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Machu Picchu Travels

Teresa and John in Quito
Teresa and John in Quito
We decided to contact Adventure Life for a tour of Machu Picchu at the suggestion of some good friends. This fabulous tour was our only ''guided'' tour in a 5 week, 4 country adventure through South America. This decision was perfect because we ended up learning so much more about the ruins, the culture and the country, than if we had walked in the front gates on our own. Read on. . .
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Cusco Arrival

Jan 31, 2013
Saqsaywaman Ruins outside Cusco
Saqsaywaman Ruins outside Cusco (Teresa Van Haalen)
We enjoyed a brief orientation at our Cusco hotel with our guide, Teddy. We'd had a long journey from Quito to Lima, and we were thankful for the mate tea, the opportunity to unwind, and to rest for a day of hiking tomorrow. Cusco is one of the most picturesque cities I have ever visited. The architecture is all colonial Spanish (frequently built on the remains of Inca rockwork), and the city is lively, with well-maintained walkways, gorgeous night lighting, and friendly locals.

Around Cusco

Feb 01, 2013
Quetchua boy with his llama
Quetchua boy with his llama (Teresa Van Haalen)
We've finally got our mountain legs and woke up yesterday to take a hike around the periphery of Cusco with our guide, Teddy Romero Mendoza. (I asked him what his given name was, and he said, ''Teddy''). The hotels and restaurants offer copious amounts of coca mate tea, and it really has helped to quell the altitude issues that came with landing at 12,000 feet. We were so lucky that on this tour, because we shared Teddy with one other very compatible couple, and we always managed to get out in front of the crowds. We toured several very significant ancient sites around Cusco, even more remarkable in some ways than the Machu Picchu. We started at the weaver's village of Chinchero where we were taught the details of cleaning the wool and alpaca fur, natural dying, and backstrap loom weaving. We purchased a gorgeous table runner, completely hand-crafted, from one of the women in the artists cooperative. The round, Incan terraces of Moray were a sight to behold. I have to say, photos don't do them justice. We also headed to the ruins at Pisac that provided us with an intricate look at the engineering of the Quechua people, including running water! Finally, Sacsayhuaman has, beyond doubt, the biggest boulders that have been moved by man alone to create the fortress and temple that protected the Incans from, other indigenous ''foreign'' invaders. We had a full day, and a great prelude to our trek to Machu Picchu. Cusco was indeed, the center of the Incan, then the Santo Dominican culture. We had a great conversation that evening with Malku, a local shaman, and got a very distinct perspective on the intersection of the Incan and western cultures. Peruvians, I believe, recognize the potential for tourist dollars from our western interest in ancient cultures, and do a decent job of elevating the mystique and sharing information about the Incans. However, in talking with Malku, an Andean native (Quechuan), I see that views of the ancients are often viewed through very European lenses. I think we are not in the ''high'' tourist season in February. Although we see plenty of westerners, we are largely out numbered by the locals. Cusco and surrounding environments is THE place to buy alpaca clothing, wall hangings and other goods. And as expensive as the shops around the central plaza can be by local standards, there's no way you could touch any of these hand woven and hand knitted items in the US for these prices. I tried to keep suitcase space in mind as we looked around, but I had to plan on purchasing another duffel. Internet service in our Cusco hotel has been spotty at best, but finally came in with a vengeance about half way through our trip, and allowed me to continue posting our experiences on the Van Haalen blog (www.vanhaalen.com)

Sacred Valley

Feb 02, 2013
Cuzco Market
Cuzco Market (Teresa Van Haalen)
Talk about a perfect day! Here we are, smack dab between the Peruvian cloud forest and the rain forest (think Amazon) up in the Sacred Valley in their summer, i.e., rainy season, and every day has been bright, if not sunny. Today was no exception and our guide, Teddy, was ecstatic! Tomorrow we reach Machu Picchu and we are very excited to see the ruins there, although I have to say, everything we have been viewing, photographing, and just breathing in, the past 2 days have been amazing.

