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Sanctuary in the Heavens...Huyana Picchu, Peru

It has taken me a lot longer to get here than anticipated.  You see, I have been in a creative slump.   What's so creative about pulling out pictures from a hard drive and placing captions, you ask?  My newest accessory is a pair of computer progressive glasses.  They are never to be found once off my face and I need some creative ideas on where to store them so I can find them and no! I cannot get more than one pair (I plunked a whole mortgage payment on the first one)...but I digress.

Any trip to Peru has Machu Picchu on the agenda and ours included the level 2 of the visit, climbing the Wayna (Huyana) Picchu.  If you can spare the time, I highly recommend the climb.   We did not climb Mt. Machu Picchu so cannot compare the experience and neither did we do the 4 day hike to reach MP as I am old enough to scale only the "old mountain".  The climb to Huyana Pichu is not, scale the vertical rocks of Yosemite but neither is it a slow flat incline type of a climb.  You need not be an athlete but being in decent physical shape helps.  After reviewing and reading several online travel blogs, we decided to get advance reservations for the 7:00 am climb.

The early morning mist rising from the Urumbamba enshrouded and unrobed the park simultaneously.  It was almost like being in the pages of The Celestine Prophecy.   Were it not for the "dont be late for your entry" advice from the previous bloggers, I would have stayed there all morning

The plaza, the sacred rock, the terraces were beyond breathtaking.  Once we signed our life away at the entrance and started walking up (more like ambling up), it seemed like this climb would be a piece of cake.  We couldnt see more than 20 feet in any direction.  With such low visibility, would there be any point in climbing up to the top?  Well, the walk itself was intriguing.  The vegetation was all tropical rainforest like, complete with ferns and orchids but the air was cold, damp and dreary like England (sorry English, that is the only England I have known in my several visits to your land).  Everywhere you turn, you would find a different plant species.  Almost as if they all wanted that little piece of heaven.







Enough about the vegetation, what about the climb?  All I can say is that we were glad we took the "take the 7:00 am slot" advice.  Some of us made it up the mountain at a decent pace while others claimed to take the time to enjoy the view (No comments on their fitness level :) ).  What is normally a 2.5 hour return trip turned into 4 for us and we started coming across two way traffic on the way down.  The images below give you an idea of what  the steps look like on that climb.  That little spot on the top left picture is my friend coming up the steps and you certainly do not want to share space on those.

If you are afraid of heights, there are certain spots where you better not look right (or left on the way down) towards the valley.  I am on that list and thanks to the illusion created by the mist, never quite realized the height we were at (1000 ft. above MP at the summit).  Just when you think there was nowhere to go, you see a set of steps rising in a tunnel between the rocks.  When you come out through the rocks, you reach the summit.  It was already packed with quick and fit climbers and there was no room left for us to be stationed in the clouds.  My friend and I were on cloud nine despite no room to stand.  Why?  A gentleman from Michigan complemented that we two were best dressed on that mountain.  A girl doesnt need anything more than that!

Circling around the summit (I think it was a circle! ), we came across a gigantic rock sloping downwards.  There was a bit of a bottle neck if you took the normal trail, and a group of pushy NY residents ever so nastily suggested that we hurry up.  They pretty much wanted us to push past an elderly Japanese lady who was trying slowly to make her way down.  My dear husband who has no patience for such road rage, decided to just slide down the rock (Not a great idea! and yes we are still married....what can I say....it was our 25th wedding anniversary that was being celebrated at MP).

All the while I was wondering where the Priest's home was, we turned around a corner and started seeing the structure.  The theory is that the priest lived here with the virgins and could see the rising dawn first so he would walk down to Machu Picchu to announce the arrival of the new day.  He sure must have special skills to walk down fast because when I tried to do that, I slipped pretty hard a couple of times and am lucky I still have the skull that has protected the memory of what I write here.

 

You can view the entire sanctuary from the top (well we did too, just through a filter of clouds).

As we started climbing down the mist rose above us and we could see some of the terraces, Urumbamba and the train running along river near Aquas Calientes

We were too tired, cold, wet (and unfit) to go around the Moon temple trail.

