Puno – City by the lake Titicaca

After a visit to the White City of Arequipa, we headed towards Bolivia. On the border of Peru and Bolivia, there is the largest lake in South America – Titicaca. We decided to stay for a while on the peruvian side of the lake, in Puno. The town itself is not very attractive, but by pure luck, we ended up in the middle of the festival. The streets were crowded with dancers and instumentalists. The parade was in the full swing and one colourful group after another was  marching across the main square – Plaza de Armas. The music and dancing took over the city.

Local delicacies

We found a fantastic place to eat, a cevicheria called Las Mareas. Restaurants like this one specialize in the national delicatessy – ceviche. The place was full of locals and the food was affordable and amazing. We felt in love with this special, peruvian way of preparing fish during our first few days in Peru while staying in Lima. In the evenings, the streets of Puno turned into a market and fruit and vegetable were sold from the piles, on the street. The traditional snacks in this area are quinoa crispy pancakes with honey. You can get them for 1csol (0,3$), what a treat!

Night market in Puno

Festive time in Puno

Time for celebration!

Snack Time, Puno, Peru

The Uros Islands

This side of the Titicaca Lake is famous due to peculiar, floating grass islands called Uros. People who live there are descendents of the tribe that long ago escaped to the lake from the expanding Inca Empire. Today, they speak their own unique language, different from quechua. During our trip, we navigated among hundreds of floating islands with grass huts build atop.

Uros Floating Islands

Everyday life of the islanders

After cruising around for a while, we made a stop on one of the islands. We were welcomed by the colourfully dressed locals. Each island is inhabitated by a few families and each one has its own president. On the island that we visited, this honour was held by a middle-aged lady. She told us some stories about everyday life on the island and how they were build. They usually spend time maintaining the islands’ construction and fishing. Later on the dried fish is traded for fruit and vegetable, in Puno. Women are often busy making traditional clothes. They are often decorated with the scenes from the local mithologhy, where Mother Earth plays the biggest part.

One island can be visited not more often than twice a week. There is some controversy around it and some tourists see theses visits as a “human zoo”. We absolutly loved our stay and we felt the citizens of Uros really wanted to share their culture and experiences with us.

the citizens of Uros

Floating Islands on Lake Titicaca

Day trip to Uros Islands

Arts & Crafts session

Uros Island floating away towards… Bolivia

The traditional mean of transport are the boats made entirely from grass. You need to pay 10 soles for a ride. The locals told us that they need money to buy medicine, educate thair children and buy ropes, otherwise they are going to float away to Bolivia. We belived them because we saw how modest their lives are. This tiny bit of luxury – a radio powered by the solar battery, did not changed our impressions. We felt like we were visiting a totally different civilization.

Uros Islands

Lake Titicaca and the locals

Living in a hut

Peru to Bolivia by bus

The next day, we left for Bolivia. The bus took us to the border, where we had to disembark and walk through the control points. It was not long and soon enough we were in a whole new country. The bus continued to Copacabana on the shore of the Lake Titicaca. The town was very small and, although we had only an hour to walk around (because we had to catch a bus to La Paz), we were satisfied with what we saw. We walked by the beach and had some amazing coffee at the irish cafe called El Condor.

A brief stop in La Paz

On our way to La Paz we had a ferry crossing. The bus could bearly fit on a barge and we were transported seperetly on a small boat. We made it safely across but it all felt a bit dangerous. La Paz is wonderfully located in a basin, surrounded by mountains, but the closer we got the less atractive it became. We heard  it is a bit dodgy and unsafe city, so we only planned a quick transfer at the bus terminal. After 2 hours of waiting, we departured onboard the night bus towards Uyuni. New exciting and incredible places were waiting us not far away!

Crossing the border

Ferry ride in Bolivia

La Paz, Bolivia

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Colca Canyon

Colca Canyon is extremly deep. Walls of the Grand Canyon in Arizona are half as tall. We were staying in a nearby city – Arequipa and we decided to visit the Canyon during a one-day trip. As a part of a itinerary, we were going to see the Colca Canyon from the viewing platform with a chance of spotting some magnificent Andean Condors. These birds can measure more than 2 meters! You can also do some trekking in the area. There is a variety of multi-day trails that can take you all the way to the bottom of the canyon. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to do this, so a one-day trip by bus was the way to go.

Plaza de Armas

The region’s capital

Arequipa welcomed us with the warm weather and the gentle sun. The city was very charming. It was built from the local, white, volcanic rock which gave it an unique look. At the main square – Plaza de Armas you can see the volcanic peaks towering behind the cathedral. Some of them are as tall as 6000 masl. Local agencies offer adventurous trips to the summits. As we were walking around the main square, we found some stairs that took us to the second floor, where we could marvel at the neighbourhood from the balcony. Not far from there, you can find a market which is buzzling with local crafts, food and flavours. We really liked a poatato snack from a stall just outside of the main entrance. They reminded us of a famous polish dish called “pierogi”. We just loved it!

