Collingwood to Toronto to Rio de Janeiro
November 25, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C
Collingwood-Toronto -Houston, Texas- Rio de Janeiro
Alarm at 5:50 am, up, shower, breakfast and final pack. Seems very strange to be starting out again.
David picked us up at 8:00 am and we arrived at the airport around 10:00 am. There was nobody at the airport and we sailed through to the gate. We departed at 12:40 pm.
Smooth flight to Houston via United, arriving at 3:30 pm Our wait in Houston was 6 hours. We found a quiet area with Wi-Fi and passed the time fairly easily. We had a lovely supper in a restaurant at the airport called Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen. Our waiter was very pleasant and with a glass of wine we passed the rest of the waiting hours just fine. We boarded at 9:50 PM for a 9 hour overnight to Rio. Once on the runway, our flight was delayed an hour because of paperwork, and so we sat. The pilot hoped to make up some of the time and he did by ½ hour. Supper was vegetarian lasagna and lemon sorbet. Lee had her usual very restless night and was so happy to get off the plane. No pictures for today.Read more
Mendoza
November 21, 2019 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
November 21-26. Mendoza, Argentina. Gary and Karina left after Puno to go back to their sailboat in Valdivia, 850km south of Santiago.
Mike and Judy carried on to Mendoza, Argentina as the four of us had planned. This is their report.
Mendoza is an oasis created in the desert that stretches from the Andes mountains to the coast of Chile on the Pacific Ocean. Two million trees have been planted, all imported. There are no indigenous trees. They are watered by an irrigation system, established 2 civilizations before the Incan. This involves diverting water from the Mendoza River, which originates in the Andes. Agriculture uses 80% of the available water and people 20%.
In 1861 there was a large earthquake which flattened the city. When the city was rebuilt it was decided that everyone should be able to escape into an open area. The design is large squares with a park on every corner. The streets are wide as are the sidewalks. A unique feature is the exposed stone ditches, essentially small canals, running along each side of the road to water the trees.
As there is no grass for cows and sheep to graze on, they only raise goats and chickens.
Wine is the largest source of income, especially Malbec, followed by olives, walnuts and various fruits and vegetables. There are many wineries and the type of grape varies with the elevation of the vineyard. Oil and uranium are also exported.
A trip into the mountains reveals the desert and only very low scrub type vegetation. Enroute we stopped at the Puente del Inca, Incan Bridge. The Cuevas River has bored through the mountain forming a natural bridge. We also viewed Mt Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas at 6,962 metres (22,841’). Our niece, Karen, (Don and Lee’s Daughter) climbed this mountain up to 18,000 ft. between Dec 2000 and Jan 2001. An unfortunate set of circumstances, having nothing to do with her, required the team to quickly head back to the bottom, making further ascent impossible.
We drove as far as the Chilean border where the village of Las Cuevas has been built in a European style at 3200 metres (10,498’). As we had no passport for entry into Chile, we returned back to Mendoza.
Due to the political unrest in Santiago at the time, they decided not to stay for any tours in Santiago. They had a quick overnight stay near the airport and then returned home to Radium.Read more
Taquille Island, Peru. Lake Titicaca
November 20, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Puno, Peru. Lake Titicaca
November 20, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C
As a result of our return to Toronto, we missed several planned days in the middle of our trip before we resumed our trip on November 25 in Rio de Janeiro. Mike, Judy and Gary and Karina continued on to Puno and Lake Titicaca.
The pictures of Titicaca were taken by Gary, Karina, Mike and Judy, and the notes are Judy's.
As we drive from Cusco to Puno, we pass agricultural land and wind our way up and down the mountains. There are many small towns, lakes, fields of corn, and cows grazing. Most farming is done by hand - both hoeing and sowing.
We stopped at Raqchi, at 3460 metres, to see the remains of the Temple of Veracocha, which is one of the only remaining examples of a 2 storey Incan building. Only isolated sections remain. At 15 metres high and 90 metres long, this was the largest roofed building ever constructed by the Incans.
When we drove through Juliaca, we were surprised to see many people doing their laundry and washing their cars in the river. There was a lot of road construction - all done by hand. The old concrete is broken up with a sledgehammer and then shovelled into trucks. Many men took turns.
Our hotel in Puno, the Sonesta Hotel Posadas del Inca, is on the shore of Lake Titicaca. There are beautiful grounds and hundreds of guinea pigs running around. They are very playful and amusing to watch.
Lake Titicaca is a large, deep lake straddling the border of Peru (53%) and Bolivia (47%) in the Andes Mountains. It is the world’s highest navigable body of water at 3,812 metres (12,500 feet). It is thought to be 3 million years old, covers 3200 square miles, is 120 miles long and 50 miles wide. The bright warm sunny days contrast with bitterly cold nights.
Our tour of Lake Titicaca began with a half hour boat ride to the Uros Islands. These floating islands were established in 1800 BC as an escape for the Uru, an indigenous people, from the Incans. There are over 100 islands housing about 2000 people. Depending on the size of the island, there are 2 - 10 families per island. The islands have shared solar panels to run appliances like TV and radio and to heat water tanks perched atop buildings. Kindergarten and elementary schooling are available on the islands but students have to go to mainland for high school and university. The houses are made of reeds and the roofs have to be replaced every year. The islands are added to every month. They use thick green reeds for longer life.
We landed at Isla Los Uros Suma Chaulla. The island feels very spongy underfoot and moves. It took a few moments to get our balance. The natives are all in bare feet. We had a demonstration of island, house and boat building. Then we were taken into a house where Gary and I were dressed in traditional outfits.
