After crossing over the border from Lake Titicaca in Bolivia we found ourselves in the South of Peru, South Americas third largest country. Ask anybody about Peru and most will utter the words Machu Picchu and the Incas which is indeed an accurate assumption. Visitors flock to this glorious feat of ancient architecture which is located high in the Eastern Cordillera of Southern Peru on a 2400m mountain ridge. Although impressive, this ancient site is merely just a flash in a country which is bursting at the seems with things to do. We took this big country in small bites and spent the next month exploring the highs of the Andes, the lows of the canyons, the sands of the deserts and the animals of the Amazon.
Arequipa
First up on our route through Peru was the colonial city of Arequipa which is nestled under a stunning view of the surrounding volcanoes (3 volcanoes to be precise!). We stayed near the central plaza (Plaza de Armas) where we could admire the colonial architecture of the many archways, cathedrals and museums dotted throughout. Strolling the streets, we soon realised that this major city definitely rivalled any city centre we have been to in Europe which was certainly a pleasant surprise.
One of my favourite activities we did in the city other than people watching in the beautiful plaza's was getting up close to some Lamas and Alpacas located in the grounds of the clothing shop 'Mundo'. Being the 30 year old kid that I am this was a lovely treat, learning about the wool process, how it gets sorted and woven into fabric. Pity I wasn't a 30 year old who could afford to buy some of the beautiful jumpers in the gift shop however!
After spending a few glorious days exploring the picturesque streets of Arequipa it was time again to get our tired trekking boots on and head for the Colca Canyon trek. This trek gives hikers the opportunity to get up close and personal with countryside life in Peru, spot some soaring condors (if you're lucky), bathe in secret thermal baths and enjoy some beautiful vistas from one of the worlds deepest canyons.
While we could have signed up with a tour group for this 3 day venture (which most people do), we decided on the other hand to go solo which is usually our preferred option albeit the more complicated one. Going solo for these types of forays means lots of googling, being a bit unsure of oneself and their geological position and cramming oneself onto a tiny minibus with the locals for a long and bumpy 3 hour bus ride to the start of the trail.
The trek for most of day 1 was a descent into the canyon which has a depth of 3500m. To put that into perspective, you could fit three Carrauntoohils inside and still have room left over. (Yes, Irelands 'mountains' are laughable heights really!). Colca Canyon is also twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States which is another fun fact that we added to our collection.
With the sun beaming overhead, we followed the loose gravel trail which snaked down the steep valley. The trail was very arduous in places meaning you could quite easily do some damage to your ankles without proper care and attention. The constant concentration and soaring temperatures as we hiked into the depths of the valley really took it out of us.
After 4 hours of down hill walking with the occasional heart stopping slide on loose gravel, we finally made it to our super cute yellow painted cabin situated at the base of the canyon next to the River Colca. It was an epic feeling that evening to hop into the hot springs located near the rivers edge and rest our tired legs and soothe our sore muscles with the sound of the icy cold river gushing behind us. Our accommodation was super basic with just a wooden bed and some rag curtains but after a tiring day, we were just glad of a place to lay our heads surrounded by nature.
The obvious downside to hiking into one of the worlds deepest canyons is that you have no choice other than to hike out of it! The next day we made our way to the small village of San Jaun De Chuccho. Back we went up the trails where we stumbled upon more small rural communities that have endured and persevered here for centuries. They continue to live out a very traditional lifestyle however the building of a road into the valley has seemed to improve their quality of life.
We saved the most gruelling part of the trek for the last day. Here we had to ascend 1200m back up to the top of the canyon and we had to ensure we left early before the sun got too intense. As we struggled up the never-ending switchbacks, huffing and puffing, we passed by some locals coming down with their donkeys. We figured they must make this trip regularly to bring their goods up to the main market in Cabanaconda, the main town situated at the top of the canyon. Our hike out from the depths of the valley took us a gruelling 3 hours and as the clock ticked on, the midday sun began to beat down upon us making every uphill step that bit more painful. But to make an arduous journey a little more pleasant, we ended up bumping into our Dutch friend Anna who we had hiked with way back in Patagonia in Argentina. We didn't hang around chatting for too long however as I couldn't wait to get the hell off that uphill track and when we finally did, boy was it a relief! We took a few moments at the top to look back on the valley in which we had just come from, saying a silent goodbye to the people who reside quietly within the valley walls and who have the pleasure of living amongst such beautiful scenery. I don't pity those who have to make that walk a regular part of their lives however!
Leaving behind the rich valleys of Colca Canyon we travelled north from Arequipa which brought us to the old Incan capital of Cusco. Located at 3,350m above sea level this is a major stop for any tourist in Peru due to the array of historical sites in its vicinity. We were here for the reason everyone else was and that reason was of course Machu Picchu.
