Machu Picchu, Peru’s cash cow.

Entry to Machu Picchu is double that of other world-famous sites (the Colosseum & the Pyramids of Giza to name a few); traditional transport options range from merely expensive ($55 for the cheapest one way train ticket) to obscenely overpriced ($320 one way on board the deluxe Hiram Bingham service- almost the equivalent of the average Peruvian’s monthly salary).

We chose the tightarse route and arrived via Machu Picchu’s backdoor- a four hour bus ride to Santa Maria, an onwards taxi ride to Santa Teresa and then a four hour walk following the Urubamba River to Aguas Calientes. Time-consuming…but then, time isn’t money (at least for us anyway).

The next morning, laziness won out over stinginess. We forked over USD$9 each for a 20 minute bus ride up the mountain to Machu Picchu- the alternative being a stiff climb straight up, starting at around 5am to make it to the gates by the 6am opening.

The Peruvian government has capped the numbers of visitors to Machu Picchu at 2500 per day; if you want a shot at enjoying the ruins in peace, it pays to be an early bird. Even so, it seemed like half the daily quota were waiting in line when we arrived just before 6am.

The ruins were still completely shrouded in mist when we entered, so we made our way up to one of the terraces overlooking the site, and waited for the cloud to lift. Every now and again, parts of the ruins would be revealed as the mist swirled over the plateau. Despite being one of the most familiar images of South America, seeing the ruins spread out before you as the cloud dissolves is still pretty amazing.

 

The Rum Diaries Part XI

I blame Peru for the quick succession of rum diary entries- along with several good local varieties, there also seems to be a lot more international imports here than Bolivia (and unlike Bolivia, they don’t just photocopy the label and fill it with glorified metho).

Ron Viejo de Caldas (3 Años) is a Colombian export- we found it in a little tienda in Santa Teresa for S/28 (around $12) and polished off the better part of the bottle with Marcao, our Brazilian friend. It was smooth and tasty with almost enough bite to remind you not to drink it too fast….almost.  

The Rum Diaries Part X

Another Peruvian success story- Ron Pomalco Reserva Especial- for the low, low price of $8 a bottle. This one was so good, in fact, that Martijn finished it in one night (with a little help from our Russian friend). Rum + fire = happiness.

The Rum Diaries Parts VIII and IX

Don't be fooled into thinking that just because there has been a lull between Rum Diary entries, it means we haven't been drinking rum. Rather we've been revisiting old friends (Abuelo, Flor de Caña), who although being very tasty, do not qualify under the strict terms applied to rum research.

Carta Vieja (Puerto Rico)

Martijn discovered this on our last day in Bolivia, as we wandered the streets of Copacabana seeking ways to part with the last of our Bolivianos. Carta Vieja was smoooooth like Barry Manilow, and despite having just 35% alcohol content, was deemed drinkable by Martijn.

Ron Cartavio 3 Años (Peru)

What do you know?? Peruvians can make rum!! The 3 Años gets a definate thumbs up and has prompted much discussion as to whether trying the 5 year and 12 year varieties constitutes rum research and development....or merely alcoholism.

El Condor Pasa

The Colca Canyon is actually the world’s second deepest canyon (according to nearly every source I have managed to lay hands on) but don’t tell the locals that. Our guide got rather huffy when we suggested that this was the case- seems small man syndrome extends to ‘my canyon is deeper than yours’ type posturing.

Whatever. It’s pretty fucking deep; let’s just leave it at that. 

The Colca Valley is famous for its population of condors that appear every morning like clockwork, using thermal winds to rise high up above the valley floor. We left Arequipa at the ungodly hour of 3am to arrive in time for the daily condor show. Since you normally only see condors several hundred metres up in the sky above, it is difficult to get a sense of just how enormous they actually are. Adults weigh around 12kg and have a wing span of up to 3 (yes, three) metres.

 

From the condors we drove off to the start of the trek- starting at around 3200m we hiked into the canyon via a series of never ending switchbacks cut into the canyon walls. After two hours of scampering down the steeps rocky paths we were ready for a dip in the icy cold, snow-fed Colca River at the base of the canyon.

The second day of hiking was the easiest; a gentle walk along the river, passing through several tiny villages to arrive at the ‘Oasis’ around lunchtime. Aptly named, this series of lush gardens and naturally fed pools was the ideal place to ignore the next day’s hiking agenda.

The problem with hiking in deep canyons is that for every easy metre you descend, there is an equal but far more challenging distance to climb back out.

Our road out of canyon country

Although starting at 5am seemed like a cruel and unnecessary way to torture gringos, it was actually a blessing since it meant climbing in the shade. A few of the group had decided the climb up was to be avoided at all costs and rented donkeys….we toughed it out and hiked up. Needless to say, Martijn was a good half hour ahead of me…but I am quite pleased to say that I was the first chick in our group to make it to the top! Must be the champion diet of beer/rice/yucca I have been adhering to over these last three months!!!

Isla del Sol

Aside from being central to the Incan creation myth and a sacred place for ancient and modern indigenous people, Isla del Sol also happens to be one of the most beautiful places in Bolivia. We fell in love…so much so that if Bolivia was less than a 26 hour plane ride away, I think we would have bought a beach front property to use as a winter escape. Never mind that the island is at just under 4000m, during the day the sun is hot enough to make the crystal clear water of the lake look very inviting.

We took a boat from Copacabana to Challapampa in the north of the island- that afternoon we walked up to the northern tip to check out the Sacred Rock (where the Incans believed Viracocha created the sun god and ancestor of all Incan people) and the Incan ruins of Chincana.

 

We hiked back up to one of the mountain peaks for sunset, armed with a bottle of red wine (to keep the cold off) and multiple layers of clothing. We watched the sun sink over the Peruvian mainland to the west, and were then treated to an almost-full moon rising over the Cordillera de los Andes to the east.

The views of Illampu, Ancohuma and the three peaked Illimani are spectacular- even when viewed from the height of the lake they are immense and staggeringly dramatic.

The next day we set off for the southern village of Yumani- described in the guidebook as anywhere between a three and five hour hike, we were somewhat surprised (but nevertheless pleased) to arrive just over two hours later. Yumani is plastered against the side of a hill, and although not quite as magical as Challapampa, it is stunning none the less. From anywhere in the village the Cordillera looms to the east and a torturous hike to the peak gives you views over the western part of the lake.   

For Martijn I think the best part was the huge number of animals roaming free around the island- trotting along the streets in town, labouring up the steps in Yumani or playing on the beach. In addition to the hundred or so photos I took of the mountain peaks, we also have a slightly suspect number of photos of donkeys, sheep, pigs and local dogs.  I fear beastiality charges should our computer ever get seized.