Travel to mainland is done in small motorized aluminum boats through a 4 metre deep channel that has to be periodically dredged. They travel between the islands in tortora reed boats.
The main source of income is fishing, farming and hunting. Some of the men travel to the city to work in construction or drive TukTuks. The schools are government subsidized. The women embroider bought fabric and make jewellery to sell to tourists.
We then went to Taquile Island, an hour away. We are now 45 Km from Puno. This island is 5.5 km long and 1.6 km wide. It houses about 2200 people in an area of 5.72 sq kms. The highest point is 4,050 m (13,287 ft) and the main village is at 3,950 m. Their society is based on community collectivism and moral code - do not steal, lie or be lazy. The island is divided into 6 sections for crop rotation purposes. The economy is based on fishing, terraced farming, potato cultivation and tourism. They have sheep, cows, chickens and guinea pigs. They use solar panels to generate energy.
We climbed up a flagstone walk to the top of the island and saw the backbreaking work of farming. The men till the soil with a hoe and the women break up the clumps, all on a steep incline.
They also produce fine handwoven textiles. The men all knit the hats worn by all. Plain hats are for males and coloured hats for females. They start learning at age 7. The women spin the wool and use vegetables and minerals to dye it. The women also weave the wide belts worn by everyone.
Following a song and dance routine we were served a delicious lunch of vegetable soup, trout with rice and a tomato and onion salad. The atmosphere on this island is very calm and peaceful and the views are spectacular.Read more
Cusco back to Toronto, Collingwood
November 17, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Sacred Valley to Cusco. Hotel: Anany Quinta San Blas.
Cusco to Lima to Toronto to Collingwood
Breakfast this morning consisted of some leftover fruit and juices and a significant amount of leftover dinner from last night. Our final dinner at the house was sensational with beef and rice and potatoes. Before we got on the bus, Gary threatened us with death if any of us needed to have a pee during the hour and a half drive to Cusco so we joked we were in danger of being so dehydrated that we would probably pass out. Our pickup time was 10 o’clock which gave us a chance to finish packing and for Lee to go for a walk down the very bumpy road we have travelled in and out on, to visit a cemetery and take some interesting pictures. The bus we hired holds 15 passengers, so it would be more comfortable than some of the taxi/vans we have been in and we could spread out for more personal space.
Of interest, all of us have downloaded an app which translates English to Spanish and Spanish to English. We can even use it when we are not connected to Wi-Fi. It proved to be very beneficial to all of us. One of our drivers used it on his own phone and would often dictate to it in Spanish and show us the English translation of what he was trying to tell us. Along the way the vendors were selling everything from souvenirs to food and slices of a barbequed full side of pork. They also sell corn and those that do, madly wave a handful of corn leaves at the traffic, signalling that you could stop and buy the corn there.
The speed signs both in town and in the rural districts are largely ignored. It was particularly noticeable in the cities where the drivers we’ve had, do at least double the speed limit of 35 km an hour. In both the cities and the towns, they have huge speed bumps to help control the speed and it’s necessary to come almost to a complete stop to negotiate these and that does help somewhat. Our route took us into a huge park which is part of the park around Sacsayhuaman, the Inca fortress in Cusco. Just as we were arriving in Cusco our driver advised us that he could not get closer than seven blocks to our hotel because of his license restrictions. With all our luggage, the extremely narrow streets and the fact it was seven blocks uphill, there wasn’t a chance we could’ve made it to the hotel. Fortunately, Gary went into a nearby hotel where the attendant happily called two taxis. When they arrived, we threw in the luggage and Karina jumped into one to tell them where to go and Gary in the other. The two cars drove right up to the hotel and we followed by walking up behind. By the time we arrived Gary had already unloaded all the luggage and paid the taxis.
At about 2:00 pm, as we were sitting in lovely sunshine in the courtyard waiting for our rooms to be ready, I noticed that there was a message on my phone from David asking us to call as soon as possible. We learned the terrible news that Lee’s girlfriend, Peggy Shaw, had died suddenly the day before. Total shock followed by many tears. We discussed all the choices and with the help of Gary and Karina and the support of Mike and Judy, decided that we wanted to fly back home. For about two hours Gary and Karina and Lee were searching online for available flights and by 4 o’clock after Gary spent over an hour holding for Air Canada, he was able to book one going out the same night. The front desk called a taxi for us and at 5:30pm we headed to the airport for our 8:00 pm flight to Lima. The only way we could get to Lima for the first leg of the trip was to fly business class with Avianca which we did happily, and we were very pleased to have the extra comfort when we were so tired and upset. We had a 5-hour layover in Lima and then back to Toronto on a 7 ½ hour flight that left Lima at 3:15am and arrived in Toronto at about 10:00am. Thankfully, an Air Canada attendant in Lima gave us a complimentary upgrade to Premium economy which made that leg slightly more comfortable. David graciously picked us up and drove us home.Read more
More Exploring in the Sacred Valley
November 16, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
Pisac, Peru. In the Sacred Valley
November 16, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Sacred Valley. House:Casa Killaunu. Pisac Inca Site and town of Pisac
We had breakfast around 7:30, eggs, fruit and granola. Kevin came and picked us up around 9:00 and we headed through Calca to Pisac another Inca site. We didn’t have much information before we left so we’re unsure of what the hike would be like. We drove to the top of where the buses could go, negotiating switchbacks and very bumpy roads. When we reached the parking area, we experienced the usual number of sellers with all their wares on display. We proceeded along the path to look at a map that seemed very complicated. Our goal was to visit the archeological sites located at the top of the mountain and then work our way down the mountain into the village below. We realized that because of the large number of people there and the vastness of the area, we would have to move at a bit of a pace to meet our driver in the village at 3:00.
