My trip to Peru.

So I pulled the devil (or rather his wife) to go this summer for a vacation in Peru. We choose a tour to twelve days' alluring beaches of Tumbes Peru plus "given the fact that the last three days of rest and lie on the beach. Here's what came of it.

103 photos





Day One:
Arrival in Lima. Himself flight from Amsterdam to Lima is about twelve hours, we flew from Kiev, so if you take into account all waiting in airports, the nabezhit twenty hours. You get tired. At passport control, we stamped so-called visa, which is a common piece of paper, with your passport (and other) data, forms the handing back in the plane for an hour before landing, you fill them yourself. Now, all with passports need to submit a visa, so we must cherish it as the apple of his eye. When leaving the country take this piece of paper.
Here we are in Peru. The weather is quite warm, somewhere + 24 ° C. But the local people walking in boots and jackets. They now have winter! Over the winter, Lima is constantly weighs smog sun invisible, sometimes drizzling rain. When getting into the car, guide surprised us with a request to put the bags in the trunk of all that we do not need in the car. This is due to the fact that Peru is a country of the Third World and the drug trade is catching up with Colombia, so that in Lima very high levels of crime, and we will pass on not very favorable area. Houses in these areas typically have no more than two floors, it is not explained by poverty, and strong seismic activity. The roofs on the houses are mainly flat, because the amount of precipitation during the year there is very little.
Our hotel «La Hacienda» is an hour's drive from the airport, in the area of ​​Miraflores. Miraflores is considered a prestigious and safe area, so that you can walk on it without fearing for their lives and purse. Is it necessary to be very careful at pedestrian crossings, drivers of minibuses in Lima just obezbashennym, such foolhardiness our never dreamed of. The lobby bar near the Reception and put a lot of any antiquities: statues, pots, etc. etc. As it turns out it's all the originals, the innkeeper once bought all this for the money.



But the room as 4 star looks very clumsy: two beds, mini-bar, chair, desk, TV, and of a bathroom. When you register we were given an invitation to their bar on two free cocktail Pisco Sour - a mixture of lime, syrup, egg whites and Pisco. Not bad. Pisco (Pisco) - is the most common local alcohol strength 39-44 degrees, made from grapes. Ordered sample pisco pure, taste it I recalled our good brew, you can drink, but vodka is better, although the taste and color ...
We decided to go to the supermarket, which, as we have explained is a five minute walk from the hotel. Drink martinis for coming and sleep. Liter bottle of Martini (less simply was not) cost us 39 salts. A few words of the local currency. Salt - translated as the sun. One dollar is worth 2.70 salts, it is considered a good rate. With the exchange of no problems, a lot of exchangers, can also be changed in the hotel for receptions, like the first time I did. In addition, in most shops you can pay directly in dollars, they rate the change is likely to be issued in the salts. 23:30 sleep.
Day Two:
6:00 ascent. Although we woke up at 3:00, choyto not sleep (maybe on climate change), finishing their martinis. We go down to breakfast. For breakfast "buffet" of choice: tea, coffee, bread. If you like, you can fry the bread in the toaster. Four stars after all. So we ate "from the belly." In general, the impression that the hotel was given 4 stars just for the ancient tsyatsi that put on public display at the bottom.



We're going to the airport, fly to the city of Cusco. There is already unlike Lima, we kindly sun shines its rays of radiation. In Cuzco, and wherever the sun shines, it should definitely be smeared sunblock as burn in a matter of hours. I can not stand all sorts of creams and not smear, burned the same day, then all travel clambered face.
12:00 settle in hotel «San Agustin El Dorado». Those four stars, the same situation in the room, but the atmosphere is somehow more pleasant and more cozy. Before the flight to Cuzco advised skimp pills from altitude sickness. Since the city is situated at an altitude of 3200 meters, pressure and lack of oxygen can not very well affect your health. They also say that helping the local candy with coca leaves, which are then sold at every step; You can simply buy coca leaves, they also roll, stand - 2 pickling package (half cup), and chew them, as do local. I tried to chew - disgusting. It is better to brew the tea, which is also in their honor. Tea made from dried coca leaves reminded me of the taste of mother and stepmother.
A couple of hours after the settlement go to the Temple of the Sun Coricancha. It is located almost in the center of the city. In view of an ordinary museum, built on the ruins of the temple. There's you and ruins, and pictures (even when written by the Spaniards), and traditional clothing. We walk, look, listen.



Then we go to the temple complex of Sacsayhuaman, look and admire the ruins of the huge stones of which they were erected, and this given the fact that the Incas did not know the wheel! Some stones are very large indeed. Applaud, applaud, applaud finished.



From there, the way offers a great view of the city of Cusco.



You can also take a picture with the alpaca (Lama is such, only more hairy) that there graze freely, and even stroke if not run away. Long alpaca look into the eyes can not, can spit!



