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Published: December 17th 2009
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For many Macchu Pichu is the sole reason for their trip to Peru. We were shocked to find out that the entrance fees had doubled in the last 2 years and were now ten times higher than any other tourist attraction in the country. Nevertheless, you have to go, despite my anger at the poverty in the area and the fact that all the money raised goes to the fat cats in Lima. And that is not an inconsiderable amount. In high season, 2500 visit the sanctuary every day raking in over $100,000 for the government.
Macchu Pichu
There are several routes to the ruins which lie only 50km from Cusco, over a series of impassable peaks many of which remain unclimbed to this day. You can either take the train which ranges from Backpacker ($80pp) to Hiram Bingham 1st Class ($600pp), or you can make your own way around ´the back´ via Santa Teresa. We chose the later to save money and embarked upon a 10 hour journey. Six hours to Santa Maria on public bus, 90 mins in a ´taxi´ to Santa Teresa along unpaved roads, 90 mins more in a combi to a hydro-electric plant on
the Rio Urubamba and a two hour walk along the ´disused´train tracks into Aguas Calientes. When I say disused I mean in full use, but I´m just using the words in Lonely Planet. From here it was a further 500m climb up to MP Sanctuary to avoid the $14 pp bus fare! We´re really on a budget.
The ruins were clad in low cloud at 5am when we arrived (first, naturally, having overtaken 33 people on the ascent in the dark and a good 15 mins ahead of the first bus from Aguas Calientes). The cloud soon lifted enough to reveal the famous stone city and it was a breathtaking site despite our high expectations. We hired a guide for a two hour tour which was very worthwhile and saw the streams of Inca Trekkers arrive mid morning. We were glad we hadn´t taken this expensive option ($300pp) as our would be companions looked like amateurs (!) walking in flip flops etc.
Wayna Pichu (the big hill at the back was covered in cloud) and we decided to spend our time exploring instead of climbing. The ruins only had 500 visitors on the day which enabled it to
retain an air of mystique. Plenty of people were touching up rocks claiming to feel the power of the place run throw them.
I won´t go on about the history of the place but their is a vigourous air of hatred for Hiram Bingham, the American credited with the discovery. All the Peruvian literature describes his achievement as a ´rediscovery´and lists the locals who went first but didn´t tell anyone about it! They complain that the artifacts from the ruins remain largely in the possession of American collectors and at Yale University and suggest that had they found it first they would have left all the gold and silver exactly where it was!
There is much made of the fact that the site looks (a tiny bit) like a condor. The Incan levels of spirituality were heaven (represented by the condor), earth (Puma), underworld (snake). There is no evidence whatsoever to back up all the coincidences regarding "this rock looks like a Puma´s foot doesn´t it" but it is nice to see the passion of the native guides.
Lake Titicaca
The Lake that the Inca reveered so much is indeed a spectacular one containing several beautiful
islands inhabited by decendants of that mighty group. It is billed as the highest navigable lake in the world although this is not true - at least two are higher - but it is by far the most incredible high BIG lake in South America and sits at approximately 3800m above sea level. We took a bus from Cusco and arrived at Copacabana 10 hours later. Despite a conversation something like the one below we had three changes on route. (I´ll translate to English for ease)
Me: Is the bus direct?
Bus ticket seller (BTS): Oh yes.
Me: So it doesn´t stop at the border?
BTS: No, definitely not.
Me: And it we don´t change bus on arrival in Bolivia for Copacabana?
BTS: No, don´t be silly.
Well they have a nasty habit of lying to you as they know you´re not coming back! The bus stopped somewhere in east Peru and we got off and transferred to a tiny minibus filled with 20 gringos! Another hour in to the journey we reached the border and were told to get out and go through immigration. This wasn´t open for another hour. Finally we got in another minibus and
drove the 10 miles to Copacabana.
Lake Tit (more specifically the Isla Del Sol) is the birthplace of the first Inca ruler, Manco Capac and his sister-wife. They are said to have been brought up from the depths of the lake. Manco arrived in this world with a 2m long golden lance, which was handy as he was then asked to poke it in the land here and there until he found a spot in which the lance sank. This would be the fertile region of land that the Inca´s should use as their capital. Would you believe it worked in Cusco and the rest is history.
We took a ferry to the Isla Del Sol and were allowed to camp in a local´s garden. The garden backed on to a cove where the waters lapped up allowing the ´incredibly free range´ pigs, donkeys, cows, chickens and sheep to bathe and snuffle about. We ate fresh fish for 80p each and walked around the Island in the morning as the sun rose. We saw the rock of the Puma which is just a rock but apparently looks kind of like a Puma when the light is just right.
In the evening I accidently kicked a pipe in a toilet and created a massive flood of the house! A chap from the beach came over and fixed it while I watched helplessly and feeling very guilty. It worked perfetly after an hour or so and he wouldn´t accept any of the cash that I offered him.
We´re now in La Paz and are off to the witches market later to see if we can buy a Llama heart!
Good times in Bolivia.
Love to everyone.
George and Lindsay
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skinny
george, you are looking skinny! where you crazy kids gonna be for christmas?