Huaraz and the Rajucolta Trek

The city of Huaraz itself is nothing to write home about, lacking the charm of the colonial squares and historic architecture prevalent in most other South American towns. This is in no small part due to the fact that a massive earthquake pretty much wiped out the whole area back in the 1970's...

Regardless, it is only when you look around, above the city skyline, that you realise why this isolated town attracts so much attention. Nestled in the heart of the impressive Cordillera Blanca mountain range, the city has become a hot-spot for mountaineers and trekkers from around the world...

Often referred to as the 'Himalayas of South America', the Cordillera Blanca range is home to the largest concentration of 5000 m+ mountains in the world, which means there's a ton of hiking options and all with tremendously scenic routs...We had our minds initially set on doing the very popular Santa Cruz hike which is a 4 day trek past some of the most famous mountains in the area, one of them being the peak that (apparently) inspired the logo of the motion picture studio, Paramount...yes that one...

Anyhow, we needed to rent some gear, so we went to a local trekking agency, Huascaran, where we met the very amicable owner, Paulino...

Paulino talked us through the Santa Cruz trek, how long it will take, how far we'd walk each day, how much it will cost etc, and just as we were mulling it over, he tossed us a curve ball...He said that his agency had recently started a new trek, that takes you and I quote, "much closer to nature and the mountains" with hardly any other people...Just us, the mountains...a donkey driver, who would act as a guide, and two donkeys...

Sjoe toe blink ons ogies ewe skielik! 

New, relatively uncharted 4 day trek, prestine surroundings, donkeys...This guy knew how to snare a couple of South Africans...# die groot trek...

We simply asked where we can sign up, and how quickly we can get going...he said the next morning 07:30 sharp...which was perfect!

We were able to hire the tents, mattresses and cooking gear from him as well which meant we just had to go buy the food for the 4 days which had to be packed in these wooden boxes that gets strapped onto the donkeys! Old school camping!

We managed to get most of what we needed from the local market and a pretty decent grocery store, and were satisfied that we weren't going to upset any animal rights group with the weight of our boxes! All our gear was then set aside ready to be picked up in the morning...

Ready to hit the trail!

The taxi picked us up bright and early the next morning, along with all our gear and food, and we headed about an hour and a half southwest to a small mountain pueblo (town) named Olleros where our donkey driver and two donkeys were waiting for us...We didn't have too much stuff, just our food and our tents, so it was quick work to load up the 'burros'!

Fields of gold

Our first day's walk took us from the outskirts of Olleros, up and around the grass covered hills that lay above the town, the air getting thinner with each ascent. With our final stretch we headed into a shallow valley with a breathtaking glacier topped mountain looming mightily in the center and, as is common in the area, a turquoise watered lagoon, lying at the foot...

First night's camp site - Laguna Shaqsha

This picturesque spot was where we set up our first camp! We got there quite early so we had a lot of time to set up our tents, have lunch, and walk up to the glacier...the views up there in the afternoon light were insane!

That night Joh-nell and Simon cooked up one of the best meals we've had in the last two months! A splendidly creamy Alfredo pasta with linguine, and crushed oreos mixed in cream for desert (amper nes 'n mcflurry - het so aan my klein sussie gedink!)...It was a perfect setting and a great way to start our trek!

Up at the glacier - Laguna Azulejacocha

After a very cold night we reluctantly got up in the early hours of the morning to prepare breakfast and pack up our camp site, but we were soon greeted by the first rays of sunlight and a blue sky which at least boded well for the morning's walk...We experienced our first hiccup, literally of biblical proportions, when our donkey got stuck in the mud! Shame the poor guy was quite stressed out but after unloading him and a collective shove we managed to free him from the quagmire.

We then crossed straight into another valley, again with a beautifully imposing snow-capped mountain towering over the horizon.

