Category: Earth

Quick facts: UNESCO site, New 7 wonder of the world; GPS: -13.164224, -72.544759; GMT-5; Altitude: 8051′

Today’s start was much earlier than most in order to catch the first bus up to the site. I got to the line a little after 04:30 which already had more people in it than I would have liked. Even so, the busses ran much better than they did yesterday and they got all of us to the park pretty close to 06:00 when it opens.

Luckily my plan worked and my hope of getting at least one day of good weather panned out. The weather is noticeably clearer today and while the sun wasn’t up yet I could tell we were in for an actual sunrise. With my morning ticket I wanted to get some kind of shot of the sun rising over the mountains and the light hitting the ruins. While I tried to read up on the best place for this I didn’t get any clear answer. Since there were only a couple places I didn’t see yesterday, I headed for the Inca Bridge. What I encountered was that they don’t open the gate to this trail until 07:00 and it is on the backside of Machu Picchu Mountain. While I waited for the gate to open the sun did peak over the mountains but was slightly obscured by some clouds so it wasn’t really the scene I had been hoping for. A few minutes later the gate opened and I was off to see the Inca Bridge.

It’s a short hike to the bridge but it’s pretty cool so well worth it. You can’t actually get to the bridge as it’s been closed off but you can see that it’s sketchy and was a good decision to do so. I spent a few minutes taking some pics as I was the first one there and took advantage of having no one around to get in my photos. From there I walked back to the main site to check out more of what I missed yesterday.

The first spot on my list was the highest plateau overlooking the ruins. The earlier one gets in the park the fewer people there are meandering around. Again I tried to take advantage of this and got some photos of myself with the ruins in the background. At this position the ruins are already a little far for a dramatic photo so I forwent my intent to hike to the top of Machu Picchu Mountain as that would only exacerbate this effect. The other thing I would’ve liked to have done here was hike to the top of Huayna Picchu Mountain, but I was unable to get the ticket due to the hastiness of this trip.

With these factors in mind the only thing left to do was to get more photos but with the added benefit of the sun being out today! One thing I did notice is that the llamas were hanging out up here rather than down in the main square of the site. This allowed for more up close and personal photos of them without being so restricted in how close I could get. I love all these camelids, and while these llamas are cute they don’t have my heart as much as alpacas do. Nonetheless, I spent a fair amount of time getting pics of these guys and towards the end was even able to get a few moments with one that ventured out into the public area 😀

From here I headed back down in the main complex and was snapping away the whole time. I spent the next few hours retracing my steps yesterday, making my way through the ruins. I am really happy that the weather turned around because going at different times over two days allowed me to see the difference in light and weather which makes for some nice photos.

By 10ish I was back at the exit waiting for the bus to go back into town. It would’ve been nice to do some more but with out the tickets I was left with few options. Back in town I looked for a place to have a late breakfast since I didn’t get much time to eat before catching the bus this morning. After asking around a few different places I realized that Google translate doesn’t know how to say brunch and/or that no one offers such a thing in this part of the world. I settled on trying a French bakery that’s highly rated here in town, La Boulangerie de Paris. This is a quaint little place and luckily I was able to grab a table. I ordered a nice assortment of things to try along with some eggs to complete the breakfast theme. Besides the eggs and cappuccino I also ordered, a croissant, a triangulo de coco, an éclair de fresa y crema de leche, and an éclair de chocolate. Everything I ordered was pretty good, so while it wasn’t the brunch I was hoping for it was worth the visit.

Since this is the last full day in town and I have half the day left I wanted to find something else to do. Given I had not taken advantage of the town’s namesake I figured it would be a good way to spend a couple of hours. I made my way up to the hot springs that are situated in the outskirts of town. The walk there was nice and the path is lined with stone sculptures that are themed of local animals, history, and culture. Once I got to the clubhouse I changed and attempted to go to the water, a security guard said I couldn’t enter with what I was wearing. Long story short, you can’t wear any kind of shorts that aren’t what they consider swimming shorts. As I was wearing my convertible pants with the legs off they wouldn’t allow me to wear them inside. Maybe this is a petty thing to get upset about, but this really pissed me off as it’s a stupid policy that isn’t posted when buying the entry ticket along with all the other restrictions they place on patrons. I had little choice but to leave. Maybe it was for the best, as the reviews for this place are less than stellar.

After that disappointment, I decided to go back to Otto’s for a massage. At least there I had a good experience that would hopefully be repeated. Unlike the first time, after my foot soak, I took a shower and then went in for the massage. This was a good relaxing way to end the time here. I really wish there was a place near me that was this good and this cheap that I could go to more regularly. Alas, I’ll have to keep looking and stay optimistic but at least for now I am happy.

