Machu Picchu and beyond

It has been some time since our last blog, reasons?  We`ve been moving quickly and been far too relaxed recently to face the catch up....  We`re in Haucachino, a desert Oasis, relaxing from the busy ten days of travel, soaking up desert sun and subsequently cooling ourselves in our hostal pool enjoying the finer elements of Peruvian hospitality!

Machu Picchu was quite amazing even for Cath (now a well regarded sceptic of many of the Incan sites).  We took on a tour sold to us by a lurking agent in our hostal, which included a overland trip to the nearby railway, a walk to Aguas Calliente followed by a march up the long hill to Machu Picchu the next day.  We slightly upset their well laid plans by asking for a pick up from Ollititambu; a ancient incan town 2 hours on route we were to explore the day proceeding our pick up. 

It was worth it as it probably is one of the only sites visited in which people still live in the Incan layed out town which has built in water ways, uses the mountain as a natural sun dial for identifying the times of the year and has a massive Llama shaped temple complex opposit you can explore.  It was quite an incredible place added to by our stay with Lyn at ´Casa de Wow´ who explained her passions for permaculture; ´it´s more than a way of building, it´s also a philosophy!´ We had a great stay in the small town and actually really appreciated the Incan site, one which actually demonstrated slightly more significant purpose than Machu Picchu.  I was up the next day to visit the other sites on the other side of the hill to watch the sun being eclipsed by the mountain behind the town.

The next day we felt we might have been let down on our trip to Machu Picchu, the ride didn´t turn up.  A phone call later and we were on our way with a non English speaking tired driver, no sign of a guide and the feeling of being one of 8 unwanted guests in a car.  We motored on a rickerty road with plenty of social stops for the driver and finally a stop for lunch.  A quick alpacca steak later, a well negotiated free bottle of water for the tour and a change of vehicles which included a fairly cheerful tour guide later we headed on our way.  I have never experienced such roads; a climb up one side of a valley on a single track road which curled under rock overhangs and unsealed tunnels brought us to the only way to Machu Pichu, a trainline.  It was a weird walk along the railway as the night came in; no clear foot path apart from railway tracks and one or two trains to avoid en route.

Arriving in Aguas Calientes was like arriving in a Disney town in the evening; set against the backdrop of mountains and set next to a large river.  Our tour guide explained the plan for the next day; leave at 4:30am for a hike up the hill, nice and simple!  The next day found us with 200 other tourists who were lined up at the bridge which was due to open at 4:50am.  The reason? To compete for the first 400 tickets to Waynu Picchu, a mountain and further site next to Machu.  The 700 meter climb wasn`t for the feint hearted including the masses of overly passionate Americans who started the journey with much vigor.  Sites in the morning were beautiful though after the sun came up; cloud covered mountains, easily the beautiful ancient site I`ve ever seen and my wife brandishing a ticket for Waynu Picchu asking the question `do we really want to walk up another mountain?`.

Machu Picchu: Last stronghold of the Incans to the conquistidors due to it`s positioning (in the middle of nowhere!), a site meant to be for academics as well as being a stronghold for the vitals collected from the lowland rainforests; coca leaves, potatoes and meat.  As always the site is in the shape of an animal; a Condor (the animal that`s meant to carry souls to the afterlife) and is set against the backdrop of a human face which has a massive nose.  We learnt loads about their Incan laws, ways of life and the little there is to be learnt about Machu Picchu from our guide, which was really quite fascinating.  We even made the further climb up to Waynu Picchu and looked down on the beautiful site.  It was such a day which was then, at lunchtime, to Cath`s joy, proceeded by a train trip to where we got the car back to Cusco.  The train was great but car journey horrible; worth mentioning the company we used on a public site: www.machupicchubycar.com is definitely not recommended; we changed vehicle because our driver was too tired and the replacement used the trip as an opportunity to get his bikes back to Cusco and generally disregarded us and delayed our trip.

We went back to our hostal than night and the next day we took a stroll around Cusco before we were due to join an overnight bus journey to Arequipa.  One of the joys which we bumped into was a festival parade through Cusco that afternoon which was apparently an elaborate contest for dancers.  It was a great way to see the last of Cusco before we said our goodbyes.



We`ve been some places since; from Arequipa we went to Cabaconde which is the entrance to the 3000 meter plus canyon we walked down, from there we`ve went onto Nasca and saw the Nasca lines and since we have arrived in Hauchachino.  Arequipa was a lovely city which afforded us a great hotel, the walk down the canyon was pretty full on (especially with the return trip!), the Nasca lines were seen from look out towers and were much smaller than expected and only extended divets in the desert and our five days in Hauchachino have treated us very well indeed: In addition to just lounging we`ve taken a great walk up a sand dune and taken a great tour off to see Paracas, an island of birds; Kormas, Vultures, Humboldt Penguins, Pelicans and subsequently a mountain of Guarna!