Peruvian snacks

Streets of Arequipa

The White City

Arequipa

Beautiful stonework

Trip to the Canyon

At 3:00 am sharp, the bus picked us up from our hostel and we headed to the Colca Valley. We both had a nap, but had some trouble breathing deeply in the meanwhile. It turned out we were passing through the altitude of 4950 masl. We finally arrived to the breakfast spot where we had a very basic meal: a loaf of bread with jam and a coca tea. The herbal drink woke us right up and we were ready to explore the area.

The Andean Condors

The route from Arequipa to the famous lookout – Mirador del Condor took around 4 hours. We started from the second viewpoint, a bit further down the road which was not so crowded and much more tranquil. We could see the Colca Canyon in its full glory. It was amazing but were still under the spell the Grand Canyon had put on us. The trip to Arizona was a dream that came true and the Colca Canyon was “only” a worthwhile stop. We got back to the popular Mirador del Condor where we had 30 minutes for Condor spotting. It is most likely to see them in the morning between 7:00 and 9:00 am. We were lucky enought to spot 2 of these magnificent birds. Even from a bit away, they were huge! They take adventage of the warm air flows to rise far above the valley. From the top they are looking for their next meal.

Looking for the Condors

Colca Valley

Terraces od Colca Valley

Symbolism of condors

For the people of Peru, Condor is a very important bird. In the Inca times it was a symbol of the realm of gods and one, out of the three in total,  most respected animals. The other two were puma, which symbolised the realm of man and the snake representing the underworld.

The Andean Condor

Rural terraces

Later on, we stopped by some other viewing platforms. From there, we could see the picturesque landscape with some rural terraces built all over the Colca Valley. Some of them were created even before the Inca Empire expanded up to this area. The view reminded us a bit of the rice terraces that we saw during our trip to Bali.

Colca Canyon

Additional attractions

The next stop on our trip was a small town with a neat, white church in the middle. There were plenty of stalls with souvenirs and even lamas and alpacas dressed up for the pictures. We could try some local cactus fruit that was turned into ice cream and drinks. It looked like kiwi but was very, VERY sour. After that, we headed for the hot springs. The water temperature was between 20 and 40 Celcius. The pools were quite small though, we had much better hot spring experience during our Salkantay Trek, near Cusco.

Luch was 30 soles per person. We prepared some food ourselves for the whole day beforehand, so instead of wasting time at the restaurant, we went to explore the neighbourhood. We made it to the main square where we found ice cream for 1 sol (0,3$) and since it was really hot, the snack cheered us up!

The White Church

Snack Time!

Thermal Pools

The journey back

Then, we headed back to Arequipa. On the way, we stopped to marvel at the volcanoes. One of them was active and emitted a huge cloud of dust. The final stop was a spacious, green meadow, where we met some friendly lamas and alpacas.

Active Volcanoe

The Alpaca Meadows

Amazing Landscapes

Total cost

The trip cost us 40 soles each. Some of the people on the bus paid  more than us, like 60 soles, so it is worth to haggle a bit. Breakfast, English speaking guide and transport were included. The entry to the Colca Valley is a mandatory, extra fee of 70 soles for everybody who is from outside of Latin America.

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Święta Dolina Inków

In the Inca Empire Cusco was known as the „Centre of the World”. The city was located right in the middle of their country. Today, it is not only a starting point of many mountain-and-adventure excursions such as Salkantay Trek or Rainbow Mountain, but it also has a great historical significance. Nearby, you will find the Secred Valley where you can explore and learn a lot about the powerful country that perished from the face of the Earth.

The full-day trip

We decidaed on an all-day trip from Cusco, that took us to 5 amazing places for just 40 soles. It is well thought because the one-day ticket to 4 inca sites costs 70 soles and this excursion lets you make the most out of it. The disadvantage is, that it is a lot to see in one day and everything is a bit rushed. We did not have as much time at archological sites as we would like to. Nevertheless, it was an excellent day.

1. Chinchero

It is a catholic church build on the top of the ruins remained after the previous hegemon of the region. The temple is located on the mountain slope and nearby, you can see some historical terraces and wonderful andean landscapes. In addition, we joined a presentation where we could learn about the process of colouring the alpaca wool.

It was amazing to see how many colours they could obtain with just natural ingredients! For example, they used purple corn to dye wool violet or a pigment from smashed ants to dye red.

Presentation is about to start

Such a variety of goods

Inca ruins near Cusco

Chinchero Ruins

Chinchero Church

Alpaca wool dyeing workshop

2. Moray

These terraces are very misterious. The scientists claim they were used just like the modern day greenhouses. Down at the bottom, the tempreture can be as much as 10 degrees higher than at the top terrace. This could have been used to adapt the jungle varieties of plants to the harsher mountain climate. Incas would grow the same plant each season at a higher terrace and in result they would get new varieties. It is incredible how much creativity they had and how hard they worked to improve their environment.

