Peru: In Search of the Inca

Why Peru?

At some stage or the other in your childhood, you have probably read about El Dorado- the city of Gold, the Inca empire pitched in the lofty Andes mountains. Numerous fictions have been spun around this Latin American empire – Tintin and the Prisoners of the Sun is a classic example. To be a part of this unique history-rich Andean landscape is any traveler’s dream. Mine was fulfilled in July 2019. This though is a solo travel centered primarily on a 4 day strenuous hike to Machu Pichu – the crown jewel of Peru.

Resting the tired foot

 Day 1

There was an element of sadness with the beginning of this trip as I had to say bye to my family for a week. Compounding the effect was an early morning flight and a wasted day in transit in LA. Luggage checked inLA,  I went to the Manhattan beach and roamed around a bit. My friend Sandeep arrived in the evening and at last we boarded the night LATAM flight to Lima. 

We reached Lima early in the morning. From the windows, I could see the city on the shores of the Pacific. After the immigration formalities, it was brunch time. We stopped by at the Tanta restaurant at Lima airport. Soon enough, I realized why all my friends were so gaga about Peruvian cuisine. I had couple varieties of empanadas and the ones with lomo saltado (potato and beef stir fried) were the pick ofthe lot. Having gulped it with some chirimoya (tropical fruit) juice, I was ready for our domestic flight to Cusco. 

It was a short flight (~1 hour). We were collected by the taxi driver our Airbnb host Maria had sent (~20 soles). A funny thing in Cusco airport is they have a stash of coca leaves and you are free to pick up and chew. The only request: limit yourself to one. Our Airbnb was at Arcopata, 5 minutes away from the epicenter of the city, Plaza de Aramas.

Cusco: where modern meets traditional 

After some much needed rest, we went to the Plaza. The cobbled bylanes and the quaint, old houses on both sides had a feel of the colonial era. And if you are attentive, you can probably see a colorfully dressed Quecha woman walk by with her llama lost in her phone. A confluence of modernity and heritage- that’s Cusco! Cusco was the capital of the Inca empire from 13th-16th century. The Plaza at the center has the Basílica de la Merced and Iglesia De La Compañia De Jesús cathedrals. I was lucky to see a marriage in progress in the former later in the evening. Both structires are exquisite in their ornate decoration and colonial architecture. 

Dusk was slowly descending and we were soon swarmed by ladies selling small mementos. Making our first purchases (a doll for my princess-obsessed girl and a llama for my animal-crazy boy), we happily strolled off to the Morena restaurant and had a gala feast with Papa rellena de carne, anticuchos pork, mango juice, aji de gallina, desert sampler. Peru always feels doubly good after Peruvian cuisine. It was time for rest. Next day was waiting.

Cathedral of Cusco: Where Life Bustles

 

Day 2

We booked a taxi for the day.  After breakfast with bread, we boarded the taxi to Sacsayhuaman. This old citadel north of Cusco is a UNESCO world heritage site famous for its rock walls built without mortar. In Inca terms, the capital Cusco represented a mountain lion with the head being the fortress. To this day, Inca celebration of sun god Initi happens here on winter solstice. And here I could see a lot of grazing alpacas- no doubt we were in Peru. 

Stairway to the Andean heaven: Pisac

Our next venue was Pisac. We went straight to the ruins. This was where we first ran into the stepped terraces in the hillside used by the Incas for crop cultivation. There was a small hike to the top (at this altitude, even a little hike may exhaust you) (~30-45min). The scenery below is breathtaking: the rugged naked hills with the stream meandering through the valley. There are temples, citadels and bath at the top of the mountain in this wonderfully crafted Incan city. The climb offers extremely rewarding views of the countryside with the ruins. On your way back, Pisac market is a must stop for having a peek at local arts, the Quecha way of life and of course to stuff yourselves with the mementos. You have to gain your bargaining salvation though. Be prepared. 

The central solitude and gravitating world around: Moray

Our last stop was the Incan ruins of Moray. Along the road we stopped for lunch. I tasted llama meat  based dish-seemed very much like lamb. We reached Moray in the afternoon through some rocky roads. Here the stepped concentric circles grew larger (probably a site of agricultural experimentation by the Incas). The place had a deserted feel. Solitude coupled with the architectural marvels of eras long bygone opening up to the snow caped mountain peaks was a fitting end to our days’ travel. 

We came back in time to Alpaca Travels office in Cusco to meet our guides for our hike: Jose and Torro. After some light dinner we were in bed early.

 

Day 3

We were picked up from Arcopata at around 5 a.m. in the morning. We managed to lock ourselves up before that though but got out just in time for our bus. We left our luggage at the bus and peacefully slept for next 2 hours barring a restroom break. Then, we were assembled in front of a huge breakfast spread of bread, scrambled eggs and an unearthly assortment of fruits (chirimoya, passion fruit fruit, papaya, what not!!). 