However while we were enjoying the awesome scenery, our donkey driver, Victor, still quite young and not that experienced, ploughed on ahead, leaving us with little more than a worn out animal trail to follow...so ja it didn't take long before we were completely lost and scaling up a mountain while he and the two burros were backtracking through the valley in search of us! After much back and forth we managed to find each other again but then it was Victor's turn to lose the trail, or at least it seemed so, since he had to stop and ask for directions a couple of times when we passed some locals. In the end it was a long day of walking, and quite a bit of climbing but with unbelievable backdrops of snow-capped mountains piercing the soft blue winter sky...

Our second night's camp was mid-way up the narrow Rajucolta valley, next to a strong flowing river. It was a bit lower than the previous night and a little bit further away from the nearest glacier so the night was not as cold as the previous one. Dinner was tomato based chorizo pasta- Suné's camping speciality!

Rajucolta Valley

For our third day of hiking, we planned to take it to the next level and traverse a nearby mountain pass, i.e go right over one of these 5000 m behemoths!

The donkeys obviously weren't able to tackle such an endeavor so we had to say goodbye to 'burro uno' and 'burro dos', and Victor. Which also meant we had pack the remaining food in our backpacks, and strap on our tents but fortunately we were joined by our specialist guide, Amino, who was leading us up the mountain and could help carry the load!

Laguna Rajucolta

The first hour and a half's walk was just a gentle meander up the valley to Laguna Rajucolta, but once we got there and looked up at the sheer mountain slopes rising into the morning sky, we knew we were going to be in for a tough one!

En jislaaik, we didn't know the half of it...half pad op toe voel ons ons kan nie meer nie, my vrou se ogies was nat van die mismoedigheid, elke asemhaal was 'n uitdaging, elke enkele voetstap 'n toets van karakter! Die pad op het net steiler en steiler geword, later aan, teen die einde, moes ons hande vier voet die berg uit klouter soos bobbejane!

Lunch spot half-way up...

It was by far the most hectic and testing experience that Kristi and I have had to endure, or maybe on par with my hellish half iron-man experience of 2015, but in the same sense probably one of the most rewarding...There's nothing like enduring a hardship to bring forth that jubilant sense of accomplishment! 

As you can imagine the views up there were spectacular, with only the snow-capped peaks of the surrounding mountains visible at that height - and it's amazing how quickly you forget about the ordeal that you had to endure to get there!

On top of the wooooorld!

After lots of photos and celebration we had to start our descent, which in many ways was probably more testing and definitely more dangerous! We had scurry down steep sections of loose rocks and gravel, Kristi took a bad tumble on the rocks and I saw my backside a couple of times on the gravel!

Skiing down a black slope

It took another two hours to get down which took our hiking time for that day to a long 10 hours, needless to say we were "uit pype" when we reached our final camp site! That night the Veenstra's cooked up another delicious pasta, and we literally just passed out in our tents afterwards!

The final morning was an easy walk down the valley to where out taxi was waiting for us, which was fortunate because I don't think the four South Africans had much left in the tank!

Tenk is leeg!

After dropping off all our gear back in Huaraz, we managed to organize a shower at the (very nice) hostel where we stayed prior to doing the trek, El Jackal, and afterwards headed to our favorite restaurant, Andino, to spoil ourselves with all the food we've dreamt about the previous few days...french fries with lots of tomato sauce for me, juicy steak + salad for Kristi...:)

That same afternoon we able to find a bus to Chimbote, where we booked an overnight bus to the northern Peruvian surfing town of Mancora! Which is where we'll be spending our last few days in Peru, primarily enjoying the sun, the beach and maybe some surf if the waves look alright!

Hola Mancora,,,Mucho gusto!

Cusco, Machu Picchu and el Camino del Inca

Cusco, Machu Picchu, y el Camino del Inca

We arrived early morning in the Inca Capital, Cusco, after an overnight bus from Copacabana. We organized a taxi to drop us off at our hostel, Samay Wasi, which was located in the San Blas area of town, just up the hill from the city center. We could sense early on that Cusco was a special kind of town.

