Split Rock
Machu Picchu, Peru















We arrived at the city of Machu Picchu and the clouds did not let up until mid-morning. The backpackers have a few hours at the site before the buses with less-enthusiastic tourists show up. Maria gave us a great tour of the ruins before we wandered around the rest of the morning. It was discovered less than 100 years ago and it is amazing that it seems so well preserved. There were five temples amongst a city of courtyards, buildings, and a large palace. History says that this was a retreat for Incan nobility. It was probably built in the mid 1400s and was inhabited until around 1532 when the Spanish were conquering the Incan Empire. This rock demonstrates how large stones were cut.

Doorway
Machu Picchu
Peru

Machu Picchu, Peru
Early Morning Mist is Slow to Rise

Entering Machu Picchu
Day 4, Inca Trail, Peru

Nearing Machu Picchu
Day 4, Inca Trail

Day 4, Arriving Early at Machu Picchu, Inca Trail, Peru
Also Possibly a scene from The Lord of the Rings, but I am not sure as to which one yet

4:30 AM
Day 4
Inca Trail











We camped at Winay Wayna at the end of day 3. The facility included a hotel, an indoor cafeteria and bar, and a cinco soles hot shower. We were in our tents. We said our goodbyes to our cook and porters at dinner, the night before. It poured rain most of the night, so much that one of us proclaimed, "Este es la basura!," while pointing to the tents to one of the porters in the early hours of the morning. I stayed relatively dry except for my increasing pile of wet clothes. We arose around 4:00 for a quick breakfast and then we got in line at the last Inca Trail checkpoint, where a government official looks at your ticket, and allows you to proceed for an hour or so on the trail to Machu Picchu. The plan was to get to Machu Picchu early enough and watch the misty clouds burn off, to reveal what we had so anticipated to see.

Phuyupatamarka Ruin, Day 3, Inca Trail

Sayacmarka Ruin, Day 3, Inca Trail

Aqueduct
Sayacmarka Ruin
Day 3
Inca Trail

Day 3
Morning
Inca Trail














The morning of the third day included a climb to the Runkuraquat ruin, another ancient Incan checkpoint, and then a descent to Sayacmarka. The rain continued to fall periodically. It seemed to add a layer of mystery to the landscape. Derek developed a great system to keep dry. This included stripping off your shirt at every stop and waving it around profusely, in order to dry it. I quickly followed as I was having a hard time staying warm.

Day 2 , Top of Warmiwanusca Pass, Inca Trail

I only took a couple pictures on Day 2, regretfully. We climbed over 4700 feet up to ascend this pass which was at 4198 meters (roughly 14,000 feet). This picture was taken around the noon hour. It was an exhilirating climb with amazing scenery. The lush greenness above treeline was quite rewarding. It was also noticeable that the vegatation along this hike was becoming more and more jungle like, even at these altitudes; a change from the other drier areas of Peru we had recently visited. Below this pass we dropped a couple thousand feet to our second camp, where we had a quick lunch, tea time, and then an enjoyable chicken dinner. Also in this picture are a couple of our travelling companions from Australia and The Netherlands.

Day 2
Morning
Inca Trail

Day 1
Inca Trail











The first day on the Inca Trail is relatively flat. After passing Llactapata, you head up this valley to a campsite village, where we had tea time, and then troucha (trout) and rice for dinner. After dinner, it was quickly to bed in preparation for the epic day 2 climb.

Derek acting out a scene from The Odyssey, one of his favorites, to Maria and Jeff

Llactapata
Day 1
Inca Trail















Llactapata was once used as a security checkpoint along the Inca Trail to monitor anicent travelers. The land was also heavily terraced here, with two rivers carved around it.

Day 1
Inca Trail

Lunch
Day 1
Inca Trail











A welcomed lunch on the Inca Trail usually consisted of a brothy soup, baked chicken, vegtables, and tea/cocoa tea/coffee. This was my first backpacking expedition alongside porters, who carried up tents, cooking instruments, fuel for cooking, their own dry clothes, and the food itself. The porters would pack up after you had started hiking, and then they would gracefully pass you on the trail, in a scamper, to set up the next stop or camp for the night ahead of the guests. They showed amazing strength. We (Jeff, Derek, Raoul, and I) carried our own packs filled with somwhat dry clothes, a sleeping bag, water, and dry shoes. My guide ridiculed me for having a heavy pack, and at one point along Day 2 of the trail I even contemplated to myself that I could be a porter.

Pit Stop
Day 1, Inca Trail

Curious Dog
Day 1 Inca Trail















Tonight I will upload the rest of the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu photos; thus ending our voyage, for now, at one of the seven wonders of the world. Dogs seemed to be everywhere in Peru. In cities, along the countryside, amongst families, and in packs of their own. None were aggressive, and most seemed content running in their own circles.