The Pisac ruins are among Peru’s most intact ancient sites, and a perfect example of ingenious Inca architecture. They are built on top of a mountain that towers over the small town of Pisac; the views of the countryside are spectacular, and the ruins were remarkable. The exact date of construction is unknown, but the ruins are believed to be either a gift to Inca nobility, or a defense against the invasion of Cusco. What is certain is that the site served more than one function. With military, religious, and agricultural structures, the site served at least three purposes and was able to support a whole community, even a small city, of Incas. The sweeping terraces are stunning to look at and are trademark of Inca agriculture that you find all over the Andean countryside. The Incas would grow their crops on the terraces to sustain their mountain-perched city. We decided not to use a guide and set off climbing upwards. It was fairly tough going as the steps were quite high and because it was Saturday there were lots of people going both up and down. We reached the summit of one area and then Gary, Karina and Don went up higher to try and figure out where we could pick up the trail that was supposed to take us back down. They decided we must have gone the wrong way, so we headed back down the way we had come up. Gary and Karina suggested that they really didn’t know where to go so we said we would head back to the parking lot and they would carry on trying to find the trail. We slowly walked back to the parking area and negotiated a price with a taxi driver to take us back down to the Pisac Market in the main square. This is where skilled artisans craft ceramics, textiles, and silver jewelry with Andean motifs, and where indigenous people from surrounding communities come to barter for goods in the local language, Quechua. They say that Sunday is the best time to see the market, but it was certainly interesting even on Saturday. We spent a couple of hours browsing the very large market and finally heard from Gary that they were almost back down off the mountain. As it turned out we made the right decision not to do the hike down. Gary and Karina were exhausted and said it was probably the toughest hike they had done. We found a small restaurant and ordered milkshakes, 3 Mango and 3 Chocolate. Lee took Karina and Judy to buy Christmas tree ornaments and then we wandered back through the market to find Kevin, our driver. The ride back was quiet as everyone was tired.
We spent the afternoon transferring Gary and Karina’s pictures onto backup memory sticks using Lee’s MacBook computer. Then Gary set up on the large TV so we could see their pictures of our hike from the 104 km on the Inca Trail as well as our tour of Machu Picchu and the 2 hikes in the valley..
Dinner tonight was cooked by 2 girls, the one who had helped Julian, our chef and another girl. We had a delicious tomato a soup, a beef dinner with rice, potatoes and everything was so good. They also gave us a big pitcher of warm pear juice. We have so much leftover we will have a great breakfast.
Having our dinners cooked for us has been wonderful and they have all been traditional Peruvian meals. The dishes were all washed for us and we have felt totally spoiled.
Tonight, we packed our cases as we will leave to go back to Cusco tomorrow morning. It seems a shame we can’t stay a few more days in this beautiful valley and very comfortable house.Read more
More Exploring in the Sacred Valley
November 15, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
Maras, Peru
November 15, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Sacred Valley. Casa Killaunu (House), Moray Archeological Site, Museo Inkariy
We woke to the sounds of drizzling rain but more comforting, to the sounds of the chef and helper starting to cook breakfast. What a feast – hot chocolate quinoa porridge, scrambled eggs cooked with herbs, fried potatoes of course, (did we mention there are 3000 varieties of potatoes in Peru), and fried plantain. After we stuffed ourselves, we were picked up about 10:00 am in a sparkling white van by our driver, Gabriel, to take us to Moray a 30 km trip from the house and 7 km west of Maras.
We drove to Urubamba and then turned off to climb uphill for about half an hour. We came to the town of Maras a typical Peruvian village where we saw the normal Peruvian dress worn by both men and women. We continued on uphill through beautiful agricultural fields. We saw many tourist buses and also ATVs ridden by tourists over very muddy terrain. When we stepped out of the lovely white van the sides were coated in red mud.
Moray is an archaeological site in Peru approximately 50 kilometers northwest of Cuzco on a high plateau at about 3,500 metres and just west of the village of Maras. This area was discovered in 1932 and contains unusual Inca ruins, mostly consisting of several terraced circular depressions, the largest of which is approximately 30 m deep. As with many other Inca sites, it also has an irrigation system. During the rainy season, we would expect the site to turn into a giant pond but because of the terraces, how they were built, and the materials within them, the terraces never get flooded.
The purpose of these depressions is uncertain, but their depth, design, and orientation with respect to wind and sun creates a temperature difference of as much as 15 °C between the top and the bottom. This landmark site was likely used for farming and soil samples have shown that soils were brought in from different regions to be used in helping grow crops at the different levels of the terraces. The circular shape enabled a lot of testing for crop culture as well: if the crops were facing north, south, east or west, the amount of sunshine they received varied considerably. Therefore, the Incas could experiment and study what crops grew better in what conditions and get fundamental knowledge that they could apply to their large-scale crop cultivations elsewhere. It is said that with a structure such as Moray, the Incas were able to reproduce the various climates found across their empire, from sea level to high altitude.