Plaza de Armas - Cusco

Nestled in a crater-like valley, the town with its quaint cobblestone streets, has a strong colonial influence, with massive stonemason cathedrals overlooking the traditional Spanish plazas. That being said, you can definitely still sense the city's rich and resilient native roots. After the conquistadors arrived in the 1530's, the Spaniards literally just built on top of the Incan buildings, but in a clear testament to the ingenuity and skill of the Inca builders, when a severe earthquake hit Cusco in the 1950's the only structures that survived were those of the original Incas...

Our group closely examining the
impressive Incan handiwork

We arrived at our hostel well before our check in time, but were allowed to drop our bags in storage and go out to get some breakfast...We walked down to the main square, Plaza de Armas, and were met with a flurry of commotion and festivities! Turns out, June is the most important month in the Cuscan calendar, and it all culminates on June 24th, Dia Inti Raymi (quechua for "sun festival"), which celebrates the special heritage of the city and the Inca empire. So every day leading up to the 24th you have parades, singing and ethnic dancing all around the square, all in preparation for the big day.

As we were having breakfast and watching the parade we received word from Robert and Roelene, who were supposed to join us later that day, that their flight got delayed in São Paulo and would only be arriving in Cusco the next day...It was a quick introduction to traveling in South America, where these kind of things happen all the time, but you just have to take it in your stride, which they did!

They arrived early the next morning, safe and sound, and we greeted them with a hearty breakfast on the balcony of our hostel, overlooking a waking Cusco city...

Our balcony at Samay Wasi

It was really great to see the two of them again and with the group finally together, the excitement for our awaiting adventure escalated exponentially! Also they brought with them some of the things we miss the most from back home (excluding family and friends of course!): beskuit (die mense hier ken ongelukkig nie so iets nie), rooibostee en lekker Suid Afrikaanse wyn (hier is ook lekker wyn maar nie naby die goeie waarde vir geld wat ons by die huis kry nie). Dit was so 'n bederf!

Coming from Walvisbaai, which I think is as close to sea level as you can get, we needed to get the two Namibiërs acclimatized to the high altitude conditions! We thus decided to do a walking tour around Cusco, which is always a great way to get a feel for a city and its history, and also organised a trip to a nearby town, Pisac, which falls within the "sacred valley of the Incas" and where there's a big local market.

Pisac 

Pisac is a beautiful little town, situated in a narrow valley with steep, terraced mountain slopes bearing over the village. The central market place sells everything from traditional alpaca blankets, jerseys, artwork, leather goods, and Inca memorabilia...the girls were in their element! 

I had to restrain Kristi every now and then, want die doek sal so mooi lyk in ons eetkamer en die kombers is perfek vir die winter! Ons het toe 'n paar mooi goedjies gekry vir ons huis - baie exciting!

Christo Blanco, Cusco

Later on the way back to Cusco we got dropped off at the Christo Blanco statue that towers over Cusco (like the one in Rio just much smaller), and enjoyed the  awesome view as the sun was readying to set over Cusco valley...

On our last day before we were to start our Inca trek we just had to sort out a couple of admin things but unexpectedly managed to purchase a set of (very) cheap airline tickets to wait for it...the Galapagos Islands!! We've been scanning the online cheap flight websites almost daily to try and find a good deal but were advised to also try the airline offices for ongoing specials that they might be running, which we then did and with a stroke of luck, Simon managed to find a great deal! We booked it straight away...So that's something to look forward to come July!

But back to the current adventure...with our bags packed and our excitement levels almost tangible, we were picked up very early on Friday morning by our tour company, Peru treks, and along with 8 other hikers set off to Ollantaytambo, where we had a quick breakfast (banana pancakes!) before heading to the starting point of our 4 day, 45 km, Camino del Inca!

