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How lucky could we possibly have been to witness this gigantic celebration! Corpus Christi, in Cuzco, is an annual Catholic celebration mixed with Inca cultural lore. One of those moments that would have been impossible to plan for.
The main day of the celebration is always on Thursday, but the approximately 15 Virgins and Saints of the parishes near Cuzco leave the day before, heading toward the Cathedral on La Plaza de Armas The Saints and Virgins have to be dressed, cleaned and bejeweled, each parish vying for the "most attractive" and "elegant" fashionista effigy.
On Thursday (Corpus Christi Day), the statues leave in procession around the entire square carried on litters by very strong men so the Bishop can bless the people of Cuzco. Each litter was carried once around the square, and then entered back into the Cathedral.
heavy work
Continue reading "Cuzco - Corpus Christi Festivities" »
In the early morning, there was just us amongst the ruins. Mystical, floating in the clouds and fog. Intricate, with mazes of homes that led into temples....all built up on terraces.
Within the Temple of the Sun was a rock that is said to be energetically charged from centuries of worship to the Sun. (After trekking through those rainy days, I can see Sun worship.) Everyone in our group took turns putting their hand over the rock to see if they could feel the energy. Hate to admit it...I felt nothing! Perhaps, my inner physical body refuses to connect with the natural world. They told me, "I was not open enough."
Waynu Picchu is the tall peak towering over the ruins, and the trek up is very steep and sometimes dangerous. Steep, I can handle. Straight up, I cannot. There are no flat parts, just stairs carved into the mountain side...and at some parts, you have to grab a rope and pull yourself up the slippery rocks. I may be crazy, but not totally stupid! Neither ex-Marine nor I was going to attempt that climb - didn't care if there was a view of the entire Earth from the top. Our group was too young to give any thought to the fact, if you slipped - you die.
We were perfectly happy, wandering around the ruins and talking to "day tourists" visiting that day.
Continue reading "Touring The Ruins and Back to Cuzco" »
Day Five/Leaving Camp Three - Final day, sunny (at last), and time for the last big push to Machu Picchu. Ex-Marine was extremely excited - over the thought of seeing the incredible Machu Picchu? No, he only had one more night in a tent!
The actual hiking distance was only an hour or so, but, once again, climbing. Up those huge stones, with trashed, quivering "quads", anticipating of our first view of Machu Picchu. The Incas built a huge set of trails to span their empire. They were well maintained, and each messenger would run a leg of about 10km before passing it on to the next messenger. Sounds like a relay race to me.
It doesn't matter how many photos you've seen of this sight. Nothing comes close to the emotional response when you reach the Gate of the Sun at the top. There it was, laid out below us, the "Lost City", its unique location surrounded by jungle, mountains and overlooking the river. How did they build it? What was it used for? Why was it abandoned? Was it used strictly for religious purposes? So many questions, so many inconclusive answers. Machu Picchu is probably the most astounding feat of engineering in all of Ancient America with evidence that there may have been a permanent population of about 1,000 people, and more than 200 buildings.
I found myself, crying, in awe and exultation. Temples, stairways, palaces and stone dwellings everywhere. Ex-Marine, group and I had made it!
view from Gate of the Sun
The only other people up at the "Sun Gate" were...you guessed it....locals selling "Inca Cola"...these people are nothing if not enterprising!
Gate of the Sun
Continue reading "Finally, Machu Picchu" »
Day Three/ Still Camp Two - The rain refused to let up so fearless leader decided to stay put at the Runkurakay ruin. The good part was:
- We had a great cook... and
- This was the first trek we'd ever been on that toted liquor. Explore became "numero uno" in our book.
Had no idea there was liquor along until we heard a shout from the big eating tent..."hey, Steve and Sheila, come get 'pissed' with us"....'pissed'? Found out real fast that 'pissed' is Brit slang for 'drunk'. The "kids" had already emptied all the wine bottles and were steadily working their way through the Pisco Brandy! They sure waited long enough to call us!
The rest of the day just flew by in an alcoholic haze, helped along with stashes of food, candy and other munchies.
Unfortunately, El Jefe, Chris, informed us at dinner that...there was no more Pisco Brandy...and we would now have to walk 18km's and climb up and over THREE PASSES the next day to get back on schedule.
Continue reading "Another Day On The Inca Trail" »
Our small hotel in Cuzco (can't remember the name) was within walking distance of the Cathedral on the main square, La Plaza de Armas. It was well situated, and the various restuarants in Cuzco were pretty darn good. Peru is known for its "Cuy", roasted (or stuffed) Guinea Pig. It's supposed to be quite a delicacy, but that was one word we memorized to avoid on menus. Once again, I don't eat "Bambi", "Little Bunny Foo Foo", or pet Guinea Pigs.
