The Road to Macchu Picchu

The Incas must have been insane. Or maybe just terribly pompous. We headed west out of Cusco early morning, through the highland farms deeper into the lush, green mountains of the Eastern Andes. Far off in the distance snowcapped mountains peeked out in sharp contrast to those around us, which grew like late afternoon shadows. The drive involved thousands of meters of altitude change as we climbed to 4000m before descending into the pseudo-jungle valley. The road is compact dirt, etched into a cliff side, and was responsible for some of the scariest moments in my life.
 

 

We reached Hidroelectrico, literally a small village named after the nearby dam, around 2pm. From there one can take a short train to Aguas Calientes, the launch pad for Machu Picchu, or, as we did, take a leisurely two hour walk along the river and through the woods. Towers of stone line the river, coated with thick growth. The plants grow big here, and they grow everywhere. Seems like keeping the train running is a rough job.

 

Aguas Calientes is a small village in the valley below Machu Picchu filled with touristy goodness. Excellent food and accommodations are available to take advantage of before the journey up the mountain. We managed to find good pizza again, This time really good. Blew my mind. I also found these kids, who were joyously whipping each other in the street as part of an old tradition.

 

 

The journey up to what is believed to have been a royal retreat for the late Incas normally starts early in the morning and can be a two hour walk or a much shorter bus ride. In order to get up there early we chose the bus. Thirty leisurely minutes of dirt road switchbacks later, we finally reached the famed mountain of the Incas. Harsh rock and thick, dark flora are suddenly broken and replaced by intricately carved stone and bright green terraces. The limited views of the valley open up to unveil a vast expanse of crazy to build on mountains. It's a beautiful place built by a people whose culture was mysterious and vast. Whose empire spanned enormous stretches of land in more enormously inhospitable environments. It's green, yes, but who in their right mind would build here?  

 

 

 

Finally! Apologies for the delay - the time following this trip included two very busy weeks behind a bar and two pathetically lazy weeks back in Lima. Next stop will likely be Florida, so this may be the end, but it may not be. I'll update accordingly.

Cusco

Aside from the religious tension, Cusco is like the Jerusalem of South America. The city has been built and rebuilt many times- by pre-incans, then the Inca, then the Spanish and finally once more by modern day Peruvians. Beneath the colonial architecture that dominates scene lie ancient stone foundations of enormous proportions. Proportions which defy our notions of what humans are truly capable of.

 

It seems every building is or has been, at one point, a cathedral or monastery. One hostel claims it is the home of conquistador Fransisco Pizarro's niece.  Green, fountain-clad plazas dot the city, connected by narrow cobblestone streets and surrounded by wide paved roads. Women in bright dress clutching baby llamas prey on the wallets of cute-animal addicted women. Various hawkers and shoe shiners wander about, hassling anyone whose gaze implies foreign blood.

 

 

It is a beautiful city with a thriving community and an excellent culinary scene. Though seemingly authentic, one can't help but feel a slight tinge of Disney World due to the overwhelming number of tourists and overall cleanliness of the central district. As the takeoff point for Machu Picchu, and arguably the most important historical city in all of Peru, it should be expected.

 

We spent four days in this city on the frontier of the jungle, adjusting to the altitude prior to our journey to Machu Picchu. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes, it is the first truly green city we have had the chance to experience. After months of roaming deserts and mountains and plains it almost feels like home.

 

 

 

Today I begin a two week bartending gig in Cusco. We made it to Machu Picchu, and the group has finally separated as Russell, Sonal, and VJ fly to Lima. I'm a bit behind on writing due to all the activity. That update will be coming soon.

 

Also Russell got puppies.

 

Chile to Lima to Cusco

After a pit stop in Chile and a relaxing week back in Lima we are off to Cusco. Updates soon.