Crossing the Rio Urubamba, Day 1 Inca Trail
A tributary of the Amazon

Map of Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Took a picture of this map with my camera; a more representative map showing relief can be found here.

4 man Inka (Inca) trail posse
Raoul from Lima, Jeff, Devon, Derek
Our guide Maria took this photo

Stockpiling of Excitement, Gear, Cocoa Leaves, One-Liners, etc
Near the Inca Trail trailhead, Chilca, Peru

Avenue in Cuzco, Peru

Playing soccer amidst Incan cut stones scattered about below Santo Domingo, an impressive catholic church built on top of an Incan temple
Cuzco, Peru

Back in Cuzco, Peru
Rain and clouds settle in as we prepare for Inca Trail trek

Leaving Arequipa, Peru
LAN Airlines to Cuzco
El Misti in background

16,414 feet above sea level
Upon return from Colca Canyon, Peru
The stones piled up in the background are good luck tributes.

Derek above the depths, Colca Canyon, Peru

Colca Canyon, Peru

High Altitude Cactus,
Colca Canyon, Peru

Colca Canyon, Peru











The Peruvians are insistent upon this canyon being the second deepest in the world. The third being the Grand Canyon in Arizona, United States, and the first in another nearby remote part of Peru. This particular geologic collision was quite different than any thing I have seen or read about in the southwest US. A river flows deep below two massive mountain chains and there were no common crusts or layers upon either side to denote common events or ages amidst the cutting of the river. This area has also been affected by earthquakes.

Andean Condor,
Colca Canyon, Peru

Vizcacha
(long-tailed rabbit)
near center of photograph,
Colca Canyon, Peru





Better late than never. Which is also the name of an old floor hockey team I once tended goal for. Above this post are numerous photographs that I have been lax at uploading until now from my confines (2 weeks later). I will also want to also comment on travels in Colca Canyon, Arequipa, and of course the Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu. Not sure as to how to group it all together. Enjoy the photographs and hopefully they will help visualize some of our last week of expedition in Peru. These are photographs from my camera that ended up being part of a stunning collection. We ended up with over 1800 photographs of Peru between the three of us. Which, I should note, also qualifies us as lifetime tourist-photograph takers aboard any travel vessel in the world.

Out of the Incan Empire

The expedition team has successfully completed a 4 day Incan Trail Trek, and is headed home to Colorado this Monday. A few anxious pictures, that are probably already postcards, may suceed this entry. Until then.

Derek and Jeff contemplating Alpaca overload, Yanque, Peru

Chivay, Peru, in Colca Canyon from road above

Even more friendly alpacas, near Patapampa, Peru

Wild Alpaca gathering, near Patapampa, Peru

Derek summiting El Misti, 16,000 ft volcano north of Arequipa, Peru

Expedition Members at Dinner, Arequipa, Peru

Pisco Sour, Arequipa, Peru

Arequipa, Peru, at sunset, Plaza de Armas

Characteristics of Southeastern Peruvian Transportation Systems

Over the past week, the fearless expedition colleagues and I traversed the southeastern region of Peru from Cuzco, to Juilaca, Puno, Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, Chivay, and then back to Arequipa, and eventually back to Cuzco (yesterday 11/5). Along the way we scientifically experimented with various forms of transport, and the following is one attempt at describing them.

1. Train
PeruRail, Capacity 300? (Cuzco to Puno through Juliaca (9 hours)
Pros: Inexpensive, Direct, Clean, Comfortable, Safe passage across moutain pass, Provides great views
Cons: Environmentally harmful, Slow, Unable to stop more than once or twice, Luggage check for backpackers is not completely understood, Arrival in Puno can be chaotic

Last Monday, October 30, we arrived in the city of Puno and checked into La Joya de Titicaca. We ate traditonal fare includin guinea pig, alpaca. ceviche, and pisco sours. Pictures of some of this fare can be found below. Bueno. The following day we toured the Sillustani burial remains northeast of Puno. The remains (chullpas) on these hallowed ground date back to pre-Incan time, but also contains more modern burial sites. These pictures can also be found below. Then we headed back to Puno and saw that the streets were alive in parade form for the Puno Days celebration. It also happened to be Halloween. There were many children in the steets dressed as Disney characters alongside their parents who weren´t dressed up. The idea of seeing families together, during all hours of the day, is now a recurring welcome theme that I have adjusted to in Peru.

