Peru - Machu Picchu (finally!)

Sept 21 Ollantaytambo to Aguas Callientes (Machu Picchu pueblo) by train


Today we take the train to Machu Pichu, and check into Hospedaje los Caminates in Aguas Calientes. After lunch, we take the bus up the mountain to Machu Picchu. We made it!

Train from Ollantaytambo station

Backpacker train

Machu Pichu is perched on an 8500 foot mountain above the jungle at a lower altitude than Cuzco. Because of its remote location in the jungle, the site was never discovered by the western world until 1911 when an American historian was tipped off by a few locals who knew about the site.

We spend about four hours touring the site, and are fortunate because the day trippers from Cusco vanish around 2PM. The scenery is fantastic and the weather is pleasant. We make our own tour, visiting all the important buildings, and listening to a few other guided tours. Surprisingly, the stonework is not as high quality as the other Inca site that we visited. In the late afternoon, the yogies are out in droves doing their thing.

Postcard ready

Team Peru at the lookout

View from the central plaza

Giant rainbow behind the mountains

Sept 22 Machu Pichu back to Cusco

We take the train back to Ollantaytambo, and then catch a ride with two Cusco residents who were on our train. They offer a reasonable price, after watching us brush off several taxi drivers. Normally we wouldn’t hitch, but the Machu Pichu train is way too expensive for criminals. The small van picks up a few others along the way. Here the main road only goes north or south. I guess it’s pointless to pay for your own gas if you have a few extra seats.

Vista Dome train, good for cooking tourists

Following the river by train

Riding the highlands back to Cusco

CLICK HERE to see Machu Picchu pictures.

Peru - Cosco to Sacred Valley

Sept 17 Cusco


Vana has a rough night but breaks the fever in the morning, thanks to the expert care of Senor Arturo Roberto. In the afternoon, we shop for some warm jackets and find good options.

In the evening we eat in a small family run hole in the wall on the gringo alley. The place is the size of a typical dining room with 5 tables. The local band is jammin hard on the flute, practically head banging. Half way through our meal, we are pleased when they build up a fire, and then she throws in a pizza.


Sept 18

Vana wakes up with a mild fever and still feels fatigued. Between fever, cold, and high altitude, Vana is having a rough time, and spends the day in bed. Kevin makes the switch to 10,000 feet with no problem using daily 125 mg acetazolamide, but then has a breath taking transition day when stopping the medicine.


Sept 19

Vana wakes up feeling better, so we visit Qorikancha in Cusco. This Inca site is famous for the precise stonework of its temple walls. Turns out, when the Spanish arrived, they tried to destroy all the Inca religious buildings, to promote Catholicism and build their own infrastructure.

Fortunately, the Incas used very large stones with high precision tongue and groove machining for their important astronomical and religious buildings. In addition, they always angled their exterior walls inward five degrees, and built their windows and doorways with a trapezoidal shape to withstand earthquakes.

In the case of Qorikancha, the Spanish had no means of destroying the temple, so they did the next best thing and built the Santo Domingo church and convent on top of the site. It’s funny to see the incredibly precise Inca stonework right alongside the sloppy Spanish work.

Santa Domingo Church

inward five degrees

compare the precise Inca stonework

with the sloppy Spanish work

CLICK HERE to see Cusco pictures.

Sept 20 Sacred Valley tour to Ollantaytambo

Today, we take a tour of the Sacred Valley, just north of Cusco. The Incas were accomplished astronomers and found the Sacred Valley, which connects Cusco to Machu Pichu, is in shape of the Milky Way Galaxy. The valley and sky are in perfect harmony, both containing the shapes of various important animals.

Inca Milky Way Galaxy Map

First, we visit Pisac. Perched high above the valley floor, this massive site is in the shape of a condor, and was an important military, agriculture, and funeral ceremony site. The steep gorge behind the site includes holes in the cliff side which are Inca tombs. Walking the cliff side trail with the massive terraces below gives me vertigo.

Massive Terraces

Workers quarters below

Inca Tombs

The next site we visit is Ollantaytambo, which is in the shape of a Lama. The site guards the merge of three valleys; the Sacred Valley leading south to Cusco, the Machu Pichu Valley leading north to the jungle, and another valley leading to the upper highlands. Across the site, you can see the massive grainary storage carved into the opposing mountain. Below, is the Ollantaytambo tow; the best surviving example of Inca city planning, with narrow cobblestone streets, running water, and carefully designed drainage.

