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Cool Idea to Cold Reality: Peru Travelogue

April 7th, 2004: The idea of going to Peru was lingering for a long time. However today we take the first concrete steps towards planning this trip. I reserve tickets to Lima for JK and myself. Unfortunately our spouse’s aren’t very excited about the “extreme hiking” part of the trip and decide to opt out. Looks like it’s going to be a stag party all the way to Peru!

July 27th, 2004: I need Peruvian visa to visit the country. In the morning I call the Peruvian embassy at SF to inquire about the visa. After multiple attempts I still cannot get anyone on the phone. Probably they have had coco leaves for breakfast!! Finally the Houston embassy tells me that it takes about a week to get the visa. Considering our propensity for doing things at the last moment I think we have plenty of time.

August 10th, 2004: It’s less than a month to go and our plan is still in Limbo. Our plan so far is to spend couple of days around Lake Titicaca area before heading to Cuzco and do a hike for about 5 days. For the hike, most people prefer the Inka trail because it’s the most famous hike in Peru. We personally like the Salkantay hike but almost every hiking agency offers the 7 days hike and we just don’t have that much of time.

After some research on the net, it appears that we can do the Salkantay trail in 5 days as long as we skip the part on the Inka trail and instead take the train to Macchu Picchu (MP) Though this plan wont give us the bragging rights to say that we hiked to Macchu Picchu!

From Rockies to Andes

A week before going to South American Andes we did a practice 2-day backpack trip into the North American Rockies. More details are available here.

The Final Effort

September 9th, 2004: We haven’t booked hotels in Lima and Puno. We zero in on Hostal Victor at Lima for its proximity to the airport. It doesn’t look any good but all we need is a place to sleep for 4-5 hours! Mr. Victor himself has personally agreed to do the airport pick-up and drop-off.

September 10th, 2004: I decide to pack up things. I am carrying a North Face bag, North Face Fleece, Goretex Rain jacket, North Face convertible rain pants and enough Ts, Socks and undergarments. It seems petty thefts is a major nuisance in Peru and I am pleased to notice the worn out looks of my exterior gear including backpack and jackets. Even my new hiking shoes are mud caked from the last hike and I plan to keep it that way. For the first time in my life I am happy that I look poorer than what I actually am!

The real worry is my camera gear consisting of Canon Digital SLR, Canon 17-40 L lens and a B+W Circular Polarizer. While this is hardly a jaw dropping kit, it looks expensive enough. Perhaps I should apply Band-Aid on the camera and the lens.

Lima: First Impression

September 11th, 2004: Hostal Victor looked seedy from the photographs that we saw on the net. But nothing prepared us for the real stuff. After a few minutes of driving through a shady part of Lima, we reach an ominous looking gate with barbed wire fencing and fewf tough looking guys hanging around the gate. The fact that no hotel sign is visible anywhere is not very comforting either. A few moments later the driver ushers us inside the building into what appears to be the lobby. Thankfully the check-in process is quick and they even accept American Express!!

Its well past midnight and loud music is blaring from the nearby building. It’s clearly someone’s idea of having a wild party on a Saturday night. We pretend to ignore it and try hard to get some sleep for next 4 hours. At 4 AM the music is still blaring. I just hope our driver is not part of this booze bash!! A few minutes later we find out what the hoopla is all about. There is a bar just a few blocks away where a party is still going strong at 4:30 AM. We could see some of the stoned merrymakers streaming out from the bar on to the streets. Peruvians sure know how to party!

White Knight

September 12th, 2004: Arequipa was not planned and just happened because our connecting LAN Peru flight from Arequipa to Juliaca was late by a couple of hours. As it turned out, quite a few souls were interested to show us around the city. Once the fear, uncertainty and doubt dissipated, we decide to bargain for a 2 hr city tour. After a few rounds of “Muy caro Senor” later we think we have the right price of “Treinte Soles” (30 Soles=$9.77) offered by Mr. Miguel.

Arequipa is a lovely city with white buildings all over town. Lonely Planet (LP) tells us that they are all made with a kind of white volcanic stone. The city has splendid views of Chachani (6200 Meters), El Misti (5800) and Pichhu Picchu (5300).

Puno

September 12th, 2004: Juliaca is mere 30 minutes away by flight. The most amazing part of the flight is the up-close view of the volcanic crater at the El Misti peak. Unlike Arequipa or Lima, Juliaca airport has a more ethnic touch to it. They even have a local band to welcome the passengers.

