Machu Picchu

Cusco was once at the heart of the Inca civilisation and was now serving as the heart of our much needed chill out time for ten days. Simon arrived from Newcastle and it was the first time in almost eight months that we had seen someone from home. It was great to see him. He too is clearly bionic as he seemed to have zero jet lag and quickly adapted to the altitude. In fact on his second day, he went for a ‘leisurely’ jog up half a mountain and it was not to be his last such outing!

Simon will fill you in on a special ‘Simon says’ feature to follow … 

We moved out of Juan Carlos’ house as we wanted to be closer to the centre during our last days in Cusco. We stayed in a really nice cycle friendly hostal ‘La Estrellita’ with a great courtyard. It was cheap, cheerful and comfortable and exactly what we needed. We met up with other fellow cyclists we knew or knew of during our stay and exchanged maps, routes and stories. It was a pity that we missed out on seeing Dave from the UK. Maybe we will catch him further down the road ..We are all headed in the same direction towards Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego. Up until now we all pretty much took the same route however once we get to Salta in Argentina, cyclists routes tend to diverge as there are a number of options from there. We plan to head across Northern Argentina into Brazil.

Our plan was to wait for Simon’s arrival before we started to take on the role of tourists. A trip to Machu Picchu was obviously high on our list. We took it easy during the first few days and thought a visit to the Inca Museum would be a good segue to Machu Picchu later that week. I normally have a low attention span in museums and at times find them to be cold and lifeless places. However a guided tour which took us through many of the cultures which preceeded the Incas aswell as the Incas themselves proved very insightful and was well worth the S10 entrance fee.

We also had time to properly explore Cusco although it was hard not to get sidetracked by all the enticing cafes which we had been deprived of for so many weeks. It is a fascinating place where remnants of two worlds, that of the Incas and the Spanish conquistadors still co-exist and is evident in the architecture, spike silhouettes of Catholic cathedrals built by the Spanish alongside the remains of Incan stonework; the people, dark brown skins of the very poor people to the lighter skin of Peru’s elite and descendants of the Spanish; the language; Castillano mingling with Quechua, the language of the Incas and Indigenous peoples.

Original Incan walls in Cusco ..

Cathedral built by Spanish on Incan Palace..

The impact of the Spanish conquest resulting in the downfall of the Incan empire still reverberates through every layer of Peruvian society.

The Incas

In a short time, the Incas created an empire that rivaled that of the Romans. They built thousands of miles of roads over harsh mountainous terrain and stone walls of such magnitude that defies understanding. Their empire stretched from Ecuador to Chile but was short lived. They were innovative and ambitious and their stonework is testament to this. They could move massive stone blocks for miles and miles and fit them together with great precision.

There are many ways to get to what is now deemed to be the new eighth wonder of the world…Machu Picchu. Martin and I had already decided against the Inca Trail as we figured we had burned enough calories in the previous months so we opted for transport to Ollantaytambo and from there a train to Aguas Calientes at the foot of the Lost City.

Starbucks??

The drive to Ollantaytambo was breathtaking and after forty-five minutes snow-capped mountains peaked on the other side of the sacred valley. The mountains became steeper and soon the familiar Inca farming terraces came into view. Ollantaytambo is notable for its architectural jewel perched on a mountain top a few hundred feet above the village. We arrived in Aguas Calientes in good time and had an early night.

We set off on the trail to Machu Picchu at 4am in the dark as we wanted to be part of the first 400 to get the ticket for Waynu Picchu, a mountain affording different views of the site. We arrived at the entrance just before 530am and got our tickets stamped allowing access to Waynu Picchu.

The first sight of Machu Picchu is overwhelming and we were all taken aback by its sheer size and scale. In the past when I have visited iconic sights in various places, I sometimes find that they are bigger in my imagination than in real life. Not the case for Machu Picchu. It exceeded all expectations. The city is a complex of over 200 dwellings and roughly divided into three sectors; agricultural, urban and religious. Most of the buildings are houses, there are also temples, waterways and a quarry. The constructions were built for practical, experimental and astrological reasons.

For me personally Machu Picchu is a place for quiet contemplation. It is a place to find your own corner and take it all in. It is almost beyond words, a place so immense and with a lot of energy. I have heard many people say how it is a once off trip .. I personally could see myself coming back here in years to come. We were there for sunrise and the timing was perfect. After 11am it becomes a circus of  tour guides and tourists in short, a very different place. Although tour guides definitely do have their place and while Martin and Simon climbed Waynu Picchu, which they did in 20 minutes (estimated time is 1-2 hours!) I must say I did earwig on a few tours and learnt a lot but I did not feel compelled to run around and see every single building.

Machu Picchu at 7am..

