Blogs from Coquequirao, Cusco, Peru, South America
March 13th 2012
After saying ciao to Bolivia it was time to say Hola Peru and first stop... Puno. We werent dreading this bus as much as it was only a 3 hour one from copacabana. When we reached the Peruvian border you could say it was the quickest line we had experienced to date and we were impressed with their efficiency. Our luck quickly changed and we should have guessed it was almost too good to be true. the bus driver announced that the bus couldn't take us any further because there were road blockages ahead. He casually said you need to take your luggage and walk 15 km to the bus terminal in the next town. Was he kidding?! Did he realise our backpacks weighed 18kgs? A guy on our bus kicked off at the driver screaming ... read more
July 21st 2009
A group of 10 of us from Amuata Spanish School decided to trek to Choquequirao. The name means “Cradle of Gold” and this Inca ‘City’ is very similar in structure and architecture to Machu Picchu (and is referred to as its 'sister'). The 5 day trek to Choquequirao included ourselves, 2 guides, 2 cooks, 3 donkeys and for music 3 guitars & a mandolin! On average over 500 people visit Machu Picchu per day, but only 1% of those go on to do this trek. We only met 5 others at the ruins. The scenery and peace was amazing. Each night we lit bonfires, drank rum and played the guitars under the stars... ... read more
#61 - Sur les traces d'Indiana Jones (14-24/11/2008)
Published: December 4th 2008South America » Peru » Cusco » Coquequirao
November 24th 2008
Après deux journées d'intense préparation à Cuzco, nous sommes enfin prêts pour attaquer les neufs jours de marche qui nous mèneront au pied des célèbres ruines de l'ancienne cité Inca de Machu Picchu. Nous avons choisi de suivre un chemin de randonnée différent du sentier de référence appelé "l'Inca Trail", très prisé des randonneurs étrangers, qui passent par une agence de voyage et payent plusieurs centaines de dollars américains pour marcher le long de différentes ruines pendant quatre jours, le tout accompagnés d'un guide obligatoire, de cuistos, de plusieurs muletiers... Grâce aux précieux conseils d'une excellente association de randonneurs appelée "South American Explorers" (SAE) basée à Cuzco, nous montons notre petite expédition vers le Machu Picchu en décidant de faire route par la vallée de l'Apurimac et des ruines de l'ancienne cité Inca d... read more
Choquequirao: Playing second fiddle to Machu Picchu but not for much longer
Published: May 20th 2008South America » Peru » Cusco » Coquequirao
May 4th 2008
Choquequirao: Cradle of Gold I'm standing on a ridge, gazing down on the ruins of what was once believed to be the legendary last city of the Incas. The buildings of this ruined Inca city, unknown to the Spanish Conquistadores, and hence not destroyed, lie just below me, while in the distance I can hear the roar of the mighty river as it weaves it's way though lush valleys and under beautiful mountains towards Cusco. This scene might sound familiar to anyone who has been been to Machu Picchu, but I'm in fact at a different Inca site, less visited and less celebrated, but no less compelling: Choquequirao, the Cradle of Gold. Machu Picchu is, for many, the single reason for a visit to Peru, perhaps even to South America. But the ruined city and many ... read more
In search of an Inca city (and maybe a bear) in deepest, darkest Peru
Published: May 17th 2008South America » Peru » Cusco » Coquequirao
May 3rd 2008
After our Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu both Barry and I were feeling fit and ready for another challenge. When visiting the Inca Museum in Cusco we came across an exhibition on Choquequirao, said to be a "sister city" of Machu Picchu. We also read that it was a tough trek to get there but well worth the effort as the site is as impressive as Machu Picchu but receives a small fraction of the number of visitors. This was enough to whet our appetites and so, a few agencies later, we had booked ourselves onto a 4 day trek to visit the ruins. We had decided to go with an agency (Cusqueñan Tours) that gave us a cheap price and we liked the idea of our bags and equipment all being carried for us and ... read more
December 4th 2007
Amazing few weeks. To begin: A night in the Inca ruins at Pisac in the Sacred Valley with three great people, and a sky that danced with us to fend of the cold. A couple days before leaving for the trek two French guys, and Swedish woman, and I took a bus to Pisac and hiked up to the ruins at dusk after the guards retired. There we spent the night walking among the Tolkienesque structures in the moonlight and used body heat for warmth on a sort of lookout platform above the ruins. We stayed up until dawn, feeling sufficiently small under the incredible southern hemisphere stars and the Voie Lactée (the French word makes ¨Milky Way¨ sound like something you buy at a Dairy Queen). I do not think I have ever been a ... read more
April 20th 2006
Bueno, quien hubiera dicho que de ser guia del camino mas peligroso del mundo iria a torturarme por 5 dias en un estupido trek en medio del Peru. Parecia estupido al principio, porque tuve que cargar una mochila de unos 50 kilos talvez, por supuestos 4 dias hacia Choque Quirao; las 2das o 3ras ruinas en importancia en todo el Peru. Digo supuestos 4 dias porque ese es el tiempo que todos nos dijeron que nos tomaria porque ese es el tiempo que le tomaria a cualquier trekker decente. Bueno asi que asi comenzo: Despues de cruzar la frontera desde La Paz, Bolivia por Copacabana, llegamos a Puno, una ciudad al borde del lago Titicaca, pero nada interesante, lo unico que hicimos ahi es tomar unas cuantas cervezas lo que hizo que subiera a la flota ... read more