We spent about an hour and a half touring the site. The terraces wound around and in the walls were embedded steps reaching about 8 feet high to allow the Incas to move from one terrace to another. We definitely could feel the changes of temperature as we went down into the center. We don’t know, but maybe thousands of years ago the crater may have been formed by a meteorite, all speculation on our part as even Archeologists have not figured out much about the site.
There were many tourist buses that had come from Ollantaytambo and Cusco and the people were spending very little time there as they were trying to fit 3 or 4 Inca sites into a one day excursion, We are glad we have taken a few days to take our time exploring this fascinating area. We drove back down into the Sacred Valley to Urubamba, stopped at the Scotiabank ATM to stock up with Soles and then continued on to see a museum.
Museo Inkariy is a giant of a project that took thirteen years from first planning its creation to finally opening its doors in 2015. It’s unique in that it is the first private-run Peruvian museum in the Cusco region and is more like a cinematic experience than a traditional museum visit. The museum is divided into nine different pavilions each showcasing one of the most important pre-Hispanic Peruvian cultures, over 5000 years of civilizations including Caral, Chavín, Paracas, Moche, Nazca, Wari, Lambayeque, Chimu and Inca. The descriptions and artifacts and lifelike displays were amazing and as we went through the rooms it brought together much of what we have learned throughout our trip.
Each culture is showcased in two parts. First, elements of each culture including dress, customs, beliefs and art are explained in an ‘ante-room’. You then move to the second part of each pavilion, where an iconic scene is recreated from each culture. The Paracas room recreates a typical burial scene, while the Wari Pavilion showcases a warrior making weapons. Statues and sculptures are very realistic with extreme attention to detail including wrinkles, tattoos and perfectly styled hair! Even the body types of each character were meticulously researched to represent for example the body type and facial structure of a Wari warrior or an Inca ruler. This museum surpasses all expectations and is well worth a 2-hour visit.
We returned to our house to have a late lunch sitting on the patio. Don went for a "lie down" and Lee spent time writing our Blog.
Tonight, we are using up the leftovers from the 2 sensational dinners that our chef cooked for us. I hear very animated conversation downstairs, so this is the end of my typing.Read more
Ollantaytambo, Peru
November 14, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
Ollantaytambo, Peru
November 14, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
Today we planned a trip to another Inca archeological site, Ollantaytambo. Our driver who spoke no English picked us up in the morning and headed to the site. Along the way we spotted some structures high up on a cliff. The unique “hanging” hotel, which is made up of four transparent pods suspended by cables, 400 metres above the ground. You can only get there after you climb 400 meters up the rock face or hike a challenging trail featuring a zip-line network. Check out Skylodge Adventure Suites Peru. Our driver stopped and we got out to take a closer look. It sure is not for anyone who does not like hikes.
While we were parked a little girl came along and showed us some woven bracelets, of course I had to buy some.
We arrived at the Ollantaytambo site and while we were checking in several guides came to offer their services. We declined as we were prepared to do this on our own. Mike did not want to climb, and Don wasn’t sure he wanted to go very far up either. Gary and Karina were keen to go so they started, and Judy and I said we would just go a little way at our own speed. As it turned out Judy and I made it to the top and said that was it for us. We took our time coming back down as the steps were very steep and nothing to hang on to. Gary and Karena continued on across the top and came down further over and met us at the site base. We wandered around the market and bought a few Peruvian woven placemats and table runner. Lee enjoyed bartering and the rest left me to get the price I wanted. From there the four of us took a taxi back down to the town and enjoyed browsing the large market there. Gary and Karina decided to walk back down to the town and really had an adventure but said that they were glad that Judy and I had not gone with them. It was far longer than they anticipated and quite difficult. Once they arrived in the town, we headed straight for a shop selling “helado”, ice cream, and sat out on the sidewalk and heard G and K’s account of their descent.
A little history about the town: In the middle of the 15th century, Emperor Pachacutec conquered the region, in the Sacred Valley of south Peru, set on the Urubamba River amid snow-capped mountains. He destroyed the existing town and settled there to found Ollantaytambo and incorporate it into the Inca Empire. Pachacutec ordered the construction of the main buildings of the current archaeological site of Ollantaytambo to be his royal estate. These structures were used as astronomic observatories, agricultural, urban and administrative purposes. Major sites within the complex include the huge Sun Temple and the Princess Baths fountain. The fortress was the site of the greatest Inca victory over the Spanish during the wars of conquest. The Manco Inca fled here in 1537 with a contingent of troops after the disastrous loss at Sacsayhuaman and routed the Spanish forces led by Pizarro. The victory was short-lived and Pizzaro regrouped and took over the fortress.
The village's old town is an Inca-era grid of a walled city block each with one entrance leading to an interior courtyard surrounded by a collection of houses and adobe buildings. A central square and cobblestoned street finish off the very quaint and pleasant town. The village stands very much like it did 500 years later. Most of the walls still intact due to the clever building of them by the Incas.
We all wandered around the town bought some cheese and bread for our hors d’oeuvres, then went separate ways each exploring on our own. Gary bought a hat, on his exploring that Don really liked so Don and I headed back up one of the steep side streets and Don also bought a hat. We enjoyed sitting in the town square watching the children playing and the Peruvians going about their daily business as well as the street vendors selling their souvenirs. Our driver arrived to pick us up around 4:00 and drove us back to our house, Casa Killanau. We sat out on the patio and enjoyed a lovely time outdoors, planning what we would do the next day. Our chef and his assistant arrived to create a feast for us of trout and many vegetables including a delicious squash soup, with enough leftovers to have another meal later. We played cards and headed to bed for another well-earned sleep.Read more
Ollantaytabo, Sacred Valley, Peru
November 14, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
Sacred Valley. House: Casa Killaunu Ollantaytambo.
