South America - a brief encounter: 3 * PERU - Cusco and Iquitos *

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This is the 3rd ‘episode’ of another of 'our' travel experiences.

The collective ‘episodes’ (this being the third) describe our journey from our arrival in Buenos Aires (Sth America) from the 1st week of October for an extended tea-bag experience of this huge continent. Like home, the continent is huge. In the few weeks available to us, we can only experience a few locations - a (tea-bag) dunk here, another there, and so on. After a few days in Buenos Aires, we flew to Lima for a 'dunk' into a few selected locations. We then fly to Chile to do some more 'tea-bagging'. We'll eventually make our way back to Argentina and our departure home.



We attach a few pics to give a flavour of our journey, and some may 'flow over' past the dialogue. If we do this, you may need to manually go to the 'spillover' page to see them.



As always, if you want to 'see' more detail in an accompanying picture, click it to enlarge.

A summary (for those with limited time)...

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Wednesday morning saw us leave Puno for the 400km trip to Cusco. From the bus window, we saw much change in scenery. Thursday in Cusco had us wandering around in glorious sunshine at some of the Inca ruins adjacent to the city. We also tried local food at the Cusco market. Friday was drizzly and we headed off by bus and train to Aguas Calientes - the village beside Machu Piccu ruins. The weather forecast for Saturday was more drizzle so we were really happy that it opened sunny and so we were able to really enjoy Machu Piccu. Late that evening we returned to Cusco for an early start to head north. Sunday was a travel day - Cusco to Lima (early) and Lima to Iquitos (late). We'd gone from 4000m and cold to 100m and tropical heat!. Monday we headed up the Amazon River to a jungle lodge, where we stayed till Wednesday when we returned to Lima.

Wednesday 12th October; Puno to Cusco...

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Departing Puno in glorious sunshine, the bus battled the traffic uphill. Puno is set on the edge of Lake Titicaca and at this point of the lake, the terrain rises some 800m to the Alto Plana. It took the driver some half hour before we were 'out'. Along the way we continued observing seemingly half built dwellings. Very little was what we'd call a finished building. When asking, we'd been advised that some time ago the Peruvian government regulated that building development costs to be a tax deduction for property owners. Apparently the populace took to this with vigour, building the ground floor to livable stage and slowly adding more and more floors above as earnings allowed. The construction method is a concrete slab floor, multiple concrete piers with brick and window/door infill and a concrete ceiling / floor. To facilitate further 'development' the concrete reinforcing is extended beyond the 'current' level. For us who are accustomed to 'completed' buildings, it certainly isn't a good look.



Despite the sunshine, the temperature was still cold; 6 C. The altitude certainly makes a difference as Puno is on the same latitude as Port Douglas!



Now on the road north (which we were unable to see on the way into Puno due to being squashed into another bus and at night) the terrain was flat and open. Gradually, ever so gradually, the barren soil accumulated a fuzzy coat of grasses. It wasn't till well after Juliaca that grazing type grasses appeared. As the distance between Puno and Cusco is some 400 km, we figured we'd traversed about 50 km before seeing grass! That said, the grasses were dry and brown. Over time, the flat lands made way for rolling hills, then rugged snow capped mountains appeared in the distance. About half way along the journey, the landscape became quite scenically attractive. Now trees began to appear in the landscape. But, not any sort of tree - only one species; the Australian Brush Box . In places, we could see they were being planted out in plantations. Elsewhere, we could see the trunk producing many saplings - each trunk being harvested when the saplings were about 150mm (6 inches) in diameter. We observed these sapling trunks were cut into 3/4 of a metre length, split and (later we noted) used for firewood. And (as we saw later) like SE Asia, the posts are also used asbuilding props.



We were fascinated by the 'demeanour' of the villages we passed. Some were scruffy, unkempt and downright dirty, while others clean and often quite pretty. Unlike home, the degree of variation was quite marked. Some of the larger towns had 'mushroom' camps on the outskirts. We'd learned that these squatter type camps appear rapidly and are called 'mushroom' settlements by Peruvians. Apparently, when work becomes available in a town / city / region, poor Peruvians flock to the jobs (from elsewhere in Peru). And, as Peruvian businesses follow the American model of paying just wages (no benefits), money for accommodation is tight. We'd heard (when in Arequipo) that the Peruvian gov't requires firms to pay healthcare and contribute to age pension. But, this occurs at the completion of 12 months employment. hence, workers are fired after 11 months!