Come on. Puka Pucara (Red Fortress) another wreck, the former support-observation post of the Incas. Stones give a little reddish, therefore, probably, and red.



In the vicinity of Cuzco, and not only a large number of growing eucalyptus. He introduced by Peru was from Australia, for which Peruvians are very grateful because with wood they have problems, and eucalyptus tree picky and grows very quickly. Some are just so involved and that the eucalyptus is grown for sale. The leaves of the young eucalyptus have a bluish color, and the first time he saw them from a distance, I thought it was a blue spruce.



The sun begins to set, and my shirt becomes quite prohladnenko, and the height of 3700 meters makes itself felt, try to breathe through the mouth longer. We still have one more point. Kenko - a ritual center of the Incas. It is a rock with a rocky passages artificially doobrabotannymi that lead to a small grotto. In the grotto carved a niche in which alleged mummified dead. Next to the rock are the altars. I do not know why, but Kenko all day on me the greatest impression. Can dusk to blame, and can mystical atmosphere in the grotto. Kenko way translated as "labyrinth", but the name he was given already Spaniards, the original unknown. All day is over, let's go to the hotel.



Day Three:
Today we have completely dedicated to the new wonder of the world Machu Picchu. At nine o'clock we wear the blood, in full uniform and armed with should be in the hotel lobby, as to Machu Picchu by train need to travel, and only train more there is no way (not counting of course the sacred Inca road, stomping on which Machu -Pikchu from Cuzco about three or four days), and tickets have already been bought and the train will not wait for anyone.
Near the Reception pay attention to the statue in a niche that we are very interested - a woman with a long neck like a giraffe holding the severed head of some guys. We asked the guide about it, and while catching up the other band members, she tells us about her legend. It turns out it's only Salome, well, or its Peruvian version, and a long neck just a tribute to the fashion in art.



To take the train to start us from Cusco by bus need to get to the town of Ollantaytambo, which is about two hours away. That there is a railway station. Also, there is the railway station directly under the Cuzco station times, and go there only twenty minutes. But as the railroad tracks were laid right next to the Urubamba River, which (especially in the rainy season) likes to leave the shores of blurring everything around, this trail periodically closed, as it was in our case. In fact, the railway line was built before the tourist boom to Machu Picchu, and it led from Cusco to the town of Quillabamba (Kilyabamba) - which is already in the forests of the Amazon, and because of the local climate is the main supplier of coffee, cocoa, tea, and coca. But after a blur of the road, as I understand, on w / d relationship just scored, and now this line leads only to working Gidroelektrika village, which houses a small hydroelectric power station, located on the same river Urubamba. So in Ollantaytambo we board the train next to Aguas Calientes, the nearest town of Machu Picchu. We use the services of the railway company that PeruRail on this route king and god.



In order to take a train ticket one small, should definitely have a passport, you must submit it when boarding. It is necessary to account for the alleged number of tourists visited Machu Picchu, because UNESCO is very concerned about the preservation of the monument, and has reduced the attendance of up to 2,500 tourists per day. From our own guide, I heard that the ticket prices for tourists and badly overestimated their value is very different from the cost of tickets for the local community. It turns out a good broth. So much PeruRail! So much for UNESCO! How much cheaper ticket for the locals, I found I could not, because the travel agency is also required to guide the tourist to buy a ticket. PeruRail train also provides different classes, with different conditions of service, respectively. We rode the easiest «Vistadome», without show off, but pretty uyutnenko. And the ride is not too long, just two hours. As we approach the Machu Picchu, which is located just on the border of the Amazon forests, flora outside gradually beginning to change. Before that prevailed "steppe and steppe around" with infrequent shrubs and cactus, it is now beginning to fall periodically tropical plants and trees. It is also very beautiful and majestic on the horizon look mountains with snowy peaks. Local residents are very concerned about the fact that the snow cap mountains have in recent years greatly reduced. The train travels at a speed of 30-40 kilometers per hour, so that you can admire the scenery enough.



Upon arrival at Aguas Calientes we go on the bus, which actually takes us directly to the Machu Picchu. Climbing the serpentine very steep and takes 20-30 minutes. Buses both up and down constantly go (wife is afraid that the next turn we do not razminёmsya). The road is not paved (UNESCO banned) causing a heap of dust, and it more all the time go a group of tourists who decided to abandon the vehicle. But the diversity of the flora outside the window is simply amazing. If you are in a rainforest. I was particularly struck by wild orchids growing on the slopes. Pass ticket control, and here we are at Machu Picchu. What can I say, the view from there is really awesome! Well, we will have another round ruins.



Watchtower



Sun Temple



Greenhouse



Observatory "Intihuatana", the so-called "stone of the sun." It is said that he had energizes, but this bike has come up with our contemporaries, felts of boredom, felts to entertain tourists.



