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Travels - Peru 2005
Arrival
22 July 2005
Trips done: Machu Picchu, Nazca, Cuzco, Puno, Suasi
Island
Visa: 90 days
Intro: Why to Peru? Well I don't
know exactly how I put in my mind the south American trip , but probably
as I was in Canary Islands , I was learning Spanish and I met couple of
people from Venezuela and Peru and Argentina who were very worm and nice
people so I thought to pay visit down there. So in the middle of august
I flew from Canary Islands to Madrid , Spain , without even having a
ticket to destination and I spent few days at the airport searching for
an available seat to somewhere in south America, I found one for Peru,
Lima after lot of hassles.
Hosted
by: Sylvia R.
Sylvia and her family were very kind with me. They introduced me to
other family members and many friends that helped me
out with accommodation during my local trips:
Sylvia has an uncle, a cousin or a far kin in
almost evey the city I've been visiting,
and they all treated me very well, giving me everything I needed,
suggesting me new routes and cool things to visit. But the best present
I received is being hosted on a wonderful island that her family owns...
Sylvia's mother was as well a mother for me, and her
brother Christian el bandido , was like my brother!
24/07/05 Sylvia's mother
(Dina) today offered me coca leaves
(leaves used to make cocaine) for breakfast: here you can buy them legally
at the street market and eat as a sweet or drink as a tea! Many people
use them to climb mountains faster, to not feel the cold or just as a
natural medicine or pain reliever. When you pass it on your tongue or/and on your teeth,
it anesthetize a bit your mouth. Of course the power of one leave is so far from the
synthesized drug but the effects are very similar and after eating like
10-20 leaves you could get a complete effect. By the way I'll walk on Macchu Picchu without using the magic leaves...ok let's say maybe just
one to breathe better at 3000mt of height.
Puno is a very quiet city, with very low
criminality and a very easy going lifestyle, it is located on the west
coast of the lake Titikaka, the highest located lake
in the world
(4000mts), this lake is also divided by the
imaginary boundary line of
Bolivia (actually you can get there in less than 3 hours and for less
than 5$). The most attractive thing of the lake at less than 15 minutes
by boat from the port is certainly the floating islands of
Los Uros: it
is a series 14 verytiny islands built by
the nature itself with
the accumulated straw! The population there is just composed by a few
families. They built very nice huts and boats with the straw.
I stayed with some relatives of Sylvia , they had a huge mansion on
multiple floors , and from the 4th , as the view was marvelous : the
lake was reflecting the sun rays over the city spreading amazing colors
all around.
Lima
is one of the worst city I've ever visit during all my life and
during all my trips
all around the world. It has pollution, very high criminality and the weather
sucks. It really sucks.
<< The district of San Miguel
where I was hosted. At the end of the road there are no more buildings
as you can see , because there is the sea. The beach has no sand ,
it's only a garbage dump with waves hitting on it.
>> Some neighbors of Sylvia: Sali , Magalli , Claudia , me and Ivan.
Dina (Sylvia'smother) giving me new peruvian style haircut
<<
Ok one night Sylvia convinced me to go out in a club, a disco named "Chulo" ,
well I've tried for hours but I couldn't dance their music salsa and merengue
at all ,so I got upset :)
>> At the zoo of Lima , you can see many wild animals, here in the
picture im next to the tiger.
