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 :)

Bolivia, Salar De Uyuni

El Salar De Uyuny, Bolivia

The biggest Salt flat in the world the most surreal place I have ever visited in my life. El Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia.

This salty desert used to be a lake, it's located in southwest Bolivia at 3,656 meters above the sea level.

Bolivia is still rough and disorganised that's why it's worth it to go, Bolivia is still un unspoilt country to visit, is not a relaxing holiday if that's what you'r looking for. Transport are very uncomfortable Bolivia is quite an adventurous place with a lot of charm.

Bolivia offers unique landscapes, salty and sandy deserts looking like another planet and tropical forests as well.

The picture above shows "Isla Pescado" it's just a small hill in the middle of the salty desert, apparently these are the tallest cactus in the world they can rich up to 3 m high.

This was a 4 day trip with 8 people on a jeep, this was extremely cheap 7 years  ago and I think still now, I guess I paid 50 american dollars including food and accommodation for 4 days, obviously nobody complaint for the lack of caviar and champagne.

Make sure you go there with a good sleeping bag as the there is no heating in the shelter and the temperature can drop to -10C during the night.

El Hotel de Sal
As a travel photographer I managed to stay in this luxury hotel, made by salt, for free; I was travelling with other 2 Spanish guys, Iosu and Ivan, who I'd met in La Paz few days before by coincidence we recognised each others as we were in the same hostel in Bogota, I actually left the hostel the same day they arrived. Iosu was filming a documentary from Alaska following the Panamericana route all the way down to Ushuaia in Argentina, he got in contact with the hotel and managed to arrange this interchange with the hotel's owner: 3 accommodations for the pics below.

Big windows to enjoy the view the tables are made by salt, as well as the bricks and the floor. Breakfast was amazing by the way

The hotel was designed by an Architect as you can see is very stylish and comfortable. 

There is plenty of space in the hotel

Game room 

Outside the hotel

This is the amazing view of the sunset from the dinning room

The room was very cosy and comfortable in spite everything was made by salt

Everything is made with local material even this lamp was made by using the wood inside the local cactus.

This hotel is not cheap considering that is in Bolivia but it's worth it to stay 1 night as a starting point for the 4 days trip in the salty desert.

owl

Hotel de sal by night

Furnitures made by using the local salt

Double room 

Relaxing corner

The 4 days trip in the Salar de Uyuni by Jeep

The trip included food and accommodation as well, we slept in a sort of salty shelter we heating but we were fine with the sleeping bag and a lot of clothes looking like the Micheline man, temperature can drop down to -20C

You can easily find an organised trip for the salar the Uyuni in Uyuni, we were a group of 6 people plus the driver and the guide in 1 Jeep

in order, in the picture above, from the left: myself, Ivan and Iosu in Isla pescado

This is a rock shaped by the wind "El arbol de piedra" (The stone tree)

This is a hot spring, driver stopped and we could enjoy a natural SPA for free - 5 outside and +20C in the water, you better take advantage of this as won't find any shower during the 4 days trip so be prepared and take a swimming trunk with you.

The motto of Chile "Por la razon o la fuerza" (By reason or Force) originated from history of civil unrest and frequent wars with neighbouring countries, and Chile's ability to use force when other reasonable options have failed.

The tallest cactus in the world

Isala pescado

The landscapes are amazing, once you cross the salty desert you find another sandy desert it actually looks like another planet I guess Mars might look pretty similar.

San Juan's precolombian necropolis

There is a 3000 years old archeological site In the middle of no were with no fences just an open air cemetery with mummies, there were 2 kids selling the tickets for the entrance but I think it was just a trick to make some money there was not a box office no guide nothing just tombs made of blocks of fossil coral with mummies and urns inside.

We decided to get off at the border with Chile as Iosu, Ivan and myself were heading south, it was much more convenient skipping the last day trip in the desert. We had seen the most beautiful part of the trip and the last day back to Uyuni wasn't exiting according to the local people hence we saved 2 days trip and we were in Chile already, ready to jump on a bus to San Pedro de Atacama.

Bolivia lost access to the see during the "Atacama border dispute" remaining in a Landlocked situation since. Bolivia and Chile have had complicated relations ever since. This might be he reason of the dent on the sign in the picture above.





Yes believe it or not this is the border between Bolivia and Chile!