2011.7.760% of Peru lies in the Amazon. Our next destination is Puerto Maldonado, a city located at the confluence of the Tambopata River and Madre de Dios River, which is a major tributary to the Amazon River. To see the real Amazon River, one has to go to Iquitos, several hours of flight from Lima. Puerto Maldonado is much more accessible from Cusco. It is only half an hour flight away. Shortly after taking off, the grand Andes gave its way to the endless green expanse. The border between the two areas was quite distinctive viewed from the plane. As we were close to Puerto Maldonado, the plane flew along Madre de Dios River, which was like a brown belt winding through the plain.

Andes Mountain Range close to Cusco

Amazon Basin and Madre de Dios River

Elevation drops dramatically from Cusco at 11000 ft to Puerto Maldonado at 600 ft. The temperature was 90F. We arranged our tour with Inotawa Expedition that was recommended by a review I read online. In hindsight, I feel it is a tour company in the right size for us – they are big enough to have decent facilities, but not too big so we still have the feeling of experiencing something authentic. We were picked up at the airport together with a Swedish lady and three girls from South Africa. After briefly stopped at the office, also the owner’s house, 5 minutes from the airport for logistics, we took 20-minutes bumpy drive to a small port of the Tambopata River. From here, we took the boat for two hours to the lodge.

Puerto Maldonado Airport

Inotawa Expedition\'s Office

Port of the Tambopata River

The Store at the Port of the Tambopata River

The Tambopata River flows 250 miles from the Andes into Madre de Dios River. At this section, it is wide, quite and slow. It is one of the most bio-diversified region in the world.

Tambopata River

Butterflies and Turtles

Rainforest along the Tambopata River

Stairs Lead to Lodges or Locals\' House at the River Bank

After the boat was docked, we climbed up some wooden stairs. A hike on a shaded trail for 5 minutes led us to the Inotawa Lodge. The lodge is built in the middle of the forest. In the front is a lobby-like open patio with several chairs and hammocks; after that is an array of shared rooms used to accommodate tour groups; then the corridor splits, one leads to the dining area and kitchen, the other leads to a garden and second living area that has several cabins including the one that we would live in.

The Front Patio of Inotawa Lodge

Our Cabin at Inotawa Lodge

Inotawa Lodge is an “eco lodge”. It has no fence and totally opens to the forest. We sometimes heard strange footsteps at night near our cabin. The bats and bees can get into the cabin from the open space between the screens and the roof. The room has no electricity and water is conducted from the water tank to each room through pipes, both made by bamboo. All of these made the experience more like an expedition than a vacation. It is what we came here for! The service was very good and they made delicious food too. We ate with our guide and other guests at the common dinning area every time when we were at the lodge.

Plants in Inotawa Lodge

Banana Flower in Inotawa Lodge

The Lodge Uses Bananas to Attract Monkeys

There are several trails around Inotawa Lodge. After night fell, we had a walk in the jungle with our guide. We saw a lot of ants and spiders, in different size and color. The most exotic one was two huge tarantulas hiding in their nest in the ground. Other bugs we encountered including a centipede and a stick-insect, nothing dangerous or too surprising, but it’s an interesting experience.

Spider

Stick-bug

Without lights and Internet, People in the jungle sleep early at night. The alleys in the lodge were marked by oil lamps made by cola bottles. The staff put them out at 9pm. I had a chance to take some shots of the southern hemisphere sky.

Star Shot of the Southern Hemisphere Sky

Star Trail of the Southern Hemisphere Sky

2011.7.6After Spanish conquered Inca empire, they stopped at Ollantaytambo without pursuing further deep into the Urubamba Valley. Machu Picchu survived the destruction from the Spanish, but it was also abandoned by Incas and left to nature to reclaim. Machu Picchu became a lost city and only existed in legends for hundreds of years. When Hiram Bingham reached Machu Picchu in 1911, although submerged by centuries of growth, the massive ruin was still well preserved. With the dominating Huayna Picchu forming the backdrop, the spectacular view of the ruin not only makes Machu Picchu one of the most recognizable landmark of South America but also ensured it a position of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

The train arrived at Aguas Calientes, a small town at the foot of Machu Picchu, at around 9pm. We met the person sent by the hotel at the train station and walked 5 minutes to the hotel. The hotel is so close to the train station that I could see our train leaving from the window. The hotel is called Machu Picchu Green Nature. The facility is at its very basic, but it’s tidy and clean enough. We would only stay there for a few hours.

