Perú

Perú: Tumbes, Trujillo, Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu

12.04

F: Huaquillas
T: Taxi to Border and Tumbes 40 Soles
S: Tumbes
S: Puerto Pizarro 5 S 
T: Trujillo 19:45-10:00(+1) El Sol 40 S

13.04 
S: Trujillo 
S: Huaca de la Luna y Sol (Moche 100-800 AD)
S: Huanchaco
H: Hospedaje

14.04
S: Huanchaco beach
S: Trujillo
T: Bus to Lima Via Tours 40 S 22:00-9:00(+1)

15.04

S: Lima
S: Parque de la Reserva, Olivar de San Isidro, Parque del Amor, Barranco
H: Suspiros del Inca 

16.04

S: Lima: Pascua de Resurreccion
S: Catedral, Plaza de Armas, Casa de la Literatura, San Fransisco, Parque de la Reserva
H: Suspiros del Inca

17.04

T: Bus to Cuzco  10:45 San Juan de Miraflores Wari Palomino 90S

18.04
S: Cuzco 
B: Machu Picchu tour, Bolivian Visa
H: Pirwa Colonial

19.04

T: Cuzco Hidroelectrica 
W: Aguas Calientes 12 km
H: Pirwa Machu Picchu

20.04 
S: Machu Picchu
W: Hidroelectrica
T: Cuzco
H: Pirwa Colonial

21.04

S: Cuzco
S: Cristo Blanco, Saqsaywaman

T: Cuzco Copacabana 22:30-08:30 (+1) Bus San Cristobal

1 Sol = 0.3 EUR

Tumbes 

Peru Norte online Album

I stayed in Peru for 10 days and it was the longest in my trip but one can travel around in Peru for months. Lima was in the middle of my itinerary and I wanted to be there for Easter, but the border at Tumbes was still 1000 km away. From Huaquillas there was a taxi that took me to the border control and then on to Tumbes and left me at the El Sol bus company to leave my backpack. It was still before noon so I walked to the main square. There was  a row of cambistas in one pedestrian street, each behind a small desk, one put small stamps on my Soles notes apparently to avoid counterfeit claims. I took a beer at the Si Senor tavern, they had good wifi which I could use later even from the park. Then started towards the Puerto Pizarro and ate on the street my first ceviche which was delicious. Ceviche is raw fish chunks marinated in lemon juice with onions and chili peppers, a must to try.

Tumbes Coat of Arms and ceviche chef

 I hunted a colectivo taxi which took me to the Puerto Pizarro. Here Fransisco Pizarro landed first in 1528 before the conquest of the Inca empire. Puerto Pizarro is a fishermen and leisure port where you can take boats to explore the delta with many small islands with birds and crocodiles. But what impressed me most were the enormous fregate albatrosses.

Albatrosses at Puerto Pizarro

I loitered around the port quite a while, stretched on a wooden viewing platform and finally went back to Tumbes, sat in the park and then waited for the El Sol bus in their lounge.

Trujillo

Trujillo is larger than Tumbes. We arrived in the morning and I went down the main street. In the Archeological museum they gave me guidance how to go to the Huaca de la Luna and Huaca del Sol, impressive monuments from the Moche indians who lived here in 100-800 AD. I took a guided tour with some other tourists for the Huaca de la luna. La Huaca del Sol is still being excavated. The Huacas are impressive adobe structures. There are a lot of burials and multi colored reliefs, some of them restored.

On the way back to Trujillo I descended the collectivo at the bus terminal to book a ticket to Lima for the next day and then found the city bus to Huanchaco.

Huanchaco is a resort town on the Pacific, believed to be a surf paradise. I had booked the Evergreen hostel which I found closed and deserted with no warning issued through Booking.com. In such cases be sure to keep the receipt of whatever you found, Booking.com does compensate the difference. I tried to phone or find the host, finally gave up and stayed at a hospedaje. The son of the landlady, a teacher, served hamburgers and beer in the evening on the porch of the house. But before I managed to take the beautiful Pacific sunset.

