Inca Trail : choosing the right company

The Inca Trail is one of the main attractions in Peru. This mythic trail leads to Machu Picchu, but it is impossible to go alone and it is important to book with a good company.

First thing to know is that you need a permit to get on the trail. On the 500 available each day, 200 are for tourists. The others are for the porters, who will carry the camping material and the food.

For the high season, it is advised to book way in advance. In my case, I booked one and a half month prior to my trip for a trek in November, and we almost took the last permits.

There are a lot of companies that can lead you on the way. You have to determine the size of the group you want and the type of experience you wish to have.

The price will start around 550 $ and can easily go up to 2000 $ depending on what you want. Some will include the sleeping bag, the mattress and the porters services. Walking sticks might be included or not. In most cases, you'll need to pay some fees for each of these items.

The choice of the company is important too for your safety. If you get altitude sickness, which is rare, it will be reassuring to know your guide carries oxygen.

Most of the groups can go up to 16 persons. My company, Wayki Trek, said it wouldn't go higher than 8, which they respected for us.

They also offered to spend one night in the porters' village, in Huayllacoccha. This offer was free and totally worth it. When you get the chance to see how locals live, you shouldn't pass on it.

The food is also included in the trek and, at least in our case, is excellent. I'll say more later about that.

For a complete list of all the companies offering the trek, click on this link.

If there is no permit available for the Inca Trail, don't give up. There are numerous treks leading to the Machu Picchu. Most of them go through Salkantay.

The altitude... in Cusco

After coming back from the Colca Canyon, we had a couple of hours to kill in Arequipa. Just enough time to reorganize our luggage and to go back in the old town for a stroll.


When it was time to catch the bus to Cusco, we decided to flag a taxi on the street. Not an easy task, especially when you're three travelers with huge backpacks. The tiny taxi that stopped for us didn't have a lot of free space. Have to say it, we were tight in there.

Taxi driver trick in Peru : it costs two soles to get into the bus station parking. The drivers will make you pay when he drops you there... and when he picks you there. Meaning he'll get four soles for going in... We just got down from the taxi outside of the parking, but I suspect he put it in the price anyway...

The way to Cusco was the roughest one since our driver thought he was from a Fast and furious movie. The three of us had given a little bit of loose in our seatbelts so we could move on our side during the night. When we encountered a bump in the road and jumped in the air, we all tightened our seatbelts at once.

Well and alive, we got to Cusco very early so we checked in our hostel. After a while, we went out to explore.

Cusco is a very touristic city. One is stopped every now and then to be offered a guided tour, a massage or some discounts in different restaurants. The word "no" is heard in all corners.


The city has a lot of hills, which tested our sore muscles pretty fast. Ouch! One step. Ouch! Another step. This is without talking about the altitude, which kept me out of breath most of the times.

We climbed up all the way to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman (pronounced "sexy woman") just to decide it was too expensive for us. On our way, there was a very persistant man who wanted to clean and repair my shoes, saying it wouldn't be impossible to climb the Machu Picchu if I left them that way. Had to decline four or five times. Just know, Mister, that I might have a diffrent pair of shoes for the expedition on Machu Picchu.

We stopped on some sort of terrace to take pictures. Two women were trying to convince tourists to pay in exchange of a picture of them with their alpaca. While we were using the timer of our cameras to take a picture of the three of us, one of those women, talking to herself in a very weird way, stopped just between us and the cameras. We still have to figure out if she did it on purpose or if she had a couple of loose screws.

After that, we ended up at Jack's Cafe, an american restaurant with huge meals. There is almost always a line at the door to get in. We were lucky enough to get the last table before the line started to grow. For those who have a sweet tooth, the brownie is really something. Just saying!

Walking on different routes, visiting some cheaper ruins while almost falling asleep, hammered by the altitude, we finally went back to the hostel. We even decided to eat there because the food on the menu looked good.

Also, it was the Ladie's night with free shooters for girls... or those who dress like girls. Since we didn't need shooters, we went for beers... Still, we got free shooters. Wondering what it means...

In the end, we were really disciplined. It didn't take long, though, to discover it is not advised to eat chocolate (brownie) and drink alcohol (beer) when you're still not used to the altitude. I'm not the one saying it. It is proven. Headaches, agitated sleep and nausea were unavoidable.

Only cure : sleep and a lot of water. At least three litres a day.

The Colca Canyon

They say visiting Arequipa without stopping at Colca Canyon is like going to Cusco without visiting Machu Picchu. In other words, it's a no-no!

