Machu Picchu Trek, Peru - Day 3

Along the trail today we got to visit a couple Inca ruins as well as see some hummingbirds. The weather wasn’t spectacular as it rained extremely hard for parts of the trek resulting is some heads down concentration on the rocky steps. A highlight of the day was looking forward to our last campsite where we would be able to take a hot shower for 10 soles or 3 dollars. When we arrived late at night, we discovered that there was only one shower for men and one for women for over 300 people on the trail. At that point we were so tired and we would have to be up at 3:45 the following morning in order to be at the gate at 5:30, that we decided to just go to bed after dinner. Interestingly enough, for a large group of people who haven’t showered in 3 days, nobody had any offensive odors. Perhaps it was the rain, cool weather, or just a lot of deodorant. Or perhaps we just got use to the scent.

We had to be up uber early on the fourth day of the trek because you want to be one of the first three groups in line when the gate opens so that you can run down the trail for about an hour and get access to Wayna Picchu. Wayna Picchu is a mountain which nestles up against Machu Picchu and has amazing soaring views of the lost city. Only 400 people a day are allowed access to the mountain for the privilege to tackle the steep and precipitous climb in order to get the coveted panoramic view of Machu Picchu. At times the steep trails are exposed with little protection other than a steel rope embedded in the side of the mountain. While Wayna Picchu is normally a difficult and precarious climb, when raining the trail can be extremely slick and treacherous. In the past 9 months, a tourist fell off the mountain and passed away. So while we were well aware of the genuine risks, we were excited to climb the mountain and gaze down upon Machu Picchu. This is why one wakes up at 3:45 in the morning.

Machu Picchu Trek, Peru - Day 3

Machu Picchu Trek, Peru - Day 2

The first day of trekking was rather easy with a 12km trek on a rather flat surface without any rain. On day two after waking up at around 5:30am, Matt and I found the side of our tent thoroughly soaked through. Apparently it had rained hard during the night as we slept.

As we were packing up our damp gear that was along the side of the tent in preparation for breakfast, I looked over the campsite and soaked in the marvelous scenery. Snow capped mountain peaks in the distance; a meandering river flowing into a small waterfall provided a tranquil backdrop to the ambient noises of the forest and fellow trekkers; and wild horses earnestly grazing not more than 10 ft away. Our group consisted of a fun mix of tourists from around the world and included a group of six 20 year old students from England, a couple from Toronto on part of their honeymoon, and a 60 year old mother from North Carolina among others.

The food was extremely plentiful and quite good considering the cooking circumstances. The chef even made a cake for the last meal. We had an extensive array of food options from pancakes to fruit to oatmeal. We usually have two to three meat / vegetable dishes and a starch or two to go along with a soup or appetizer. After breakfast, we prepared for the hardest day of the trek. A 16km stretch with an ascension of over 800km up to Dead Woman’s Pass and then back down another 500km to our camp site.

The hike up to Dead Woman’s Pass was tough and exhausting, but I had a couple advantages versus some other trekkers such as Matt. Most people drop into Lima and then fly over to Cusco for their trek, spending 2 days in Cusco to get acclimatized to the altitude which can render walking up a flight of stairs a monumental task. While two days helps a lot, Matt and others were obviously facing the battle versus the altitude and often losing. Having been in Bolivia for the last couple weeks or so at high elevations, allowed me to handle the altitude with ease. A girl on our trek marveled that I was able to walk and not have to hunch over to catch my breath every 5 minutes and that my breathing was not labored.

The second advantage that I had was that I packed light. A change of shirts and socks with the minimal toiletries, sleeping bag, and foam mattress were given to a porter to carry. In my small bag, I carried my jacket when I wasn’t using it, bug spray, and water. Others, I have no idea how they managed, carried all their stuff with them on their backs in large backpacks. They were able to keep up, and I applaud them. While I considered carrying my stuff myself, I knew that I wanted to enjoy the scenery and trek; and while I definitely could have done the trek with my big bag, I know that it would have impaired my ability to enjoy nature. Without the additional bulk and weight, I was able to easily handle the tough rocky spots of the trail which were sometimes slick with rain, climb up the side of the mountain to look at an interesting flower, and run up the last 100meters of Dead Woman’s Pass. Yes I sprinted up the hill on a bet. I wanted to see if I could run at this altitude up a steep incline. The porters have a yearly marathon over the entire trail which is the same distances as the NYC one just with altitude and extremely difficult terrain. The fastest guy completed the 25 mile course in a little more than three hours. I found that the main issue was lung capacity at that altitude as I had to stop half way up to catch my breath. When I got to the top, I thought my head and lungs would explode but my legs did not really hurt at all.

