Alex & Danika's 2010 Adventures: Choquequiraw

Hi all!

We left Puno about a week ago and travelled all day to get to Cusco. We spent a full day just wandering around Cusco and getting everything ready for our 5 day trek to see the Inca ruins at Choquequiraw. We found a lovely little restaurant not far from the main square for lunch and for 8 Soles (about 3 Aussie dollars) each, we had a starter of bruschetta followed by a big bowl of lovely creamy soup and a main of pasta with a glass of wine... Amazing value!

Day 1. Then at 3.30am the next morning our big trekking adventure started! We got up and met the bus and our guides (Ricardo, Jimmy and Maguell) at 4am and had a 5 hour bus ride to the start of our trek. We had breakfast (massive, as were all our meals) and headed off for 7 hours of walking. The first 5 or so hours were quite flat, with a bit of "up and down" and the last part went down quite steep. We had a late lunch (which every day was a soup and a main) and made it to our campsite around 5.30pm. The tents were up and all we had to do was turn up for dinner. Every night before dinner we had "Happy Hour"... Not the traditional sort with beer and peanuts, rather with hot chocolate, popcorn and bikkies. Dinner each night consisted of soup (we didn't eat the same soup twice) a main and dessert. We were impressed to say the least at the amazing meals they whipped up in a tent with only what their horses could carry up the mountain.

Day 2. We were woken at 5.30am to "Hello. Good morning. Cocoa tea?" coming from outside our tent. And yes they did deliver (every morning even in the rain) tea to our tents to help get us going. After breakfast we set off, leaving the washing up and tent packing up to the lovely porters. Today was downhill for a half hour and then after crossing a raging river uphill for what seemed like forever (about 6 hours). It was a rainy day so everything was wet and muddy. But dinner was again warm and delicious and we had the ruins to look forward to the next day...

Day 3. We weren't travelling today, just walking to different Inca sights. We we're granted a sleep in (7am) and then walked up for a good half hour to visit the sight where the royal Inca family lived before the Spanish killed them off. It was surreal. The Incas were very sophisticated and great at building things. Their walls still standing are built better that a lot of houses today and the thought that went into where they positioned everything is brilliant. We saw a religious site (literally a mountain that they had cut the top off) and almost got lost in what was left of the royal family's palace. Back down to the campsite for lunch and after a siesta we wandered down to the terraces. Little ledges built into the steep mountain and beautiful stone steps. Pictures will give better pictures than words :-)

Day 4. Very steep downhill for a few hours and then very steep uphill for an hour to get to lunch. Quite flat for the next few hours to get to our campsite (no toilet at this one, real bush camping). I might pause to mention that "Take 2" and "Puno" are big hits and we play most nights.

Day 5. Last day and very happy about it. The plan was to walk for 3 hours, get to luch and at about 1pm leave on the bus for a 6 hour bus ride home. Walk was alright lunch was great, but the bus didn't turn up at 1. So we got some soccer games going with the locals. The local women won the girls game( I was on their team:-)) but our boys beat the local men. We found out that there had been a landslide so the bus couldn't get through and it finally arrived at about 4.30pm and we were off by 5, to the sadness of the local children. Got back to Cusco at about 11pm. warm shower and shampoo were gladly welcomed as was a yummy Hamburger from a street vendor for 2 Soles (less than 1 dollar!)

Before I go on I just have to say that the things we saw we're indescibable. The mountains and waterfalls and views... I've never seen anything like it in my life. The only problem was that you have to make an effort to enjoy it when your so exhausted from walking :-)

We woke up quite early this morning to get our very dirty clothes to the laundry and had a lovely breakfast at a little old lady's restaurant. Very home made and delicious. This afternoons plan is lunch and a massage (15 Soles for an hour) and a few drinks tonight with the whole group.

We're loving South America so very much and recommend it to anyone. Everything is so cheap (We got a litre bottle of rum today for 18 Soles... Like A$6.50) and the food is divine!

Sorry this has been so long... I hope the pictures do a better job at explaining than I have.

Much love.