I thought I could take a swim next day. But there had been recent inundations and the Ocean was full of driftwood and the water was cold. Still the beach was nice in the daytime as well. In the afternoon I missed the bus stop for Chan-Chan archaeological site and ended up in Trujillo Plaza de Armas again. There was a guy from Claro telecom of Peru selling SIM cards. I took one for my spare phone and it served a good purpose communicating locally. Then I strolled down Trujillo main pedestrian street Fransisco Pizarro which also has nice colorful buildings.

As the evening approached, I walked back to the bus terminal, it has a huge waiting room and a smaller one where they let you when the bus time to leave comes up. The small room also has free wifi. I witnessed a real price war, there were several companies with buses leaving about the same time, competing for the scarce passengers so I saw prices go down from 50 to 25 soles, I had bought the previous day at 40 S, but then the girl at the Via Tours desk was very beautiful and this was a comfort.

Lima Online Album

Lima is a very big city, bigger than Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. So I only know a narrow strip of it between the centre and the bohemian Barranco suburb, where my hostel with the romantic name Suspiros del Inca was. We arrived at about 8 am, after travelling for over an hour through the north of Lima. The bus stop was opposite the Estadio National and as there was plenty of time till noon I decided to walk all the way to Barranco through the many parks in Lima. They were all impeccably clean, and at least the places I passed through like Miraflores were all very clean. It was April 15th, the Easter Saturday so there wasn't much traffic. I passed through the Parque de la Reserva, then by the Museum of Aviation, built like a castle, through the Bosque el Olivar de San Isidro which really had olive trees planted. Olive trees do not acclimatize easily. I had seen some planted in New Zealand, they did not bear fruit. Then finally I gained the coastal promenade, some 100 meters above the ocean.

Museum of Aviation

Olivar de San Isidro

Lima, the Coast

On the coast is the very romantic Parque del Amor. It reminds a bit of Gaudi's Parque Güell in Barcelona with its colorful mosaic benches and has many "love" quotations. The sculpture in the center people say is "Shrek and Fiona".

Parque del Amor

The walk along the coast was very scenic with the steep cliffs and the ocean below. Finally I reached the Suspiros del Inca hostel in Baranco, probably named after the nearby Puente de los Suspiros, Sighs Bridge, where couples in love lock their padlocks and throw the keys.

Puente de los Suspiros

I had a small room to myself,  there was also a small courtyard. In such places you quickly make friends. The hosts, Roberto and Clara were very kind. Roberto was a boxer once, champion of South America and had lived and trained for several years in Cuba. He knew about wounds, saw my dog wound still oozing and produced quickly some ointments and bandages. They also lent me a card for the Metro bus. The breakfast place was very nice, there was a supermarket nearby and many restaurants as Barranco is popular with tourists.

With Roberto, the host at Suspiros del Inca

I rested a bit and then set off for the Parque de la Reserva, which is believed to have the biggest water fountains in the world. Indeed there are many of them all illuminated and with music. There was also a water tunnel and  a place where you just enter to get wet. A caballero danced around a lady on horseback. As it was Easter Saturday, there was a summer theater performance of Jesus Christ Superstar rock opera, which I had first seen 40 years ago in London.  Caiaphas had a deep bass voice, very good. To watch it a bit, I also have a video clip.

El Circuito Magico del Agua

 Next morning I set out with the Metro bus again for the Plaza de Armas to see the Easter processions. The Plaza is huge, with a garden in the middle, flanked by the Catedral, the Consejo de Ministros and the Municipality. The processions were coming from two opposite directions, on one side with statues of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, from the other side  Virgin Mary. Each statue was carried by a dozen strong men, the platforms have legs to rest when they stop, the brass bands were playing funeral marches. Very moving. Below is the photo of the statues as they enter the Catedral, with John the Baptist to the right welcoming Mary Magdalene followed by Jesus Christ and  the Virgin Mary already inside.

Easter Processions enter the Cathedral

There were other interesting places in the center, the Basilica de la Vera Cruz hosting a piece of the Holy Cross "Lignum Cricis" donated by request of Carlos V by Pope Paul III to Fransisco Pizarro, the dancing next to the Puente Trujillo and the Basilica de San Fransisco, the Casa de la Literatura Peruana with the Mario Vargas Llosa library and the mural below.