Some bad news includes the breaking of our camera (sand damaged), my amazon kindle (three flights of stairs) and a sun burnt chest (my badly planned sun bathing).  However we`ve got another camera, I`ve managed to find some books to read as well as a guide book to use and sun burn is duely treated.  We´re very well and now read for our launch tomorrow onto Lima, then Hauras for hiking followed by our long trip to Manuas along the Amazon.  We promise to post again soon and to not write so much next time!

Into Peru!!!!

I sit in an internet cafe still excited about the fact we´ve made it to Peru in such good time...  It turns out the protests subsided just before the election, with a semi expected restart on the 7th of June so instead of having to go all the way through Chile again we moved straight from Copacabana to Puno and now we´re in Cuzco- genuis!  So, what have we been up to.....

Well activity has started once again greatly helped by a nearly full recovery of Cath- so on that day I decided it would be best to climb the hill up from Coroico to the summit- a gruelling 700 meter ascent.  It was great though; we walked through semi rainforest and saw the most beautiful of views.

The next day we got our privado taxi driver Fidel to arrange us a taxi back to La Paz to get our bus straight onto Copacabana, needless to say we got the taxi for half the price of other tourists!  After half a day of travel (which we´re getting pretty used to now) and some interesting information collected from other tourists going straight to Puno (Peru) as well as the most ridiculous ferry crossing across lake Titicaca we arrived in Copacabana.  We felt the place had a lot to live up to but really it was pretty quiet; our agenda?- Go to the Island Del Sol (an Incan attraction) and due to our new information- get to Peru as quickly as possible before protests start again.

Picky of Lake Titicaca off Copacabana

We gave ourselves a day to relax from travel before heading to the Island del Sol with an evening departure to Puno.  We had a lovely day all apart from being taxed along our three hour walk by every Tom, Dick and Harry who had yet another ticket for us to buy so we could gain entrance to their section of the island.  Four quid later, a few unremarkable Incan sights but lovely views of lake Titicaca and a great walk we landed back in Copacabana for a quick bite to eat before we went on our way.

The border is only 20 minutes from Copacabana; it proved an interesting crossing in which we were stamped out of Bolivia in a shack followed by a walk through no mans land to a simple road barrier which you passed before heading into the overly shanty Peruvian immigration crossing.  One girl actually didn´t notice the Peru immigration and got on the bus; she did however amongst many sniggers from other tourists and a good laugh at herself go to the migration and get a stamp before we left- REALLY TOUGH SECURITY!!!!!

We arrived in Puno and were helped to a hotel by a helpful tout who got on the bus and then arranged plans for the next day; the reed islands- Yes, islands which float on a bed of reed turf and reeds!  It was really interesting to see these folk who have lived there ever since the rise of the Incan empire 700 years ago- the went out to live there due to not wanting to be engulfed in the Incan culture.  Initially they lived on reed boats but then upgraded their standard of living to reed islands- they wait till rainy season when the reed turf detaches from the 2 meter deep lake (at other points it is over 250 meters deep (just for your knowledge!)) and then cut up the turf into chunks which they reattach together with reed rope and then they layer a load of dry reeds on the top before ancoring the island.  It´s really weird when they pulled the ancor rope the whole island (in which 4 families live on) kind of ´waves' with the water underneath.  We bought some stuff off the people on the island who gladly dressed up Cath and we left in awe of these strange people who lived off fish and reed ends who have lived on these islands (about 200 more of the one we saw) for 700 years.

It was a fascinating day which unfortunately was concluded with an overnight bus journey to Cusco; we heard the road may be closed to protesting from the 7th onward so we couldn´t wait around.  This was easily the best bus journey yet- front seats, loads of leg room and a really bad film in English to start the journey- what else could you want?

We arrived in Cusco at 4:30 in the morning and were met by the hotelier of the hostal we´d arranged to stay in who duely put us in a taxi straight to the hostal.  Research that day proved that we´d landed ourselves a pretty sweet deal allowing us no reason to move with only our itinery to sort out. 

Well, today is the day after we arrived and we´re enjoying Cusco; it´s like a Rome of South America- full of tourists, very clean, quite expensive, full of touts, but has outstanding views.  We´ve sorted out probably the most expensive section of our South America activities- seeing Machu Pichu. And today we went to go and see the most local of Incan ruins Saqsayhuaman- the Puma Head: Cusco was said to be founded by an individual who was sent by the gods to find ´the navel of the world´, he created the city in the shape of a Puma- the symbol for worldly things in their religion (the snake being the underworld and the eagle being the heavens) and therefore Saqsayhuaman is the head of the Puma.  It is interesting to see but unfortunately the spanish really plundered it leaving only about 20% of what used to be there- this is an ongoing theme in South America..  Anyway, it was a great walk and quite interesting but still not as interesting as the Tiwanaku site which I am disappointed to say will probably outdo the rest of the Incan ruins just because of its history.

The next fews days will be exciting so will be sure to post something soon after Machu Pichu when we arrive in a next destination Arequipa which has a 3,400 meter deep canyon- anyone for free jumping???