We have quickly come to realise on this trip that as the nature of our travel thus far has been very independent, when it comes to guided tours, we are not very tolerant at being told to get on and off buses and that we have 30 minutes to look at ruins before we need to board the bus again. We like to take things at our own pace. Lately we seem to have a tendancy to take a quick power nap at touristy sites when everyone else seems to be running around with cameras and this was no different at Machu Picchu.

Martin taking a nap at 9am..

Martin and I were in awe of Simon’s endless energy to run up and down mountains. It is obvious he too is a mountaineer at heart and is very comfortable in the mountains.

Scenes from atop Waynu Picchu ..

I was surprised by a number of things from the trip to Machu Picchu.

First of all the location at the what is described as the ‘eyebrow’ or gateway to the jungle with a semi-tropical climate. Machu Picchu sits atop a mountain in a jungle of green landscape in the steep rugged mountains of southern Peru. It has a rainforest feel to it and is within reach of the Amazon. It is at a lower altitude than Cusco and the contrast on our short train journey back to Ollantaytambo between jungle and snow capped mountains in a short timeframe was very unique.

Machu Picchu was left undiscovered during the Spanish Conquest. It was disguised in the jungle overgrowth for over 400 years, hence the name the Lost City, until it was unearthed from its hiding place by an American archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911. Local farmers in the area were apparently aware of its existence and guided Bingham to the site. 

From the Inca Museum tour it seems that very little is in fact known about Machu Picchu and the Incas and there is a lot of speculation. Inca history gradually grew fainter with each passing generation. It is generally accepted that it was a citadel of the Incas and was used as a religious retreat, a place of experimentation and innovation aswell as an administrative centre. –

We headed back to Cusco that evening all still in awe of our trip.

Machu Picchu in pictures..

Flora and fauna

After a chilled out day in Cusco, the following day we caught the 7 hour bus to Puno as we had already cycled this route. Martin and I hit the road to Copacabana in Bolivia which proved to be a stunning ride along Lake Titicaca and Simon took the bus. La Paz in Bolivia is our destination for Friday 24th of September, my birthday.

As I crossed the border into Bolivia leaving Peru behind, I could not help but feel a certain sadness in leaving Peru as it is the country we have spent the longest amount of time in .. a total of 63 days and it felt strange to be leaving. At the same time excited to be cycling to a new country, our tenth border crossing and again hardly believing that the next country will be Argentina.

Machu Picchu was the pinnacle, the icing on the cake of our trip through Peru. It has been a country of superlatives, of wows, sickness, dentists, mountains, vistas, canyons, gorges, glaciers, deserts, headwinds, floating islands, high altitudes, rich cultures, curious people, lake people, llamas, alpacas, vicunas, unpaved roads, mosquito invasions, loud televisions, chicken and rice dishes, ceviche, new and familiar faces, Huaraz, Cusco, Machu Picchu .. in brief a country not to be forgotten and one we would like to return to someday.

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Our last days cycling in Peru

We arrived in Cusco at the beginning of September ahead of schedule. We were pretty exhausted from 2 months of intense cycling in Peru so decided to spend a week relaxing in the comfortable surroundings of our couchsurfer host Juan Carlos’ house. He has been the perfect host and we have really enjoyed our time with him. During our time in Cusco, I had to make an unexpected trip to the dentist having dislodged half of my tooth as a result of eating a toffee. What initially seemed to be a bit of an inconvenience has in fact turned out to be quite a positive thing. We are now both getting a full overhaul at the local dentist at a fraction of the price of back home. A trip to the dentist in South America is an experience and has made us realise that we have both become quite accustomed to the latino culture and their quirky ways. Everyone in latin america seems to be addicted to TV soaps, and to our amusement this includes dentists while giving fillings and talking on the phone while a dental nurse rattles on incessantly about needing a holiday. I had to go back for several appointments and made an appointment for a Saturday night .. when I turned up, I was informed ‘oh come back Monday, the dentist has gone home’. It was only after leaving that I realised that it is fully acceptable to make an appointment even though the dentist has no intention of being there on a Saturday night. This is the latino way which we have now become to accept!

We had a really nice week in Cusco and had some nice nights out with our new amigos Juan Carlos and Kelly discovering the local nightlife.

Martin looking like a pop star on one of our nights out ..

As we are awaiting the arrival of our friend Simon from Newcastle (who will now arrive tomorrow), we decided to clock up some miles on the road and get as close to the Bolivian border as we could as we had time on our hands. We set off on a three and a half day cycle to Puno located on the shores of Lake Titicaca and considered to be the cradle of the Inca civilization. From here we planned to visit some of the islands on the lake.  

