Two Wise Nomads

We were all up nice and early to be near the front of the queue for the 6am bus. We met Fernando at 5am and then waited in the dark to board the bus. It didn’t seem that long until we were snaking our way up the mountain with the improving light highlighting the incredible landscape.  There was also an endless stream of torch lights of the poor sods walking to the top. A one hour steep climb.

The number of people allowed entry into the site is controlled but even then you want to be in before the 400 limit is reached. In no time at all we were in looking at the magnificent Machu Picchu – not before being warned that there were no toilets inside and if you leave you cannot go back in. In addition, you have to move around the site in one direction – no going back. 

The place was everything we had imagined. Even better if that is possible. It was great having Fernando as a guide to explain what they understand about the place, but there is so much they don’t know. They are not even sure if it was a temple, a monastery or even a place of learning. 

It is believed between 200 and 500 people lived there. All would have been nobles, commoners were not allowed unless they were working there – everyone had to give a year of labour to the government. Food was not a constraint, it was water. 

It’s mind blowing to think that someone picked the site to build Machu Picchu given the incredible challenge.  There were a lot of strategic reasons for its location, not least of all its challenging access. 

The sophistication invoked in the construction was incredible – even down to the work done in building the foundations. Personally I believe aliens had to be involved. 

Standing on these sheer drops layered by terraces, you can’t help but think that even today people would not attempt to build what they did. I hate to think how many people died in its construction.  They know it was inhabited for about 100 years during the 1500’s but have no idea why it was abandoned – certainly the Spanish never found it.  It was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911 and at that time had 3 families living in it. It was completely overgrown. Fernando says that another site has been found and they have no idea if there are even more such Inca sites around the place.

After 4 hours of awe, we said goodbye to Machu Picchu and Fernando and caught the bus back down to the town. We did a bit of shopping before sitting down for lunch at midday. A couple of rounds of Pisco Sours and things started moving. Next it was beers and whiskey for me. 

We got the 3.30 train back to Cusco and continued our merry drinking on the train throwing in a game of cards to help the mood. I feel sorry for the other passengers in our carriage.

Carlos from Peru Summits met us at the station and took us back to Ricoleta Hostel. We popped into a divey little restuarant around the corner to the hostel (wouldn’t have dreamt of doing it a week earlier – nothing like living rough for a while). It was than a very sad farewell to our Aus mates – Daryl and I tried to keep going but eventually sense prevailed. AKA Cath

We had an early start to catch the Perú Rail Titicaca Express to Puno. It was 10 hour luxury train trip which unfortunately I spent 90% of asleep – I did wake for the meals. 30 minutes out of Puno we passed through a horrendous town called Juliaca. What was so memorable was for a 3 or 4km stretch we passed an endless number of massive petrol stations. I am talking 20 or 30 petrol stations side by side. The same brand would repeat every 3 or 4 station. I wonder what led to this madness??? We arrived in Puno around 6.30 and spent a bit of time walking around trying to find our hotel. We were back at 3800 metres so any walking was tough. 

Puno, to be generous, is bland but we were not too fussed as we basically just wanted to recuperate from our incredible trek. I think the last afternoon festivities didn’t help!!

We spent 48 hours in Puno before catching a rather pongy bus to Copacabana in Bolivia.  Lack of Spanish was a bit of a challenge particularly going through the border into Bolivia. We had no idea if we had to pay something, had the right documentation etc. We worried for no reason as it was a breeze. 

Twenty minutes later we were in the lovely little village on the shores of Lake Titicaca, Copacabana and our really cool little hostel called Hostal Las Olas. It felt so nice after Puno. We immediately changed our stay from 3 nights to 4 – a perfect spot to chill for a few days.

Our trek on day 3 was basically following the road to Lucamabamba.  It was also time to say goodbye to our mulers and their mules who were returning to Soraypampa, taking 1 day rather than the 2 we took getting here.  All our gear was now being transported in a van – a bit sad as it meant we were getting back into civilisation.  

Fernando  decided that we would walk the road because the track had experienced some slips and was too dangerous. Personally I think he made the call a lot earlier when he saw our ages. Anyway, it was fine for the the first couple of hours but soon the traffic started to pick up resulting in us being covered in dust. In addition, we could see the track winding through the jungle across the river looking far more enticing. 

