Currency: Soles (3 Soles=$1 USD)

Cities Visited: Trujillo, Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes, Puno

In the cities we visited, there wasn´t a central bus terminal where you can find most bus companies in one building.  Instead, there are lots of buildings that house individual bus companies. 

Buses in this country are awesome.  Although expensive, where else  can you choose between cama and semi-cama, 1st floor or second floor with movies, airconditioning, internet access, GPS tracking, security, blankets, pillows, people who serve you food, and leather seats!

If you are a woman, expect to be constantly whistled at even in the presence of your significant other.

Eat ceviche in the coastal cities, it´s fantastic! Where else can one pay $4 for a whole plate of raw seafood!!

Peru´s traffic is loud compared to Ecuador´s.  Expect Peruvians to use their horns quite liberally.

The best item to buy is an ¨alpaca¨ wool sweater.  It´s warm, fuzzy, and a great bargain at less than $10!  It may not really be made of alpaca fur, but who cares?

Cheap massages are offered in Cusco (25-30 soles).  Get one…it´ll be worth it, especially after climbing around the ruins of Machu Picchu.

If you are planning on staying in Cusco for a good amount of time, the ¨tourist ticket¨ may be a good deal.  At approximately 120 soles, you have access to 12-13 museums and ruins in and around Cusco for 10 days. 

Take Inca Rail to get to Aguas Calientes (just outside of Machu Picchu).  It´s a bit cheaper and the seats are much nicer than Peru Rail.  Plus, you get food service.  Until recently, Peru Rail monopolized the rails, but now more and more companies are opening up. 

• You can catch the Inca Rail train at Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes.  Take a collectivo from Cusco to Ollantaytambo for 10 soles.  Don´t miss the ruins at Ollantaytambo because they are pretty cool.  It´s a part of the ¨tourist ticket¨ anyway. 
• On Peru Rail, pay 12 soles to get to a city close to Cusco.  From there you will catch the train to Aguas Calientes. 
• In Aguas Calientes, stay off the tourist strip for lodging and food. 

Things we liked:

Deenaree´s list…

• Food: Ceviche
• Experience: Exploring Machu Picchu, even with (what I suspect was) food poisoning
• Something to remember: Unexpectedly eating cow hooves as part of my almuerzo at the Pisac Sunday market for a whopping 4 soles

Ben´s list…

• Food: Ceviche
• Experience: Wandering around the 400 year old streets of the Santa Catalina Monastery
• Something(s) to remember: The Incan terraces built on the side of mountains

Amantani

As mentioned in the previous post, we had started to see the effect of tourism when we visited the reed island earlier in the day.  We were in for a surprise to find out that the negative effects of tourism have reached far beyond the touristy reed islands near the mainland.  The community in which we were staying has been self-sustaining for centuries, relying on local planting and fishing to provide shelter and food for the community.  Unfortunately, when the pull of money starts being felt, it is hard to stop it.

Our first meal was just the three of us at the small table in the bedroom and it consisted of a typical Peru meal of soup, potatoes, cheese, and sliced tomatoes along with tea.  The meals for the rest of our stay would be very similar to this one.  As we ate, the son of our host came up to grace us with music on his typical Peruvian instrument called ¨pan¨.  I was pretty excited about his playing until he finished, stuck out his hand, and asked for 5 soles from us.  Caught off guard, we fished through our pockets and gave him the small change we had.  Next, the daughter came up to our room with a bag of hats to sell.  When we told her we were not interested because we already had one, she skulked away.  We felt like we had insulted our hosts so Carl took one for the team and bought a hat for 10 soles…considerably less than what they wanted to charge.  We were to learn later that this happened at other homes and those who refused to buy anything were given less food to eat in later meals.

Before the sun set, our tour group met to hike up a hill on the island to visit the sacred temple of Pachamama (Mother Earth).  The temple is so sacred that only shamans are allowed to go inside it once a year and no one else.  Some of the people on the island capitalize on the visitors by selling wares all along the hike.  Little children toting toddler-aged siblings were even seen selling as well.  Regardless of the vendors, the 30-minute hike was worth it because we were able to get some incredible views of the island and the lake as the sun set.