Many options are available for the curious ones going to the canyon, generally excursions of one, two or three days. The ideal choice for us seemed obvious, particularly since we didn't have a lot of time : two days. We booked with Peru Schweiz Explorer, the company recommended at our hostel.

The one day trip includes breakfast, watching the condors fly, if you can spot one, a look at the canyon from the top of it, and, on the way back, a pit stop at a buffet and at thermal baths.

The two days one allows all of that but also makes you walk down the canyon. Those who choose the three days trip will only go down slower...


***

Our shuttle picked us up at 3:30 AM. Squeezed for hours, we couldn't sleep too much before breakfast, which was mainly composed of empty bread.


We then had about 30 minutes to watch the condors. Strangers all get in a group on the side of the cliff hoping to see the birds on the horizon. It was only a couple of minutes before we left that we saw one fly for a few seconds. Just enough time to take a picture.


In the dust of the village of Cabanaconde, we touched ground for a long walk of 18,4 km going down. That's the beauty of a canyon, right? We go down forever, and after, one needs to go back up.

Anyway, we had dinner in the middle of nowhere before starting to walk again, encountering an improvised soccer field and walking down to Tapay Oasis, where we would spend the night. No cars, almost no electricity, just calmness. Ah! And basic toilets too.


From there, on the next day, we had to go back up. The day began at 5 AM. Slow people had to start earlier or to hire a mule. Breakfast? After the climb. Hard when you're not used to the altitude and you need to reach a peak at almost 4000 m. One needs to stop often, follow the rythmn of their breath, and breath again when the guide says : "already tired?". Here, the most shocking word is "already". Especially when there is about one more hour to go.

Once back at the top, one needs to walk again to the small village of Cabanaconde to earn their meal.

After, other than the stop at the thermal baths, which was very appreciated by our sore muscles, there was not one hole in the road that would have stopped us from sleeping. Efforts and lack of sleep made us very tired. Well deserved sleep.

Here is the video of me crossing a very unstable bridge (bringing us to the thermal baths). I had to stop filming to find my balance again.

Arequipa's altitude

Arequipa

I spent a little more than 15 hours on the Cruz del Sur bus to Arequipa. If I could access wi-fi in the bus, as long as there was cell phone reception, it was strangely easier to get online in the middle of nowhere than in the cities themselves. It was also the first chance I had to taste Inka Cola, a soft drink with bubble gum taste. Hmmm!

I was very excited to get to Arequipa because that was where I was meeting my friend Peter, who was coming from Huacachina. He was supposed to get there one hour before me and to wait at the bus station.

In the end, we were both late, him more than me, so we got there at the same time. We then could negociate for a taxi that would bring us to our hostel, Arequipay Backpackers. It really feels like paradise for those who expect to spend several days, which wasn't our case.

Located at about 2500 m above see level, that city is a great way to get used to the altitude. "I feel nothing", I told myself just after I got there.

But it took just a little time (and exercise) for a headache to strike. That is one of the signs of altitude sickness... and fatigue of course.

So we only walked in the old town, where a homeless man begged us several times. We then went on the walking street where tourists can enjoy themselves in western-like restaurants like McDonald's, KFC and Starbucks.

We still walked further to find a vegetarian restaurant, very small but packed with locals, where we had a three course meal for seven soles (2,50 $). There was so much food we couldn't eat it all.

The more the day was going, the harder it got to combine altitude and fatigue. So we slowed down while deciding on a two days trek in the Colca Canyon for the next day. We had to wake up at 3 in the night to go there. So we ate again before going back to the hostel to pack for the trekking awaiting.

Buses in Peru

On the road to Arequipa.

The tourists traditionnaly use two means of transportation in Peru. The domestic flights are usually cheap and can help you go from a city to another that is far, like from Lima to Cusco, in a really short time.

For the others, the bus is still the cheapest way. For longer runs, one can travel by night, saving on a hostel and on one or two meals, because they are usually included.

The most famous company is Cruz del Sur. It is the one with the best comments from tourists across the internet. More expensive, they offer good comfort and good security. All the luggages are checked-in and safely placed under the bus. Meals are good enough and they even make you play Bingo on the road. It is possible to book online.

I went from Lima to Arequipa (for around 150 soles) with this company without having anything bad to say about it. It is possible to recline the seats to make comfortable enough beds. Only thing was we got to our destination a little bit late.

Another popular company is Oltursa. A little cheaper, it offers different types of seats, between half a bed and a regular seat which is impossible to recline. Luggages are also checked-in.

Friends who used it encountered big delays. I, for one, tested Oltursa from Arequipa to Cusco (100 soles) after having bought my ticket online. If we got to our destination on time, it is only because of the hectic driving of our driver. He was going very fast and abruptly from left to right, which woke us up a couple of times. Food wasn't that great either.

