Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is about 133 km (83 miles) by train from Cusco. Two tourist trains make the trip, the Vista Dome, at $71 US each way is the most luxurious, but the Backpacker at $60 is also clean and comfortable. Other trains make the trip at considerably less cost (and comfort) but are open only to Peruvians. We went on the Vista Dome, but the 5:00 PM return was full, so we came back via the Backpacker to Ollantaytambo, and then by taxi to Cusco.

The Vista Dome climbed out of Cusco via four switchbacks, and then on to Ollantaytambo, where it paralleled the Rio Urubamba (previously the Rio Urubush?) to Aguas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu.

The train ride was smooth, if slow, and the scenery was impressive, and the crew served breakfast.

From Ollantaytambo the track follows the river through the increasingly deep canyon. The Rio Urubamba is an incredible river, with class V+ rapids. Rafting trips are available.

From the end of the road west of Ollantaytambo, the “Inca trail,” departs for Machu Picchu. The 85 km trek, which can be taken only with guides, usually takes 4 days. Only 200 tourists (+ 300 guides, cooks, porters, etc.) can begin the trip each day and reservations are required well in advance…. like six months if you are traveling in the high season, May to September.

Inca sites and terraces are visible from the train.

Aguas Calientes, at the end of the train ride, is dedicated entirely to tourism. Leaving the train one passes through a maze of artesanías (AKA gewgaw shops), and into the restaurant district. A block below is the bus station, where (for $14) one can buy a bus ticket to and from the site, and the office of Tourism, for an entry ticket ($40). The day in Machu Picchu, is expensive, $175 and up.  

Here at the site entrance, guides were available. We engaged Jessica, a registered guide who had studied Inca archaeology and was very knowledgeable; able to answer questions as well as to recite the script. And very nice, as well.

The first stop on the tour is the hut of the guardian, from which the famous photos of the site, like the one at the beginning of this blog, are taken. Less obvious in most photos are the tourists, up to 2,500 per day in the high season. We were not in the high season, which meant clouds and occasional rain, but also fewer tourists.

Plenty of tourists, but fewer than in the high season.

But rain and crouds notwithstanding, the site and setting are breathtaking and well worth the trip.

Some 600 meters (2000 feet) below is the Rio Urubamba.

Within the site, the stone work was most impressive in the ritually important areas; in others it was less finely detailed.

Agricultural terraces on the non-residential areas of the site.

Alejandra and Jessica

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After about two hours we returned to Aguas Calientes and almuerzo, and then back to Ollantaytambo via the Backpacker train, and then on to Cuzco. Then back to Lima and to Santiago.

The backpacker.

Cusco (Jan. 17-22, 2009)

We awoke in Cusco to breakfast in a pleasant hostal, anxious to see the city after arriving at 11:00 the night before. 

Our hostal, and it’s neighbor where we moved after a few days, were on Calle Albado, a pedestrian alley. Cusco’s two major plazas, marked 3 and 4 on the map, were nearby.

The hostal Orquidea Royal on Calle Albado where we stayed the first few nights is to the left. The Hotel Sueños del Inca, where we moved later, is across the alley to the right.

The Plaza de Armas, Cusco’s main plaza, is downhill about three blocks from our hotel. In the center of the photo is the Jesuits’ Iglesia del Compañia, built to compete with the cathedral, to the left, built by the Bishop. Both were constructed on the foundations of Inca palaces. Surrounding the plaza on the remaining sides, and continuing several blocks deep, are restaurants, sweater and woolens shops, art galleries, hotels, gift shops, etc.

The Cathedral, seen here with a few of the 600,000 tourist said to visit Cusco each year, houses a collection of religious paintings of the Cusqueña school, painted by Indian and mestizo artists in a European style, but with occasional Andean elements.

This is the most famous example, the last supper by Marcos Zapata which shows a guinea pig as the entreé.  (Marcos evidently didn't know that Jesus kept kosher.) We toured the cathedral, but photos are not allowed. This is from Wikipedia.

Southeast of the Plaza 6 or 8 blocks, is the Convento de Santo Domingo, built on the walls of the Inca temple of the sun.