Moray Inca Lab

3. Maras Salt Ponds

These Salt Ponds have been constantly in use for at least 1000 years. Nowadays, the method is not  much different than centuries ago. The terraces are used to accumulate the salt which is later harvested using simple hand-tools. During our visit we could see some of the workers slowly gathering the salt. The colours of different pools varry and they create a wonderful mosaic on the mountain slope. .

Salineras

Maras Saltpans

Maras Salt Terraces

4. Ollantaytambo

It was the largest complex of ruins that we visited that day. Far above the modern town, on the mountain top, there was a spectacular Inca city. The ruins are covering not only this mountain, but also other slopes around. You can see it beautifully once you make it up the stairs. In the main part of the ruins we saw the „Temple of the Sun”. It is constructed from the gigantic rock boulders that fit perfectly together. It must have been an astonishing effort for the old builders to transport such huge rocks to the top of the mountain and than work on them, so they look just like puzzles.

Temple of the Sun

Waking the streets of Inca City

Visiting archeological sites near Cusco

Ollantaytambo

Administrative centre of Inca Empire

5. Pisac

In the Inca Empire, people specialized in the type of job they were doing. Because of that, they were living in different areas and places. You can see it clearly in Pisac. There are wide, perfecly preserved terraces that were used to farm and nearby, you can find the place where the peasants lived. Further up the mountain, there was an actual city that was inhabitated by craftsman. Not far away, you can find the caves that were used as a burial place for mummiefied bodies. None of them were preserved as the conquistadors considered them a heresy and burned all the mummies on the central square of Cusco.

Terraces as far as eye can see

Best inca ruins near Cusco

Pisac Ruins

A day full of attractions

It was a very busy day. Not only we enjoyed the wonderful landscapes and historical ruins, but also learned a lot about the Inca Empire. Therefore, we felt fully prepared for the visit in the most famous Inca city – Machu Picchu.

Terraces of Pisac

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Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is well known all around the world. It encourages people to travel to this corner of the globe. It bacame an icon, a symbol not only of Peru, but maybe even of the whole of The South America. For us, it was a great experience to visit the city. In addition, it felt like a grand prize we had just earned for compleating the 5-day Salkantay Trek.

Machu Picchu is actually the name of the mountain next to the city. The real name vanished in the past when the city was abandoned. The reason for that might  be that it was not able to sustain its population after it had been cut out from the rural valleys, which had been taken over by Spaniards. The city was forgotten for the next couple hundreds of years. Today, it is almost impossible to find someone who had naver heard about this wonder. The city is picturesquely located on the top of the mountain, sourrounded by meandering river and green peaks of The Andes. Spectacular!

The Inca city

An early start

We woke up at 3:30 and, after half an hour, we met with the rest of the group and ventured forth towards Macchu Picchu. At the first control point located by the river, we had to wait till 5 o’clock when the guards started checking our tickets and passports. After crossing the bridge, we had 1700 steps to climb to the top.

There is some sort of insane race going on at this part of the trek. I could feel others heavy breath on my back for most of the time. People were rushing to the top and pushing around to be faster on narrow stairs.

The reason for all that madness is to see the city as one of the first people, before it gets flooded with other tourits. We walked in our own pace and met the competition winners on the top as they had to wait to 6:00 for the gates to open, just as everyone else. You can make it to this point by bus as well, which departs from the village below and costs 12usd.

The mystical morning

What is more, this morning Machu Picchu was covered in mist so the whole race was pointless. The mist was slowly evaporating and it added an another dimension to the view. It was almost like magic, very mystical. For the first hour, we were sightseeing and listening to the guide along with the rest of the Crazy Alpacas. In the meantime, the visibility slowly improved and eventually nothing was covering the famous views!

Machu Picchu Sunrise

An early start

Mysterious morning

Sunrise Time

Visiting the Lost City

Machu Picchu is divided into 2 parts. The first one was inhabitated by the farmers and is composed of terraces used to grow crops. From there, you can see the million dollar, world-wide known view. In the center of it, you will find the second part of the city which was a district of temples where the most infuencial people of the Inca Empire lived. Nowadays, that part of the city is dominated by the large, guided groups of tourist and seemed to us the most crowded. However, it is still worth it to go and see the temples from up close. We met some lamas there as well. These animals are so efficient with grass eating that the staff do not have to use lawn mowers at all.