Machu Picchu Green Nature Hotel

To protect Machu Picchu’s cultural and natural environment, in 2005, Peru government set the maximum number of daily visitors at 2,500. This limit is not known to many people. In the last week of July this year, this limit was reached and visitors were turned away. What is more well-known is only 400 people are allowed to climb Huayna Picchu every day. The direct result of this regulation is that anyone who wants to stand on the top of the Young Peak, what Huayna Picchu means literally, has to get up very early to line up at the entrance of the citadel to get the permission.

Buses run every 10 minutes starting from 5:30am to take people to Machu Picchu. It’s the beginning of July, Machu Picchu’s peak season. We have learned that if we really wanted to be one of the first 400, we’d better be at the bus station before 4am. This made us struggled. We didn’t set an alarm, but at 3am I just woke up. I figured that I’d rather getting up to do it than lying on the bed to think about it, so I decided to go by myself and meet my wife later at the citadel. It was dark at the lobby, but the hotel had someone waiting there to open the door for those who were crazy enough like me. The nicest thing was, breakfast was prepared. I had several pieces of ham and fruits and took one banana with me. It’s 4am when I get to the bus station. It’s a queue there!

People waiting for bus to Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes

I was standing at the end and couldn’t see how long the queue was. Young people in groups passing us by from time to time – instead of taking bus, you can also walk the trail to Machu Picchu. The family who toured Sacred Valley with us the earlier day had warned us that “the trail is steep and no fun”, but I couldn’t stop thinking the possibility that the quota could be all used up by hikers, because I did see at least 30 people passing by in 5 minutes and the bus wouldn’t start in an hour. At last my anxiety took control so I left the queue and joined the hikers. We walked in the valley under stars for about 20 minutes, to my surprise, I saw another queue. The trail starts after crossing a bridge. The gate won’t open until 4:45am.

Queue at the entrance to hike to Macchu Picchu

Everyone was excited when the gate was opened. People hailed and run through the bridge, but this cheer soon faded. All left were the sound of heavy breathing. Machu Picchu is at only 400m above Aguas Calientes, but the trail zigzagged almost directly up to the hill. The stairs seemed endless, and because it’s still dark you could see nothing except the persons in front of you. The worst of all, you don’t want to take to much rest because everyone passing you by could potentially pushing you out of 400-person quota. This is for sure one of the most demanding hikes I’ve ever made, (I am not a person who hikes often), I sware more than once that I would never do this again. At last, at the time when I had to stop every 5 minutes, I saw the light of the sky.

It’s about 5:50am. The queue was already quite long. They were earlier than me for three possible reasons, they hiked faster than me; they took the first one or two buses leaving the station; or they lived in Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge Hotel for $900+ per night. The hotel is only steps away from the entrance of Machu Picchu. It charges the premium not because of its facilities but for its optimal location. Even at this price, the rooms are always fully booked well ahead. Machu Picchu opens at 6am. I got my ticket stamped as No. 260. (There is a different line if you don’t plan to climb Huayna Picchu.)

Lines at the Entrance of Macchu Picchu

Machu Picchu Ticket

I didn’t realize that I had to climb to the top of the terraces, the Hut, in order to get the classic postcard shot, instead, I settled at the middle. Finally, I saw Machu Picchu with my own eyes. It’s just like in the pictures – perfect! It’s not dark anymore, but the sun won’t break out from behind of the mountains until 7:20am. The best part of being early is you can enjoy the serenity of Machu Picchu devoid of the tour groups – they usually come after 10am. There were only a couple of hundred people in the site and they soon scattered into the ruin, some of them already started climbing Huayna Picchu as the first batch at 7am. After another 10 minutes or so, the sunshine gradually illuminated the tip of Huayna Picchu, Temple of the Sun and the bottom of the ruin. It is a soul-purifying experience.

Machu Picchu at Sunrise

The Sun has illuminated the whole area at 7:45am

The Terraces and the Hut

My wife and I reunited at 8am. We had two hours to walk around Machu Picchu.

