Peru http://www.trifter.com/tags/Peru New posts about Peru The Path to Machu Picchu and Surviving the Inca Trail http://www.trifter.com/Caribbean-&-Latin-America/Peru/The-Path-to-Machu-Picchu-and-Surviving-the-Inca-Trail.157817

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I wrote this article, because I believe that some of you may benefit from my experience of visiting Machu Picchu, and may be encouraged to take the same route. It was, indeed, a fantastic trip. Inca Trail was amazing.

Everything started when me and a couple friends decided that Machu Picchu would be a cheap nice trip we could all take together. We were college students back then, and we didn't have much money. After a few weeks of discussion, we chose a travel bureau that would take care of things like transportation and accommodation. We paid for the cheaper route, meaning everything would be by bus or train (I live in Brazil, and although it is possible to go to Peru by ground means, it still is very far), except for the Inca Trail, which is don by foot.

The day we got into the tourist bus to Machu Picchu, I had my first chock. We were the older ones in the bus. I was 22 back then, and everybody else was barely 18, and that was not the only problem; they were those kids that we can tell that are professional pot smokers just by looking at them. They all wore loose, old and hand made clothes and had that slow talk typical in marijuana addicts. I felt incredibly misplaced, but I didn't let it crush my spirit.

Twelve hours later though, my spirit was a little crushed. The bus was in the Pantanal, dozens of hours away from Machu Picchu, and it was noisy, people talked loud and sometimes yelled hysterically. The landscape was beautiful, but after a few hours of the same one, I got bored. My friends already made some friends by then, but me, I'm kind of a difficult person and I don't make friends easily.

Things got really interesting when we reached Corumbá, the border city between Brazil and Bolivia. There we had a fun, although sad moment. The border agents are used to tourists crossing Bolivia border to get to Peru in their way to Machu Picchu, and they take great advantage of it; we had to pay 5 American dollars as a bribe to the Bolivian agents, so we could cross the border. I never paid bribe for anyone in my entire life; I felt so important in that moment. Of course the feeling flew away when I saw the city that expected us on the other side of the border.

Puerto Quijarro was something I only seen in TV. Do you know those Western Movies, where they show a ghost town without a living soul around and hay balls rolling over unpaved streets? That was the scenario. The bus moved around a little before we reached what seemed like an oasis in town. It was the hotel. It was not like it was a five stars hotel, or anything… it was just much better than everything around. I saw poverty there, and the only good thing was for the tourists. Quite depressive, indeed.

That night, the people made a party around the green water pool. I stayed for a while but went to my bedroom around eleven. A few hours later I woke up with the noise of people talking in the room right next to mine; they sounded worried. I went there and one of my friends was drunk as in the verge of alcoholic coma. We put him in a borrowed truck and took him to what the natives called “hospital”. It was a small, dirty and fetid building, with rats' sized biting flies moving around like they owned the place. We had to buy the medicine my friend needed outside the hospital, and the nurse, a nun, had frightening tremulous hands. I'm still surprised that my friend survived without any sequelas. In the morning, he had the worst hangover face ever. I sincerely hoped that Machu Picchu would worth it.

The next day we took the “Death Train”, as the Bolivians call it, to Santa Cruz de La Sierra. Twenty-five hours in the most uncomfortable train I had ever been, and yet, it was a funny trip. The train stops in every city, and in all of them, vendors move outside, around the windows, selling anything you can imagine from food to craft. I bought some oranges, and my friends, more courageous than me, got some “pollo con papas” (thicken and fries - very typical in the country). Despite many people told us not to leave the arms outside the train, a 15 year-old kid traveling with us didn't feel like taking the advice. His 300 Dollars watch was stolen right under his nose in the first hour of the trip. We all laughed so much. Beyond that, there was the dirt. Really… more dirt than you can imagine. In the end of the train trip, my hair felt like clay, and anything that left my nostrils were hard and black. That day, we didn't have much opportunity to know Santa Cruz de La Sierra, because we entered a bus and took our way to the next city.

