Month: February 2019

Today we explored the long lost ruined city of the Incas “Machu Picchu”. We went up by bus from Aguas Calientes. At the top, the first thing we did was get a stamp in our passport! At 12:00 we had our admission appointment. On site, we hired an English-speaking guide who accompanied us and a Norwegian couple through the city. Machu Picchu has been built in the 15th century terraced at an altitude of 2430 m by the Incas and abandoned about 100 years later for unknown reasons. Today only a few llamas live there. The buildings are located on a ridge between the peaks “Huaya Picchu” and “Machu Picchu”. There are different tickets. Today we only visited the city. We had the best weather and a great view.

It is amazing how precisely the huge rocks were set into each other and how well the walls are still preserved. The water supply and sewage system are also still intact. Since the Incas worshipped the natural elements, or had a sun god, the temple is oriented to the sunrise on the horizon between the peaks. On a given day, the sun shines through the window at sunrise. There is also a stone on the highest point of the city complex, which can be used to determine the cardinal points. Overall, it is a fascinating, majestic, almost unreal place. After the tour we walked around on our own for a while and then started the descent about 1700 m down the stairs to Aguas Calientes. There we were still beautiful Italian food.

PS. Before the entrance to Machu Picchu one is informed that there are no toilets inside the facility. One may also not go out in between times on the toilet in front of the gate. This could certainly be regulated differently, with 2 to 4 hours of sightseeing or hiking. The entrance fee for tourists is 152 – 200 Soles pP, depending on which points or peaks you want to visit. The guide could be negotiated down to 20 USD. The bus ride costs 12,50 USD pP. one way uphill or downhill. From Cusco to Aguas Calientes again there and back (bus and train) 100 USD pP.. All in all almost as expensive as Disneyland!

Silke

Again on the train.

Reiner

Today we hiked up the hill past the San Cristobal church to the Inca ruins of Sacsayhuaman. We did not go into the site itself, also known as “Inti Huasi” (House of the Sun), as we primarily wanted to get an impression of the city of Cusco and surrounding area.

A little further along the ridge, the “Christo Blanco” watches over the city. There you have a great view. Many traditionally dressed Peruvians walk through the alleys with their alpacas and have their picture taken for a tip. Downhill we went again mostly on stairs. In the evening it started to rain. We ate comfortably in our hotel El Balcon. There was gnocchi with mushrooms and vegetable lasagna. There are many Italian restaurants here.

Silke

Today we had pasta for Silke and alpaca steak for me.

Reiner

We went by bus C to the old town of Lima, 9 km away. Extra bus road, super fast, but also very crowded. In sunny weather we looked at the “Plaza san Martin” and the “Plaza Mayor”.

On the way we passed many small market passages where you could buy all kinds of things. From sweets to washing machines. Coffee we drank at McDonalds. The barista was not so fit. We got very unique hello-wake creations of cappuccino and latte macchiato. There was about four times the amount of coffee powder in it. Maybe we looked so tired?

Silke

Last night we had another cockroach hunt in our room. Reiner caught one, a second one escaped. I was mega happy that we brought our mosquito tent. So we could sleep well in spite of everything. The hotel porter was very quick, apologized and called an exterminator right after Reiner showed him the caught bug this morning. Our room and bathroom were cleaned by afternoon. We went to do laundry in that time and found a laundromat 2 blocks away where you could do your own laundry in the washer and dryer. A luxury I didn’t have for quite some time.

Then we had a little look at our neighborhood, Miraflores. Once again, the first impression on arrival in the dark was not confirmed. Today everything was much more colorful. We met very friendly Peruvians, such as the young woman at HandyShop Claro, who patiently advised us on buying a SIM card despite our language mismatch. Or the laundromat owner, who gave us travel tips for Peru. And the Peruvian-Italian ice cream shop owner, who let us try all kinds of ice cream (including chili and ginger) in Spanish, and then spontaneously led us through the really sparkling clean ice cream factory. The streets are clean and many flowers are blooming. There is a beautiful large church that we looked at, the “Parroquia Virgen Milagrosa”. In front of it in the “Parque Kennedy” live many pretty cats that like to be petted by the walkers.

Silke