Eventually the bus arrived into the Cusco bus station. After a short taxi ride to the hotel and check-in, we successfully went exploring for a craft ale and dinner. We also noticed that the 'swirling' and 'buzziness' had returned, so decided these were symptoms of bus travel not elevation. Then again, it could have been both.

Thursday 13th October; Cusco...

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Given the focus in Cusco for tourism being the ruins of the Inca 'empire', we commenced 'our' journey by going to some sites close to the city centre; Saqsaywaman , Tambomachay and Puka Pukara . The links provided will explain each. For us mere visitors (ie. not archeologists), the sites were impressive for two reasons. First, it was a magically sunny day and anywhere we visited would have been great. Second, we could not comprehend how an 'empire' that lasted just on one century had enabled such an immense construction and also across such a vast region. While the Spanish (conquistadors) had removed most of the more manageable stones to build churches and administrative buildings, the finely carved boulders that remain in situ were clearly beyond the engineering capabilities of the Spanish. Even today, massive cranes would be needed.



Reading the background of the 'loss' of Saqsaywaman, apparently the Spanish were down to the last 50 soldiers when the Inca leader decided to up stakes and retreat to the hill fortress of Ollantaytambo. Hindsight suggests his was an unfortunate decision.



The 'link' to the Inca 'empire', explains only the duration of the empire. It does not explain the antecedents. We were at a loss to understand how an 'empire' could suddenly emerge without previous (smaller?) examples. It was if the Cusco locals woke up one day and decided they were going to be an 'empire'. Much later we learnt to background. And, it is a classic case of 'development'! historians and archaeologists indicate that as farming methods became enhanced, populations grew. Over time, boundary and territory conflicts occurred. It would appear that much of the western side of the Andes were in perpetual conflict. By the use of deception, aggression and 'favours' the Inca's sought to expand from their city state of Cusco. Clearly, they were exceptionally successful. It appears the central tenet was that they not only were able to expand, but also brought work (and money), order and a sense of stability to those included in the expansion. The rest, as they say, is history.



Given what we'd heard - that Cusco is tourism central - we were surprised by the lack of tourists visiting these sites. Not that it mattered to us. On paper, the first site (Saqsaywaman) was some 2km away, but looking at the hill on which we would need to climb we opted for a taxi. The road route was far longer than 2km. We saw the direct route; it was so awfully steep we were glad we'd opted to be 'chauffeured'. After enjoying ourselves at Saqsaywayan - and the wildlife (or lawnmowers) - we opted for another taxi ride to the next site (Puka Pukara). Along the road the taxi driver was stopped by a police blockade. Here, every motorist was being interrogated, and in the case of this taxi driver issued a fine for an irregularity on one of his papers. Tax collection via policing is global, but this was such an inefficient (and potentially corrupt) method.



After Tambomachay, we'd felt the 40km drive to the 'next' site wasn't desirable so we caught the local bus back to Cusco. At the bus station, we caught a taxi to the Central market for 'lunch'. Here, vendors were selling typical market fare, but a large space had been given over to 'fast food'. We selected river fish ceviche (a Peruvian staple) and fried rice. Yummy as it was, a drink was in order and we didn't aspire to the offerings we saw in this 'shed'. next door, fruit vendors were selling juices and we opted for a freshly squeezed Pomello drink. That was especially good.



We took a taxi to the Church of Santo Domingo - now also a museum. As the link shows, the site was the most central to the Incan Empire and after conquest, the Spanish had it demolished and rebuilt as a Church. From that link:



"One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the western hemisphere, Cuzco was the political and religious capital of the Inca Empire of Tawantinsuyu (Tawantinsuyu, meaning ‘Four Quarters of the Earth’). The original Quechua name of the city was Qosqo, meaning ‘navel’ or ‘center’ but the early Spanish conquerors changed the name to Cuzco meaning a hypocrite, humpback or small dog. In 1990 the local government voted to reinstate the original name".



Here at the museum / church site it was not only tourist central, but elbows bedlam. In fact, it was hard to get to see any artifact due to the hordes. After a scant view, we bid our farewell and headed for the hotel, a 'fluff up' before an ale and dinner.