Turning to Trip Advisor once again, I found a place called Inka Wasi to try for dinner. I liked the decor of this place. It was more what I’d expect of a traditional setting with wood carved chairs and decorations all over. It also had a fire pit in the dining area. I ordered the rocoto rellano. This meal was pretty good, but the best part was also the most surprising. The carrots that were part of the salad were by far the most delicious I’ve ever had before. I actually had to ask the waiter what they were because I initially thought they were some kind of fruit. He told me that they are zanahoria de Cusco. I don’t know if it’s how they cooked it or this specific kind of carrot, but I couldn’t get over how good they are. I wish I could find out more!

After dinner I went back to the hotel and went to bed. I don’t have an early start in the morning but all this traveling is exhausting and every night all I really want to do is get back to my room and try to get enough sleep for the next day.

Quick facts: UNESCO site, New 7 wonder of the world; GPS: -13.164224, -72.544759; GMT-5; Altitude: 8051′

Machu Picchu (Machu Pikchu) – After sleeping in a little I got up and went down to the lobby to get some breakfast. After breakfast I went back to my room and got ready to head out for the bus. Out in town I had to find the ticket office for the bus up to Machu Picchu. Luckily the sidewalks are labeled and that made it pretty easy to find the important things around town. After getting the bus tickets for today and tomorrow, which required a passport as they’re really cracking down on all things touristy here, I found my way to the end of the line. After a little while I saw they were starting to stage people for the afternoon buses, my ticket for today is for noon and they won’t let you in before your time. I asked about the noon bus line and was told I should move to that line, so at about half way through the line I went to the back of the afternoon line. In hindsight this was a mistake because by time I got to the bus it was well after noon and I was originally in line before 10:00 so I lost several hours just waiting in line.

Once on the bus it’s only a 20 minute ride up to the gate. About half way up the trees start to thin out a little and the road starts to switch back and forth and you can see out at the mountains. Within a few minutes of arriving at the gate I was on the right side and was able to catch a quick glimpse of the ruins before the trees got in the way again.

At the gate, they checked my eticket and passport to make sure I had paid and wasn’t trying to get in early even though at this point I was almost an hour past my ticketed time of 12:00. After that it was a couple minutes walk through some wooded area before the trees disappear and the whole site opens up. It sort of reminded me of the first time I went to Petra and saw the Treasury after walking through the passage leading up to it. Walking to the lookout spot, the whole of the site can be seen. The weather was not ideal in a traditional sense but the cloudy/overcast scene made taking in everything even more picturesque. The faint clouds hanging over the mountains only added to the mystery of the place.

For the next several hours I wandered around as much as I could. The way Machu Picchu is set up is almost like an Ikea. The intent is to funnel tourists around the site in a one way manner. There are a few places where you can circle around but for the most part one is restricted by either the oncoming flow of traffic or the plains-clothed officials that will redirect you. For the most part this is fine as long as it’s known going in but could be frustrating if like me you want to see where the wind takes you and end up accidentally skipping a bunch. The other big issue with the setup here is the only restroom is outside the entrance and there are no re-entries allowed.

I am amazed by the construction of this whole place. I think that while it is incredible, it is well within feasible understanding of human ability. Unlike the pyramids or even Tiwanaku which are questioned to this day, Machu Picchu is a complex structure but can be explained by manpower, ingenuity, and artisans! The biggest wonder might be how they managed to get all the building material up to this altitude except that there are rocks all over the place and one can walk through the quarry that is on site.

Considering that this site is quite a bit more recent than the aforementioned places, the question I have is why was it abandoned relatively quickly after its construction. Supposedly the Incans left even before the Spanish arrived. The Incas did not have a writing system so it is hard to know for sure. I would like to know why someone went through all that trouble to build such a large complex and why this spot was chosen. Luckily though because of its remoteness and that it was never found by the Spanish the world is able to enjoy this mostly unadulterated Incan hidden gem.

The restrictions at Machu Picchu have become even more limiting this year. The ticket time one purchases is a set time and the park cannot be entered before the time on the ticket. Not only that, but supposedly the entry is only good for the time frame of that ticket time, ie AM or PM. All of these are being imposed to limit the number of tourists and help preserve the site.

After making the most of the time I had for today, I made my way to the exit just before 17:00. Before getting into line for the shuttle back to town, I stopped and stamped my passport with the “official” Machu Picchu stamp. The line for the bus back was much quicker than on the way up and before too long I was back in Aquas Calientes.

