The Continuing Voyages of Spirit: Catch Up Post

South American Adventure Catch Up Post

October 10

The flight from Atlanta arrived on time at 2200 and it took just a few minutes to clear customs and immigration and collect our bags. Lima is at sea level. Our contact was waiting outside as we exited the customs hall. We walked across the street from the terminal into the hotel (the Ramada Costa Del Sol), checked in, exchanged documents, found out about the arrangements the next morning and went to the room, which was very adequate. We were given a coupon for a complimentary Pisco Sour, so we had those at the lobby bar and then headed to bed. We set the alarm for 0330 local time to make a 0545 flight to Cusco. Two things messed up this plan for 4 hours of sleep. First, the hotel had a disaster drill with fire alarms and flashing lights at 0030 and then the alarm went off at 0130, since the cell phone time had reset to local time when we turned it on. We finally got a few hours of restless sleep before heading to the airport check-in. We could have stayed in bed another 30 minutes!

October 11

Since we left the hotel so early, we missed the breakfast included in our rate and instead had the Peruvian equivalent of a McMuffin and some coffee so strong we could not drink it. The security lines were not too bad. We boarded the LAN Airlines flight to Cusco right on time and landed on time in Cusco (11,250 feet) where the Condor Travel representative was waiting. After loading the bags into the car we headed to the Casa Andina Private Collection hotel in Cusco and met our guide for the next two days, Celina. After some heavy traffic we finally headed out of town up the 12,500 foot ridge between Cusco and the Urubamba Valley, also called “The Sacred Valley”.

Pisac Terraces

More Pisac Terraces

Pisac Buildings

Pisac Entrance Arch

Looking out over the temple, Pisac

Miriam & Patrick at Pisac

Our first stop was at the Pisac Ruins, a set of terraces, houses and temples set up the side of a mountain. The Inca’s did much of their agriculture on these terraces, which also slowed erosion from the rainy season rains. We spent several hours exploring the ruins and trekking along the paths, even going through tunnels in the rock hillside connecting various parts of the complex. In places the stonework was so precise that no mortar was used or needed on large blocks on stone. It remains a mystery as to how the Inca people even got the stones up the hill and into location. The scale of the ruins was astonishing.

Pisac Market

Our next stop was Pisac Market, which on Sundays is very large and well known. We were there on a Friday and although much was open, there were few people. The scale of local handicrafts was immense and the market reminded us of Chichicastenago in Guatemala. There was lots of alpaca goods and Peruvian silver jewelry.

After Pisac Market we headed to the Alhambra Restaurant in Urubamba for lunch and then on to Ollantaytambo, purported to have some of the oldest continuously inhabited dwellings in South America. The town is dominated by an immense set of terraces culminating in the remains of a temple. This fortress town guarded the Inca empire and was built by the emperor Pacachuti after he defeated the Tambo’s. Notched into the surrounding hillsides are granite storehouses. The fitup of the stones is still so perfect that no mortar was used or needed. The only way into the city is a narrow road snaking up the terraces. At the end of the road, through the center of the city is the rail station which we will take to Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu.

Storehouses at Ollantaytambo and Inca face in rock

Ollantaytambo Fortress

Main fortess face

Ollantaytambo Fortress

Following this experience we backtracked to the town of Yanahuana, where we finally checked into the Casa Andina Private Collection Hotel in the Sacred Valley. The hotel is in a walled compound with blocks of buildings scattered on a hillside and a main reception building with a restaurant. After checking in and realizing how tired we were from the short night in Lima, the altitudes going to 12,500 feet, and the full day of touring we decided on an early dinner.

October 12

Our day began with a visit to Maras, where the local people have been harvesting salt from evaporation ponds terraced into the hillside since pre-Incan times. The last few kilometers to the site were over dirt roads leading down into a valley where the salt is harvested.

Maras Salt Ponds

Maras

Scooping the salt to dry

From Maras we headed out on dirt roads to the Inca agricultural research site of Moray. The site consists of three natural depressions which have been sculpted into circular terraces down several hundred feet into the earth, with drainage so clever that they do not flood. The terraces create microclimates with temperatures many degrees warmer at the bottom of the depressions. Due to damage, visitors are no longer allowed to go all the way to the bottom.

Moray Terrace Steps

Main Moray Site

Moray Terrace Detail - see size of people

By now it was time for lunch, at the La Casa de Barro Lodge Restaurant restaurant in Chinchero, at an elevation of about 12,000 feet. Following a delicious lunch of chicken soup (with vegetables, cheese and quinoa) and grilled trout we headed for the weaving centers in Chinchero for a weaving demonstration. The work the women were doing was good, but expensive. Following the demonstration we headed up the hill to the Catholic church built on the ruins of an Inca palace, reaching an elevation of 12,500 feet.

