peru-8-cuzco-sacred-valley

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264 Cuzco & the Sacred Valley T C H u E zC H O I K TO E T M H A E N U J U N G L E Cuzco to Manu PAUCARTAMBO POP 1300 / ELEV 3200M This small village lies on the eastern slopes of the Andes, about 115km and three hours northeast of Cuzco along a cliff-hanging road, paved only until Huancarán. Paucartambo is famous for its riotously colorful celebration in honor of the Virgen del Carmen, a festival held annually from July 15 to 18, with hypnotic street dancing, wonderful processions and all manner of weird costumes. The highly symbolic dances are inspired by everything from fever-ridden malaria sufferers to the homosexual practices of the Spanish conquistadors. Accommodation for the festival needs to be organized in advance; you either have to find a room in one of a few basic hotels or hope a local will give you some floor space. Many tourist agencies in Cuzco run buses specifically for the fiesta and can help arrange accommodations with local families. Transportes Gallito de las Rocas (%084-22-6895; Diagonal Angamos, 1st block off Av de la Cultura, Cuzco) buses depart Cuzco to Paucartambo (S9, three hours) daily and to Pilcopata (S20, 10 to 12 hours) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Look for ‘Paucartambo’ painted on a lamp post between auto shops to find the office. TRES CRUCES About two hours beyond Paucartambo is the extraordinary jungle view at Tres Cruces, a lookout off the Paucartambo–Shintuya road. The sight of the mountains dropping away into the Amazon Basin is gorgeous in itself, but is made all the more magical by the sunrise phenomenon that occurs from May to July (other months are cloudy), especially around the time of the winter solstice on June 21. The sunrise here gets optically distorted, causing double images, halos and an incredible multicolored light show. At this time of year, many travel agencies and outdoor adventure outfitters run sunrisewatching trips from Cuzco. During Paucartambo’s Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen, minibuses run back and forth between Paucartambo and Tres Cruces all night long. You can also take a truck en route to Pillcopata and ask to be let off at the turnoff to Tres Cruces (a further 13km walk). Alternatively, ask around in Paucartambo to hire a truck. Make sure you leave in the middle of the night to catch the dawn, and take plenty of warm clothing. Camping is possible but take all your own supplies. Tres Cruces is within Parque Nacional Manu. For details of the onward trip to Shintuya and the Manu area, see p455. Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado Almost 500km long, this road takes a day to travel in the dry season. Most travelers choose to fly from Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado. Now paved, this route is part of the Interoceánica, a highway that unites the east and west coasts of South America for the first time. Various companies depart from Cuzco’s terminal terrestre for Puerto Maldonado between 3pm and 4.30pm daily. CIVA (S60, 17 hours, departs 4pm) is probably the best option. If you want to split up the journey, the best places to stop are Ocongate and Quince Mil, which have basic accommodations. The route heads toward Puno until soon after Urcos, where the road to Puerto Maldonado begins. About 75km and 2½ hours from Cuzco, you come to the highland town of Ocongate, which has a couple of basic hotels around the plaza. From here, trucks go to the village of Tinqui, an hour’s drive beyond Ocongate, which is the starting point for the spectacular seven-day trek encircling Ausangate (6384m), the highest mountain in southern Peru. After Tinqui, the road drops steadily to Quince Mil, 240km from Cuzco, less than 1000m above sea level, and the halfway point of the journey. The area is a gold-mining center, and the hotel here is often full. After another 100km, the road into the jungle reaches the flatlands, where it levels out for the last 140km into Puerto Maldonado. AUSANGATE Snowcapped Ausangate (6384m), the highest mountain in southern Peru, can be seen from Cuzco on a clear day. Hiking a circuit around its skirts is the most challenging alpine hike in the region. It takes five to six days and crosses four high passes (two over 5000m). The route begins in the rolling brown puna (grasslands of the Andean plateau) and features stunningly varied scenery, including fluted icy peaks, tumbling glaciers, turquoise lakes and green marshy valleys. Along the way you’ll stum-
