We got back from Machu Picchu at 7pm and after narrowly missing a hailstorm, picking up our backpacks and showering we were on the overnight bus to Arequipe at 8:30.
The majority of travel across SA is done by bus, they're comfortable and the experience is much like travelling premium economy/business class with some airlines. We had a hot meal of chicken which was good then cold drinks - while we were eating we watched an episode of Downton Abbey and then it was time to sleep, well it was for me as when I'm tired I can sleep through pretty much anything but Abs had to endure the SA bus journey phenomenon that is an action movie played at full volume for three hours!
I woke up at 5am about an hour before we arrived at Arequipe, the sun was up and the landscape had changed dramatically, the green rolling hills had been replaced by much lower hills which were yellow and brown in colour.
We arrived at our hostel at 6am and surprisingly we were able not only to check in but to have breakfast as well - located 10 minutes from the bus terminal and 10 minutes from Plaza de Armas in the centre which was perfect.
Arequipa really isn't much to write home about although we did have very good meal at ZigZag, the number 1 restaurant in the city, Beef Carpaccio and a 'Sexy' Salad with a couple of glasses of red. We also had an hysterical and slightly stilted conversation in Spanish with a lovely man and his family as we waited to be seated, we talked about where we'd been and where we were going and he enthusiastically reinforced our decisions "ah, si muy bonito', before comically trying to establish whether we were friends or 'friends' - we weren't even wearing our lesbian walking trousers or matching jumpers!
God I miss wearing a skirt and heels :-)
Raine x
Monday, 26 November 2012
What Hiram Bingham saw......
We travelled to Ollyantaytambo by minibus on Tuesday morning to catch the train to Aguas Calientes which is the town closest to Machu Picchu. We travelled in 'Vistadome' class, one down from the Orient Express and a couple up from Backpacker.
The train to Aguas Calientes
The views were amazing and the anticipation was building for all of us knowing that we only had one night to go until we arrived at the City of the Incas.
We were up at 4am on Monday as we were keen to be on one of the first buses that drives you the 30 minutes up to Machu Picchu and after a fried egg roll and a cup of coca tea we were on our way.
When we arrived at 6am the cloud was low and the sun wasn't up - when we walked through the entrance gate I had the same feeling of anticipation and expectation that I'd had since 4am but so far it felt like a tourist attraction without much going for it - and then bang!
 |
| Not a word I use often; awesome! |
For the next two hours the clouds rise and fall exposing and then concealing various parts of these fascinating ruins. Hearing the story of their discovery and getting a better understanding of the history of the Incas is both sad and fascinating.
Hiram Bingham an American explorer discovered the ruins in 1911. I was surprised at both the size and the completeness of the ruins which only became a tourist attraction in 1980. The ruins are approximately 60% original, 30% reconstructed and 10% in need of renovation. Without a doubt there's still more to be discovered in the vegetation of the lower lands but apparently this will be left for later generations to discover.
"All things are impossible until you've done them" - Fransisco
4:30am felt like a very early start after our night on the Pisco's..... but we made it to the bus for 5am.
We drove for an hour or so from Cusco to get to the start point of the trek and before we set off Cirillo our chef set us up for the day with the most amazing breakfast of pancakes, fruit salad and quinoa porridge.
The first day which is supposed to be the easier day was made considerably harder by the persistent rain, which by nightfall had turned to snow - thank goodness for our co-ordinating alpaca jumpers, hats, gloves, socks and for the playing cards that Francisco our guide brought with him. After a few rounds of 'Shit-Head', which was quite funny and 'Nervous' which was hysterical we'd forgotten how cold it was and that we had to be up at 5am!
Day two saw us reach the summit of Sicllakasa Pass at 4,750m - it was hard work in the cold and the altitude - I'm not sure whether the coca leaves have a physical or psychological effect, but I chewed them at every opportunity and when I wasn't chewing them I was drinking tea made from them.
