Hi there everyone,
Welcome to the blog entry of my final country on this amazing around the world trip! I last left you leaving Ecuador and travelling on an overnight bus across the boarder south into Peru.
The 10-hour journey was pretty smooth, I didn’t get much sleep though due to us being woken around 4am to go through Ecuador passport control and then once again around 5.30am to go through Peru passport control to get into their country. I wasn’t quite sure why these 2 stops were so far apart as you’d resume that they both be on the boarder next to each other but hey!
I arrived in Mancora, a small beach resort on the north east coast of Peru and headed to the pre booked hostel....Loki. Loki has 3 hostels in Peru and 1 in Bolivia, they are pretty famous for being extremely good hostels with a fun party atmosphere, and they didn’t disappoint! The hostel looked amazing, it had nice big pool, every room had a balcony overlooking it, a huge lounge and bar area with many games like ping pong, pool, giant jenga etc. When we arrived about 15 other people from our bus tried to get into Loki with no reservation so got turned away as the place was fully booked, we were very pleased that we’d be organised and booked a place beforehand. Another bonus of the hostel was that there were about 6 of the cutest tiniest kittens that lived there. They were very tiny and could of only been about 6-7 weeks old. I tried many times to stoke one but they were so timid they just kept running away from me!
We couldn’t check in for a couple of hours so took advantage of the free hostel breakfast before heading out to explore the town a little. It was a pretty small place with lots of restaurants, cafes and shops/market stalls. It’s a big surf spot so the beach was dotted with places where you could rent surf boards and body boards. I also saw some of these funny hairless dogs that apparently originated from pre Inca cultures. They were kind of ugly and cute at the same time. I got to stroke one that belonged to a shop owner when I was buying water one day and it was very soft. Many of then also have funny tufts of hair on their heads making them look even funnier!
Once we checked in it was straight into my bikini and down to the pool to catch some rays as we finally had sunshine after being deprived in Monanita. The afternoon was pretty chilled out, going for the odd dip in the pool, sipping delicious cocktails and generally socking up the atmosphere of this great place.
Our 2 roommates were 2 great Canadian guys, Ryan and Cam. We had a few drinks with them in the afternoon then after dinner joined them and some Irish dudes to play drinking games (a new one I learnt called ‘riding the bus’ and ring of fire), which needless to say got us all pretty drunk! After leaving the hostel bar (and playing cards behind) we headed down to the beach where the party had definitely started! You could buy bottles of booze from street stalls so we all chipped in for some rum and coke and once everyone had a drink it was off to the dance floor - well the side for the beach where the tunes were pumping, to shake our booties under the stars!
The following morning there were a few sore heads and feeling a bit delicate I couldn’t really face sitting out and baking myself in the hot hot sun. Instead I took a leisurely walk along the beach to check out the surfers, they were amazing and even better than the ones I’d seen in Montanita as the waves were bigger so it all looked much more impressive!
In the evening we went out for a lovely meal to a posh Italian place, I had delicious ravioli but no wine I’m afraid! After dinner we walked around the market in the town to check out what souvenirs were on offer before heading back to the hostel for a much needed early night!
The following day started out a big overcast but determined to come back home with a bit of a tan I sat out in it anyway! The afternoon got a bit brighter so it only felt right that celebrate the sun with some more delicious frozen cocktails from the hostel bar! After a night off I was definitely ready to get in the party mood again, so after getting ready it was back down to the bar for some more drinks and to play a few games of giant jenga and giant connect four... both of which I lost!
We decided it was time for food so headed out for some delicious Mexican food with our Canadian roomates where I tried a local cocktail of Pisco Sour. This is a local drink served everywhere and is made from grape brandy, egg whites, lemon juice and syrup. It’s very tasty and pretty strong! After dinner it was back to the hostel for some more drinks and a bit of semi drunk ping pong doubles....which I surprisingly managed to do ok at!
The following day, you guessed it, was spent chilling by the pool. Unfortunately it was a bit cloudy but still very warm. I also went down to the beach to watch more of the amazing surfing, this time the waves were even bigger that before and the sea looked pretty violent. There were still lots of surfers out there trying to catch the perfect wave and it all made for very entertaining viewing as they were so so good.
In the evening I had one of the most amazing meals of my trip, a 10oz swordfish steak with pesto gnocchi on the side. It was absolutely delicious and very filling. There was definitely no room in my tummy for any alcoholic beverages after that so I headed back to the market to buy a few things before heading off to bed (gosh I‘m getting old!)
