside. Thought to be no older than 1440 AD, the Spanish had destroyed large sections when they invaded mid 1500's so it has been slowly rebuilt over recent decades. The site has stunning vistas of the Urubamba Valley (the Sacred Valley).
Next it was onto a small traditional community high in the hills, Parque de la Papa (potatoe park). We were shown hundreds of different potatoe varieties and some cooked for us also. Also a traditional weaving demonstration followed by an expensive, but high quality, exhibition of their wares.
After a beautiful lunch, not purchased off the roadside sellers of cooked guinea pig on a stick!, but at another community (our tour company G Adventures sponsors these communities... it is great to see such 'give back') we went to Ollontaytambo.
Ollontaytambo is thought to have been a royal estate of the Incas after they conquered the former townsfolk who lived there. This was a stronghold of Inca resistance to the Spanish. However the Inca had finally retreated and left it to the Spanish to destroy.... restoration work once again is bringing to life an incredible site. Here we were shown large rocks, up to 70 tonne, that archeologists have proven to have come from up a mountain on the opposite side of the valley... moved entirely by hand methods, incredible!
Ollontaytambo is where we catch the train to Machu Picchu town (until recently known as Aqua Calientes with train access the only way in), but that's tomorrow's expedition.... a bit of back tracking 20 mins to our hotel and preparation for a 6.30am start.
And a walking we will go...
4 of us, plus a guide, plus another 50+ people (including guides, the only way allowed to do it) got off the train at the 104km mark for a one day hike to Machu Picchu. The distance of the walk seemed to increase with each official you talked to but was around an 11km walk. A 3 hour uphill slog, a 1 1/2 hr Inca Flat (undulating) and a final steep uphill got us to the "Sun Gate" overlooking Machu Picchu. In all including stops around an 8 hour journey.
We were lucky that it is a recently opened section of trail after being closed by a landslide for the last few years... the alternative looked steeper and not as scenic. Anyway, it was hot... extremely hot!, with the conditions taking it's toll with one member of our group suffering from heat stroke. Alice did recover enough to carry on once we got to some shade for lunch... but it was a bit concerning for a while.
The track was largely paved/stepped by the Incas. An example of the 43000km (yep, no typo!) established by the Incas throughout Western South America, and they relied totally on foot power, horses were unknown although Llama used as pack animals.
We walked through the ruins of Chachabamba which is 2150masl and then up slowly. After crossing a waterfall we walked up through the Winaywayna ruins at 2650masl... translated Winaywayna means Forever Young, but we weren't feeling it at that stage!!!
We continued on past the final campsite of the 4 day Inca Trail option and up to the Intipunku site, which is the Sun Gate of Machu Picchu... an amazing sight. We arrived there around 4pm, after the final slog up the 'Monkey Steps (steep as bro!)
So had just over an hour to wander down to the bus, taking in the views of this amazing site with the added bonus of few people about (compared to the next day).
It was quite spooky how the hike seemed so much like hiking in Fiordland, even similar ferns etc and scenery.... apart from the fact of the altitude and those certain ruins! A fairly quiet night for us as an early start tomorrow.
Machu Picchu!!! You got our attention...
This morning we were up early to be in the queue for a bus by 5.30am... and we were not the first by any means.
After the 20 minute ride up the steep switchbacks, bus access (or walking) only, Machu Picchu was shrouded in mist/cloud initially. We were on a guided tour for the first 2 hours, so it seemed was everyone else... hugely crowded but very interesting. It is thought to have been a summer retreat for the high class and royalty who travelled from Cusco to join the permanent members of the population who resided there maintaining the site. Machu Picchu was never discovered by the Spanish and an American explorer stumbled upon it, with a local boy who knew of it showing him, in 1911.
Machu Picchu is getting so many visitors daily that they are now allowed to visit only in shifts, morning or afternoon. As such we had to leave by 1pm, the group all lunched together before catching a train back to Ollontaytambo and then bus to Cusco. The bus trip passed over a 4000m range... higher than Mt Cook and agriculture quite prevalent, growing barley crops! A sign of the very temperate climate.
Everyone feeling a bit jaded on tour... early mornings catching up!
Cusco again, and why not
Today was a free day in Cusco but our guide took us to the large local, mainly food market, it had everything... literally! Breads, vege, fruit, meats of every description... chickens feet, cow snouts!... the lot. Dried Llama foetus and herbal remedy for every complaint.. although tempted by one herbal mix that our guide Alim assured us rectified, or assisted, everything we withheld as don't fancy our chances of transporting white powder thru Colombia😎.
