machu picchu

one of the numerous 'tree' blocks -------------- playing 'stuck in the mud'


the 'official´road block ---------------- the victims


valley from st teresa to hydro ----------------- walking the rails at hydro


the $8 train from aguas calientes to hydro ----------


machu picchu early morning -----------------------special dedication to kelly.


a royal entrance (earth quake proof)--------------------- once the mist had lifted


temple of the condor -------------------------------the impressive water system


a few abodes with terraces --------- 10 points for guessing that this is a condor!


the incan calender ?? --------------------- wayna picchu in the distance


view of machu picchu from wayna picchu --------- from afar


crumbling temple ----------------------------- with wayna in the background


the glorious hot springs of st teresa ------view from moray


moray ruins (inca terraces) = incan R&D department


las salinas --------------------------------










on the third day of our stay in cusco, we decided to go on a little adventure ; machu picchu solos. we had the connections all planned out until we discovered that the villagers were striking (for numerous reasons that i won´t go into) and that is where the REAL expedition began.

the first trip, from cusco to santa maria, went quite well (if getting stuck in mushy mud is ok)...and thats where it ended. due to the strikes, there were more and more trees, branches, rocks etc blocking the road, so on several occassions the men in the minivan had to get out to displace the debris. our trip ended when there were a group of people standing in front of the barriers. we (and especially the driver) took this as a sure sign that this is where our trip ended!!

santa maria was unvoluntarily home for a few hours. luckily we were not alone. there was a korean and two dutch 'stuck in the mud' with us. we did have a few laughs though which made time pass. for example, the dutch guy asked me if i was an albino. seb proceded to define the meaning of ¨albino¨, in case it was not the same in dutch. indeed it was! as if that was not enough, he then asked if my parents were of colour! we were not too sure if he was kidding or being serious. when he repeated the question, i gathered that we had a fool on our hands. gee wizz, did we laugh!


he was saved by the arrival of a taxi driver offering his services. he announced that he had a car that would take us to santa teresa, but only after 6pm (when the villagers would be in a meeting). it sounded rather dodgy but seb and louis-the-local went to check it out and it seemed ok.

i dont know if you have heard of the most dangerous road near la paz, in bolivia. well, i think the road that we took could compete and more than likely win! combined with the speed that the guy was driving, and sliding out (of course! what kind of an adventure would it be without some skidding on and nearly off a cliff with a drop of a few 100 metres!?), didnt help. needless to say, everyone, even the most uncatholic, said a little prayer and it worked...we made it to santa teresa where we spent the night in a cute hostel (auqui).

the following day, we had a mammoth walk from sta teresa via hydroelectrica (just some spot where taxis occassionally wait) then to aguas calientes. all in all, a 5 1/2 hour walk, which was beautiful in the beginning but agonising in the end as we were walking on railway tracks. i think we wouldve done a better job of it intoxicated!

anyway, we made it to aguas calientes which resembles something of a french village in the alps, without the charm or the snow. completely geared to tourism aka over-priced in every sense. luckily we only spent one night there and woke up early to hike machu picchu (2400m) which was phenomenal! no words could explain how magnificant it was! we had a guide which explained this and that, whch took about two hours. we then proceded to climb wayna picchu (2700m) which was extremely tiring but marvellous as we had a splendid view of macchu picchu and the surrounding valleys. i will let the photos speak for themselves...

luckily, we did not have to do the trip back the same way. we took the ($8 over-priced) train to hydro then a 2 soles (more or less 75 US cents) taxi to sta teresa. the afternoon was spent lazing in the hot springs where our aching legs slowly recovered...

our last night in cusco, we treated ourselves to a wonderful restaurant called "victor victoria" where we endulged in peruvian ceviche (me) and lama steak (seb) with salads galore...mmm, food. a great ending to peru -

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Apres qq jours a Cusco et aux alentours, il etait temps de partir a la conquete du Machu Picchu (vieille montagne en quechua), un des sites incas non decouvert par les espagnols et donc en bon etat de preservation. On reserve notre trek de 5 jours, le Sal Kan Tai, alternative economique du chemin de l'inca. Malheuresement au dernier moment, le tour est annule pour cause de greve des campesinos, ceux ci bloquant les chemins d acces. La greve s etendant sur plusieurs jours, on decide donc de partir nous meme avec les moyens du bord (bus/microbus).