When we returned back to the house, we had worked up an appetite from our hike. We were invited to the small building used for cooking and we observed the woman of the house making our dinner at a fireplace area. I was pretty intrigued by this method of cooking and asked to take a picture.  Her response was to set a price for the picture so I politely said no.  I am not sure what would have happened if I had just went ahead and taken the picture, but she had a large fire in front of her and I didn´t want to test her.

After dinner, we were to meet with everyone again to ¨party¨ at the village square and we were provided local garb to attend.  I was more than happy to put on the beautifully embroidered white shirt, puffy skirt, wraparound belt, and black head scarf.  Ben and Carl got ponchos.  Carl was able to show off his new hat and Ben got my hat from our visit to Otavalo, Ecuador.  We walked on dark trails to the village square and entered a building full of locals and us local wannabes.

A band consisting of preteen boys, most of them sons of the hosts, were seen playing typical Peruvian instruments in a corner of the room.  When the band would play, the host ladies would round everyone up and we would all dance in a big circle in the room.  We very much enjoyed our time dancing and learning the local customs and traditions.  However, when the band took a break, one of the boys (the son of our host) brought a hat around and asked us each for 5 soles.  Apparently, there is a cover charge to attend the party.  When the festivities were over, we made our way back and tucked ourselves in for the night.  We were exhausted and my only hope was to sleep through the night so that I wouldn´t have to walk to the outhouse in the dark.

The next morning, the host father asked us for our names and email addresses.  After we wrote down our information, he asked us for money to cover the expenses of the food they had fed us.  We knew that tour companies already pay the families for the cost of the food and lodging.  Each family gets a certain amount of money for each guest, but we donated some more anyway. He left disappointed with the amount we had given him and we left feeling disappointed, too, because that money happened to be the little we had left for lunch that day.

We wish our experiences on our tour were more positive and not overshadowed by constant requests for money.  We learned that tourism is not always a good thing for the people and the culture.   It is difficult because on one hand a tourist is putting money directly into the local economy, which should help to make everyone do much better.  On the other, these cultures survived for thousands of years without the need for money or any goods outside of the local products.  What we saw at Lake Titicaca was a much different experience.  The people were poor without a doubt, but they had everything they needed in local goods and it is depressing to see that the culture has been warped by the influx of tourists and the ipods they now want to buy for their children.  In hindsight, we wonder if the best thing to have done was to break the cycle by not participating or not giving in to the requests.  Unfortunately, you don´t learn about the people and the culture if you don´t have the chance to experience it.

We booked our tour from an agency right on the touristy walking strip of Puno.  We had arrived late by bus and our Swedish friend, Carl (who we had been traveling with us off and on since Loja, Ecuador) had scouted out some agencies before our arrival.  None of them offered the cheap price of 50 soles per person that this agency did.  The discount may have been given because there were 3 of us or because we were booking it the night before.  Usually, an overnight tour is double this price or more, especially during high season.  We thought that this price was quite a deal because it was ¨all inclusive¨ for 2 days whereas a one day tour usually costs 30 soles.   The lady who booked our tour told us that everything was included except for lunch on the 2nd day and this would be 15 soles each.

Here are some things she didn´t tell us that we wish she had…

1) Bring a raincoat and a sweater.

2) Bring a flashlight, toilet paper, and bottles of water.  ¨Basic¨means that there´s no electricity or running water.

3) Bring a gift for the host family.  (We gave crackers to our family, but rice or potatoes would have been better.)

4) Bring more money than the 15 soles you´ll need for lunch.

The first stop on the lake was to the floating reed islands, or artificial islands, known as the Uros.  As our boat arrived to one of these islands, native ladies in traditional garb of puffy neon green skirts ran up to greet us.  We disembarked and were given a short presentation by our tour guide and the islanders.

We learned that no one really knows how the lake got it´s name, but it may have been from a Quechua (the main language of the islanders) word having to do with ¨puma¨.  Our guide flipped the poster of the lake around for us all to observe a puma chasing a rabbit.  He also explained how the islands are created while someone demonstrated with a smaller model.  The base of the islands are formed from the roots of the reeds, known as totora reeds, because the roots float in water and they are anchored by ropes attached to stakes that are driven into the ground.  Then, dry reeds are piled on top of the foundation.  The islanders constantly have to pile new reeds on top of the old ones because the island is always sinking.