The Temple of the Sun and surrounding mountains

Intihuatana

Sacred Rock

Snow Peaks

When you get the ticket stamped you can choose when to start climbing Huayna Picchu, either at 7am or 10am. The reason I chose 10am was that early morning is the best time to see the ruin before crowds come. At 10am, I came to the trail head at the back of Machu Picchu. I have about two third bottle of water with me.

People waited at the trail head. You are asked to sign your name in before climbing.

Huayna Picchu Trail Head

The trail goes downward first. Huayna Picchu is also called Wayna Picchu. The smaller peak can also be climbed. I almost took the wrong trail at the fork.

Trail Forks before Ascending

Huayna Picchu is about 1100 ft (360m) higher than Machu Picchu. From here, it is all upwards.

Huayna Picchu

The trail contains a lot of switchback. Most part was in the shade. Handrails are provided at steeper sections. It is not dangerous at all. I got tired soon because of the agonizing morning hike, but this time I could take as much rest as I wanted.

Huayna Picchu Trail

The very top of the peak is made by several boulders. There is a small opening in the middle so you can get to the summit.

Small Opening to the Pinnacle of Huayna Picchu

The summit is just a few rocks, but for every square foot, there was someone standing there. You need to be very careful not to lose your feet when moving on these rocks. I believe it was a guide who stood in the center to coordinate visitors and sometimes took pictures for you.

Huayna Picchu Peak

The view was breathtaking, especially the mountains that drop vertically to the Urubamba River and the holistic view of Machu Picchu. The zigzag road is the bus route. The green-roofed construction at the road end is the Sanctuary Lodge. You can see a small trail between the bus route and the ruin. It might be the trail we hiked this morning.

Peaks that Drop to Urubamba River

Overlook Machu Picchu

The most difficult part were all at the beginning of the returning trail. It started with a steep slope that required some hands-feet crawling …

A Steep Slope that Requires Hands-Feet Crawling.

… followed by a flight of dangerous-looking steps …

Another Steep Stairs

… and another very narrow and steep stairs. Hold on tight to one side of the cliff and walk sideways.

Steep Stair close to Peak of Huayna Picchu

After that, the steps merged back to the trail where I came from. Ascending took me a little more than 1 hour and it took me about same amount of time walking down. Overall, it was not a demanding trail, if I had taken the bus in the morning, climbing Huayna Picchu itself wouldn’t be very challenging; but now, when I signed out at the trail head, my legs were shaking. Walking on the flat land had never made me felt better.

Resting after Climbing Huayna Picchu

My wife had been waiting for me at the Caretaker’s Hut. We took some rest and we left Machu Picchu. Sanctuary Lodge Hotel has the buffet lunch. At that time, no matter how much they charged, I would eat there – what I need the most was water. The buffet’s quality was good, the price was reason in American standard.

We took 3:20pm train to leave Aguas Calientes. What we took this time was the Vistadome train. Unlike what people in TripAdvisor said, the it didn’t have more window that the Expedition train we took the day before. It did offer a light dinner and run a fashion show – the crews wearing locally-made clothes and walking through the aisle. Sitting facing to us was an old American couple. The husband is a professor of Duke University. Very well traveled all over the world, they are very good talkers too. We not only shared a lot of travel experiences, but also found out many common traits in travel planning and preferences during the trip. We spent a nice four-hour and when we disembarked the train it’s already dark.

Machu Picchu to Cusco, Vistadome train

Machu Picchu to Cusco, Vistadome train

Dinner on the Vistadome train

Poroy station is quite far from Cusco city. Once we checked into the hotel, we came out to find food to eat. I must say I earned some credit after picking Chicha the earlier night, so we went to try the restaurant that is rated No. 1 in TripAdvisor, Marcelo Batata. It was a total disappointment. It might be a fun place for groups, but the food was …, what can I say, Peruvianized American food. (I’d rather eat Americanized Peruvian dishes.)

Marcelo Batata

Marcelo Batata

2011.7.5Sacred Valley is a valley along the Urubamba River close to Cusco. It is generally considered to include the area between Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Its mild climate and fertile soil made it the key settlement area, the heartland, of Incas. Through the valley, Incas could access to the Amazon plains and trade agricultural products with jungle tribes. At the time when Spanish invaded the Empire, Incas retreated to the valley for protection.