Le chauffeur du minibus nous assure connaitre un chemin permettant d eviter les bloquages des campesinos. Apres 4h de route, on rencontre notre premier obstacle sur la route et le chauffeur decide de prendre un chemin de terre a travers la jungle. Autant dire que le minibus ne possede pas de mode 4*4 et que la route s'annonce plutot difficile. Au cours du trajet, on trouve regulierement des troncs d'arbre ou des pierres entasses au milieu de la route, qu'il faut deplacer a la main. On arrive meme a s'embourber sur un chemin boueux au milieu de nul part, duquel on ne sort qu'apres une heure de travail acharne. Durant cette heure, les gentils moustiques peruviens ne manquent pas de se faire plaisir sur mon visage et mes bras.

Finalement on arrive a un barrage infranchissable ou les campesinos ne veulent rien entendre. On continue donc a pied pendant 1h jusqu'au village de santa maria. La, toute la population du coin est reunie et attend tranquillement le meeting de 19h afin de decider de la suite du mouvement. N'ayant d'autres alternatives qu'attendre 19h pour que se decide quelque chose et que les gens commence a rentrer chez eux (liberant ainsi le passage), on se pose dans un comedor (restaurant local).

Apres 4 h d'attente, je trouve un gars qui veut bien nous emmener sur Santa Teresa le soir meme, a condition de se faire discret a la sortie de la ville et de le rejoindre 500 m plus loin sur la route. On rejoint Santa Teresa a 20h epuise mais content de s etre bien rapproche du but.
Le lendemain, une marche difficile (on marche sur la voie ferree du train qui relie cusco a aguas calientes pour la maudique somme de 50 dollars l'aller...) de 5h nous emmene a Aguas Calientes, le village au pied du machu picchu ou nous passerons la nuit.

A 5h du mat, sous une petite bruine, on entamme l ascension des marches qui mene a l'entree du site. A 6h, on commence la visite dans la brume. Il n'y a pas grand monde et le site parait vraiment magique, gris quand on le regarde du dessous (on ne voit que les pierres formant les terrasses) et vert quand on le regarde d'en haut (on voit l'herbe pousser sur les terrasses). Comme a Pisac, le site se divise en deux parties, les terrasses et les habitations/temples. Le site a ete decouvert par un berger peruvien qui y residait tranquillement jusqu a ce que Bingham, un archeologue americain, ne debarque en 1911 pour rendre le site mondialement connu.
La raison d'existence du site n'est pas tres claire, et plusieurs theses existent: une forteresse incas en cas d'invasion des tribus amazoniennes (les seules jamais conquises par les incas), une capitale religieuse, ou plus probablement, une residence secondaire haut perchee des souverains incas.

La cite aurait heberge 1800 personnes. Outre les terrasses et les differents temples, il y a un observatoire astronomique (fameuse pierre aux formes geometriques bizarres). Durant la visite, la guide aura reussi a nous persuader une bonne vingtaine de fois que l'arrangement des pierres, le choix de la montagne, les jeux d'ombre du soleil sur le calendrier astronomique ne sont pas dus au hasard mais representent bel et bien un lama, un condor, une tete incas ou quoique ce soit incas.... Au final, il faut pas mal d'imagination et une bonne dose de mauvaise foi incas pour apercevoir tout ca, c'est mon point de vue.

En rentrant du Machu Picchu, on aura l'occasion de s'arreter voir deux autres sites incas incroyables : les terrasses de Moray et les salines.
Les terrasses en rond de Moray constituaient une innovation technologique car ce systeme permettait de proteger les cultures du vent et de profiter de la gravite pour l'irrigation; de plus, les plantes ou cereales profitaient mieux de la lumiere du soleil tout au long de la journee.
Les salines surprennent par leur blancheur dans ce paysage de terre rouge. L'eau provient de la terre (eau chaude) et un systeme de terrasses la recupere. Durant la nuit (glaciale a 3500 m d'altitude), l'eau gele et le lendemain les paysans fendent la glace afin de recuperer le sel.

De retour sur Cusco, on decide de se faire plaisir en s'offrant un superbe diner au Victor Victoria : steak de lama pour moi et cheviche (salade de poisson) pour Karis.

C'en est fini de l'aventure peruvienne. A nous la Bolivie...