Expectations

vs Reality

View of the rural part

Just casual sightseeing

Lamas working full time

Quarters for elite

Incredible stone work

The constructions are stunning

The temple part

One-way walks in Machu Picchu

The entire sightseeing was conducted through the one-way paths, so once you make it to the temple part there is no way back to rural tarraces withouth leaving the sight. The ticket allowed us to enter twice. After the first circuit with the guide, we made another entrance to return to the lookouts. There was no more mist and and visibility was just perfect. We could see the magnificent Machu Picchu in its full glory.

We compleated the Salkantay Trek!

Machu Picchu

Best spot for picture ever!

Additional attractions

If you wish to see the ruins from the distance, there are 3 possibilities. The first two are mountains: Montaña Machu Picchu and Wayana Picchu. The access to them is limited to 400 people a day and costs extra. It is necessary to book in advance. If you decide to do it, there is a steep climb of almost 2000 steps ahead of you.

Nerby peaks

We did not climb to these peaks due to the limited time we had. Our bus back to Cusco was scheduled to leave at 3pm. Apart from the stairs down, we had to walk 10 km back to the Hydroelectics to the pick-up point. If you do the Salkantay Trek it might be a good idea to book an evening train instead. It is quite pricy but you will have more time in Machu Picchu.

The Sun Gate

We chose to go to the Sun Gate instead of the additional peaks and it was great. It is free and gives you panoramic views of the ruins, river down below and the mountains all around. This is the last part of the popular Inca Trail, as well.

The temple part

Getting some distance

The Sun Gate view

Way back

After 5 hours, we were happy with the views and satisfied with the pictures that we took. At around 11:30 am we had to start to head down. At the bar near Hydroelectric, we met our company that we had spent the last 5 days with. We exchanged our impressions about Machu Picchu and soon left for the bus. It was n 6-hour ride to get back to Cusco.

Panorama of Machu Picchu

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Gateway to Inca World

Cusco is a must-do stop for everyone who wishes to discover the Lost Empire. Tourists from all over the world flock to the city and the locals know how to use it. The most popular spot is obviously Machu Picchu. You can get there in many ways, we would recommend the adventorous 5-day Salkantay Trek.

Unique among peruvian cities

The city full of history

Colonial architecture was often build on the ruins of Incas structures. Most spanic landmarks are located near to the central Plaza de Armas. The Cathedral and the churches are neat. The Archbishop palace was build on top of Inca building.

The half of the height is a precise construction work. Inca builders used special techniques to match rock blocks just as the lego. They fit so perfectly that it is impossible to fit a sheet of paper in between. Thank to this technique the buildings were able to resist the earthquakes. One of the rock blocks has 12 corners.

We could only imagined how hard it was to fit it in so perfectly.

Inca structure incorporated in modern buildings

Streets of Cusco

Plaza de Armas, Cusco

Inca stonework

The city is full of stalls with colourful alpaca wool marchendise. Cocoa Museum shops are quite popular as well. You can try there a variety of chocolate and even make your own. The cocoa nibs tea is worth trying as well.

Shopping time!

A visit to the local market

The local market – mercado is a great place to go. There are hundreds of stalls with literally everything. We walked pass the fruit and juice sector and we finally made it to gastronomy sector. Numerous cooks were shouting to advertise their offer. You can have a big plate full of goodies for as cheap as 5 soles.

Find your Fruit!

Cusco Market

We are in for a treat!

Inca Fortress

There is a sculpture Christo Blanco on the mountain slope above the city. It is a great place to go to enjoy breathtaking, pamoramic views of the city below. What is more, right next to it you can find  the archeological complex of Sacsayhuaman – the Inca fortess. There you can marvel at the amazing stone work and meet alpacas casually feeding on nerby grasses. Fantastic spot.

Sacsayhuaman

Cristo Blanco

Entering Inca Fortress

Where is Wally?

Sacsayhuaman, Peru

Visit to Inca ruins

Meeting the locals!

Panorama of Cusco

The city of a thousand tourist agencies

Finally, Cusco is the perfect base for exploring the nerby attractions. Inca trail and Salkantay trek will take you to misterious Machu Picchu. You can find variety of activities to fit everyone’s needs. Those more into history should visit Incas Sacred Valley, while active, adventurous hikers should consider trekking to the spectacular Rainbow Mountain at 5200 masl. We considered Cusco our base for few days and we stayed in cheapest hostels, but there are some really luxurious hotels as well. Whatever you choose, surely you will have a great time in Cusco.

Centre of Cusco

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Rainbow Mountain

Rainbow Mountain, Vinicunca, or the Montaña de Siete Colores. We saw The Rainbow Mountain of Peru for the very first time on Instagram. The photos were just mindblowing so we knew we would have to put this location into our travel schedule around Peru.

One day trip from Cusco

A good place to start the treck is Cusco. The one-day trip to Rainbow Mountain cost 60 soles and it includes breakfast and lunch. The trail is not very easy as it’s around 6-km long and the altitude rises to 5200masl. We figured that this will be a good warm-up before 5 day Salkantay Trek.

the way to the Rainbow Mountain

Andean highway

Acclimatization, acclimatization, and acclimatization again!