Finally there was the change of guards in front of the Consejo de Ministros which looked like military exercises for two whole regiments. I passed also by the Plaza San Martin and the monument to Manco Capac, the mythical founder of the Incan empire. I had booked a bus to Cusco on the internet but had to go to the bus company office anyway, then I found out I could take the same bus from San Juan next morning, a suburb much nearer to Barranco than the center. In the morning Roberto saw me off to the bus stop in Barranco with all the right instructions how to get to San Juan de Miraflores. Adios, Roberto y gracias, heres un verdadero amigo!

Cuzco  Online album

The journey to Cuzco was the longest so far, over 20 hours. At first we cruised the Carretera Panamericana to the south following the coast then went inland and at Nazca started winding up to Cuzco. In the long distance buses in South America meals are served as part of the service so as not to have to stop a lot on the way. The landscape along the coast was scenic, then it became dark and in Nazca Joselin  came aboard, we talked a bit and then she went to sleep. I envy people who sleep soundly while travelling, bus or train or plane, I can seldom relax but also dozed quite a bit, by now I was used to it.

Joselin from Cuzco

In the morning Joselin told me about a dozen places worth visiting around Cuzco, like Maras Moray and Rainbow Mountain. There are two statues of the Inca Pachacutec in Cusco, Emperor of the Inca Empire, one as you come up from the bus terminal and one in the Plaza de Armas. Cuzco was the capital of the Incas for nearly 300 years.

Cuzco Plaza de Armas with Inca Pachacutec Monument

First thing I went to secure my ticket for Machu Picchu, I was supposed to go to Aguas Calientes the next day, visit Machu Pichu and return to Cuzco on the second day. I read now the ticket in 2017 was 150 soles or about $45, but in 2018 it is already $70 for foreigners for morning visits. There is a daily limit of 2500 visitors and it is advisable to buy a ticket beforehand. Wayna Picchu which is the mountain towering over Machu Picchu needs a separate ticket as they let only 200 people daily but it was sold out till June. You buy tickets in the Casa Garsilaso near the center at the at the Direccion Regional de Cultura. You need your passport, they accept cash and cards. 

Bolivian visa Next thing I dropped my backpack at the Pirwa Colonial hostel, which is in a very nice old house at  the  Plaza San Fransisco. I washed and shaved and took off for the Bolivian consulate in Cusco at Oswaldo Baca 101, Magisterio.  But my application documents were all meant for the Quito embassy, so I had to prepare new ones. You need the yellow fever certificate and some copy of your bank account as proof of means. Also you need to fill in an application online, saying where you would pick up your visa. You start here, not very easy to find: http://www.rree.gob.bo/formvisas/

I found a computer shop nearby, fortunately had some documents online to print and headed back to the consulate. The consul was very polite and informative, gave me a lot of advice about Bolivia. There is nothing supernatural about getting the visa, sometimes when groups come, they issue up to 200 visas daily. For most countries the visas are free of charge, but not for US citizens. There is also a consulate in Puno and in theory a visa on arrival is also available at the border, but then it is not free. I was advised by the consul to see the salt plains of Uyumi but as I was not sure about the visa, I was to spend only two nights in La Paz and go.

Pirwa Colonial inner courtyard

The Bolivian visa ready, I had lunch at a small restaurant nearby and headed back to town, but it started raining heavily and this reminded me I still had no jacket after I had lost mine entering Ecuador. It was not easy also in Cusco, but finally I found one I could get into at a local market. Evenings in Cuzco are cool as it is 3500 to 3800 m altitude.

What remained were the arrangements to go to Machu Picchu. I already had the entrance ticket. The train tickets cost  $65-$100 one way, they take you by bus to Ollantaytambo and from there by rail to Aguas Calientes.  There is no road from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, but a lot of travel agencies were selling minibus transfers to the Hidroelectrica, a train station 10 km from Aguas Calientes for only 80 Soles return (about $25), including lunch on the way or nearly 8 times cheaper than the train. For the last 10 km by train the price for foreigners is $33 which makes it probably the most expensive track in the world, but most people walk the two hours. So I booked the minibus, but there were still arrangements to make now that I had the Bolivian visa. I walked back to the bus station and bought a night ticket to Copacabana, Bolivia for the day after and was finally all set. At least this is what I thought.

