Categoria / Category Peru 2001

Travel through Peru 2001

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See the posts on Bolivia


Visualizar Viagens Errante / Errante’s Travels em um mapa maior

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Border Peru – Bolivia


Crossing the border from one country to another is not a good experience around here. It is even worse if there is threats of closing the roads by the Bolivian farmers that were on strike. I knew I couldn’t go to Copacabana because the roads were closed as a form of protest. I went to the Bolivian consulate to know if I would have problems and they told me to cross the border through Desaguadero (a frontier city in Peru). It should be a longer but safer way.

I left very early so I would have more time in case of getting stuck somewhere. The 3-hour trip to Desaguadero had no problems, therefore the road was good. In the city we had to get off the bus with the backpacks, go in-line to the Peruvian immigration to give the exit stamp on the passport and cross the border walking. On the other site there was a bus waiting for us. We spent some more time in-line in the Bolivian immigration to get the entrance stamp. They gave me a 30-day visa even though I said I wanted to stay longer...

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Puno and Titicaca Islands

I arrived in Puno early in the morning after a 12 hour bus trip from Arequipa. I went straight to look for transport to the Titicaca Islands. I had lunch and went back to the hotel wait for some Brazilian friends who were supposed to meet me there. It would be the first time that someone “from home” would meet me. They, Jeferson and Carol, arrived in that afternoon. They were late in their itinerary due to the farmer’s strikes in Bolivia. They decided not to visit the islands and go straight to Cuzco. We had diner, then they got the bus.

Next day I depart in a two-day tour to the islands. First we visited an Uro island. Casually the island was called Santa Maria, the same name of my hometown. It is very small and all made with reed. They first put the reed roots and then the dried reed. As the time goes by the roots are growing and gives resistance to the “ground”...

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Arequipa – Earthquake

I was in Cuzco, walking in to an agency to know the price of a bus ticket to Arequipa when the woman told me not to get in and walk out the store. Outside she told me it was happening an earthquake. I haven’t felt it, only when she said, I realized the walls were moving. There was music in the streets and people were dancing to commemorate Inti Rayme, they were not feeling the trembler.

After a few days I want to Arequipa. The bus trip takes 12 hours. The road that is usually awful, after the earthquake was even worse. The bus was full, children were sleeping on the aisle and a woman by my side was throwing up the whole trip. At this time I was thinking if it was really worthwhile to visit Arequipa.

The answer was yes. The city is beautiful, almost all constructed with volcanic white rocks called “sillar”. The colonial architecture of the buildings, arches, churches are a reason to go there. Another is the climate...

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Cañón del Colca

I wanted to do a 3-day trekking in the Colca Canyon. Since the area was in alert of another possible earthquake, any travel agency wanted to organize a tour there. I talked to a local guide, he suggested me not to go down the canyon, that could be very dangerous at this time. I decided then to do a two-day tour in the canyon. In the city exit we already could see the volcanoes: Mist (means gentleman), Chachani (means well dressed, referring to its snow top) and Pichu Pichu (means peak). In the way we stopped to see Vicuñas (a wild relative of the llamas) in the Reserva Nacional de Salinas y Aguada Blanca. An hour later we stopped to have a coca leaf tea to go through the highest point of the tour.

From the viewpoint we could see the volcanoes and the snow peaks in the area. In this place people do offerings to Pachamama to protect the travelers, these are called “Apachetas”. It is a pile of rocks with coca leafs under it...

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Inti Rayme

Inti Rayme, the most popular Inca party, commemorates the winter solstice. It takes place on June 24th but the party begins a few days before with parade, rehearsals, music and drinking. The city was crowded, people came from everywhere.

On Sunday, the 24th, the commemorations started in the morning, in Qorikancha (Sun’s Temple), downtown Cuzco. The Chaskis (Inca messengers) announce the party beginning. There is music, parade and by the end the Inca salutes the Sun and invite everybody to participate the ceremony. From there everybody go to Plaza de Armas, together with the Inca, the parade and the musicians.

The most important part of the ceremony takes place at Saqsaywaman in the afternoon. Many indigenous tribes are represented by their dances and costumes. Everybody come to Cuzco to praise the Sun. The ritual involves dance, music and sacrifice...

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Machu Picchu

Since the arrival on Machu Picchu was disappointing, a cloudy day, I couldn’t see too much. I decided not to photograph, only feel the place and come back next day to work. I left my camera bag in a looker so I wouldn’t change my mind.

First we did a guided tour with some explanation of the place. The group was divided in English and Spanish tour. I joined the Uruguayans in the Spanish one. The tour was a little vague, since nobody know exactly what was the place, there are only guesses or interpretations. After we walked, rested, laughed and enjoyed the landscape. We were cheering every time the clouds would move a little. The sun could show up any time, after all it was the solstice day. No, the sun didn’t show up.

The next day I walk up early an saw it was a cloudy day. I slept again and only left to Machu Picchu at 9 am. This time the weather was better. I went up the highest point and sat down to wait for the sun...

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Inca trail

Nowadays it is not possible to do the Inca trail without a certified guide, what I think it is good. This regulate a little the tourism, it gives job to the Peruvians that study to be guide and prevent tourists to throw garbage and food on the way.

I decide to do a tour with a group organized by an agency in Cuzco (see services). The first day they got me in the hostel about 7am. After we picked up everybody we went to get the carriers, food, train tickets. It took forever. After I head the other agencies would do the same. On the way to Km 82 (where we start the trail) we stopped for a breakfast in Urubamba. It was the same road from Sacred Valley tour.

We arrived in the trail at noon. There were a huge number of groups and backpackers arriving at the same time. We walked for an hour and a half to the lunch pause. The day was sunny and we sat down on the grass to eat. We all enjoyed the food, or maybe we were too hungry. In general the food offered in the tour was good...

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Sacred Valley

This time I decided to do a tour to the archeological sites in the Sacred Valley. The distances were longer and there were no buses straight to the sights. We left Cuzco already late, about 9:30am. In the way to Pisaq we stopped in a handcraft market in a small village. It was a very touristy, the typical place made for the “gringos” spend their money.

In Pisaq, every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday there is a open market. It is divided in two parts; one of handcraft, to the tourists; and the other of food, more towards the local people. We walked a little in the market and went to the archeological site.

The site is a few kilometers up the hill. It is surrounded by agricultural terraces, theses were used specially to cultivate corn. It was also used to the production of Chicha (typical drink with hallucinogen power drank in rituals). The terraces have a good irrigation system to be able to cultivate corn at high altitudes and cold...

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Cuzco and archaeological sites

Perto de Cusco existe um grande número de sítios arqueológicos, não tão famosos internacionalmente como Machu Pichu, mas de grande importância histórica. Resolvi pegar um ônibus local até o sítio chamado Tambomachay e de lá voltar caminhando, passando por outros sítios da redondeza. Os peruanos não gostam que chamem de ruínas, dizem que ruína soa como coisa velha, acabada, destruída e todos preferem que se chame de sítio arqueológico. Acham que este nome é mais justo para os locais. No ônibus, conheci uma americana que também queria fazer a caminhada de volta. Resolvemos, então, caminhar juntas. Por sorte, ela também era fotógrafa e, assim, parávamos para fotografar.

Tambomachay é conhecida como El Baño del Inca. Acredita-se que suas fontes de água não eram utilizadas somente para beber ou banhar-se, mas também em purificações e outros rituais. O lugar é pequeno, possui algumas paredes com portas e fontes de água.

Poucos quilômetros dali, está Puca Pu...

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