Ahhh Cusco! The capital city of the
Incan empire, and the historical capital of Peru. We have arrived!!
We'd been looking forward to this destination for many reasons- the
culture, ruins, Macchu Picchu of course, but also for amazing friends
to be joining us from home. Bienvenidos Damien y Erica! :)
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| Cusco city |
This
part of Peru offers endless options of excursions, hikes, museums,
and the lot, so of course it wasn't easy to narrow down our options
to pick the very best for the week we had here with our good pals. We
found a happy home with our own little flat in the historical
neighbourhood of San Blas, which was right near square and the old
church, with tiny narrow cobblestone streets and colonial buildings.
Cusco has a special charm, and although the Spanish conquered, they
didn't take the time to mow down all evidence of an Incan
past- and so it's not uncommon to see classic Incan walls with their
perfectly cut mismatched stone bricks used as the foundation for the
Spanish buildings. We hiked through the back alleyways and hillside
neighbourhoords to the giant Jesus statue for the great view over the
city, and found a great little food market thanks to our AirBnB host
for some tasty eats.
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| The amazing Saqsayhuaman |
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| Laguna Humantay |
Our tour days were busy ones!
(Disclaimer: You are about to be bombarded with Quetchua place names
you may or may not be able to pronounce.) The City Tour brought us to
a number of important Incan sites in and around Cusco- Saqsayhuaman:
an incredible walled complex made with giant polished stones fit
together without mortar; among other sites like Puka Pukara and
Tambomachay which were other temple sites outside of Cusco city. We
squeezed in a hike to Laguna Humantay, which was a small part of the
Salcantay trek which would take you right to Macchu Picchu. Damien
and Erica were troopers not being fully used to the altitude, and we
made it all the way to yet another gorgeous turquoise glacier lake.
It just never gets old ;) Finally we spent a perfect day on a trip
exploring the Sacred Valley, where we visited the agricultural
terraces at Moray, the Salt Mines at Maras, and finally the ruins at
Ollaytantambo. So much beauty everywhere we turned. We really enjoyed
this tour, and having time to explore on our own after we left our
tour group to stay in Ollaytantambo town for a pint, dinner, and to
at long last catch our train on Peru Rail to Aguas Calientes town-
our final stop before you-know-where!
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| Salt Mines at Maras |
 |
Moray agricultural terraces-
4 micro-climates in one place |
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| Amigos! |
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| "Sexy llama!" |
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| Brothers at Ollaytantambo :) |
We were good and tired by the time we
arrived at our hostel, facing the train tracks (yes, plenty close
enough to be rudely awaken by the inconsiderate 4am train squealing
by), and to bed early for our crack of dawn wake up. We were in line
to buy our passes shortly after 5:30am, and headed on down the road
to begin our hike. We opted to take the hard (scenic!) way up, and
kept our heads held high as all the buses blew past. After crossing
the river, the trail was a steady climb up, up and up all the stone
stairs (all 2000-something), and finally we made it to the top, just
shy of two hours after we began. In the end in didn't matter that we
weren't there for sunrise, since the mountaintops were plenty cloudy.
We found another couple to share the costs of a tour guide with, and
by the time we made it up to the lookout over Macchu Picchu site the
clouds were just parting to reveal the beauty below us.
Ahhhh pinch us! This was my second
visit to Macchu Picchu since the time with Joanna and Amanda in 2007-
but it was like setting eyes on it again for the first time. The
beauty and energy here is unmistakable, and you can't help but be in
awe of such a remarkable place. We soaked up all of the information
we could from our guide... How the Incans abandoned this place and
blocked the road as the Spanish invaded in order to preserve the
site. Thankfully, or as he said we'd be standing there looking at yet
another Catholic church! Macchu Picchu is translated in Quetcha as
“Old Mountain”, and was an important settlement of priests and
the educated class. We visited the temple of the sun, the condor
temple, heard how Damien's voice could echo over the amphitheatre
where they once gathered, and enjoyed the site of the sweet llamas
grazing on the agricultural terraces where so many veggies once grew.