We spot a taxi and agree to the very first price that the driver offers. I thought “16 Soles” is a good price for a few kilometer ride to Puno. However soon the bickering starts amongst us. Are you sure he meant 16 soles? Is it Sole or Dollars? Is it 16 soles per person? Are we being taken for a ride? I have no answer for the last one. We just have to wait. Turns out that we were indeed being taken on the proverbial ride. The guy demands 60 soles and my answer that we agreed for 16 soles just wasn’t convincing. We eventually pay him 60 soles.
We walk over to Puno port to check if we can hire a boat to the islands. Mentally resolving for not screwing up the negotiations this time, we saunter over to the counter for a “taxi boat”:

“Un barco para Isla Amantani”

“Treisciento Soles Senor”

“Demasaido Caro”

“Sol Ciento Dólares Senor”

“No Dólares Senor. Tresciento Soles muy Caro. Dosciento Soles”

“275 Soles. Ultimo”

Not good. We walk out and pretend disinterest. The guy follows us. That’s a good sign. We pretend to ignore him. After ambling around for a few minutes we up the ante.

“225 soles”

Soon enough we have a price for 250 soles that includes stay at Amantani, visits to Tequile and Uros islands, cena (dinner) and desayuno (breakfast).

Nestor, our boat captain, is a native of Amantani and been in this trade for 20 years. He informs us that the boat ride to Amantani would take 4 hours. This lake almost seems like an Ocean. We can barely see the snow clad peaks of Cordillera Blanca on the other side of the lake in Bolivia.

It’s almost dark when we dock at Amantani. The island has no electricity and we can only make out the dark outlines of the hut as we make our way inside. We are introduced to our hosts and we attempt to make halting conversation in Spanish. Incidentally ayamara is the local tongue of this island. My huge flashlight is an instant hit and soon the kids are milling around us with curious looks. The dinner was simple with soup, rice, eggs, potato and yucca. The bed was even better with warm Alpaca blankets! If you think this sounds very nice and comfy, you got it all wrong! I haven’t described the toilet arrangements and perhaps you don’t want to know about them.

September 13th, 2004: Next day our hosts wake us up at 5 AM for a hike to Pachamama (Mother Earth) ruins. The hike is easy but still requires lots of huffing and puffing by our altitude challenged bodies.

After breakfast we take the boat for our next stop in Isla Tequile. Nestor is smart enough to drop us off at the secondary port. That means we can hike up the island using a gradual trail and then descend using a steep trail to the main port where he will pick us up. Tequile has a lot more tourists and there are restaurants here. The other good thing is that Tequile has better views than Amantani.
On the way back we stop at the floating island of Uros. The island is literally floating as it is made out of reed and walking on them seems like walking on a soft mattress. More than anything though, Uros turns out to be a floating souvenir market.

On reaching Puno, we arrange a Taxi for Siliustani where some Inca ruins and ancient burial chambers are located

After the trip to Silliustani, we walk over to Calle Lima. This is the happening place in Puno with plenty of restaurants. I decide to have Alpaca Steak for dinner. When the dish is served, it seems to me that JK, who is a pure vegetarian, is more excited than me just by looking at it. It doesn’t end there. He peppers me with questions: How does it taste? Does it taste like beef? Can I distinguish Beef and Alpaca in a Blind test?

Why cant this guy just start eating meat?

High Street in Colonial Town

September 14th, 2004: We meet a unique specimen at the breakfast table: a German vegetarian couple. Not the “no-beef-no-pork-but-chicken-n-fish-are-fine” variety, but “keine Fleisch” pure vegetarian variety! And we thought they don’t exist..

Shortly afterwards we board a bus for a 9-hour ride to Cuzco. The “high” point along the way was the 14,338 Feet pass at Abra Del Raya. Cuzco’s urban sprawl belies our expectations but in the end Cuzco turns out to be a very fine city. It has a character of its own with narrow cobbled streets and colonial houses.

We rendezvous with Jai at Amaru Hostal and make one final change to our hike itinerary. Instead of camping on Day 4, we plan to walk all the way to Km 88 on day 4 and catch the 8 PM train to Aguas Calientes. This way we can be at Macchu Picchu early enough to see the sun rise and at the same time have enough time to explore the area.