The third advantage is that I’ve been doing a lot of trekking through Argentina and Chile and walking around exploring new cities over the last couple months so that extra exercise probably prepared me for the trek a bit more than a person who is normally sitting at a desk for most of the day.

But one can do the trek and survive without any of these “so called” advantages. The 60 year old mother carried her huge bag by herself.

Machu Picchu Trek, Peru - Day 2

Machu Picchu Trek, Peru - Day 1

And so the journey begins. 4 days, 3 nights, no showers. 45 kilometers or about 28 miles spread out over the majority of 3 days and ascending to an altitude of 4200 kilometers. If the altitude doesn’t get you, the rain will. It’s the rainy season and it’s guaranteed to rain hard at some point during our trek. In fact in a couple of days after our trek, the trail closes down for a month in part due to the rain and to restore the trail. And the altitude usually gets you. Gasping and wheezing, while you struggle to catch your breath on a trek that would be strenuous at sea level. Why would anyone subject themselves to this?

There are easier ways to get to the Lost Incan city. From Cusco, you can take a 3 hour train to Aguas Calientes and then a 30 min bus. Or you can take a helicopter and be there in 30 minutes.

Most seasoned travelers agree that Machu Picchu in Peru is the world's most dramatic ruins. If it’s not the first, then it’s definitely in the top three. Machu Picchu sits boldly perched on a steep sided mountain saddle far above the partially encircling Urubamba River. What remains of the precision stonework of the pre-Colombian Inca temples and palaces clearly reveals how exalted Machu Picchu was in its glory days.

Yet despite all these accolades, the arduous journey to the ruins is just as much a part of the enchanting magical experience as the ruins themselves. To tread in the previous footsteps of thousands of Incas as they conducted their daily commute to surrounding villages for trade or labor. To see the majestic mountains and landscape unfold as you round a corner of the path and happen upon a quaint Inca ruin. To marvel in amazement at the uniquely delicate and intricate fauna that populates the trails. To speculate what the next turn or twist in the trail may bestow upon you. Or to merely contemplate when you can put your bag down and rest your weary feet.

For me, some of the magic of Machu Picchu is lost if you descend upon it in a helicopter. The journey augments the aura and intensifies the anticipation. And so the journey begins.

Machu Picchu Trek, Peru - Day 1

Cusco, Peru - Day 4

Today we took a tour of the Sacred Valley visiting Pisaq and Ollantaytambo. The archeological ruins of Pisaq are in the Sacred Valley about a 25 minute hike up rich green terraced mountains along the Urubamba River. The modern town of Pisaq has a extensive Sunday open air market and the only church in the world to hold mass in Quechua, the native Incan language.

Ollantaytambo was a complex, extensive archeological site which was rather well maintained. It was an important place for the Incas and served as the Incan capital for a short period of time. Ollantaytambo was also the starting point of our Machu Picchu trek the following day.

Cusco, Peru - Day 4

Cusco, Peru - Day 3

So my high school friend Matt arrived early in the morning and we kicked off the adventurous part of our next two weeks together with a tour of 4 archeological sites of Inca importance.

The first was Qorikancha (from the Quechua words Quri Kancha meaning 'Golden Courtyard'). It was the most important temple in the Inca Empire, dedicated primarily to Inti, the Sun God. It was one of the most revered and respected temples of the city of Cusco, Peru. The walls and floors were once covered in sheets of solid gold, and the courtyard was filled with golden statues. Spanish reports tell of its opulence that was 'fabulous beyond belief'.

The Church of Santo Domingo was built on the site, using the ruined foundations of the temple that was flattened by the Spanish in the 17th century, and is a fine example of where Inca stonework has been incorporated into the structure of a colonial building. Major earthquakes have severely damaged the church, but the Inca stone walls, built out of huge, tightly-interlocking blocks of stone, still stand thanks to the sophisticated stone masonry.

The next stop was Saqsaywaman located 2km from the Cusco. The Incas called it the House of the Sun and the Spaniards called it a fortress because of its zig-zag shape and the 1536 revolution. The construction, which is made up of three platforms one on top of the other, was one of the most important religious complexes of its time. The enormous boulders that form part of the construction were put together perfectly without using mortar. The heaviest weighs up to 125 tons. Archaeologists are currently excavating and have discovered water fountains, canals and rooms. In a nearby flat area, every June 24 local inhabitants hold the Festival of the Sun, or Ind Raymi.