The final day at Loki Mancora, I checked out of my room and spend the day, oh yes, chilling by the pool. Thankfully my final day brought some good sunshine which I was very happy about. In the afternoon we left the hostel and headed to catch our bus south to lima - a 18 hour journey. Cruz Del Sur, is a popular bus company in Peru for having some of the best bus services, they didn’t disappoint. I spend a little more to get a fully reclining seat and there was so much leg space to stretch out in. I also got an evening meal and breakfast and managed to watch about 3 films which definitely helped pass the time.
We arrived in Lima around 1pm and jumped in a cab to take us to the hostel where we would stay for one night before catching a flight to Cuzco (I would be heading back to Lima in just over a week to spend some time in the city before flying home). We opted to take a cheap flight to Cuzco rather than a 24 hour bus over the Andes as my last journey over mountains in Bolivia aged me by about 10 years so I was happier to be travelling by air! The taxi driver from the bus station, despite saying he knew where our hostel was, didn’t have a clue and we ended up driving around for well over an hour. Stopping to ask a policeman directions, 2 other blokes on the street and running into 2 little shops to ask where to go before we eventually found where we were staying. After all that he tired to charge us more that the price we had agreed which I was having none of!
That afternoon I just chilled out, got some food and chilled out some more before getting up early to catch a cab to the airport to get my flight to Cuzco. Cuzco is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is 3,400 m (11,200 ft) above sea level which meant the change of getting some sort of altitude sickness was pretty likely. It was capital of the Inca Empire and is a UNESCO site. The main reason for going to Cuzco, as I’m sure you’re aware is to see Machu Picchu - one of the 7 Wonders of the World (more on that later). We were greeted at the airport by numerous travel agents trying to sell you trips and excursions, you could also buy bottle of oxygen to help with the altitude sickness!
After arriving at the hostel, a lovely place called Pisco and Soul in the San Blas area of the city, we were advised by the hostel owner to take it easy on our first day to adjust to the altitude and just rest and drink lots of water. Luckily I didn’t feel ill from the altitude just a bit out of breath from doing the simplest things like getting dressed or walking up a few stairs! We did nip out for a quick bite to eat to a famous cafe called Jack’s where I had the most delicious hummus and roast veg sandwich and a refreshing citrus and mint frappe....yum!
In the evening, more food! We went to a little restaurant near the hostel and had one of the budget conscious (and great value for money) set menus. With a starter, main course and drink for 15 sole, about £3.50. I tried Alpaca for the first time which was really delicious. It tasted a lot like beef and was very tender and rich in flavour. Another local delicacy I have seen on a few menus around town is Guinea Pig. Apparently it is served with the head on! And when I say guinea pig I do mean the cute kind you have at home as pets....I think I might give that one a miss!
My first full day in Cuzco was spent exploring the city. It’s a very pretty place with narrow cobbled streets, pretty architecture and lots of lovely plazas and churches. It was definitely one of my favourite cities as it had bags of character and was a lot more enchanting that I expected. There are tons of little shops selling local handicrafts and bohemian art shops with great artworks. After breakfast at the hostel, we went for another walk around the city and did some shopping. We went to speak to some travel agents to look into options for tours to Machu Picchu and settled on a 2 day 1 night tour that covered both the Sacred Valley and Maccu Picchu. The deal also included a free massage which I was very excited about, albeit a bit random!
For lunch we met up with 2 girls, Lizzie and Jade which we originally met in Brazil and have bumped into a number of times in different places around South America. We went for lunch at an Irish pub (I know) but it was great, I had the most delicious shepherds pie and it was so good to have a taste of home. Afterwards we went to check out some of the local markets and I treated myself to a ditzy alpaca knitted jumper (kind of looks like a chessy christmas jumper) but I love it, it’s so warm and cosy! Don't worry - I didn't buy the hat!
The following day was filled with yet more shopping, well, I figure I’m at the end of my trip and really haven’t brought very many souvenirs as I’ve travelled around due to not be able to carry too much. So I thought it’s now or never and brought another small backpack to carry my new purchases in back to the UK. Amongst the things I brought were 2 pieces of artwork, one watercolour and one oil on canvas. They will be a great reminder of my trip to me when I hang them up in my flat back home!
That evening we went to an amazing restaurant called Alda Yanapay which is a social project that donates its proceeds to a local children's charity and school. The place was decorated like a fun child’s room with stuff animals and loads of funky stuff hanging from the ceiling. There was a hat stand with loads of silly hats that you were encouraged to wear whilst eating as well as different games to play. A very unique place and all for a good cause!