The first impression I had from Bolivia wasn't a fair one. I realized that when we got to Cochabamba, one of the many stops we had before reaching Machu Picchu. The city was big, urbanized, had tons of restaurants, stores, casinos and nightclubs. Cochabamba's nightlife is very intense, and the kids from the bus got a new supply of marijuana in about an hour. It was another party night, and the thing I realized just when we got in the first restaurant was the power Brazilian money, Real, had over Bolivian Pesos. I felt like a king. I could buy, eat or drink whatever I wanted without even thinking about money. I could move around the city by taxi during the whole day with nothing more than 5 American Dollars. Their handcrafted objects are beautiful and unique, and with very little money I could buy more than carry. I bought gifts to all my relatives and friends and I think I didn't spend more than 20 Dollars on them. Great city. I would love to re-visit it.

The next city was La Paz. Well… in La Paz I was already feeling the consequences of ingesting great amounts of Bolivian food. It tastes awesome, and the spices are great, but my stomach and intestines didn't agree very much. By that time, I heard noises coming from my belly all the time, and I was severely constipated. I tried to ignore it, and kept having lot of fun. La Paz had so much culture around the streets. Everything, from the bricks on the walls to the church towers seemed like works of art. Food was, once again, amazing. In a street called “Ruas das Brujas” (witches' street) we could buy all sorts of amulets, magic recipes and ingredients as herbs or dried insects. Unfortunately, one of the most common magic ingredients there are llama fetus, and there were hundreds of those. I must say that I bought a Love amulet there, and a few months after I came back to Brazil, I met the girlfriend that became my wife in a couple years. Coincidence? I don't know.

Next stop, Peru. Finally, in the same country as Machu Picchu. When we arrived to Cuzco I was already sick. Vomit, diarrhea, nausea, you name it. In Peru and Bolivia, if you feel sick, the natives push into you as much as they can of “mate de coca” (a tea made of coke's leaves), and the cokes' leaves themseslves, so you can chew them. The first times the “mate de coca” worked and I felt better. After a while I could vomit just by feeling its smell. I tried once to chew the coke leaves, and it was a very disgusting experience. The taste was awful, and after a couple minutes my entire mouth and tongue were completely numb.

I spent the whole day in bed, paying for the king days in Cochabamba. At night, I went to the city. I was amazed with Cuzco at night. If I thought that Cochabamba had a great nightlife, it was because I didn't know Cuzco. The whole place is crowded by nightclubs ands pubs, each one better than the other. People are very friendly, and the food, that I didn't resist again, was divine.

The next day, we started the Inca Trail. Four days by foot, from Cuzco to the Lost City of Machu Picchu. Those were the most beautiful landscapes I have seen in my entire life until today. Despite the cold, the diarrhea, the pain of sleeping on the ground and from hours walking, I was overwhelmed by the trail's beauty. Sometimes, we were so high above the ground that we were literally walking in the clouds. All I could see while I had my eyes opened was perfection.

Of course, the beauty was just an aspect of the trail, and that is the moment where I handle a few tips.

  1. Never drink water that you didn't purified with water purifying pills. I did, and my doctor in Brazil said that I was infested by alien bacteria.
  2. You will need to carry with you baby wipes, toilet paper and a powerful source of light. The accommodation camping facilities in the path to Machu Picchu aren't much more than somewhere you are allowed to place your tent. There are no showers or decent bathrooms. You can use the baby wipes to clean yourself after a long day walking, and toilet paper is a rare commodity in the trail. At night, the place is black dark, and you will need the light source if you want to do anything after twilight.
  3. Sleeping bags. The hotter you can get. Sometimes I couldn't sleep the cold I was feeling.
  4. Rain cape. That one was tricky. In the second day of the trail, the harder one where you spend most of the day climbing, it rained the whole day; ice sometimes. At night, everything I had was wet, including the clothes I was going to sleep with.

After four days of long walks, we got to Machu Picchu. I must say it was very disappointing. It is not that the city isn't nice; it is. But after four days walking through the most beautiful landscapes, a stone city is kind of boring, and of course, at that time I was exhausted and all I wanted was to get some decent sleep. In the end, the best wasn't the destiny, but the unforgettable journey we made.

]]> Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:27:18 PST Top 10 Places to See Before You Die http://www.trifter.com/Practical-Travel/Adventure-Travel/Top-10-Places-to-See-Before-You-Die.87635

  • The Pyramids and the Sphinx, Egypt

    You have to visit this amazing place, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Pyramid of Giza.