We all very much enjoyed learning about the Incan worldview, about
the Andean Cross and how it beautifully represents their belief
system. We could all appreciate the importance and significance of
worshiping the sun, the moon, and Mother Earth- Pachamama. We had
time at the end to visit the Inca bridge 30 minutes from the site,
build over 3 metre high stone walls that formed a pathway along the
mountainside. We could stay for ages, and felt so energized to be
there in that sacred place.
With extra time at Macchu Picchu, we didn't have quite enough time to make it to the thermal baths in town, but we opted for a quick lunch and had to head back to the train. Such a beautiful ride by daylight! The train was built in the 1940s for the purpose of transporting tourists, and runs alongside the river, past Incan terraces and the odd ruin.
El Valle Sacrado can only be summed up as that- sacred.
After a last night in Cusco, a
delicious crepe dinner outside our hostel, it was time to take the
bus south to Puno to Lake Titicaca the next day. Puno city itself
isn't such a draw, but the beauty at the world's highest navigable
lake is undeniable. We stayed at Inca's Rest hostel, and enjoyed
some happy nights on the rooftop with wine, the most uneven pool
table of all time, and amazing company. During the day it was off to
see the the funeral towers of Sillusani outside of Puno- in the most beautiful of countrysides!
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| Uros |
Next was Uros floating islands, where over 2000 indigenous Uru live on
human-made islands built entirely of reeds. They originally settled
on these islands after Inca expansion, and likely had little reason
to return to land after the Spaniards' arrival. Although some of
these islands are noticeably set up for tourist visits, there are many
more where people simply live. Of course many benefit from tourists' passing by, and the money coming in supplements their other incomes from fishing and handicrafts. The tiny island we visited had 6 homes for 6
families, who were able to purchase solar panels to bring electricity
to their island three years ago. The houses were tiny, build of wood
and reeds, with enough space for a few dressers and a double bed on
the floor for the parents, and mats for the children. There is a
primary and elementary school on a few islands, and children boat to
Puno for high school and college.
And that about wrapped up our time with
our sweet amigos; how wonderful it was to have such amazing friends
with us! We can't say enough about what a joy it was to get to travel
with Damien and Erica. Our time here was richer for the special
moments we all shared, and we know these memories will last a
lifetime. We love you guys!!
Carrying D & E along with us in
spirit, there were a few more places to visit before we left Peru.
Brian and I had a wonderful Easter weekend in the beautiful colonial
city of Arequipa, a gorgeous town built of white stone under the
backdrop of 3 volcanoes. We went on a free walking tour, pigged out
at a vegan sushi restaurant run by a Vancouverite, and had a Happy
Easter Sunday on the rooftop of our hostel enjoying the sun. Craziest
thing was that the Easter bunny even found us all the way down here!!
;)
From Arequipa it was off to the gorgeous Colca Canyon and the town of Cabanaconde for some
hiking. Their claim to fame here is that this is the deepest canyon
in South America- maybe the world? We hiked 4.4 kms down the path to Sangalle, an oasis at the bottom of the canyon for a beautiful swim. Most people stay here a night before trekking allll the way back up, but since we just like to punish ourselves we opted for the one day trek. So after a cold beer and a swim it was back up the trail we went, wayyyy up. It was a tough climb, but the views were spectacular, and we even saw a few little Colca lizards :)
Our last day there we stopped at the Cruz del Condor, a beautiful lookout in the canyon where, if you're lucky, you can see these amazing birds with the 7-foot wingspan. Well they were kind to us, and we saw around 11 of them! 