A lot of trekkers walked the first half of the track and then bussed the second half. We all agreed that no way would we want to drive along that road. The number of times the road was undercut by huge slips was scary, not to mention outright dangerous. We passed a huge grader doing road repairs that literally had 50cm spare either side of its wheels. 

It was incredible to see where the locals grew produce. Seriously, some of the patches of land were on vertical cliffs.  How they harvest them, never mind plant, is beyond me.  We tried to take some photos but they just don’t do justice. 

We arrived at Lucamabamba around 2 to find our campsite set up in a lovely private area at the back of a coffee plantation. Only 18.3km taking nearly 6 hours with a measly 400 of climbing today. Another magnificent lunch was followed by a planned kip in the sun. Firstly a group of German (?) tourists tried to crash our campsite only to be given a short shift by Fernando. Then as we were dozing off when we were interrupted by this awful noise over a PA system. A mixture of screeching voices and bad music. Turns out it was Mother’s Day and they were having a celebration in the field next door. However, Andy and I still managed to get some sleep through the noise.

Before dinner we had a tour of the coffee plantation (Katimore & Arabika coffee beans), got to pick, roast and grind and then drink our own coffee. Dinner was then followed by an incredible cake baked by Ebanhulio (on a camp stove!) to celebrate Daryl’s 50th. We then had some ales over a few games of cards. 

Another early start to make sure we were in the cool air for our 3 hour climb. Daryl set a cracking pace which suited Deryn and I. The others trailed at a more leisurely pace. We passed quite a few trekkers on the way up, not surprising given that we reached the summit after only 90 minutes. Unfortunately in our haste we missed the famous swing over the valley at a coffee shop half way up. 

However the benefit of our haste was that we had 90 minutes of privacy at the mirador just north of Llactapata with incredible views of the mountains and Machu Picchu in the distance.   It was then a rather arduous descent for nearly 3 hours to Hidroelectrica and our final lunch with Ebanhulio and his crew.  Andy and Daryl hoisted him on to their shoulders as a sign of respect for his incredible work.  13.1km, 7 hours and 980m of climbing on day 4.  

We then boarded our train to the town of Machu Picchu and our interesting Flowers Hotel.  Interesting in that the acoustics meant we could hear clearly Daryl showering in the room above. Fernando took us to his favorite local restaurant for our last meal together. A bit sad.  Early to bed again as it was another 430am rise to get the 6am bus to Machu Picchu.

And its been a while since we shared a dog photo.

We were woken by our local support team at 5am for a cup of hot cocoa tea – becoming a favourite of the whole group.  There was a severe frost, so getting out of bed was tough although the rising sun illuminating the surrounding peaks made it worth it.  We were away by 6.15am to once again climb over the Salkantay pass – the weather was great so we were treated to spectacular views of the incredible peaks.  

The rest of the day was basically a descent. We were making good time so Fernando suggested we have lunch at the Andenes ruins rather than planned small community of Wayracmachay.  It seemed like a good idea at the time but it soon started raining and combined with our growing hunger, made us wonder if we had made the right call. The scenery was amazing – a huge mossy valley filled with massive, multi coloured boulders and towering peaks and the odd glacier gauge through the hills. We got a great feel for farming life in the valley where the animals were allowed to roam free. We finally all arrived at the lunch site by 130pm to be treated to another great feed and some sunshine. 

It started raining again soon after we started walking but it was not too heavy and we had some tree cover. It lasted for an hour after which the sun burst through once again. Thankfully the mosquitoes were not a problem and it was nice not to be struggling for breathe. About an hour out of our campsite at Collpapampa, a few other (younger) trekkers started to pass us.  However we had our own private campsite out the back of a local’s house. It was perfect with chickens and dogs running around the place.  We negotiated for warm showers while downing a cerveza – 50 souls for 6 of us.  Shame the showers were only luke warm but still they were a relief. We then convinced Fernando to arrange a fire (20 solos for the wood) which was magic to sit around after dinner.  Day 2 involved 17.6km, over nearly 9 hours but with only 270m of climbing – like I said, it was mostly downhill!