Snout soup anyone?
We also went to a silver factory for a bit of a demonstration and a buy up (yeah right).... beautiful pieces but... $$$$.
Also had a look through the Inca museum, it had a lot of textiles, pottery and tools that had been found at various sites throughout the region. Assisted us in our understanding of who the Incas were, not a separate tribe as such but an 'Empire/leader' of existing groups. Descendents are effectively the Chechua, and has it's own language still widely spoken. Alim our guide was fluent in Spanish, Checuan and English... fascinating to watch/hear.
A lovely afternoon wandering this charming city centre before an evening activity of visit to the local planetarium/observatory.... freezing cold and not that many stars! (Bit biased probably as we are used to sitting in our Arrowtown spa pool, or view from the farm, under clear southern sky... the northern hemisphere folk seemed impressed however!).
Our best meal to date... not that there has been any complaints, apart from that overcooked hangi type meal.
Gaining altitude again...
A full day driving on the road to Puno. First stop was the archaeological site of La Portada Rumicolca. An ancient aquaduct built by the Wari people (550-900 AD) to bring water from the mountains to the town of Pikillaqta (20kms north of Cusco). The Inca took over the area as they absorbed/conquered the Wari culture and rebuilt the structure keeping the aquaduct but making it into a gateway between north and south... effectively a border crossing with everyone having to pass through. A cunning way to vet your enemies!
We continued through the Alto Plano region, the 2nd most extensive high plateau in the world (behind Tibet). It is mostly the coloured lakes and Flamingo territory of Bolivia... but also Peru to the north and Chile to the south.
We drove through stark farmland where the climate still allows for crops of potatoes, oats, quinoa and livestock of alpaca, llama, sheep and cows. The cows are an imported breed that has adapted... most would not survive at this altitude, not a Friesian in sight! Amazingly a relative of the pineapple grows there... Queen if the Andes, very rare and very large.
A brief stop at the highest point on the road 4313 masl and amazingly there are market stalls of 'stuff' a cold spot to be selling. Then onto a small town Ayaviri for a lunch stop including a view of Vicuna in the distance, a cameloid that looks more deer like that is recovering from near extinction. The Vicuna has been hunted for its soft fibre.
The towns along the route seemed to specialise in different product, Bread Town, Guinea Pig (Cuy) Town, Roasted Mutton marinated in human urine at another, Brick Town and then Drug Dealing in Juliaca. Juliana is a city with a population of over 200,000 people and it is estimated that 60% of the population is involved in drug or contraband dealing/trafficking (cocaine, gold, cigarettes, stolen cars, electronics etc).
Although it looked like the poorest city we have seen in Peru, with chaotic mainly dirt streets, our guide said it would have some of the richest residents in the country due to the illicit profits. Bizarre.... not a safe place to stop in, although we did fly out of there 2 days later.
We arrived in the city of Puno which is on the shore of Lake Titicaca about 6pm. Puno sits at an elevation of 3830 masl and has a population of about 140,000. The tourist part is close to the lake. After a long day of travel it was a group meal out .... complimentary Pisco Sours (our guide Alim seems fairly well known restaurateurs are keen for the business he brings) and an early night.
Floating about
Another early start leaving the hotel at 7.20am by bicycle taxi to the mass of tourist boats awaiting on Lake Titicaca.
Lake Titicaca spans parts of Peru and Bolivia and is the world's highest navigable body of water. It is the largest lake in South America at 8372 sq km.
It is thought to be the birthplace of the Inca culture.
There are lots of tourist boats and ours was a joint trip with some other tour groups... one of which had 2 ladies from Oamaru, small world as they knew our Oamaru friend Kay!
Anyway our boat did the regular trip in reverse in order to avoid most of the other tourists and that worked really well.
First was a 2 1/2 hour stop on Tequile Island, spectacular spot with views to the Bolivian Andes. Tequile Island has a population of about 2200 people and a land area of 5.7 sq km. The island is based on the Inca moral code Ama Sua, Ama Ilulla, Ama Qhila which is Do not Steal, Do not Lie, Do not be Lazy.
The economy is based on fishing, horticulture (mainly potatoes, beans, small corn) and tourist dollars.