We knew we wanted to do a trek to Machu Picchu but the famous 'Inca trail' requires planning ahead of schedule and books out way too fast for the likes of us traveler's who tend to wing most adventures. We had a few days in the city to scramble together a plan on the best and cheapest way to get to the famous ancient site of Macchu Picchu. With that goal put to the back of our minds we ambled around the streets of Cusco for the next few days taking in all the beautiful sites on offer, of which there was copious amounts. We once again had the pleasure of checking out the colonial style architecture reminiscent of that found in Arequipa. The churches here were built over the ruins of Incan temples. The Spanish clearly knew how to convert them to Christianity.
One of the days we took a never ending hike up to a viewpoint overlooking the city (we always seem to find ourselves on these tiresome hikes!) we came across a large statue of Jesus very similar to the famous one in Rio. This one was much smaller however but still impressive and there was some kind of ceremony taking place on top which we couldn't quite figure out but decided to stay anyways and watch the locals do their thing with a great view of the sprawling city below us with the rolling Andes mountains in the background. To quench our thirst that night we stopped by an Irish pub claiming to be the highest in the world (I'm not too sure on the accuracy of that claim however!). No Irish seemed to be present which was a surprise but we did meet an Englishman who would change our plans about our Inca trek..... but I will explain more on that later!
Cusco gets its name from an old Quechuan (indigenous language) name that means "centre of the earth". It's surrounded by so many important historical sites and although we hate doing organised tours we succumbed to the fact that we could never navigate to all of these ancient sites via public transport. So the next day we decided to let someone else do the organising for us and signed ourselves up for an organised tour of Sacred Valley.
Carved by the Urubamba River and dotted with photogenic little towns and abandoned ruins, the Sacred Valley was worshipped for its fertile land and climate and served as an agricultural, spiritual and political centre for the Incas. Our first pit stop lead us to a local crafts shop where we saw how they made typical crafts and textiles with wool from llamas and natural dyes from plants. These places are usually where we find ourselves on group tours as there is a big push to flog tourists some local goods. Although the produce on offer was nice and good quality we unfortunately had no extra room in our backpacks so we hung around while watching other tourists buy their souvenirs.
A short bumpy bus ride later led us to the Moray terraces. These circle fields were a sort of greenhouse for the Incas and when looked down on from above it reminded us of some sort of alien creation. These huge terraces have been built into a natural depression in the ground, all in perfect circles; 7 levels to the middle stage followed by 7 more to the bottom - another display of Incan engineering genius. Since agriculture was the Inca’s main activity, these terraces were used to grow crops and the crop growth was dependant on the ground temperature which changed with each terrace depth. The lower levels were ideal for warmer crops and the higher ones for cooler crops. A few terraces in depth may not seem like a big difference in altitude but apparently there is a temperature difference of as much as 15 degree Celsius between the top and bottom terraces leading to a vast array of different crop growth.....a fact I found to be quite interesting and from an organised tour which I wasn't expecting much from, I sure did learn some interesting facts.
After coming from the Slat Flats in Bolivia we weren't overly impressed on hearing the next stop was the Maras Salt Mines however we were pleasantly surprised when we got there. The local farmers have followed in the steps of the Incas and created an abundance of salt ponds to harvest and collect salt from the water of a nearby spring. They cleverly channel the water into salt ponds and leave it to evaporate, leaving behind deposits of salt crystals. Each pond belongs to a member of the community, the size depending on the family. Again the people here are clever enough to make a living off the abundance of tourists coming to visit with stalls set up nearby selling all sorts of goods such as salted chocolate, salted soap, meat preserves and pretty much anything else that salt has a use for.
The town of Ollantaytambo contained the largest Inca site in this area and gave us our first glimpse into a quintessential Incan city. Ollantaytambo served as a fortress for Inca Manco who led the Inca resistance and it was here that the Incas flooded the valley with their irrigation system and bogged down a force of horse-riding Spanish soldiers led by Francisco Pizarro's brother. We clambered up the terraced fortifications to the temple at the top which gave us a fabulous view over the valley below.
We finished off the trip we a stop in Pisaq, another great Incan city where you will find huge agricultural terraces and buildings. The ruins here included tombs built into the cliffs. The Incas were buried with their treasures, and when the Spanish treasure hunters came, they dug out the tombs, leaving behind these large visible holes in the cliffs.
Salkantay Trek
With the famous Inca trail booked up months in advance we read about an alternative called the Salkantay trek - a 72km trek done over 4 days which ends at Machu Picchu. This sounded right up our alley as all you needed was some camping equipment to do the walk independently. After spending an afternoon in Cusco marching from camp shop to camp shop pricing up some gear and equipment we ended up in the aforementioned Paddys Bar. It was here we ended up meeting an Englishman by the name of Christian. We told him about our plans for Salkantay and he had similar ones too but he had heard from fellow travellers that camping wasn't even necessary, that there were simple lodges with beds available and dinner provided. This sounded great as it meant we wouldn't have to hike with all the extra weight of the camping equipment. Doing the trek this way isn't advertised as it would mean trekking companies would lose out on the business of guided tours where they set up your camps each night. We had no way of pre booking any of these lodges so after a few pints we decided to put our trust in Christian and scrap the camping idea and just wing it on the trail in the hope we could find a bed each night.
