{"id":818,"date":"2013-02-05T10:15:01","date_gmt":"2013-02-05T10:15:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/?p=818"},"modified":"2020-02-03T12:25:22","modified_gmt":"2020-02-03T12:25:22","slug":"travelling-on-a-budget-in-peru-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/2013\/02\/travelling-on-a-budget-in-peru-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Travelling on a Budget in Peru – Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

So it did escape my attention that Arequipa<\/a> was located at altitude. \u00a0My first dalliance with it this trip. \u00a0I really don’t like it, hopefully my body adjusts so the headache, lethargy and nausea bugger off. \u00a0Paracetamol is always a girls best friend.<\/p>\n

Happily Arequipa<\/a> is a lovely city nestled among snow capped mountains\/volcanoes. \u00a0As usual the city centres around a colonial square surrounded by beautiful old buildings complete with the intricate wooden balconies and a huge grand church. \u00a0We had a couple of days here to wander, eat and enjoy the nightlife. \u00a0Coincidentally I don’t recommend hangovers at altitude, brutal and long lingering.<\/p>\n

\"Arequipa<\/p>\n

Not only is the city beautiful, there was the opportunity to upgrade, no camping for me! \u00a0Instead we stayed in a lovely colonial building. \u00a0Our room had a balcony overlooking a beautiful rose garden scattered with tents of those who chose to camp. \u00a0Unfathomable\u00a0to me. \u00a0Kids these days.
\nArequipa<\/a> is home to Juanita, the very famous ice maiden who was discovered in the 90’s just inside Mt Misti, one of the bigger volcanoes. \u00a0Things didn’t end so well for Juanita, she was an Inca human sacrifice at the tender age of 13ish (one of many now discovered). \u00a0As the sacrifice took place so high she pretty much froze in her grave after death meaning she is perfectly preserved. \u00a0Looking at a 500 year old frozen person with skin, hair, nails, etc intact is slightly disconcerting.<\/p>\n

Another famous attraction is of all things a\u00a0convent. \u00a0Turns out it is basically a \u00a0walled city within a city. \u00a0Back in the day the nuns here were a little naughty, all having being recruited from rich families in Spain. \u00a0Men folk somehow got behind the walls until the pope got wind. \u00a0These days there are only a few nuns in situ. \u00a0It’s a beautiful oasis in the middle of a bustling city. \u00a0Cobbled streets, walls painted in blues and reds, little squares filled with bright flowers and peace and quiet.<\/p>\n

Emmett and I decided on the optional trip to Colca Canyon, said to be the deepest in the world and also home to the ugly, but massive Condor. \u00a0Hours of driving had us up by Mt Misti at almost 5000 above sea level, breathing was an issue, then on through Colca valley. \u00a0For not the first time this trip I wondered what the hell these people do! \u00a0They are in the middle of nowhere, it’s dusty and there is really nothing there. \u00a0All up, my nightmare. \u00a0Apparently they are all farmers (alpacas, corn, quinoa, etc) but have been deserting the area in droves leaving mainly the old or the very young behind.<\/p>\n

\"Condor<\/p>\n

Anyway 5 hours or so later of bone rattling roads we arrived at the canyon and indeed it is very deep. \u00a0Impressive, but much like the Grand Canyon, I wasn’t blown away. \u00a0That said it was pretty special to just sit there and take it all in, especially when a couple of Condors finally glided overhead. \u00a0From the distance we were unable to see their rather unattractive heads, so they looked beautifully majestic.<\/p>\n

Stopping at a tiny, dusty town, another activity bar farming was displayed to me for the first time. \u00a0Old ladies and young Girls dressed up in the very colorful (surely impractical?) local dress; brightly colored heavy A-line skirts (with a couple layers underneath!), embroidered blouses, cardigan, bowler hats perched precariously atop their heads with multicolour woven blankets rigged around them like a sling. \u00a0They approach you with very young, very cute baby alpacas and\/or sheep either poking out of their sling or cradled in their arms. \u00a0The unsuspecting take a photo and then pow, they hassle you for money. \u00a0Crafty!<\/p>\n

Our accommodation in the middle of nowhere was delightful, a rustic hotel up a hill looking down to the valley. \u00a0The very inviting hammocks meant I bowed out of the hike up to some Inca ruins. \u00a0I didn’t \u00a0want to ruin Machu Pichu, or more to the point i didn’t want to walk. \u00a0I blame altitude. \u00a0My lovely hammock time was abruptly interrupted when I looked up from my book to see an alpaca\/llama (it was a cross) staring at me from spitting distance. \u00a0After a traumatic experience at the Adelaide petting zoo involving a flower hat and a llama i am somewhat wary of the beasts. Turns out it was the hotels pet which had been beaten as a small alpaca and was now very fond of spitting, as our guide Anto later found out. \u00a0Fair enough too I guess. \u00a0A delightful dip in the local hot springs finished the day off nicely.<\/p>\n

\"Hills<\/p>\n

Finally it was time for the long drive to Cusco<\/a>. \u00a0I had been looking forward to this bit of the trip with equal parts excitement and\u00a0in-trepidation, the Inca trek begins here. \u00a0The drive was typical of what I had seen of Peru; dry and rocky on the most part with little villages\/towns scattered about, \u00a0then you come around a bend and it’s green and fertile. Usually it’s all framed by snow capped mountains. \u00a0All quite rugged and not the most hospitable terrain. \u00a0I can’t begin to imagine how difficult life must be for the locals. \u00a0That said I guess it’s what your used to. \u00a0Makes me extremely grateful for what I’m used to.<\/p>\n

