Nazca - walking in a straight line

Nazca (Peru)
17 MAY - 18 MAY 2015

On November 12, 1996, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit the down of Nazca, virtually destroying it. Within 12 years however the town had almost been entirely rebuilt, and by the time we arrived in 2015 you could say it had been completed. It goes to show that when there's nothing happening in a town then it doesn't take a lot to get things back to the way they were. As a town in its own right Nazca mimics the environment in which its set, dry and plain.

Aero Paracas - Nazca - Peru

Aero Paracas - Nazca - Peru

Nazca - Peru

Nazca lines - Nazca - Peru 

Nazca lines - Nazca - Peru 

Nazca lines - Nazca - Peru 

We weren't here for the town though. We were here because at about 5pm on Saturday afternoons as a kid growing up during the 80's in Sydney there used to be a show on Channel 7 named 'Great Mysteries of the World'. For years, during that half hour, I was introduced to mysteries such as the Bermuda triangle, the search for Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster, and of course, the mystery of the Nazca lines. The latter of course fascinated me the most as the angle of discussion always centred on the reasoning behind why these geoglyths exist, what they were meant to represent and who/what was the communication for. Inevitably the theory always slanted towards the notion of extra-terrestrials having managed this piece of work - which too me was fantastic, as anything to do with astronomy, aliens, alien life forms, anything...was of great interest to me. Of course other theories suggest that this could just be 'old school' graffiti with the young guns of the day just looking to express themselves in new and exciting ways - which is cool I say, but hey, where did the alien looking dude come from? What was that idea all about?

 Nazca lines - Nazca - Peru

Nazca lines - Nazca - Peru

 Nazca lines - Nazca - Peru

Nazca - Peru

Nazca - Peru

Nazca - Peru

Of course this is THE attraction of Nazca and there are tour operators everywhere in the town. Unbeknownst to me we actually selected a company with a good safety record, Aero Paracas. Something that probably should have been at the forefront of our mind when flying over the plains as there had been a number of incidents, both crashes and hijackings, which makes the idea generally a little precarious.

Once airborne and away however most of those concerns faded from the mind. The lines however were not as impressive as I anticipated overall. Perhaps it was the our elevation of our flight or the entire weight of expectation but the there was something just entirely underwhelming. Some geoglyths did stand out, such as the 'Spaceman', the 'Spider' and 'Monkey', and from that the idea of what/why and who did not diminish.The burning questions are still ever so valid and create the elevated nature of mystery which brought us here in the first place.

So to you alien creatures that are still looking to communicate, just drop us a Tweet and tell us all about it! We're listening!

Machu Picchu - the Old Mountain

Machu Picchu (Peru)
15 May 2015

Machu Picchu was the capital to which the Incas escaped when Pizarro came rolling into their world during the year of 1532. Over time it become the ' Lost City of the Incas' as it only became known to us Westerners after Hiram Bingham received a few insightful directions from local farmers and stumbled across a site that had been retreating into the jungle for the better part of 400 years.

The 'Old Mountain' sits high in the Andes mountains, occupying a magnificent perch above the Urabamba valley. With the fall of the Incan empire this city (or estate) of magnificence covered itself in a magic cloak and hid in plain sight for some time until it was pulled out of the trenches.

To steal a line from the Lonely Planet guide, '...It's the most famous archaeological site on the continent, a must for all visitors to Peru. Like the Mona Lisa or the pyramids, it has been seared into our consciousness, though nothing can diminish the thrill of being here'. It's the reason that relatively lazy tourists will wake up at 3am in the morning and prepare themselves to watch the sun rise over this awe inspiring site. There's an inherent sense of wonder, reverence, incredulity. For a lot of people its a once in a lifetime experience and the pinnacle of their journey, not just to Peru or South America, but indeed anywhere.