The Saltiest Day of My Life

Some places on this planet are stranger than words can describe. The only things that come to mind are 'otherworldly' and, similarly, 'alien.' We spend our lives in places we consider 'normal,' sometimes pondering the environmental possibilities outside of this definition. Three days in the highlands of southwest Bolivia have reminded me that strange and strikingly beautiful can be synonymous. As there is no way for me to properly spell out what it feels like to be surrounded by this astounding landscape, I will provide more pictures than words. At some points we were in a seemingly endless desert, sometimes staring at volcanoes from what might as well have been the surface of Mars. Overall, our journey from the salt flats of Uyuni to the edge of the Chilean Andes left us almost burned out on sightseeing, as we were so incredibly overwhelmed by what exists at the furthest extent of one of the highest lands on Earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uyuni

Slowly climbing toward Uyuni I could only think about the absolute desolation, and how easy it must be for one to disappear forever into the undulating, rocky landscape. Shrubs and cactuses thrive in the burning sunlight amongst the copper cliffs and valleys. Scattered trickles of water are few, and where they appear so do tiny towns built of rocks and mud, inhabited by few llamas and fewer people. The only thing clearly discernable as different from the endless, empty surroundings is the road we drive in on, gleaming and new, curving around hillsides into the vast nothingness.

Uyuni is the name of the salt flat in this region. The first signs of salt can be seen hours from our destination, glistening in the dried riverbeds, which possibly flow in the rainy season though they look as if they've been empty for years. It is a monstrous region located in the southwest of Bolivia, large and white enough to be identified from space.

We passed through Potosi about four hours in. Once the largest city in the world due its thriving silver mining industry, it is now as dried up and adobe as the surrounding lands. Though the city can still lay claim to being one of the highest on earth at 4090meters, it is a dried, crumbling husk of its former glory.

As we drew closer, the land seemed to flatten as if stretched tight across the high plain. So flat at some points that snowcapped peaks of the Andes became just barely visible in the far, far away distance. Hills and riverbeds still dotted the surroundings.

The town of Uyuni itself is a flaccid one. Short and colorless, blending into the surrounding landscape as much as the dull hills in the distance. It is large enough that there seems to be industry beyond tourism, but not much. It is there we spent a night prior to taking off on our three day expedition across the flats and into Chile.

La Paz / Weekend at Fernando's

First a disclaimer: In my last (full) post I noted that there is no good pizza anywhere in these places. I was incorrect. We managed to find the good stuff finally in the backyard of a flamenco dance school in downtown La Paz. Excellent French bread style pizza. Great piña coladas as well. Disclaimer over...

 

 

If one were to take LA and drop it in the middle of the Colorado Rockies, it might resemble the Bolivian capital La Paz. This city on the edge of the Andes is located at 3650 meters above sea level - the highest capital city in the world.

 

 

 

Nestled in a bowl high on the Altiplano, the city is simultaneously crumbling and being rebuilt from the ground up - among the dirty brick and old colonial buildings stand skyscrapers, brightly lit billboards, and street carts galore. Bolivia's growing middle class is definitely showing its face, but poverty continues to have a very strong presence. It is home to displaced mountain folk begging in the streets as well as one of the top restaurants in the world, Gustu.

 

What stands out most in this burgeoning city is the art - something we have noticed a severe lack thereof previously in our travels. The street art ranges from junk to excellent, and acts such as the Ballet Folklorico de La Paz are stunning. Yes, we went to the ballet. Great fun. Between the food, art, museums, and general atmosphere, La Paz is absolutely a great place to waste some time.

 

 

Also noteworthy is the Mercado de las Brujas, or witches market, where one can purchase wares including llama fetuses, San Pedro tea, entire walls of various sex potions, and coca leaf in all it's (legal) forms. Quite the odd assortment, though not as absurd as many people make it out to be.

- - - Weekend at Fernando's - - -

From the air, the land around Sucre resembles a heavily wrinkled shirt, or the skin of a bulldog. The constitutional capital of Bolivia is small, bustling, and home to many beautiful colonial buildings. The outskirts, like many places here, are impoverished, but signs of renovation and growth are all over.

 

Oh man Sucre. The intent was a one night stopover in the city as we trek toward Uyuni. Reality had us stay five nights at the house of Silvia and her son Fernando, found via Airbnb. I don't have much to say about the folks in Sucre other than the fact that they like to party. We made some friends and drank took much and visited a graveyard. Much of the rest of the time was spent lying in bed and eating. I'll have some better stuff for you next time, after the trip through Uyuni.

 

 

Filler

I was made aware today that it has been a week since the last post. Lo siento, mi gente! We've been in the cities of La Paz and Sucre, doing the usual wandering and eating, and I lost track of time.

Good news! For readers, at least - we have an 8 hour bus ride tomorrow so I'll spend some time on an update. After that we will likely be out of contact for a few days on the path through the Bolivian salt flats en route to the Atacama desert in Chile. Check back soon.

PS I can't post pictures currently but how to have that fixed soon as well.