The comments I gathered about other companies, and the one I could find online, are mostly negative. Theft, fraud, dangerous driving have all been mentionned. One must know the cheapest companies tend to hire the worst drivers because they don't pay them well.

In the end, my adventure on board of a Tour Peru bus went well between Cusco and Copacabana (90 soles) in Bolivia. They took care of everything at the border. The only problem was one of us couldn't buckle his seatbelt because it was broken. There was no service on board.

So before chosing, with security in mind, it is important to read the comments online and to get informed. The lowest price is not always the best option.

Being late in Lima

Sorry for the time I took to update the blog. The internet, very slow in Peru and Bolivia, didn't allow me to open the page to post updates.

***

The first day in Peru went very fast. After my flight being delayed in the airport and a short night, I only had a little time to explore Lima. In the evening, I had to catch the bus I booked to Arequipa.

Having decided to meet with my friend Diego, a Peruvian I met in Cambodia last year, I only had two hours to explore by myself.

So I took the Metropolitano, the most efficient public transportation in the capital, to get in the old downtown.

The Metropolitano is a bus system that works exactly like a metro. It has its own lanes on the highway or on regular streets. Stations have been built for each stop with automated gates. And one uses an electronic card they can recharge to pay like in many other public transportation.

Then I made it in the old part of town, where I went from a park to another until I got, around noon, to the change of the guard in front of the national palace. On popular songs, the guards start a long walk that impresses tourists. Security guards make sure the street vendors are not annoying the tourists during the ceremony. That is the place where one can see fully dressed dogs.

A few minutes later, I tried to make my way back to the hostel. I didn't notice the Metropolitano stations could be confusing because some of them allow you to go only in one direction. I made the mistake of choosing the wrong direction after having paid. Problem was I didn't have change to recharge my card.

After going around in a circle, I decided to buy a bottle of juice with a bill of 50 soles so I could get a little bit of change. A ticket for the bus costs 2 soles.

With all of these adventures, I came late to my meeting with Diego. By at least 30 minutes. It must be Lima.

From there, we explored Miraflores, hate a ceviche and some raviolis with peruvian sauce in a good restaurant. Still, some women hearing us speak english couldn't keep from begging for some money. We then reached the coast, under the very grey clouds, before going back to the hostel so I made sure to catch my bus to Arequipa.

That means I visited Lima very fast. It seems like a city that has nothing too impressive. My few hours in the capital went well, the opposite of what my friends experienced. In an alley in Barranco, they got mugged with a gun and a knife for their camera. At the police station, to fill a report, they had to pay some "fees". Not sure it is totally legal to ask for those fees. Anyway, one has to be careful in Lima's streets.

In the end, the driver that was bringing me to the bus station had to work very hard to get to my destination since most of the streets were in construction. Each time he was putting the flasher on, he had to change his mind because the streets were blocked. Something to work on our patience.

On my way to Lima

I'm now on my way to Peru. I took off very early in the morning and I'm now working on my patience in Miami airport.

Tonight, I will be in Lima before heading to Arequipa tomorrow night.

In a week, I'll start walking up to the Machu Picchu.

More news to come if wi-fi allows it.

I'm not forgetting that I'm very very late in the news concerning Amsterdam. I'll come to it at some point.

A word about Peru

I reached a decision! In just about a month, I'll hit the road again. Finally!

So I'll leave for Peru, where I plan, of course, to see the famous Machu Picchu. I should then stop in Lima, Arequipa and Cuzco before a pause near Lake Titicaca. I will then continue on to La Paz, Bolivia, where I'll board the plane home.

Small information point about Machu Picchu, which one can reach in many different ways. The most famous one for trekkers probably is the Inca Trail, known to be one of the five most beautiful treks in the world. The trails goes past some Inca ruins. It reaches an altitude of 4200 meters, which can bring altitude sickness.

There are other treks since there are many other ways to reach the summit. We decided to try our luck at the Inca Trail itself. For that, it is necessary to book a long time ahead, especially in high season. Only 500 people can walk the trail each day, 200 of them being tourists. The other 300 permits are solely for guides and porters.

To know if permits are available for a specific day, look on that website.

Whatever the length of the trek is, it is mandatory to get a permit only for the first day of the trek. The permits can't be exchanged, transferred or refunded. They are linked to the passport number. And you can get it through an agency.

In the many agencies, we chose Wayki Trek. This company offers to spend the night before the trek with our guide's family. We're thinking about it.

The complete list of all the companies offering the treks is available here.

With my new trekking shoes, I'm already training for the Inca Trail.