Machu Picchu - Peru

In the same fashion both Inga and I were raised by our intrusive alarms at around 3am, giving us enough time to get ready, obtain our entry tickets and walk the 15-20 mins out of town to the park entrance. Walking along in pitch black we were assisted by the more prepared gringos who has brought flash lights or head lamps for the morning journey. As these beams of light bounced on the road both in front and behind us, we managed to be guiding relatively safely to the park entrance, where a relatively long queue had already formed prior to opening.

This immediate group was formed by either the most energetic, the most frugal or the most naïve. Generally it was for those that didn't want to put the either the $12USD one way or $24 USD return fare to the entrance gates of Machu Picchu. For me, I had not choice. I had a Latvian with me that was extremely energetic, frugal, a touch naïve and also looking for an opportunity to encompass defacto exercise into their sightseeing. This translated into a relatively fast paced and taxing climb from park entrance to gate entrance. A solid 50min stair climb at somewhere above 2000mtrs - no expresso needed this morning, this was more than enough of a wake up call. Never the less our ascent was impressive. Not impressive enough to have beaten the hoards that had taken the minivan option to get up, which essentially was our goal too, but impressive enough to have made it past most of the 4:30am hikers.

The gates to Machu Picchu open at 6:00am. From there it's a free-for-all.

 Machu Picchu - Peru

Machu Picchu - Peru

Machu Picchu - Peru

Tourists swarm. Unknowingly, unwittingly, unfathomably. Everyone aims to get the 'sunrise' photo, perhaps without knowing what 'that' photo should actually look like or where the prime vantage point for 'that' photo is.

Inga & I were of the same elk. Unclear and muddled. We somehow found a spot that provided a well recognised view and stood long enough for the clouds to clear enough to capture something impressive.

...and let me say, Machu Picchu is impressive. It's all sorts of majestic, ethereal & breath taking.

I've seen a lot of impressive places in my time and can say that Machu Picchu only ranks behind Angkor Wat in terms of impact and magnitude. The setting and the associated endeavour for humans of that time to have achieved what they had on this site is prodigious.

Inga and I spent a few hours walking around the site. Absorbing, taking photos, discovering. We then attempted to make our way to the start of the hike of Machu Picchu mountain, which somehow we bypassed and instead made the ascent to the Sun Gate. Impressive in its own right and a view that provides a sense of scale, but, not it was not the hike that we expected, and not the permit that we paid for. We eventually found the entrance to 'Montana'...and here's where my life took a serious turn.

Machu Picchu - Peru

Machu Picchu - Peru

Machu Picchu - Peru

The climb to the top of Machu Picchu mountain is recognised as being challenging. A steady 2.5hr-3hr round trip that when taken at a 'steady pace' will leave you relatively fatigued and craving a soak plus a cold beverage of your choice. There are also closing times for entrance to the trail - allowing for people to get safely up and off the top of the mountain by 2pm. Inga & I had arrived at the trail head at around 11:20am.

We attempted to sign-in for the walk at that time but the guard of all things 'montona' related was going by the book - 'No start times post 11:00am' - we argued of course, we advised that our levels of fitness were very good and that we'd be up and down before most of the people with a 20 min lead on us. This 'discussion' continued for sometime. Indeed I had given up on the idea and was walking away from the trail whilst Inga continued the barrage of assurances that 'we' could do this, and do it within the allowed time.

 Machu Picchu - Peru

Machu Picchu - Peru

Machu Picchu - Peru

By around 11:35am the guard was beaten into submission and we were given the green light. The gates to hell were thus made open.

Now when Inga and I hike we never cruise leisurely, we treat hikes, especially those that rise in elevation, like workouts. This hike was basically a straight climb of 621mtrs landing at the final summit of 3051mtrs. Of course when we launched we also had a point to proof, we attacked it like a damn Crossfit session.

Montana Machupicchu - holy hell, what a climb

I was wrecked!!!!!

This guy - this was the personification of my inner will - it was GONE

It was PUNISHING!!!!!

The backpack that I had on probably had 5-7kg in but it felt as though I was carrying 20kgs. We stormed those stairs like a 2 man battalion on a mission to oblivion. Coming on the back of the 50 min walk in the morning this 1hr 10 stair climb brutalised me. Inga being the little mountain goat that she is skipped away in the last 10-15 mins of the climb and I was left to deal with my exhaustion, stubbornness and jelly legs for the last push.

