Country Overview: Travelling in Peru

One of the last and best shots of Machu Picchu, as the sun goes down it gets ready for another day.

One of the last and best shots of Machu Picchu, as the sun goes down it gets ready for another day.19-Aug-2009 22:13, Canon Canon EOS 400D DIGIT, 7.1, 28.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 400

Introduction: Peru is a vast country, the 28th largest in the world, with desert on its coast, the andes for its backbone and vast jungle inland to the East. Famous for its Incan ruins, we also visited the less travelled archeological North for evidence of pre-Incan cultures including the Chimu and Moche. A fascinating country that kept us occupied and entertained, we loved every minute.

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Gallery: The Amazing Lost Incan City of Machu Picchu

The obligatory pose; there are quite a few of these so I apologise in advance!

The obligatory pose; there are quite a few of these so I apologise in advance!19-Aug-2009 17:43, Canon Canon EOS 400D DIGIT, 8.0, 28.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 400

Having already visited one lost Incan city in Choquequirao and coming back only slightly disappointed and with one of us on crutches (guess who) we were a little apprehensive of visiting the more expensive and indecently touristic primary Incan offering from Peru, Machu Picchu. It would involve multiple but allegedly easy modes of transport, the stew pot of tourism that is Aguas Calientes, and we would finally be rewarded with the glorious postcard view of the ancient stone city nestled high in the Andean mountains. Would it fulfil the majestic fairytale that we’d been promised? Or would the potential highlight of our trip become a tour group with megaphone nightmare? Would we drink any more rum and yoghurt?!

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Gallery: Guide to Hiking to the Lost Incan City of Choquequirao and an unexpected Horse Trek!

The happy crew at the bottom of the downhill; now all that is left is about 1,500m of up!

The happy crew at the bottom of the downhill; now all that is left is about 1,500m of up!13-Aug-2009 17:25, Canon Canon EOS 400D DIGIT, 6.3, 28.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 400

The lost Incan city of Choquequirao is known as the sacred sister to Machu Picchu, only accessible by foot and receiving just one percent of the visiting tourists annually. As each year progresses, the site becomes busier, so time is of the essence before this mostly unheard of archaeological treasure becomes another tourist’s tick box. With so many improbable rumours to be investigated, the challenge of a soul crushing hike and the opportunity for a good spot of camping, how could we possibly give it a miss? Would my knee hold up? More importantly, is rum and yoghurt actually drinkable?

Continue reading Gallery: Guide to Hiking to the Lost Incan City of Choquequirao and an unexpected Horse Trek!…