Machu Picchu

Feb 03, 2013
Peruvian traditional weavers
Peruvian traditional weavers (Teresa Van Haalen)
We left Ollantaytambo this morning, where we had spent the night last night after our van carried us there (about 2 hours out of Cusco). We had a quaint little room with wood beam ceiling posts, and a friendly family, who helped us get settled. We listened to the rushing river outside our bedroom window as we drifted off into a deep sleep after all day of hiking ruins between Cusco and Ollantaytambo. Best night's sleep we've had since arriving in Peru. This morning, we boarded the train that runs about every 2 hours between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes, a small town at the foot of Machu Picchu. What a ride! The train runs for an hour and a half right on the banks of the River Urubamba, through cornfields and huge granite canyons. Teddy told us that river guides do not run that part of the river, and you can see why. Friends of ours hiked the Inca Trail a few years ago with a guide from Adventure Life, and they were very high on the experience. I think one would have to think carefully about their tolerance for sweat (although Teddy says the 4 of us could easily make the 4 day, 3 night trek). The train lets trekkers off about 26 miles from the ruins, and we could see the trail winding up into the mountains. Maybe another trip? Once we arrived in Aguas Calientes, we consolidated our 2 backpacks to 1 day pack (with raincoats, sunglasses, extra sweaters) and boarded a bus for a half hour of hairpin turns straight up the side of Machu Picchu. I just figured if it is our time, it's our time; I mean, 2 thousand feet straight down. As for packing for the day-sweaters and coats--NOT! It was probably 65 degrees or more, and we were hiking constantly. John got some fabulous photos, which our slow internet wouldn't let us post right away. Our companions on the trip, a great thirty-something duo from Chicago, spent the entire day hiking with us. The Incans built Machu Picchu over 3 generations back in the 1400's and it actually was never ''discovered'' by the Spanish. The demise of the 800-population culture was probably due to syphilis, brought in by their own Quechuan countrymen, probably from Central America. While the locals knew about a city in the clouds, an American by the name of Hiram Bingham brought the site to the attention of the rest of the world back in 1911. (He was actually looking for another site and was disappointed with Machu Picchu- ala, Christopher Columbus?).

Leaving Aguas Calientes

Feb 04, 2013
cook up the different yarn dye
cook up the different yarn dye (Teresa Van Haalen)
We left Aguas Calientes, the little town at the foot of Machu Picchu, on PeruRail, retracing our path along the Urubamba River back to Cusco. While it wasn't sunny, the weather was dry and warm. We left in the morning amidst a downpour that didn't look as though it would let up all day. The day prior, we had a bit of rain as well, but we were touring an orchid garden in the middle of the rainforest, so the dampness seemed apropos. People live along the tracks in this raging river gorge, and we passed small schools, cornfields, and Quechua people carrying large bundles somewhere. Peruvians are now quite proud of their Incan heritage, a distinct difference from the discrimination that I observed 40 years ago in Peace Corps. Now, the native language is taught in schools, ancient traditions are practiced by shamans and others, and certainly, the government is putting a boatload of tourist dollars into the reconstruction of the Incan ruins. However, abysmal poverty still exists, largely among the indigenous people, with the same maladies that our poor experience in the US: lack of health care, and inadequate education. Our train took a stop about a half hour into our journey to wait for the luxury rail, the Hiram Bingham, to come through. The HB comes all the way from Cusco, with white linen tablecloths, crystal glassware, chandeliers, and other amenities. It reportedly costs $500 round trip! While we were waiting, the attractive porters on our train gave us a fashion show of some very high quality alpaca clothing (SOL Alpaca) that is marketed only through Peru Rail. I resisted! We enjoyed a lovely last evening in Cusco, taking in the main square, the lights that sprinkle up the hillsides surrounding the town like a princess necklace, and of course, Peruvian ceviche! We will be relishing our photos, memories, and new found friends, for decades to come.

Around Cusco

Feb 05, 2013
View from the upper trail at Machu Picchu
View from the upper trail at Machu Picchu (Teresa Van Haalen)
We had more opportunities to explore Cusco for a couple more nights and enjoy the ceviche, quinoa and local cuisine. An excellent museum has just opened that has an incredible display of huacos (remains for Incan graves) that were removed from Peru by Hiram Bingham and taken to Yale University. The museum, Casa Concha, or Museo Machpicchu, is a stellar example of architecture in which Spanish colonials build right on top of a royal Incan residence. The building is beautifully restored, having survived 2 earthquakes. A fitting closure to an amazing trip.

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