After a while I don't publish anything about my travels, I decided to share a post about Peru, given the numerous requests for information from friends and acquaintances to better structure their journey in these places that thanks to my year of Civil Service at Cusco I got to know quite well.
Small note on the opportunity to do the National Civil Service Abroad: If you are not yet 15 years old, I suggest you take a look at the website https://andeanpathtravel.com, once a year opens the call for selection of more than 1,000 young people to be distributed on projects all over the world
A unique
possibility to fully experience a culture and a place.
Coming back to us, Peru is a state that never ceases to amaze, with its coast, forests, woods, mountains and desert, it has practically everything, for detailed info on the places not to be missed, I refer you to the post: What to do in Peru .
In this post I will focus mainly on Cusco and its surroundings, hoping that the information will be helpful and stimulating for you to better set your trip, or even just to learn a little more about Peru.
Cusco and
Valle Sagrado
One year in Cusco and certainly I have not yet visited all the temples and archaeological sites of interest in the city of the Inca empire.
Absolutely worth spending a good time in this area, at least a week, including a visit to the Sagrado Valley, the imposing mausoleum of Machu Picchu and the mountain of Colores. If you are traveling on the other hand "at a slow pace" you will be pampered by the colors of the Andean villages and can experience your experience more authentically and deeply.
The town of Cusco will fascinate you and transport you back in time even staying in the center, between Inca walls, temples, hidden symbols and ancestral rituals. Not a day goes by that something is not celebrated in Cusco and so it is easy to find yourself among colors, smells and music that will imbue you with your most ancient memories.
Practical
information on the Sagrado Valley
The question I was most asked in recent months was "What is the most convenient way to visit Machu Picchu?" Can I reach it alone? ”
The answer is YES, you can organize your tour to Machu Picchu yourself.
From the outset that visiting this imposing mausoleum is certainly one of the most expensive experiences you will have in Peru, the only income goes from 70 to 86 USD, a price that seems to be constantly increasing (only a few months ago I paid almost 30 USD less for the entry).
For some months now, to make it even more complicated, the obligation to enter accompanied by a tour guide has entered into force.
There are
several ways to reach Machu Picchu:
Short Inca trail to machupicchu 2 days: you can walk a couple of days crossing a beautiful path between the Andes and visit different ruins of interest. This option, although very fascinating, is certainly not the cheapest, as you will have to do it with an organized tour and a guide (not less than 500 euros per person). I remind you that in February the trail is closed for maintenance.
Peru Rail; The dear train (minimum 100 USD A / R) that leaves from Cusco or from Ollantaytambo, another town in the Sacred Valley that I recommend visiting with its impressive archaeological site.
hydropower; Walking to the sides of the train tracks for 8 km (about 3h) until you reach the town of Aguas Calientes. This is definitely the cheapest option. You can do it with a tour or independently with public transport, the price difference does not change much (about 20 USD). If you decide to go alone you will have to leave early in the morning and take a bus or mini van from the land terminal to Quillabamba (near the cemetery of Almudena). The cost varies between 15 and 35 soles, depending on how good you are at bargaining and the option you decide to take (see diagram below). The journey takes about 5 hours and you will reach Santa Maria, where you will have to take another car shared with other people (15 soles, 1 h 1/2 journey) to reach the Hidroelectrica , or 10 soles up to Santa Teresa and then another 5 soles for hydroelectric power. And from here it will start your pleasant walk on the sides of the train tracks, there are no chances to get lost on this path that every day is traveled by many tourists. After about 3 hours of walking you will reach the town of Aguas Calientes, in low season it is not difficult to find hostels even at a good price, if it is high season (May-September) the search could be difficult.
In the evening, before going to sleep, I recommend you go and buy your ticket for thebus from the town will take you to the entrance of Machu Picchu, the cost is 11 USD and it will avoid you having to wake up before dawn to start the climb of about 1 hour, but see for yourself if you really like it walking you can also decide to walk up.