I have NEVER, EVER, felt that PUNISHED by any form of physical activity before. By the time I made it to metre 3051 my legs had a mind of their own, my shirt was soaked and I needed to be propped up by the 'Machu Picchu Mountain' sign. I was quite literally WRECKED. It's a feeling that I'd never encountered before or since. The view to Machu Picchu was only a secondary concern at this point - the permanent earthquake below my hips was the main thing I needed to contend with.

Machu Picchu - Peru

Machu Picchu - Peru

Machu Picchu - Peru

Machu Picchu - Peru

We were only at the summit for what felt like 15 mins before being told that we needed to make our way down, which we did.

Somewhere around 1:30pm we returned to the gatehouse and encountered the 'Gate-master'. Somewhat smugly we showed her the photos of us at the summit and it was with absolute pleasure that her reactions of disbelief supported what we already knew. We were both STUBBORN & AWESOME in equal parts!

Machu Picchu - Peru

Machu Picchu - Peru

Machu Picchu - Peru

For the rest of the afternoon we made our way through the labyrinth of alleyways, structures and amazing masonry. Inca architecture is a wonder in its own right and the manner by which they managed to design and incorporate the architecture so as to merge ever so seamlessly into their environment is a testament to their ingenuity and genius.

 Machu Picchu is a marvel - and forever will remain one of the highlights of this journey.





The doorstep of Machu Picchu

Cusco (Peru) – Hidroelectrica (Peru) - Agua Calientes (Peru)

14 MAY 2015

There’s a danger to sitting on the back of a minivan for 6-7hrs without having the security of your body functions. It makes you desperately uneasy and ever vigilant as to the potential of catastrophic events, because you know, the explanation never negates the act. If you crap yourself or if you throw up, the people your immediate vicinity can’t un-live that moment. No apologies and no degree of their understanding make things ok. Whilst I laboured gallantly at the back of the minivan I tried to hold off as best as I could.

The run from Cusco to Hidroeléctrica is a fair 6hr drive, mostly on asphalt but when it hits the mountains then things get ‘oblique’. Roads become large pot holed tracks and the once placid Peruvian driver that you met at 4am turns into a wild gun totting cowboy that dices with the lives of his passengers at every corner. A lot of the road is ‘sketchy’ and makes the ‘Camino de la muerte’ in Bolivia look somewhat pedestrian. There are hair raising moments, places where the road has been washed out or just slipped away.

I found this post from a guy named John Hastings, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jon_eTobTU

This looked liked the right path!

Just had to make sure that we had a good lead time on the train - you don't want to be stuck in the middle with Peruvian rail lining you up from the other end!

Agua Calientes - Peru

Agua Calientes - Peru

The video is accurate of the manner in which the drivers take on the conditions and also the nature of the track itself. Typically, as is the case with me, instead of rocking the boat you kind of just hold your breath like all the other tourists and ‘think’ everything will be ok, because this is ‘just the way they do it’, but as John’s blurb professes, ‘…I wonder how many deaths there have been in 2016 & 2017…for me this was worse than the Death Road in Bolivia’. I can attest to the fact that he’s right on the mark.

Arriving to Hidroeléctrica briefs unsoiled and not so much as a dry heave, I was feeling kind of cocksure about my place in the scheme of things. In fact, even with a 45min Peru Rail cruise from Hidroeléctrica to Agua Calientes at our fingers tips, Inga and I opted to take the more ‘scenic’ route – also known as the ‘povo route’ via the rail tracks to the overnight stop.

No doubt, the jungle walk amongst the towering mountains and the lush vegetation is a pleasant introduction. What you recognise over the ever so gradual climb to Aqua Calientes is that no matter how hard you look, there are no traces of the citadel that are readily visible. You really would never know what existed 500m-700m above your head unless you specifically knew how to detect the clues.