Chris took us on a walking tour which included the Inca wall of Hatunrumiyoc; Cuzco's fortress citadel, Sacsayhuaman (it took 20,000 workers 90 years to finish); and Tambomachay, constructed on top of a natural spring, which is why it was called "Bath of the Incas."
Our guide reversed this part of our itinerary, cutting out one day in Cuzco, because he found out that a fabulous Corpus Christi celebration was going to take place, after our trek. This way, we'd be there for all the festivities instead of completely missing it. What a flexible guide.
Continue reading "Cuzco, Then...Trek Time!" »
From Puno, we boarded a train to take us to Cuzco (11,204'), built on the foundations of the old Inca capital. The trains were also a surprise...uniformly good and comfortable. Our group spent train time bonding...playing cards...drinking more Coca Leaf Tea...sharing stories and experiences...still gasping for breath in that thin air. Acclimitizing to altitude like this doesn't happen overnight, and most of our hilarity was probably the result of oxygen deprivation!
En route, there was one funny train incident. Some sort of communication problem occurred at a local station. The only method our conductor had of sending a message to the next station was to stand on top of the station house, take a metal pole, and attach to the overhead electrical rail wires. Good entertainment.
sending a message
Chugged through the flat Altiplano with beautiful scenery, snow-capped mountains behind...View image
Continue reading "On The Way to Cuzco" »
Our Explore group of 20 met up in Lima, at the Esperanza Hostal in Miraflores. The Esperanza was not your typical Hostal. There were 40 fully-carpeted rooms with private baths, situated in an affluent, residential neighborhood. This is where the most popular restaurants and shops are located. I developed a real taste for Pisco Sours, a drink made of lime juice, egg whites and Pisco Brandy. They go down easy and pack a big punch!
The entire group was YOUNG, about our children's ages, with no one over 35 but us "oldie" Americans! They were from different areas of Britain, and promptly adopted us as surogate parents. Fun-loving surogate parents.
Spent the first two days in Lima visiting the Cathedral, touring around the city, and the "Gold Museum". Lima didn't knock my socks off, but The Gold Museum was something else! This collection contains a wide assortment of pre-Columbian gold handicraft, weapons, ceremonial objects, jewelry and gold from both the Incas and pre-Inca civilizations. I don't recall ever seeing such unbelievable objects in gold - one after another along with some of the best preserved mummies I've ever seen!
Continue reading "Lima, Then on to Puno" »
The trip included: Lima, Cuzco/Cusco (small hotels in both places), and the traditional 5-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu; all meals on trek along with tents, porters, etc.; tour leader; sightseeing; a boat trip in Puno; internal Peru flights, and other tranportation. The only items not included were meals.
Sherpa Expeditions is another operator that we've used and are reliable. They have a marvelous catalog filled with escorted and self-guided trips.
The Inca Trail Trek is considered one of the World's most spectacular treks. It is so popular that the Peruvian Government has started rationing permits to groups and individuals. The trek my primary reason for going to Peru. It's 43 km of tough hiking...a real accomplishment...if you can manage it. This appealed to my obsessive-compulsive, Type "A" personality. Laid back, Type "B", ex-Marine would have been very happy to visit Machu Picchu via train.
trail map
Continue reading "Peru Planning" »
Travel destinations are personal. I've met people who absolutely loved Ecuador and, with the exception of the Galapagos Islands, we thought our trip there was like flushing money down the toilet. That's why when people raved about Peru and Machu Picchu, I thought...right....and resisted for years. To our absolute surprise, WE LOVED PERU!
I finally bit the bullet in 1996, and starting looking for a trip to Peru that would combine trekking to Machu Picchu along with highlights of the country.
This was B.I. (Before Internet), and the catalogs started piling up in our mailbox - Mountain Travel Sobek, Wilderness Travel, and Adventure Center, among others. Check out all the reputable tour operators. They basically do the same things for different prices.
Adventure Center's Explore trip, "Heights of Machu Picchu" was the least expensive at that time (I work with a very tight budget), but the thought of using an English group for trekking gave me the willies. We've travelled with Brits before, and in the United Kingdom, nobody ever "sues." The general feeling is, if a bowl of boiling water is poured over your head in a restaurant..."oh well, accidents happen." Would they take proper care of us trekking? This was a 2-week trip, but I WAS optomistic, took a chance and booked a May departure (best time to trek is May-September).
Continue reading "Peru - The Heights of Machu Picchu" »
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