We started in darkness as we caught a bus at 4am with some locals as we headed towards the trailhead. We nodded off with tiredness in our seats waking up on the many numerous times the driver nearly drove us to our deaths swerving around sharp hairpin bends. At the trailhead we met multiple tour groups about to set off with their guides getting their donkeys loaded up with gear. We skipped on ahead and with our lighter loads we were able to keep well in front and have the trail largely to ourselves. The trek to our base for the night was relatively easy and only took about 2.5 hours. We could see the many campsites ready for the groups behind but also some lodges (some far more fancy than others!). We went to one which had a tiny shop at the front and tentatively asked if there was any rooms. They only had two rooms available and luckily both were free so we had our pick. As expected the accommodation was basic but we didn't mind as it saved the hassle of setting up camp and by now we were well versed in primitive living conditions. The price included dinner that evening so to kill the afternoon we left our luggage in the room and took another mini hike up to the beautiful Humantay Lake, Peru's mighty blue lagoon. .
With no packs on our backs we felt as light as feathers however we were quickly greeted by a 1 hour uphill climb to the summit at 4200m. Our few days acclimatising in Cusco definitely helped here although we were still not fully immune to the affects of high altitude. Once we reached the summit we were greeted by the pristine turquoise-blue waters which are fed by the nearby snow-capped mountain and glacier. The clouds had unfortunately rolled in with rain drops beginning to beat down upon us but it was still a spectacular view and well worth the uphill struggle. The lake was busy with day trippers from Cusco but we were lucky in our timing in that they were leaving by the time we had reached the top. Back at our lodge we had seen numerous bus drivers drinking beers from the shop so we didn't envy the day trippers bus ride home. We thankfully had this whole place to ourselves for the next 30mins so we enjoyed our time enjoying the peacefulness and serenity of the landscape although we were at one stage rudely interrupted by a mooing cow!
As we headed back down to our lodge to enjoy our evening meal we met the tour groups setting up their tents for the night and as much as we enjoy the outdoors, we were secretly delighted about having our bed to lay our heads and the offer of a large hot dinner which was a hearty feed of rice and chicken. Just as we were about to fall asleep we heard a knock on the lodge door and a familiar voice trying his best to speak to the owner in Spanish - "Tienes una cama??". The yorkshire accent could only be that of Christain. We poked our heads out our door and sure enough it was him. We knew he was planning the hike at a similar time but with no way to contact him or know which village he was staying at we figured we wouldn't meet him so this encounter was a nice surprise. He managed to grab the only other room available and we agreed to continue our hike the rest of the way together. His plan of bringing no tent for the trek had worked a treat - so far anyways!
Feeling fresh after a solid nights sleep, the next morning we were up bright and early, and after a feed of porridge headed off on a lovely fresh morning on what was to be a tough day hiking. It was roughly a 21km hike up over a mountain pass which required an ascent of 1500m and a descent of roughly the same so our legs were in for a long day. The trail started off with a gradual slope but increased steeply which lead us to stopping numerous times to catch our breath but also an excuse to admire the scenery which lay behind us and to mentally prepare for what lay ahead of us. The donkeys from the tour groups eventually caught up with us, quickly passing us out. I felt sorry for the animals with their heavy loads as I'm sure they are forced to do this route non stop - going from one valley to the next and back again. Nevertheless, we battled on and eventually reached the mountain pass stopping for some much needed lunch which comprised of a snickers bar, some nuts and plenty of water. By now heavy clouds had obscured the tops of the surrounding mountains but we did come across a cool lake in the middle of the desolate pass. Many would think the hard part was over but alas it had only just begun.
The weather had changed drastically over the mountain pass with clouds and rain making the descent fairly miserable. What made things worse was that the trail itself had lots of loose rocks forcing us to constantly watch our footing which massively slowed us down and made the day really drag on. As we descended further and further down in elevation through the valley the weather began to clear and at the later stage of the day we found ourselves in a hot tropical cloud forest with our rain gear stripped off and wiping a constant stream of sweat from our brows. After about 6 or 7 hours of walking we eventually made it to the small village where we had planned on sleeping for the night only to find it buzzing with activity from fellow hikers when we got there. We asked in what looked like the only lodge if there was bed availability only to be told the bad news that they were already fully booked - some of the campers in the tour groups had decided to upgrade for the night due to the difficult day of hiking. Maybe not bringing a tent with us wasn't the best idea after all! Still optimistic, yet exhausted, we strolled around the village away from the main hustle in the hope that some more houses had beds to offer us. As we walked with our backpacks in tow we noticed a house, albeit quite a run down one across in a field behind a running stream of water. Not much activity was noted so in a last ditch attempt to bag a bed for the night instead of having to sleep on the grass with the donkeys Paul decided to cross over the stream to check if anything was on offer. After some time he emerged with good news as it seemed the owner had some beds in a shed out back but not assembled. With some manoeuvring of rickety bed frames and heavy blankets the three of us managed to squeeze the beds into the shed and bedded down with our clothes on standby for the temperature drop. We figured it would be a cold night as the shed had a square cut out for a window but there was no glass in said window, only a small piece of fabric covering the opening but we were all so tired that it didn't bother us too much as long as we got some rest, food and thankfully even a medium hot shower.
