Cusco and the Sacred Valley, Peru

Sitting on a wooden bench in Cusco's pretty Plaza de Armas surrounded by beautiful and ancient buildings we had a decision to make. We'd just visited a tour office and been informed that if we wanted to do the famous Inca Trail then we could as due to low season permits were still available. The Inca Trail books up months in advance as only a select number of hikers a day are allowed entry, as we had no idea when we'd be in Peru we had discounted the idea of doing it completely. I was in turmoil, would we regret it if we didn't do it? Could we justify the high cost? Were we even feeling up to it after the altitude sickness in La Paz? In the end we decided to turn down the opportunity. Low season in Peru coincides with rainy season and I wasn't keen on the idea of trekking at high altitude in the pouring rain for three days, sometimes saying no to something is the right thing to do.

Instead we booked a minibus to take us from Cusco to Hidroelectrica where we'd then walk along the railway tracks to Aguas Calientes the town that sits in a valley just below Machu Picchu. Our trip wasn't for a few days so we also booked two tours of the Sacred Valley to fit in as much as possible into our time in the area. After a day of decision making and acclimatising to the altitude we treated ourselves to dinner at Greenpoint a fantastic vegan restaurant. Walking at dusk through the vibrant alleyways by the Incan stone walls to the restaurant we peeked in little shops selling all sorts of curios; incense sticks, little statues and colourful fabrics; I was reminded of the quirky crystal shops in Glastonbury, England.

The next day in the afternoon we joined a tour of the local Sacred Valley sights. We were taken to Qorikancha a former convent turned museum where we learned how Incan walls were made; they required no mortar or cement as the stones were carved so precisely to fit together. We bought a chocolate covered custard filled doughnut from a local woman holding a tray outside, her sweet treats we're going down a storm. We visited many of the local sights but our favourite was Saqsayhuaman where we had just enough time to walk to a viewpoint over Cusco and admire the huge stone walls.

Cusco from Saqsayhuaman in the Sacred Valley, Peru

Local Woman and Alpaca in the Sacred Valley, Peru

Now we'd adjusted to the high altitude we decided to spend a full day exploring the Sacred Valley with an organised tour. The Boleto Turístico that we bought for 130 soles the day before would be our entrance ticket to all but one of the sights. First we stopped at a cultural centre to watch local women weave with naturally dyed wools, we were given a traditional drink to taste and of course encouraged to buy their handcrafted wares.

Naturally Dyed Wools in the Sacred Valley, Peru

Demonstration of Traditional Peruvian Craft in the Sacred Valley

The circular terraces of Moray were a sight to behold, each terrace was used by the Incans to grow experimental crops. The formation of the walls reminded me of an amphitheatre, the crops have since been replaced with lush green grass which is well managed. If you look closely at the walls you will notice small rocks jutting out which were the steps used by the Incans to easily walk from one terrace to the next.

Restored Moray Terraces in the Sacred Valley, Peru

Lush Green Moray in the Sacred Valley, Peru

Ollantaytambo is a name recognised by many who know of the Sacred Valley, the train to Machu Picchu departs from the small town but it also has an Incan sight of its own. We walked through the dusty town to the fortress and began walking up the steps. It was a hot day, the sun was blinding and the sky a perfect blue. The heat made walking a challenge, sweat dripped from my skin and my breathing was laboured. Everyone in the group tried to hide in a tiny sliver of shade created by the stone walls but the guide moved us all on to the top. The views of Ollantaytambo and the Incan sight were beautiful, facing the town and to the left was a cliff face where the Incan’s kept their produce, like a huge natural larder. To the right was a valley and on the other side of the valley was a quarry where the stones were sourced to build the fortress. The Incan’s would somehow have cut and collected the stone and with their might transported it across the valley and up the steep slopes. 

We tried our first Inca Cola at Salineras de Maras a salt mine which we paid an extra 10 soles to enter. Walking down the steps through market stalls selling tiny bags of medicinal salt, chocolate bars and trinkets we felt relief at being under some shade. Inca Cola is a luminous yellow colour, I couldn’t help but think it looked toxic when I saw other people swigging from the clear bottles with a blue label. It tasted however, just like sweet bubblegum. Water is collected in pools and evaporated to leave the salt behind, the pools looked like a patchwork quilt of browns in the valley. 

