Peru
Chamana

Discover travel destinations of travelers writing a travel journal on FindPenguins.
Travelers at this place
    • Day 49

      Machu Picchu

      March 3, 2020 in Peru ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

      *this blog post is 2 days combined*

      We went to visit Machu Picchu and it was INCREDIBLE! Machu Picchu is an old Inca city that was lost (outside Peru) for 500 years!
      The story of rediscovery:
      There was an American guy called Bingham and he went to Peru to try and see the terraces amongst a forest. So he went to a Peruvian man’s house and he didn’t want to take him so he got his son, Pablito to take him to see the terraces, and then Bingham saw the old ruins amongst the trees and raided all the gold and silver. When he arrived, he found a family living in Machu Picchu but when he wrote his book, he said he was the first man to Machu Picchu, but really there were millions of people from the Inca times and even the family he found.

      The next day (today) we climbed Machu Picchu mountain, which is right next to Machu Picchu and it is 3000 metres high! It was so tiring, and I’m not so sure it was worth it when we got to the top as there were clouds covering everything! The most of Machu Picchu we saw is in the pictures.

      After visiting the mountain, we went to see around Machu Picchu again and we went to see the temple of the condor, which was closed yesterday. The temple of the condor is a room of worship with a huge statue of a condor. There was also a secret tunnel room . . . treasure?
      Read more

    • Day 156

      INKA-TREK #1 🇵🇪🥾 easyyy

      March 5 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

      Es geht looooooos🥳 Endlich beginnen wir einen weiteren längeren Trek! Nachdem wir Ende Januar den 4-tägigen W-Trek im Torres del Pain Nationalpark gemacht haben, freuen wir uns nun extrem auf den Inka-Trek in Peru.🤩🇵🇪

      Am Morgen gabs zuerst Zmorge, danach gings mit dem Bus zum KM 82 (Start des Treks). Dort erhielten wir die Ausrüstung für die kommenden Tage (Schlafsack, Matte, Wanderstöcke). Wir absolvieren den Trek zusammen mit einer anderen GAdventure Gruppe. Insgesamt sind wir nun 16 Personen!

      Und dann ging es endlich los! Wir starten unserer 4-tägige Reise zum Machu Picchu🥳 der erste Tag war für uns ein absolutes Kinderspiel… kaum Höhenmeter, viel zu viele Pausen und einfaches Terrain. Wir fühlten uns wie auf der Herbstwanderung in der 3. Klasse😅 Es ist auch extrem ungewohnt, in einem extra aufgebauten Zelt ein 4 Gänge Menu zu essen😳 Auch als wir beim Camping bereits um 16:00 ankamen, wurde uns empfohlen unser Mätteli von einem Porter (Träger) aufblasen zu lassen… Danach wurde uns Wasser für zum Gesicht-Waschen gebracht. Alles ist so völlig sureal😳 Aber naja, wir haben halt für den Service bezahlt… (ich habe übrigens tatsächlich als einziger der 16 Personen unserer Gruppe die Matte selber aufgeblasen😅)

      Morgen wird dann ein spannender Tag. Nach heute (350 Hm) machen wir morgen 1115 Hm Aufstieg. Mit über 4000 Meter beim „Dead Womans Pass“ wird der Aufstieg nicht gerade leicht. Aber wir werden sehen😉 Im Zelt ist es momentan etwas zu feucht aber ist es im Schlafsack warm😄
      Read more

    • Day 7

      Train Ride to Machu Piccu

      May 30, 2022 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

      Inca Rail bi-modal from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, going back on Peru Rail to San Pedro. I like Inca Rail better, should have gone to MP in the afternoon on the same day we arrived then take the morning train back to Cusco.Read more

    • Day 30

      Day One: Inca Trail Begins

      May 31, 2023 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

      "The Journey is the Destination"

      This was the motto for our four day trek through the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. This trek has been the number one bucket list item for me since grade seven and to have fulfilled this dream is so special to me. Over the next few posts, I will try to sum up the indescribable beauty and adventure that we have experienced over the past four days. This was an exhausting yet unbelievably rewarding trek... But I'm getting ahead of myself, let's start at the beginning.

      Day 1: we wake up at 03:00am in order to be ready for our 03:30am departure time. We are hiking the Inca Trail using the company Alpaca Expeditions. We meet our two guides Marisol and Lizandro and hop on a bus for 2.5 hours until we are out of Cusco and into the town of Ollantaytambo. In this town we get our first breakfast and a chance to get to know the other 14 people we will be hiking with. We then continue for 20 mins to the start of the trail.

      The first section of the trail is very flat and easy for about 1.5 hours. This is what is considered the warm up to help you get used to using the hiking poles. We then had 2.5 hours of Incan flats... which aren't actually flat. They are just constant alternating uphills and downhills; however they are not very steep. During this part of the hike we stopped a few times to learn some history about the towns we were walking through and about the Inca trail as a whole. We then continued to the lunch spot and had a delicious meal before continuing for our final 2 hours of hiking for the day. These two hours were constant uphill and were the most difficult part of the day. We got into our campsite at around 4:30pm.