Our third day on the trek was thankfully a lot less strenuous. We followed the trail into lush green rainforest walking in tandem with the path of the Santa Teresa river below us. There was clear signs of landslides that had happened earlier in the year and in some parts the trail was even a little bit dangerous with steep edges along the path that had broken off. The villages we passed through were becoming bigger and bigger the lower down in elevation we got. While most routes for the trek bring you to hot springs, on this day we decided to go slightly off the beaten track and head back up in elevation into a coffee plantation region. We had read online about a group of women in this area who have formed their own coffee plantation, growing and cultivating coffee beans forming their own unique blend. Once we arrived at the tiny village we weren't quite sure where we could found this woman's house. Luckily we happened upon a young child and we gave her name in the hope he could lead us there. Luckily he knew her and duly obliged to bring us to the front door. To say thanks, we gave him a few pesos in which he happily skipped away with probably to go buy himself some sweets. This lovely womans lodge was so delightful with a spacious room, hot shower and even windows with glass in them! It was certainly a welcome change from lasts nights questionable accommodation. Dinner served was Yucca (which is similar to potatoes) and avocado salad washed down with some of her freshly brewed coffee which was so good we even bought some to bring back home.
Day 4 would see us leave the coffee plantations and head for the Llactapata Inca site. In front of these ruins we were able to look across the valley and catch our first glimpse of Machu Picchu nestled on the mountain top in the far off distance. There was conveniently a local man perched here with a telescope charging a few pesos to have a close up look across to the ruins. Looking through the lens of the telescope we could see the huge array of terraces hanging of the mountain sides which was quite the impressive site. If you looked careful enough you could even see the tiny dots of people sprinkled throughout the ruins. I was excited that the next day we would be one of those people. We chilled out here for a while eating our lunch and admiring the splendid view before making the 1000m descent to Hydroelectrica. This tiny town is where the regions Hydroelectric plant is situated and where a train line connects it to Aguas Claientes, the town located at the base of Machu Picchu. While we would have loved to not have to walk the final 10km along the train tracks, the train here is mainly used by the locals who work in the Hydroelectric plant and of course prices for tourists are extortionate so we didn't have much of a choice other than to continue on our walk. Along with 100's of other traveler's also too poor to pay the train fee we plodded along the tracks occasionally jumping off at the sound of the trains horn indicating its impending passing. This last part of the hike was very much an uphill struggle as the ascent and decent from the Inca ruins above really took it out of us. We were happy to collapse into some pretty comfortable accommodation that night after a hot shower and figure out our plan of attack for Machu Picchu early the next morning.
The next morning was an early 5.00 start as our slot to visit the sight was the first of the day and to get there would be another 5km uphill hike. That early uphill hike I found to be extremely difficult as at that stage of the trek my body was getting tired and it was nothing but a constant stream of switchback steps that intersected with the shuttle bus road. At that time in the morning I really wished we had forked out for a shuttle bus ticket as the passengers on it looked really comfortable! We arrived at the entrance to Machu Picchu for sunrise and thankfully we got a stroke of luck with the weather that day being nothing short of perfect with bright blue skies. As the morning wore on the ruins were gradually lit up as the sun moved across the sky and with no clouds, we were spoiled with the most wonderful view of not only the impressive stone work but also the soaring backdrop of lush green mountains.
Machu Picchu was used as a royal estate for the Incas and what impressed us most was not just the view that greeted us but also the fact that the Incan people built this site in such a remote location. The site visitors see today had to be sculpted out of a notch between two small peaks by moving stone and earth to create a flat space....that for me was the most impressive thing. Roughly 200 structures remain standing here but unsurprisingly all of them have lost their straw thatched roofs over the ages. However, thankfully the decay stopped at the perfectly cut granite stones that still remain impeccable and showcase the astounding skill of the Incan people who didn't even use the wheel to help with their monumental constructions.
After a thoroughly enjoyable morning filled with interesting history and beautiful scenery it was time for us to make our way back to the central hub of Cusco. There are two ways to get back to Cusco from Macchu Piccho. Take the train for $70 ($3 for a local) or walk back along the train tracks to Hidroelectrica and take a 6 hour bumpy bus ride across the mountains. You can probably guess which one we took........