The climb give me an appreciation of the ingenuity of the Incas not only in the engineering of the the buildings but the pathways they forged to get to such heights.  

It truly was a once in a lifetime trip!

Quintessential Peru.

Mention Peru to anyone and the first thoughts that cross their minds is Machu Pichu, a fifteenth century city (or sanctuary depending on your perspective) made oh so famous by Hiram Bingham.

This beautiful place high up in the clouds is a destination that can be experienced as a modern day royal through the Hiram Bingham Express and staying over at the Sanctuary lodge or as a journey that tests your endurance through a four day hike up the mountain and staying at hostels in the town of Aquas Calientes at the foot of the mountain.  No matter which route you take, reaching the top will leave you breathless and plant a firm belief in the power of nature and a higher being.

As a special celebration of twenty five years of marital bliss, we decided to take the luxurious route.  Our trip started as an overnight stay at Tambo Del Inka on the banks of Urumbamba (a fabulous property with an out of the world spa particularly the hydrotherapy), an early morning taxi ride to the town of Ollantaytambo and a train ride to Aquas Calientes. 

Modern lobby and gorgeous trees of Tambo Del Inka

 Rain accompanied us all throughout the train ride but the beautiful scenery and great company of a teacher couple from the Greater Detroit area kept us occupied.  Arrival in Aquas Calientes was more of a challenge with a severe downpour, unprepared hotel staff who dumped us in a bus line without proper tickets as we figured our way up to the top of the mountain (so much for paying for a premium hotel).  In that chaos, we did not appreciate the beauty of the town itself, but did manage to enjoy the town on the way down.  The little town next to the roaring river is a mix of local and tourist.  If you meander away few blocks across the river from the train station, you will find yourself in sections that have a fruit market for the locals.  Heres is the chance to experience local cuisine of guinea pigs or myriad colored corn.  I got separated from my friends and found a tiny square all with a sprite bottle christmas tree over a nativity scene and a few local boys playing matchbox cars while their parents were probably busy selling souveniers in the surrounding shops.

A bumpy bus ride (where there is no place to store even a decent size bag pack) later, we reached the Machupichu Sanctuary Lodge.  A few words of wisdom here, if you need a toothbrush, a toothpaste, shaving cream, hand lotion, tissue box, anything at all...pick it up at the bottom otherwise you will have to wait until the shift changes over and the staff comes up from the bottom.  For the small fortune that we paid to stay at the lodge the daytime staff and service was horrendous.

We had tickets to the park to go the next day, but decided to take advantage of our early arrival and check out the park the same day.  We were strongly discouraged by the hotel staff as it was a rainy  day.  Having spent more than enough to get there we decided to go with our better judgement and we are ever so glad we did.  Once the tickets arrived in the next bus from below, we entered the park and the skies opened up just for us.  Armed with The Machu Picchu Guidebook by Wright and Zeggara, i was ready to tackle the whole site on my own in the a few hours.  My companions though had a different idea and along we went with our guide Edgars recommendation.   I highly recommend sticking to the Self directed guide.

The Sun God blessed the site.   Heres the first image we saw.  No amount of gigapixel 360 google images prepares you for the sheer magnitude and engineering prowess of the complex.



The Incas were engineering geniuses building perfect rock wall through which even a switchblade cannot pass.  All angled just right for ideal drainage.  Each terrace able to hold the weight of the one above.

Some of my favorite close ups

I just enjoyed capturing every angle from which Huyana Picchu could be visible.



After visiting the "We Visited" check list of Sun temple, rock quarry, sanctuary, we headed to the guard house to set up and take images of whole sanctuary.  No sooner had we set up, the modern day guard asked us to dismantle the tripod and head out as the park was closing...well there is always tomorrow we thought.  So I leave you here with a couple of my most favorite images of the day.  The first one is of the wall behind the sun temple.  The temple side made with smooth perfectly aligned rocks whereas the residential wall was put together with rocks of all sizes and shapes.  After all it was for mere mortals.

Wall behind the sun temple

See the two set of stairs?  which one do you think will last through the next four centuries?