And of course, agricultural terraces



On the terraces there quietly grazing llamas, they are all homemade (each llama on the ear tag) and brought here for the amusement of tourists.



It looks like coca



Near Machu Picchu whose name translates as "the old mountain" is Huayna Picchu (Huayna Picchu) - «Young Mountain", on top of which you can also climb up, but let there only 400 people a day, and only until 13:00. We did not climbed, but they say that the ascent to the summit really cool.



At the checkpoint you need to record your passport details and next of kin phone that if you ottudova gepnishsya (navernёshsya), people knew who to call.



The mountains were sacred to the Incas some stones so they betrayed the form of the nearby mountains. That's like a stone in the form of Huayna Picchu



And another mountain



Temple of the Condor



At 16:00 on the Machu Picchu tourists have virtually no staff and Reserve is also a little bit begin to diverge. It is time therefore we descend.



Before the trip to Machu Picchu, you will be advised to purchase the mosquito (also all sorts of funds will vparivat along the way), otherwise ominous blood-suckers will eat you alive out there, there are the stories of their hordes. Do not get fooled! Mosquitoes there really is, but in the amount of two pieces per square kilometer, the more I have not seen, and I was so no one was bitten.



Further, according to the plan we have lunch at a local restaurant «El Mapi». The menu was salad "Caesar", pasta with fish, and dessert. "Caesar" from itself represented chopped greens with crackers, and pasta - pasta with cold cold as a fish. So we are again, "tasty" eaten.
Having decided that we should celebrate our ascent to Machu Picchu, I Rushed into their bar, order yourself something hot. But here, I have been disappointed. As it turned out, on that day (it was Sunday), they were re-elections of the mayor of the city, and on this occasion they have the city declared prohibition and selling alcohol is prohibited. Well, so No way No way.
Before the train we had about two hours, and we decided it's time to kill at the local souvenir market, a rather not so little. Here, as in all the souvenir market, you're trying to stuff every vtyuhat: Alpaca wool sweaters, T-shirts with the Indians and Machu Picchu, fridge magnets, playing cards, etc. etc.
With an hour wandering through the market, we decided to go to the platform. Access to the station to separate tourists, imposes a ticket and pass safely. The local is its entrance, preceded by a detachment of the local police, and has a terrible place, as the working day is over, all want to go home, and passed on to one person. To my delight it turned out that the territory of the station is already Aguas Calientes is not, and one can imagine quietly drinking beer, which we did sitting at the table waiting for a train.
19:00 train to Ollantaytambo, and from there by bus to Cusco. In Cusco we were posle23: 00, so I went to sleep. Day Four:
After breakfast "buffet" (which I must say, in contrast to «La Hacienda» are very tasty and varied), go to a meeting with the guide. In fact, according to the schedule we have a day off today, but we decided to have a little adventure, and booked another tour. On the way, seeing the guy in the long-nosed mask, national costume and whip in hand. The white color of the mask and a long red nose ridicules the Spaniards for their penchant for drinking. Parsley This is here for a reason. The fact is that in the very narrow streets of Cusco, and the people and strives to cross them in the wrong place for this. So he thrashes whip of mountain enthusiasts. The inscription on the tablet reads "Respect the crosswalk."



The first item we have today visiting zootsentra "Auanakancha" that cute little animals bred such as llamas, alpacas, guanaco and vicuna. At the entrance you give a tuft of grass for kormёzhki. We were lucky as we arrived early and were one of the first groups, so that the animals had more appetite, and took away with them the grass with a big hunting. If the grass is suddenly over, you will immediately be given more.

Vicuna



Alpaca Suri



More



Guanaco



Alpaca Uakaya



Lama Chuck



More



Lama Kuar (some names may be wrong)



After kormёzhki you can find ways to coat color, see how to produce yarn and woven fabric of traditional spinning and weaving machines.

Table with dyes



Spinner in national dress



Weaver



Stand with different types of potatoes and corn grown in Peru.



At the end you certainly expect shop with souvenirs and handmade woolen products. From here it seems woollens can buy everything your heart desires - coats, ponchos, carpets, slippers ... do not beware of fakes. Stingy and drove on.
On the way we found a large number of football pitches and stadionchik. Peruvians just love football! And everyone from young to old, both boys and girls. How willing are people's representatives - during the election candidates promise not to build a library or school, and another football stadium, for which he receives as a result of a large number of votes. We are heading to the town of Pisac, where held a craft fair Feria Artesanal Pisac - (Feria Artesanal Pisaq). In my opinion, the fair slightly different from the souvenir market in Aguas Calientes, is that the choice poraznoobraznee and smaller products with the theme of Machu Picchu.






















































































































































































I have everything.


Source: