Gorgeous Cusco
Trip Start
Jan 06, 2008
1
101
125
Trip End
Dec 20, 2008
Cusco,
Peru
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The center is nicely paved, the streets have often some arcades and there are beautifully carved wooden balconies on the main buildings. It is very clean and the police is everywhere so you can relax and chew your coca leaves peacefully (best remedy against altitude sickness they say).
The first half day, I limit myself to walking around the main plaza, eat light and pay for my trek. Each effort is tough but I should be ok by the end of the day and almost perfect tomorrow morning to start exploring the city and maybe around. I leave for my trek on Wednesday so I will try to make the most of the next couple of days.
I woke up the second day feeling a lot better. Still, walking up some streets is not easy for my breathing. I take it slowly again today with some churches and museums visits. I did not expect Cusco to be that gorgeous. I believe it when they say it was once the center of South America.
When I thought I was doing fine, I have been sick from 10pm until 5am. I now feel very weak and I have decided to take the pills against the altitude sickness. It is like an air of "deja vu": being ill for the event I´ve been planing for months. Even if I am now sure I will struggle during the first 1 or 2 days, no way I give up on this trek!
By the way, this is the plan for my trek. It is a difficult, long, rare trek and I am not doing it with a group but with my own guide and a horse to carry our stuff. That should be amazing!!!! I hope anyway.
Day 01: CUSCO - CACHORA - PLAYA ROSALINA
Pick up from the hotel at 4am, then we will travel to Cachora (4 hours aprox., by our private van), once there (in Cachora), we will meet our muleteer and horses, there we will pack all our equipment in the horses, then we will begin to walk, the trail is flat until Chiquisca and then we will go uphill, passing through the high pass of Capuliyoc, from there, we will have a great view of the Apurimac Canyon. Finally we descend to playa Rosalina on the banks of the Apurimac River, the main tributary of the Amazon River. Campsite at 1,550m.
Day 02: PLAYA ROSALINA - CHOQUEQUIRAO
Early in the morning, we will have breakfast, then, we will start walking uphill through a long and narrow trail, arriving Choquequirao around 4pm, then, We will visit the Archaeological site with our guide. The view of the canyon is spectacular, it is also possible to see Andean Condors soaring in the mountains. Campsite (3050m)
Day 03: CHOQUEQUIRAO - MAIZAL
This day we will begin walking uphill for a while until be at 3,300 m, then we will descend until White River (1900 m) On the way we will pass by Pinchiunuyoj archaeological site. There, we will observe different species of birds, different varieties of orchids, and local coca plantations (2,750 m), From Rio Blanco(White river), we will climb up to Maizal (3,000 m) for about 3 hrs. Campsite.
Day 04: MAIZAL - YANAMA
This morning, we will start walking uphill passing by the impressive Inca mines called Minas Victoria. Almost on the top, we can appreciate original paved Inca trails. We will pass over (4,150 m) and finally descend to our campsite (3,800 m).
Day 05: YANAMA - TOTORA
After an early breakfast, we will start climbing slowly to our higher pass in all the trail (4,670 m), again the view will be amazing from here, we will be surrounded by snow-capped mountains: The Sacsarayoj mountain and the Padreyoj mountain. Campsite at 3,630 m
Day 06: TOTORA - PLAYA
On this day we will descend to the Totora river. As we go down the Natural life will be more interesting, with lots of hummingbirds, woodpeckers and many species of orchids and begonias. Campsite at 2,125 m
Day 07: PLAYA - AGUAS CALIENTES TOWN
This day, we will walk to our last uphill, until 2,810 m, to arrive there, we will take around 3 hours; from here we will have an excellent view of the lost Inca's city of Machu Picchu. After a good rest, we will go down to the Hydroelectric plant on the Urubamba River, from here, depending on the time, we will walk and/or take the train to Aguas Calientes, Night in a Hotel.
Day 08: MACHU PICCHU FULL DAY - CUSCO
After breakfast we will take the bus to Machu Picchu, there, we will have a guided tour for all the Archaeological Site, then we will have free time to be by our own in Machupicchu, maybe to climb the Wayna Picchu. In the afternoon (At 4:00 pm.), we will take the train from Aguas Calientes back to Cusco arriving at 8 pm. Aprox
The only potential issue is the weather: The forecast mention rain everyday during the next 10 days. In the heart of the Inca empire, it would be a shame not to enjoy their loved sun.
We are now the 21st and I´m back from the briefing with the trekking guide. I am more excited than a kid on the 24th December. This is gonna be the best!! I still have a headache but I don´t care, I am so well prepared that I am sure it will be fine.
Moreover, I´ll have people to look after me: the guide Christian, the cook Miguel, probably a cook assistant and a horseman plus three horses to carry our main stuff. All that for me alone, this is incredible!! For information, all this team, the food, the transport, the entries... is for 1,100 US$ for 8 days. Ok that is probably equivalent to 6 weeks in Laos but probably 10 times less than the same service in Europe or North America... and you are in the mythical Andes!!!
I have been dreaming about this trek for months and I this is it!!!
My next blog entry should be the 30th, with plenty of photos.