The uphill walk was slow and puffy, due to the altitude, although not a big distance, but we made it and were entertained by traditionally dressed locals Taquilenos). Learning about their traditions, their weaving, knitting and dancing. Of course there are beautiful knitted and woven goods for sale (and Caro is kicking herself for not having done her research... The products were of exceptional quality and realistically priced... ah well, not much room in our bags anyway.
Caro was this tours victim, being targeted by a local Senora and dragged on for a dance... A display of moves, although almost expiring due to still having her cold weather jacket on.
We went to a lake peninsula for lunch provided by the local community. It was a hangi style of cooking; trout, chicken, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans and bananas... very nicely cooked.
Next was a stop on the Uros Islands (or one of them), floating reed islands. The Uru people originally came from Peru and Bolivia, they build and live on these floating reed islands although they are anchored so they don't float too far! The island we visited had about 25 residents, all from the same extended family. They appear to be continually building up the island as it gets soggy. The primary school children leave daily to attend school and secondary and older stay away for the week. We had a paddle in a reed boat... reasonably shallow but tough enough for El Capitan with the wind. An unenviable but fascinating way of life.
Although the group headed out for a dinner/dance show we declined... starting to feel cultural overload!!, having attended a Bolivian dance show a couple of weeks back.
Return to Go...
Today we travelled back to Lima by plane from Juliaca airport, a 1 1/2 hr flight but took us most of day with transfer times, back to our Lima hotel Antigua Miraflores.
We all went out for dinner with our guide as it was our last supper together with some leaving that night or early morning. So, touring days over ... it was fantastic and so easy. Everything well organised with no thinking for ouselves... that will have to change.!!!
An extra day to chill
Today in Lima we went in search of a bike tour, the highest ranked on Tripadvisor seems to have vanished... probably closed for winter. So after a lot of walking we gave up and booked a city tour on a open topped bus.
The tour was great, the old part of Lima is full of lovely, large colonial period grand buildings and churches. We toured the Basilica Y Convento de San Francisco completed in 1674 . It is an impressive example of Spanish architecture inside and out. It has a very cool Harry Potter type of library, complete with books that look close to disintegrating.
The weirdest thing is the catacombs under the church. Discovered in 1943 they contain thousands (25,000 bodies) of skulls and bones... some arranged in patterns, bone sizes/types etc. Spooky, wouldn't have wanted that job.
Then walked through the Plaza de Armco and Plaza Mayor. Some very impressive buildings and being Sunday the Plaza was full of people enjoying time off.
Leaving the area our bus got caught behind a religious parade of Saint Junipero Serra... which was very slow moving platforms, nuns, followers and a band. It took ages to move far, but we had a great view.
Walking around...
Our final day in Lima... A stroke of luck as we had breakfast with our guide Ali, before he headed off again (Alim is unbelievably on an 18 month contract and takes no time off, constantly circling Peru leading tours!) Alim gave us a great itinerary to fill in our day, walking from Miraflores along the coast to the area of Barranco.
Barranco was originally a fishing village that became a fashionable town for the upper/middle class and foreigners that built new homes and developed the area in the late 1800's. It had it's heyday in the early 1900's, it is now looking tired but it is obvious rejuvenation of some of the grand old villas is occurring.
Lima has it's dark side, and very poor areas but we saw little of that and have found it to be an impressive and quite cosmopolitan city.
A walk back to the hotel via Kennedy Park, otherwise known as Cat Park... Caro needing her cat dose to view the many, abandoned but well fed, cats that live in this park. A matter of now chilling at the hotel while we wait for our taxi pickup and off to the airport for our Ecuador flight.
An urban cats life
Our final hours in Peru did end up being a bit fraught... a 30-40 minute taxi ride took 1hr 30min in peak, chaotic, traffic. We were getting worried we could miss our flight check- in, the taxi driver was actually more concerned than us. But at the airport there were folk behind us going to Quito also... then the flight was actually delayed 2 hours so yes, we made it.
Summing up our Peru experience
So Peru feels like it is on the rise, economically speaking. It's largest industries are mining (although mainly foreign owned), agriculture, horticulture, textiles, fishmeal and tourism.
Peruvians are very proud, passionate people. They recognise the value of their history and live in hope of regaining control of those industries that are in foreign control... the mining as mentioned and some tourism interests (Peru Rail as an example). But with a corrupt government they are resigned to slow progress.