And with the flight of the condors, the Inca's mystical bird who carries the souls of their leaders up to the heavens, it was time to go. One last bus ride through the Andean countryside, with their herds of hundreds of llamas and alpacas, with the beautiful blue lakes and stunning sunsets, and back to Puno. It's been an unforgettable 7 weeks in this amazing country, and although we are sad to go, we can't help but look forward to what's next. Thanks for reading :)
This
part of Peru offers endless options of excursions, hikes, museums,
and the lot, so of course it wasn't easy to narrow down our options
to pick the very best for the week we had here with our good pals. We
found a happy home with our own little flat in the historical
neighbourhood of San Blas, which was right near square and the old
church, with tiny narrow cobblestone streets and colonial buildings.
We were good and tired by the time we
arrived at our hostel, facing the train tracks (yes, plenty close
enough to be rudely awaken by the inconsiderate 4am train squealing
by), and to bed early for our crack of dawn wake up. We were in line
to buy our passes shortly after 5:30am, and headed on down the road
to begin our hike. We opted to take the hard (scenic!) way up, and
kept our heads held high as all the buses blew past. After crossing
the river, the trail was a steady climb up, up and up all the stone
stairs (all 2000-something), and finally we made it to the top, just
shy of two hours after we began. In the end in didn't matter that we
weren't there for sunrise, since the mountaintops were plenty cloudy.
We found another couple to share the costs of a tour guide with, and
by the time we made it up to the lookout over Macchu Picchu site the
clouds were just parting to reveal the beauty below us.
After a last night in Cusco, a
delicious crepe dinner outside our hostel, it was time to take the
bus south to Puno to Lake Titicaca the next day. Puno city itself
isn't such a draw, but the beauty at the world's highest navigable
lake is undeniable. We stayed at Inca's Rest hostel, and enjoyed
some happy nights on the rooftop with wine, the most uneven pool
table of all time, and amazing company. During the day it was off to
see the the funeral towers of Sillusani outside of Puno- in the most beautiful of countrysides! 
Next was Uros floating islands, where over 2000 indigenous Uru live on
human-made islands built entirely of reeds. They originally settled
on these islands after Inca expansion, and likely had little reason
to return to land after the Spaniards' arrival. Although some of
these islands are noticeably set up for tourist visits, there are many
more where people simply live. Of course many benefit from tourists' passing by, and the money coming in supplements their other incomes from fishing and handicrafts. The tiny island we visited had 6 homes for 6
families, who were able to purchase solar panels to bring electricity
to their island three years ago. The houses were tiny, build of wood
and reeds, with enough space for a few dressers and a double bed on
the floor for the parents, and mats for the children. There is a
primary and elementary school on a few islands, and children boat to
Puno for high school and college.
And that about wrapped up our time with
our sweet amigos; how wonderful it was to have such amazing friends
with us! We can't say enough about what a joy it was to get to travel
with Damien and Erica. Our time here was richer for the special
moments we all shared, and we know these memories will last a
lifetime. We love you guys!!
Carrying D & E along with us in
spirit, there were a few more places to visit before we left Peru.
Brian and I had a wonderful Easter weekend in the beautiful colonial
city of Arequipa, a gorgeous town built of white stone under the
backdrop of 3 volcanoes. We went on a free walking tour, pigged out
at a vegan sushi restaurant run by a Vancouverite, and had a Happy
Easter Sunday on the rooftop of our hostel enjoying the sun. Craziest
thing was that the Easter bunny even found us all the way down here!!
;) 
From Arequipa it was off to the gorgeous Colca Canyon and the town of Cabanaconde for some
hiking. Their claim to fame here is that this is the deepest canyon
in South America- maybe the world? We hiked 4.4 kms down the path to Sangalle, an oasis at the bottom of the canyon for a beautiful swim. Most people stay here a night before trekking allll the way back up, but since we just like to punish ourselves we opted for the one day trek. So after a cold beer and a swim it was back up the trail we went, wayyyy up. It was a tough climb, but the views were spectacular, and we even saw a few little Colca lizards :) 
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