Every part of life on the reed islands revolves around the reeds from their houses to their boats.  The islanders even eat the reeds!  We were able to have a taste and found them to be a bit crunchy, dry, and lacking flavor.  If I had to compare it to something, I´d compare it to celery.  The Uros people also eat fish in the lake and showed us a bowl full of living fish.  We were pretty impressed by how self-sustainable their communities were.  Our guide did make it a point to say that the people on these islands don´t beg, they work by making handicrafts to sell to tourists.  At that time, I did not know why he said that, but after rereading the Lonely Planet section, I found out that begging had been a problem in the past and even now tourists are discouraged from giving candy to the children on the islands.

After our guide´s presentation was over, we were very graciously and enthusiastically invited into the homes of the villagers.  Each person in our group was snatched up by a different family.  Our family consisted of an older woman and older man.  The woman quickly hurried us inside the house and pulled out an array of handicrafts to show us.  Most of them consisted of beautifully stitched wall hangings and what not.   We quickly realized that she was trying to make a sale.  During our travels, we have stayed away from purchasing souvenirs due to the limited amount of space we have in our backpacks.  However, feeling obliged because we were in her house and didn’t want to be rude, we picked out a small thing with pockets hoping it would be the most affordable.  It may have been affordable to nonbudget travelers, but not for us so we ended up forking over American dollars.

Stepping out of the house, we saw that every family had set up shop outside of their houses and were getting their ¨guests¨to try to purchase their wares.  Most people in our group seemed to be smart enough to opt out of purchasing anything.  Instead, some of them took a boat ride on the reed boats for 10 soles each as their way of donating to the community.  I had been looking forward to riding in one of those reed boats, but had to settle for listening to the Uros ladies´attempt to sing ¨Row Your Boat¨ in English to the passengers before they set sail on a mini-cruise of the lake.

It was sad to see these beautiful people and islands corrupted by our tourism.  This was the strongest experience to date of the destruction of a culture by the hoards that visit.  Unfortunately, our experience on the floating reed islands was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to seeing firsthand the effects of tourism on the communities of Lake Titicaca.

Machu Picchu is about 4 hours by ground transportation from the city of Cusco, Peru.  Cusco is generally considered the archaeological capital of the Americas.  It was founded as the Inca capital nearly 900 years ago and is surrounded by the great ruins of Incan civilization.  Most buildings in Cusco are built on original Incan stone foundations, which can be seen all over town.  In many instances, the original Incan work has survived earthquakes strong enough to topple later built Spanish structures.

Many Incan temples were not built in the abundant mountain valleys in the central Andes.  Instead, many (including Machu Picchu) cascade dramatically up the side of mountains, usually with some kind of temple at the top.  Ollantaytambo and Pisac are two ruins we visited that fit this description. Ollantaytambo is close to Machu Picchu and is watched over by a village of the same name which also has Inca heritage.  We thought the village was gorgeous with narrow, wall lined cobblestone streets.  The ruin itself boasts remarkable stonework.  In this case, well edged blocks were used to build walls.  Like a giant puzzle, each stone fits together perfectly without the use of any mortar at all and they have been standing for at least 500 years!  Not even a playing card could fit between the blocks.  Believe me, we tried to do this!

Pisac was constructed of more raw stone, with randomly shaped pieces.  Mortar was used between blocks to hold them together.  Pisac is amazing for the shear size and number of terraces built up the mountainside.  We started from the bottom and felt like we were passing terraces forever.   Generally, the terraces are believed to have been used for farming and they go up to dizzying heights at Pisac.  After visiting the ruins, we visited the town in the valley (see a trend forming?) to check out the Sunday market, which was a magnificent conglomeration of food and crafts.  While the atmosphere has been damaged by the hoards of tourists, we very much enjoyed seeing the incredibly colorful fruit vendors and having a $2 lunch with the locals at the food stalls.