    1. The Great Pyramid of Khufu (or Cheops)
    2. The Pyramid of Kafhre
    3. The smaller Pyramid of Menkaura.

    There are three main pyramids in Giza: Each Pyramid is a tomb to a different King of Egypt. In front of the pyramids lies the Sphinx (or Abu al-Hol in Arabic, "Father of Terror"). Carved out of a single block of stone, this enormous cat-like sculpture has mesmerized millions of visitors.

  • Santorini, Greece

    Santorini is one of the Cycladic islands, created by the eruption of the volcano. (Thought by some to be the famous island of Atlantis). Due The Island has a versatile landscape with steep rock formations, lush beaches and small white villages. It also boasts remnants from the old Roman including baths, theatres and markets. Santorini is a group of islands in a circle about 10 KM across - the rim of a large volcano that is still producing small islands in the centre. Settlements are scattered around the islands as a series of small villages. The famous white buildings are huddled close to one another on and over the cliff of the central caldera. Hiking paths and trails lead all over the island, but an interesting time can be had walking the paths that connect the settlements, talking to the friendly locals and exploring the shops.

  • Stonehenge, England

    Stonehenge is a well-known stone monument located on a world heritage site in Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England. The site as is quite large and contains many other structures from the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age. Stonehenge is considered one of the most archaeologically rich sites in Europe, with many Neolithic and Bronze Age finds. It is also the site of one of the biggest Chalk grassland reversion projects in the world. Stonehenge has been occupied since around 8000BC with early work at Stonehenge beginning in 3000BC when an outer ditch and embankment was constructed, and standing timbers erected. From about 2500BC, Neolithic and Bronze age man started to bring Bluestones and Sarsen stones from Wales and the Marlborough Downs, it was completed in 1600BC. A nearby hill fort was built during the Iron Age, and there is evidence to suggest that the area was extensively settled by the Romans. The reason behind the structure still remains a mystery with many theories developed to explain the phenomenon.

  • Italy

    Italy has a lot to offer its visitors. Italy is a modern country with deep Roman Catholic roots, full of interesting stuff for the casual tourist and even more for the educated visitor. In the north, next to the Alps and the flatlands of the Po river, both cultural jewels and highly developed industrial cities attract. In Lombardia's capital Milan, city of haute couture and business, you can easily spend weeks without being bored. Bergamo is only an hour away and has an upper Old Town.

    The most famous tourist attractions in the north-east are Venice and Verona, that both let you think of romantic love affairs. To discover the beautiful landscapes around, for example, the Verona province may be even more fascinating. For wine lovers, Piemonte is directly connected with Barolo and Barbaresco, the most famous wines made out of the Nebbiolo grape. Piemonte's capital, Turin offers more than just a starting point to visit these wine regions. Lots of museums, modern art, book and music fairs make Turin one of the leading Italian cities concerning cultural life. The coastal region of Liguria is another highlight.

    The Riviera delle Palme has no reason to envy its French counterpart. Beaches, countryside, the right climate and old towns like Genoa make this region a must to visit. The Lunigiana region, Albenga and Ceriale are worth a visit and an even longer stay. Gourmets should not miss the Emilia Romagna, Italy's culinary centre. Bologna, "La Grassa" like the Italians say, is a must see as well as Ravenna with its impressive mosaic works and the Byzantine architecture and last but not least Rimini, on the Adriatic Sea. For Tuscany words fail to describe its beauty: You have to go there to see, smell and experience the beauty of the old towns and lovely valleys yourself. Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Prato and Siena, offer more cultural highlights than some countries as a whole. The way of living does the rest to attract every year millions of visitors. Elba, the island of Napoleans first exile, is only one of seven Tuscan Archipelago islands.

    Rome, The Eternal City, with its monumental palaces, churches, squares, and fountains still fed by aqueducts with ancient water sources, has to be visited by every Italy traveler. To discover Rome, "A lifetime is not enough". Campania has attracted visitors over the centuries: Capri, Ischia, Sorrento and Amalfi became the chosen destinations of visitors from many countries. Sicily the largest island in the Mediterranean has been influenced by the culture of the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs the Normans and many others. For those who enjoy walking and climbing, go to the Dolomites, this is the Mountain range in Northern Italy that sperates it from Austria and extends westwards to join the Alps. Major centres include Cortina, further South and West is Arco and a few kilometers from the Northern tip of Lake Garda.