I recommend you keep an eye on your ticket, they are always more tax-free with the hours of entry based on the shift you previously chose. Once your visit to the archaeological site, if you have brought your backpack (there is a luggage deposit) then you can resume the hydroelectric route without returning from Aguas Calientes, thus saving almost 2 km. Going back on your steps, before returning to Cusco, if you still have a few days to spare , I suggest you take a break in the beautiful Cocalmayo thermal baths , located in Santa Teresa, where you can stay overnight at reasonable prices , the thermal baths are open until late, a completely deserved relaxation after this whole walk The spa stage is a bit of a Jolly that you can play even on the outward journey, you can in fact take a bath before starting the hydroelectric walk, staying overnight in Santa Teresa, not having the hurry to have to put yourself on the path in time to reach the goal still with the light.
Calculate well the days of your journey and entry to Machu Picchu. On the way back to Cusco you can stop to visit Ollantaytambo and from there start your tour with "boleto turistico" or continue to the area of Quillabamba (+ 3h) if instead you fancy some heat, waterfalls and wilder nature. Depending on how much time you have available, going to Quillabamba for a day does not make much sense given the rather long distances.
Tourist Ticket:
Another big question for travelers in the Valle Sagrado is the Boletto Turistico. Can I visit the sacred valley by myself? How does the Tourist Ticket work?
The answer is Yes, getting around the Valle Sagrado is quite simple and cheap, especially if you speak a little Spanish, you will have no trouble figuring out which transport to take to get from one town to another.
In the city of Cusco there are several terminals from which transports depart for the various countries of the valley, I recommend you go to the tourist office in the center of Cusco to give you a map and make you mark the various terminals. Every way all the taxi drivers know where they are located, and the Cusco Taxi is cheap and quite safe.
In summary - RUTA TERMINAL
Cusco -> Chinchero, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo (Calle Belempanpa)
Cusco -> Pisac, Yucay, Urubamba, Lamay, Calca (Calle Puputi n ° 208)
Cusco -> Pisac, Calca (Calle Tullumayo n ° 207)
There are 3
possible formulas for tourist tickets:
10 days to 130 Soles to have access to all the archaeological sites and museums of Cusco and Valle Sagrado
2 days for 70 Soles to visit the archaeological sites closest to the city of Cusco, Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Pucapucara, Tambomachay.
2 days for 70 Soles to visit the archaeological sites of interest in Pisaq, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero and Moray
If you do not have too much time or just want to see some archaeological sites, then I recommend the latter formula, which will give you the opportunity to visit most of the Valle Sagrado.
If until a few years ago it would have been placed among the alternative circuits, by now it has become a much sought after destination, La Montagna de colores (or Arcoiris) . To visit it I recommend an organized tour.
It is a fairly demanding trek that will occupy you all day, starting at 4 am and returning around 6.00 pm. In reality there is also an alternative route that overlooks another side of the mountain de colores and does not require large trekking but has not yet entered the tourist circuits and is not easy to reach independently.
Montagna de
colores peru:
If you like spas then you are in the right place! Peru is full of them. One of the closest to Cusco is Lares , reachable by bus from the town of Calca. Get ready, the road to reach the spa is as tortuous.
There are also the small but charming and certainly less touristy spas of Pachanta . Being in boiling water while contemplating the Ausangate glacier is certainly a unique experience. Getting there without a tour is a bit more complicated but not impossible, you have to take a bus that will take you to the town of Ocongate(taxi drivers know where the stop is) and from there take another shared car that takes you to Pachanta. Once you arrive in this small community you will have to find hospitality among the families present. They will also think about preparing food and explaining possible tours to visit the nearby lagoons, all at a modest price.
I could continue to recommend other archaeological sites and nature trails outside the tourist circuits but I don't want to complicate your journey. In Peru outside the tourist circuit, it means that even the local people know them, you can only imagine which adventure the achievement of each of these goals is connected to.
The beauty of Peru is precisely this aura of mystery that is still one with the traditions that in the rhythm of the Andinos Campesinos are the everyday. A separate journey should be made to enter into the authenticity of a living Andean Cosmology.
Not To Be
Missed In Cusco:
The Concerto de los Amaru, Pumac, Kuntur, the Eletro Folk Andino group , for more than 10 years an emblem of Sundays at Ukukus (famous club in the center). Among the smell of the holy pole, the sound of shells and tribal rhythms you will find yourself immersed in a real regenerative experience for body and soul.