We left our support team to the fire about 10 for another night of slumber with a small mat and a sleeping bag.  The support crew were still at it when I got up for a piddle around 2.30!  Hopefully we will still be getting breakfast in the morning! The roosters decided to start to crow around 3am – didn’t know that roosters suffered from insomnia!  However we were woken at 545am to a cup of hot cocoa tea by the team, with little apparent effects from the late night sojourn. However Fernando did not rise until 630 and looked as bad as anyone I have seen with a hangover.  Although full credit to the man, he soldiered on as engaging as he had been on the previous 2 days. I guess it helps that he is only 32!

We met our guide Fernando and the tour owner Carlos at the hostel around 5 to get a briefing on what to expect over the next 5 days.  Didn’t sound too stressful, except maybe the very early morning starts. We were given a bag into which we had to patch our belongings for the 5 days – 7kg max. We then headed for a couple of drinks at the 180 View Escobar – best view of Cusco apparently or your money back – followed by a pizza at our favourite local pizza place.  The guinea pig pizza was only tried by Andy.

We got picked up at 430am the next day and met the rest of our crew including Ebanhulio, our cook, the assistant cook plus the helper. We were all back to sleep in no time, to be woken up at the Inca ruins at Tarahuasi.  Once again you could not help but marvel at their workmanship.  We stopped for a great breakfast at Mollepata – a thriving little town that basically didn’t exist 15 years ago.  

We arrived at Soraypampa around 10.30 for the start of our trek. We also got to meet our 7 mules and their 2 ‘mulers’. The numbers of trekkers was a bit scary but Fernando suggested we skip Humantay Lake, where they were all going, and head straight up to the Soraypampa campground – thus avoiding the crowds.  It was a great move as we basically had the trail to ourselves.  It was damn hard work climbing from the 3880m at the start to 4450m at the campground.  The scenery was amazing although the lack of breath made it a wee bit of a challenge to really enjoy.

We arrived at the campground around 2.30 before getting stuck into an amazing lunch. – how Ebanhulio manages to cook the food on a few gas burners is incredible. The trout was amazing. A couple of our group took the opportunity of the tents being set up to catch some sleep, while the rest of us climbed another 200 metres to view the Salkantay lagoon.  We were treated to a sunny afternoon which meant that colours of the lagoon, and the Salkantay and Palqay peaks, were amazing. We were also treated to several small avalanches. Day 1 involved a light 11km walk, taking us just over 7 hours for a total climb of 942 metres.

We all had a bit of a kip before joining Fernando in the mess tent for an hour of his history of the Inca empire. Very interesting. Amazingly we were the only campers on the whole site.  We were treated to another great meal before all being tucked up in bed by 8 – bed was certainly the best way of avoiding the biting cold.  Deryn and I were adamant we would not be getting up in the middle of the night for a pee as 1) it was too damn cold and 2) getting in and out of the tent required a degree of flexibility that we both lacked. We were both successful although we were told we missed an incredible night sky.  Our hired sleeping bags were a bonus, albeit they were a bit like riding a bull, as they kept us warm while the rest of our crew struggled with the cold. 

We both woke up feeling normal, the benefit of a decent workout the day before. We had a relaxed morning before chilling out and watching Zodiac on Netflix.  The Sissons and Laws arrived around 6; a real pleasure to catch up with friends from home.  

We headed into town for some Pisco Sours and then a cheap meal.  We spent the next day exploring more of Cusco with our enthusiastic new arrivals.  We walked up to San Cristobal for a look around the church.  Again we were amazed at the glitz.  We climbed the bell tower for a great view of Cusco – took all my willpower to not tug on the bell ropes!  We then stopped in a local market for some incredible fruit juices and some lunch – Daryl was disappointed he could not find the horses heads he had read about.

The healthy tourists headed off for some massages while Daryl, Deryn and myself headed to a bar for some Pisco Sours and some cards.  The massaged trio joined us before we headed off for a meal at a cool restaurant in the bohemian district of Cusco, just behind San Blas.  We arrived at the restaurant at 7.25 for our 7pm booking to be told our table was gone.  It was then simply a matter of waiting in the bar until another booking was more than 10 minutes later after which we could take their table. The highlight of the evening was the trout and the harp.  We kicked on a bit when we got back to hostel with myself and Daryl giving life lessons to a 23 year old Dane called Andreas who wondered into our orbit. 