Chinchero Weavers

Part of Chinchero Market

Returning to the hotel we relaxed and repacked our bags, splitting them into what we could take on the train (10 kilograms each) and the rest went into storage at the hotel until we returned from our three night stay in Aguas Calientes.

October 13

We were picked up at 0700 for the short ride to Ollantaytambo rail station where we boarded the Vistadome train for the 90 minute ride to Aguas Calientes. The rain began as we waited for the train and was a downpour by the time we arrived in Aguas Calientes. The travel company took our duffel bags and we headed on foot to the bus station for the ride up to Machu Picchu, buying plastic ponchos along the way to keep a little drier. The lines were long but moved quickly since as each 27 passenger bus was filled, another pulled into place. We headed up the winding gravel/mud/stone road through many switchbacks 1000 feet above the Urubamba River to the entrance of the site where our private guide was waiting in the rain in a poncho. Joining the long line of visitors we produced our passports and tickets and entered the World Heritage Site of Machu Picchu, joining the 2500 people per day allowed on the site. Hiram Bingham is credited with the “scientific” discovery of Machu Picchu on July 24^th, 1911, even local farmers had been using the lower terraces for many years and knew of the complex on the top of the mountain. This is one of the few cities that Pizarro did not find and destroy, so is remarkably well preserved. Even on a Sunday morning, in drenching rain, the crowds were amazing, making it hard to get pictures of anything without people in all colors of plastic ponchos being visible. There is a one-way system of routes through the complex and one has no choice but to go up and down lots of steps. Needless to say, the complex exceeded our expectations and during the half day tour we went by most of the major temples, houses, fountains, sundials, agricultural districts and terraces. Returning to the entrance we left our guide as the rain lightened up and had a buffet lunch with hundreds of other people at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge restaurant. By the time we had finished lunch the sun had come out and we headed back into the complex to begin our independent explorations, including a hike most of the way to the “Sun Gate”, finally running out of time before returning to our hotel and checking in. We are staying for three nights at the Hatun Inti, a 14 room hotel along the Urubamba River. Our room was on the river side and included a fireplace and a two person Jacuzzi tub, welcome after a hard day of walking. To our surprise, dinner was included at the Toto House restaurant down the street where we dined on both trout and chicken, accompanied by a bottle of Peruvian red wine.

October 14

Wake-up was at 0430 for a 0500 quick breakfast buffet (included) and walking one block to join the line of visitors waiting for the bus. There was light rain, but not enough for the ponchos. The reason for the early departure (Machu Picchu opens at 0600 and the buses start running at 0520) is that Patrick also had a ticket for entry to Waynapicchu (Huaynupicchu) which is on the far side of the complex from the entrance. Only 400 people per day are allowed in, in two batches, at 0700 and 1000. The rain quit and the skies cleared about 0700. This hike turned out to be both strenuous and scary in places, with cables mounted in the rocks to assist ascending the 1300 irregular steps to the top. The views just get better as you climb 1000 feet above the main complex to a series of terraces, guard shacks and finally crawl through a tunnel on your hands and knees to the rocks at the top of the mountain. The way down is via another route, no less scary, until you rejoin the main trail and two-way traffic. It is clear why each person signs in, is given a number and must sign out when they leave.

Miriam explored other parts of the complex while Patrick climbed Waynapicchu and after meeting up, continued self-guided explorations together until our lunch reservation at the a la carte restaurant in the Sanctuary Lodge, where among other items we enjoyed trout civiche.

Following lunch we decided to head back to the hotel and joined a long line of other visitors with the same idea. This time the line was about 30 minutes long. Dinner was again in the Toto House restaurant, but we ate early and after a relaxing soak in the Jacuzzi, called it an early night.

October 15

Another repeat day, with an early departure (0545) for Machu Picchu, again with light rain and clouds as, we headed back for the third day of explorations, heading for the Sun Gate side of the complex. Patrick headed up the trail to the Sun Gate, where many Inca Trail hikers were descending into Machu Picchu. The clouds and rain prevented viewing the complex most of the time, and with no sun, this trek turned out to be mostly exercise. Returning to the “Guard House”, Patrick joined Miriam and together explored the west side of the complex, where the main gate is located. Having exhausted most of the site we returned and found a pizza restaurant in Aguas Calientes before relaxing in the hotel and downloading pictures from the cameras onto the laptop. Dinner will be in the same place, but three nights in a row will be more than enough.

Miscellaneous Machu Picchu Pictures