Saturday at the Barattillo market , a sort of flea market where you will find anything, even authentic local craftsmanship at producer prices. The market expands in different streets of the San Tiago district (behind the famous San Pedro market).
1st Friday of each month , at dusk, on the lawn outside the temple of the Qorikancha (Av. Del Sol side), do not miss the Ofrenda ceremony at the Pachamama, led by Pututus, a group that tries to spread and defend the culture ancestral of Andean rituals, giving the possibility to anyone to take part in a real ceremony in the city center.
The Barrio de San Blas ; for me the most fascinating and interesting district of Cusco. One year living in this neighborhood and working closely with its citizens, it made me feel an integral part of this little piece of city that dominates Cusco from above. San Blas is in fact the upper district of the city, famous for its craftsmanship, recognized and not. The square of San Blas is in fact also the nerve center of the various artisan travelers who exhibit their wares on improvised banquets, giving that extra verve to the neighborhood and often accompanying their days to the sound of flute and guitar.
You can't miss the chance to drink the Chicha de Jora , a fermented corn-based beverage called the Incas beer. Today it is used during many ceremonies to thank Mother Earth (Pachamama) and to bring prosperity. In order to visit a traditional Chicheria (pronounced Cicceria), I suggest you take a tour in the upper part of the San Blas district. How to recognize a Chicheria? Almost always they are houses a little crumbling with some Andean lord urinating outside the door and endless melody of the typical Peruvian Huaynos. If there is a pole with a red bag on the outside, it means that there is still Chicca. I recommend however, being an alcoholic beverage by fermentation it might be a little too violent for the delicate stomachs of newly arrived tourists, I advise you to give yourself at least a few days of settling in the local cuisine and not to exceed with glasses. These places are really authentic and rarely frequented by tourists (whom they call "Gringos") so I recommend sobriety and adaptability if you want to immerse yourself in this anthropological experience, certainly better if you can go with some local Peruvian. Beware that here in Peru the glasses are NOT slammed for the toast, and normally before you start drinking you pour a little drink on the ground to symbolize our gratitude to Mother Earth.
A walk towards the ruins closest to the city center; after a couple of days in Cusco you will no longer have too much trouble with altitude and you will be able to take some longer walks without needing pounds of coca leaves. Virtually all the staircases that continue to rise from the San Blas district, lead towards the famous vantage point of Cristo Blanco , and from there also the archaeological site of Quenqo, Temple of the Moon, Zone X, Temple of the Mono, Balcony of the Diablo.
From the point of view of health and hygiene, Peru is not the best as it is easy to imagine, so it is important to prevent unpleasant intestinal problems that could slow down your holiday. I recommend a cycle with food supplements to increase the immune system and to strengthen the intestinal flora. In the post I wrote about natural remedies to take on your journey you will find some more detailed information.
Obviously the indications given in the post do not want to replace the medical advice, but are only generic suggestions.
Another problem that should be taken into consideration when traveling to the Andes is altitude , our body needs at least a couple of days to settle at 3,600 meters above sea level in the Inca city. The Mamitas Andines recommend drinking Infusions based on Coca leaves (which they simply call Mate di Coca) or Maca juice, the adaptogenic Andean root par excellence.
I recommend paying attention to water. Unfortunately in Peru of the many water brands on the market only San Matteo seems to be mineral water, the others are ozonized waters often processed and marketed by Coca Cola itself.
Parties and
celebrations:
In Cusco practically every day there are festivals and celebrations (religious and otherwise) which are worth taking part in. Colors, typical costumes, ancestral rituals ... more to discover and to live than to tell, another post would not be enough to mention them all.
Read also: Tips for trekking Rainbow Mountain in Peru
CuzcoFestividades is a page where you can find details of the most important celebrations of Cusco and its surroundings.
Living Peru is a unique and transforming experience, medicine for the eyes and the soul. Emotion with every breath and gratitude at every step.
Buon Viaggio at a slow and conscious pace, with the sound of wind and the smell of salt, earthy and corn-flavored.
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