From Peru to Ecuador

Once again it has been a busy week while we started the second part of our tour from Lima via Trujillo/Huanchaco and Mancora to Cuenca, Ecuador.

To summarize: the week has included Peru's primary beach/surfing spots, 30 hours of different kind of buses, one day of overwhelming stomach issues and a border cross to Ecuador.

Right after Lima we spend two day (including Christmas) at Huanchaco which is a small surfing/fishing village just outside Trujillo. Unless you surf there is not much to do in Huanchaco. Sightseeing around the area includes  Huaca de la Luna (The temple of the moon) and Chan Chan which were build by Moche and Chimu cultures. Both are quite nice, Chan Chan museum, however, is not.
Try also the Cheviche at restaurant Cartagena at Huanchaco - the promoter is great as is the service for Peruvian standards.

After Trujillo we took yet another night bus to Mancora, where we arrived around 4 am. This is when we started having some serious doubts about our current tour leader's capabilities since we almost missed our stop.  The 10 hour waiting session at the hotel (no free rooms!?) just continued this same story. On top of that something that I had eaten earlier came forcefully out, so needless to say, it wasn't the best experience.
Surely there is something good in Mancora too? Definitely, if you are a surfer or interested to see the best bodies in Peru, this is the place to be.

From Mancora we took long bus ride first to Tumbes at the border and then changed bus to finally get to Cuenca late last night. Today I did a daytrip to National Park of Cajas which is just half an hour out of the city. Views are great and so was the service. Totally recommended although it is the altitude (3100-4000m) again that might give you some problems.

First impressions about Ecuador are really positive, everything seems to be little bit easier and better than in Peru. Tomorrow bus to Banos.

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From Cuzco to Arequipa, Colca, Nazca, Paracas and finally Lima

It has been a while since my last post because I have not been able to access sufficient internet connection. Anyway, here are the happenings in a nutshell:

We took a nightbus from Cuzco to Arequipa which was a totally different kind of city compared to Cuzco since the Gringos were playing only supporting role there. So, actually quite nice when everyone is not trying to sell you something you don't need. Nightbuses here have somewhat questionable security measures as passengers need to show their passports and additionally everyone is also photographed and fingerprinted. Of course it is nice to know that probably they will be able to identify you after an accident, but I'm not quite sure how this advances security overall.

From Arequipa we did a two day excursion to colca canyon which is said to be the deepest in South-America. Views were definitely nice and we even saw some Condors so Colca can be clasiified as success although the canyon itself is maybe not so great as you would expect - it is more like a big valley.

After Colca we returned to Arequipa to catch another nightbus to Nazca which is famous for its mysterious lines. Flyover with Cessna cost 95 USD and takes 30-40 minutes during which you will be able to see all the  figures. The lines are clearly visible from the plane but I have to say that it was more difficult to spot them than I expected.

Finally from Nazca we moved on to Lima via Ica, Pisco and Paracas.

In Ica we had lunch and tried sandbording which I can totally recommend - especially if you get motorised help to get you on those dunes like we did. In Pisco we had a short introduction to making Pisco which is the alcohol of choice in Peru.

At Paracas we did a boat trip to Ballestas Islands which can be described as poor man's Galapagos. I can totally recommend the trip as the price-quality ratio is quite good. We saw huge amount of different birds, hundreds of sealions, some penquins and also a few dolphins on our way back.

Yesterday afternoon we then arrived Lima, the metropolitan city of around 10 million people. We are staying in bohemian district of Barranco. Yesterday evening we had our last dinner at Miraflores district as some of our group members are ending their journey here at Lima. Today we went to see Lima old town and the interesting catacombs. In the evening we will have a meeting with the new group that is going all the way to Quito.

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Inca trail

So we did the famous Inca trail. Here is a short summary.

Day 1 (8.12.2011): Easy hike from so called Km82 (2600m) via Llactapata to Wayllabamba (3000m). Distance about 12km and time around 4 hrs. Nice warm weather.

Day 2 (9.12.2011): Challenging hike from Wayllabamba (3000m) via Warmiwanusca (4200m, dead woman's pass) to Pacamayo (3600m) and finally to Runkurakay (3800m). Distance about 12km and time 6 hrs. Mixed weather.

Day 3 (10.12.2011): Mostly downhill hike from Runkurakay (3800m) via Sayacmarca (3600m) and Phuyupatamarca (3600m) to Winay Wayna (2700m). Distance 15km, time 8hrs. Mixed weather.

 Day 4 (11.12.2011): Easy hike from Winay Wayna (2700m) to Machu Picchu (2400m). Distance 6km, time 2 hrs. Mixed weather. Overall, not the most physically challenging hike, great views (weather allowing), very basic camping sites (bad toilets & freezing showers); amazing end.

