Create your Trip Journal [click here]Great hotel with a nice spa. After a 7 hour overnight delay with LAN airlines it was nice to just walk across the street from the airport to the hotel and chill for the day
Marco was our guide for the day and he was excellent. We did a walking tour of cusco/saqsaywama park. He really values his work and helped us to see what its REALLY like in Cusco. Of course we did all the good tourist things but also we got to check out the local market and eat at local restuarants with someone who himself is a local and has alot of passion for his hometown.
Today we [my friend and I] took a trip with Mayuc tours down to a river in the Sacred valley for level 3+ rafting. Marco introduced us to our river guide so we'd feel comfortable and the rafting itself was great, the guide Jaun Carlos was super friendly and really helpful for my friend who cant swim! The group we went with however was really big - around 40 people- and all of them were really young- college age- so the socializing at the end was sort of heavy on the drinking and partying stories. Not really our thing. But the trip was nice, the food was good and everything was pretty well-executed and not so expensive by US standards - $60. We felt really taken care of overall
Today we met Vidal and our driver Manuel. The guys really wanted to show us what local life was like so we met local farmers and weavers in small towns like Chinceros. Manuel had prepared us lunch at his home - and we ate in the courtyard of an old church. It was beautiful and there was so much attention to detail I couldnt believe it. Actually this would become a theme throughout the trip - METICULOUS ATTENTION TO DETAIL. Then we went to the salt flats which were, at that time, the most magnificent things Id ever seen just because of how old they are, how intensely they are attenede to by the families that own them and their aesthetic appeal. Then we hiked down to the sacred river. The sun was just starting to set and the river sort of glistened a little and flowed so smoothly I dont wonder at all why it was felt to be sacred. The whole place has a feeling of holiness.
Manuel, a super driver and sweet guy, brought us [Vidal, my friend and I] to Ollentaytamba [sp?]. The inn was perfectly located so that when we woke up we could see the sun shining through mountains and shedding light through the stones at the second of MANY Incan ruins we would see. We met our porters 6 guys who were gentlemen from the first minute we met them up until the day we all parted. The su was brutal and the altitiude cuaght us off guard a bit. In cusco, 11000 ft, breathing was tricky but not impossible. It got exponentially harder when we started our trek on the cachicatta trail. But the porters and cook, Miguel, had lunch and juice and water and a sort of makeshift port-a-john set up for us when we reached the halfway mark. It couldnt have been more perfectly planned and the rest was much needed. We hiked on passing a giant waterfall that took my breath a way a little. Just standing and getting sprinkled with the falls' spray felt fantastic. I knew then that our trail would be perfect from beginning to end. In retrospect it was. Before or after this we visited alocal school on the way and eventhough the kids were adorable, sweet and seemed happy it was grossly neglected not for any reason other than lack of funds. Volunteers help out and fix the worst of the problems but it was heartbreaking for me.
At this point I cant tell what happened on which day because time sort of stopped while we were hiking. We werent fast hikers by any means but Vidal was crazily patient. never said anything negative or critical even when we stopped just to breathe [altitude getting harder to bear] about every 20 minutes. In fact at a certain point he just carried my buddy's daypack because he felt like she could use some help. He was amazing. I think on the 2nd day after we woke up at 7 for breakfast and tea we didnt quite know what we were in for. It felt like and almost vertical ascent for 4 hours through soft dirt [sometimes muddy as evidenced by my clay covered boots and pants]. We all rated the morning very high just because it was such an accomplishment to get to the hightest point of the day. we stopped for a snack with a view of endless mountain range and glacier views.
I dont know if this was exactly the right day or time but sequentially it's accurate. We walked up and down through comepletely desolate mountainrange. through most of the trip there were tears in my eyes for all the beauty I had to take in. Vidal totally enhanced our appreciation of the place- he was able to just be quiet, sort of meditative, with us. It felt a little like a pilgrimage and I am not religious but I felt like there was a spiritual essence to the land. I think i felt it most when we walked along a ridge crossing through dense cloudy fog. It really looked like a pot boiling over and we all were in the middle of it. It was like we were in the epicenter of creation. Like when the planet came into being it started right where were standing. I will never forget it.
