Deja-vu all over again...
The bobbing of the cone of light from my head torch on the footsteps ahead of me was a familiar sight. After a 1.50am wake up call we had been climbing for two and a half hours before the nausea began to abate. This time the ultimate goal was simply a connecting bus to get back to our transport back to Arequipa, however, the motion and experience of climbing at night was unmistakable. The climb
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The City in White
Nestled at the base of the twin volcanoes of El Misti and El Chachani, Arequipa is Peru’s second largest city. Although it has a population of around one million it has managed to retain the small town charm of a city like Cusco. The city is a little off the standard gringo trail and as a consequence there are less street hawkers. In the off-season the waiters in the restaurants appear aimless as
Floating Islands and stone arches
Five minutes of haggling by the dockside with the captain of the boat brought the price of our day trip to the islands of lake Titicaca down to a more reasonable 25 Soles ($8) per person. Having completed the negotiations the five crew members disappeared onto the quay only to return laden with fruit, vegetables,rice and an assortment of freeriding islanders toting their various handicafts. As
The Andean Orient Express
To our right a small flock of sheep are grazing on the scrubby grass against the backdrop of a wall daubed with advertising for a local beer. To our left a pair of dogs are chasing each other in circles around lean-tos, draped with blue tarpaulins. As we roll through the industrial town of Juliaca, en route to our final destination of Puno, the leaden skies threaten to break again. Over he last
Machu Picchu...I presume!
Our hopes for a clear morning for our final canter into Machu Picchu were dashed as the persistent low level rain continued. After a swift breakfast we were corralled into groups to await the opening of the day 4 checkpoint. As the trail opened at 5.30am the groups set off on their forced march to the Sun Gate, our first view point for Machu Picchu. An hour and a half of speed walking got us
Dropping into the cloudforest
After the heavy rains of yesterday we woke with the forlorn hope of a drier day to come. Day three promised to be the most varied of the trek with high passes, multiple inca remains and a descent into the cloud forest. The heavy rains of yesterday had lessened to a drizzle but still required a full complement of waterproof clothing. The initial climb to the second pass at 4000m was much the same
The ascent of Dead Woman's Pass
We awoke on day two to the amplified sound of light rain on the dome of the tent. The star filled evening had transformed into a dull grey blanket of cloud, delivering a constant stream of precipitation. We donned our waterproofs and devoured a breakfast, before starting the long climb to the pass at 4200m. After an hour of climbing the steep path in the warmth and humidity of the forest, we
First steps on the trail
The persistent pitter patter of the rain on the dome of our tent and the hoods of our jackets was to become the soundtrack to our Incan Odyssey. Over four days we covered 45km, along lush green valleys, up impossibly steep steps, past cascading waterfalls and cloud forest vegetation. Our ultimate destination was the eponymous Machu Picchu, the religious centre of the Incan civilisation.
The Inca heartland
Over the course of 300 years the Inca civilisation made an indelible mark on the culture and landscape of Peru. As we emerged on the crest of the hill above the village of Pisac the tiers of terracing came into view, dropping several hundred metres towards the valley below. Each terrace, perfectly flat and approximately 5 metres wide, was faced with a retaining wall made with boulders the size of
A little culture and an early nght
After a light breakfast we made our way across town to the Convento de San Fransisco, a Franciscan monastery dating back to the early 17th century and surviving pretty much in tact. The three things that stand out in this beautiful building are: the original c.17th Sevillian tile work that surrounds the cloisters (decorated in shades of yellow and blue and in a geometric style similar to that in
Transitions
As much as we were looking forward to exploring a new country, the prospect of a 24 hour bus ride is never really appealing. The Ormeño ‘Royal Class’ bus was truly luxurious in comparison to the other buses we have had the pleasure of using in Ecuador. A double decker bus with waiter service sounds luxurious, but when the leather is so cracked that it looks like crazy paving and lunch consists of