Camino Inka: Let the hike begin

After a passport check, we were into Camino Inka (Way of the Incas) at the 82km post. The way here is by the sides of Rio Urubamba occasionally going through villages. Just when it was turning pretty hot after 4 hours of hike, we were interrupted by a timely lunch. With hibiscus drink to lift our spirits and aromatic pumpkin and celery soup, and an awesome fish dish to take our tiredness away, we were ready to travel the remaining 2 hours. 

The beautiful path overseen by Mt Veronica 

And at dusk, we were settled into our pre-constructed campsites at Ayapata after 14km of hiking. There was popcorn with tea/coffee and after a fun introduction of the porters the sumptuous dinner was served with potato croquette, corn ceviche and  lomo saltado. The Andean sky with its magnificent display of the Milky Way was mesmerizing and we stayed outside our tents to observe it. It was cold but not overly so. Inside the cosy tents, sleep followed quickly.

Day 4

The next day (it was still pitch dark at 4 a.m.) we received the early wake-up call of “coca tea”. Washing our face, taking an early bathroom break and gulping down some quick breakfast from  fruits, eggs and bread. We set off by 5 a.m. as we had to cross the highest point by 12 a.m. I had filled the water pouch of my bag. Being a novice, I had not tested that I had sealed it completely and it started leaking. So, I took a break to recompose and wrap my camera in plastic inside my bag.  

We kept climbing where we crisscrossed a stream several times. Then the ascent become steeper. Finally at 11a.m, we reached Dead woman’s pass( 13800ft – the highest point of the trail). We took some much needed rest and admired the winding path through the Andean heights. Torro stayed back with us. 

Then the steep descent of 2000ft started. It was painstaking for the knees and the sticks were a boon to have at this point. The vegetation soon changed to shrubs with hummingbirds showing up frequently. Then we reached the lunch tent site where we had a grand feast of fried rice, stuffed potato and others. Did you know Peru had 3800 varieties of potatoes- I did not for sure!! 

Runkuracay: Would you not want to relive the Inca times here?

The Incan ruins of Runkaracay were on the way. This post, was built such that the trail was visible from quite up to a long distance - to keep an eye on enemy advance and for a relay method of transmission. The ascent continued for 2 hours to 13,000 ft. Barely had I reached there, when we witnessed partial solar eclipse. 

Again a downhill followed but now the stream through it was now bigger, the jungle also more intense, hinting to tropical features ahead and the sun more merciful. Drudging our tired legs through the Inca ruins of Sayacmarca (a temple for appeasing the Sun God) we finally made it to our tent site of Chociquocha (~12000ft) post 6. It was already dark. Tired from the 12 hours of hike, our legs were eager for some well-deserved rest. So we quickly went in to the tent with the promise of a relaxed day following suit.

 

Day 5

The next morning,  we started on the 7 km trail for the day. Waking up we were greeted by the snow clad Puma range. After a short hike, the guide stopped us enroute and made us look back. We saw the sun’s first rays in the valley dazzle the Sayacmarca site like a diamond. The significance of the sun worship at this site was very clear now. All along the path, Mt. Salkantay (the highest peak in the region and 15^th highest in Peru) accompanied us for a large part of the journey. 

The sun spectacle at Sayacmarca

By lunch, we were on to our camping spot of Wayanawasi. This was yet again an interesting Inca ruin which consisted of a flurry of steps on the mountains where they practiced step cultivation. On the archway, we discovered a swallow nest with eggs!! Alpacas lazily strolled around and Rio Urubamba meandered through the Andean valleys. I could see the dense tropical vegetation all around and a waterfall nearby. It was a place to rest like none and I lay down on the grass staring at the cloudy sky- I was living a dream.

That night, I remember we had a birthday cake cooked up by the chefs for one of the team members. Food as usual was abundant. We had to go to bed by 7 p.m.

 

Day 6

On the D day we woke up from sleep at 2 a.m. in the night to the chants of coca tea. Getting ready quickly, we assembled before the gateway to the last stretch of the hike where we received packed lunch. Munching the breakfast we  waited in the dark for the gates to open. The gates finally open at 4 a.m. Soon geared in headlamps we were speeding through the last parts of the hike. It was mostly flat apart from the notorious flight of stairs at the end jokingly called the gringo killer. 

The crown jewel of Peru: Machu Picchu

After 3 hours of rigorous walking, we reached the sun gate or Inti Punku as the Incas called it. And there right below us, veiled in the clouds of Rio Urubamba stood the 15^th century citadel of the Incas- Machu Pichu.  And then as the sun’s rays lit up Machu Picchu, the cloud cover lifted. We could now see the extensive stone huts and the trademark steps indicating step cultivation. The worshippers of the sun had effectively hid their prized city from human civilization for centuries until Hiram Bingham accidentally chanced upon the elusive citadel. And now I was a part of that history as well. 