As it was getting late, I took some time to find a new restaurant for dinner and found a promising place on Trip Advisor that was rated #3 in town, Incontri del pueblo Viejo. Even though I had a little trouble finding this place, only because I walked right past it, it was well worth the search! The setting was nice and had a large fire pit in the middle of the room that they kept feeding with logs. By the looks of it this place hand makes everything they serve right there on premise: pasta, pizza, and maybe even some beer. I ordered a few different things to try and wasn’t disappointed in anything. I ordered the bruschetta incontri, an alpaca al pesto, and for the main course the lomo saltado. The winner for presentation was definitely the alpaca al pesto as it was brought out on a slab of stone with a mound of salt burning like an inferno. Everything was delicious.

After dinner I was ready for bed and headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow is an early day so I wanted to get to sleep early; I have more to see in the morning.

Quick facts: Launch point for Machu Picchu; GPS: -13.155137, -72.525964; GMT-5; Altitude: 6787′

Aguas Calientes – We arrived into Cusco at around 05:30 and I opted to get dropped off at their partner hostel. I waved goodbye to Peru hop as this was the last stop I would make with them. After doing some research about where I would go to breakfast I got a car and headed to this place that was highly rated. Upon arriving and waiting until it was supposed to open I cam to find out that Google had it wrong and they weren’t going to open for another hour.

So after that disappointment I was going to walk back to the hostel while doing some sightseeing but luckily only a few blocks away I found the Maytaq Wasin hotel, which had a breakfast buffet for a very reasonable price. Not only was I able to eat from a great selection of choices but I was able to charge all my devices while doing so. This turned out to be a good alternative and I felt lucky that I didn’t miss out in the end.

After breakfast, I had to make my way back to the hostel. It was only a 10 minute walk and once I got there I was able to take a shower at the hostel. I felt much better after the shower and was ready to head out to the train station. I caught a car to the Inca Rail station and checked in for the train early just in case there were any hiccups. Right next to the station is the Santo Domingo Church (Iglesia De Santo Domingo), so I went to check it out quickly as the only thing I was interested in seeing was how it was built on top of old Incan ruins (Coricancha) which are still visible.

Shortly after 10:00 they started loading us into the shuttles and after being switched around a few times I finally got one and we were off. The shuttle ride is part of the “Bimodal” version that Inca Rail offers. It is slightly nicer than the standard route and includes a shuttle ride from Cusco to Ollantaytambo. From there we transferred to the train and headed to Aguas Calientes. Each leg of this trip lasted about 2 hours. The train ride was a nice change as the windows were large and panoramic so we could easily look around at the scenery. Also lunch was served with a few options for drinks as well.

The train rolled into town on time and after unloading I found my hotel on the map and made my way there. Luckily AC is small so it only took a few minutes to walk there. After checking in I looked for a place that I could get a massage. I noted a couple and went to look for a winner. I walked around for a little bit and even though it was second on the list I chose to go to Otto’s. This place was awesome! Before starting they give you a foot bath and let you soak for a bit. Afterwards I had my massage and the girl was very attentive, asking if the pressure was ok etc. The price for the hour long massage was only S/100 or about $30 USD. Quite cheap if you ask me.

When I was done with the spa it was time for dinner and again I turned to TripAdvisor. Just down the road a bit was the highest rated place for dinner so I went there, Full House. I sat out on the deck seating near the water which was a nice setting. While I ate several times today I decided to have a lighter dinner. I ordered the pumpkin cream soup. It was pretty good. After dinner I went back to the hotel and went to bed early to catch up on some sleep.

Quick facts: Capital city of the Puno region; GPS: -15.84057, -70.02794; GMT-5; Altitude: 12636′

Puno – This morning I actually got to sleep in a little but not much. The bus was scheduled to leave at 05:45 with a pickup time at my hotel from 05:30-05:45. Even though the pickup was just around the corner, same as the drop off, the shuttle came for us at 05:15. This was a waste of time as I stood around for 30 minutes waiting for the bus to arrive. Oh well.