K.JPG)
When I found out Sylvia's family was owning the
island, I was so excited that I couldn't wait to get there. This is a
unique island, a rare land, surrounded by a completely peaceful
atmosphere. The particularity of the Island is that it is located in the
middle of the lake Titikaka and you have to know that it is situated at
4000mt of height... The weather is bizzarre: the sun was literally burn
my skin and warm me up when I was under its rays ,but
once I wasstanding in the shadow
I was freezing out in a matter of seconds. The air was rarefied, and after a few
minutes walking my heart was beatinglike crazy... It is verydifficultget used to this place and live there, but once you've done, youwill
see afewspectacular things: the colors of the sunset and the most
dazzling moonyou've ever 
seen, it gives you such a strong light during
the night that you can even see your shadow!!!! Believe me, it is one of
the most singular place on the earth! If you want to
know more, visit its
official website: www.islasuasi.com
The coolest thing I have done in Nazca was to
climb the highest dune of southamerica : "el cerro blanco" (2500mts) and
go down with the sandboard...it was amazing. The Nazca culture can be
located around 200 a.c. counts inside it various mysteries: two of them
are the aqueduct and the lines: the aqueduct was built with a special
technique: you have to know in that area there is a special energy
during the days of full moon (if you try to cut your hair for example,
they will grow up a bit!!). The technique consist in using those special
powers in order to inset and cut the stones easily. It was used to bring
the water in the desert and conserve it fresh and clear, and was even
used for to hide themselves from the enemy (apparently
they were a peaceful
population). The mystery of the lines is a bit more complex: many
archeologist studied those giant lines representing figures that the Nazcas
were drawing/digging on the desert: how did they make it if they
couldn't fly over it, to see
how their worklooked
like? (the technology of those time as we knowshouldn't
have permit them to do it! ? or maybe not?)?
how did they make such a precise work (you can see many straight lines)?
And above all, why did they make such a huge
work? Of course there is a scientific answer to all of these questions;
when I was there I saw a video that was answering
most of those questions but still a lot of inhabitants of the place
still believe they were using a
superior technology
(alien or so) or
such things...
<< [In the picture which was took from a viewpoint (a ladder in the
middle of the desert) , even if in poor quality as it's a scan,
you can see some of those mysterious lines]
<< In this picture you can see me in the middle of a deserted road
processing the gold...
Some friends in Nazca
Cuzco
(that in Quechua language means "navel of the world") is a small town
situated at 3.300mt of height.
It
is the centre of the Inca's culture and in the past it was the capital
of the Inca's emperor. The legend says that during the XII century Manco
Capac and Mama Ocillo, sent by Dios Sol (the god of the sun) came out
from the lake Titikaka and pointing a stick , he
indicated the crowd
where to fund the Inca's empire. When I first
got to the city centre I had
the impression that I was in the most touristic place of Peru:
in fact this spot is a most beaten track for visitors
from all around the world and during all the year
round. Visiting the Inca's ruins. Peru is a very poor
country and I think that one its main incomes
is derived from
Cuzco and Machu Picchu tourism. Cuzco is the city where you have to sleep
at least one night before visiting Macchu Picchu. There are two ways to
get to Machu Picchu: one by train, in which you can visit the ruins in
one day, and one with the path used by theancient Incas that it
actually takes 4 days of walking. Thebiggest problem is the following: the cost of the trip: a real theft if you think that to get there by
train you have to spend minimum 60$ for the train and 30$ to enter the Machu
Picchu ruins; if you choose the Inca's path they will force you to
rent a guide and a place where to sleep, charging you more than 250$.I
just think that the culture and the acknowledge of
the history should be free...Anyway after choosing ofcourse the cheapest way and getting off
the train IreachedAguasCaliente, a townwith less than 1.000
inhabitants: there are no cars and
asphalted roads. From this town (2.000mt ) you
haveto walk for like1 hour at 2.500mt to finally find the famous ruins. Afterpassing a
lot of controls and guards, and you finally get inside: you
feel like being catapulted back in time, in the Incas time, the mostsurprising thing is when you wonder how the Incas could have been sointelligent and
smart to use an architecture that was thousands of years ahead for that
time: for example the stones are perfectly cut, the garden and the
houses are perfectly organized and there is even a solar watch, just
incredible for that time!!! I felt I wanted to spend the night there,
the atmosphere was kind of magic... I'veheard that actually they're
voting for Macchu Picchu to be the 8th marvel of the world...
<< Me and the
Inca's god Atahualpa
>> The small town Aguas Calientes situated on the basement of Macchu
Picchu mountains
<< The 12 angles stone , another important enigma of the Inca's culture
you can find in Cuzco city.
>> Me and some Italian and Colombian guys I met on the top of Machu
Picchu
<< Coricancha temple in Cuzco town!
>> The temple of Ssacsayhuman up the hills in Cuzco
<<
Sylvia's uncle Lucio , kindly offered us accommodation , good food and
support. Thanks a lot tio!
>> View of Cuzco city
<<
Plaza de armas in Cuzco
>> Me and old lady with traditional costume