2. Boat
Puno Charter, Capacity 30 (Puno to Isla Flotantes, Isla Amantani, Isla Taquile, and back to Puno)
Pros: Only Reasonable way to get to Lake Titicaca islands, Nice vistas, Unordinary method of transport for Denverite
Cons: Multiple stenches, Driver sleeps often, Slow, Maximum speed 30 m.p.h., Often at overcapacity

The trip to 3 islands of Lake Titicaca is one I won´t soon forget. The boat ride was fun, albeit slow, and the boat ride back on the following day was a bit draggish. We first arrived at Isla Flotantes, which is a colony if you will, of several floating islands made of reed from the lake. The largest island is big and old enough to support plant life and a few modern convienences such as a resturant and store. The people here seemed reliant on tourists, but still able to continue their ideals. The boats they use to commute are also made of reed and continue to rot every three months, and they have overfished the surrounding waters, said our guide. A marine biologist could do wonders here. We then floated out to Isle Amantani where we were immediately grabbed up by a host family (nancy and her daughter elizabeth) and taken to their house, above a soccer court about halfway up the island. Amazing views and our room was perfect for relaxing. An evening hike up to Pachepapa (the top of the island 1000 ft above the water) and a mysterious dance party insued after getting our bearings. The pictures Derek has taken tell the entire story. We also ate meals that Nancy cooked that were very basic yet flavorful. Potatoes, goat cheese, rice, and celery soup. We brought her sugar, fruit, and pens for her daughter from the mainland, in return for her hospitaility. The next morning we had breakfest of caramel crepes and then were escorted by Nancy back to the boat, where we headed for our final island, Tequile, about an hour away. Isle Taquile is inhabited by quechua speaking people, who have isolated themselves from the the mainlanders, and have opened themselves up for visting tourists. They also have somewhat of set price system for all the goods they produce, and all the residents of the island share in the profits. We ate trucha (trout) for lunch and wandered about the island before heading back to Puno on a 3 hour boat ride.

3. Bus
Julsa Angeles Tours SAC Bus capacity 45 (Puno to Arequipa through Juliaca)
Pros: Convienent in the fact that there are many buses leaving at all hours, Fast (40-60 m.p.h)
Cons: Stench, Belittleing drunks, Multiple stops in questionable neighborhoods, Police/Agricultural searches on major highway, Freezing cold during high elevation strectches (Questionable heating)

Riding the bus to Arequipa from Puno was a great experience. We departed Puno around 7 pm and arrived in Arequipa at 1:30 AM before checking into Los Balcones de Santa Cataline hotel in Arequipa. Amidst lots of interupted sleep, the views out the window were of a lunar like landscape. The Andes are so foreign to me, not just in name and place, but in their structure. I admit I am more familiar familiar with simpler mountain geography, the Appalachian´s or Rocky´s, where the mountains seem to be laid out in north-south or east-west contiguous lines. The Andes, as far as I can tell, know no simple form and are very erratic. Volcanoes and fault lines also come into play. Maybe a bit more like the mountains in California.

4. Cabs
Each city in Peru has its own fashion of cabs - some are bike cabs, some really compact cars, some station wagons, etc..usually of Japanese brand
Pros: Conveinent, Cheap for short distances, Creative, Fun
Cons: Price has to be negotiated beforehand, Cannot be used for long distances (economically unfeasable)

Taking Cabs in Peru is like purchasing one ticket at the local state fair. You know the one that has set up shop near your home with almost no regulation. You know its going to be a bumpy crazy ride and sometimes you get more out of it than you paid for.

5. Airplane
Lan Peru AirBus, Capacity 180+ (Arequipa to Cuzco)
Pros: Fast, Relatively Cheap, Fashionable, Good mints
Cons: Early airport arrival is necessary due to adverse flying conditions at major airports, Baggage checking/pickup headaches, Exit taxes

Not to much to write about here, other than it is always nice to travel by air, only after experiencing the other forms of transport.

This inane journal entry takes us from Cuzco and back to, where we arrived yesterday in anticipation of a 4 day trek to Machu Picchu. I will have to write more about the Arequipa and Colca Canyon adventures we had last weekend, maybe after consuming the 4 day epic. Our current schedule has us back to Cuzco on Saturday, Lima on Sunday, and Denver on Monday. New pictures from Arequipa and Colca Canyon will follow this entry.

¿Cusqueña o Arequipeña?

Last Monday we arrived in Puno after taking a quick stop in Cuzco in order to book 3 slots on the 4 day Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu, that we will start this week on Wednesday (11/9). I know; this seems to be very confusing. To make a long story short, our orginial plan to spend a week in Ecuador is not going to happen in 2006, due to the cost of international airline transportation between the realtively close cities of Lima, Peru, and Quito, Ecuador. And there is so much to see and do in the Cuzco-Lake Titicaca-Arequipa area of southeastern Peru. To the right is a first in a series of captivating maps that shows this area of Peru that we will call home for another week. Ecuador and all the research I did on visiting it will not soon be forgotten. Rules that have been developed by the group and to remain valid for the rest of this expedition:

1. No diuretics are to be taken before 6 hour bus rides between puno and arequipa.
2. No outdoor fashion advice should be tossed out each day after noon.
3. No use of the word or music of Moby shall be mentioned during hikes to ancient burial grounds.

Atop Pachepapa, Isla Amantani, Lake Titicaca, Peru

Atop Pachepapa, Isla Amantani, Lake Titicaca, Peru