Salineras de Maras in the Sacred Valley, Peru

Patchwork Quilt Effect at Salineras de Maras in the Sacred Valley, Peru

My favourite sight of the day was Pisac. As we walked through the gates high in the valley the low sun shone through clouds casting shadows over the landscape. A man was playing a pipe; a tune I found so familiar as it has been played all throughout Peru. I’ve since learned that the tune is none other than Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel, it will forever remain a reminder of the beautiful Peruvian landscapes. We walked through a stone structure and there stood Pisac, draped in golden light, infamous lush green terraces and stone walls. We walked to the stone buildings, high on the top it was windy and we began to feel a chill in the air. The guide pointed at holes in the cliff face across the valley; they are Incan tombs that have since been raided by people looking to make money selling the priceless trinkets found inside on the black market.

Terraces at Pisac in the Sacred Valley, Peru

Light and Shadow at Pisac in the Sacred Valley, Peru

Visiting the Sacred Valley sights has fuelled my interest in Incan culture and only makes me more excited to see the most famous Incan sight of them all, Machu Picchu. 

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Arequipa and the Colca Canyon, Peru

Wandering through the brightly coloured alleyways in Santa Catalina convent I found myself transported to another time. A time when nuns would quietly walk through the courtyards filled with bountiful fruit trees and bright bougainvillea. Tenderly cared for geraniums and cacti were sitting in terracotta pots placed against vibrant orange and blue walls. Cavernous rooms featuring modest beds and hard stone floors could be explored; homely comforts were few and far between except for in one room where scatter cushions were provided on the floor for the nuns to take a seat and read. Now, the city within a city is a place for tourists to explore, though the magic of the quiet place still remains.

Colourful Santa Catalina Convent

Geraniums 

The convent was by far my favourite place in all of Peru's White City, Arequipa. We arrived on a wet evening after crossing the border from Bolivia. Awaking the next day and in recovery from a full week of altitude sickness in La Paz we explored slowly and thoughtfully. Breakfast at a cute café on a corner set us up for the day and after strolling the streets we visited Santa Catalina convent.

Succulents and Blue Walls

The following day we were awake for pick up at 4am; we had booked a tour to see Colca Canyon. The 100 mile drive was long and took us yet again to high altitude. Thankfully the stops involved very little walking. We stopped for breakfast which consisted of bread and jam; if you've travelled in South America for any length of time then you'll be familiar with this typical breakfast set up, a few months in and I'm frankly tired of it. We popped into a little church; outside ladies in traditional dress showed off their pompom wearing alpacas which for a few coins you can photograph.

We continued on to the canyon which was breathtaking. It is the second deepest in the world at approximately 3,400 metres at its deepest point, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the U.S. The clouds gathered in the canyon below us and we were lucky to see majestic Andean condors soaring above our heads. The scale was vast and different to how I'd imagined. Growing up seeing photographs of the Grand Canyon meant I was expecting a dusty and barren landscape but the Colca Canyon is lush and green with crops and vegetation. Locals have preserved the Incan era terraces which lends a distinctly Peruvian feeling to the landscape.

We drove on to a little town where the guide seemed to know everyone; he took us through a bustling market where butchered animals hung from hooks surrounded by flies, fruits and vegetables were piled high on little tables and there were sacks overflowing with seeds and grain. We ate a buffet lunch on a long table with the rest of the group though we secretly bartered for a better price. There was spaghetti and tomato sauce, a Spanish style omelette with potato, salads and French fries. After gorging on as much food as we could manage we waddled back to the minibus to start the long journey back to Arequipa.

Lush Colca Canyon

Above the Clouds in Colca Canyon

The next day we booked a coach to leave that evening so we visited the cathedral on the leafy Plaza de Armas and ate lunch at a Mexican hole-in-the-wall café which was delicious. Cusco was our next stop which to me meant only one thing; Machu Picchu was merely days away.

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La Paz, Bolivia

We arrived in La Paz early after an overnight journey by coach. We were staying in the Sopocachi area near the cable car station. After breakfast at the hostel we got chatting to Ollie and Deniz and took a taxi to the Witches Market together. We wandered around the stalls which sold everything from llama jumpers to coca leaves.

We had lunch at a café, the little old lady owner said she'd make us big sandwiches to entice us to come in. When the sandwiches came we couldn't help but laugh, we ended up with two tiny slices of bread toasted on one side with a slice of cheese in the middle. We paid the bill and promptly moved to another café as we were all still hungry. While Deniz and I relaxed in the café Craig and Ollie popped to the tour office opposite and booked our Death Road tour for the following day.