Although I found the walking hard I really enjoyed it, unlike the Inca Trail which sees 500 walkers set off each day we didn't see one other walker for the duration of our trek. We were however regularly mugged by the children from the local communities that we walked past - who on seeing us from afar ( to be fair I was hard to miss in my electric pink 'Mac in a Sac'!) - ran some significant distance up hill to meet us and ultimately beg for sweets, unfortunately we didn't know that this was going to happen and so the best that we could do was give them our snacks of apples and granola bars - which were received with varying levels of enthusiasm. I love this picture that Abs was able to capture - caught whilst Abs was trying to make her smile - without the smile this is one of my favourites (the granola bar was swiftly stuffed up her jumper as soon as she got it).
We were so lucky, not only with the group that we travelled with but also with the team from Llama Path, the tour company we used. Using just one calor gas burner, Cirillo our chef prepared some incredible food, each meal consisted of three of more courses ranging from wontons and apple puffs to steak & special fried frice and even a beautifully iced celebration cake for breakfast (there is a god) on our final morning.
The Lares trek is a great alternative to The Inca Trail (which you have to book six months in advance), it's a shorter trek which goes higher; you don't experience the 'thrill' of walking through the 'Sun Gate' and descending to Machu Picchu but the scenery is spectacular and there's something special about only seeing locals and not hundreds of other tourists on the build up to seeing one of the worlds most amazing sights.
Raine x
We drove for an hour or so from Cusco to get to the start point of the trek and before we set off Cirillo our chef set us up for the day with the most amazing breakfast of pancakes, fruit salad and quinoa porridge.
The first day which is supposed to be the easier day was made considerably harder by the persistent rain, which by nightfall had turned to snow - thank goodness for our co-ordinating alpaca jumpers, hats, gloves, socks and for the playing cards that Francisco our guide brought with him. After a few rounds of 'Shit-Head', which was quite funny and 'Nervous' which was hysterical we'd forgotten how cold it was and that we had to be up at 5am!
 |
| Time for bed..... I hope no polo playing argentinians see this! |
Although I found the walking hard I really enjoyed it, unlike the Inca Trail which sees 500 walkers set off each day we didn't see one other walker for the duration of our trek. We were however regularly mugged by the children from the local communities that we walked past - who on seeing us from afar ( to be fair I was hard to miss in my electric pink 'Mac in a Sac'!) - ran some significant distance up hill to meet us and ultimately beg for sweets, unfortunately we didn't know that this was going to happen and so the best that we could do was give them our snacks of apples and granola bars - which were received with varying levels of enthusiasm. I love this picture that Abs was able to capture - caught whilst Abs was trying to make her smile - without the smile this is one of my favourites (the granola bar was swiftly stuffed up her jumper as soon as she got it).
 |
| Can you spot the granola bar? |
 |
| Mmmmm, cake for breakfast...... |
See you in Machu Picchu!
Raine x
Friday, 16 November 2012
Radio Silence
After a Pisco sour and a G&T we met up with Steve for dinner at Incazuela then another Pisco at The Fallen Angel - probably not the best prep for Machu Picchu, any way it's done now.....
In four hours time we'll be starting our trek so I'll be incommunicado for at least the next four days.
Looking forward to updating you after the trek.
Raine x
In four hours time we'll be starting our trek so I'll be incommunicado for at least the next four days.
Looking forward to updating you after the trek.
Raine x
Thursday, 15 November 2012
Magic Eye
This morning, after a false start when we walked to the 'best place for breakfast' in Cusco only to find that it doesn't open until 11:30..... we grabbed what quite possibly actually is the best breakfast in Cusco at Jack's and then took a taxi to Saqsahuaman (for ease it's pronounced Sexy Woman).
Following the siege of Cusco in 1536, the Spaniards used Saqsahuaman as a source of stones for building 'Spanish Cusco' - only the stones that were too big to move remain at the site (one of the stones weighs approx. 140 tonnes - unsurprisingly that one's still there!).