Despite all of these fascinating archeological sites, the highlight of our day was trying the local delicacy of Cuy, otherwise known as a guinea pig. Most of the locals that I spoke with raved about this dish, and I was eager to give it a try. Admittedly, a guinea pig, what some people refer to as a pet, is a bit unconventional as a food item but some people have pot belly pigs as pets and I’m not going to give up pork. I have eaten some weird things before in my travels including insects, baby chickens inside an egg, and spoiled soy beans so I figured this couldn’t be much worse. We got it in a fancy restaurant with mostly refined middle aged patrons who shrieked in joy and amazement when the roasted tailless rat was brought to our table. Or perhaps it was horror. We got the baked version instead of the fried one and the skin was rather chewy. There wasn’t much meat on the Cuy and the meat that was there wasn’t really that flavorful. Perhaps they toned the spices down to account for a tourist palate but I didn’t see what there was to rave about. The 20 minutes of pictures and posing was better than the food.

Cusco, Peru - Day 3

Cusco, Peru - Day 2

Cusco, Peru - Day 2

Cusco, Peru - Day 1

After spinning through South America like a tightly wound out of control top, I need a chance to regroup and recharge. I had heard amazing stories from other tourists about Cusco, oozing in history and fun. In this book that I’m reading, the author talks about the city that she is in and how the essence of a city could be boiled down to a specific word. New York is Aspire. Stockholm is Conform. Los Angeles is Succeed. One could say that Cusco is Culture. Amazing churches and architecture, narrow cobbles stone streets which would give three fat people walking side by side some issues, ladies in traditional clothing and bowler hats, and the gateway to Machu Picchu all give Cusco an aura seeped in culture. There is also a prevalent feeling of tourism and capitalism which while paradoxically contradictory to the concept of culture is also ironically exponentially intertwined.

I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of a good buddy from high school who was flying down to Peru for a brief vacation. Growing up collect stamps, playing swords, or building forts in the back yard were all part of the fun memories that we had growing up. Peru was just another adventure that waited to unfold.

So for the next two days while I waited for Matt, I relaxed, reflected and explored the gateway to the lost Incan City.

Cusco, Peru - Day 1

Puno, Peru - Day 1

The floating villages on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca are a very staged tourist attraction. The Peruvians should just call it Disney World on reeds. Locals dressed in their native outfits, pose, smile and wave just like the “It’s a small world after all” ride. But like Disney World, the floating village has an innate ability to entertain and amaze anybody between the age of 5 and 80. The floating islands are like a 17th century science fair project. How many people can we fit onto a pile of floating plants? Can we build a house on it? How about a town? Oh let’s just see if we can LIVE on floating plants. Somewhere along this science fair project, the teacher forgot to tell the students that the science fair was over and that they can return to their land which is a 20 minute boat ride away.

Jumping up and down on the floating blocks of soil, climbing up lookout towers, and taking boat rides on straw bound together with string, is a fun learning experience. The locals string together blocks of floating soil (don’t ask me how it floats but I tried to push a block down in the water and it promptly popped back up like a cork) and then place piles and piles of reeds on them. When the reeds become waterlogged every two weeks or so, they are replaced with new ones. As such, a large part of the local’s activities not only include fishing and hunting birds but also prepare the future reeds for use. Although who knows, perhaps they live in mini mansions on the main land and just come to the floating islands that their ancestors previously inhabited from 9-5.

I got to my place around 8 pm and set about exploring Puno for a dinner spot. Following the suggestion of a local, I ended up finding a remarkably touristy, delectable delicious, and entertaining restaurant. They had folk dancing there and I got to try alpaca. The meat arrived perfectly cooked, medium rare, slightly charred and quivering atop a bed of cheesy grain which I can only equate to grits. The mass was more cheesy and stringy than grainy with a one needing to cut the starch that the meat rested on. Local organic vegetables accompanied the dish. Along with a local Andean soup and a delicious kingfish ceviche, the whole meal and dining experience set me back only $15 dollars. Gotta love Peru.

Puno, Peru - Day 1

Copacabana, Bolivia - Day 2

I took a tour of ”Island of the Sun”, the birth place for the Inca Empire, on Lake Titicaca.

Copacabana, Bolivia - Day 2

Copacabana, Bolivia - Day 1

Today I arrived in Copacabana mid day and spent the day exploring the town, the local church, and the small mountain next to the town. At 3800 meters, Copacabana sits on Lake Titicaca the highest navigatiable body of water in the world. The lake was a glistening cold mass of water which looked rather infinite. The altitude had a definite affect on the temperature and climate of the city. It was rather warm during the day but as soon as the sun set, the chill set in and air cooled significantly.