Machu Picchu 
Next morning I had to meet the minibus driver at 7 am, people came, shouted some names but alas! not mine. I phoned the agency, they contacted the driver and it turned out we had been waiting at the opposite corners of the immense Plaza de Armas. We started in about 20 minutes when the minibus was full.  There are a number of narratives on the web how to get to Aguas Calientes but better use the maps below.

Route Cuzco Hidroelectrica

The road goes through the cities of Urubamba, Ollaytantambo (underneath the 4h50) and further up the valley of Urubamba river. There are precipices and many turns so either close your eyes or muster all your courage. The last stretch through the Santa Teresa district down to the Hidroelectrica is a dirt road and particularly challenging. The map below shows how Urubamba river and the railway track go all around Machu Picchu from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes. On the right slope you can also see the serpentines used by the buses taking people up to Machu Picchu entrance. There is also a hiking path which cuts through the many turns and takes about an hour to climb to the entrance, this is what I did next morning.

Hidroelectica, Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes

The mountain landscapes along the way are majestic, but looking down into the valley may give you the creeps at times. We stopped for lunch on the way, included in the 80 Soles.  It takes about 6 hours to get to the Hidroelectrica so we were there about 2PM. The bus drivers stay overnight there. There is a parking, a restaurant and a railway station for those who don't feel like walking the remaining 10 km. I did, it is an easy flat walk following the rails.

The way to Aguas Calientes. Beware of trains!

In Aguas Calientes I stayed at the Pirwa Machu Picchu. I shared the room with a girl from Israel who was leaving to join her guide for dinner, later came another girl from the US. I had the tourist menu at a restaurant across, but the alpaca chop I had was rather raw and difficult to chew. 

Next morning I started at about 5:30, dropped my backpack and picked up my breakfast package at  the reception. I climbed up the steep path and was at the entrance before 7 AM.  There is an excellent viewpoint when you enter, the morning mist still cuddling Huayna Picchu. 

Seen from above, Machu Picchu is really magic, the sprawling city ruins set against the iconic Huayna Picchu. When you start walking through the ruins the magic dissipates a bit, but still you wonder how and why these people had to build this majestic city on top of an inaccessible peak? It was built in the 15th century and abandoned in the 16th after the Spanish conquest. The city was not found and plundered by the Spaniards, and the locals kept the secret,  it was only rediscovered for the rest of the world in 1911. I headed from the entrance to the Puerta del Sol, the path to it offers  spectacular views of the ruins from a different angle.

Coming back to the city I walked through the ruins,  some walls are just polished dry stones, tightly fitting against each other. Lamas graze here and there and many many tourists started arriving. I finished my tour, descended and about noon started back to the Hidroelectrica, where the minivan was waiting for us to leave at 2:30 PM, arrived in time to have some lunch. So in the evening I was back  at Pirwa Colonial, full of emotions, impressions and very tired.

Next day my bus to Copacabana was leaving in the evening, so I had the time to take a guided tour of Cuzco and then gain the Cristo Blanco monument hill and Saqsaywaman ruins above the city through the steep streets. There is a lot to see in Cuzco as well, the old churches, the palacios with their inner courtyards, the San Pedro market constructed by Gustave Eiffel with the many stalls for fruits, vegetables, souvenirs, juices and meals.

In the afternoon I tried to keep warm in the hostel courtyard as I had already checked out and when the time came, headed towards the bus station. There was a nasty surprise to me as the two halves of my ticket did not match! The one half was saying Copacabana on the lake Titicaca in Bolivia, the other was saying Arequipa, and the Arequipa bus had already left in the morning. There were two ladies from different companies sharing the same stall so how their destinations ended up in a single ticket is a mystery. They would not give me back my ticket to file a complaint, finally they gave me a 50% discount on the Copacabana bus. I was surprised to find myself quarreling in Spanish. So read your tickets carefully! After 10 days and 2000 km in magic Peru next morning I was at the Bolivian border on the lake Titicaca.