In fact, the historic center of Cusco is built within the Inca capital, using stones from the Inca buildings and occasionally the Inca walls themselves. The wall to the right is reconstructed from Inca stones, to the left is an original Inca wall.

Wall detail.

 

In addition to sightseeing, there is shopping. Alpaca sweaters are the main item for the tourist trade, but hats, jackets, tablecloths, paintings, ceramics, and so on are all available.

And , obliging Quechua children and ladies, colorfully dressed and complete with llamas, are available for photos. 







Cusco is also a great restaurant town, with a tremendous variety to suit every tourist taste and menus in English everywhere (except the Israeli restaurant which seemed to advertise only in Hebrew.)  In addition to the Peruvian/international cuisine, seen below at Pachapapa...

...there were two Irish pubs, vaguely Indian vegetarian (root stews and curries), California vegetarian (salads, soups and veggie burgers), beef burgers, Anglo-Indian, Italian, Chinese, Argentinean, "global fusion,"and tapas, the latter served in the very pleasant bar at Cicciolina below.

And from Cusco, we took the train to Machu Picchu, which will follow soon.

Arequipa to Cusco

(January 2009)

On our last day in Arequipa we went to the city market. As in markets elsewhere, most vendors were indifferent to my questions (Jim “What do you call the yellow melons?” Vendor “Yellow melons.”), a few were irritated, and a few were interested in talking to us.  One of the latter was a woman selling herbs, freeze-dried potatoes (chuño, right), corn, beans, and so on. She answered all our questions and sold us a bag of ground coca, suitable for mixing in food or drinking in fruit juice. We left it in Peru.                                                

                                                                     
                                                                                                                 
With tropical climates in the lowlands, and temperate climates at higher elevations, Peru has a tremendous variety of fruits and vegetables; and low prices. The “frezas” (strawberries--bottom) were 1.50 soles a kg., $.21 a lb.

The fruit drink sellers.

…and the butchers. There was a surprising (to me) amount of alpaca meat. It is evidently the least expensive meat in Peru, is very low in fat and tastes like beef. There was also pork and jerky; beef was to the right.

Chile armarillo, fresh and dry; and rocotos.

The roots and tubers section. In the center is yucca or manioc (a south American domesticate, the world’s 3rd most important source of carbohydrates). Purple corn, to the right, is made into a pleasant drink, chicha morada. Also note the abundant garlic, and many, many types of potatoes, most at around $.05 lb.; plus, complements of globalization, Friskies cat food.

Leaving the market, we were hungry again.  We started with fresh water shrimp a la parmesana;   

And then A had lomo saltado and I had cui. 

 

With music.

Followed by a little shopping. A bought the two dolls the ladies are holding and I took their picture. But then they insisted that A take a picture of me with them; evidently they thought I was cute. The lady on my left was clearly tickled.

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The remaining adventure for the day was getting bus tickets to Cusco. The bus goes from Arequipa to Juliaca, then to Puno on Lake Titicaca, back to Juliaca and on to Cusco, 10 to 12 hours, and $25. The bus was deluxe class, with stewardesses serving mate de coca and almuerzo (rice with a chicken wing & warm jello).

Not our bus, but one like it.
(photo credit)

But, almuerzo notwithstanding, it was a great ride. We left Arequipa and rapidly climbed onto the altiplano at between 4,000 and 4,500 meters, 13 to 15,000 feet.

                                                  And saw vicuna along the way.

I was surprised by the contoured surfaces. The lines appeared to have been ditches or perhaps ridges, rather than terraces. Inca? For what purpose?

Juliaca was not a garden spot, tough the moto-taxis seemed like a good idea.

Leaving, we crossed the soggy flats surrounding the lake and continued on to Puno.

Puno, on lake Titicaca is much more picturesque, though we saw it only from the bus window. We arrived at 5:00 pm, after 7 hours, and left again in 30 minutes or so. Like Juliaca, Puno seems to be experiencing lots of immigration from surrounding rural areas. Leaving, we drove another five hours, and arrived at Cusco around 11:00 pm.