When we decided to go to Peru for a holiday to basically see Macchu Picchu, one of the most exciting adventure trips, none of us knew what to expect. After a long and ardous flight from Chennai we landed in Peru’s cosmopolitan capital Lima. We had all heard a few horror stories about crime being rampant in South America and were particularly pleased to notice the amount of police and security provided for the tourists especially in the upmarket district of Miraflores. With a renewed sense of security, we ventured out to enjoy Limas exciting nightlife, superlative food and colourful markets that offer a great bargain. The Peruvian food was superlative especially when washed down with a few Pisco Sours the preferred local spirit.
After spending a few enjoyable days in Lima we headed off to the Amazon jungle for our first leg of our adventure. The Amazon actually rises in Peru where the brown waters of the Maranon river meet the black waters of the Uyacali to form the Amazon that flows for over 6400 odd km sot the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil. The sheer size of this river is simply mind boggling. To give you an indication of how big it is, our guide told us that he was from the area and his village is a 6 days away by boat !! On the river we tried our hand at Piranha fishing and even managed to catch a few which was fried and served to us at the Lodge that night for dinner. The more adventurous ventured to jump off the boat into the Amazon and swim alongside the pink river dolphins that playfully skirted around us. A hiking tour through the Amazon jungles in the night is not for the faint hearted. We were strictly told not to touch anything as almost every crawly creature out there is poisonous and could do us some deadly harm if we weren’t careful. Having said that I must add they we were wearing knee length boots and the local guide ensured that we in no danger at all.
From the steamy jungles of the Amazon we flew into the bastion of the Incas- Cuzco. This beautiful city perched at an altitude of 12000ft in the Andeas was the ancient capital of the Inca empire. Cusco is dotted with several Inca ruins like The Korikancha ( the Temple of the Sun), Sacsahuaman ( or sexy woman as its usually called) the underground temple of Kenko and Tambomachay, the baths of the Incas and the Ollantaytambo fortress to name a few. But surely the jewel in the crown in Cuzco has to be the 16th century Spanish cathedral with its paintings, gold and silver alters and cedar woodwook carvings. I was told by a fellow traveler that this Cathedral was far more impressive than anything in Europe.
From Cuzco we took a train to visit the lost city of Macchu Picchu. However for the adventure spirited, there is a hiking tour option as well. So remote and well hidden in the jungles is Macchu Picchu,that the Spanish conquistadors never ever got there. No amount of photographs or reading up can actually prepare you for Macchu Picchu. Its simply an awesome sight that just leaves you breathless. The place has a distinctive energy which you can feel when you’re there and it has to rate as the highlight of our trip and for most of us our lives as well! We also climbed to the top of Huyana Picchu (the steep mountain behind Macchu Picchu) for some breath taking views of this spectacle below.
Leaving Macchu Picchu behind we then headed off to Lake Titicaca, a high altitude lake that is shared by Peru and Bolivia. We visited the floating island of Uros which is a self sustained community that lives on the reeds called tortura that grow in the lake. The village even has its own floating school and hospital.
The last part of our journey took us soaring over the Nasca Lines. A series of impressive geoglyphs carved into the desert floor, so large that thet can only be seen fully from the air. The origins and purpose of the nasca lines continue to puzzle archeologists even today. One of the theories is that it is even believed to be an alien landing site and when you actually see the precision of the geometric figures carved there, you can actually believe it. Nasca lines is definitely the next best thing in Peru after Macchu Picchu and should not be missed. We ended our trip with a visit to Isla Ballestas a home to millions of birds, sea lions seals etc. Peru actually exports the bird dropping or ‘Guano’ from here and I’m told they make a good fertilizer.
Just when we were ready to reluctantly say goodbye to Peru we were told that Hurricane Sandy had hit New York and all flights to and from New York were cancelled. This meant that we were stranded in Lima for another five days but none of us complained. It sure wasn’t the worst place to be stranded !! Overall Peru is a fantastic destination to visit and it is one adventure trip which one must have on their bucket list.