Cold, Comfort and Pain

September 15th, 2004: We meet our hiking crew in the lobby of Amaru hostal. Our guide is Virgilio and he introduces Wenislau, the head cook and Armando his assistant. Q’ente even arranged a bus to take just the 6 of us to the trailhead where Antonio and the 5 horses would meet us. Judging by the enormity of the arrangements, we could guess that ours is going to be a “Royal” hike. Certainly not the “extreme” hiking that we imagined we would do.

But the best was to come at the trailhead. There was a lunch-tent with tables, chairs, napkins, spoons and fork. Next what? A 3-course meal served by waiters wearing aprons and white gloves?

First day’s walk was easy. Just over 300 meters of altitude gain to our camp at Cruzpata (3600 MSL) for the night. Almost throughout the day, the towering peak of Humantay was visible from the trail.

The evening fun begins when we reach the camp! First there is a round of evening tea, then popcorns and finally crackers with marmalade. While we wait for dinner, the dinner tent is a warm and comfy place to hang out and play cards.

September 16th, 2004: Today’s hike is tougher with over 500 meters of elevation gain and a walk of over 14 Km. Midway through the hike at Oncopata we get our first view of Salkantay (6264 Meters). The climb from here to Soray Pampa is steep. To make matters worse, the weather deteriorates somewhere in between. We cover the last half of the hike amidst rain and hail. When we reach the camp at Icchupata, our tents are already laid out and hot tea is awaiting us. This is the part that I like the most of this “royal” hike. Putting up tents after an arduous hike could qualify to be the most disheartening tasks in the world.

By late evening, the clouds have mostly cleared and Salkantay is right besides us standing tall. Soon it would get very, very cold. The hiking gear that I bragged about earlier on does not seem to help much. In the cold and silent night, one could hear the cracks and moans from the nearby glacier. By early morning when it’s still dark, the moisture from our breath has condensed and frozen on the tent surface. Just a gentle tap on the tent could cause a mini-snowfall.

September 17th, 2004: Today we will cross the Salkantay Pass (4850 Meters). As soon as we gain altitude, we get splendid views of the distant Villcabamba range and Salkantay.

The view from the pass is breathtaking. There is Salkantay on one side with the glaciers flowing down, frozen lake below and distant snow capped Andean peaks in all direction. We stop at the pass for almost an hour before descending into the valley. The way forward is one of steep rapid descent all the way to our camp at Pampakawana.

September 18th, 2004: Today’s hike is the longest with over 17 Km. Fortunately all of is downhill. The hike takes us from high grasslands of Pampakawana to the rainforest around Wayallbamba. This is a prime birding area and Jai is excited by the sheer variety of humming birds that could be seen. We also try Che-Cha, the national drink of Peru. Its made from barley and mildly alcoholic. I think a 50:50 mix of butter milk and beer would taste like that. No wonder that neither of us go for second helping.

From Wayallbamba, we do the Inka trail in reverse to Km 88. Here we experience the heavy traffic of the Inka trail. Salkantay hike was entirely different. We hardly met anyone in the last 3 days. All of this is of-course a roundabout way to tell you that Salkantay hike rocks and the Inka trail sucks! At least as far as experiencing the sheer desolation of Peruvian Andes and to the heights it takes you.

By evening, we reach the railroad at Km 88 to board the train for Aguas Calientes. Here we say adios to our hiking crew. They have taken excellent care of us and ensured our comfort in a very demanding physical environment. As the train lurched ahead, the only comforting thought was a hot shower and a warm bed at Aguas Calientes.

September 19th, 2004: We are late in reaching MP as our guide did not show up until 7:00 AM. He profusely apologizes for it and attributes it to a mix-up about his sleeping arrangements the night before. I suspect it was because he decided to join one of the numerous “Saturday” night parties around town.

Macchu Picchu lives up to the expectations and the photographs just don’t do any justice. Its very popular too. Its just 7:30 AM but the place is already swarming with hordes of tourists.

To get even more awesome views of Macchu Picchu, we climb the nearby Wayna Picchu or the “young mountain” mountain. Our high-altitude acclimatized bodies finish the 400-meter climb in no time. The top of Wayna Picchu is surely the most vertigo-inducing place that I have ever been to.