Today we planned a trip to another Inca archeological site, Ollantaytambo. Our driver, who spoke no English, picked us up in the morning and headed to the site. Along the way we spotted some structures high up on a cliff. The unique “hanging” hotel, which is made up of four transparent pods suspended by cables, 400 metres above the ground. You can only get there after you climb 400 meters up the rock face or hike a challenging trail featuring a zip-line network. Check out Skylodge Adventure Suites Peru. Our driver stopped and we got out to take a closer look. It sure is not for anyone who does not like heights.
While we were parked a little girl came along and showed us some woven bracelets, of course I had to buy some.
We arrived at the Ollantaytambo site and while we were checking in several guides came to offer their services. We declined as we were prepared to do this on our own. Mike did not want to climb, and Don wasn’t sure he wanted to go very far up either. Gary and Karina were keen to go so they started, and Judy and I said we would just go a little way at our own speed. As it turned out Judy and I made it to the top and said that was it for us. We took our time coming back down as the steps were very steep and nothing to hang on to. Gary and Karena continued on across the top and came down further over and met us at the site base. We wandered around the market and bought a few Peruvian woven placemats and table runner. I enjoyed bartering and the rest left me to get the price I wanted. From there the four of us took a taxi back down to the town and enjoyed browsing the large market there. Gary and Karina decided to walk back down to the town and really had an adventure but said that they were glad that Judy and I had not gone with them. It was far longer than they anticipated and quite difficult. Once they arrived in the town, we headed straight for a shop selling “helado”, ice cream, and sat out on the sidewalk and heard G and K’s account of their descent.
A little history about the town: In the middle of the 15th century, Emperor Pachacutec conquered the region, in the Sacred Valley of south Peru, set on the Urubamba River amid snow-capped mountains. He destroyed the existing town and settled there to found Ollantaytambo and incorporate it into the Inca Empire. Pachacutec ordered the construction of the main buildings of the current archaeological site of Ollantaytambo to be his royal estate. These structures were used as astronomic observatories, agricultural, urban and administrative purposes. Major sites within the complex include the huge Sun Temple and the Princess Baths fountain. The fortress was the site of the greatest Inca victory over the Spanish during the wars of conquest. The Manco Inca fled here in 1537 with a contingent of troops after the disastrous loss at Sacsayhuaman and routed the Spanish forces led by Pizarro. The victory was short-lived and Pizzaro regrouped and took over the fortress.
The village's old town is an Inca-era grid of a walled city block each with one entrance leading to an interior courtyard surrounded by a collection of houses and adobe buildings. A central square and cobblestoned street finish off the very quaint and pleasant town. The village stands very much like it did 500 years ago. Most of the walls are still intact due to the clever building knowledge of the Incas.
We all wandered around the town, bought some cheese and bread for our hors d’oeuvres, then went separate ways each exploring on our own. Gary bought a hat during his explorations that Don really liked so Don and I headed back up one of the steep side streets, found and bought a hat, much like Gary's. We enjoyed sitting in the town square watching the children playing and the Peruvians going about their daily business as well as the street vendors selling their souvenirs. Our driver arrived to pick us up around 4:00pm and drove us back to our house Casa Killanau. We sat out on the patio and enjoyed a lovely time outdoors, planning what we would do the next day. Our chef and his assistant arrived to create a feast for us of trout and many vegetables including a delicious squash soup, with enough leftovers to have another meal later. We played cards and headed to bed for another well-earned sleep.Read more
Private Van Machu Picchu- Sacred Valley
November 13, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Machu Picchu to Cusco, Peru
November 13, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Train ride From Machu Picchu to Cusco. Private Car to House, Casa Killaunu in the Sacred Valley.
We had breakfast at the hotel, and they had a rather unique orange juice machine that fascinated Don. After breakfast, Lee, Judy and Don went looking for, and found, some empanadas that we could eat on the train taking us from Machu Picchu to Cusco that morning. Right near the food stall was another stall selling, among other things, wide brimmed hats. Lee bought a lovely mauve one with the Machu Picchu logo on the front.
The train ride was a great adventure. After serving us some refreshments they put on a remarkable fashion show accompanied by some very lively music and a person dressed up like a Peruvian Shaman. The young lady who had been our server, modeled many different outfits, shawls and sweaters, and Lee bought a poncho sweater that could be changed to give at least 5 different styles. The young man modeled many scarves and sweaters and Don bought one of them. We had arranged to have a driver pick us up at the Cusco railway station and drive us directly to our 4-night house rental “Casa Killaunu” in The Sacred Valley near Ollantaytambo.
We were met at the train station by our driver and van. When he turned off the main road, he had to constantly stop and ask for directions. The roads were very narrow and rough, making us think that there must be some mistake, but we finally found the house which turned out to be fantastic!