All said and done we left on time so that was good because there’s a tight schedule today for sure. The drive from Arequipa to Puno is almost half the same as yesterday and that was a surprise because it seems like it was out of the way but I was told that the roads aren’t very good so they go the long way which is actually faster. When we got close to Juliaca I text the owner of the alpaca farm, Fundo Chincheros I made arrangements for the night with and told him I’d be arriving at 13:00 in Puno and asked for his driver to pick me up since they’re a ways out of town. We arrived into Puno on time and after a short wait, the driver showed up and took me to the farm. I found this place through the tours offered in Puno as they have a half day tour to come and eat lunch and look at their alpacas. In order to maximize the limited time in Puno I opted for a night there so I could get a few hours in the afternoon and then some more time in the morning before having to catch the bus again. It was cool to see all of them and while I didn’t get much interaction with the alpacas it was really fun to see them in a little more natural state at the farm. I even helped the ranch hand herd them over to the hacienda as he was getting them ready for the lunch tour group to show up. He told me the farm has about 50 alpacas and there were about three of those that were less than a year old, one was maybe a month old.

The driver took me back to Puno at 15:00 so that I could make the pick up time for the Uros tour I had planned. The shuttle arrived and our group headed down to the port on Lake Titicaca to get on the boat to take us out to the floating islands that are supposedly only found in this region. Not only in this region but in this small area of the lake outside of Puno.

This tour is only two hours but it is pretty cool. The Uros people have been living freely on these islands that they made out of what they could find in the lake, which is not much, mostly some light dirt/root system that they cover with grass as the top cover. We got a little history lesson and were shown some of the local fish and birds and then were told about the fish that were imported back in the 40’s, namely Canadian Trout. We then were given some time to look around the island and inside of their huts before they tried to sell their souvenirs which now totally fund their way fo life. It was a little disappointing to see they weren’t living like they had any more but they do subjectively have a better life now they can afford medicine, luxuries, etc. After the few people that wanted to ride on one of the newish traditional boats returned from their quick ride, we went to another island were we could get a passport stamp from Lake Titicaca. That concluded the tour and we headed back to Puno.

I found a restaurant that was ranked highly on TripAdvisor that had Peruvian food, Mojsa, so I decided to go and try It out. When I arrived there the only thing that I saw that sounded appealing was cuy (guinea pig). I had planned on waiting until Cusco since I was told they have it there and it was common, but I figured I was in the right place and right time now since if I waited and missed it in Cusco I would miss out totally. When the dish came out it looked more like any other dinner which was fine but I was almost disappointed because the few other places I saw it on the menu was very recognizable. This restaurant was more upscale than those others so they prepared it more in their style. Dinner was really good and if I didn’t know what it was I wouldn’t have been the wiser. It is a fatty meat so there is quite a good flavor to it as I like fatty meat of all kinds!

After dinner I called the driver and he was close by. On the way back to the farm he stopped and said something but I didn’t understand what he said and then a couple minutes later this lady came over and said she was the owner’s girlfriend and that his father had just died so he wouldn’t be there when I got back to the farm. The owner came over to the car and I gave him my condolences and he apologized, but there was nothing to apologize for! It just goes to show that you never know what’s coming and one should make the best of what time they have on this planet!!! The driver took me back and I went to bed immediately as it was getting late and I was exhausted.

Quick facts: One of the deepest canyons in the world; GPS: -15.61105, -71.90581; GMT-5; Altitude: 12345′

Cañon de Colca – Today’s start is the earliest of the trip so far, 02:30, because the tour bus picks us up at 03:30 in order to get to the canyon at the appropriate time. It’s about a 4 hour drive from Arequipa to Colca Canyon with a few stops on the way for sightseeing.

For the first few hours obviously it was pitch black. A little after the sun started to rise we got to the highest point of the trip for a quick stop, Patapampa Pass also known as Mirador de los Andes. The elevation here is 16110′ and was a spectacular view with the mountains, a volcano that just started to erupt a little and the sun getting it’s start to the day. After another quick stop a minute down the road for everyone to get some pics of the now obvious volcano going off we were on our way to Chivay.

In Chivay we stopped for a somewhat typical breakfast of bread and jam and I had some coffee as well. I also tried this warm drink they had that is made from quinoa and fruit for a little sweetener. I asked what the drink is called and was told it’s just called quinoa. From there we made another stop for about 15 minutes in Yanque to see the little shops and locals that had their animals out. Our Peru Hop guy told us about these people before getting in to Arequipa and asked us not to partake with the hawk handlers because he felt it is abusive to the animals. He didn’t say anything about the alpacas and they were so cute so I got a pic with one of them. While I was trying to get my pic the alpaca wasn’t cooperating and the lady kept saying, “Look Tomas” in Spanish and moving his head towards the camera. It was pretty funny. I think it was worth the few Soles the lady asked for, maybe I’m an animal hater?!?!