We camped our last night of freezing cold weather and started descending. we reached a maximum height of 14650 feet and probably I packed wrong for the bedtime weather. Eventhough i had a tshirt, thermal shirt, sweatshirt, leggings, socks and pajama pants i still shivered for at least 40 minutes before falling asleep. Next time Ill bring better things - thicker socks, gloves, hat and fleece pants. At this point I knew there would definitely be a "next time." Every second felt magical, even the painful descent. It was a sort of snakepath down a steep mountainous quarry. Both of our toes strated hurting but the end was cloudy mist so we forgot about our toes for a long while.
I am sure this is not the right day but in any case... Macchu Piccu, the Pies De Resistance, was beautiful. Any of the millions of Inca ruins we had seen up until then seemed a little feeble to be honest. It was amuch better insight into the lives, culture and wisdom of the Incan people. Vidal knew about every corner of the ruin and had an endless reserve of information. It kind of felt like there was nothing he didnt know. very helpful to have a guide up there. There was a hike to do up there which I regret not doing but it was a pretty long day of travelling and sight seeing. The train ride to the mountain from Ollem. was very scenic and you could see the inca trail which was cool but it was almost 2 hours.
We went back to Cusco, did some shopping in artisan something on one of the main drags. Cute area and good prices but shops were sort of repetitive. Dinner at Inca Grill which was classy but not dressy and great food. Said sad goodbye to our fantastic guide, Vidal Jaquehua.
plane to Puerto moldenado. Met our guides supplied by the lodge, Javier and Luccho. Both guides were super knowledgable, approachable and very genuine. The pace of the lodge was definfitley a change from what we had been doing so there was an adjustment time. It is much more relaxed and hammock swinging is sometimes the only activity for hours. Once I got comfortable I found it really nice to just chill with the guys and guides in our group. To get to sandoval lake lodge, preservation home of giant river otters, black Caiman and other nature guys, you have to walk through knee deep mud. Apparently some people are hesitant about the lodge for that reason but thats totally bogus. the lodge gives you boots and eventhough the mud can get deep and tricky to move in its an awesome 5K challenge. I loved it eventhough i got very dirty and more sweaty then I have ever been in my life
every morning we woke up earlier than the moring before to see animals and plants that are only happy at 5 am! the earlist was 430 am but it was really worth it mostly- We felt like we were part of the forest. Kind of nice. The only problem was the bugs. I guess you have to expect it and if youre not phobic youre in good shape but if youre me and spiders freak you out then brace yourself b/c wolf spiders, tarantulas and just run of the mill giant spiders are really everywhere. Mosquitos were an expected problem so not a big deal. The lodge was clean, hot water, electricity avlbl at the crucial times. But the best part was the staff, the manager, Cynthia had everything prepared when we got there. The guides are ALL friendly, nice, available for help and questions and very willing to hang out.
Most of the day spent travelling. The only hitch was here when we missed our flight b/c we didnt notice an error in our itenrary. WE were able to get onto the next flight at no extra cost, no inconvenience and perfect accomodation. Again: ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND MANAGEMENT OF HARD SITUATIONS COULD NOT BE MATCHED OR STRESSED ENOUGH!!!!
We stayed in Miraflores radisson by our own reservations. We took a cab to city center, plaza San Martin, which was nice but after hiking alot museums were hard to swallow. The Miraflores area was fun but very foggy and rank with the smell of thick sea air. sadly I am vegetarian which was not aproblem at all during the trip until now where they have the best ceviche in the world - so I have heard. instead had dinner at agreat italian place, Tratoria de...something next door to Pizza hut. and Cafe Haiti the next night which was fine but if youre used to US diner food, you can skip this place.
feeling not at all prepared for re-entry into the monotony of daily life. At least I have something to daydream about when I start to feel the weight of mediocrity pressing on me.
