"La pareja strikes back in Peru !!! (english)" Peru Travelogue by Maillekeul

Our new adventure begins by night, with the border, in a bus, with cold and tiredness. But, here we are ! We have the peruvian stamp (illegible) that allows us to be (tired) in Peu. Arrival to Piura, a border city, that we somehow skip to Chilcayo, below on the Coast. During the trip, we notice the difference of landscapes with Ecuador. Indeed, here is the desert : trees and valleys have been replaced by sand and dust... And it is supposed to be like this in Chile too ! In Chiclayo, city of friendship, people spontaneously come to us, either to ask us about our lives in France, or to ask me to play guitar (what would never happen in Paris !)... Hallucination, with regard to the coldness of people in Ecuador... Our next stop, Cajamarca, in the Sierra (Andes) is for us a more "masterized" environment : mountains. From here, rythmed by hours and hours of bus, the "Peru team" chains up the tours (To see more about Cumbe Mayo... ) :
- Cumbe Mayo, 3800 meters above sea level, volcanic rocks with shapes that call to our mind and also an old site for centralization of the urban irrigation of Cajamarca (miles away from the city... pre-incas were really clever !),
- La Colpa, a former "hacienda" converted in a touristic farm (cows are called by their names to be fed),
- Llacanora and its waterfall (without much water),
- The Inca Baths, with their mineral water almost boiling (78°C... that kill your germs !)...
But, a lot better than all these tiny things, Cajamarca is the city of sugar and cheese, what is the most important point for french travelers like us ! As Stef reporter is sampling ementhal and "gruyere", I am delighting in with cakes about 20 cms high and 10 cm large...

To see more about Cajamarca ...

But, we have to follow a strict diet and, consequently, we have to get down the Andes again (Stef reporter certainly lost an ear, playing yo-yo with height) and we go straight to Trujillo. We find an accomodation next to this city, in a charming seaside resort called Huanchaco, where fishermen love to build small boats out of reed to go fishing (and as reed takes water, I let you imagine what a sport it may be...). Trujillo is the city of ruins and of the Moche and Chimu temples (fascinating pre-incas civilizations). There, we discover Chan Chan, a former enormous city (about 1000 kms long, milleniums ago) and its fortresses (or what is left of them... we are talking about ruins here !). Very impressive...

To see more about Trujillo ...

The ever-lasting national days make us stay a bit longer in Huanchaco, where we enjoy sun, large and desert beaches and views of the brave surfers, taming the biggest waves of the continent... As we are not alone to stay here, we form multi-national alliances to drink beers or to test the "mate de coca" (no relation with the cocain, that is simply based on Coca leaves, like the famous Cola bearing the same name...).

To see more about Huanchaco ...

A lonely tree next to Llanganuco

At last, the end of the (national) dyas. We can take back a normal activity and we go to Huaraz in the Andes. A really beautiful town, inlaid in a mountainous area mixing snowy peaks and cultivated tops... A real pleasure for the eyes. Followed by our israelian side-kick, Sharon, we treat ourselves to a trip above the city (that, all the same, is perched at 3100 meters above sea level). And the day after, we are gone for an exciting tour, unknown by our french guidebook, towards the Lake 69. At first, we mix it up with the Llanganuco Lake, about 3800 meters high, that we had managed to reach by collectivo (a tourist car) and camioneta. But, after the driver neglectedly passed next to this woooonderful lake, we realize that we have not arrived and that there is a 3 hours walk to do... So, we begin walking, and after an hour and a half of efforts, we see a lake, not that beautiful, and, behind, a huge desert area, at the bottom of snowy and hostile mountains. We immediately thought that the draining rate of the Lake 69 should have been stated at the entry of Llanganuco (did someone lie to us ?), but we meet a french couple that tells us that we have to climb all the way up towards the snowy peaks to see the Lake. And there begins another story that will last only 2 hours, but during which we were all close to loosing a lung or two : imagine that, at 4850 meters above sea level, when you take 3 steps forward, you just feel like Bart Simpson's grandpa : you don't remember who are you, what you do and why you do it !! But, we aren't no sissies, and we finally made it ! Actually, it was great, the water of the Lake was a deep blue (though the sky was cloudy), we were surronded by mountains and quarries that could make blush the Japanese series action heroes, and we enjoyed the view of eternal snows on the peaks... We also heared blocks of ice cracking and falling, a few meters above us... On our way back, Stef reporter almost losts her head, owing to a terrible headache (height might have consequences when climbing up... and getting down !)... Also, we decide to rest a few days at Huaraz level to feel better... Vaillant Maillekeul, as for him, will go on the local disco (to notice that electronic music will badly hurt people when coming, as locals are used to dancing in a way that 6 million dollar man, Steve Austin (slowing-down motion), would not have repudiated...).

