The Gringo Trail

Saying goodbye to Iquitos, I headed down south to Arequipa for the classic gringo trail, that takes you on a loop through the Andes Mountains around to Puno and ending in Cuzco to see Machu Pichhu. There are few cities I´ve seen as gorgeously (albeit dangerously) situated as Arequipa--the towering Mount Misti, capped with snow year around, stands against the backdrop of the city--several other famous peaks surroung the city, creating a beautiful landscape for sunrise and sunset when the sun´s rays play off the mountains and the clouds. Of course, this is a hotspot for volcanic activity and earthquakes, and the city has been destroyed and rebuilt many times since its founding in the 1500s by the Spanish.

The city center itself reminded me of the plazas from Spain--an old colonial cathedral, intricate iron railings on the second floor balconies of the buildings surrounding the squares. In the evenings, the square was packed with families and entertainers sitting by the fountain, or just enjoying the fresh mountain air.

I took advantage of the city´s position in the center of natural beauty to do a bit of river-rafting and hiking. Fortunately for me, I didn´t fall into the freezing water--but did get to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Rio Chili on the half day ride. My hike took me through an agricultural area to one of the popular local waterfalls. The farmers in the region are masters of irrigation since rain does not fall year round--what a change from the Amazon where water is in such abundance as to often be a nuisance--the landscape was mostly rolling hills and mountains with irrigation canals zigzagging through.

My favorite thing about Arequipa was the food--finally a city that truly understands the meaning of picante! Their speciality is the rocoto relleno, a stuffed pepper, which had that kind of delayed heat, where you think you can handle it, and 30 seconds later are putting everything possible into your mouth to stop the fire while tears are streaming down your face. Good stuff.

After Arequipa, I moved on to Puno, itself not a particularly interesting or fun town--it reminded me a bit of a mouse´s maze, with the buildings crammed in together so tightly you could barely see the sky. It is, however, the perfect stop off point to make it to the islands of Lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the world (about 12,000 feet). I headed out first to the island of Uros Islands, inhabited by the Uros people. The islands are made entirely of reed, with each island having a lifespan of about 75 years. Each week, the Uros must cut down more reeds and pack down the ground of the island, as the reeds on the bottom rot. It is thought that the Uros originally constructed the islands during the wars between the Aymara and Incas. The islands today are made up of a few thousand people, who share the profits from tourism among themselves.

After that, we headed to Isla Taquile inhabited by a Quechua speaking population that are likely descended from the Incas. The island is its own world entirely--beautiful rolling hills and lookouts to the brilliant blue lake, with the snowy peaks of the Cordillera Real of Bolivia in the distance. The community of the island continue to adhere to traditional ways, with a mix of religion between Inca customs and the Catholic religion. The men carry coca leaves in pouches which are offered to other men in passing as a symbol of respect (not having any coca leaves on you, or not offering coca leaves can be considered a grave insult) and the women wear flowers in the their hats to indicate whether they are single or married. This island, like the floating islands, definitely feels a bit over-touristed, but given the idyllic views and the glimpse into a society very different from one most of us know, I can understand why so many people want to visit the island.

And finally, I made my way to Cuzco for the grand trek to Machu Picchu...

---

---