We set off on the road for Puno last Tuesday morning. We weren’t long on the road before I got a puncture … and then another .. and then another. Despite a day of constant repairs for my bike, we met some lovely people en route.

We came across some pre-Inca and Incan ruins at Pikillacta on the road from Cusco to Urcos and while fixing my puncture, we got chatting to five Chilean motorbikers who rode from Chile in 5 days and were headed to Cusco. We exchanged tips and stories before hitting the rode once again.

Two locals working as tour guides at the ruins gave us a hand to fix my second puncture and were constantly joking with us. I think we brightened their otherwise dull day in the heat and isolation of the site. People here are always so willing to help out.

We eventually got back on the road and put in a big day of 101km. It was getting dark and we still had 20km+ to go when suddenly my gear cable snapped! I never had as much trouble with my bike in one day! The next day as we were riding out of town we spotted a bike shop. Although the bike mechanic was not familiar with the type of gears on my bike, he did an excellent job to fix it and charged the equivalent of 50p for 40 minutes labour. We gave him a big tip and went on our merry way.  

As with all of Peru the scenery en route was full of superlatives .. 

We followed the train line for much of the route .. 

We also passed some interesting market towns. Below locals gathered on the church steps and women with traditional flat-topped hats with lampshade-like tassles. Great fancy dress outfits. We affectionately call the mountain people the Umpa Lumpas as they remind us of the characters in Willy Wonka.

A selection of herbs from a local market ..

It has struck me that there are so many parallels between the Andean (Quechua) people in Peru and the Incas and they are in fact direct descendants. They have kept the ancient language of Quechua alive which was also the native tongue of the Incas, are highy dependent on llamas due to their ability to survive at high altitudes. They like the Incas are mountain people and employ terracing methods to farm the land, are incredibly hard workers and are very close to nature. Cycling through the Andes in Peru this past 2 months has really brought the Inca civilisation alive for me … the Quechua mountain people of Peru are for me the modern day Incas and it makes being in Cusco even more special as this was the centre of Incan civilisation.  

I can’t imagine things have changed that much in the Andes for many hundreds of years. Everyday agro scenes highlight this …

A man working hard ploughing the land

An elderly couple sowing seeds

Some curious looking llamas look on as we cycle by. The Incas called the llama the "silent brother" and were highly dependent on them for food, clothing and blankets and as a sacrifice to the Inca gods. 

As we approached Abra La Raya at 4338m, a gentle pass leading to the Altiplano  a sense of relief washed over us as this would be our highest point cycling for a while. We approached the altiplano. It felt strange to cycle on flat ground so high in the Andes. It was cold, isolated and windwept.

The next day we had our longest day on the trip and covered a distance of 141km at an altitude of almost 4000m. It was tough going as we had strong head winds and the road was sometimes in poor condition but we knew we would appreciate it in the morning as the ride to be Puno would be a short day for us. 

We had an early rise the next morning and on our approach to Puno, we had our first view of Lake Titicaca with its amazing dark cobalt blue color.

Lake Titicaca: some stats …
Located at 3800 metres above sea level. Claims that it is the highest navigable lake but we in fact discovered that it is in fact Lake Junin ,also in Peru and which we cycled past weeks ago.

The lake is 176km long and 50km wide. 60% of Lake Titicaca is in Peru, 40% in Bolivia

According to the Incan mythology, this is the place where the world was created and has long been considered a sacred place among indigenous Andean peoples.

From Puno we took an early morning boat to the Uros floating islands and Isla de Taquile on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca.

The floating islands are inhabited by the Uros Indians and they have created land for themselves in the quite serene settings of the lake. The foundations of the islands are made from blocks formed from the roots of the totora reeds.  

Some scenes from Lake Titicaca..

The island we visited housed seven families. The islanders seem to lead a peaceful and simple lifestyle. They eat local birds, fish and bake their own bread which we sampled. The houses are made from totora reeds harvested from the lake. They also use the reeds for cooking and to build their boats. The women weave and cook. They even sang for us in Spanish, their local language Quechua and in English … a rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star which sounded a little odd! Although a bit of a tourist trap, I did not mind as we were a source of  income for these very friendly and welcoming people.

Quirky facts ..

The floating islands do in fact float. If there are any disputes on the floating islands, they simply physically cut the islands to separate the fueding families. 

On Isla de Taquile the men can be seeing walking around knitting.

A President is elected on the island and is recognised by wearing a black hat. He has to be married though as it is deemed a married man is more responsable.

On Isla de Taquile their dress is highly symbolic and the colours on their hats highlight their marital status.