The next day it was off to check out a couple of the cities many museums The first was the Inca museum which had lots of ancient ceramics as well as mummies and skulls! The Inca people were a pastoral tribe in the Cuzco area around the 12th century. In 1438, they began expanding in parts of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. The Incas were invaded by the Spanish in the 1530’s and by the 1570’s the Inca empire had fallen and the Spanish proceeded to destroy many aspects of Inca culture (Machu Picchu was never found during the Spanish invasion which is why it is still around today).
Afterwards for some light relief after the mummies it was off the Choco Museum to learn all about Peru’s chocolate trade. The place was filled with the most delicious aroma and even though the museum was free to get in we were greeted with a hot cup of chocolate flavoured tea made from the cocoa pod husks, delicious!
Before heading back to the hostel that evening we went to check out an old Inca wall. We had seen tons of people taking pictures of the wall but weren’t quite sure what the attraction was as there were lots of Inca walls in the city. We looked it up on the internet and it turns out that it was known for a huge 12 sided stone. The Incas were famous for their amazing ability to built walls of perfectly matches stones. The stones in this wall fit so perfectly, that you couldn't place a coin between them and no cement or filler of any kind has been used to put them together...pretty impressive!
The following morning it was an early start for the beginning of our 2 day trip to the Sacred Valley and then Machu Picchu! The first day was spent visiting a number of sites in the Scared Valley of the Incas in the Urubamba Valley - the heartland of the Inca Empire. The first stop was to visit a market at Pisaq...yes, I did buy a couple of small things (!). Next stop was a photo stop of the valley at Mirador Taray.
We then went to see the Inca Ruins of Pisaq. There was a large agricultural section with terraces and several ruins. It was very interesting and got us more in the mood for Machu Picchu! The most embarrassing moment, maybe of my entire trip so far happen whilst walking around the ruins. I did the worst comedy fall of my life whilst trying to take a picture...the fall kind of happened in 3 stages, after each stage I though I had stopped myself and then I would fall some more! Worst of ll there were about 20+ people standing around me that saw it, oh dear!
After getting over my fall and a slightly stinging knee I was glad that our next stop was lunch! After a tasty buffet we were back on the bus heading toward Ollantaytambo - another Inca site which was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti.
After the tour of the ruins and yet more market stalls (this is just way too tempting!) we jumped on a train that would take us to the small town of Aguas Calientes...the gateway to Machu Picchu (unless you do the Inca trail which has to be booked months in advance so not an option for me!). The train was with Inca Rail and the journey took about 1.5 hours. It was a very scenic journey with lots of mountains and fields. Upon arrival a lady from our hostel: Golden House Hostel, was waiting for us at the train station to take us to our rooms. It was a pretty basic place but it did the job as we were only there one night and would be getting a very early start the following day to try and beat the crowds to the main attraction in the while of Peru...Machu Picchu!
The big day had arrived! We woke up at 4:30am, had a quick breakfast (free!) at the hostel and made our way down to the bus stop. There were already huge queues of people waiting to get on the numerous buses that were lined up along the road. A return ticket cost just over £10 . Once we had our ticket it was into the queue, which moved pretty quickly then on the bus for a 25 minute journey up the mountain to the entrance to Machu Picchu.
They start letting people in at 6.30am - unless you’re do the Inca Trail (a 4 day hike) where you are able to get into the ruins for sunrise though a separate entrance. It was raining pretty hard but it wasn’t long before we were in! I managed to get some good overview pictures without hoards of tourists ruining them! We had just over an hour to wander around before heading back out to the entrance to meet our guide that we’d booked as part of out tour.
Our guided tour last about 2 hours, they took us to various look out points to get more overview pictures before going into explore the ruins a bit more closely. The guide explained that Machu Picchu was an Inca site built in the 15th Century. It is located 2,430 meters (7,970 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley. The site was abandoned by the Inca’s during the Spanish conquest and wasn’t rediscovered until 1911 by an American historian Hiram Bingham.
In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the new 7 Wonders of the World! The mountain that forms the iconic backdrop to the ruins is actually called Huayna Picchu (or Wayna Picchu), it is the mountain that the ruins were actually built on which is called Machu Picchu, more on that later.
The tour was really interesting and we got lots of great snippets and facts about the site. I won’t go into them all as you have to all go and see if for yourselves because it was absolutely amazing, stunning, beautiful, mind blowing, fan-dabie-dosie!
