The view of Cusco
Coca leaves
The ride to Ollanta was two hours and I enjoyed seeing the Peruvian countryside. During our time in Ollanta, we hiked (I know - shocking!) through ancient Incan ruins and walked through the quaint village where the people were celebrating a religious holiday with having a parade. After wandering for a bit, we took the train to Aguas Calientes and then a bus to Machu Picchu, where we spent a couple of hours exploring.
The view of Ollanta
I have waited my entire life to visit Machu Picchu, and it was definitely worth the time, money and wait. I’ve traveled around the world, and seen some of the most incredible sights, but nothing can begin to compare to the natural beauty of Machu Picchu and its breathtaking Andean surroundings. Machu Picchu is the site of an ancient Incan empire, which was incredibly advanced for its time. It is known as the lost empire because the Incas abandoned it to escape the Spanish during the 1500’s. It was lost to the outside world until the early 1900’s when a North American explorer discovered it. My favorite part of my time spent at Machu Picchu was when I sat by myself on a stone wall which overlooked the Andes and rainforest and wrote in my journal (I know – huge dork). But I can’t even describe the utter peace, tranquility and sense of inspiration that this place gave me. I was sad to leave Machu Picchu, but I hope to return one day.
The jungle and the Andes surrounding Machu Picchu
The money shot - Machu Picchu
We spent the rest of the evening in Aguas Calientes, which means hot water in English. Its named for the warm water that naturally flows through the pueblo, which can be used for its healing effects. That night we decided to try authentic Peruvian cuisine for dinner. We asked the waitress at the restaraunt what she recommended as a good and typical Peruvian dish. She recommended the conejillo de Indias and albaca. Intrigued, we asked her to explain what each dish was: guinea pig, she said referring to the first; and the cousin of the llama, referring to the second. We decided that sampling the local food didn't have to be part of the trip! After dinner we went to a bar near the hot water pools and had drinks with the guys that worked there. They offered us a mysterious alcohol made of "yerba" (herbs). Their behavior was rather erratic, to say the least. We elected to have sangria instead. Hey, I'm not implying anything...I'm just saying... ;)
Aguas Calientes
Saturday was an interesting day because to get back to Cusco, Valerio drove us through the Sacred Valley of the Incas, which is a vast valley in the Andes with many pueblos that lay relatively untouched by Spanish and European influence. This is one of the aspects that I loved most about Peru. Argentines are so concerned with being European - and Buenos Aires is such a European city - it rarely even feel like Latin America. However, Peru has a large indigenous population which has a great influence on their culture. We stopped in the pueblos of Urubamba, Huayubamba, Pisac and Coya. These pueblos receive less tourists so they have more or less remained true to their roots. In Coya we were able to watch a traditional indigenious procession in celebration of La Virgen Asunta. There was music, traditional costumes and dancing – it was very interesting! Next we stopped for lunch in Pisac, and with the help of Valerio, we found that Peruvian food is very good! After some shopping in an artesenal market, and upon my repeated requests, we went to a llama farm. Of course I couldn’t go to Peru without seeing a llama (I just prefer to pet them rather than eat them!) I fed and played with the baby llamas, who were adorable and fluffy. Finally, we returned to Cusco where we spent the rest of the evening and night. We stolled through the Plaza de Armas, which has the Catedral Cusco and a beautiful plaza – all of which is surrounded by cafes and restaraunts. We also went to the Cultural Arts Center to see a traditional Indian show while sipping coca de mate.
Ruins in Pisac
The view of Pisac from our restaraunt
My llama, Blanco, who I wish I could take home
Cusco and the Plaza de Armas at sunrise
The next morning we went to Lima, which is the capital of Peru. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of Lima, but it far exceeded any expectations I had set. While the people are still majority indigenous, there is a greater Spanish influence which is reflected in the partly mestizo population, the way of life and the city’s architecture. The architecture was truly beautiful – it’s a large city, mostly inspired by the Spanish reign and colonial era, with brightly painted historic buildings in every color of the rainbow. We took a city tour in the morning to learn more about the history and then spent the rest of the day wandering and exploring the city. In Lima there is the Old Plaza de Armas, which is surrounded by the Catedral Lima, El Palacio Gobierno, El Palacio Municipal and many other important buildings. Catholicism is the religion of choice for the majority of Peruvians, which was definitely reflected in the amount of cathedrals in the city. Most of the cathedrals were built in the Baroque style, which was very popular during colonial times. These cathedrals are elaborate, with much attention paid to detail, and many gold adornishments. Next we visited the Plaza de San Martin, which also houses several important buildings and monuments. After leaving the city center, we went to the barrio Barranco, which has a more bohemian feel. It has many cute restaraunts and cafes, and a great view of the Pacific Ocean and beach from El Puente de los Suspiros (the bridge of sighs) which is a popular location for couples to frequent. Finally, we went to the barrio Miraflores and went to a few marketplaces to do some shopping before heading to dinner and the airport around 9.
The front of an elaborate cathedral in Lima
Plaza in the city center
Something that's been on my mind since leaving Lima is the poverty. Obviously I knew that Peru was a third world country before our trip; but Lima was a city of contrasts. I found several parts to be very beautiful and was surprised at how well maintained (and clean - a refreshing difference from BsAs!) the city is. But in reality, the beauty stops at an invisible line, and the rest of the city is made of villas (shanty towns). BsAs has its share of villas; however, they are carefully hidden so that you don't have to see them unless you make an effort to see them - I guess just another way the poor are silenced and further forgetten. But Lima literally was divided in half - gorgeous buildings and ornate cathedrals that the government clearly budgets a good amount of money to maintain; and the other half, living in complete despair and poverty thats unheard of in the first world. Also, did I mention that Peru is relatively expensive? We went through about 400 soles (a little over 100 USD per day, per person whereas in BsAs that would last me about a week) which we thought was ridiculous considered how poor the country is. No wonder some of Peru's own citizens can barely afford to live there.
Picture of a typical Peruvian villa (clearly I did not take this picture, in case you were wondering)
Ok, so now its time for some comic relief after such a heavy topic. Let me tell you - you are not a badass until you have backpacked through the jungles of the Andes to reach Machu Picchu. This did not come without a price – and I’m not talking about money. I was wearing comfortable traveling clothes, including pants that stopped below my knees which turned out to be a HUGE mistake. I was literally attacked by mosquitos and insects. On my right leg alone, I had about 60 bites. On Saturday my legs ended up swelling so much due to the bites, the hiking, the altitude and my tight shoes. By that night my feet were swollen up to three times their usual size! They looked like they belonged to a 300 lbs man! Clearly I was really scared that I had contracted some sort of virus from the South American jungle mosquitos unknown to the Western world – I could barely even walk! So, what does the true badass do?? I went to a Peruvian pharmacy and showed them my problem. Throughout South America the pharmacists are like doctors, so they are able to prescribe medication. The pharmacist took one look at my swollen legs and his expression said it all. He led me to the back of the pharmacy into a small and sketchy room where I had to drop trou in order to receive the first in a series of shots to calm the histamines and my allergic reaction to the bites. Believe me, not cute!
Whew! That was an exhausting trip! Believe me, we didn´t slept for days pretty much because we did so much in a short time. But, even with the medical problems, I loved this trip, and will remember it forever.
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