Back to Civilization

September 19th, 2004: Back in Aguas Calientas, we say goodbye to Virgilio. In spite of the setback in the morning, he had been an excellent guide. We enjoyed his company, his knowledge and his resourcefulness. I credit him with resourcefulness because on this last day of the hike, he manages to get Cuy (Roasted Guinea Pig, a famous local delicacy) for us. Over lunch, while my friends are having their “no carne” dishes, I feast on the authentic stuff!
On the train ride back to Cuzco, we strike a conversation with the Peru Rail employee in our coach. On knowing that I am from India, he starts reeling off names of old and mostly forgotten bollywood actors. Never thought Hindi movies would be so popular here. Actually this was the second dude who mentioned Hindi movies. The first was the taxi driver who conned us in Puno!

September 20th, 2004: Today we decide to visit Cuzco’s other claim to fame: the inca ruins at Sacsayhuman (pronounced as “Sexy Woman”). Now how do I ask the lady at the reception for directions?

Lima Again

September 20th, 2004: We have a few hours before catching our flight back home and we decide to spend it at the hippest part of Lima: Miraflores. To cut the swathe of taxi drivers who were all vying to rip us off, we decide to walk outside the airport and get a taxi. This was a good strategy and soon we get a Taxi to Miraflores for a grand sum of 10 Soles. Perhaps the taxi driver didn’t know how to rip tourists who walk off outside the airport terminal. Maybe he thought we are Peruvians. In the end, when the confusion was clear and we hand him 10 Soles, he started demanding 10 dollars. Too late buddy!

Miraflores is a nice area complete with Taco Bell, McDonalds and even a Tony Roma! I am sure its snazzy apartments are meant for expats who don’t want to miss the life of back home. And here we sit in a bar sipping Pisco Sours and it appears as if we never left US. At 5 PM, it’s cold in Lima. In fact cold enough to wear a jacket!
On the return trip to the airport, the taxi dude didn’t confuse us with Peruvians.Who else but stupid tourists would buy stuff at Lima’s Miraflores market and then board a taxi to the airport! In a way that was good. The taxi driver was keen on showing off all the important landmarks of Lima including its “Zona Roja”! This short guided tour of Lima was a perfect end to our Peru Trip before we head off home.

Odessa Lake backpack was a last minute thing. JK and I wanted to do a “practice backpack trip” for the big Andean hike planned for later in September 2004. We were fortunate to get the Odessa Lake backcountry campsite with only a few days notice. This campsite in Rocky Mountain National Park is very sought after and usually needs to be booked few months in advance. Plan was to do a loop hike starting at Bear Lake trailhead and camp at Upper Mill creek campsite (9200 ft) and Odessa lake (10200 ft)  before returning back to the trailhead at Bear Lake.

The hike on day 1 was easy. The worst part was to come later. Rain followed by snow late into the night.

Next day we walk across upper mill creek and then descend towards cub lake and the pool. From here a steep ascent takes us to fern lake and finally to Odessa Lake Campsite. It’s way too cold and windy to cook. Now we know why we got the Odessa Lake campsite so easily.

Day 3 is Labor Day and it began with bright sunshine and awesome views of Odessa Lake.We hike further to Fern Lake and then descend back to Bear Lake trailhead.

Problem happened at Denver airport the next morning!! We reach DEN at 5:45 AM for the 6:15 AM flight and United wont let me check the bags. Finally I resolve it by asking JK, who has a later flight to DFW, to take the bags with him. A few moments later, it was big relief to know that I was the last passenger to board the SFO flight. In future, I resolve to take the friendly advice from the gate agent very seriously. You can very well guess what it is.

Oslo

Last week I was on a business trip to Norway and Finland with Oslo as the first stop. Unlike other European cities, Oslo almost appears minimalist and utilitarian.

The most remarkable things about Oslo:

1. Flytoget Train: This high speed train service runs every 10 minutes and whisks you from Oslo Gardermoen Airport to Downtown Oslo, 50 Km away, in less than 18 minutes.
2. The bikini ads: At the end of may, almost every major or minor billboard had bikini ads. What’s the deal? Are the ads meant for Norwegians hitting the beach in Thailand or does the weather dramatically change later in summer?
3. English: Unlike other cities in Continental Europe, almost everyone on the street understands English

Due to paucity of time, the only place that I could visit was the Oslo town hall where Nobel peace prize is awarded every year and the folks museum that is a short ferry ride away. The good thing is that Oslo has sufficient daylight from 6 AM to 10 PM at this time of the year (may end). It never really gets dark at night.

Helsinki

Helsinki skyline is much more interesting than Oslo. The Tuomiokirkko cathedral and the Russian orthodox church are prominently visible from afar. It was 8 PM when I took the ferry from Helsinki Harbor to Suomenlinna Castle. The short ferry ride is well worth the time.