For those wanting to know the $ count for this type of ride, I can say that a return to and from Hidroeléctrica from Cusco was $30 AUD.  From memory park entrance was $47 AUD and overnight accommodation in an ordinary hostel was $30 AUD per night. For something like $140 AUD you’ll be able to get in and back from Cusco, have accommodation for 2 nights and obtain park entrance.

Agua Calientes

Surprisingly this is an attractive town. I had visions of rabid tourist endeavours, harassing, cajoling and earnestly disarming your resolute stance to not purchase anything tacky, but, there was less of that than I imagined. In places its tranquil. Of course it bustles with tourists and with 1500-2000 new entrants a day you feel its touristic pulse.

The town itself is has interconnecting lanes, alleyways and bridges, all of which are taken up by restaurants, bars, massage parlours and stores. The setting of this town on the slopes of these mighty jungle peaks makes this entity unique in its own right.

Also we found that the hot springs are a more than pleasurable sojourn for the afternoon. At the northern end of the town are a number of hot baths that charge a minimal amount for access. Locals and tourists alike make their way here at the end of a hard day of hiking, soak their weary bodies and steal a brew or too.

So here we were, resting on the doorstep of one of the great engineering accomplishments of humanity. This had been a while coming for me. A false start five years earlier had stopped me in La Paz, Bolivia when I was probably only a week away. Now all I had to do tonight was sink a few hours of sleep, wake up at 4:00am and get cracking.

Cusco - navel of the world

Puno (Peru) to Cusco (Peru)
11 MAY 2015 – 13 MAY 2015

I wasn’t entirely present for our stay in Cusco. Whatever virus or food poisoning had attacked me in Puno had somehow lay dormant for a day and then attacked me once again with a vengeance through various ‘outlets’. Perhaps I was ambitious in my desire to defeat this interloper, notwithstanding, it was cunning in its continuous deception, biting back and causing nuisance at regular intervals.

Cusco, the once mighty Inca capital sits at an elevation of 3400mtrs, not quite where La Paz is situated in terms of altitude but high enough to literally be breathtaking. Of course it’s the gateway to the fabled citadel of Machu Picchu which lies some 80kms to the north-west. The city itself is cloaked in Inca legend. Legend has it that the Sun God directed Manco Capac, his son, to go and find an area of land of fertile and good quality. This he was able to do and this is the place that become the capital of the Inca Empire for some 300yrs.

 Plaza de Armas - Cusco - Peru

Cusco - Peru

Cusco - Peru

The city is built in colonial style but still contains many pre-Columbian structures, a reason as to why is became UNESCO heritage listed in 1983. With that said, I can say that I didn’t fully immerse myself into the city and  was only capable of moving in small, non-expansive circuits where the proximity to a bathroom was equivalent to personal safety. In my down time however Inga did manage to do a lot more exploring especially around Plaza de Armas, the place where Francisco Pizarro proclaimed the lands for Spain after capturing and killing the Inca emperor Atahualpa.

Some of the best quesadillas I've had - keeping them down was the issue!

Cusco - Peru

Plaza de Arnas - Cusco - Peru

We did however manage to organise our ‘expedition’ to Machu Picchu from here. Not via the well known Inca trail, or in fact other trails that are now being utilised for 3-4 day hikes but via a simple mini-van through the Sacred Valley. The trail itself has been placed on a ‘bucket list’, to come back to at the right time. Still, one of THE highlights of the South American continent was only a few short days away. The burning question, would my body be in order to make it there?

Lake Titicaca - The sound of violent illness –‘kombucha’

La Paz (Bolivia) to Puno (Peru)

08 May 2015 – 11 May 2015

If you’re like me then with the onset of a rancid, dirty bout of viral gastroenteritis…or is it food poisoning…whatever it was, there’s an internal dialogue that progresses from early detection, through denial, trade-off and then finally, begrudgingly, acceptance. In the end whatever ‘it’ is and whatever ‘it’ was just becomes too great for all your good will and internal fortitude, but, lets check that carry bag in here, we don’t need to be walking through security with this story just yet.

