Matchu Pitchu

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We made it to the famous Inca site that we were so keen to get to....eventually!

We trekked down the Colca Canyon in Arequipa, Carina was quite worried that she would have to live down there as the 2 and half hour walk uphill was steep! The first 2 days we trekked to the bottom and then along the base next to the river. It was beautiful. We got to see the local villages which, due to the semi tropical climate, grows tropical fruit like avocados, figs, and lots of Peruvian fruit. Peru seems to have a lot a fruit which we have never seen before, so we have grouped the lot together as Peruvian fruit!

The second day we camped at an oasis at the bottom. It was tucked in the valley and was lovely to swim and clean the sweat off from the last few days! The third day was the climb from hell...uphill....it actually wasnt as bad as ppl told us and we made up the steep gravel path, overtaken by donkeys in a relatively short time. This is the only path out of the canyon and the local record was 45mins, so 2.5hrs wasnt bad for a tourist.....right....!

From Arequipa we did a night bus to Cusco. Spent 4 days in Cusco recharging the batteries and finally having a slightly easier time of it. We did the catherdral and lots of other churches. Then we met up with the GAP group doing the Lares trek with us. Only a smal group of 4 ppl including us! That night we stayed in a 3star hotel, the first of our trip. We spent the afternoon watching the TV and showering. We were very impressed to find towel, soap and even a hot tap. In Bolivia and Peru the showers are electric of sorts and the water is luke warm at best. As u can imagine we were in luxuary that night.
Next day we did a tour of the Sacred Valley and saw a heep of Inca site, including Moray, an argicultral area which was concentric circles dug in to the ground. The deeper you went down the hotter it got, so a microclimate. In the bottom they grew their tropical fruit and at the top the corn where it is colder- clever Incas!

Spent the night in Ollantaytambo after seeing the ruins there. There is the sun temple and lots of terraces which supported the palace area on the hill and where they could grow their veg. It was only the next day we started to walk. The Lares trek is a pointess trek and we would not have done it by choice. It was only 2 full days of walking, the last day we walked down the road...totally pointless as the minibus with the tents etc overtook us! However the guide was good, and the porters, cook and herdsmen were faultless. We had horsed to carry the kit over the mountain, they were lead by a man we named Duracel as he ran after them all day long. Well apart from one morning when we left and a man ran after us and told the guide a horse all loaded and ready to go had run off and they were trying to find him. The first night he also brought his llamas which slept in the same field as us. They kept escaping over the wall and he had to chase them back, very funny for us to watch! The cook had snacks and produced yummy 2 course dinners of a 2 ring cooker off the floor! The tents were up in camp when we arrived. All in all we were treated very well! Oh except the toilet which on the last night consisted of a hole dug in the groud surrounded by tarp that didnt quite close, Carina, being the only girl wasnt too impressed when a chicken poked its head around!

Once we finshed our pointless walk back to Ollantaytambo, we got a train up to Aquas Caliente, where the next morning you have to get the bus up to Matchu Pitchu. We were up at 4am, to get in line for the bus at 5am, and up to Matchu Pitchu for 6am when the gates open. We were very excited to get there for sunrise, only to watch it rise from the line for the bus. Then when we arrived in Matchu Pitchu it was covered in fog/cloud. We couldnt see a thing. So disappointing, especially since we had been up since 4am. But then our luck changed, by the time the guide arrived at 8 the cloud was clearing and we began to see the ruined city. Amazing site, and such a relief. The weather was beautiful for the rest of the day, we were very lucky. We got a tour of the site, then went up to climb up Huayna pitchu. This was a really steep muddy climb to the top of a small mountain to get a veiw over Matchu Pitchu. Beautiful photos as now it was hot and sunny. Then we slid down the steep path back to Matchu Pitchu and explored the temples. There are many temples of the sun, moon, 3 windows etc. Then we trekked another hour uphill to the sun gate. This is where the Inca trail enters Matchu Pitchu, but that morning they would have trekked in the fog. We saw the amazing veiw as it appears from the gate, would be great end to the Inca trail. We left the site at 4.30pm, so spent ages there, got the bus back down, and then dinner and got the train to K82. Due to the landslides the train line doesnt continue back to Cusco, so we had to get 2 buses and arrived in Cusco at the posh hotel at 2am. We were disappointed not to be able to make use of the posh fascilities, as check out was at 9am the next day!

From Cusco we went to Nazca to see the Nazca lines. Decided we werent rich enough to fly over them. So we took a tour to see them from the view point where we saw the hand, the tree and the lizard. They were made 800AD so suprising they have suvived so well. Some of the lines have car tyre tracks through them which is a shame but you can still make them out. We also went to a cemetry for the Nazca ppl where it was standard pracice to mummify everyone. In the desert they have dug out some of the tombs and arranged these mummies with their pots etc and massively long hair! creepy.

From Nazca to Huacachina via Ica. Huacachina is a true oasis in the middle of the desert. It is the base for all the tourist to go sandboarding. A buggy took us up into the dunes and then we lay on a snowboard equivilent and slid down the dunes. Really fun, and sand got everywhere. The dunes got progressively steeper and the last one was a double hump, and Russ managed to get airbourne! Fun but painful, Carina still has the bruises.

Then to Lima. Not a great deal to see, they have a long changing of the guard ceremony with a brass band. But you cant get close enough to see as the riot police are out in force! Went to the catherdral, few free museums and to the cuban embassy to get our visas. Bus to Trujillo and visited the ruins of Chan Chan another pre Inca society. Then to the border town of Tumbes where we did a dodgy border crossing in to Ecuador.

We only have a week in Ecuador due to the late running Lares trek. We made straight for Cuenca in the mountains. Unfortuantly we arrived yesterday, Saturday, and its one of those places which closes lunch time saturday and opens again on Monday. Not that useful but a day to relax before heading up to Banos and then to Quito where we fly to Cuba. Ecuador seems to be much richer compared to Peru, nicer houses etc and more white ppl, compared to just the Andean ppl, interesting.

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