Adam, the property manager, met us at the gate, let us in and explained the workings of the house. Don and Lee got the large master bedroom upstairs, Judy and Mike and Gary and Karina took the two very spacious double rooms on the main floor. When the trip was being planned, we were offered the services of a cook to come in to do meals for us including dinner the first night. There were 2 girls who came to prepare the food and the cook. The quality and size of the portions were over the top. And the price was exceptional value. Later into our dinner, there was a violent thunder, lightning and rainstorm and the power went out. We made do with our iPhone lights and a few candles. Unfortunately, after we all went to bed, the roof over Gary and Karina’s room leaked badly causing Karina’s bed to be soaked and made for some impromptu reorganizing of sleeping arrangements. Gary just moved the dry bed out of the way of the leak for Karina, and he slept on the couch in the living room. We were oblivious to all of this going on downstairs and only found out the next morning.Read more
Machu Picchu, Peru
November 12, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Machu Picchu, Peru
November 12, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Machu Picchu, Peru
November 12, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Machu Picchu, Peru
November 12, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Machu Picchu Hotel El Mapi by Inkaterra Guide. Eduardo
We were up early and down for breakfast, all doing quite well considering the hike we did the day before. Eduardo met us at the hotel and we walked/ran down to board the bus headed to actually tour the Machu Picchu site. Judy in her panic thought she had lost her ticket that Edouardo had just given her, but he said, “I know you have it and we will find it”. Of course, we did, she had just tucked it into a different spot. We boarded the bus to start the trip back up to the entrance to the Main Gates. I didn’t count the switchbacks but there were a lot. When we reached the gates, it was crazy busy and of course we all had to use the washrooms. As well, we had the opportunity to have our passports stamped as having been to Machu Picchu, so that took even more time. Eduardo was so patient with us and we finally were ready to set off. He knew exactly where to take us, and we followed him like sheep through the hordes of people.
Once we were in a very quiet space, Eduardo had us sit down, catch our breath while he proceeded to tell us his rendition about the mountain from his point of view as an indigenous person.
Machu Picchu is often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", but in fact, it is the most familiar icon of Inca civilization. The Incas built the city around 1450 but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish conquest. The Incas built the city on a mountain ridge, 2430m above sea level. They lived there between 1200 and 1450 AD. Construction appears to date from two great Inca rulers, Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui (1438–1471) and his son, Túpac Inca Yupanqui (1472–1493) There is consensus among archaeologists that Pachacuti ordered the construction of the royal estate for himself, most likely after a successful military campaign. Though Machu Picchu is considered to be a "royal" estate, surprisingly, it would not have been passed down in the line of succession. Rather it was used for 80 years before being abandoned, seemingly because of the Spanish Conquests in other parts of the Inca Empire. It is possible that most of its inhabitants died from smallpox introduced by travelers before the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the area. The Spanish never found Machu Picchu during their occupation.
Machu Picchu is very difficult to get to because it is so high in the mountains. It has only one way in and a stone wall to protect it. Most people in the world did not know it was there until a Yale graduate named Hiram Bingham III discovered it in 1911. Bingham asked farmer and innkeeper Melchor Arteaga if he knew of any nearby ruins. Arteaga said he knew of excellent ruins on the top of Huayna Picchu. At the top of the mountain, they came across a small hut occupied by a couple of Quechua, Richard and Alvarez, who were farming some of the original Machu Picchu agricultural terraces that they had cleared four years earlier. Alvarez's 11-year-old son, Pablito, led Bingham along the ridge to the main ruins. The ruins were mostly covered with vegetation except for the cleared agricultural terraces and clearings used by the farmers as vegetable gardens. Because of the overgrowth, Bingham was not able to observe the full extent of the site. Bingham returned to Machu Picchu in 1912 under the sponsorship of Yale University and National Geographic and made a deal with the government to take artifacts to the Peabody Museum at Yale University for study. In December 2011 the university gave back thousands of ceramics, jewelry and human bones from the Peabody Museum at Yale to the International Center for the Study of Machu Picchu and Inca Culture.
The city is a complex of over 200 dwellings, cosisting of houses and temples. There are caves, a park, agricultural terraces, waterways, fountains, and a rock quarry where much of the construction materials were extracted.
Behind the main parts of the city, there is a high abrupt cliff, which is called Huayna Picchu or Waynapicchu. "Machu Picchu" means "Old Peak", "Huayna Picchu" means "Young Peak".
The Agricultural Sector
Located in the southeastern part, it comprises many agricultural terraces, which were also equipped with aqueducts for watering.
Also, in this sector, there is a Guard Hut, a Cemetery, a Funeral Rock and the City Gate. The agricultural terraces have 120 steps (terraces). The height of the terraces varies. Some of them are up to 4 m high. And some of them are right above the deep Urubamba Valley. The terraces have been constructed rather on the mountain sides than on the top.
The Guard House/Watchman's Hut (Casa del Vigilante)
This is the most prominent building, located in a strategically, on high ground from where the Incas could observe the Urban Sector and a large part of the Agricultural Sector.
The Funeral Rock
It is right near the Guard House. it's a huge stone. Human remains were found near it, proving that burials were made in the proximity. Some stones found nearby contain grooves, which could mean that they were used in sacrifices. Some specialists say that certain carvings in rocks were made for blood drainage or for placing human or animal bodies in it. Though there is no concrete evidence that the Incas made human sacrifices in Machu Picchu, we know that animal sacrifices were very frequent and considered as requirements by the gods in Inca religion.
The Urban Sector
Occupies the biggest part of Machu Picchu and is situated northeast of the agricultural sector.
It is the part richest in attractions in the whole of Machu Picchu. This is the core of the city.
The urban part of Machu Picchu is divided into 3 districts. These are the Sacred District or Religious District, the Popular District, and the District of Priests and Nobility (also called Royal District).
The Popular District/Residential District is not the only residential area of Machu Picchu, but it is named this, because most houses are located here. The lower-class Incas might have had their homes in this district.