The air is much thinner up there so it’s common to encounter a few symptoms of the altitude sickness while doing the hike. Fortunately, the very first week in Peru we spent in Huaraz, so we managed to acclimatize to the high altitudes quite well.

Inca Horsemen

Trail at 5200 masl.

The trip began very early, at 3:30 am and after a 3-hour long journey we stopped for breakfast and a coca leaf tea. The hiking part began for us at 9:00 am from the altitude of 4500masl. Our guide estimated that we would all need between 2-2,5 hour to get to the top. For all those not feeling well, there was an option to take a horse for 50 soles per person. And actually, we saw many people using this opportunity. While hiking up, you could still buy some coca-candy or just coca leaves from the locals to support yourself on this adventure.

Searching for customers

Peruvian alpacas

Horseback ride to Rainbow Mountain

Catching a horseride to the top

On the top

The day we decided to hike to the Rainbow Mointain was a bit risky because of the bad weather forecast. We knew it was going to rain at 1pm but we still hopped for some sunshine at the top, around midday. And it all worked out!

We had the sun and all the spectacular colours of the mountains visible ahaed of us! A truly stunning landscape, almost like from a dream! It was also very windy so many layers of clothing were a good idea at that point.

At the top, we had around 45 minutes fime window to admire the views and take pictures. The guide explained where all the colours come from. Each colour is coused by the different chemical element.

Made it to the Rainbow Mountain

Final part of the hike

View to the other side

Storm is comming

Welcoming Llama at the top

The only disadvantage was the constant crowd of people going up, not looking around. That’s why we have many photos taken with unexpected hikers that just happend to stand for a while right in front of our lense. No worries, we were patient and finally, we managed to take some good shots!

Amazing Colours

Trekking in Peru is rewarding!

Rainbow Mountain

The way down

The trail down was much easier. After the first hour of descending the mountain, the weather changed and it started to snow. It wasn’t a problem at all, at that point. We saw what we wanted and the conditions at the top were just great so we were good!

The good weather is a key to good views!

It seems a good trick to book it last minute while considering the weather conditions. It can change rapidly in such a high mountains but it is still worth it to check. The 1-day tour to the Rainbow Mountain was a pure success and we would like to encourage you all to see it by yourself! It’s all worth the effort!

Hail at Montaña de los colores

Alpacas in the snow

A long way back ahead

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We decided to get to the lost, Inca City – Machu Picchu by foot. The Most popular trek is the Inca Trail, but it needs to be booked well in advance. We chose the alternative – Salkantay Trek that leads through the high mountains and tropical rainforest of Peru.

Salkantay Treak is 85 km long with the highest point of 4600 masl. It could be quite a challenge!

If we add to that all the walking in Machu Picchu and the way back to Hydroelectrica, we will have 95km all together! Seems like a lot, but it is definitely worth the effort!

Salkantay Trek day 1

Salkantay Trek step by step!

Day 1

The very first day of the 5-day Salkantay Trek began for us early, at 5am when the guide came to pick us up from the hostel. Soon, we were on a bus that drove us to Mollepata, where we could buy breakfast. Actually, every participant of the trek was made to order a 7-sol breakfast that included bread with jam and coca tea.

Start of Salkantay Trek

Luggage limit 5kg per person!

Then, we had to weight our extra kilos that were to be transported by the horses. The limit per person is 5kg and that includes also a sleeping bag, your own or rented. Our guide introduced himself together with his collegue and we all got on a bus for another 50 min to the starting point of the Salkantay Trek, located 3500 masl. For some hikers, the start was already hard because of the altitude sickness. Just a friendly advise – don’t start a trek the day after flying into Cusco. If you don’t acclimatize properly, it will be no fun later on while climbing in the glorious but demanding Andes.

Crazy Apacas – the team of 15 people for the next 5 days!

Our 15-people team was named “Crazy Alpacas” and from that moment we became a family for the next 5 days. Let’s start the hike! The first 30min was hard and steep. We were already out of breath but then our guide explained that only 2,5 more hour flat hike and we’ll have our lunch. This sounded like a relief. This was also the base camp and the place of our accomodation in tents.

Crazy Alpacas ready for challenge!

Lagoon Humantay – a warm up hike to 4200 masl

We ate a delicious meal, unpacked a little bit and got ready for another challenge of the day, 1-hour steep hike to Humantay Lagoon, located at 4200masl. This was hard but it was supposed to prepare us for the 2nd, most difficult day. The Lagoon was extraordinary. Although it was difficult to get there, everybody felt super rewarded with the view of the lake and the glaciers with the beautiful and warm weather. Another hour more and we were back in the base camp, ready for Happy Hour, which meant coca tea and popcorn. Our group started socializing, exchanging travel stories and future plans. What a team!