  • Loch Ness, Scotland

    Loch Ness is the largest of three lochs located in the Great Glen which divides the North of Scotland along a line from Fort William to Inverness. The loch is large by British standards, being 23 miles long and a mile in width, and averaging 600ft in depth. Its catchment is hilly and wet, and is drained by 6 major rivers which flow into the loch. It contains over 2 cubic miles of fresh water, and the River Ness outlet, although only 5 miles long, is one of the greatest in Britain for average flow and of course is the home of the famous monster of lore

  • Pyramid of the Sun and Moon, Teotihuacán

    Towering and mysterious, the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon rise above silent Teotihuacán, an empty city that once bustled with as many as 200,000 people and stood at the center of Mexico's pre-Hispanic empire. Erected by a virtually unknown culture in the first century B.C., the city sprawled over an area larger than imperial Rome. But by A.D. 750 it had been abruptly abandoned, perhaps because of disaster or drought. Five hundred years later the Aztecs came upon Teotihuacán -- with its pyramids, temples, apartments, and ball courts -- and adopted it as a center of pilgrimage. At roughly 210 feet high, the Pyramid of the Sun ranks as one of the largest pyramids in the world. (It is about half as tall as the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.)

    The builders raised the Pyramid of the Sun around A.D. 100, somehow transporting and erecting three million tons of stone, brick, and rubble without benefit of the wheel, beasts of burden, or metal tools. In 1971, archaeologists found a previously unknown entryway some 320 feet long that leads to a cave directly beneath the apex of the pyramid. At one time the cave held a natural spring, and there are still piles of charcoal in the chamber -- perhaps indicating ceremonies involving water and fire. No one knows, although scientists enjoy speculating.

  • Incan Ruin - Machu Picchu, Peru

    Machu Picchu, The lost city floating in a kingdom of clouds, high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, a mysterious settlement that the Incas built, occupied, and deserted, all in less than a century. For hundreds of years the city was hidden in the jungle. Then, in 1911, Hiram Bingham led a university expedition to the Peruvian Andes. On a valley floor along the Urubamba River, he met a farmer who guided him up to the ruins of the hidden city, the only Incan site that hadn't been looted or destroyed during the previous four centuries.

    Machu Picchu spans a mountain saddle between green jungle peaks. The settlement has only 200 residences, suggesting a population of about 1,000 people. The city contains a large number of religious buildings that were constructed with great care. One of them, the Temple of the Sun functioned as an observatory focused on the heavens. A mark cut on a rock at the center of the tower lines up, through a window, with the exact spot where the sun rises on the June solstice. In the temple's recesses the Incas placed religious statues or offerings.

    Another small cave at Machu Picchu served as an observatory for tracing the December solstice. Ritual religious bathing may have been done at the Fountains, a series of 16 small waterfall baths where the sacred focus may have been water. But the principal shrine at Machu Picchu was probably the intihuatana, the "hitching post of the sun", a stone that the Incas may have used to observe the heavens and mark the seasons. No one knows for certain how the stone was used. Near the settlement lie other intriguing sites. The Intipunku, or Sun Gate, is a notch cut in a mountain ridge that frames the rising sun during fixed periods on the calendar. The famous Inca Bridge is located along an ever-narrowing mountain trail that, at some places, is cut into a sheer cliff. The builders cleverly left a gap in a buttressed section of the trail that they could bridge with two logs. As needed, the logs could be removed to make the road impassable to outsiders. Perhaps it is no wonder that this nearly inaccessible mountain city remained hidden and unknown to outsiders for centuries after the Incas abandoned Machu Picchu.

  • The Golden Pavilion, Japan

    The pavilion is probably the most recognizable temple in Japan as it is entirely covered in gold. Shining in the light, the Golden Pavilion, or Kinkakuji, looks like beautiful jewel box. In 1950, a disturbed Buddhist temple novice burned the 14th-century pavilion to its foundations. Within five years, however, the Golden Pavilion rose again. On the new roof, appropriately, perches a phoenix. The pavilion was originally built as a retirement villa for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who, after withdrawing from public life, exercised power in the background by installing his ten-year-old son as shogun.