The buildings here are simple houses and storage buildings.
The construction of the Sacred District was motivated by religion. The Incas always had a special place in their cities for the mystical practices and rituals. This is the location of the famous Intihuatana Stone, the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three Windows. Religious rituals took place on the Sacred Plaza and the surrounding buildings. High level Incas would have attended these rituals. Part of the hill still has rocks standing out of it, naturally and, there are several terraces on the sides as well. Machu Picchu has the only sacred Intihuatana Stone in all of Peru that wasn't destroyed by the Spanish. Unfortunately, on September 08, 2000, during the filming of a beer commercial the Intihuatana stone was irreparably damaged. The southern upper vertex of the stone was damaged when the arm of a crane fell upon it.
The District of Priests and Nobility/Royal District
It is located between the Temple of the Sun (in the Sacred District) and the baths, close to the Sacred Plaza. The high-class Incas lived here. The rich, the leaders, the priests and possibly the emperor might have lived here too.
The houses in this part are located in rows, constructed on a slope. The Residence of Wise Persons or the Residence of Amautas) has distinguishable reddish walls. The zone of the ñustas (sort-of princesses, high-ranked young ladies) has trapezoidal roomed buildings.
This sector dedicated to the high-level Incas has larger, roomier buildings, when compared to those in the Popular District, where the "normal people" lived. There is a Main Building, probably a temple, with a large stone in its center. The rock might have been a table or altar. Some think that it was used for sacrifices.
Another building is the Monumental Mausoleum, which is a large stone block with carved walls and vaulted interior.
The Rock Quarry
It is located on a high hill in the center of the Urban Sector that was used for extracting the construction materials used for the buildings.
Scientists are still speculating about how the blocks were extracted and cut.
The quarry was left there in the middle of the city, more proof that Machu Picchu's construction wasn't finished and that it had been abandoned.
The Main Temple
It is located near the Temple of the Three Windows. The building has partly intact walls, which are reclined, the stones moved out of place. The walls have niches in them. The Incas used these niches in which to place huacas, or sacred objects. There is a platform at the bottom of the "black wall". This platform looks like a stone bench or a stone bed and is considered to be the "sacristy" of the Main Temple. The Temple of the Three Windows is a Wayrana-type temple. This means that it only has 3 walls, built with rectangular stones. It has 7 trapezoidal niches in its main wall and 5 on each sidewall. The building lacks a 4th wall. Specialists say that it might not have been finished. It might be a sign of the fact that the population had abandoned city.
The Sacred Plaza
It is located on top of a natural hill. On that hill you see the famous Intihuatana Stone.
Buildings nearby have the finest carved stones and are very carefully put together.
Religious rituals had taken place on the Sacred Plaza and the surrounding buildings. High level Incas would have attended these rituals. Part of the hill still has rocks standing out of it, naturally and, there are several terraces on the sides as well.
The Intihuatana (Intiwatana) Stone
The exact purpose of this stone is not known. It must have been some sort of an astronomical or archaeological object. Some specialists believe that it was used for determining the solstices by tracking the sun rays. When there was no shadow cast, then there was solstice (daytime equaled nighttime and the sun gets right above heads on midday). The Intihuatana site is the only one well-preserved. All others found by the Spaniards in the other Inca cities were partially or completely destroyed. Unfortunately, during the filming of a beer commercial in 2000, a crane fell on the Intihuatana, damaging it. Some tourists think the rock has special powers and will fill them with energy, therefore they put their hands on it. The stone is surrounded by a rope fence and you are not allowed to climb or step on it. However, it is generally allowed to put hands on it.
The Temple of the Sun/Sun Temple
Semi-circular building located on the lower part of a hill, near the Ritual Fountains and the Royal Tomb. The temple could have been an astronomical observatory.
It is believed that high level Incas had their residences in this area.
The Ritual Fountains
Fresh water for the population came from these fountains. The water cascades down across several stone constructions.
The Condor Temple
According to the specialists, it was a torture chamber. Between the stone-carved "wings of the condor", there is a chamber with grooves. It is believed that the grooves were carved in order to drive the flowing blood of the victim into the pit. To the Incas, the condor was the symbol of cruel justice. Some specialists consider that the Condor Temple was primarily used for animal sacrifices. And, probably it was never used for human sacrifices.
We walked through and around all of these sites and the marvel of how all this was built will always be with us. It was quite a warm day and by noon hour the crowds were thinning. We stayed until 1:00 and then made our way back down to the bus area to descend the switchback road to the city below.
Edouardo took us to a lovely restaurant called the Indio Feliz where we had an incredible Peruvian lunch. We asked Edourado about his life and family and he graciously answered all our questions. All too soon we had to leave and return to our hotel and say our sad goodbyes to Edouardo; no words can describe how wonderful he was as a guide and such a gentle but strong person. We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about our wonderful time here and packing our bags for our return to Cusco, via train, the next morning. We wandered around the town and then we had dinner in the hotel again and headed off to bed.Read more
Machu Picchu, Peru Hiking the Inca Trail
November 11, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Machu Picchu, Peru Hiking the Inca Trail
November 11, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
Machu Picchu, Peru Hiking the Inca Trail
November 11, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
Machu Picchu, Peru Hiking the Inca Trail
November 11, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Machu Picchu, Peru Hiking the Inca Trail
November 11, 2019 in Peru ⋅ 🌧 12 °C
Machu Picchu, Peru
November 11, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ❄️ -1 °C
Cusco to Inca trail to Machu Picchu. Guide Eduardo. Hotel El Mapi by Inkaterra
We had a very early morning pick up by Eduardo at 4:30 am to drive to Poroy Train Station (a 20-minute trip from Cusco. Driving through the dark streets we could see women sitting outside stalls and on street corners with their bundles of goods to sell when the city woke up. The train arrived and we got on the special car that had the special viewing dome. The hotel had packed a very tasty breakfast and the train served hot drinks. The views along the way with the fast-flowing river and steep mountains were very picturesque. After about an hour the train stopped at what is called 104Km and we (Judy, Don, Gary, Karina and Lee) with backpacks and poles in hand, jumped off, literally, as there was no step down from the train. We waved goodbye to Mike who was going on to the hotel in Machu Picchu where we would meet up with him at the end of the day. Eduardo gave us a few minutes to set up our walking poles and then we walked across a suspension bridge to the admission gate.