The next island we visited, Isla de Taquile, is located further out on Lake Titicaca and is not made of reeds. The Quechua people that live here are also very friendly, and have a collective community. Again they put on a spectacle for us and we were treated to their local dance, tasted their local foods, and had a demonstration on how soap is made from a local plant to clean the wool for weaving. You never know when this could come in handy in the future! Again a bit touristy but it is nice to be a tourist for a day from time to time!  

A man making detergent and woman weaving

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First days in Cusco

Cusco,  the name conjures up images of Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, Inca trails through the birthplace of the Inca people. This beautiful city, 3400m above sea level, is on almost every travel itinerary in Peru and possibly a destination for all those travelling through South America. There are many ways to get here and we took what is possibly the toughest route of all, 25 days cycling across the Andes from Huaraz. The sheer joy of cycling over the last pass and seeing the city spread out in a valley below us was overwhelming. We had endured long days and short days, sick days and rest days, mountain passes and the grassy plains of the high puna and the desert like landscapes in deep valleys. And finally we arrived, worn out and in need of a break. And feeling very proud. We had made it through the notorious section from Huancayo to Cusco, 844km of which about 550km is unpaved, 6 passes above 3600 meters and several descents of up to two thousand meters and more in between. Thanks to a couple of Swiss cyclists, there are online elevation profiles that we were aware of for a while and had put to the back of our minds. It just can’t be healthy to be reminded of the following too often.

We left Ayacucho two weeks ago not knowing what to expect. We were hardly out of the city center when the concrete pavement abruptly ended. And then the climbing began.

Unpaved roads are tough going. Everything rattles and jolts and full concentration is required at all times. It is so much slower, weaving your way through a gravel and sand surface, or where some pavement from long ago has resulted in a horrible  potholed cobblestone like surface

Still, this has been an unforgettable part of the journey. There is very little traffic and the route brings you through some of the most inspiring scenery you can imagine. The high passes cut through the grassy puno and after long descents you find yourself back in a desert like landscape, usually crossing a river before starting back up on the other side of yet another high valley.

This is really as remote as it can get in Peru. There are a handful of villages and towns, usually spaced out enough to be able to get lunch and dinner and a two dollar room for the night. But not always.

Cycling though the puna has been one of the great experiences of Peru. These grassy highlands are home to Llama herders living in conditions many of us would not survive more than a few days in. Extreme night time cold, no electricity or running water and in solitary high altitudes where a bitter wind can numb your body in seconds. The silence up there is as immense as the blue sky on a day of sunshine, it is a very special place to cycle through.

 

Downhills are always the reward for a long struggle up to a high pass. However, on these unpaved roads it is not quite as simple as that. One wrong move, one lapse of concentration and you will come crashing to the ground. But being a lover of high speed, steep off-piste snowboarding descents, I couldn’t resist. This is prime downhill mountain biking terrain. Ok, we were carrying a lot of weight on steel framed bikes with no suspension but I didn’t care. Eyes focused on a spot out ahead, piecing together a route, calculating the odds, fingers on the brakes, pedals unclipped, the adrenaline rush of high speed on the edge…..fun. It couldn’t last. The roads just got too bad on the very last unpaved section and I limped out onto pavement for the first time in several days with multiple punctures and a ripped front tyre. It was on the way out anyway, having lasted me since the start of the trip 7 months ago in Mexico.

Back on pavement, only a couple of days from Cusco, we had been dreaming of this moment for weeks, only a couple of more passes to go and we would have completed a memorable trip through the Andes which began three months earlier in the north of Colombia, many thousands of kilometers away. The pavement was so easy now and so enjoyable. The weather had also turned, we felt the first rain in 6 weeks. Dark brooding clouds over terraced hillsides.

 

On the road from Abancay there is a somber reminder to how precious life is. We have all heard reports of a bus somewhere or other going off the road. Tragic stories we quickly forget. This memorial to the bus full of people who died on a sharp bend will stay with me for a long time though. Memories of my great friend Al came flooding back in a wave of tears. He had planned to join us on this part of the trip, with his pure cycling spirit and sense of fun. He would have made a great trip even better. Yeah, it was time for us to get to Cusco, time to wind down for a while.

And so here we are, we have landed on our feet. We are Couchsurfing with Juan Carlos, an easy going Peruvian who is sharing his house with several like-minded travellers. Easy going and chilled out, just what we needed. We even had a chance to visit one of the projects he works on, a center for women (and their children) who suffer from domestic violence. I brought my bike, complete with all the panniers and we entertained the kids for the afternoon. We got them to colour in a map of our route from Mexico and generally had a lot of fun. The 4 days since we arrived have felt like a home from home and as well as the cycling, this is what the trip is all about too, making friends, learning about a new culture, exchanging ideas and above all, appreciating life, and the simple things in life.

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