Peru, from Cuzco to Machu Picchu

Cuzco,Peru

Cuzco or Cuzco, is a must see! for 2 reasons, first for its beauty and second because is the start point to get to Machu Picchu.

Church of la Compañía de Jesus

Cusco became World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1983.Cusco was the center for the Spanish colonization and spread of Christianity in the Andean world.  

Cusco elevation is around 3400 m. 

Calle Hatun Rumiyoc

Calle Hatun Rumiyoc
Stone wall built by Incas on the right and the wall built by the Spanish Colonizers on the left, Cusco, Peru.
Spanish buildings were often based on the massive stone walls built by the Incas.

Door detail of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo

The Cathedral of Santo Domingo took almost hundred years to be completed by the Spanish Conquistadores in 1654.

From Cusco to Muchu Picchu via Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytanbo is un interesting little Peruvian town half way from Cusco to Machu Picchu. 

Ollantaytambo is also important for its Archeological site and is also one the starting point for the three-day, four-night hike known as the Inca Trail.

People in Ollantaytambo are speaking Quechua mainly.

Quechua is the Andean language spoken since before the Spanish colonisation. 

Market in Ollantaytambo 

Llamas in the mountains surrounding Ollantaytambo  

In Ollantaytambo, I met Desiree from Amsterdam and Matika from LA. We decided to go to Machu Picchu together.
The train from Cusco to Machu Picchu was 70 USD, which is ok, compared to London prices but it's not, when you are backpacking. It was also the principle to not accept this speculation, made by a western company (The southern network including Cusco to Machu Picchu & Cusco to Puno (on Lake Titicaca). Passenger trains are run by a western company called PeruRail (www.perurail.com).The price for un other train would had been much cheaper.) who made me decide to take a longer and cheaper way to Machu Picchu.

My recommendation? Pay the bloody 70$! I ended up paying more, taking longer and risking my life walking along the rail track during the night (That was the best adventure in my life though ;-)).

Yes we did! Desiree, Matika and I, decided to walk 12 km on the rail track, from the closest point to Muchu Picchu, where a bus can drop you off, to Muchu Picchu. 
I think we started from a place called "Santa Rosa". We paid some local person to take us to the Rail Track. That was risky, we didn't know those people and nobody knew we were there. The 2 men took us into the woods as the route to Machu Picchu was somewhere there in the mountains.
 They could have done anything to us if they wanted, but nothing happened and we found the rail track to follow. 

There were not trains running at night, we were carrying all our belongings on our shoulders. I had a big 20 kg rucksack on my back, another small rucksack on my belly and a small bag with my DSLR Camera. We walked 12 km on a rail track, which is not a relaxing walk especially in a pitch dark night, I think we started at 7 pm and we arrived to Machu Picchu around 2am(We were told,after we did it, that there are of snakes in that area) 

7 hours with about 35 kg on my shoulders, in order to save 70 american dollars which we didn't save as we paid for the single ticket from Machu Picchu to Cusco almost the full price for a return ticket. Considering that we had to pay for the buses to get to Santa Rosa, we actually ended up spending more :)

Viñale, Cuba

Havana  Viñale  Trinidad

Viñale

I managed to find the time to visit Viñale at the end of my trip in Cuba and I'm very glad I did, I actually regret that I didn't stay longer.

Viñale is the tobacco plantations area in Cuba.
I found very genuine people there, generous and respectful.
This man in the picture is a Cuban farmer who showed me the Tobacco processing in "his" plantation, a very good man.

Tobacco leaf

Tobacco leafs drying process

Tobacco plants

The landscapes in Viñale look prehistorical, Viñale is very rural,is beautiful and quite countryside. El camino de las aguas is a 2 hours walk in the mountains, is must! I liked it because you meet the local farmers who are genuinely nice and the view is spectacular.

Another Cuban farmer who helped with the direction when I got lost

Cuban farmer

Tobacco plantation

This was the last farmer at the end of the "Camino de las aguas" on the top  of the mountain, excellent man, he offered me a Rum made by himself, likely I found my way back. The picture below shows the view from his balcony.

View from the top of the "Camino de las aguas"

Trinidad, Cuba

Havana  Viñale  Trinidad

Trinidad

A lovely small town, definitely worth to visit. Beautiful beach, cobblestone roads  and colourful streets. I still remember the delicious lobsters dinners for 8$, just amazing. It's a very quite place to relax, also there is a very interesting disco called "La Cueva" Which is built into a cave.