Friday 14th October; Cusco to Machu Piccu...

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Given that this was 'shoulder' season, we'd planned to buy our bus/rail tickets to Machu Piccu the previous day. But, the weather was great and today was not expected to be great so we thought it'd be OK to head out early and grab some seats. Rain overnight confirmed the weather forecast so we took a taxi to the Plaza del Armas (this name means 'parade ground) is in every city/town and it is always used as the centre. The first couple of agencies indicated everything was sold out. As we learned, that actually meant something else; meaning, it is late notice, we'll have to charge you more to get cracking!



We eventually found a great agency who organised everything. The only 'hassle' was that as it was school holidays, we had to take an earlyish train to Machu Piccu and as the cheaper seats on the return journey next day were booked out we had to opt for a late 'luxury' carriage at a premium. Our fault, too bad! But, given that it was a bus then train (both unrelated) journey, having someone sort out the matter (esp. at short notice) was appreciated. While awaiting the paperwork, a parade went past. What it was for is anybody's guess. But, the sound they were generating was anything but harmonious.



The departure train was for 12:30 but the bus had to leave at 10am. So, we got a taxi back to our digs, picked up our bags and the taxi returned us to the bus departure point. We were amazed that in the 20 or so minutes that the taxi took for the return trip, the agent had not only printed up an itinerary and downloaded the tickets for the buses & trains but also met us at the bus departure site.



We duly left Cusco in a minibus for the trip to the train at Ollantaytambo to meet the train. We'd hoped to have had time there to look at the Inca fortress ruins. But, not to be.



The train departed Ollantaytambo and we found ourselves facing the wrong way and on the wrong side. A quick switch changed that. The journey from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes follows the major river - the Rio Urubamba. Descending rapidly, the river pounds over massive boulders. The gorge cuts its way through incredibly steep mountains. And, despite the wet, miserable day, the scenery was stunningly gorgeous. The name Aguas Calientes is otherwise known as Machu Piccu Puebla - but the term Aguas Calientes actually means Hot Water .



There are no taxi's in Aguas. But, everything is walkable. We found our hotel and were given a room beside a boisterous (river) tributary. Judy was in her element - the thought of sleeping with the sound of gushing water relaxed her no end. We went wandering and were amazed at the almost vertical mountain walls. This place would be a rock climber's delight.

Saturday 15th October; Machu Piccu (and beyond)...

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The weather prediction was for much the same as the previous day - wet. To our surprise, the day opened to glorious sunshine. We really had to pinch ourselves to ensure we weren't dreaming.



We'd heard that (a) everyone tries to get up to the site early, so leave after 9, and (2) most leave the site by 2 so thereafter is good to wander. We had a 7pm departure from Aguas so the idea of waiting sounded possible. But, with glorious sunshine we opted to leave at 9am for the 15 minute bus ride up the mountain to the Inca ruins site. Bruce was lucky, he scored a seat next to the driver so could 'snap' his camera along the way.



The crowd at the site entrance was unexpected, but it didn't take long to move through the 'turnstiles'. Lonely Planet suggests heading left and up the slope to catch the best view. Nearly everyone was following the suggestion. Seeing few go right, we went down the slope and shortly found a seat under a thatched roof hut with a birds eye view of the mountains and steep gorge below. We again had to pinch ourselves to ensure it was real. We took our leave and meandered along taking in the 'sights' and marvelling at the skill needed to 'develop' the site to become as it is/was.



Some of the paths were quite narrow and now more visitors appeared around. After about an hour, a park official collared us and told us we were heading against the flow - ie. in the wrong direction. We had to return to whence we came. We then went 'left' and climbed the steep steps to reach the hilltop. Once there, along with everyone else who took this 'hike' we could the layout of the site. Did lonely Planet follow the park management's plan, or vice verca? But it made sense. Being now about 11:30, we decided to lay out on one of the grassed (lawned?) terraces and consume our pre-made lunch we'd ordered from our hotel. In a sunny sky, the large salad and meat roll was delightful. Sitting back relaxing, it was another 'pinch me' moment.