The trek follows an old Incan pathway that snakes its way through and over the towering Andes mountains, passing numerous Incan ruins and outposts on the way to the mysterious and mesmerizing Machu Picchu...This ancient path was build as a religious road for pilgrimages to the spiritual sanctuary of Machu Picchu.

And so it begins...

Our first day's walk took us along the fast flowing Urubamba river, with great views of the snow-capped mount Veronica behind us and some impressive Incan settlements along the way. 

Myself, Kristi & Veronica

At each ruin our guides, Naomi and Ronald would sit us down and talk us through the history and function of that specific settlement or building. While we've become accustomed to the brilliance and skill of the Incan architects, it was very interesting to see how organised these small communities were and how effectively they adapted to the surrounding terrain...

Ancient Inkan village of Llactapata

Our group consisted of 14 hikers, 4 South Africans, 2 Namibians (Roelene & Robert), 2 Aussies, 2 Americans, 2 Brazilians, 'n Turk and a Korean; two guides, a chef and 18 porters - these guys carried all our food, tents and equipment, with backpacks weighing up to 25kg's! They'd motor on ahead and set up our lunch spot or camp prior to our arrival, which was quite a luxury - all the tour companies doing the trek operate this way which is also why you pay a pretty penny to do it...

Our first night we camped out at Wayllabamba, which is next to the last little community that you'll encounter on the trail, and right at the bottom of a small valley, which meant the surrounding mountain views were amazing! The food on the trek was also really good, three course meals, all local delicacies, with coffee and tea served afterwards...we even got a cake on father's day!

Proe soos nog!

The second day was the toughest of the four day trek, a steep mountain pass, climbing 1200 meters in altitude before summiting at a dizzying height of 4200m, where you were rewarded with some of the most spectacular mountain views!

After a couple of photos and high-fives we descended down one of the infamous Incan stairways, to our second night's camp, Llulluchampampa, that was situated next to a stream so we could take a quick dip after a grueling day of hiking...

The Africans still standing strong after our first mountain pass!

While our second day was the toughest, the third day was probably the most scenic...We started off with a short, steep climb over our second mountain pass, again with really amazing views of the valleys ahead and behind us.

We then descended to a nearby Incan village, Sayaqmarka, built on the edge of the adjacent mountain slope with a single set of (very) steep stairs taking you up to entrance...

The ancient Inkan village of Sayaqmarka

Again the intricacies of the buildings and waterways were well ahead of their time, and the majestic views of the surrounding mountains instilled an understanding that these people had a strong spiritual reverence for nature, or 'pachamama' (mother earth), as they refer to it in the quechua tongue...

Above and beyond - view from Sayaqmarka

We then continued along the ancient pathway crossing yet another mountain pass but this time walking through long stretches of cloud forest with its dense vegetation and moss covered trees bearing over the trail...it was really beautiful and completely different to the scenery of the first two days!

Alice in Wonderland...

Our lunch spot on the third day was right on top of the pass, with our 'mess tent' set up on these massive boulders with a breathtaking view of the surrounding cloud forest covered mountains, one of those being the backside of the imposing Machu Picchu  mountain - our eyes eagerly searching for any signs of the famous Incan  ruins...

We'll also always remember this spot because we were (very) pleasantly surprised when we were served a slice of pizza as a starter - anyone who's done a multi-day hike will probably recall that you start daydreaming about comfort foods such as pizza by day 2! We all agreed that it was the most delicious slice of pizza we've ever tasted! 

After lunch we again had to descend down some 3000 Incan steps, which were not built for our long south African legs! We passed another interesting set of ruins on the way down, Phuyupayamarka, that was supposedly used as a astronomical base to study the night sky...

Inkan stairs!

We arrived at our last camping spot, Winaywayna, with tired legs and sore knees, but eagerly awaiting our final early morning descent to the city of Machu Picchu...