A typical Classic Car parked in street of Trinidad

Casa de La Trova in trinidad. the trova is a type of music with a songwriter who sing this poetic song, like bolero, and play the guitar. El Trovador is singer who earn his living as a itinerant singer. This Trova singers appeared in the 19th century in Santiago de Cuba and they helped spreading Cuba music around the world

There is a Cigar factory in Trinidad where you are not allowed to take pictures, I was able to sneak my lens into the window.

Cigars are still hand-made, you will be approached by hundreds of people trying to sell you fake Cigars in Cuba, I mean not original Cohiba or San Cristobal which are the most popular. I've learned a trick by a Cuban tobacco farmer, he told me that if the cigar is a good quality, the the hash should burn evenly, if you see that the cigar burns more from one side then the Cigar isn't good. 

Cuban musicians playing in a typical cobblestone road in Trinidad

Russia use to supply help cuba until 1989, this an old Russian motorbike.

Havana, Cuba

Havana  Viñale  Trinidad


I decided to fly to Cuba when I was in Costa Rica, I was curious and I wanted to understand the contradiction between the melancholic Cuban music and the European rumours saying that Cubans are cheerful, happy and they are smiling all the time.

I wanted to see Cuba before it wood have changed, Fidel Castro was seriously ill and Raul Castro, the brother, was already replacing him in some way.

It was 2007 when I flew from San Jose, Costa Rica, to Havana de Cuba without even booking a hotel or any kind of accommodation. I was prepared to sleep in the airport as the plain was landing at 1 a.m. As soon as I landed I asked a taxi driver if he knew any "casa particular" available which is a sort of Cuban B&B which usually have 1 spare room to rent out. He was very keen to looking for an accommodation for me as they get a part of the rent from the landlord of the "Casa particular".

The Casa particular is the best way to know Cuba and Cubans, just make sure you go to a legal one, which usually have a sign on the door (2 small triangles on a white background) which means that the owner is paying an annual fee and is a registered guest house, he also has the obligation to register all the guests in his house to the police office.

If you go to un illegal casa particular, you might end up in troubles as nobody would know you were there. In several circumstances tourist got mugged and in some case even killed. I'm not trying to scare who's reading this blog, this happens everywhere in the world anyway, I'm just trying to make people aware about an unpleasant situation which could spoil your trip.
I travelled all the way down from Canada to Argentina overland, crossing several countries and the only place where I got mugged was in Havana, why? Not because Cuba is more dangerous, actually is very safe, it happened because everybody told me that Cuba was the safest place in the world and nobody wold dare to touch a tourist hence I didn't pay attention as I didi in other countries and I was walking in the most dangerous part of Havana during the night, el barrio de Colon, just behind the Malecon. Locals told me they wouldn't even walk in that street during the night. In spite so, I still think that Cuba is safe, compared to other countries in latin america.

Havana

Havana is a very interesting place, it's unique, original, vintage, decadent and fascinating, there is not such a place in the world but you don't want to stay there more than 3 days.

Havana is tiring, you are a just a dollar/euro walking in the street, if you've been there you know what I mean.

Cuba has an incredible light for photography, everything is photogenic, Cuba is so colourful bright that even a beginner would take amazing pictures.

I found the streets of havana very charming with a lot of character. You can tell how reach Cuba use to be during the Spanish colonisation or in the 19th century when Havana was called the Paris of Antilles.

Thanks to the intensive trading between Cuba and North America, Cuban middle class started flourishing and Havana became very fashionable and the most important actors of the time use to work in Havana's theaters. In fact the Tacon Theater is one of the most luxurious in the world. 

 This is Havana today, the buildings are literally falling down but this is what makes Havana unique.

Walking in the street of Havana you find neo-classical, neo-baroque and Liberty architectural treasures.

2 balconies fell down during the week that I spent in Havana, an old man died while he was walking past.

The vintage car in Cuba are definitely another charming characteristic of Cuba, a Cuban friend was telling me that they actually hate those old smoky wrecks. People in the rest of the world, would pay a fortune for one of them!

Those in good conditions are used for tourists.

It is very common that I Cuban person gets married 3/4 time in his/her life

The sea is amazing even in the city, I was impressed how crystal clear  the water was.

There are a lot of musicians in Cuba, I found this place in Havana were the musicians could rehearsing for free.