Ollantaytambo ruins

In the shape of a lama

See the lama now?

Ollantaytambo town below

We ditch the tour, and stay at Hotel Munay Tika in Ollantaytambo. This little town is totally cool. I wish we based ourselves here instead of touristy and overpriced Cusco. The narrow valley floor is surrounded on all sides by mountains going up several thousand feet on all sides. You can see 18,000 foot snow capped rugged peaks just a few ranges away.

Rugged snow caps

town alley

CLICK HERE to see Pisac pictures.
CLICK HERE to see Ollantaytambo pictures.

Sept 14, Lima


Today we taxi to the US Embassy because Kevin needs more passport pages. Since 2005, Kevin has about 44 stamps, with only 6 spots remaining. Vana has almost as many, but her newer 2007 passport includes a lot more pages.

The US Embassy is a massive rectangular building, at least 5 floors above ground. It’s protected by a walled compound, set back quite a distance from the street. The front door is solid metal, and takes two hands to open. That said, the same day free service works great, and is much less hassle than the equivalent service offered in Los Angeles.

For dinner, we treat ourselves to a fancy dinner at one of Lima’s most famous restaurants; Astrid y Gaston. Apparent this restaurant tops the Lima culinary scene month after month with its "A-list fusion cuisine prepared by celebrity chef-owner Gaston Acurio". Signature dishes include tiradito (Peruvian-style marinated raw fish) and crisp roasted duck. The dining room is modern; boldly splashed with artwork.

Dining Room

The meal is New York quality, although the service is a few notches below. The grouper ceviche is the best raw fish I’ve ever had. I enjoy the chili and lime dressing a lot more than the Japanese equivalent of soy and wasabi. Our dinners are also very tasty; tuna three ways, and roasted duck paella. It is our most expensive meal so far, but still very good value.

grouper ceviche

roasted duck paella (front), and tuna (back)

dessert treats

Sept 15, Lima

We spend the day doing chores; laundry, money, and internet. We come into the modern age and buy a quad band GSM phone. I hope it’s the last one!


CLICK HERE to see pictures from Lima


Sept 16, Lima to Cusco


Today, we fly from coastal Lima to Cusco in the Andean Highlands at 10,000 feet. Vana wakes up feeling like garbage. We picked up minor colds in Riobamba, Ecuador. With Lima blanketed in a San Francisco summer, our hotel room was like a refrigerator. After arriving in Cusco, Vana hits the bed with a 101 fever. Fortunately, we pick the Hotel Garcilaso; although a bit expensive, they offers us two electric heaters for our room.

After check in, we are immediately served coca tea made from coca leaves, which will make us test positive for cocaine. The tea is supposed to help with altitude sickness. It gives a mild energy pick up, but is nowhere close to the strength of espresso.

Coca tea es muy sabroso!

Kevin visits several traveler agents and is shocked by the prices. Day trips by train and bus to Machu Pichu are $200 per person, and not much cheaper if you "do your own". Cusco Inc. is a well developed tourist machine. That said, they probably do a good job. We’ll see!

Peru - Overnight Bus to Lima

Sept 12 Machala to Lima by bus


In the morning we catch the cheap and completely hassle free international bus to Tumbes, Peru. We spend the afternoon in downtown Tumbles with our stuff in tow, and then catch our reserved night bus to Lima.

The internet café in town is interesting with small individual private boxed rooms, complete with peep holes into the next box.


Sept 13 Lima

We really enjoy the Cruz Del Sur night bus to Lima. The first floor has the drivers’ cab (for the two drivers), first class seating, two bathrooms, luggage, and engine. The second floor is second class from front to back with one bathroom. Service on the 19 hour ride includes dinner, breakfast, 5 movies, bingo, internet access, blanket, pillow, and seats which recline 45 degrees with foot rest.

De La Cruz night bus

We reserved the seats of death in the front, directly above the driver’s cab. The seats provide a video game like view of the road, and perhaps the highest chance of fatality in the case of a front end collision!

Sunset view from the seats of death

The Pan-American Norte follows the desert coast in the North of Peru. In several spots, the scenery looks like Mars, with absolutely nothing but mountains of rocks, dirt, and sand.

When we wake up in the morning, we are on the side of a sand mountain cliff above the ocean, again completely void of vegetation. The weather is unexpectedly cold, as the entire north coast of Peru is covered in fog. The scenery reminds me of Baja California, with all the vegetation removed. And just like Baja, all passengers and their luggage are search at a checkpoint, a few hours south of the border.