We spent the next few days in Cusco allowing our tired legs to recover and trying some more of the local cuisine. A popular Peruvian delicacy here in Peru is "Cuy" or guinea pig to me and you. I was very reluctant to try such a thing here with guinea pig being a beloved pet for a lot of people back home but I figured I should try and embrace the Peruvian culture. If you are wondering, it tastes a little bit like duck, very rich, very oily and quite salty. I tried it once but certainly wont be venturing to try it again! Continuing on our new culinary adventures, we washed down the cuy with a jelly like substance which we learned on a previous walking tour is made from cows feet. Again, it sounded gross like a lot of food in these parts and to be honest it kind of was with its gloopy like texture and dirty brown colour. Think of jelly you have with your ice cream but instead of strawberry flavour think of meat flavour.....yeah gross! Apparently though it's very good for you but even this could not entice me to finish.
Finishing our self made foodie tour of Cusco it was time for us to leave the highs of the Andes and head for the coast to discover a much different side to Peru.
Huacachina
Huacachina is a small settlement just west of the city of Ica in Southwestern Peru and is centred around an oasis and towering palm trees. You only come here for one reason and that is to explore the sand dunes of the surrounding desert. This place is a hotspot for dune buggies and sand boarding in Peru and although pushing into my thirties and becoming ever more fearful of extreme sports, I was willing to give some of the activities a go.
Our hostel which was located on the outskirts of the town had a lovely tepid pool so we took the opportunity to relax and enjoy the afternoon sun while of course sitting in as much shade as possible. Once evening came around we took the short stroll into town to see twenty to thirty dune buggies ready to take us on a thrill ride over the huge golden sand dunes. We eagerly jumped into our buggy and strapped ourselves in as best we could as seatbelts in these parts were extremely flimsy! Once we were all secure (Well as secure as we could be!) in our padded seats, for the next 30 minutes our dune buggy driver proceeded to accelerate up and down the dunes like a maniac swerving at tight angles as the buggy soared across the sand as if we were about to take off into the sky. With each sharp turn our heads bobbed vigorously back and forth and the force against our bodies as the speed increased made for quite the exhilarating ride although at times, pretty hairy as we felt the buggy could topple at any moment.
After our entertaining ride, our driver stoped the buggy at the top of one of the sand dunes where we would spend the next while trying our hand at some sand boarding. These dunes are steep, so as beginner sand boarders, the majority of us lay down on our boards and speeded down the slopes rather than stand which was in my eyes just as fun and probably a lot safer. By the end of the evenings adrenaline filled activities we were both covered with sand which took about three showers to completely remove, but we figured it was worth it!
With dune bugging and sand boarding ticked off the list we decided to spend the next day on a tour of Paracas National Reserve located about one hours drive away. Here we were able to take a boat tip to Islas Ballestas which is known as the 'poor mans Galapagos'...quite the appropriate name for us! We admired the wonderful wildlife here which consisted of lazy sea lions, large flocks of Guanay cormorant birds and the Peruvian pelicans who were happily munching on a free lunch from the local fisherman. This tour only lasted about 90 minutes and we had to stay on the boat for most of it but we actually really enjoyed ourselves. It gave me the notion that maybe we could start researching a trip to the real Galapagos...I just had to try and convince Paul that the splurge would be worth it!
As part of our tour to Islas Ballestas, we also had the chance to visit Paracas which has a uniquely tropical climate where the desert meets the sea. We got to experience this incredible natural beauty which consisted of miles of jagged cliffs , coastal waters and la Playa Roja (or the Red Beach). We just wished we had access to our own transport here as we felt there was so much more we could have explored beyond the tour bus! Seeing a small part however, was better than not seeing it at all.
Iquitos
When planning our trip through South America we knew we wanted to take the time and find the money to visit the Amazon Rainforest. Since it spans across nine countries on the continent we knew we would have plenty of opportunity to experience it. We had originally planned to do an excursion from Bolivia as it's the cheapest place to do it but after hearing of an awful bus tragedy on the route to its entry point where more than 25 people sadly lost their lives as the bus plunged over a cliff edge, we quickly opted to wait until Peru to plan our Amazon adventure. Our start point from here would be the city of Iquitos.