After 'lunch', we noticed the sky starting to fill with clouds. We assumed there'd eventually be a storm so chose to finish our wanderings of the site. Eventually we decided to 'end' the journey and take the bus back down to Aguas. We were not alone, the queue was about a kilometre land and from meeting the queue to arriving in Aguas took just over an hour. We'd read that the stairway down to Aguas took about an hour - so we could have saved the US$30 each for the bus trip. On that note, to buy a bus ticket requirews an identity card. A Peruvian card gains a seat on the bus for US$2, while a passport heralds an income splurge for the bus owner! It's the same for the train.



Back at Aguas, we noted a craft beer 'pub' and decided we had earnt a treat. We'd had the most enjoyable and memorable day. Judy preferred the Pisco Maracuya . After a forgettable pizza and more drinks than we should, we toddled off to collect our bags and go catch a train. The first class seats were more comfortable, but unknown to us the service also included a 3 course meal with wine.



Back at Ollantaytamboo, we got a bus seat at about 9 and awaited the journey back to Cusco. We arrived at the hotel about 11:15 for a 'wake up call' at 3:30 to get to the airport for a 6am flight to Iquitos via Lima.

Sunday 16th October; Iquitos...

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Despite being tired, neither of us slept. The departure of 6am turned out to be 7:30 - but we were not advised! Eventually we arrived in Lima for a 3 hour layover before heading further north to Iquitos . For us, Iquitos was but a gateway to enjoy time in a reserve on the Amazon river. Eventually the plane departed Lima and made a stopover about half way at Pucallpa. We later learned that the road ceases at Pucallpa and all goods from outside the region to Iquitos head down the Amazon River from Pucallpa.



As the plane left Pucallpa and headed for Iquitos, we could see the sheer scale of the Amazon and also the spread of forest. Only the river verges appeared logged. Eventually we arrived and took a taxi to our hotel. We've been in some scary situations, but we've never had such a frenetic taxi ride. Despite being an 6-8 lane road (3-4 each way), the driver found reason to use nearly every lane to get past one of the many 'moto-kars'. A moto-kar is a small motorbike with a trailer joined on the back.



After arrival, we changed from the 'winter' clothes applicable to Cusco to summer gear applicable to the tropics; Iquitos is just 4 degrees south of the equator! Being more comfortable, went looking around town and seeking out dinner possibilities. We had come on a Sunday and in a Catholic frontier town, the church elders had deemed Sunday was a day of rest. Hence, no restaurants were open. We gained a meal at the local pub and retired early to await the morn and the Amazon 'experience'.

Monday 17th October; the Amazon...

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We were picked up by the Muyuna Lodge folk at 8 and taken to the Iquitos HQ for processing (ie. paying the bill), collecting gumboots and joining other guests before walking to the awaiting boat to take us upstream. The 3 hour journey itself was uneventful, save for a sighting of river dolphins. The Lodge is about a 20 minute 'jaunt' up a tributary of the Amazon.



Advertising itself as located on a 'nature reserve' in the Amazon jungle, the blurb that came with the Muyuna Lodge website appeared to offer an interesting variety of options to experience the jungle environs. While we had a 'picture' in our minds about our time at the Lodge, the experience turned out to be quite different (in a good way).



We were particularly interested that the Peruvian couple who owned the business wanted a small footprint and so trained local villagers to provide labour, resources and (some) food. In return for 'fair' wages, the Lodge also ensured the children of the village had access to school and medical facilities.



On arrival, we were introduced to our guide (for the duration of our stay) and shown to our particular 'lodge'; a thatched hut on high stumps with a view over the water. The whole Lodge is set on stilts about 2 metres above ground as in the wet season, the whole area is inundated with floodwaters! Lunch was in about 20 minutes. At lunch our guide advised us to be ready with gum boots at 3pm.



Bruce, eager to explore, headed into the forest at the rear while Judy relaxed in a hammock at the front of the 'Lodge'. At 3pm we were taken by dingy up the tributary to look for animals - monkey's sloth, birds, etc. A couple of hours later we were returned for dinner. Then another boat trip at 7pm before bed at 9. We slept the sleep of the dead!

Tuesday 18th October; the Amazon...