After the tour it was time for something we’d been dreading...when we brought our entrance tickets (a few days before) we were lucky enough (or not as the case may be!) to also get an entrance ticket to climb Huayna Picchu. They only allow 400 people to climb Huayna Picchu mountain per day, 200 people at 7am and 200 at 10am. We had the 10am slot and after about half an hour of queuing we were in.
As I’m sure you can tell from the pictures this is a pretty steep mountain. The peak of Huayna Picchu is about 2,720 metres (8,920 ft) above sea level, or about 360 metres (1,180 ft) higher than Machu Picchu. It was basically an hour of steep up hill climbing! It was extremely tough, especially at such high altitude and we had very sore legs, thumping hearts and slightly sweaty faces as we reached the top. The views were magnificent and well worth the pain to get up there. The only downside was due to the time of our train back we didn’t have any time to relax at the top and absorb the amazing scenery, it was straight back down to the bottom!
We left Machu Picchu after a brilliant 6 hours at the site, took a bus back to Aguas Calientes, (where I spotted the most amusingly named tuna in a local shop!) before getting a train back to Ollantaytambo where we waited and waited and waited and waited and waited for our transfer back to Cusco (part of our tour) that never showed up. Instead we had to jump on a bus with another tour guide and pay extra - money that we luckily got back from our travel agent once back in Cusco. Needless to say after the early start, excitement and overwhelming enjoyment of the day and long journey home we were pretty exhausted. After a quick bite to eat it was back to the hostel, shower, bed!
The following day was another early start as we got picked up by taxi from our hostel at 6.30am to take us to our tour bus which departed at 7am. The bus would take us from Cusco south down to Puno stopping at a number of different tourist sites along the way. The tour was great, comfy bus and a very informative guide who spoke great English. Our first stop was an old church: Ruta del Barroco Andino in a town called Andahuaylillas. It wasn’t much to look at from the outside but the inside was extremely beautiful. There were amazing painting and patterns painted directly onto the walls as well as huge framed paintings around the perimeter. We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside but Alan snuck a couple! The church was in the process of being renovated with a grant provided by the World Monument Fund. Outside the church the local women had set up stalls selling their handicrafts and souvenirs. I managed to resist temptation...this time!
The next stop was to see some more Inca ruins in a small town called Raqchi. They were very different from the ones we had seen in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu as there was a huge tall building which had been the main temple to the village back in the day. There were also a number of circular buildings which had been the living accommodation for the local people at that time. Around the ruins there were again, more local ladies selling their wares, this time I didn’t manage to resist and enede up buying a few souvenirs/gifts....well it’s a good way to support the local people!
Next was a photo stop at a place called La Raya where there was a stunning lake with pretty mountains behind. There were more locals selling handicrafts (yes, purchases were made again!). There were also some little kids in traditional dress with lamas to have your photograph taken with them. The little girl had the cutest baby lama...aaaaarrrrrrrrr!!!! We then stopped for an amazing lunch where we were entertained by a traditional Peruvian group whilst eating alpaca stew and other local dishes.
Back on the bus we headed towards Pukara, our final stop before we reached our destination. In Pukara we visited a museum with pre Inca artifacts such as stone carvings that were over 2000 years old! After a tour of the museum we wandered around the town square with yet more local market stalls, but I didn’t buy anything this time. We finally arrived in Puno after 11 hours, where we would spend one night. After checking into our hostel The Inka Rest we went out for a yummy pizza then back to the hostel to sleep!
The following day, we only had until 3pm in Puno so we booked to do a tour in the morning to take us out onto Lake Titicaca, the highest commercially navigable lake in the world siting at 3,811 m (12,500 ft) above sea level. The lake is on the boarder or both Peru and Bolivia. The tour took us out on a 30 minute boat journey to a group of inhabited floating islands called the Uros. There are about 44 artificial islands made of floating reed roots which are bound together and covered in more reeds.
On arrival we were welcomed by one of the families that lives on the island, all the ladies looked amazing in their bright traditional clothing. This family has been there for over 9 generations. Our guide and 2 of the men from the island gave us an explanation on how the islands are made and maintained. They did this by creating a mini island for us to see and even put people and houses on top to help explain. They also let us try eating some of the fresh reeds which were pretty tasty and not a strong flavour. After the talk we were able to look at and buy some of the handicrafts the women had made.
We left the island on a traditional reed boat and sailed 20 minutes to another floating island which had a number of market stalls on it. I did give in and buy some more souvenirs!
Click on Part 2 to continue....
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