Peru north coast in the morning

Cut in the sand mountain for the road

Tide going out

After arriving in Lima, we taxi to the Miraflores area and stay at the Flying Dog Backpackers Hostel. The Miraflores area is upscale, almost like Europe; sidewalk cafes, manicured parks, bookstores, cafes, Starbucks, KFC, McDonalds, etc. It’s quite pleasant, but feels a bit odd, after driving through shanty neighborhoods, packed with people and trash. It´s cold in Lima!

Juggling fire at a stop light

Hostel room with high ceiling is really cold

Ecuador - Riobamba to Cuenca to Peru border

Sept 9 Riobamba to Cuenca by Train and Bus

Today is 09/09/09! This is a convent day for everyone, because it’s impossible to write the date wrong regardless of which country you are in.

Vana and I have visited the Devil’s Punchbowl in Oregon, and the Devil’s Post Pile in California. Apparently, the Devil’s Nose is in Ecuador, and that’s what brought us to Riobamba.


When the train from Guayaquil (on the southern coast) to Quito (in the northern highlands) was completed in 1905, it was an engineering marvel. After the El Nino years in the 1990s, only a few sections of track remain open, which are now tourist trains.

Today, we ride the train from Riobamba to Alausi, which includes the famous switchbacks down the Devil’s Nose; named after shape of the mountain, and the many Jamaicans who died building it. I am a little disappointed because the old steam train where you could ride on the roof is broken. Now they make the run with a funky “train” that is more like a cross between a diesel bus and a street car.

Devil's Nose Trains

Anyways, the scenery is amazing. Aside from the Devil’s Noise, the mountains are lined with farmers in traditional dress working the new crops, with cows alongside eating and fertilizing the old crops. Everyone stops to wave and smile. Dogs everywhere run alongside the train barking, perhaps protecting their livestock from this steel monster passing through their land.

Livestock on the range

Hauling a load

Switchback on the Devil's Nose

Devil's Nose from below, next to the river

After the run down and back up the Devil’s Nose, we catch a bus from Alausi to Cuenca. The bus ride is just as impressive, dropping in an out of the clouds so many times, we try to guess the elevation from breathing difficulty. From the 5AM wake-up for the 6AM train, we also catch some zzz.

Dropping out of the clouds

KR bus snoozing

We arrive in Cuenca and check into the Hotel Milan.

CLICK HERE to see more Devil's Nose photos.

Sept 10 Cuenca


We spend today walking around the pleasant city of Cuenca. The city is another Spanish colonial style with churches and plazas. However, it’s a bit more modernized than Quito, with more international shops, cafes, and restaurants.

New Cathedral

San Francisco Cathedral

Chilin' like a highlander

We visit a local shop which shapes and sell Panama hats. Apparently, the Panama hat originates from Ecuador, but is called a Panama hat, because they used to be exported through Panama. Most hats are $10 to $15, but we also check out some “superfinos” which go for a few hundred bucks. They take several months to make, use a finer straw whose tight weave can hold water, and have amazing look and feel.

Home of the Panama hat!

We eat some Mexican food for lunch; our first non-Ecuadorian meal. The beans give me gas; there’s no place like home!

Tacos and Burrito

CLICK HERE to see more Cuenca photos.


Sept 11 Cuenca to Machala by bus

In our original plan, Ecuador was going to be a quick stop on the way to Peru. With the Amazon trip working out perfectly, we really enjoy our 3 weeks here.

• Friendly and helpful people
• Decent food; although chicken and rice gets old, the Locro soup was a highlight
• Amazing variety of landscape; ocean, rivers, mountains, desert, rain forest, jungle
• Really great guides; helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable
• Cheap, safe, and efficient transportation. When does the bus leave? Now!
• Price to fun ratio similar to Thailand, makes it a hit
• Not a Starbuck, McDonalds, or KFC to be found
• US currency makes it tremendously convenient
• Clearly spoken Spanish is great for practice
  

Today, we make a run for the Peru border. We lag a bit and miss the afternoon international bus to Tumbles, in the north of Peru. You can hopscotch the border yourself, but the guide book warns about it being the worst border crossing in South America. We stay at the Hotel Gran Americano in Machala, our least favorite hotel so far. Machala is the land of Big Banana, Inc., surrounded by miles of plantations.

red, yellow, and green bananas