Many tour companies at Cusco provide Sacred Valley one-day tour to stop at several Inca ruins and markets. We booked the group tour through Llama Path for $20 per person. At 8am, We were picked up in their office next to Plaza de Armas. Before we set off, several people in our minivan joined the Spanish speaking tour in a large tour bus, what left were just two of us plus another American family of 3 persons. It’s almost like a private tour for us.

Out of the Cusco city and passed several rural villages, our first stop was a small market. We bought a Peruvian hat and a pair of gloves. It turned out to be quite useful the next day while I was waiting for the sunrise at Machu Picchu.

Village in Sacred Valley

A woman weaving a blanket, Sacred Valley

Students practicing dancing, Sacred Valley

Students running to school, Sacred Valley

Before going to the tour, I had been thinking Sacred Valley as a place that you have to go but nothing exciting, however, when I saw the valley with my own eyes, I was truly impressed by the beautiful and majestic landscapes.

Overlook the entrance of Urubamba Valley

Písac is the first major ruin we visited during the tour. Renowned for its large scale terraces, Písac is commonly believed to be the southern gate of Sacred Valley; thousands of mummies have been found on the cliffs at the back of the ruin; and houses on top of the hill were used for rituals and storing crops – at the Inca time, Písac served at least agricultural, religious and military purposes.

Terraces looked from afar, Písac

Písac Panorama

Inca Písac Ruin

Caves where mummies were stored

Inca Písac Ruin

Terraces in Písac Ruin

The market in Písac village is another tourist attraction. Besides clothes, what is more interesting are the farmer’s market and art stands.

Písac village

Andean Crafts, Písac Market

Art Stands, Písac Market

Pigments, Písac Market

Maize, Písac Market

Weird and Not-so-weird Fruits

Peruvian Women at Písac Market

We stopped at a roadside restaurant, named Jacaranda, for lunch near Calca. The buffet was delicious for 20 sol per person and the garden was decent too.

Restaurant Jacaranda near Calca

Restaurant Jacaranda near Calca

As we went along the Urubamba River, the elevation kept decreasing. For about another hour, we arrived at Ollantaytambo, which is 2,000 feet (600m) lower than Cusco.

Snow Peak, Sacred Valley

Ollantaytambo was built in 15th century by Inca emperor Pachacuti, who is considered as the most powerful Inca. Under his reign, the Empire’s territory was greatly expanded, several major sites, including Cusco, Sacsayhuamán and Ollantaytambo, were constructed and rebuilt. Ollantaytambo was not only a palace for Inca nobility, but also a fortress that protected the northern entrance of Sacred Valley. After Spanish took over Cusco, Ollantaytambo became the temporary capital of Inca resistance.

Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo

Wall of the Six Monoliths, Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo

Incas developed extensive network of roads to connect the empire. The most famous one, Inca Trail, starts from Ollantaytambo. It takes 3 day and 4 nights hike to reach the lost city, Machu Picchu. Hiking the Inca Trail is considered to be one of the life-time achievements. As more tour companies offer the guide service, it is doable today for most of people. Our plan was to take Perurail’s train from here to Machu Picchu in 2 hours, so we had to skip the rest of Sacred Valley tour. Our train was at 7pm and now it was only 4pm. We started wandering around Ollantaytambo’s plaza and market.

Ollantaytambo Plaza

It’s getting cold quickly when the Sun is getting low. We sit in a restaurant called Panaka Grill at the corner of the plaza and spent more than 2 hours there. Its ambiance is way better than other places but the food was too Americanized. Too much cheese on the Pizza.

Panaka Grill Restaurant, Ollantaytambo

Panaka Grill Restaurant, Ollantaytambo

It only took 15 minutes to walked to the train station. There were many people waiting at the gate already. We took the Expedition (Backpacker) Train, which is the cheapest option, to Machu Picchu. It was in fact very clean and comfortable. Water and snacks were also provided. I noticed Perurail let the local passengers in first to take other carriages. I guess it would be less nice but much cheaper.