Cusco is a big city built up a hill and again, at altitude. \u00a0Driving in looks much like a shanty town but as you get closer to the centre things change dramatically. \u00a0Cusco was the home of the kings of the Incas, then the Spanish invaded and made it their capital. \u00a0Due to this the history, architecture and ruins of the city are absolutely amazing.<\/p>\n

The big town square is surrounded on two sides by huge, intricate, beautiful cathedrals (the two different denominations were trying to out do each other), largely built using stones from nearby Inca temples. \u00a0They are built atop the palaces of Inca kings (all largely destroyed by the delightful Spanish invaders) which were built using huge rocks and no mortar, all fitting absolutely perfectly. \u00a0Through various earthquakes the Inca portion have suffered very little damage whilst the Spanish additions have been partially demolished at various times. \u00a0Those Inca’s were onto something.<\/p>\n

\"Dinner
\nGetting into Cusco it is pretty much universally recommended to take it easy due to the altitude so we did just that. \u00a0Since Columbia, amazing, fresh fruit juice of all varieties (plus others you’ve never heard of) had been in short supply. \u00a0Imagine my delight when the restaurants of Cusco provided not only amazing juices, but delicious western foods<\/a> too. \u00a0A much needed break from Chicken and chips (ironically a favourite at home). \u00a0Satay, lasagna, pizza, sandwiches, burgers, veggies…..heaven. \u00a0Plus I could easily justify it all with “carb loading for the trek”.<\/p>\n

Cusco was also my first introduction to many Peruvians favourite thing, the Coca leaf. \u00a0They chew it, drink it and turn it into candy. \u00a0Not only does it help with altitude sickness, it suppresses hunger and it is full of vitamins and minerals. \u00a0For those living at altitude it is a part of daily life, they even offer it to their earth god, Pacha Mamma. \u00a0The dodgy looking guys on the street offer it in its chemical form, cocaine. \u00a0The US are not Coca farmers friends for this reason.<\/p>\n

Walking around Cusco, though tiring, was a great pastime. \u00a0Tranquil squares scattered everywhere, 500 year old buildings, churches and convents, cobbled streets with the lovely brightly dressed locals, largely the Inca descendants, Quechans, all going about their business. \u00a0I can easily see how travelers get ‘stuck’ there.<\/p>\n

Being good tourists, on that day anyway, we thought we should get out and see some Inca ruins surrounding Cusco. \u00a0The first is in the city and was one of the most important buildings to the Inca’s, The temple of the Sun. \u00a0At the height of their power perfectly built rooms (no grout needed) were completely covered in gold and silver. \u00a0Of course when the Spanish came they stripped the precious metals and built a church\/convent over it. \u00a0Very cool as now it is half original Inca building, half colonial Spanish. \u00a0The difference in the quality of workmanship is astounding.<\/p>\n

Heading out of Cusco on the hill overlooking the city is Saqsayhuaman, pronounced sexy woman. \u00a0Seriously. \u00a0This was a huge temple built with massive rocks, some nearly 200 tonne, all fitting perfectly and polished to perfection. \u00a0Many of the stones were liberated by the Spanish to build the many churches in Cusco to convert the heathens.<\/p>\n

Quenco was my favorite ruin. \u00a0From a distance it just looks like a massive collection of rocks. \u00a0On closer inspection the Inca have carved a snake like passage into the biggest one which leads to an underground chamber in the rock. \u00a0Holding\u00a0center\u00a0court is a massive natural stone table. \u00a0Jury’s out on whether this is where mummification took place, or sacrifices. \u00a0Either way, ick.<\/p>\n

The last ruin we checked out was an old Inca lodging for those making their way to the capital. \u00a0Amazingly the aqueducts that supplied the area with water are still running over 500 years later. \u00a0All very hard to get one’s, or mine anyway, head around.<\/p>\n

With time almost up before the big trek it was time to stock up on supplies, just incase. \u00a0I went into the deli looking for biscuits and chocolates and almost came out with a French bulldog puppy, Luna. \u00a0Her owner told me she was priceless, i begrudgingly agreed (though have began plotting the introduction of a French bulldog to my furry clan). \u00a0At the very least she took my mind off the task at hand. \u00a0I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about the next four days to come. \u00a0 I don’t like climbing mountains at the best of times, but in this horrible altitude….God, what was I thinking? \u00a0Wish me luck!!!<\/p>\n

Claire was on Tucan Travel\u2019s\u00a0Inca Explorer 1<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 2: Claire Turner, Travel Agent from South Australia, describes her journey through Peru from Arequipa to the Colca Canyon and finally on to Cusco where she prepares for the four day hike to the infamous Machu Picchu on one of Tucan Travel’s Budget Expeditions. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":4594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[51,52,24,13],"yoast_head":"\nTravelling on a Budget in Peru - Part 2 - Tucan Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/2013\/02\/travelling-on-a-budget-in-peru-part-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Travelling on a Budget in Peru - Part 2 - Tucan Travel Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Part 2: Claire Turner, Travel Agent from South Australia, describes her journey through Peru from Arequipa to the Colca Canyon and finally on to Cusco where she prepares for the four day hike to the infamous Machu Picchu on one of Tucan Travel's Budget Expeditions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/2013\/02\/travelling-on-a-budget-in-peru-part-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Tucan Travel Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/en-gb.facebook.com\/tucantraveladventures\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-02-05T10:15:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-02-03T12:25:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Arequipa.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"217\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@tucantravel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@tucantravel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Claire Turner\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Tucan Travel Blog\",\"description\":\"Inspiration, Information & Experiences\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/2013\/02\/travelling-on-a-budget-in-peru-part-2\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Arequipa.jpg\",\"width\":350,\"height\":217},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/2013\/02\/travelling-on-a-budget-in-peru-part-2\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/2013\/02\/travelling-on-a-budget-in-peru-part-2\/\",\"name\":\"Travelling on a Budget in Peru - 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