Its all in your perspective.  Less than a foot long chiseled rock at the Sanctuary viewed from the right angle makes the climb to the top of Huyana Picchu achievable.  True?  I will share that in the next entry.

People and Places of Sacred Valley, Peru

After spending a day in Lima, I was hoping for more of a Peruvian cultural experience but landing in Cuzco and driving through the suburbs, it seemed like Peru may be a country full of modern concrete.  We were to stay in Urumbamba for a night before heading to Machu Pichu and convinced our driver to take the Chinchero route.  First stop, a visit with the weavers of Chinchero.  The place had tourist trap written all over it but this is one time I did not mind.  The mountain people are so beautiful, one could just keep watching them.  A beautiful young woman speaking fluent English walked us through the entire process of extracting natural dyes, cleaning Alpaca wool in natural soap, dyeing and weaving.  The air was thin and we gladly accepted our first cup of coca tea.

I was enamored by the beautiful handmade textiles and starting plunking away some hard earned dollars when half way through I realized that a good portion of the textiles being sold there were machine made in some factory (probably in China), at which point we made a hasty retreat but not before i captured the colors.

Our driver now took us to an overlook from where we could get the first glimpse of Incan ruins and the town of Chincero but alas it was to visit one more of the weaving farms.  We politely declined to enter and witnessed some unpleasant exchange between the farm lady and the driver.  She was disappointed that we had spent all our budget at the first farm.

Ruins at Chinchero

Next on the itinerary were the Salt mines at Maras and agricultural laboratories of Moray.  We chose Moray as our first stop.  From atop, the mezmerizing terraces were a geomteric delight.

We merrily climbed down with every intention of watching the cloudy sky as three other tourists did, but the thin air got to us and we barely made it past the first level.  This was our first experience with the walls up close and personal and the ingenuity of the design was not lost on us.  If Moray was so well built, we could not wait to get on the train to get to Machu Pichu.

clockwise:  View from the top, close up of the terrace, further details on the terrace access steps, three tourists at the bottom

While we were struggling to get back up to the ticket booth at the top most level of the laboratory, our driver was summoned back to the hotel and we had to cut short our trip.  Maras was put on hold until our return from Machu Pichu and unfortunately never happened as the bridge to Maras was damaged when two tourist cars tried to cross over on a one way bridge....

More on the trip to Machu Pachu in another entry.....

But I continue here with the rest of the sacred valley....

From Urumbamba we took a taxi to Ollantaytambo.  Once again it was cloudy and gray when we left Tambo Del Inka but by the time we reached the square at Ollantaytambo it was pouring.  We braved the rain with our nonbreathable parkas and took the ironic climb up to the Temple of the Sun and back down to the Banos del na Nusta (Princess' Bath)...which a Princess amongst us trespassed to and slipped on the slimy floor (lesson: never cross the do not enter ropes!).  Just like their Incan ancestors carved on rocks, Modern Quechuas carved into the vegetation.  You might see a local family on their day off walking around the ruins.  Do not forget to check out the grain storage houses at the bottom of the ruin.  There are trails that go around to the back of the mountain which we did not get to due to the rain.  The night before, we had heard the most beautiful music played at the El Alburgue restaurant by a blind harpist...we found him again playing the harp at the entrance to the ruins.

Water channels running down the terraces at Ollantaytambo ruins, Temple of 10 windows, angry man on the cliff, temple gate

Vegetation at Ollantaytambo

 


Wrapping up Ollantaytambo we headed back to Urumbamba to walk around town, get some fruits at a local fruiteria and enjoy the most amazing spa experience at Tambo Del Inka, two and a half hours of hydrotherapy and massage..ll for around $110 US....wish i could go back just for that spa experience.

The next morning was reserved for a return to Cusco and this time instead of going through Chinchero we took the Northern path through Calca.

Urumbamba in Valle Sagrada, Pisac

After dropping off our luggage in Cusco we returned to Pisac to explore the beautiful market and the Pisac Ruins.  It was a Sunday market and was filled with locals coming down from the highlands.