To see more about Huaraz and our trip to the Laguna 69 ...

After a lot of rest, we take our balls, guns and knives, put our eyes in our back, to go visiting Lima, the capital, supposed to be the most dangerous place in Peru, according to our guide book... Vamos a ver !!

Typical landscape of the peruvian Andes

Lima is not Mali !

We arrive in the capital by bus, knives between the teeth, our eyes peering everywhere for a hidden thief or criminal... And, eventually, we make a good job through the bus station and reach our hostal without any problem. Our sleeping place seems to be very nice, with, more or less, everything available (kitchen, TV, DVD, books and above all... hot water !). Nice neighbourhood, Miraflores, for rich people, not far from the beach... But, it's winter in Lima (august) and the grey sky and the "Garua" (drizzle) are here to welcome us too ! We are about to do what we love to do (nothing). But it's exactly where thet are not expected that thieves love to act ... In our room !!! Obviously, the one and only person to be responsible (the young boy working here) stole us the equivalent of 60 Euros : of course, he made us cry when talking about the possibility that he may be fired, and once we brillantly defended his case before the owner (how foolish we are !!), he went back to his numb attitude in front of a typical local DVD, that is played all day long in the hostal (sort of Hare Krishna music crap...). This misfortune does not prevent us from having a tour of the whole city, by car (in a doctor's car, to be accurate, as we had to call one for a little bruise). This allows us to note that Lima is sometimes nice, more often without charm and violently urban, and, always, completely different from the typical peruvian style we had observed until then...

To see more about Lima ...

Following the line in Nazca...

After Lima, we head toward Nazca and its famous lines inlaid on the ground of the closest desert. They are supposed to represent geometric forms and also different beetles, they were drawned by Indians, milleniums ago, but these Indians could not see the result of their gigantic drawning work from above, at the opposite of the contemporary travel agencies that propose a 3/4 hour flight above the lines. Though the meaning of the lines is still puzzling experts of the all world and their use is not very clear (except being a good mark for present planes), the agencies make you pay a 50 USD ticket to fly, what we refuse for the moment : we opt for another view (Reiche's Mirador) to take some pictures (well, it's not the same from far above, but, at least, we won't bother you with lines and lines about the mysterious lines... ).

To see more about Nazca ...

Arequipa, the real Peru

here, we are not disappointed at all. Arequipa, second city of the country, is not a kind of mixing of big cold and grey blocks of cement, but a wonderful city (mandatorily, an andean one), brillant mix of spanish inspiration (streets and places) and of andean culture (stones made of soil). So, we peacefully walk up and down the streets that we appreciate as well as the cloisters popping everywhere and the charming neighbourhoods.

To see more about Arequipa ...

Catching the Arequipa fever, we also fly and join the condors of the Colca Valley that includes one of the deepest Canyon of the world. During this tour, we comfortably enjoy the baths in an open area surrounded by mountains, we celebrate the departement days with typically-dressed inhabitants of our resting place, Chivay, rythmed by the music of brass, and we stroke the cute alpacas and other lamas.

To see more about Chivay ...

Unfortunately, time is running out and Chile is wiating for us. But, we will come back to Peru later this year, at least to visit Cuzco and the famous Machu Pichu.

To read our Portraits of people met in Peru ...