Our camp down below

Humantay Lagoon

Humantay

By 8:00 pm we were ready to crush in our tents! During night, there was a huge thunderstorm and massive rain so we were glad our tents were put under the roof. Otherwise, we would be washed away to Cusco!

Day 2

Wake up call with a cup of coca leaf tea was set up for 5am. We had 30minutes to organise our backpacks and get ready for a new, challenging day. At 5:30 we met the rest of Crazy Alpacas at the breakfast.

The first hour of the hike was easy because we were walking just a little bit up hill with a moderate tempo. The Salkantay Mountain was sometimes visable from behind the clouds and these were spectacular moments that gave us more energy. The next 3 hours we had to hike up, and it was the toughest part of the whole trek. The first guide was leading our group and the 2nd guide was at the end, waiting for the hikers that needed some more time. We all had a lot of coca leaves into our mouth and kept them inside our cheaks to make sure we get the coca essence slowly but regularly. The group was great, always waiting for the last person, just like a family.

Breave horses

Casual Break at Salkantay Trek

Wiola is chosing the "easy way"

In case of any problems – horse transport available for 100 soles!

If somebody didn’t adjust well to the altitude, it was possible for him/her to take a horse for that part of the hike which cost 100 soles. We both felt well that day and hiked without any problems to the altitude of 4600masl starting from 3900masl that morning. The landscape around was fantastic, especially while we reached the Salkantay Pass, the highest point of the trek.

At the top, our guide showed us a ritual of saying thank you to the Pachamama by sacrifying 3 coca leaves.

Because our timing was good and the weather permited we made an extra hike to see the amazing, blue Salkantay Lagoon.

Salkanta Pass - We made it!

Coca Leaves offering

Just walked to 4600

High Andean Landscape

So happy to be here!

Salkantay Pass

Way down from Salkantay Pass

From now on, we had a long long way down. Our lunch was waiting for us at 2900masl and we were supposed to reach this camp after 7 long hours from the starting point of that day. If you book the treck, keep in mind that different agencies inform about different things that are included in the whole expedition. We, for exampe, expected to be given some snacks while hiking and that was not true. That’s why we were extremely happy after making it to the lunch point! After the enegry-fix meal we had another 3 hour-trek till the 2nd base camp where we spent the night. The landscape changed into the tropical forest so we needed to put on the insect repellent. The 2nd base camp offered again tents for us and a cold shower. You could pay 10 sol extra and take a hot one, though. That night was again, a little scary because of the huge thunderstorm going on for at least few hours. No worries, we survived!

Long way down

Day 3

Day 3 was exciting! After a 6-hour hike we were going to visit the thermal pools in the afternoon. The trail led through the rainforest, at the bottom of the tropical valley. It was much warmer then during the previous days. The one who suffered the most was Mike, as he got food poisoning. Still, he made all the effort and walked the whole distance himself.

Inca Rituals

During the hike, we got to know some information about the plants that the Incas used to paint their faces. And this activity was also carried out in our group. We had a few stops on our hike to buy for example granadillo, 3 for 1 sol! The last part of our trek was fun because we crossed the river with the use of man-powered “cable car”. That was fun!

Andean Rainforest Valley

Incas' make up

Shortcut at Salkantay Trek

Peruvian coffee, hot springs and Inca Tequila!

It the lunch spot we could finally try the real peruvian coffee. It is suprisingly hard to get a good caffeine fix in Peru. Locals drink only instant stuff if any at all.

In the afternoon, we could go to the thermal pools in Santa Theresa for an additional cost of 10 soles per person. It was a much needed time to relax. All the muscle pain slowly went away and we could marvel at the wonderful mountains around. In the evening, we had an inka-tequila party planned, 1 shot only 1 sol. Luckily, it turned out to be the best medicine for the stomach problems so finally Mike felt much better!

Salkantay Hot Springs

Welcome to the Hot Springs

Santa Teresa Hot Springs

Day 4

The long way we had to cover on the day numer 4 was a bit boring. We had to walk from Santa Theresa to Hydroelectrika Mamy kilometers just down the road we shared with another cars and buses. Unfortunately, we found out that our extra luggage was not going to be transported anymore. Luckily, two friendly ladies from our team decided to take a lift to the next point and took our backpacks with them. What a relief. This was one of the drawbacks if the trip, we didn’t know exactly what was included in the price and what wasn’t. Anyways, the group we belonged to was amazing and it made up for all the small disadvantages.

Optional Zip Line shortcut

That morning, instead of walking that 3-hour distance, you could zip line first and then get transported to the place of our lunch – Hydroelectrica where the whole team met again. The zip line attraction cost 100 sol per person and was 4-km long. We decided to walk, but our friends who ziplined were very satisfied with the whole adventure! The trail lead along the unpaved road that was used by cars as well, so it was a bit dusty, noisy and unpleasant. At Hydroelectrica, we could leave our exta luggage and pick it the next day. We only took what was needed for the one night stay in the hostel and visit to Machu Picchu.