Our afternoon was spent shopping for Alpaca jumpers for our trek, whilst the days are warm we've been warned to expect night time lows of -3 as we head to Machu Picchu. We managed to find just what we were looking for and paid 100 Peruvian soles (£24.00), for two hand made alpaca jumpers.......
I feel bad that I ate one now.......
Raine x
 |
| Can you see the sexy woman, it's a bit like a 'magic eye' picture.....! |
We took a guide which was money well spent. Carmen was able to tell us exactly what it was that we were looking at, at both Pisca and Ollantaytambo we looked and then retrospectively asked the gods of Google what we'd seen.
Following the siege of Cusco in 1536, the Spaniards used Saqsahuaman as a source of stones for building 'Spanish Cusco' - only the stones that were too big to move remain at the site (one of the stones weighs approx. 140 tonnes - unsurprisingly that one's still there!).
Our afternoon was spent shopping for Alpaca jumpers for our trek, whilst the days are warm we've been warned to expect night time lows of -3 as we head to Machu Picchu. We managed to find just what we were looking for and paid 100 Peruvian soles (£24.00), for two hand made alpaca jumpers.......
 |
| Baby alpaca born a couple of hours before we got to Sacsayhuaman |
 |
| Crazy 'puli' alpaca |
Raine x
Inca Kola
At beer o'clock on Monday we took some time to pull together an outline plan for the next few weeks. We've booked to stay on what looks like a beautiful estancia two hours south of Mendoza, in Argentina, for Christmas and so we have a lot of ground to cover (2200 miles by bus) to ensure we're there by the 23rd December.
Planning was hungry work so we went for dinner at Inkazuela - Peruvian beef & Aji stew and a glass of malbec followed by an early night with a cup of coca tea (much to Marc's disappointment - I appreciate the feedback).
On Tuesday morning we took a 'Collectivo' - a shared minibus - to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley to look at the Inca ruins.
I had my first and possibly last bottle of Inca Kola today, it's just like Irn Bru but luminous yellow. However, if it has the same hangover healing properties as Irn Bru I may keep a bottle in reserve for the morning after the night we find the worlds best Pisco Sour!
Talking of Pisco Sours.... We ate at Limo Cocina Peruana & Pisco Bar last night, I had Pork loin and black quinoa ragout - preceded by a Maracuya Pisco Sour - oh my goodness - it was absolutely scrumptious (thanks Marc).
Do we even have maracuyas at home, I may not come home if we don't.
Raine x
Planning was hungry work so we went for dinner at Inkazuela - Peruvian beef & Aji stew and a glass of malbec followed by an early night with a cup of coca tea (much to Marc's disappointment - I appreciate the feedback).
On Tuesday morning we took a 'Collectivo' - a shared minibus - to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley to look at the Inca ruins.
 |
| Ollantaytambo |
 |
| How is it possible for a drink to be this colour......? |
Do we even have maracuyas at home, I may not come home if we don't.
Raine x
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
I have a favour to ask, well three favours actually....
1. I have completely exhausted the use of the word 'delicious' and with so many more restaurants to visit and Pisco Sours to drink can I ask you to use the 'comment' function on the blog to extend my vocabulary and let me have some alternatives.
2. Abs and I have a pack of playing cards but only know one game between us and we're not quite sure that we're playing that one correctly - if you know any good card games can you use the 'comment' function on the blog or email me with the rules - we're going trekking on Friday and I suspect the nights will be long....
3. Finally, and this is a long shot I know, but if you know how to change a pair of slightly too big jeans, a t-shirt and a pair of converse into a sexy dress and a pair of heels I'd really appreciate it - I curse the size of my backpack!
Raine x
2. Abs and I have a pack of playing cards but only know one game between us and we're not quite sure that we're playing that one correctly - if you know any good card games can you use the 'comment' function on the blog or email me with the rules - we're going trekking on Friday and I suspect the nights will be long....
3. Finally, and this is a long shot I know, but if you know how to change a pair of slightly too big jeans, a t-shirt and a pair of converse into a sexy dress and a pair of heels I'd really appreciate it - I curse the size of my backpack!
Raine x
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)