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We were awoken at 5:45 for another boat trip - to look for the elusive pink Dolphin - and breakfast along the way. We saw many grey dolphins (they don't emerge out of the water as 'high' as those in Oz) and the top of several pink dolphins. Apparently, it's quite rare to see them emerge like a grey dolphin. On our return up the creek, we stopped to go 'look' at some Victoria Amazonia - giant lily pads. They were huge - and in flower. On our walk through the forest to get there, we noted many Brush box trees. Clearly, the seeds are readily dispersed. Our guide called them 'firewood' trees. That said, we noted the hardwood is not only used for firewood, but we also noted they were sawing the logs into about 2" planks and using them as boardwalk material. It appeared they were also using them as posts for elevated walkways. As they appear to grow and seed prolifically, at least it was good to see the 'weed' trees harvested and put to use. We returned for lunch, a snooze, and another 'outing' at 3pm.



The 3pm outing was to go fishing - for Piranha. Bruce caught one and at first we thought it was a tiddler. But, apparently it was a good size. It was (over)cooked to accompany our evening meal. had it been properly cooked it would have been quite tasty. After dinner we went looking for Caiman - an Amazonian crocodile. We were told by our guide they were small, but a search later on Wiki suggests we ought have been more cautious see here .



This pattern was the norm. We'd not anticipated it. Nor did we choose from options - it was the guide who selected. While we were out of our comfort zone (why do we so like to be in charge) in the tropical heat it turned out to be quite pleasant. In hindsight, it could have been so easy to grab an ale, go find a hammock and bliss!



The food was basic, but nutritious. One observation is that the cook (assume a local villager) doesn't adhere to the same food relationships we are accustomed. For example, a curry (or was it a casserole) with grated paw-paw and fresh corn on top was but one dish. The management had gone out of their way to ensure there was a ready supply of tropical fruit. Not just paw-paw, banana and suchlike. Every imaginable fruit from Peru and beyond was available - Sapote, Starfruit, Camu Camu, Lakuma, Pepino, Custard Apple and Mango to name but a few. Most were bitter or juiceless, but at least they were worth a try.

Wednesday 19th October; the Amazon (and to Lima)...

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Another 5:45 wake up call had us in a dinghy by 6:30 and another brekky upstream. We'd been disappointed that the forest wasn't as advertised. Our guide informed us that the loggers came and cleared the area of 'valuable' logs - despite the villagers protesting. While the vegetation had grown back, it is clear it has yet to return to the original state (if it ever will). We were somewhat comfortable in that the guide said that in the future the forest will be good again, and as the area is now a reserve so the loggers won't be able to return. given our knowledge of capital and governance in 3rd world regions, we wouldn't be as comfortable as him with that 'promise'.



As we headed up river, Water Hyacinth became frequent and the trailing roots impacted on the outboard motor propeller. Further up, the river became carpeted with Water Cabbage ; another introduced spp.. What impact this is having on the riverine ecology is unknown (to us) but by denying sunlight it can't be good.



We eventually returned to the lodge for lunch and to collect our bags to head off downstream to Iquitos and a flight to Lima where we stayed the night before departing Peru for Chile.

Reflections...

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As tourists, one hopes their research gives them a rough idea about the place/s they're about to visit. Our research before we left Oz of Puno, Cusco, Machu Piccu and Iquitos prepared us well for what we experienced. But it's not the 'big' things that surprise - it's typically the little unanticipated things. We'd not realised that the cost of taxi's in rural Peru are so inexpensive that they are the only way to travel around town. We hadn't anticipated the 'continuing development' of dwellings - giving a dismal look to the towns/villages. We also didn't prepare ourselves for the gumtree aroma - but we liked being reminded of home. We'd experienced 3rd world countries in SE Asia. Peruvian 3rd world has a different 'flavour'. Where SE Asia is moving forward, rural Peru appears quite happy to just go with the flow (nothing wrong with that - it's just different).



We've visited many jungles. the Amazon was a bucket list item. We loved our time there, but also lamented we couldn't experience 'original' jungle. But, our first world 'wants' need to be tempered with the aspirations of Peruvians. That said, while a few get wealthy, most don't and their landscape is changed forever. As we learned from the folk on Uros Island (lake Titicaca), it seems the locals need some relative power to sway government decision-making. Maybe the Amazonian locals could learn a bit there.



There's not many nations that have the geographic, climatic and scenic variations that abound in Peru. Without doubt, we've loved our Peruvian experience and learned much about 'their' way of life.



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