Brief Update and Travel Plans

I just came back from my independent weekend trip to Puno and Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca was truly awesome and unexpected events like diarrhoea and altitude sickness occurred to me again, and it should deserve a separate entry. Many other things have taken place as well since my previous update. So I?ll be posting 4 separate updates in the next week to come: (1) the Sacred Valley Trip on the weekend before last; (2) my volunteer work; (3) Peruvians & my host family; and (4) Lake Titicaca. I tried to sum up everything in one post, but it was impossible. I feel I can write an encyclopedia on my Peruvian trip.

I?ve also acquired enough Spanish to converse with a local for 20 minutes in Spanish, and enough Quechua to converse in Quechua for 3 minutes. I?ve also managed to survive Puno and Lake Titicaca alone with only 2 weeks of Spanish lessons. In fact I feel I?ve learnt more Spanish in 2 weeks than German in 2 years.

In the mean time, here?s my travel plans for my remaining 5 weeks in Peru.

Inti Raymi in Cusco this Friday

This is the Inca festival of the winter solstice, the festival of the year. It is enacted at the fortress of Sacsayhuaman. A group of us is heading to Cusco tomorrow to work on our project and then party with the locals till Friday evening. Looking forward to loads of chichas and cuys!

Arequipa and Cola Canyon and Cotahuasi Canyon

Tentatively this is fixed on July 1st to July 3rd. Arequipa, nicknamed the "White City," was built by the distinctive volcanic sillar. The city?s most famous colonial jewel, the Santa Catalina Convent, is a city within a city, and is the most enchanting colonial structure on the entire South American continent.

Two famous canyons - Colca and Cotahuasi - are within easy reach. Twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and once thought to be the deepest canyon in the world, Colca Canyon is an area of astounding beauty. On the other hand, the nearby Cotahuasi Canyon was recently found to be all of 163 metres deeper and is the world?s deepest canyon. I might just go to Colca Canyon since Cotahuasi Canyon is 12 hours away by bus from Arequipa and Arequipa is 10 hours away by bus from Cusco.

Machu Picchu & Salkantay Trek

Ever since Hiram Bingham discovered Machu Picchu in July 1911, the legendary Inca city has become one of the most recognised images in the world. So much so that Machu Picchu virtually represents Peru, and what was once a lost city for centuries is no longer so. Every visitor to Machu Picchu I?ve talked to says that there is a tremendous feeling of awe on first witnessing this incredible sight. In addition, the original Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is essentially a true Incan pilgrimage, though the 4-day Inca Trail is a difficult and treacherous one. What makes this tough hike, which totals more than 50 km of uphill and downhill in 4 days, so extraordinary is the stunning combination of Inca ruins, magnificent views, spectacular Andes, exotic vegetation and special ecological variety. The bad news is that all Inca trails have been fully booked till September and I will not have the opportunity to hike this original Inca Trail during my stay in Peru.

But how can a visit to Peru not include Machu Picchu? After serious contemplation, I?ve decided to do an even more treacherous alternative Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. On July 6th, I will be hiking from Mount Salkantay (6270 metres) to Machu Picchu. This hike takes 5 days 4 nights and is an extra day longer than the classic Inca Trail. I seriously don?t know how I am going to make it to Mount Salkantay, not to say Machu Picchu. But I?m definite that the effort is worthwhile when I see Machu Picchu in all its reflective glory. The guidebooks says, "Your aching muscles will be quickly forgotten and even the presence of the functional hotel building cannot detract from one of the most magical sights in all the Americas." July 6th to July 10th will be one of my most memorable times in my life.

The Amazon Basin

Yes, the Amazon Basin! I?ve spent so much time, money and effort in getting my Yellow Fever vaccination and malaria pills that I will definitely venture into the jungle regardless its cost. The cheapest tour I can find costs a staggering US$500 and is only 4 days 3 nights long. But then this is going to be another once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Amazon Basin is home to 10,000,000 living species, including 2000 species of fish and 300 mammals. Hopefully, I can head into the jungle after my volunteer work on July 17th.

Nasca

The enigmatic Nasca lines, whose origin and function continue to puzzle scientists, puts Nasca on the world map, otherwise Nasca would be just like any other anonymous desert oasis. My plan is to take a small plane to take a god?s eye view of the lines etched in the desert, after the Amazon Basin trip.

*****

The above basically sums up my travel plans for the next month to come. Even though Peruvian food is fantastic and Peruvian scenery spectacular, I am beginning to crave for my Hampstead crepes (strangely I don?t miss Singaporean food after a year away from home). I miss London and the diverse activities that I can engage in London. 5 weeks more before I head back to London, and I will make every single day in Peru an unforgettable one.