Death Road

Little Helper

Morning, we rushed out of the hostel to get to the meeting point about twenty minutes away. I hadn't a clue what to pack for a day cycling down 'the worlds most dangerous road' and was feeling quite nervous. We boarded the minibus and met our guide. After a stop to pick up more passengers and waterproofs we were on our way. We were given coveralls, helmets and pads to wear and then we arrived at the start of the cycle. First of all came the safety advice which was pretty basic, there were two rules; "don't be f*cking stupid" and "don't take f*cking selfies". The guides words not mine. We toasted to Pachamama with a bottle of liquid which was almost pure alcohol, a drop on the ground, a drop on the front tyre and a swig ourselves. The alcohol burned my throat and made everyone pull the most unattractive faces.

We started the ride, the ground was damp and the air slightly misty. The road was smooth tarmac which made riding a breeze. Craig started to get frustrated as we were at the back and the girls in front were going too slow for his liking, for me it was about the perfect speed. The rain came, drenched us then went away again and the scenery was very impressive despite the low clouds clinging to the landscape. We stopped just before a bridge and cycled along a small stretch of road that was all loose stones and gravel. We were told if you can handle this then you can do Death Road. I was a little bit apprehensive, my wheels seemed like they could easily slip on the rocks so I was slightly worried about the more challenging terrain yet to come.

Cycling Under Waterfalls

Crossing the Finish Line

We threw the bikes on the minibus roof and drove to the start of Death Road. The landscape was phenomenal. Steep tree covered cliff faces and a dirt track that wound its way through the landscape were what faced us. We started the ride, I stayed at the back to ease into it. Eventually I overtook someone and found myself on the road with no one else to be seen. I had the whole landscape to myself and it was glorious. The road surface was better than I'd predicted and I kept to a speed I was comfortable with. During the ride we went under waterfalls and dangled our legs over the cliff edge for photos, we rode through deep rivers where my shoes filled to the brim with cold water and I managed to get so far behind I didn't know which way to go. By the end my brakes were starting to give up and so was I. For a ride that is primarily downhill I was exhausted. Craig was in his element all day, he raced ahead and I barely saw him. At the end as I rode in I got a high five and was so relieved, I'd not come off, not veered off the edge and had survived! We ate a buffet lunch and then headed back, the journey home would be a few hours so our guide suggested we buy bottles of cuba libre and turn it into a party bus. We turned the music up and drank our cocktails, singing along and chatting. As the sun set some of us *cough* Craig *cough* started to feel a bit worse for wear. By the end of the journey I think we were all broken, I saw some things which still make me smile and cringe to this day. But, what happens on the party bus stays on the party bus.

The next day we decided to take a ride on the cable cars to see views of La Paz from above. The locals use the cable cars in the same way as the buses so the ride was very cheap, it's a normal way to commute for them. La Paz from above is a sea of red bricks, all the buildings look the same and the views stretched on for miles. Once on ground level we treated ourselves to dinner at the restaurant we went to with Ollie and Deniz, it was international food and therefore higher prices but was delicious.

La Paz from Above

Sea of Red Brick

The next few days were a blur. We both woke up feeling absolutely awful. My whole body ached and I couldn't work out what was wrong. La Paz is at high altitude and so we thought maybe that was the reason why we felt so bad. We'd been in high altitude places for a while but had perhaps over exerted ourselves while here and not allowed enough time to acclimatise. We spent a few days in bed only venturing out to go to the pharmacy. We didn't want to stay in our hostel any longer as despite being ill we were being woken by staff late at night to answer questions and couldn't sleep with all the noise of guests coming and going. We moved down the road to a lovely bright room but despite the nice surroundings Craig wasn't improving. I was getting stronger each day but after about four days Craig could barely keep consciousness. I had no idea what to do so I spoke in broken Spanish to the hostel manager. He advised me to take him by taxi to a nearby clinic, altitude sickness can be fatal in serious cases and I was worried sick. Earlier in the year Craig had been admitted to hospital twice with kidney stones and all those feelings of worry resurfaced. I guided him to the taxi which the lovely hostel manager had prepaid for us, he could barely walk. Once at the clinic he was in a hospital bed within minutes and hooked up to a drip and oxygen. After several hours in hospital his strength was returning. Somehow he'd developed a throat infection alongside altitude sickness so he was given antibiotics and soroche medication to take.

The following day we left La Paz and took a coach to Copacabana on Lake Titicaca, we were at even higher altitude but it was the only way to move on with our trip and continue to Peru. Our plans of spending days island hopping on the colossal lake were dashed, neither of us were feeling well enough. We spent our two nights wandering very slowly, eating and watching films in our hotel room. It was a shame to end Bolivia in such a way but we can't dwell, we saw some amazing sights in our four weeks in the country.

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