Inca Trail to Machu Picchu – Part 4 of 4 “Finding the Lost City”

It was a long journey, I mean the posting about it not the actual trek. Here, two months after I was there, is the final post on my Machu Picchu experience.

Day 3 was exhausting and beautiful. After visiting the ruins at Winaywayna and eating a late dinner we had our porter tipping ceremony under the stars. Then a meeting about how it would all work the next day.

Finally we prepped for a 3:30 am rise and crawled into our tiny tents at the edge of a cliff at 9:30 or so.

Despite the exhaustion, or perhaps partly because of it, I was in a dreamlike state. The moon and stars were shining bright on the campsite until the rain started. I stayed in my tent dreaming of our arrival at the Sun gate. I imagined the city with the light of the rising sun illuminating it right in front of my eyes.

Even the best efforts of my imagination could not anticipate how incredible the experience was.

We woke up early so we could get a good place in line at the checkpoint, which opened at 5:30 am. The problem was that every other group had this idea too, so we had to wait in a fairly significant line. On this day however, waiting in line was not a problem. In fact, the condensed number of Machu Picchu yearning spirits heightened the excitement building it monumental proportions.

The sun rose to reveal the path

The sun began to rise behind the mountains to the east of us as we finally passed the checkpoint.
Then the race was on. The rising sun on our backs, or backpacks, as we charged to the sun gate, yearning to see the illuminating dance the suns rays play on the city every morning.

The trail was as beautiful as ever in the rising sun and the valley next to the one with the city is a fantastic place. At some points we were almost running to get there, until we reached this nearly vertical stair climb near the end of it.

And then the gate was in sight. As I crossed the threshold I saw the expanse of the city below. I cannot describe the euphoric feeling that washed over me in that moment. 11 years in my mind and 4 days on the trail, but now it is real. The sun was rising behind us spreading over the city gradually as we witnessed it in all its glory.

First Glimpse

It is more magnificent than any picture or anticipating imagination could attempt to envision.

The rest of this post will be in photo format. Since my words are rather incapable of encompassing the depth and breadth of the experience.

Enjoy

A little more light

A little closer

We were all so happy to be there, you can’t even tell how tired we are.

okay time to hike down

and now for a little yoga

with the guides after the tour

The cost of climbing Huayna Picchu too swiftly and not securely enough 🙂

It iiisss worth it

at the summit

The inca bridge that connected Machu Picchu to Winaywayna

a closer look

Relaxing

Walking down to Aguas Calientes, it is better to take the bus.

And so that is all I have for now about Machu Picchu. Maybe someday I will return to the fabled city, but for now it is one magnificent dream realized. I have many other dreams to make real and adventures to have.

Viva Aventura!

C.A.

Peruvian Food Part 1, Is it really worth writing home about?

Ensalada de Fruta with Coconut milkshake at La Bondiet.

“Food, glorious food, hot sausage and mustard, while we’re in the mood, cold jelly and custard, peas, pudding and saveloys, what next is the question. Rich Gentleman, have it boys, indigestion.” Oliver.

*This post is part of the word a week challenge. To find more about this visit http://suellewellyn2011.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/a-word-a-week-photography-challenge-food

The Traditional at Los Perros. Garlic mashed potatos and steak cooked to tender perfection.

I love food. It could be said and indeed has been said by more than one person, that I experience life through food. This is an astute observation. It is not the only way that I experience life, but it is certainly a major lens through which I view, absorb, consume(?) experiences. I am always eating and always yearning for a new culinary experience. When I am at home, most of my adventures involve discovery of new places to eat, unique, exotic, interesting places.

Talk about interesting. Fish Head Soup on the “Urros” Floating Islands on Lake Titicaca. Adventurous, but I’d rather eat a nice bowl of lentil soup.

The most recent Portland Restaurant month was incredible. I was able to visit ten new places. Each restaurant was as good as the next and offered a new discovery of its own (more on this when I have time use my backlog.) The menu was limited, but it didn’t matter, because the place was new, so the food was new.

The inside of this flower, ancestor of the pineapple is food for Andean bears. This one overlooks the glory of Machu Picchu.

What’s more? I was able to collect these culinary experiences in good company. Which is important, because though food makes me happy, and “happiness is real when shared.” Into the Wild.

Los Perros, the essence of sharing food and happiness.

These days, in Peru I mean, I do not have to go far to find culinary adventure. It is everywhere. Cusco is a great place to eat with healthy variety. Aside from the traditional Peruvian Cuisine, which is unique, in more ways than its obsession for potatoes.

Potato wedges at Aguaymanto, an amazing and under appreciated restaurant in Cusco.

There are multitudes of restaurants catering to the entire array of international tastebuds. It is rather annoying to be on a trip, where I am trying to focus on Spanish immersion, and being surrounded instead by tourists speaking English. I can’t be too disappointed by this, because I am one of them.

Andean Pizza with Alpaca. Pizza Andina in Puno

The high number of tourists makes the culinary experience diverse and adventurous. I have tried so many different types of food here already and am on a path to try many more. I was going to list them, but instead I will post pictures of as many as possible.

Mango Strawberry Pancakes at Jack’s cafe. Another favorite and sufficiently appreciated place.

Glorious Sauteed garlic mushrooms a good friends key to happiness. Jack’s Cafe

Alpaca in herb sauce. La Retama. One of the better restaurants on the Plaza de Armas.

Cusquena Negra or Malta in a wine glass at La Retama. While the food here is an adventure, the beer is a bore. This is one of the few passable options.