From there it was a short drive to where we were actually going for the tour, Cruise of the Condors, which overlooks the canyon. We could see the canyon for most of this section and it is impressive. Only a few decades ago were roads built to make this trek even possible so I’m happy I could see it so easily. Instead of just getting dumped off at the lookout spot and turning around our guide suggested we do a little hike to the lookout. I’m glad there weren’t too many people objecting because I was all for it. He did have a half route option and there were a few people who opted for that instead.

The hike was not very long, but at this altitude it was not a stroll in the park! From the first over look we could see some condors at the main overlook at the end so the guide suggested we move on. Then after about 1/4 of the way a couple of them flew past us and perched back where we just were so I ran back and got some photos. They were a little scandalous as the birds were making out or something so I only took a few and then ran back and joined the group again. From the second look out point those two started to fly around and were quickly joined by several other birds. I counted 6 total, but even one would have been cool enough. As the majority of the condors centered around the end and final lookout I tried to get there quickly not knowing how long they’d linger. I didn’t get far before walking the rest as I’m out of shape and was out of breath. Once at the end I had time to rest and was able to watch the birds go back and forth from sitting to flying around. Although there were quite a lot of people there I was able to get some decent shots but would’ve loved to been able to use a much longer lens 🙂

We might have spent about 30 minutes total at this lookout before heading back to Arequipa. While this might seem like a lot to do for just some birds it was definitely worth it in my opinion. I wish I could have more time as I’m sure it would be awesome to trek around in the canyon. One last thing we did before heading back to the city was stop at some hot springs. We were given about an hour here and it was great. I hopped from one pool to the next spending maybe 10 minutes or so in each. After the hottest one I went for a dip in the river which was cold but felt great. Once more in the hottest pool and then back into the river before having to get out and change to get back onto the bus.

Before actually heading back we also made a stop for lunch at a place in Chivay. It was already crowded by the time we got there but it was one the tour usually stops at so they had a table already reserved for us. The food was good and there were many things to choose from. The typical foods of the area were: alpaca, chicken, beef, and if you were lucky some trout ceviche. There were also some desserts to choose from so I tried the flan.

The ride back to Arequipa was long but this time the sun was up so we were able to see much more than on the way to Colca Canyon. The best part about the drive back were all the alpacas, vicuñas, and mountains that were all over. It’s a beautiful area for sure. We arrived back to Arequipa and I got dropped off at the hotel at maybe around 17:30. I went out briefly to get some cash for the next leg and then went back and hit the rack early since it would be another early start, just not as bad as this morning luckily.

Quick facts: Capital city of Arequipa region; GPS: -16.39879, -71.53693; GMT-5; Altitude: 7661′

Arequipa – The bus ride into Arequipa was less than comfortable but it could have been worse. We got into the city a little after 05:00 in the morning and luckily the room I got was just around the corner. I checked in and tried to go back to sleep for a few hours.

I woke up around 08:30 and went upstairs onto the roof to have breakfast. It was mostly clear and sunny and had quite a view of the city from up there! Arequipa is surrounded by three volcanoes which was something to see.

After breakfast and getting ready I headed out. I wound up at the local alpaca museum, Mundo Alpaca. There were several people waiting at the door to greet me, one girl gave me a tour around the place. She explained some background on the different kinds of animals and how their hair is used for textiles. They had a little pen of about 10 animals so you can see them up close and even give you a handful of grass to feed them. After the tour there is a store to sell tourists stuff. I didn’t feel pressured to buy anything and it was a good intro to learn about these animals. It was cool, I liked it and it didn’t cost anything.

Leaving Mundo, I walked to this restaurant called Picanteria La Mundial that the girl had suggested for lunch. It was only 15 mins away and the walk wasn’t too bad. I had a hard time deciding at first but then when I looked around and saw that a lot of people had ordered the special of the day I went with the crowd and was not disappointed. I’m not exactly sure what it was called but it was pretty good. It was a soup of some sorts and had meat and veggies and maybe squash too.

After lunch I called and scheduled a massage for later. Until then I had some time to kill so I caught a cab and headed over to Yanahuara. This is a cool park because it looks over the city and had these white arches with writing around them. The city is well known for this white rock that is used all over to build things other than just these arches.

I didn’t have a whole lot of time here but enough to grab a lemonade and charge my phone in a nearby cafe before making my way to the spa. I found this place Beya Spa on TripAdvisor and while they weren’t the best place I can’t really complain because an hour long massage only cost S/70 (~$21).

It was early evening by this time but I was already pretty tired and ready for bed so I headed back to the hotel and crashed to be ready for the early start in the morning.