Salkantay Trek day 4

Enjoying day 4

Andean Valley

Along the railroads Aguas Calientes

The last part of the trail led along the rail roads to Aguas Calientes, the town at the footsteps of the Inka City. The trek seemed very long that day, we all felt pretty tired at this stage. Also, there were many insects, like sandflies and mosquitos around and we all got bitten pretty bad. Best to stay in long sleeves even though it is warm and humid. After getting to Aguas Calientes, we got accomodated in 4-people rooms with the comfortable beds, hot showers and wifi! Wohooo! We met with all the Crazy Alpacas at the dinner. We could celebrate the 85km that we already walked! But we still had 10 more to go on a final day.

train tracks from Hydroelectirica

the rail roads part

Peru Rail

Day 5

What an amazing Day! We had to wake up at 3:30 am to be in line to the 1st entrance go Machu Picchu at 4:00am. Then, it was „only” 1700 stais up… and after the visit to the Inka World we still had to walk back to Hydroelectrica to catch a bus back to Cusco. More about that in a next entry!

Welcome to Machu Picchu Pueblo!

To sum up the 5 day Salkantay Trek

When we were browsing best rated agencies on TripAdvisor we were supprised by how expensive the trek is, because it was quoted at 400 USD per person. Fortunatelly in Cusco there is a lot of competition between tour operators and we found an offer for 170 USD. We went with “MachuPiccu Trail” agancy. At the office they will tell you anything just to convince you to purchase. Later on it turns out that not everything is included after all.

Extra costs that we had to pay during the “all inclusive trip”:

• The first breakfast in Mellopata and the last day lunch and dinner (if you come back to Cusco by bus).
• 10 soles for the entrance to the National Park and the Humantay Lagoon.
• 10 soles for the hot springs in Santa Teresa and 15 soles for the transportation.
• You have to carry your extra-kilos luggage on the way from Santa Teresa to Hydroelectrica (we were told it’s gonna be transported first by horses and then, by bus).
• On the 3rd day we were asked to pay tips for the horseman and 2 cooks that were travelling with us. When we decided to pay 10soles each (15 people in the group) we heard it’s not enough because they each have to get at least 60 soles! That was a very uncomfortable situation. Does it mean these guys are getting paid only from our “compulsory tips”? Sounds so wrong!
• Always carry your own snacks. They were not included, at all!

Anyways, the adventurous hike through mountains to Machu Piccu is amazing! We encourage you all to take the challenge. It is great way to experience the land and the history of incas. We are always happy to help if you have any questions let us now in the comments!

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The trip to Paracas

Close to the desert oasis of Huacachina, where we stayed for few days, you can find inslands commonly known as the “Poor man’s Galapagos” – Islas Ballestas. They own their name to the abundance of birds and wildlife. We decided to take a trip there, which included 2-hour cruise around the little archipelago. It cost us 60 soles each. We were picked up at the hotel and after an hour of driving we made it to Paracas. Than, we were pushed through the tickets booths and hundreads of other tourists and finally we were put on a small, crowded boat. Everyone was issued a lifevest, so that everything looks legit on the surface.

cruise to islas ballestas

Geogliph

First attraction of the day was an ancient geogliph, created by the Paracas civilization. We still are not sure about the purpose of this 140-meater tall drawing. There are some theories tho.

Some scientists  are linking it to nerby Nazca lines, others see the map of the southern sky, UFO landing or…just a cactus.

Geogliph of Paracas

Birds’ Paradise

After a very cold 20-minute cruise across the Pacific, we made it to the islands. They were literally swarming with birds! Pelicans, Cormorans, Penguins and many other had chosen this location because the waters here are full of nutriments. The reason for that is the cold Humbolt Current comming all the way from Antartica. We were close enough to smell the guano (fency term for bird poo), which is covering the entire island. We were slowly drifting among the rock clifs while marveling at billions of birds. There were also quite a bunch of the sea lions. They are spending their time resting after the night hunt. Two-hour cruise felt like 5 minutes, but fortunatelly it is not the end of the day, yet!

Islas Ballestas

nap time!

Yes, these are all birds

Sea Lions

March of the penguins

Paracas National Park

After the cruise, we drove to the Paracas National Park. We were surrounded by the desert landscape and some areas were red here and there due to volcanic rock and sand. We visited a view point, where you are supposed to see flamingos, but they are very far. Even though we zoomed with our 140mm lense, we still could not see much. Next stops to follow were some stunning beaches with rock clifs towering above them. The most famous rock arch known as the “Cathedral” collapsed in 2007 during the earthquake.