The hike was a total of 12 km long and was probably the most challenging thing Judy, Lee and I had ever done. Firstly, because it was seriously rough terrain up and down over 12 km with the elevation changes from 2100 m at start to 2899 m. at Winay Wanya ,our stop for lunch, then down to 2745 m at the Sun Gate and then down to 2445m where the bus took us down to the hotel. Secondly because Judy had a knee replacement only 6 months earlier, Lee, because she is in bad need of a second hip replacement and Don because he has problems with heights and cliff edges. The three of us were very happy with our new hiking boots and the walking poles we had purchased, without which, I think we would still be there. Gary and Karina did not use poles and at half our age were not quite as physically challenged as we were.
Our first stop was at the site of recently restored Inca ruins of Chachabamba, only about 15 minutes along the way. These ruins, discovered in 1940, are located on the old Inca road that ran along the southern bank of the Urubamba River. The style of buildings and stonework suggest that this used to be an important religious site, as well as having the secondary function as a gate house guarding Machu Picchu above. Chachabamba is set at elevation of 2,150m. Chachabamba, a Quechua word which means valley of trees. From the type of architecture, structures and distribution, probably it was a religious center where the Incas performed ceremonies dedicated to the Mother Nature. In the middle of the construction there is a square that holds an altar carved on natural rock. A few meters from here there are several ceremonial water baths. Probably the place where the Inca pilgrims took purification in order to clean the soul before arriving at Machu Picchu.
The zone of Chachabamba is in a very fertile valley, a great place to grow tropical and subtropical food and plants, sweet potato, yucca, and medicinal plants.
At Chachabamba there is a control point for the trekkers; here you have to show the permits for the climb and the entrance to the national park of Machu Picchu. The weather is normally warm and tropical due to the location; it’s surrounded by a pristine forest.
From there things got more strenuous as we ascended through tropical rain forests with continually fantastic views, most of which Don missed. He has difficulty coping with being on the edge of drop offs which might just lead to a life ending experience, which well describes a lot of the trails we were on. Leaning towards the safety of the mountains, which was usually on our left, not looking down but rather to the safety of the rocks on the left, and Gary’s incessant babble kept him going. We saw lots of orchids and other flowers. It was a constant drizzle all morning until just after our lunch break 3 ½ hours into the trek which helped prevent us from overheating. In addition to our guide Eduardo, we had a young man who served as our porter and, with his very small frame, he remarkably carried our box lunches and a bit of extra water with no effort at all.
The trail was usually narrow, sometimes only 2-3 feet wide, almost never flat and the ups and downs involved seriously steep steps, often with a rise of 16-20 inches, both going up and down. Missteps, particularly going down would have resulted in tragic results. As a result, part of the fatigue we were feeling was not just because of the altitude, and steepness, but frankly, because it was exhausting just to keep concentrating. At one point, our guide took our poles and told us we had to climb the next “stairs” on our hands and feet. I would guess the length of the stairs was about 100 feet and the rise could have been easily 40 feet. Don took some very unflattering pictures of this ascent. We stopped for a snack break along the way and then after climbing up many terraces we finally broke for lunch.
The box lunches were quite elaborate, and the energy source was welcome. We were warned in advance that there were no washroom facilities until we got to our lunch break at Winay Wayna at an altitude of 2899 m. Because of the need to keep hydrated, some of us had to stop for a pee break on the side of the mountain pressed tightly into the bank on the “upside”. From here we continued to the peak altitude of 2720 m. to what the literature describes as “a final set of stairs” (misleading in the extreme) to arrive at Inti Punku, (Quechua words for Sun Gate). From here we got our first views of Machu Picchu and it was quite exhilarating even if a bit cloudy. It was quite a celebration; when anyone reached this point, everyone including people from some of the other groups were congratulating everyone for making it this far. Little did we know that the descent down would be a long series of steep ups and downs which made for an exhausting trek. And so it was, that after 9 ½ hours, we finally reached the bottom and even in our tired state, we had to really scurry to catch the last bus down to the village. On one 1/2 of a hip, Lee rushed ahead to make sure the bus did not leave without us. We descended in the bus, on switchbacks, back down to the valley floor and then had a short walk up to our hotel which seemed to be miles away. Mike was in the lobby waiting for us. We had no time to waste as dinner was booked for ½ hour away. Previous to this, because of the altitude, most of us were drinking very little alcohol, if any, but that night Don had a celebratory Martini. We were equally exhausted and exhilarated. Everyone headed to bed right after dinner.
Lee however decided to go up to the fifth floor and had a sauna and a hot tub. Heaven for her after a very tough day.Read more