    When he died, his retirement villa was converted into a temple, in accordance with his wishes. The much-admired pavilion rises in three stories, each having a different architectural style and reflecting a different aspect of the shogun who built it. The first floor is a residential palace, complete with a covered dock for the shogun's pleasure boat; the second is a Buddhist prayer hall or samurai house; and the third is a small Zen temple with sliding doors and bell-shaped windows. Set on pillars, the Golden Pavilion extends over the pond, a popular design of the Shinden style during the Heian period of Japanese history. A person approaching sees two pavilions, as the water reflects the image. On the exterior of the graceful building, a layer of shimmering gold leaf creates an unforgettable picture.

  • Bimini: The Road to Atlantis

    Famed American psychic Edgar Cayce predicted that evidence of the lost continent of Atlantis would appear in the Bahamas in 1968 or 1969. In 1968 pilots photographed structures that looked like buildings, walls and roads under the waters off of Bimini Island. Others have claimed to have seen pyramids and stone circles on the sea bed, but the only thing that has been confirmed for sure is what has become to be known as the Bimini Road. Skeptics claim that the Bimini road is merely a unique natural formation. There is no denying, the "roads" are straight and look man made.

  • Iceland

    Iceland was settled in the 9th century by Norse Vikings. The first settlement and major city is Reykjavik. Reykjavik has a bustling nightlife, an exciting arts scene, and offers visitors the opportunity to explore the countryside in short trips to areas such as Thingvellir, Gullfoss and Geysir. If you are interested in nature, Iceland is a great place to visit. The terrain in Iceland is so rugged due to centuries of volcanic activity; this is where the US tested their lunar landing module that eventually drove on the moon. Because of Norse woodcutting and volcanic activity, there are virtually no trees on the island. There is one small "forest" that is a national landmark.

    Iceland, Greenland's neighbor, benefits from the gulf and jet streams with huge 100mph winds constantly blowing, being sustained for more than a day. Most travelers go to Iceland in the summer, however, Iceland in the winter is equally as beautiful, and there is the added bonus of less tourists and tones of snow. The interior of Iceland is not assessable in the winter months but the ring road is always passable, but careful driving and a 4WD is needed in the ice and snow. Over the Christmas period there is hardly any traffic on the roads in the South and the drive from Reykjavik to Vik is stunning. Glaciers, mountains, volcanoes and countless waterfalls keep the six hour drive interesting. Hofn is a good place to stop to explore Iceland's biggest glacier. Better still, Hoffell is a remote town close by, which, is very close to the foot of the glacier. In Hoffell you can also find naturally heated hot tubs, perfect for sitting in to watch the northern lights away from any artificial light, if the conditions are right.

    • ]]>     Wed, 27 Feb 2008 03:26:35 PST     7 Wonders of the World in the 21st Century http://www.trifter.com/Practical-Travel/Adventure-Travel/7-Wonders-of-the-World-in-the-21st-Century.74767 You don't probably know that the Seven Wonders of the world that we have known for years have been replaced. The event took place last year dated July 7, 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal.

    The declarations of the New Seven Wonders of the World are done randomly and with no rankings. The final seven are choose from the hundreds of other wonders around the globe. The process of choosing the new Seven Wonders of the World is through online voting.

    The Seven Wonders of the World that garnered large amount of votes are the following:

    1. The Great Wall of China

      The wall is said to serve as a barrier from the Mongol tribes. It was also the only structure that would be seen in the outer space.

    2. Petra in Jordan

      Found besides the Arabian Desert. Petra is the capital of Nabataea Empire of King Aretas IV. Petra is known for the impressive tunnel constructions and water chambers. The Palace of Tombs which is 42 meter high is one of the structures that you would find in the city of Petra.

    3. The Brazil Christ the Redeemer

      The 38 meter high statue of Christ is build on the top of the Corcovado Mountain. This statue took 5 years to be completed.

    4. Machu Picchu in Peru

      The Machu Picchu is a city found on the top of a mountain. The city is lost for 3 decades and it was only on 1911 that a person named Hiram Bingham discovered it.

