Peru

Paddington Bear “from darkest Peru” had not prepared us for the vast expanse of desert covering the north coast for hundreds of miles.

18 hours after leaving Cuenca we arrived in Trujillo on Independance Day. The attractive spacious Plaza de Armas and its surrounding streets boast many colonial churches and buildings with intricate wrought-iron grillwork unique to Trujillo. Further afield we visited the temples of the Sun and Moon and the impressively restored Chan Chan site.

Two days later travelling, via Lima, on winding roads through mountains we reached the Inca capital Cusco located in the Sacred Valley, home to a few gastro restaurants serving typical dishes worthy of a Michelin star! Nearby Pisac has a big, diverse market where the locals still wear colourful traditional clothes. We sampled the typical empañadas baked in stone ovens. Pisac is surrounded by mountains with Incas agricultural terracing topped with the ceremonial centre and well-preserved temples. Well worth the steep climb!

We went to many sites all different, ranging from three-tiered zigzag fortifications, symbolic carvings, to a ceremonial stone bath channelling spring water through fountains. All home to llamas and alpacas. We visited Maras large salt pans, Moray’s fascinating deep ampitheatre-like terracing and Chinchero ruins at 3,762m surrounded by snow-capped peaks.

Then it was time to test our fitness with our 3 day trek up the Lares Valley to Machu Picchu! We were relieved to discover there were only 2 others in our group and they were French! Geneviève and Patrick were the best fellow-hikers imaginable being a lovely interesting couple with a great sense of humour. After a stop at a hot spring our big rucksacks were laden onto horses, we donned our daypacks and followed our enthusiastic guide. The adventure had begun! During our trek we never met other tourists, just a few locals. Our first campsite was at 3,750 where the chef produced an amazing and copious meal – one of many! The star-studded sky and stillness partly compensated for a night spent freezing! At 04.30am we were awoken with hot coca tea and bowls of hot water. After several hours of steep climb we reached the highest point, the Huacawasi Pass, where the guide produced a bottle of bubbly to celebrate! Our next campsite was at a mere 3,550m. Day 3 we trekked through forests and finally took a train to arrive at Agua Calientes which lies in a deep gorge below Machu Picchu.

Nothing can prepare one for the awesome view of a deserted Machu Picchu at 6 o’clock in the morning. It was even more beautiful than anticipated. During our five hour visit the sun came up and the light changed altering the site’s aspect. A truly wonderful end to an amazing trek.

Our time in Peru finished in Lima exploring the historical centre, walking by the Pacific Ocean and yes, we did find Paddington Bear – well his statue!