Lofoten Islands

I was not planning to visit Lofoten. However I lucked out and got a super deal for $200 on an open jaw ticket to Bodø with return ticket from Harstad-Narvik. I consider it a steal as the departure from Oslo was on a Friday evening of a long weekend. You see May 31st, 2004 happens to be a “Whit Monday” and a public holiday in Norway. Its also Memorial day in US.

Lofoten Islands are located in northern Norway about 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle (66.66 N). In spite of its geographical location (67th Parallel), it enjoys a relatively mild climate thanks to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream. Lofoten Islands are considered to be one of the prettiest places on earth. Surprisingly they are remarkably un-touristy. Even though I was there on a long weekend, I found surprisingly few tourists and almost no crowds. Due to its location in high northern latitudes, Lofoten Islands enjoy midnight sun from May 27th to July 25th. Sufficient daylight is available 24 hours a day. Even though I never attempted it, its possible to start a hike at 2 AM! If I had tried it, I could have seen sunset and sunrise separated by a few minutes.

Lofoten consists of a series of islands just a few kilometers off the mainland. The islands, except two of the southernmost, are connected through underground tunnels and highways to the mainland. Therefore the best way to travel around Lofoten is in your own vehicle. Public transport, especially on weekends, is almost non-existent. If you miss a bus, it will be many hours before you get the next one. If you don’t have your own vehicle, the next best thing is to rent a bicycle. If you wish to take public transport, its essential to plan ahead by checking the following bus/ferry service lines:

• Nordtrafikk
• Norway Bussekspress
• OVDS ferry

Lofoten is also famous for cod-fishing and tiny fishing villages that dot the countryside. While in Lofoten, you must try fish soup and cod tongues. Traditional fishing cabins, also known as “Rorbuer”, are popular for overnight accommodation.

Å

The OVDS ferry from Bodø arrives at Moskenes. Its a quiet village on the southernmost tip of the island of Moskensøy. Incidentally Å also happens to be the last alphabet in the Norwegian character set. I stayed at a Rorbuer in this tiny village of just about 200 residents. Though its a quiet and nice place its not the prettiest place in Lofoten. That honor probably belongs to Reine.

Reine

Reine is located on the southern island of Moskensøy. Its voted as the “most scenic places in Norway”. I was lucky to be here on a beautiful sunny day with blue skies.

Bodø and the road to Narvik

Bodø is a transit point for the ferries to Lofoten. From here I board a Norway Bussekspress bus that takes more than 6 hours to reach Narvik. The northbound road to Narvik is one the most scenic roads that I have ever seen. The entire 300 Km stretch of road from Bodø to Narvik is interspersed with forests, granite peaks, fjords, frozen lakes and waterfalls. Its almost like going through a long Yosemite valley and every turn has a photo opportunity. Even though this area is almost 300 Km north of the Arctic circle, most of it consists of tall trees and lush green forests. The corresponding region in Alaska at the same latitudes seems like an Arctic wasteland in comparison.

Narvik and Riksgränsen

Narvik’s port is a major transit point for the iron ore that comes from Kiruna in Sweden. It is also the terminus for Ofotbanen, the world’s northernmost railway line (~70th parallel) that crosses over to Norway from Sweden.

Ofotbanen runs from Narvik’s Jernbanestasjon and passes through spectacular fjords and mountains before reaching Riksgränsen in Sweden. The railway line continues onwards to Kiruna in Sweden from where most of the iron ore comes. To travel on Ofotbanen, no prior reservation was necessary. Actuallty its possible to take a train from Stockholm to Narvik using Ofotbanen

This blog entry is based on our Europe vacation in Spring 2004. During this 11-day trip, we visited the southern part of Germany, Eastern Austria and parts of northern Switzerland. Unlike the previous Europe trip, I opted for renting a car to move around. The free upgrade to a Mercedes C-180 by Alamo was a good bonus!

We spent most of our time in Germany. Some of the more interesting places that we visited are Burg Eltz in Mosel Valley, Rhine valley, Bamberg in Franconian Switzerland, Rothenburg and Romantic Road and Bavarian Castles near Munich.

Austria

The rental car was real useful in exploring far flung areas such as Salzkummergut and Tyrol.

The only area in Switzerland that we visited are the usual tourist suspects: Berner Oberland and Montreux.