Red sand beach

Last stop was the famous Red Beach – Playa Roja. The sand there was truly red, but the ocean was furious that day and wind extremely cold, so we did not felt like swimming. At the end of the day we felt exhausted from the strong sun and howling winds. We were happy to relax in our warm desert oasis.

Flamingos in the distance

Lunar landscape

the cathedral arch is no more

Peruvian coast

Pelicano flighg

Playa Roja

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Huacachina Oasis

After spending a few days in Huaraz, hikking in the mountains and beating our altitude record at  the Pastoruri Glacier – 5200m asl, our next destination was the town of Ica. We had to change buses in Lima. Better to check twice where the bus stations are, because they are abundant in the capital city of Peru.

Transport from Ica to the Oasis

After making it to Ica we hoped in a taxi, which took us for 10 soles to the wonderful oasis of Huacachina located on the outskirts of the town.

It was a moment when we found ourselves in a completely different landscape. It could have been easily confused for the Sahara Desert. The Oasis is surrounded by some sand dunes that strech all the way to the horizont.

There is a very laid-back vibe around so we felt pretty relaxed. We spent the evening resting on the dunes after the long journey.

Free as a bird

Desert landscape

Hikking the dunes

Please follow me, I will be your guide

Ica, Peru

Enjoying the views

Pisco in variety of flavours

The next day, we planned to tick off the most famous local attractions. We started around midday with a tour to vinneries and pisco destillatories. Pisco is a local strong liquor made by destillating grape juice. In the first establishment that we visited the whole production process was described to us in details. Then, we enjoyed the degustation. 4 wines, 3 shots of pisco and 6 flavoured liquores later we were eager to buy some souvenirs. We liked the most the sweet drinks made from pisco and local fruit that we had never heard of before. Next we went to the second establishment and it started all over again…

Pisco destillery

Cheers!

Variety of delicious stuff

Pisco Museum

Sandboarding, dune buggy and sunset

On the same day around 4 pm, we had another great attraction planned: sandboarding and dune buggy ride across the sand dunes. We were having an adrenaline rush during that crazy ride. In the meantime, we stopped for sandboarding. Our driver gave us some tips and not long later, we were sliding down the sandy hills. What a great thing to do! We could test our skills on smaller slops and than continue to the bigger one. We had so much fun. The trip ended with an amazing sunset. The trip lasted 2h and cost us 30 soles each. Highly recommended.

Our buggy

Peruvian desert

Having some fun

The Surfer

Ica, Peru

Huacachina Peru

Sandboarding is fun

Sunset over the desert

Sandboarding like a pro

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A trip from Huaraz

Postoruri Glacier – located at around 5200 masl is a great attraction for travelers who begin their adventure in the high Andes. A great way to explore the area is with a one-day tour. The guide will tell you more about the glacier itself, the region as well as he can share the knowladge about how to deal with the altitude sickness. The trip started at 9 am. The starting point was the city of Huaraz at 3000m asl, but we would make it to over 5000m in just few hours. It was going to be a great day!

Meeting the locals

At the very beginning, the guide saidwe would need to drink a cup of coca leaf tea, that helps with acclimatization. He explained the plan of the day in details. Spanish comes in handy as English speaking guides are a rare phenomenon up here.

You can chose from variety of coca products such as candy, sweets or just chew on dried leaf. We felt that it helped because we had no problemes ascending the mountain.

However our moves were a bit slowed down and the heart rate higher. On our way we stopped for a nice picture with a chilled family of alpacas. They were wearing sunglasses and peruvian traditional clothing. You could cuddle a baby alpaca too! What a lovely experience.

Alpacas are so cute!

Meeting the locals

Lovely, soft Baby Alpaca

Alpacas

High mountains flora of Huascaran National Park

Than we stopped in a groove of incredible cacti. They grow up to 10 meaters and can live for over 50 years. Just have a look.

Flora of Huascaran National Park

Road to Pastoruri

With our guide

Pastoruri Glacier

Finally, we arrived at the parking lot from where the path to the glacier starts. It is about 1 kilometer long, however because of the high altitude it takes about an hour to reach the glacier. We were walking slowly and had a break to catch our breath, every now and than. If you wish to you can save yourself the hassle and hop on a horse for 50 soles. We made an effort to walk ourselves the whole way and we took some nice pictures in the meantime.

Unfortunatelly the glacier is retreating and it had already lost 25% of its size and 15% of mass in the last 30 years.

The landscape was pure magic. The sun was shinning in one moment just to let the snow flakes fall gently in the other. We could see the glacier from the distance and feel its cold presence. We were happy to marvel at it while it still exists in this tropical region of Peru.

Horse rides are available

Alpaca sweaters!

The wall

I am the shield that guards the realms of man

First time over 5000m

We made it to 5200m asl

Pastoruri Glacier

A walk back from the glacier

Parking lot at 4900m

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