The "I did it" pose!!

After the mandatory tourist photo sessions, we entered via the main gate and followed the one way path through Machu Picchu. The stone wall architectures lay on two sides of the path. The water drains accompanied the cobbled streets and stairs. We looked at the iconic Temple of the Sun with its semi-circular arch  from the outside (visitors are not allowed inside). The residential areas were divided into simple houses, that of the royalty over the slope. The other notable feature was the Intihuatana stone with the mark of the jaguar, condor etc. believed to be designed as an astronomic rock.  A citadel of this magnitude fading into oblivion at the face of the gold-hungry Spanish conquistadors and only resurfacing centuries later only adds to its mysterious appeal. 

Of terraces and thatched roofs

After spending 2 hours, it was time for a steep hike up Huaynapicchu.  The stairs here are to die for (I literally mean it with all pun intended). The narrowest and steepest flight of stairs I  have seen in my life with two sided traffic makes it very risky and challenging. However from the top one has an Eagle’s eye view of Machu Picchu which makes all the effort and risk worthwhile. At this point, my cellular network connected and I called my parents and family after 4 long days. As a bonus, I could show them the gorgeous background of Machu Picchu.

Bird's eye view of Machu Picchu from Huayanapicchu

Completing the hike in 1.5 hrs, dog tired we descended by bus to Aguas Calientes. Here we had a sumptuous lunch at restaurant Inca Wasi. Waving goodbye to our guides, we boarded the train after lunch. We were dropped at our Airbnb location by our seamless Alpaca tour operators. With our sore bodies barely dragging on, we surely understood the significance of spas and massage parlors in the main plaza. After some last night shopping at the Mercado near plaza de Aramas (this we felt was the cheapest and best), we had late dinner with guinea pig meat at Alpa Nina. A small boy with his alpaca key chains dropped in here and I remember both of us buying some keychains to put a smile on his face at the days end.

 

Day 7

We were supposed to fly back to Lima early on but we delayed the flight as we realized  we had barely scratched the surface of Cusco (Viva air charged us $60 for this). On that morning, we went to Museo de Inka. With a ticket of 10 soles, the museum offers pre-Incan to Incan artifacts in a quaint palatial setting. The artifacts of interest included some potteries and ceramics. Also there was a segment dedicated to Inca mummies and skulls. After about 45 min here, we headed over to Qorikancha. 

Qorikancha: Now Convent of Santo Domingo

This complex constructed by emperor Pachakuti, contained the temple of the sun. The walls used to be wrapped in sheets of gold until the Spanish collected the Inca gold from here. So, very little of the original construction remains. The Convent of Santo Domingo stands on the site where the Incan empire used to be ruled from. After the history laden walks, we dropped in to restaurant Ama  lur and I had a hearty soup with corn and chicken (caldo de pollo) for brunch. Now it was time to finally bid adieu to the Incan city of Cuzco. 

Food in Peru is ambrosia:
This shot is from Morena in Cusco

After an uneventful flight and an Uber ride later, we were in the sea shore posh locality of Miraflores in Lima. Lima was synonymous to ambrosia for us and without wasting time we found out a good spot for ceviche and pisca sour- the Costa Azul restaurant- the combination of white fish, prawns, capers and vegetables with the tangy lemon was just mind blowing. So much so, we came back here the night after as well.

 

Day 8

 

After a good night’s sleep, I went for a morning park walk by the sea. I walked from the Itzhak Robin park to the  acclaimed sculpture of El Beso, the kissing couple by the sea(~1.3km each way). It gave me a good city vibe but more importantly the right appetite for our next adventure- Lima food tour.  

We joined our guide Franco in the Baranco locality where he took us to a coffee shop first. Whilesipping coffee, we got to know each other. It was a quaint, old setting near the Santisima church.Then we strolled along with Franco to Isolina restaurant for lunch. This creole restaurant features in the top 50 restaurants of South America. We had some mouth-watering, generous portions oflomo saltado and Chinese fried rice accompanied by pisca sour. There after a longer stroll through the graffiti painted localities of Baranco took us to pub by the sea where we tasted some uniquely crafted beer. 

The walk by the sea, Miraflores, Lima

The graffiti laden quaint Baranco is a gastronomic hub

 

Next in line was the crown jewel of Peruvian food - ceviche, a unique fusion of Inca staple of white fish salad and Spanish addition of the tart lemon. We went to a local market to try the ceviche as the locals do and needless to say it was fabulous. The icing on the cake was the gelato with tropical fruit based flavors.

Day 9

I reminisced the whirlwind trip that was Peru, while working my way through anticuchos tradicion (beef hearts) at Tanta in the Lima lounge. After all, in this very lounge our journey had started. Now was the time to unravel the stories to my two young ones and my wife back in Portland. So, unlike the ending in other trips, the return was something sweet too. Adios Peru.

A way to a man's heart is through his tastebuds: golden!!