Most impressive is the ability of the Incas.  The cutting of stone was a feat all by itself.  The Incas lacked metal tools and used ingenious methods to cut stones using stronger stone chisels and wet wood blocks.  When the wood blocks were placed into the holes in the rock and expanded, the rock split, allowing precise cuts of rock to be completed.  We were able to see this firsthand with a well-preserved example at the Machu Picchu.

All of these temples were accessed and used on a regular basis.  While we were chilly and short of breath with aching feet wearing warm jackets and hiking shoes, the Incas wore sandals and tunics in their day.  Even today, the local Incan ancestors can be seen scaling the same mountains as if they are calmly waiting on an escalator.  No signs of distress whatsoever.

Back down from Machu Picchu, we couldn’t stop thinking about what the Incas accomplished in South America more than 400 years ago.  It is hard to know how the history of a continent would have been different if the Spanish had not arrived seeking riches with iron technology to vanquish the Incas.  Quite simply, the Incas were a remarkable people who still dominate south central Peru 400 years after their demise.  For a short while, we truly did live in an Inca world.

First, a visitor will find it essential to wear sunglasses here as the buildings around the main plaza and throughout most of town shine blindingly white in the sun.  The reason for their luminescence is the sillar stone, or white volcanic rock, that were used to build these structures.  The most radiant of these buildings is the cathedral.  Even at night, the lights on the cathedral create a glow parallel to the sun’s.

Second, Arequipa’s buildings provide treasures and evidence of the rich history that shaped the culture of Peru.  One place of interest is the Santa Catalina Monastery.  Expect a visit to this place to be a bit pricey at 30 soles ($10) a person, but it’s well worth it.  This more than 400 year old convent was the private residence of nuns from around the country for centuries.  It grew into it’s own “city within a city” with cobblestone streets and courtyards, but it amazingly remained closed off from the outside world until the 20th century.

While there, we toured historic living quarters, kitchens, bathrooms, medical and laundry facilities.   It was surreal to believe that a fully functioning community walked the same narrow streets hundreds of years before.  Our favorite thing about the monastery was it’s implementation of color on many of the walls.  Bright hues of orange, blue, and red abound and contrast with the white sillar of the buildings.  It gives one an almost euphoric feeling to be amongst such color.

Another historically rich place is the Museo Santuarios Andinos (otherwise labelled as the “Casa de la Cultura, Univesidad Catolica de Santa Maria), which contains  Mummy Juanita, the “Ice Maiden” of the Andes.  ”Juanita” was a young Incan woman who was sacrificed approximately 500 years ago to pacify the mountain gods believed to be causing volcanoes and earthquakes in the region.  Her well-preserved body was accidentally discovered in 1995 when a volcano erupted and melted the snow which allowed her body to be shifted down a mountain.  Scientists are still learning about her life and her death, but what has already been discovered is fascinating.

Apparently, back when Juanita was sacrificed it was an honor to be in her place.  Great rituals and festivities surrounded those who were sacrificed.  Some Incan children were even born and raised with the idea of being given to the gods.  Due to the conditions of her nails and her way of dress, it is possible that Juanita may have been a maiden of royal background.

Before our tour started, we had to surrender our cameras and cell phones to museum security because photos were not allowed.  I was able to take a picture of the worldwide magazine coverage of her discovery before handing my camera in.  The first part of our tour involved watching a National Geographic video to gain an understanding of what we were about to see.  The second part involved going through rooms that contained artifacts of her and other sacrificed children’s burials.  All this stuff preceding our viewing of Juanita only added to our excitement to see her.

When we were finally rewarded with a viewing, we were caught off guard by how small she was.  She was held in a specially made ice box to keep her protected.  The room was dimly lit and it was difficult to see her clearly, but we could not get over how well defined her features still were.  Usually, I am a bit horrified by mummies, but there was nothing grotesque about her.  She really was “lovely”, especially for someone who was half a century old.

Arequipa could have simply been put down as yet another “quaint” South American town, but it’s brilliant, history-filled buildings wouldn’t allow it.  Where else can one walk in the footsteps of 16th century nuns and meet a young maiden frozen in time?