      We then relaxed for about an hour before starting happy hour... Which is where you drink tea and hot chocolate and have popcorn while chatting with the rest of the group in the dining tent. We then had dinner and went straight into the tent for bed. One of the other travelers in the tent next to us was one of the loudest snorers I have ever heard. I had to listen to music to try and drown him out and sleep... Luckily I was so tired from the day I passed out pretty quickly.

      The Inca Trail is just as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one. You have to motivate yourself to keep putting one foot in front of the other even when you're tired, sore, and blistered and you have been hiking for 5+ hours already. For me day one was the toughest in that regard. While it was not as physically demanding, whenever we were on a tough section of incline it was a bit daunting thinking of day 2 (which is the notoriously difficult day where you have to summit two peaks and hike uphill for 6+ hours). That being said, I had a great first day. The guides were hilarious and so helpful and the porters and cooks were phenomenal. Everything was very well organized and the views were beautiful.
      Read more

    • Day 22

      Inca Trail - Day 1

      August 15, 2022 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

      First Day

      On 15 August I set out on the Inca Trail. The Inca Trail is an iconic 4-day, 3-night hike which leads travellers from km 82 (the start point 40 minutes outside the town of Ollantaytambo) all the way to Machu Picchu via its exclusive Sun Gate.

      The good news is that it’s only 31 miles. The bad news? A significant chunk of that is up steep, narrow Andean mountain paths at altitude.

      We had porters with us all the way to carry the tents and other cooking and camping equipment, and most of our own kit too. They were amazing - they would set up camp for us, cook us amazing three course meals (unlike any camping food I have ever prepared, eaten or even heard of!), then after we had set off, pack up camp, run on ahead and set up camp again ready for our arrival!

      On the first day we were picked up from our hotel around 5am and driven to the start point, collecting our porters on the way.

      I set out on the hike around 8.30am with a family of five - a dad, Jeff, and his son Jake and sons-in-law, Geoff, Robbie and Drew.

      Day one was supposedly an 'easy day', only 7.5 miles and not at altitude, but a large proportion was in the hot sun and it didn't feel easy! (I later learned that due to a landslide a few months ago the route had been changed, and so was harder and longer than planned).

      After a welcome stop for lunch, we made it to the campsite around 4.30 pm. Dinner was waiting and, shattered, we turned in for the night at 6.30pm!
      Read more

    • Day 11

      Machu Picchu Day 2

      July 4, 2016 in Peru ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

      Happy July 4th!
      It was another beautiful 70 degree day in Peru. High temperatures have been between 70 and 75 each day though usually in the 40s and 50s at night.
      We had another opportunity today to go back into Machu Picchu. We arrived up the mountain at 9:30a, perfect timing for our 10:00 hike up Wayna (also spelled Huayna) Picchu. Only 400 people are allowed to hike up this mountain per day, 200 at 7am and 200 at 10am. There's a picture below, of the mountain in behind the gate. We had read that the hike was harrowing and STEEP. Both were right but mostly the latter. The hike up, which took us 53 minutes, was made up, primarily, of stone stairs, some at a 75-80 degree angle. We took it slow though and most of it was manageable. Views from the top were, once again, spectacular. It took us 38 minutes to descend.
      After that, we left Machu Picchu and took the bus back to Aguas Calientes. We walked to our hotel, Inkaterra, and cleaned up. They allow use of their showers even after check out. Lunch was included at the hotel, so we had a delicious lunch there. We took a walk through the hotel's Orchid garden though the flowers are, disappointingly, not in bloom this time of year. Still, a pretty walk and we did find begonias! Lucky us. 😉
      We walked the 5 minutes to the train station and left on the 4:22 train back to Ollantaytambo. They had a man in costume dance in the aisles and then had an alpaca wool fashion show by the train attendants. Flight attendants have it easy!
      Once we arrived, we were met by our driver from several days ago, Cero and another, English speaking guide. We drove nearly 2 hours to Cusco where we checked in at the Costa del Sol (a Ramada hotel). The hotel looks very charming and our room is nice. We walked into the city square which is beautiful and very European. We found a small trattoria to eat in and had some good Italian food.
      On our drive in to Cusco, I was reminded of an interesting thing about Peru. There are dogs EVERYWHERE! Our guides have told us they all belong to someone thought it's difficult to imagine. They all appear to roam the streets at will. What is fascinating is that you don't see dog feces anywhere nor have I seen any dog urinating. Not sure who is cleaning the streets as we haven't seen that either! Maybe these dogs don't require this bodily function?
      Off to bed - hope the fireworks 🎆 were great for you tonight!
      Read more

    • Day 4

      Lunch stop (day 1)

      April 8, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

      Just before lunch we stopped to see out first ruin: from high above it we could see the signature terraces as well as the watchtower overlooking them.