Iquitos is the largest city in the world unreachable by road. It can only be reached by airplane or boat which meant we had to take a flight from Lima. Although isolated, Iquitos is still very much a large city with a bustling city centre where copious amounts of restaurants, cafes and shops can be found near the centre square. When we arrived we took a walk away from the centre and headed for the river - after all this was the amazon river! Alongside the river basin we came across shanty towns built up on stilts giving the effect of a floating village. Houses were connected by narrow footbridges made up of a few planks of wood, precariously placed. As the locals looked on we nervously navigated across the planks trying our best not to fall into the muggy water below. It wasn't long before a local man with his daughter in tow appeared below us in his little wooden boat. We guessed from our broken Spanish and his sign language that he was offering us a taxi service. As we tried to keep our balance on the rickety planks of wood above him we figured the offer of a boat ride would probably be a much quicker method to explore the area than our baby steps on the planks. He had a small petrol propeller in the back and so we sat back and took in the sights as he tried his best to be our tour guide. The floating village was huge and not only were peoples homes here but it had its own school, shops, church and even a floating petrol station for the boats. The people living here were obviously much poorer than those inland and without adequate access to clean water, sanitation, or electricity. The children seemed happy and carefree however as they spent their afternoon splashing around in the waters below their stilted houses. After a throughly enjoyable spontaneous boat ride we happily paid our makeshift taxi driver and tour guide and headed back to the city centre to suss out a menu del dia to get a good feed as tomorrow we would be back in the river heading upstream deep into the jungle.
There was no way for us to navigate safely into the Amazon rainforest by ourselves so we had no qualms about signing up for a tour and as we aren't big fans of large guided tours we decided to splash out for a private one where it would just be us and our guides. To add to the jungle experience we also decided on a tour in which we would sleep under mosquito nets with the sounds of the jungle over head. Although not a sleeping set up many would be willing to endure, I for one was really looking forward to getting the true jungle experience!
The next day we met our guide who thankfully spoke good clear English and who would turn out to be a very interesting man with the unique ability to spot wildlife from far off in the distance. We were also met by our boat driver and chef who would look after camp for us while we went wildlife spotting and who would cook us up some delicious camp food. We took our longboat along with all the equipment we would need for three nights in the jungle and headed away from the city of Iquitos and up the Amazon river. The journey upstream of the river took about 3 hours passing small huts with families preparing food and washing clothes along the river bank. After a slow journey through the calm waters of the jungle, our driver eventually pulled the boat into a small opening in the thick forest. Here we got off the boat and walked through undergrowth to some flat ground where we would set up camp for the next three nights. Our camp consisted of a simple tarp, mosquito net and a sleeping mat with the dense canopy of trees sheltering us from above....far from luxurious but I loved it!
Our first night was spent in close proximity to camp where we were lucky to spot various types of frogs and insects as well as a HUGE tarantula nestled in the leaves of a tree right beside our camp. From that first sighting of the spider we decided to nickname our camp 'Tarantula Camp' as the female was there to greet us every night in the same spot when we arrived back to camp. I thought I would have been frighted by the sight of such a big hairy 8 legged arachnid right beside where I slept and ate my dinner but seeing these creatures in their natural habitat undisturbed surprisingly filled me with a sense of calmness and acceptance of her presence as we were, after all, in her home.
That night was quite an interesting experience sleeping with an orchestra of jungle sounds bellowing above us. Although hard to get to sleep at first in our unusual setting with the humidity of the jungle, it was a pleasure to know that the wildlife surrounding us, although hidden were living here relatively uninterrupted by human presence...even our tarantula neighbour seemed happy enough with our presence! The numerous calls, chirps and songs put us to sleep quickly after the first hour. I was looking forward to what the next two days would hold.
The next day after a sweaty nights sleep we woke early, ate our porridge breakfast by the campfire which was kindly prepared by our boat driver, come chef. With our belly's full, which was probably a good thing as we would spending the day fishing for piranha and as this was our first time ever fishing, it was probably going to be a long day! The waters here are seemingly infested with these fish and our guide joked that if we didn't catch any, we wouldn't be having a dinner for that night. Armed with our makeshift fishing rods which consisted of a wooden stick with some fishing line wound around it, we baited them with small pieces of meat and it wasn't long before we could feel small pulls on our lines. We excitedly yanked out our rods in the hope we had caught some huge piranha but in reality, the fish were surprisingly small and not at all as scary as I had imaged piranha would be. Despite their quite unassuming appearance, our guide showed us their teeth, and yes their teeth are very sharp!! I definitely would not like to be taking a dip in the water with them lurking underneath. Paul will also not like me writing this but I turned out to be a much better fisherwoman than him, with me catching nearly twice as much as him and him even at one stage breaking his wooden rod as he yanked it out of the water thinking he had caught an almighty sized fish but in fact had rather got his line stuck in some under growth beneath the water. Luckily our guide had some spares. After an enjoyable and competitive morning fishing in the Amazonian waters we brought our catch back to camp where our chef cooked us our catch of the day. Despite being small and boney fish, they sure were deliciously tasty and of course, fresh!
After our delicious feed, we went back out on our wooden boat to do some more animal spotting which by the way is another talent I didn't know I had! The jungle was teeming with wildlife, despite the fact that most of the sights of animals were only fleeting moments through the thick jungle. Monkeys as you could imagine, were a big part of what we saw and heard and we were lucky enough to even get some close up encounters with these beautiful creatures. Due to our guides brilliant knowledge of the area and keen eye, (as well as my keen eye!) we got the opportunity to see numerous species of monkey vaulting between branches such as the Squirrel monkey, Saki monkey and the Wolly monkey. As we lay in bed late that night we also heard the Howler money dashing through the canopy above us.