A boat sailing on the lake

After our bolivian adventures (stuck in Rurrenabaque for 11 days), we leave the country from La Paz, a bit angry to have been retained against our own will in Bolivia, though it's a wonderful country but whose charm we couldn't enjoy. So, still accompanied by our swedish Thomas, we line the lakesides of the famous Titicaca lake (that is supposed to mean "Stoned puma", but that's only what the guide said !), the highest and largest sailable lake in the world (that's only what is written in our guidebook !). After an ultimate bus stop (no more water in the engine !), we arrive to Puno, a big peruvian city on the lakeside, full of flourishing shops (souvenirs...), from where we will make a tour on the Amantanie and Taquile islands, on the Lake. We come aboard our boat, with Arnaud, a nice parisian guy, and Oliver, a corean looking german. The tour begins on the Uros islands, made of reed and that will be described by a pure frenchman (you don't want to know what is a "pure frenchman") as a "commercial rip-off". Yes, on these islands, there are some inhabitants and if they don't have much to say, they have a lot to sell, most of the times, some products you can find cheaper in Puno. We go ahead to the Amantanie Island where immediately, some local people come to us and lead us in little groups to their respective houses, where we are going to have lunch, dinner and rest... The houses look like old farms, and our lunch and dinner will be typical (raw vegetables, soup... they're not that rich on the islands, though the agencies make a lot of money ouf of their hospitality), but resting is something else, as the whole family will come to our room in order to sell us anything, from music playing to bracelets... During the afternoon, we'll climb up the top of the main hill of the island to attend a great sunset (as usual). And at night, while Thomas, our eventual room mate, typically dressed (poncho and hat), goes dancing with the shy local girls, we'll rest, planning to attend the sunrise (not organised by the guide). At 4 AM, when Stef Reporter decides to stay in the bed, a sleepy Thomas and myself climb up again the highest hill of the island to attend the sunrise. It was really worth waking up early, as we realized that local people work at night everywhere on the island, without light (we thought, looking at the shades, that they were ghosts haunting the island !). The rest of the day, we walk on Taquile Island, even more commercial than Amantani, and with a lot more people : then, we come back to Puno on 3 different boats : our "captain" is only 6 years old, and he's not the best sailorman,what will constantly repeat our guide to excuse the small accidents (what a bastard...).

Click here to : sink in the Titicaca Lake , watch the sun from Amantani , do shopping on Taquile .

One of the site next Cusco...

After a wonderful arrival, all along the famous Cusco valley, the city opens its gate for us. So, what is that with Cusco that all South-America travelers come here in the end ?
1. It's a Gringo city ? Affirmative : the gringo is hated, but he's the king, because he's supposed to have money, spend it in food, beers, pool, drugs, entrance fees, in short, he's the good client.
2. The city is beautiful ? True, Cusco is surrounded by mountains, like Huaraz ; monuments are magnificent (it's the former headquarters of an Inca King !) and the cutest parts are spared by mercantilism.
3. The most famous inca sites are in the area ? Reason number one ! Sacsayhuaman, Machu Picchu, Choquequirao, Vilcabamba (the real lost city of the Incas)... So many places and ruins to see !!
In short, you enjoy Cusco for all these reasons and even more... We visit, we wander around, we hide in some tacky houses when stalked by the rain, we drink free "pisco sours" in the gringo restaurants (it's a permanent fight between them to offer you the more free drinks they can)... Well, we didn't escape the Cusco "turista".

Click here to visit the city of the Incas...

Choquequirao : a super trek (part I)

After hours of hesitation (Inka Trail or another trek), we finally agree, me and Thomas (Stef Reporter is out of the game) to go and trek to the Choquequirao site, the next Machu Picchu as some people say, and, whatever, a cheaper but harder adventure.

Day 1

We arrive in Cachora, after 3 hours spent in an early bus from Cusco. This tiny village is the starting point of our trek. Rain is already attending. We take a rice lunch in a typical (and, consequently, poor)family's typical house, whose background is a real farm where feathered and coated animals wander around, looking for a piece of food. One of the daughters' family will most particularly strike us, as she proposes us to drink a "mate" made in the water coming from the gutter outside. We leave the little house in the prairie for our first afternoon walk. It's really easy at the beginning : the landscapes around us look like the ones we saw around the Laguna de Quilotoa (Ecuador), mountains full of colourful fields.. Then, we begin a slight climbing that leads us to the dodgy top of the mount Cupaliyoc (windy, snowy, rainy... we feel like parts of the Fellowship of the Ring !). From there, it's a looong way down, on the side of the mountain, during almost 3 hours. When we look behind us, once arrived at the camp, ans as we will have to take the same path to come back, we say to ourselves that the last day will be the toughest... Our muleman limps, our guide is always far behind us... Let's see what happens next...