La Paz and Coroico, that´s it in 10 days?

We find our selves in the seat of luxury in Corioco with our every need catered for including a swimming pool and Sauna and are truly relaxed.  We´ve slowed down considerable since our last blog through a mixture of one slightly bad stomach (Catherine) and just an ongoing desire to enjoy ourselves as well as to catch up with ever so exciting news from home.

We are Uncle and Aunt! Sarah and Simon Sellars our brother and sister have had a baby boy- Joel!!!

Picture of La Paz from Hotel Room
  

La Paz served us for 5 days of which only in two days were outstanding tourist achievement points scored. La Paz is a great city, one that revealed really quite good eating out and just general joviality.  We´re spent the first few days relaxing, pottering around the small streets and enjoying a pretty luxury hotel room that ever so obligingly made itself cheaper on the threat of us moving to another abode, so we stayed.  I should mention having some lovely dinners with new friends- Lorenzo and Thim, we made a cosmopolitan group with an Irish, English, Italian and Malayasan; it paved the way for good entertainment in the mixture of cultures: Namely an efficient Malayan demanding good service and nearly never getting it, a very relaxed Ital and a very confused couple in the middle.

The first of the two days were spent in Tiwanaku; the site of the centre of the most ancient of all civilisations in South America; the lesser known Tiwanakus.  Lorenzo, I and Catherine had a full briefing from a local guide:  The civilisation was around between 5,500 and 1,000 years ago and was a civilisation of peace, good agriculture, funny customs and spanned throughout all Bolivia, North Chile and most of Peru.

Funnily enough their big breakthrough was the cracking of a 13 month calendar, well laid out plantations of potatoes (which brought other cultures into their fold), their understanding of the stars and their religious beliefs (being lesser understood). In comparison the Incas lasted for about 500 years!  Anyway, some truly amazing facts as well as a partially uncovered Pyramid, a ´temple of faces´, the main temple with a sun gate and as well as really interesting information about how the rock which built it all was brought from around 100 kms away and was all cut the same size and out of different material (the volcanic rock that made up a big part of the ceremonial area of the pyramid actually was magnetic meaning it changed the poles of anything that is put near it (he showed us with his compass!!)!)  Also was revealed the stone gate (made out of one piece of stone originally)  that held the dates of the year, which were revealed at different times of the year when the sun went around the building.  Anyway, some strange things to add; they mummified their corpses and bound the higher class children's heads so they grew oblong (they thought this improved brain development!).  Anyway, one of the most interesting things I´ve done and definitely one of the oldest cultures I´ve bothered to understand so definite tourist points!!!

The other triumph I achieved was cycling down the most dangerous road in the world.  It´s a 3,000 meter drop over 65kms on bike- only 2 kms of flat and 1 slightly uphill so no points for exercise!  Left Cath in bed and headed on this expedition; 7 tourists, 12 bikes, 3 guides, 1 van and a lot of hilly land later we were off.  Started at 4,700 meters and hit 70kms per hr on the way down the tarmac section then onto foggy, dusty and rainy section along ´the most dangerous road in the world´ (well it used to be when cars actually went along it!- with cliffs to the side of 500 meters you want to be careful)!  I kept close to the top speed of the guide and kept in a close knit first ´speedy´ group which went without injury and left the other group behind- they were also fine...  It was great, fast and furious activity in which your life was in question at most corners- that´s if you didn´t have great guides, all protective clothing in the world and obvious skill...  A swim and lunch later I was back in La Paz to find Cath in bed ill- bad stomach and good sympathetic husband.

A few days later and news of Peru boarding crossing not being good across lake Titicaca (semi anarcy has broken out in Puno about mining) has resulted in us moving to Corioco- it´s quieter, lower (the altitude at La Paz is 3,600 meters, here is 1,700), has a great hotel with a lovely room and after two nights stay with initial packing and prep for one night we returned to La Paz to get the rest of the bags and come out for a few more nights.  There´s some really nice walking here, great views and just the ability to have a nice holiday all for the cost of 30 euros a day with all food and drink included- who can complain at that!  We´ve already seen the water falls, played about 20 games of backgammon, conquered a dozen cross words, swam 50 lengths (that´s just me, Cath thinks the waters too cold) and spent 3 hours in the Sauna- Zero Tourist Points!!!!

We have big plans- a 5 hour walk tomorrow (that is if we feel up to it!).  Anyway, we´ve decided next stop will be Lake Titicaca at Copacabana (which sounds pretty exciting thanks to Barry Manolow), a possible crossing to Puno if the election has stopped public outcry and definitely the reed islands and the ´Ísland de Sol´.  Our crossing to Peru may come via Chile once again (I hear sighs from the border police stamping our passport for the 3rd time with Chilean stamps) and probably will resulting in a brief stop to the beach in Arica before heading to the magnificent canyons of Arequipa.  No way will these political tyrants ruin our run in Peru!!!