We were on the way out of Bolivia, slinking our way north west around the waters where the Sun was believed to have been born (according to Andean legend). Desolate & austere, the landscape looks just like what a daze feels like when your eyes glaze over, your mind wanders and you linger in those moments of blank comfort with no thoughts. Ephemeral and transient, moving through these ancient lands of legend we stop on the shores of Lake Titicaca in the town of Copacabana, just as the sun is taking its last bow for the day. The waters shimmer in burnt orange as the small crowd stands on the shoreline, clapping as the gold orb disappears from sight.

Sunset on Lake Titicaca - Copacabana - Bolivia

Lake Titicaca - Peru

 Lake Titicaca - Peru

Was feeling absolutely wretched in this shot

After crossing into Peru we made our way up the coastline under the blanket of darkness, spotted with the most incredible starlight we had seen, equivalent to what we had experienced in the Elqui Valley (Chile). Arriving in Puno mid-evening we checked into the Kuntur Inn and quickly set ourselves up for an excursion onto the Lake Titicaca the next day, specifically to see the floating Uros islands. Again, this had always been on my wish list and was probably inspired by a few travel documentaries hosted by Greg Grainger – who, as a side note, Inga and I ran into whilst staying on the Great Barrier Reef that same year – a story for a later blog however.

Inga and I headed out to downtown Puno that night for some food and a few drinks, and one pesky, errant, subversive Tom Collins. This one non-descript drink. This one small insurrectionist. This dangerous subversive. It was to hold my life for ransom for the next few days with a vice like grip on my well being….and you know…when it strikes, just when the death knell is sounded, what it was that brought you to your knees. That model citizen of the cocktail world, the one that never causes trouble and quite likely would be a very good neighbour, on this morning, took out a baseball bat and hobbled me. I woke up on a bright Puno morning with the violent sounds of ‘KOMBUCHA’ shattering through the walls of the homely Kuntor Inn. How in the world was I going to make it to the front door, let alone the shores of Lake Titicaca this morning?

Lake Titicaca - Peru

After downing a cup full of cement for breakfast I handed over all my valuables, all responsibility and all direction of my motor skills to Inga. I must have looked like a dead man walking in a fait accompli. Arms limp by my side, head bowed, shoulders drooped, I was shattered at 7:00am and there was nothing I could do. Those first few ours on the boat out of Puno were brutal. Occasionally I stuck my head up and looked around in order to appreciate where I was, but I had nothing, I was the one in the pack that would have been picked off out on the plains of the Serengti.

The sun here is piercing, it prickles your skin. The waters are a deep, rich blue and the equally magnificent skies are punctuated by cotton like puffs of white cloud, painting like. This lake is sacred in Peruvian legend and there is the belief that the Sun God, that was born on this lake, created Manco Capac, the first Inca King. Completely aside from  that, but as interesting, are the Uros Indians that life on great floating read islands. They are effectively the guardians of the lake and have inhabited this corner of the world in their unique and ingenious style for generations, utilising water reeds that grow in the lake to make their own floating terra firma. It’s quite incredible and really, not matter what my state, I felt absolutely fortunate to have both seen and set foot on a couple of these islands.

 

The best I could muster - its the most fake smile in illness that I could muster - Lake Titicaca - Peru

Uros floating islands - Lake Titicaca - Peru

Uros floating islands - Lake Titicaca - Peru

Uros islands - Lake Titicaca - Peru

From what I understand the reeds need to be replaced constantly, or indeed, islands need to be rebuilt frequently. The groups are generally small but with that said, even here the ever forward marching band of technology has made its way. TV’s, mobile phone, electronic devices, they are all common places and well utilised through the assistance of solar powered batteries. The children head out by boat to local floating schools and the elders, either do what they do, or, cater to tourists such as us. It makes the whole situation feel a little contrived but that, to me, is affecting me less and less these days. That’s the nature of necessity and human interaction, so if cultures adapt and pander to what we bring, then OK, if it’s beneficial for all I can accept that.