Train Station, Ollantaytambo

2011.7.4Cusco is located at Andes mountain range at southern Peru. It was the capital city of ancient Inca Empire. Inca arose in the early 13th century. Within two hundred years, it had expanded its territory to the major portion of western South America and become the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. It is believed when Cusco was built in the 15th century, the city was planned in the shape of a puma. After Francisco Pizarro conquered Inca Empire in the 16th century, The Spanish destroyed most of Inca buildings and temples, replaced them with Catholic churches and buildings in Hispanic style.

We arrived at Cusco at morning from Lima. Maybe because we took the high altitude pills the previous day, we felt little about Cusco’s 11,200 ft (3,400 m) elevation. It was the only day we planned in Cusco, so we started walking around the city once we settled at El Dorado San Augustin Hotel.

El Dorado San Augustin Hotel, Cusco

Cusco today is a tourist hub, visitors come here to visit Inca Heartland, such as the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, or route to Lake Titicaca and Amazon Jungles. Cusco is a lively city. Plaza de Armas are always filled with travelers and local people. Countless shops, restaurants, hostels and travel agents at the city center serve 1.5 million visitors every year. The churches and stone arches around the plaza are reflections of Spanish influence. Their graceful shapes, elaborate facade, colorful wooden balconies and red-tiled roof make Cusco a very picturesque city. The only complaint we have is its air pollution from old cars during the peak hour.

Plaza de Armas, Cusco

Wooden Balconies on Plaza de Armas, Cusco

An Alley in Cusco

Women in Traditional Costumes

Iglesia de la Compañía in Plaza de Armas, Cusco

After having a quick lunch of pizza, we hailed a taxi to take us to Sacsayhuamán. Can be easily mispronounced as “sexy woman”, Sacsayhuamán is neither sexy nor feminine – it is an military fortress of Cusco city at Inca time. When designing Cusco in the shape of a puma, the Incas imagined Sacsayhuamán as the head and its walls in a zigzag fashion as the beast’s teeth, while the city was the body of the animal. The rampart has three-level foundations constructed by meticulously placed stone blocks, some weigh as much as 350 tonnes. From bottom to top, these three levels are identified by three sacred animals, snake, puma and condor. After the Spanish captured Cusco, many walls including three towers on top of the fortress were destroyed. Sacsayhuamán was used as a quarry and stones were taken to the city to build churches.

Sacsayhuamán Stone Walls

Panorama of Sacsayhuamán with the city of Cusco in the background

Overlook Cusco from Sacsayhuamán

Besides its military purpose, the complex was used for religious rituals. This tradition continues today – as we visited Sacsayhuamán, it was preparing the event of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Machu Picchu. There were not many tourists at Sacsayhuamán, but at the time we left, we saw several tour groups coming, maybe this is the last stop of the Cusco city tour. At the exit, there were a lot of opportunities that you could take pictures with local women and their Alpaca.

Woman in traditional clothing with her Alpaca, Sacsayhuamán

Alpaca, Sacsayhuamán

Coming back from Sacsayhuamán, we kept wandering around in Cusco before sunset.

La Catedral, Plaza de Armas, Cusco

Plaza de Armas, Cusco

Arco Santa Clara, Cusco

Girl on her way home, Cusco

Because it’s the winter of southern hemisphere and Cusco is located within Tropic of Capricorn, it’s already dark at 6pm. Following TripAdvisor’s recommendations, we went to Chicha for our dinner. The word of “chicha” refers to a varieties of beverages in Latin America. The atmosphere was very nice, the food was very good too. I think they might be revised version of Peruvian dishes, but we fully enjoyed them.

Chicha, Cusco

Menestro, Chicha, Cusco

Rocoto Relleno, Chicha, Cusco

Anticuch, Chicha, Cusco

Except Antarctic, South America is the last continent we have not stepped on. After evaluating A (Argentina), B (Brazil), C (Chile) and Peru, we picked Peru at last, not only because of its world-famous landmarks, such as Machu Picchu and Nazca Lines, but also for its rich traditions in culture and food and geographic diversity – the country has sea coast, desert, highland and Amazon rain forest within its 500-square-mile area.

Because we’re going to visit Amazon jungles and the highland at 12,000 feet high, we brought pills for Malaria and high altitude sickness. We also took a Hepatitis A shot, so we would have no worry about taking local food like Ceviche.