le across huge herds of alpacas and tiny hamlets unchanged in centuries. The walk starts and finishes at Tinqui, where there are warm mineral springs and a basic hotel, and mules and arrieros (horsemen) are available for about S30 per day each. Average price is US$500 for an organized, tentbased trek with operators such as Apus Peru (%23-2691; www.apus-peru.com) or specialist guides. For a luxurious, lodge-based experience of Ausangate, check out Andean Lodges (%22-4613; www.andeanlodges.com; from US$610). Ecofriendly technologies are used in bathrooms and restaurants. CUZCO TO THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS Traveling by bus from Cuzco to Lima via Abancay and Nazca takes you along a remote route closed from the late 1980s until the late 1990s due to guerilla activity and banditry. It is now much safer, and paved. You should still check recent news reports before heading out this way as rainy season landslides can really slow a trip. Going west from Abancay to Andahuaylas and Ayacucho is a tough ride on a rough road rarely used except by the most hardcore travelers. Cuzco to Abancay There are several worthwhile stops along this four-hour, 200km ride. It’s possible to make a day out of visiting one or two, bus hopping your way to Abancay. Start by catching a colectivo to Limatambo (S12, two hours) from Arcopata in Cuzco. Limatambo, 80km west of Cuzco, is named after the Inca site of Rimactambo, also popularly known as Tarawasi (admission S10), which is situated beside the road, about 2km west of town. The site was used as a ceremonial center, as well as a resting place for the Inca chasquis (Inca runners who delivered messages over long distances). The exceptional polygonal retaining wall, noteworthy for its 28 human-sized niches, is in itself worth the trip from Cuzco. On the wall below it, look for flower shapes and a ninesided heart amid the patchwork of perfectly interlocking stones. There is basic, hard-tofind accommodation in Limatambo. The natural thermal baths of Cconoc (admission S3) are a 3km walk downhill from a turnoff 10km east of minor transport hub Corahuasi, 1½ hours east of Abancay. They have a restaurant, a bar, taxis and a basic hotel. The Inca site of Saihuite (admission S10), 45km east of Abancay, has a sizable, intricately carved boulder called the Stone of Saihuite, which is similar to the famous sculpted rock at Q’enqo, near Cuzco, though it’s smaller and more elaborate. The carvings of animals are particularly intricate. Ask to be let off at the turnoff to the ruins, from where it is a 1km walk downhill. Cachora, 15km from the highway from the same turnoff as Saihuite, is the most common starting point for the hike to Choquequirau. There are a few guesthouses, a campground and local guides and mules for hire. Choquequirau Remote, spectacular, and still not entirely cleared, the ruins of Choquequirau are often described as a mini-Machu Picchu. This breathtaking site at the junction of three rivers – and the fairly challenging four-day hike required to get there and back – has been firmly positioned as ‘the next big thing’ for the last few years. It seems inevitable that controls and permits will be introduced in time. In theory, travelers can organize this walk on their own easily, but at the time of research, essential footbridges were out and it was not possible to make the hike. Inquire with operators first, even if you plan on going on your own. A guided version costs US$380 on average. Apus Peru (%84-23-2691; www.apus-peru. com) joins this trek up with the Inca Trail, for a total of nine days of spectacular scenery and an ever-more-impressive parade of Inca ruins culminating in Machu Picchu. Abancay %083 / POP 13,800 / ELEV 2378M This sleepy rural town is the capital of the department of Apurímac, one of the leastexplored regions in the Peruvian Andes. Travelers may opt to use it as a rest stop on the long, tiring bus journey between Cuzco and Ayacucho. Jirón Arequipa, with banks, is the main commercial street; its continuation, Av las Arenas, has restaurants and entertainment. 265 Cuzco & the Sacred Valley T C H u E zC H O I K TO E T A H B E A N C C E AY N T R A L H I G H L A N D S
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