Machu Picchu - a beautifully mysterious and mesmerizing place

This sacred city was purposely abandoned and kept a secret after the Spanish invaded Peru, and managed to become a local myth, a secret passed on by the natives to their children, the one piece of heritage that remained hidden from colonial influence...the pride of all Peru...

Only after Peru was liberated in the 1900's did word of the secret city reach western ears...An American explorer, Hiram Bingham, while searching for another mythical, but still undiscovered city, El Dorado, was told about a nearby sacred mountain city that has remained a secret for nearly 400 years...After further investigation and actually obtaining a map, Bingham set off to what he probably thought or hoped was El Dorado, instead he found the city of Machu Picchu, nearly completely overgrown by lush vegetation but still well preserved due to the lack of human contact over the centuries. He spent most of the rest of his life excavating the ruins and shared his find with the rest of the world, thus bringing life (and loads of tourists) back to the legendary site...

We made it!

And what a site it is...Situated on a steep mountain slope the city was built on a series of carved-out terraces, with the platforms varying in size according to what it was used for, temples, housing or farming...

And as impressive as that is, it is really only when you look around at the series of towering, freestanding mountains that surround the city, like majestic sentinels watching over the ancient sanctuary, that you understand why this place is so special...so magical...and rightfully the pride of not only Peru but also humanity...

We spent the morning exploring the city, unfortunately along with thousands of other people who visited the city by bus, but even that failed to detract from the marvel that is Mucho Pichu...

It was truly a magical four days, walking the ancient road, learning about a mysterious and truly impressive civilization and enjoying the surrounding natural beauty along the way...oh and did I mention the food was really good!

Afterwards we caught a train from the nearby town, Aguas Caliente, back to Ollantaytambo, where we managed to catch a taxi back to Cusco...

After all the hiking we felt that we could do with some rest so we decided to head to the Southern city of Arequipa, via Puno and the floating islands of Uros, to spend a couple of days there before Robert and Roelene have to fly back to Africa!

La Paz, Death Road and Lake Titicaca

La Paz, the Death Road and Lake Titicaca

03/06/16 - 11/06/16 

We flew back to La Paz after our jungle adventure and took a taxi to our accommodation, Arthy's Hostel. We haven't heard great things about La Paz, mostly that it is busy, dirty and not the safest city in South America. We had decided not to spend too much time there, but we did have one big objective for our stay in the capital...to do the 'world's most dangerous road'...on mountain bikes!

On that note, we have to say that the dizzyingly high altitude city surprised us. Yes it's busy and dirty and socially acceptable to spit in public, but there's more then just that. 

View of La Paz from El Alto

Situated at 3500m, the city is nested in a crater surrounded by snow capped mountains and all the buildings are this brick colour, so it does have quite a unique feel to it. We mostly explored the cobblestone streets surrounding our hostel. 

Helado!

The next day we scraped all out courage together, said a prayer and headed off to the infamous Death Road. 

The Death Road is situated a little way outside of the city. Its a 64km dirt road that zigzags down the Yungas valley.  You start at a height of 4560m, literally above the cloud line, and finish at just 1200m, so with a mountain bike its a rapid descent, taking only a few hours. The 'death' in the name comes from the fact that the narrow road runs along extremely steep, and sheer cliffs with up to 600m drops, and with little to no railings! So one split second of not thinking, some loose rocks, a late turn or faulty brakes lie between you and a sheer vertical drop... So as you can imagine, this makes for quite an adrenaline rush. 

We joined a company that organizes the trip and supplies the bikes. Only after you have signed a very elaborate indemnity form, get handed your protective gear and told about the guy that rode over the edge a mere two weeks ago and the other guy currently in hospital due to an accident the previous day, do you realize that this might actually be more dangerous then what you thought. 

He's ready...

That said, we dressed like bikermice from Mars and took the steep road down...

She's ready!

The views were truly incredible, but you were constantly reminded to keep your eyes on the road each time you rode past the numerous crosses lining the side of the road where people lost their lives. It was really an experience and fantastic being on a bike again. 