With only bread, jam and tea offered for breakfast. An egg sandwich is often in order. This is from a small sandwich shop on the way to the Language school.

Half of Juanito’s, Lomo Saltado, with the best french fries in Cusco. So good that my mouth ate half of it before I could get my camera out.

Another amazing breakfast at Jack’s

Alpaca Cheeseburger at Aguaymanto. Magnifico!

Inside View. Seriously if you are in Cusco you need to go to Aguaymanto. They make their own pasta in house! And they know their Pisco.

Nachos at Agauymanto…

The take on Bangers and mash at Los Perros. Sweet potatoes and maple.

Los Perros giant burger. Up close and further down on the table.

Los Perros, inside view

Alpaca steak and mashed potatoes at The Muse

Rigatoni with meat sauce and cheese at The Muse. Needs more salsa. Also they have live Salsa Music almost every night at 12:30.

Jaunitos pork sandwich with an egg wrapped around it. Best to share this one.

More adventures in Peruvian cuisine to come.

Viva Aventura

~C.A.

Sacred Valley Tour-Week 2

At the end of my second week I did a full day tour of the Sacred Valley. The frustrating thing about large groups and guided tours is that the companies often stop at specific artisans along the way. At first it seems like they do this to bring you to quality sites. Then you realize that they do this to get a commission of any items purchased. With a large group tour, it is more likely that more people will purchase. This gets in the way of touring the actual site. We spent 15 minutes at a small artisans shop and another 45 minutes at the market in Pisac. They took us there under the guise of seeing artisan jewelry makers who use natural colors from the environment for their work. While this is true, we spent unreasonably large amount of time to there.

View of the Scared Valley before entering Pisac

One good thing about the Jewelry stop

Artisan hands at work

When we arrived at the ruins in Pisac, the guide made a big deal about the enormity of the site. He told us that you need five hours at the site to really appreciate its magnificence. At the least, you need three hours to appreciate the main points of Pisac, the guide informed us in a serious and reverent tone. He then told us that we needed to be back on the bus in one hour. It was the same way with Ollantaytambo and Chincherro. Except at Chincherro we arrived so late that the Church was about to close and the sun was about to set, though the sunset was really beautiful. On top of all of this, when you get a Boleto Turistico, it only lasts ten days and you can only visit each site once. That is why it is better to arrange your own tours and allow time to experience these magnificent sites, but I digress.

Pisac Archeological Site

Pisac
These ruins feature so many different types of architecture, which is why you need more time to experience it. There are military, residential, religious, and agricultural edifices. The many trails and staircases offer varied and beautiful vistas of both the valley and the ruins itself. It is likely that Pisac began as a military outpost to defend against attacks by the Anti Indians in the eastern most part. This is one of the places where I wish I could have spent more time. It is a magnificent example of the ingenuity of the Incas building style, building such massive stronghold into a vertical cliff. I missed out on a lot in the hour that we had to walk to the top and back down. I may return during my trip and then I will have a lot more to tell about this, one of the greatest of Cuzco’s Incan archeological sites.

The terraces at Pisac

A window in time

Pisac con tourists

There are so many different things to see here. One Hour is not enough.

Lunch
Buffet for 25 soles. The problem with this wasn’t the food or the price, though it was a little more than I desired to pay. We only had 40 minutes to get off the bus pay get our food and eat. It is not really a buffet if you don’t have time for a second, in my case, third plate. Go for the solo tour, freedom to visit sites and choose your lunch options.

Ollantaytambo
This site is another example of ingenious engineering and ancient building techniques. The temple on the top is unfinished, but is an example of the immensity of Incan building enterprises. There are two hundred steps that lead to the sight of the unfinished temple. The steps have a consistent series of terraces to accompany them up to the sun. The site is most famous for the battle held here in 1537. Manco Inca defeated and nearly destroyed the Spanish Army here. The Incas held here after a long retreat from Saqsayhuaman. The Incas defeated Pedro Pizarro’s men with volleys of arrows and slingshots from the fortified terraces of Ollantaytambo. As the Spanish retreated Macno Inca had signaled his men who diverted the Rio Urubamba and flooded the plain. The unfinished temple still stands today. There are water fountains similar to those at Tambomachay. Manco Inca’s army’s ability to divert the river and flood the Spanish is evidence of the importance of water in Incan life. It wasn’t only used for agricultural and religious purposes, but in this instance for military purposes as well.

The wind makes the sound of a flute as it whistles around this mountain and into the town. Ollantaytambo

View from the top of the monument

The view of the 200 steps and terraces

View of the sun temple and its ability to inspire awe in many tourists at a time.

Reverence of water

Chinchero
The main attraction here is the church that was built on top of an Inca temple as part of the conquest of Incan culture by the Spanish. The Church is intricately decorated and the art is fragile, so fragile in fact that they do not allow any kind of photography inside. So you are going to have to see it for yourself. There is also a famous market here that is less crowded than the Pisac market. One interesting and famous ruin is an ancient wall that people say, probably formed one wall of an Incan Palace. The best thing about the place though, was the view. The Urubamba Mountains could be seen in the distance and the post sunset glow was magnificent. If you visit here try to get here before the church and the market close, unlike the tour that I took which arrived so late that we weren’t able to enjoy much of it.

Best thing about Chincherro.

In the end, large group guided tours are for those with little time to spend in Cuzco. They give you a quick sampling of the history, but if you really want to experience these incredible sites, give yourself some time. There is a lot to see. After all in the adventure of life it is all about the journey, so let the journey last.

Viva Aventura

~C.A.