Whereas the men in our party found themselves on the balcony of a second story juice bar, my friend and I explored the colorful foods and people of the market.  We skipped the comfort of a restaurant and parked ourselves on a picnic bench eating the way the locals did.

Two Indian women eating lunch made by two Andean Women!

Fruits, Vegetables, Handicrafts, Dyes, Wool and even Photographic models..... all available for the right price.  My favorite was a little boy sitting amongst a pile of veggies..I bet his mother will never have to nag him to eat his veggies, he knows where they come from and what they taste like.

Market Vendors and Shoppers

A family that modeled for me for a small price

 After exploring the market for a couple of hours (where my friend got tricked out of 50 liras but she got them back!),  we took a taxi up to the Pisac Ruins (it is a strenuous hike up and from what we understand a great walk down but as if on cue the rain gods decided to pay us a visit once again).
While the ruins are like any other the spring blossoms here were unique.  From the ruins you can also see burial caves across the water fall and stream.  Wet and tired we returned back to Cuzco...

Burial caves in the distance, a closeup fothe burial caves, Incan philosophy of building in sync with nature

More to follow on Machu Pichu and Cuzco....

24 hours transiting through Lima, Peru

Once in a lifetime trip it was ....And what better place to celebrate 25 years of marital union with your best friend than at the long awaited and dreamed about trip to Machu Pichu.  Peru, the land of beautiful Andean Quechuas and their famous Incan kings is most recognized by the Sanctuary of Machu Pichu.  However, there is so much more to this land than that.  Twenty four hours spent in Lima, while waiting for a plane to get to The Sacred Valley on a quiet Christmas day, gave us a tiny glimpse of how the locals live.

Driving from the airport to our hotel on the quiet roads of early morning, we commented how the city looked like any Indian city but a whole lot cleaner.  We found out later in the day that there is a whole crew of locals devoted to sweeping the garbage in the city from dawn to dusk.

After a quick checkin at the JW Marriott in Miraflores, high atop a cliff overlooking the pacific, we sought out the concierge with hopes of someone laying out our entire day for us...lesson 1 - concierge service in Peru is not the same as in the US..."today is christmas, everything is closed, tour operators, taxis, church (churches? really?), yes churches).  Our instincts got the better of us and we walked down to the deserted mall and the found the lone hopon hopoff bus booth and boarded the bus in no time.

Christmas spirit albeit quiet was everywhere, from local nativity scenes to the Incan christmas tree.  We even caught a part of the mass at Lima cathedral and enjoyed the spanish rendition of Silent Nights.

High up from the double decker bus with a heavy mist translating into a drizzle on and off, the city presented itself as a contrast of beautiful monuments and squares with lovely colored buildings, or more appropriately facades (as behind the brightly colored fronts of the colonial squares lay dilapidated guts).

These squares were also in stark contrast to the modern brick buildings of the middle class residential neighborhoods.

Potato truck, no idea what but loved the" meeting in the park" statue, the flight monument to Jorge Chavez and the Lima Ruins (closed, not because of Christmas but closed on Mon and Tues)

A native mother stopping on the sidewalk to comfort, console or play with her baby

We got off the bus at Plaza Armos to enjoy the festivities including the dances and procession of baby Jesus.  Contrary to the bus driver and the concierge, the Monastery of San Francisco was open (thought the crypt was not).  There were very few tourists around and the it was nice to walk amidst the families enjoying their day off after the service.

 

The bus (price gouged) dropped us off at the hotel  and we sauntered to Parque de Amor.  It was still drizzling on and off (you will see water drop smudges on the photos below)

Rosa Nautica as viewed from Miraflores

The flavor of Parque de Amor (Love Park)

The best part of the walk was eating icecream and fruits from the local fruit trucks.  Mangoes, passion fruit, bananas and many more that are still a mystery.

The promise of  beautiful sunny 70s forecast as predicted by yahoo weather never materialized for us but certainly seemed like a possibility for those who would transit the next day as we watched the sun set over the pacific.

Heres a glimpse of a city full of brick buildings with only the front facades finished, an illusion of a desert city when viewed from the plan but in reality a rainbow of colors when viewed from the street.

I am so excited to share more from The Sacred Valley in my future entries.