We ended the day with cold bears and good food and all slept soundly knowing that we've survived the Death Road! Below is some footage Albertus took with his go-pro (excuse the random 2014 date at the top left - he says he's still figuring it out!):

The next day we boarded the bus and headed to Lake Titicaca! 

Copa, Copacabana, the hottest place south of Havana...

Lake Titicaca is the largest high altitude body of water in the world, and rich in Inca history. Opposite the Bolivian side of the lake sits Peru with its famous floating Islands. 

The Incas believed that their own ancestors came from here, and that the sun and the moon was created here. There are two islands in the lake Isla de Sol (island of the sun) and Isla de Luna (island of the moon). 

View from Isla del Sol

At one stage on our bus trip from La Paz we had to disembark the bus, take a boat across the lake while our bus took its own ferry and then again boarded the bus on the other side. Late afternoon we arrived at our destination...Copacabana! 

This little lake-side town looks out over the  beautiful blue waters, with hundreds of small boats bobbing about in the harbour. The town is buzzing with backpackers, small restaurants and stalls selling Alpaca jerseys and bright Inca materials all to the hum of a Bob Marley song playing in the background. We immediately liked the laid-back atmosphere. 

As the sun was setting we walked around with our backpacks looking for accommodation and came across a place with a beautiful view and good price...What we didn't know that this room with a view came with a price that we didn't pay in Bolivianos...the rooms were absolutely freezing, we barely slept and the shower water felt, in Simon's words, like you dived into the water at Llundadno. Needless to say, the next morning we packed our bags at the crack of dawn and headed off to somewhere warmer. We found the most amazing chalets, just around the corner,  overlooking the lake. Hostel La Cupula...Double bed, fire place, heater, warm water bottle, warm shower , private little garden with hammocks, fantastic service..we were in heaven! After all these backpackers, dorms, shared bathrooms and cold showers you can just imagine what a treat this was! Im just saying; we are om honeymoon after all;) 

On our first full day in Copacabana, the Veenstra's and ourselves climbed a hill that has an impressive cemetery and beautiful vista. We also had a divine dinner at a Mexican restaurant and just simply enjoyed our chalet. 

Early the next morning we took a two hour boat ride to Isla del Sol. The boat dropped us off at the Northern end of the island, from there we walked a beautifully scenic path to the South end, -+ 4h hike. At the South we stayed in a small settlement called Yumani. 

The little town is on the top of a hill, with steep slopes, covered with old inca terraces where the local people still plant their maize, potatoes and quinoa. The narrow cobblestone streets are all either steep ascents or steep descents, which in the former case was definitely tough on the still acclimatizing lungs! There are also no cars or motorbikes or streetlights, just donkeys, lots of donkeys...We rented a basic but clean 4 bed room from one of the friendly locals, and stayed there two nights.  

Every household in Yumani has a few donkeys, a lama or two and some sheep. The nights are pitch dark and deafeningly quiet and in the morning with the first rays of light you hear the hooves of the donkeys as the locals take their stock to the hills. 

We found a little restaurant with a jaw-dropping view, that said, every direction you look in Yumani is stunning. They had the best trout, quinoa and vegetables dish so we ate there both nights, enjoying our hearty meal, local beer, good company and pack of cards. 

It is an amazingly tranquil place, and it feels like you have slipped back into an ancient time, one in which any soul will find rest and peace. 

After our 'weekend away' we headed back to Copacabana, booked straight into our favourite chalets and enjoyed our last two nights in Bolivia. 

Tou-trek 'Isla del Sol' style - die boot het net net tweede gekom

Bolivia- in a nutshell- has completely exceeded our expectations. We spent three weeks here..salt flats, colonial Sucre city, amazing amazon adventure, La Paz with the death road and the massive, deep blue waters of lake Titicaca.  Muchos gracias Bolivia! 

Adios Bolivia!