Choquequirao's terraces

Choquequirao : a super trek (part II)

Day 2

Really early awakening, due to these gotdamn roosters that should buy a clock-alarm, and let's go ! We go down to a bridge that we cross, happy to walk on a flat land... what we won't do for the next 6 hours, as we have to walk up a 1500 meters slope, first, on an ever-turning path. On our way, we meet 2 Italians without a mule and all their equipment on their back, who will take twice the time we did to arrive at the site... We walk, we walk, we loose our guide (who will join us 3 hours after the arrival on the site), we suffer... Our limping muleman, Armando, limps faster than we walk and overtakes us... The top of the mountain sets us free... Up there, there is a small farm, with only 3 walls, where Armando will kindly cook for us, while we're enjoying the landscapes around that the clouds seem to let go.. And, then, it's under the sun that Thomas and I continue our walk to the site. 2 more hours of going up and down, and then Choquequirao. Waiting for the guide, we wnjoy a wonderful view, with no clouds, and, during 3 hours, it is just un-be-lie-va-ble !!! Colourful mountains, fields, rivers, rainbow... 2 condors even come and visit us and add a fauna touch to this perfect scenery. And I don't tell you about the sunset that the clouds, wishing to waste our pleasure, make even more beautiful...

Day 3

After a night on the terraces of the site, we wake up, in the mist, and our guide finally decides to do what he was hired for. Unfortunately, his lack of command of english will not allow us to understand everything he tries to say (his spanish explanations proving that he had not much to tell us, anyway), except that the site wasn't maybe rebuilt the way he was initially erected. Whatever, we take the way back under the sun and our knees will first suffer a bit (going down for 4 hours). Arrived at the bridge, we will enjoy the fresh water of the river (delicious, even though Clumsy Thomas has lost a sock in it !), before a short climb, accompanied by a nice guy from Barcelona, to the camp we stayed in the first night. On our way, we see our first biiig and hairy spiders, and, once arrived, we celebrate the 3rd day with beer and ron-coca, listening to the cuys' strange sound (like boiling water), hundreds of these little pets living in the main room of the camp's owner.

Day 4

Still awakened by the roosters (bastards !), it's around 4.30 AM that we begin the "supposed-to-be" hardest part : climbing up to the top of Capuliyoc mountain. Hard, hard, but, eventually, less than what we had feared. Thanks to coca leaves, we reach the top and then begins a really nice walk, surrounded by a typical french Auvergne scenery, under the sun, until we arrive at Cachora. Our guide is still kilometers behind us, what will start an argument between us, but everything ends in the calm, and we go back to Cusco by bus, devouring the well-known andean landscapes...

A pure moment of happiness, all in all !!

Click here to follow us until Choquequirao

Machu Picchu from Huayna Picchu

Barely recovering from our Choquequirao emotions, we decide to visit the famous Machu Picchu site, with an enhanced Stef Reporter, who had 4 nice days in Cusco, Thomas, Luke and Terra, 2 Canadians, and David, from Malta. We arrive in Ollantaytambo, first mandatory step. Not a lot to do there, except waiting for the train that rides to Aguas Calientes, a small city, the closest to the site. So, in Ollantay, except throwing up the yellow tripes of our "almuerzo", we play cards (large french victorym of course !). After the ride, expensive and discriminating (this carriage for locals, this one for gingos...), Aguas Calientes, where we take an hotel room, where we stay only a few hours. As, decided not to pay the site's entrance fee, we have only one thing to do : arriving early on the site. We wake up at 3 AM, really tired, and, with flashlights and plastic bags over our clothes (it's raining !), we begin a really uneasy climb (mainly steps for more than one hour) to reach Machu ! Out of breath, we finally succeed in reaching the... cloudy top ! Well, no sunrise over the ruins, but, at least, we don't pay the fee (20 bucks !) : while the ranger is having a bath, we crawl under the window of his bathroom, close to the entrance door ! Waiting for the site to be totally sunny, David, who should think about organizaing holidays rather than traveling, invents for us so many collective games, with only stones, sticks and plastic bags !! This will keep us playing for 2 hours, ending with Sweden victory in these Machu Picchu Olympic games (not that clumsy, Thomas...). Then, legions of tourists and Inca Trailers arrive and we discover the wonderful site, from which clouds are finally flying away. So splendid !!! And so sad that it will disappear, as the site sinks in the ground (one centimer per month). With Thomas, we climb up the mountain up close, Huayna Picchu : the view over the site from its top is just marvelous ! When we go down, we realize that the others have been checked by the rangers (like in any subway station !), but that they smartly told rangers that Thomas and I were holding the tickets ! Fortunately, we sneak through the rangers shouting our names, escaping in the end !!!

Click here to visit the site without paying !

After that, we go back to Cusco that we leave one day after this last but not least visit, to go back to Bolivia.

We will have to come back to Peru only to go back to France, so we don't add anything else, except that this country is really worth it for all those who love mountains, incredible sceneries, and ruins !!