    5. Chichen Itza

      Chichen Itza is the popular temple city of Mayan civilization found in Mexico. Inside the temple city you could find the Pyramid of Kukulkan, Hall of the Thousands Pillars, and other fascinating structures.

    6. Italy's Colosseum

      The ruins of the most beautiful amphitheater is found in the center of Rome, Italy.

    7. Taj Mahal, India

      This beautiful mausoleum made of white marble was built to commemorate Shan Jahan favorite wife.

    And that's the complete lists of our New Seven Wonders of the World.

     

    ]]>     Wed, 16 Jan 2008 07:26:25 PST     A View From the Andes http://www.trifter.com/Practical-Travel/Woman-travel/A-View-From-the-Andes.30435 When my husband asked me, what I wanted for my fiftieth birthday, without hesitation I blurted out, “I want to go to Machu Picchu … in Peru.” I know he was thinking more along the lines of a piece of jewelry or some such tangible goody, but honestly that no longer held any interest for me. “I don't want things, I want experiences,” I told him. “I want some new perspectives.”

    So, last spring, I went on a trek with my husband and two of my three college aged sons, to explore the ancient Incan ruins at Machu Picchu. This journey had been on my travel “to do” list for awhile, after having read several inspiring articles. The occasion of my birthday was just the right excuse to bring it to fruition.

    The sights were breathtaking; the trek was extremely challenging, and the experience as a whole, is etched forever in my memory. But what I believe left the deepest impression upon me, were the unsung heroes of the trip, the porters; the native Andean men who accompanied us trekkers, throughout our high altitude adventure.

    Accompany is not really an accurate depiction of what these bronzed supermen did. They were not hiking alongside of us looking for hummingbirds and digitally capturing the orchid laden vistas. But rather, these perennially pleasant men, carried unwieldy, hundred pound bundles of supplies on their backs, from campsite to campsite. They cooked three meals a day, cleaned up, dealt with all kinds of waste removal, broke camp and attended to any and all needs that we had; and most remarkably, with an ever present smile.

    How sobering it was to see their bruised and battered toes peeking out of their well worn leather sandals as they ran at astonishing speeds, up and down the treacherous, rocky mountain paths; the very same paths that took me and my fellow trekkers, hours and hours to negotiate … in our costly, brand named hiking boots.

    There were about fifteen men in all, and whether they cooked the food, set up the camp or tended to the bathrooms, they did their jobs with great integrity and an obvious sense of pride; despite the hard work and meager wages. Each man earned what was equivalent to about $35.00 (plus tips), for their four days of service.

    I looked upon these men with a great deal of respect and admiration and yet an undeniable feeling of compassion. Their physical abilities were incredible and the simplistically happy approach they brought to their jobs was stunning; but how could they be so happy, when they worked so hard for so little?

    I reflected on this many times throughout the days we spent together. I considered the possibility that maybe my empathy was misplaced and that perhaps these gentle men with the easy smiles were truly content with their situation; maybe I was confusing my definition of happiness with theirs. The kind look in their eyes made me wonder if they actually felt sorry for me, since I was the one trying to take a bite out of their world in my own unavoidably American way. The more I considered their plight, the more I realized that I needed to rid myself of the notion that they aspired to my lifestyle when in reality, I was embracing theirs.

    After all, I was the one who chose to fly thirty-seven hundred miles to walk in their footsteps; to see the sacred llamas grazing amidst their ancestral ruins and to savor the sweet delight of their native cuisine. It was I who sought out the challenge of trudging up their steep mountain passes … out of my element and gasping for air.

    By trips end, I came to realize that the porters, actually enjoyed the greatest gift of all; the pleasure of sharing their world and their customs with me and my companions. I was reminded of this each morning at six AM, when I would awake to the sound of a faint “knock” on my tent. A voice would cheerfully sing, “Good morning Miss. You want coca tea?” I would jump out of my cozy sleeping bag and scramble to open the zipper on my tent flap. “Good morning, good morning,” I would sing back. “Yes... please, coca tea!”

    As much as I adored this morning ritual, I can say with confidence that the pleasure was truly a shared one. This delightful way of greeting the glorious Andean sunrise became a daily celebration; one that joyfully connected us to one another, if only, for one brief moment in time.

    ]]>     Mon, 18 Jun 2007 01:29:09 PST