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Back at Cuzco, paragliding at Sacred Valley

Here we are back at Cuzco. Last time I had some troubles with my credit card so I did not actually say anything about the Inca capital. Well, now I will. Cuzco is basically a tourist trap with all the western services. Certainly Cuzco has also long and impressive traditions and some sights but since the tourist business in Peru is built around Machu Picchu and the Incas, Cuzco has inevitably become just one city with all kinds of salesmen harrassing people with non-local face. On the other hand - if you really need something, you can get it here. Our hotel is cuzco Plaza 1 and it is quite ok with all the basic services. One thing that is a little bit of a mystery here are the toilets. Most of them are dirty, without paper or water and/or out of order. Additionally a smallest amount of toilet paper clogs the toilet so that is why you have a smelly rubbish bin beside you. Same goes with all the Bolivia and Peru so far.

This morning we tried paragliding just outside Cuzco (Sacred Valley) which was also a little bit of a disappointment. We paid 85 USD for 5 hours of waiting and 10 minutes of flying which was not really an experience of a lifetime. Also the instructions given by our salesman were not quite accurate. We will still have one night at Cuzco after which we take the bus to Arequipa tomorrow evening.

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From Puno (Lake Titikaka) to Cuzco

Hello. So, after my last post from La Paz we have travelled from Bolivia to Peru and visited Puno (by Lake Titikaka) and currently Cuzco.

Lake Titikaka certainly offered some great views as well as some new experiences as we stayed one night in one of the lake´s communities. Some features of our visit reminded me greatly of the visit to Masai-village in Africa. Although tourism might have some positive influence on the development of these communities, it certainly also has negative ones when asking money or selling some crap is the most important part of our visit.

In Taquile and Chucuito our visits were quite nice but Uros was just a total tourist trap. I have had some minor symptoms of altitude sickness but nothing more than annoying little headaches. Oh, and of course I also inrured my ankle/achilles at Chucuito while playing football with the locals. It seemed bad in the beginning since I could not get ice on it, but now after couple of days I think it will be just fine for the 45 km Inca-trail which we are starting on thursday.

Fortunately (and keeping my fingers crossed) I have not had stomach problems as some of our group members. Also the jetlag is finally starting to fade away since I had my first good night sleep here at Cuzco last night. Of course this positive development meant that something negative had to happen for the overall situation to stay in balance so I just lost my credit card to one ATM. I´m on my way to the main office of the bank right now but our guide told me that my card is probably gone for good. Well, I will find out soon.

Oh, almost forgot - there is somekind of "day of Peruvian Police forces" going on here and when I was walking around the central area of Cuzco this morning, I witnessed a small riot that ended Police shooting some gas towards the protesters. Well, that is just a regular day around here but also a good reminder that in South-America expecting the unexpected is a wise thing to do. Ok, I´ll go to the bank now to settle this issue with my card.

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Hola de La Paz

Hello, hello. So, it takes something like 40 hours to get to one of the worlds highest cities. La Paz is a city of two million people and it is located in the valley of Andean mountains. Habitation here goes from 3000 m to 4100 m and currently I´m staying at the middle.

Streets here are full of street vendors of all sorts - what you can not find here, you don´t need. Traffic is a bit chaotic but nothing compared to the worst places I have seen. Needless to say you are either going uphill or downhill here. To get back where you came from, you don´t really need a map if you just remember are you going up or down. Last time I went over 3300 m I got strong headaches as the AMS was kicking in. This time I took the Diamox medication to reduce the pressure in the brain and I have to say that I´m feeling comfortable although my current activities have not been really physically demanding which is also a big factor for the lack of oxygen to get to you. Another thing for the gringos to remember is the sun. UV-index goes regularly to maximum 16 that you never get anywhere in Europe. So, other white boys - 50 is just a minimum number what comes to sun lotions.

My hotel Las Brisas is quite nice and it has all the necessities and also very helpfull staff. If they don´t have all the services, you are guaranteed to find that within 10 min walk from the hotel. Last night I went out for dinner and place called Sol y Luna had one of the best chicken cuisines I have ever had. This place has deserved its popularity. This morning I went for short city tour and the highlight for me was Killi Killi viewpoint which offers great views to the valley and surrounding mountains - you can also see the controversial Estadio Hernando Siles where home advantage is not just talk. Just ask anyone who has played in this altitude.

Tonight I will meet the other 14 travellers from all around the world and tomorrow we will leave La Paz and head to famous Lake Titicaca and Peru.

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