      From here, the descent was steep to lunch...seemingly counterproductive given the effort of the morning's climb. The arrival at lunch was, however, phenomenal. Our group is 13 people, for which we have a team of 22 porters and 2 guides. The porters ran - literally ran - ahead of us, each carrying around 25kg. This includes our own duffle bags, as well as group kit. For lunch, they had a full military operation - a dining tent laid out with tableclothed tables and cutlery over which they served us an amazing three course meal.

      Mercifully, while all this was going on, the rain broke and we emerged from lunch rather heavier but drier, and ready to tackle an apparently more challenging afternoon.
      Read more

    • Day 10

      Camino de Inca

      March 14, 2022 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

      Vor 3 Tagen mussten wir uns also ohne Patrick auf den Weg machen, um den Inkatrail zu begehen. Schweren Herzens ließen wir ihn um 4 Uhr morgens im Hotel zurück und wurden zum Start des Trails gebracht. Auf was wir uns da eingelassen hatten, wurde uns erst im Laufe der nächsten Tage so richtig klar. Zunächst schien es sich nur um eine recht normale Wanderung zu handeln - aber gibt es eine „normale“ Wanderung im Hochgebirge überhaupt? Bei Sonnenschein wanderten wir los in Richtung unseres ersten Nachtlagers, besuchten auf dem Weg eine Inkastätte und konnten den Tag noch genießen. Im Verlauf zeigte sich jedoch einer unserer Mitstreiter der Höhe und den Steigungen nicht gewachsen, so dass er am nächsten Morgen das Camp in Richtung Ausgangspunkt verließ, während wir uns auf den anspruchsvollsten Teil der Reise machten: 15 Kilometer, 2 Pässe mit 4200 und 3900 Metern Höhe, 12 Stunden Wanderung über grobe Steinplatten und glitschige Stufen, dass wir die große Höhe merkten war nicht zu verleugnen. Durchgehend Regen, Aussicht an den Pässen gleich null. Und das Nachtlager am ehesten mit einem Sumpf vergleichbar. Nun muss man jedoch ein Wort über unsere „Ausstattung“ verlieren: Wir wurden begleitet von unserem Guide Rene, einem Koch, einem Sous-Chef und insgesamt 7 Trägern, die unsere Zelte transportierten. Wir waren also rundum umsorgt und konnten uns täglich über herrlich angerichtete Mahlzeiten und am dritten Tag sogar über einen selbstgemachten Kuchen freuen!
      Am dritten Tag besserte sich das Wetter etwas und an das Aufstehen um 5 Uhr hatten wir uns auch ganz gut gewöhnt. Erstmal war es aber weiterhin ziemlich nass, doch immerhin ging es an diesem Tag „nur“ über einen Pass von 3600 m. Danach folgten 3 Stunden Marsch bergab über unregelmäßig in Stein gehauene Treppen im andinen Regenwald. Nachdem wir die Wolken durchbrochen hatten, zeigte sich uns endlich ein großartiges Andenpanorama und wir besuchten noch eine letzte Inkastätte, nun bei Sonnenschein, um uns vor dem 4. und letzten Tag des Camino de Inca auszuruhen. An diesem hieß es nämlich bereits um 03:40 Uhr mitten in der Nacht „Raus aus den Federn“ und los zum Sonnentor, einem Pass mit Inkagebäuden und theoretisch mit Blick auf Machu Picchu, das Ziel des Camino de Inca. Nach Sonnenaufgang konnten wir jedoch zunächst nur einen unscharfen Blick durch die noch dichte Wolkendecke auf das Ziel unserer Reise werfen, weshalb wir uns schließlich dazu entschieden, den Weg zu Ende zu bringen. Nach einer weiteren Stunde hatten wir es geschafft: wir waren in Machu Picchu! Hier trafen wir auch endlich Patrick wieder, der mit uns der Führung von Rene durch diese magische Stadt folgte. Machu Picchu ist definitiv die Reise und auch die Anstrengung des Inkatrails wert!
      Schließlich ging es gemeinsam mit Zug und Bus zurück nach Cuzco, so dass wir unser viertägiges Abenteuer Camino de Inca abschließen konnten.
      Read more

    • Day 4

      Our 3rd stop after the 3rd hill...

      April 8, 2017 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

      So the day began with a bit of a hill followed by a flat-ish, undulating trail. Sadly, that was not to last. There big hills and three pit stops later, we reached the high point before lunch.

      The ascents themselves are challenging enough, though not unreasonable. But the altitude simply takes your breath, meaning even at a slow pace these hills require what our guide would call PMA - positive mental attitude.

      Nonetheless the views at the top and the sense of achievement make it thoroughly worthwhile.
      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Chamana

    Join us:

    FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android