Spending time in the jungle, we also picked up a new found love for bird watching. Our guide had a book with him depicting the hundreds of different types of birds that can be found in the jungle and it was amazing to see him knowing exactly which birds were where solely based off the sound of their chirping. It was like he spoke their language! We saw a huge array of birds here thanks to our guide including yellow billed terns, herons, parrots, macaws and toucans, amongst others. Their popping vibrant colours made an impact against the backdrop of the canopy and it was amazing to see these birds enjoying the huge playground they have available to them here.
Sloths, famous for their lazy lethargic movements are also a common find amongst the jungle canopy. One would think these animals would be some of the easiest ones to spot but we found out this was not in fact the case. Sloths spend the majority of their time hiding high in the canopy for protection from predators and remain motionless and thus camouflaged as a result. Again, thanks to our guides keen eye, we managed to get our first glimpse of a sloth in the wild and although only seen from afar, it was truly amazing. At one point we even got a glimpse of a mother sloth and her baby who was latched tightly to her under belly. I must also proudly state that my ability to wildlife spot, surprised even me. As we floated in the boat along the river, not seeing much activity in terms of animals, out of the corner of my eye I happened to notice a sloth perched high in a passing tree, one that our guide hadn't even noticed as we sailed by. Lets just say that if the Pharma industry doesn't work out...I know where I'll be headed!
Wildlife is very important to the natives who survive in the Amazon but more important are the plants and trees which surround them. This includes the jungle fruits to help supplement their diet. Our guide took us on a short hike on foot through the thick jungle growth explaining the different types of plants and trees and their medicinal and every day uses. Natives here get materials such as vines and palms to make common objects such as baskets or indeed some decorative pieces. He also explained how the jungle is like a natural pharmacy with a huge array of plants used to treat common ailments. He even made us a bracelet which would act as our own natural mosquito repellant.
One evening was dedicated to just relaxing and enjoying the uniquely tranquil surroundings of the jungle. We took our boat out to the middle of the river and spent the evening admiring the greenery and lily pads while the sun set to the anthem of the noises from the surrounding wildlife. Once dark our guide had a surprise up his sleeve. The area we were located was supposedly good for Caiman which is a species of crocodile. I wasn't sure how he would spot one of these with such a vast volume of water surrounding us but their downfall is their eyes we were to find out. He took out a torch and began shinning it into the overgrown plants surrounding the water. Sure enough after some time we could see the reflections of the Caimans eyes as they reflected off the light from the torch which gave away their location in the darkness. We dimmed the torch and used paddles to get in closer. I assumed we might get a glimpse of its head but once we were within a few meters our guide suddenly jumps towards the front of the boat and is halfway in the water in an instant with his hands outstretched. I thought he was going to fall in but he recovers and turns around with a caiman in his hands. I couldn't believe it.
It was only a young caiman our guide explained before asking us if we wanted to hold it. Paul being Paul immediately agreed and Paul being Paul had dropped it moments after the handover. A moment of madness ensued with the caiman scurrying around the floor of the boat trying to find an escape and us being worried it could attack us. Luckily our guide managed to control it and catch it once more and Paul was able to keep a firm hold the second go round. We admired the creature wondering how big it was going to grow in size before letting him back in the water and back to his habitat. I'm sure it hasn't been caught again after that incident.
We had only scratched the surface in our four day trip on what life was like within the amazon jungle. We can only imagine what it would be like the deeper you go in. It was amazing to see how these little isolated communities survive with only the very basic of supplies. On our arrival back to Iquitos we saw a small group of women huddled near a small store. We had seen indigenous populations all across South America so far on our trip but these women stood out and there was something strikingly different about them. Our guide noticed us watching them and explained that these were women who come from deep within the jungle and make a journey every so often to collect supplies. He said they don't even speak Spanish or Quechuan as they have their own language. I found them so fascinating and mysterious. How they live their lives in comparison to me. It is eye opening. Our time in the jungle was up and we flew back to modern civilisation in Lima for a few days before getting our hiking boots on once more.
Huarez
Our last stop in Peru was in the northern city of Huarez. It's surrounded by glacier capped mountain peaks of the Cordillera Blanca mountain range meaning we were here for only one reason. More hiking!