I made an attempt to climb up the mountain next to the city as I heard that the sun set from the top overlooking the city was something not to be missed. I use the word “attempted” because even though I’ve been in La Paz for a couple days getting acclimated to high altitude, trying to hike up a mountain is a much different task then trying to dodge cars and vans crammed full of people on the cobblestone streets of La Paz. I got half way up and the sun started to set and in conjunction my head started hurting. Then the heavy legs started and I had to sit down for a while. The altitude affects were sudden and noticeable. Taking more than 5 steps at a time was tough and I thought my head would explode. It was starting to get dark and to get bitterly cold, and I debated turning back. But I was half way up already and grandmothers were nimbly passing me, so I figured if I passed out the grandparents could probably carry me down as they did not seem in the less bit winded. When anybody over 75 can do something better than me, especially when it’s physical in nature, my hubris kicks in and cajoles me to continue. It took me another 30 minutes to get to the top, the sunset was blocked out by clouds, and my frozen hands were too cold to cut the mango that I brought up for a mountain top snack. Luckily coming down was much easier than going up.

On the positive side, I found one of the coolest things that I’ve seen in a local market in a long time. It was a lost exhibit from the “Body Works exhibit”. You know, the traveling museum which shows plasticized bodies sliced and diced in various forms to display the inner workings of the muscular, skeletal, and nervous system. If you haven’t seen it yet, I would highly recommend it as it was a fascinating, educational view of the human body in a rather innovative viewpoint. Well I entered the local market and in the meat section, low and behold, I find a cow’s head that had all the outside skin removed and the muscular and skeleton systems exposed. I have no idea what they do with it; perhaps they make a huge pot of soup. But it was definitely the first time I’ve seen a stripped cow’s head.

Copacabana, Bolivia - Day 1

La Paz, Bolivia - Day 3

Today was a blog day. I spent most of the day in the local burger king leaching off their wireless and clogging my arteries with Whoppers. The managers walk around with menus and take dessert orders. Who can so “no” to a delivered apple pie ala mode? It’s a good thing that cholesterol does not contaminate the air like the tar from cigarette smoke because I would have had a healthy dose of second hand grease.

La Paz, Bolivia - Day 3

La Paz, Bolivia - Day 2

Today was a tour of Tiwanaku a pre Colombian archeological site that has been named a UNESCO site. It has significant importance as precursors to the Inca Empire, flourishing as the ritual and administrative capital of a major state power for approximately five hundred years.

They have these stone megaphones that you could speak into that projected your voice across the archeological campus to the other side where someone listening into a similar stone piece could hear you. They built this approximately 1,500 years before Christ. I wouldn’t be able to build two stone voice projection devices right now if you paid me. Perhaps two styrofoam cups with a string, maybe a long long string.

La Paz, Bolivia - Day 2

La Paz, Bolivia - Day 1

La Paz dazzles. It astounds. Illustrative descriptions abound. The La Paz is world’s highest capital city, highest golf course, highest football stadium, highest airport, and most dangerous road.

Unlike in most cities where the social elite tend to live on plots of land which are higher and look down on the proletariat, La Paz, because of its high altitude, has the unique distinction of having its richest citizens living at lower altitudes while the poor are scattered in mud huts high on the mountain top.

Block after block of street markets buzz with throngs of indigenous women in bowler hats, ruffled shirts, big puffy skirts, and dress shoes hawking all types of wares.

One lady was selling only fly swatters and TV antennas. Hm …a rather diversified product offering. Although I wondered what her margins were like on those items and how much volume she could possibly generate with fly swatters and TV antennas. I mean you really only ever need one…fly swatters don’t exactly break every day.

Yup those are fried chicken heads. YUM.

La Paz, Bolivia - Day 1

Sucre, Bolivia - Day 1

I spent the day exploring the museums and markets that Sucre, a UNESCO city, had to offer. I find the local markets fascinating, a culmination of the indigenous culture in one location. Where else can you so easily get a glimpse into the daily activities of the locals? Observing what they eat, wear, and buy. Observing how they live.

Sucre, Bolivia - Day 1

Potosi, Bolivia - Day 2

I spent a half a day in Potosi and took a 3 hour bus to Sucre at around 2pm.

In Potosi, I got to see some mummies of children who were sacrificed in a volcano to appease the volcanic gods. They were found perfectly preserved on top of a large volcano.

I also tried a Saltenas for the first time. This empanada like pastry is filled with a juicy stew mixture of meat and vegetables. A Bolivian hot pocket.

Potosi, Bolivia - Day 2