We had arrange a minibus and guide to take us on a tour of the Sacred Valley the following day.  The tour started with a visit to a weaving shop in Chinchero which we were shown how Alpaca and llama wool is spun and dyed into the incredibly coloured garments, all done using natural ingredients. Of course a collection of scarves, beanies and socks were purchased.  We then walked around some Inca ruins and given a historical tour by Loosa, our guide.  The Inca’s were amazing how they used terraces to grow corn in an environment where historically corn could not be grown.  

Next it was an all you could eat lunch before moving onto the Ollantaytambo ruins. Again the incredible sophistication of the Inca’s were evident – in both the scale of their buildings but also how the harnessed the natural environment for their benefit. Ollantaytambo looked a really cool little village, just a bit of a shame it was overrun by hordes of tourists. 

We finished off our tour with a visit to hilltop Inca Citadel in Pisac.  We were all a bit road weary by this point and needed to be back in Cusco for our 7 pm booking at Chicha.  The terraces were incredible but unfortunately we did not get the chance to explore the hilltop ruins.  While we enjoyed the day, we all felt we spent too much time in the van driving from A to B to C.  The meal was great – the wines were pricey though.  Rest day tomorrow before we head off on our Salkantay Trek.

And to finish with a dog. This time with a friend.

We dropped our rental car off at the airport and then got a taxi into Plaza 9 de Julio. We planned to visit the Museum of High Altitude Archeology (MAAM), in particular to see the Llullaillaco Children, 3 mummified children who were discovered at 6000m near the peak of the Llullaillaco Volcano.  These 13, 4& 5 year olds drunk an alcoholic drink which put them to sleep, enabling them to be buried alive as a sacrifice to the gods.  They only display one at a time (some locals are not happy with them being displayed) so we only got to see the Llullaillaco Boy – the 5 year old.  It was incredible how well he was preserved. 

We walked around the plaza and popped into a few of the working Cathedrals. Incredibly gaudy.  We then got the Teleferico San Bernardo to the highest point in Salta city.  Pretty average really.  Our view of Salta wasn’t great. Another great feed at the Poseda El Prado – cooked by the mother owner. The place is family run with the mother, son and daughter all living on site in their own houses with the main homestead effectively the B&B.  

Gabriel, the son, took us to the airport at 4am the next morning for our 5.58am(!) flight to Cusco via Lima.  We were at our hostel Hospedaje Turistico Recoleta by 10.30am. The hostel is a 15 min walk from the Plaza de Armas, the main square in Cusco.  Cusco, the oldest continuously inhabited city in South America, is 3400m above sea level and so we were expecting to feel the effects for at least a couple of days.  

We did not feel too bad so decided to explore the Plaza and do some of my chores – get a haircut and replace the battery on my watch.  Both were achieved after a couple of hours of exploring so we popped in to watch the first half of the Liverpool v Barcelona Champions League Semi in a local sports bar.  It was obviously a quality sports bar because it had multiple photos of the All Blacks around the place. The bar was packed and we ended up watching the full game with a young couple – Soy, an Cusco local and his English girlfriend Becker.  They were very handy in helping us with some additional supplies. 

We were in bed by 7.30 (Cusco is 2 hours behind Salta).  We both woke up feeling like we had hangovers – a symptom of the altitude adjustment, not the beers during the soccer! We headed out for breakfast  – 30 solo each at a local hotel.  We thought it was OK value until we found out the the exchange rate was 2.3 solo to the A$, not the 3.3 we had thought.  We then chilled at the hostel before heading out for a bit more exploring. Spent some time in the Monastery of Saint Catherine of Sienna – we even got to see a resident nun through a gate!  We also visited the Cathedral of Santa Domingo – another working cathedral. Once again Deryn and I were amazed at the gaudy decadence inside the Cathedral, in stark contrast to the poverty outside.  We boldly headed up the hill for our journey back to the hostel, really enjoying exploring the lanes and alleyways of this amazing city.

Our mates from Australia arrive tomorrow, ahead of us heading off on the Salkantay Trek next week.  Can’t wait. And now of course, to finish off with a photo of a dog