Huarez itself is just over 3000m above sea level so like always we spent a few days acclimitising before we headed off to sleep at higher altitudes. We did a challenging day hike to Laguna Churup which brought us up to an elevation of 4,450m (roughly the same height when doing a skydive!). Although strenuous it was a fun day as the trail was easily marked but it felt adventurous especially towards the top which required dragging ourselves up over rocks on some makeshift ropes. We were rewarded here with stunning views of the lake with its funky green hue reflection. We had our lunch here while admiring our surroundings and even bumped into a mother and daughter on their own adventure trip from Co. Cork. It as nice to hear another Irish accent! We didn't feel any effects of the altitude during this hike so felt ready to head on the four day Santa Cruz trek the next morning. We organised renting out the required camping gear from a local shop that evening and took to the supermarket to get the food essentials - pasta and porridge!
Like most first days of our hikes, it generally entails an early morning bumpy bus ride before a long walk in green valleys with a gradual uphill descent. This was no different and after a gruelling couple of hours we came to a designated camp site where most of the other hikers were pitching. We had read that if you continue on another hour up a steep incline you would be rewarded with a better camping spot so we decided to continue on.
As the evening rolled into night we just about made it to the referenced camp spot located next to a small stream with a stunning view of the mountains above. Just as we pitched the tent the winds picked up and the rain started to pelt down. We ended up jammed inside our tent with our stove and pot trying to get some sustenance while not burning our shelter down. After a wet and windy nights sleep we woke the next morning to a beautiful view and thankfully a clearer day. We had our gloopy porridge which tasted that little bit better with the view that lay in front of us and afterwards we packed up and headed further into the mountainous valley.
The second day of the trek we read would be the toughest as it's the day of the mountain pass. We set off after our feed and made our way along the trail as the sun gradually rose meaning we weren't slow taking off our cold gear and stripping down. This is why layers are important! The first 2.5 hours here were easy going meaning we could enjoy the peacefulness of our surroundings. We were all alone since we camped at a higher elevation the previous night and were well ahead of the tour groups further down the valley.
We couldn't delay the inevitable however and eventually we reached the point where the steep ascent would begin. We met a few hikers coming down from the pass as they were hiking the trek the opposite direction. They insisted the steep climb would be worth it at the top so for the next hour we slowly plodded along, heavy backpacks in tow stopping regularly to catch our breath to fill our lungs with the depleted oxygen they cried out for. One last push over some steep cut steps saw us finally reach the top of the pass and all I could say was WOW!
Punta Union pass is 4750m and after seeing many a blog where the clouds had rolled in and obscured the view we were delighted to have an uninterrupted stunning panoramic view of the mountain peaks, the turquoise glacial lake fed by thundering waterfalls as well as the huge valley below. If there was to be a spot for lunch this was it. We chilled out here for another hour only meeting two other hikers towards the end.
We were sad leaving behind such a perfect spot but we had a two hour descent ahead of us and needed to crack on to reach our camp spot before dark. It wasn't too bad of a decent and we eventually arrived at a gorgeous meadow at the foot of the majestic Nevado Taulliraju mountain. I pitched the tent and this time we could enjoy preparing our luxurious pasta dinner without worrying about burning the tent down as the skies remained clear all evening. In the other direction, paramount pictures’ logo, Artesonraju mountain majestically filled the background.
For day three we had two options - do a side trek from here to laguna Arhuaycocha which would add around 3 hours to our day or skip that and have a nice easy day hiking relatively flat to camp 3. We love to make life difficult for ourselves so the laguna it was!
The saving grace for our hike to the laguna was that there was an outbuilding of a nearby camp site that we could ditch our backpacks in and head up with all that weight off our shoulders. The lightened load felt oh so good.... if only we could hike like this all the time! We had seen so many of these lagunas by now on our travels but we never ever got bored of seeing them. There is something so striking and impressive about dazzling blue water surrounded by huge white mountain peaks. After enjoying another awesome view we collected our gear on the way down and continued on. We eventually found ourselves on a sandy valley floor-bed and continued for another few hours until we reached our campsite in a meadow by a stream that seemed popular with the local cattle as there was lots roaming around. We got our tent pitched, dinner cooked and settled down for the night all the while surrounded by the most beautiful valley...we really were spoiled for sights here. Our nights sleep was interesting as we were woken up a number of times with the nosey cattle rummaging near our tent more than likely looking for the food we had in our packs.
In the morning the path was downhill all the way to our finishing point of Cashapampa. We were glad we hadn’t trekked the route in the other direction like a few of the hikers we met as it would have been a much tougher slog. Once we reached the village we treated ourselves to an ice cold refreshing coke while waiting for the next taxi collectivo to bring us and some locals on route back to Haurez.
Of all the hikes we have done over the past few months this is up there with one of our favourites as although it was moderately difficult, you are rewarded every single day with beautiful scenery (if the weather holds) and most importantly it's not overly busy or over run with tourists like the treks to Machu Picchu. We would definitely love to come back some day and explore many of the other trekking routes around the Cordillera Blanca.
Our time in Peru had come to an end. Peru had so much to offer and so many diverse regions to explore. Our month long trip could easily have been two or three but we still had two more countries to visit on our trip and the next one up was Ecuador.
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