A - Z of Peru

A is for Altiplano

The Alitplano or High Plains is an extensive area of high plateau with an average height of 3300m.  The highest point is known as La Raya at 4335m where the regions of Cuzco and Puno meet. The city of Cuzco is 388km from the city of Puno on the shore of lake Titikaka.

B is for Bottled Water

It is available everywhere, even the farmers sell it high on the Inca Trail.  The price varies according to location.  For example in Cuzco it was only 1 sol per bottle rising to 10 sols in the cafe at Machu Picchu.  Drinking plenty will help to acclimatise to the altitude.

E is for Early Mornings

Everyday was an early start.  Usually at 5:00am to either get to the airport, get out to the trails in the forest or prepare for the next stage of the Inca trail.

G is for Guides

Our trip had one permenant guide, called Fabrizio who was very well organised and had a passion for his home city of Cuzco. 

C is for Cuzco

The city of Cuzco was the capital of the Inca Empire from the 1200s to 1532 and was divided into two sectors known as urin and hanan. There are still remains of some of the palaces of the Incas including the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Virgins of the Sun.  The Spanish arrived in 1533 and their influence is shown in some of the buildings with a mix of Inca architecture and classical Spanish. 

D is for Dead Woman Pass

At a height of 4215m above sea level the pass is so named because the rock formations resemble the shape of a woman lying on her back.  The trail crosses her stomach and the two peaks on the right represent her breasts.

F is for Forest

Be it rain or cloud they both have unique charaterisics. Plants form the basic structure of the forest on which everything else depends.  It is one of the paradoxes of tropical ecology that however luxuriant the rainforest vegetation may appear, its presence is not an indication of great soil fertility; on the contrary such soils are some of the poorest of all.

I is for Inca Trail

The trail starts at the Wardens Post at a place only known as Km82 which then follows the course of the Urubamba River towards Patallacta before turning towards the mountains and then the real climb starts.  After the village of Huayllabamba it is a long ascent to Dead Womans Pass at 4215m, which is the most exhausting part of the whole trail.

On one side of the Plaza de Armas is the gothic-renaissance style of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo with its impressive ornate towers either side of the large central wooden doors. Across the plaza is the splendid Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesus, a fine example of the classical Baroque style of architecture.

H is for High Altitude

Many parts of Peru are high in the Andes Mountains where the air can contain up to 40% less oxygen causing Acute Mountain Sickess.  To alleviate the symptoms we had been advised to drink plenty of water, rest and avoid any sort of stimulants, such as alcohol.

K is for Kola

Inca Kola is a soft drink is yellowish-gold in color, and sold all over Peru.

L is for Llama

The llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a pack animal by the Incas.  They are also found roaming free in the grounds of Machu Picchu grazing on the lush green grass. 

Whilst in the rain forest we where joined by Victor and Daniel with their love of nature and the environment they conveyed their knowledge in a relaxed and informative way.  Sylvia joined the tour when we visited Lake Titikaka showing us how the Uros community live on the Reed Islands.

J is for Juliaca

The city of Juliaca was a sight to behold and not for any good reasons either.  This was the first time I had felt uncomfortable travelling through Peru.  It's the largest commercial trading centre in the region of Puno with a strong trade in cattle, leather, wool and textiles.  The place reminded me of those lines in Star Wars, A New Hope, when Obi-wan Kenobi turns to Luke Skywalker over looking the space port below and says:

‘Mos Eisley, you won’t find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.’

N is for National Park

Tambopata National Reserve and is on the edge of the Bahuaja Sonene National Park, creating an immense area totaling more than 3,000,000 acres of sub-tropical moist rainforest. The major attraction is of course the rainforest, which is still largely pristine and home to all the major Amazonian animal groupings. 

The trail continues through to campsite at Pacaymayu onward to Phuyupatamarca passing the ruins at Runcu Raccay and Sayac Marca.  The final section is a long descent down the Inca Steps to the settlement at Winay Wayna before climbing upto the Sun Gate to view the famous Lost City of Machu Picchu.

M is for Machu Pichu

The city of Machu Picchu was once one of the many places that were unknown to outside world until it was brought to the world’s attention by Hiram Bingham in 1911.  The site is believed to have been constructed in 1460 at the height of the Inca Empire but within one hundred years had been abandoned. 

Along with Alpacas they are used to entice tourists to take photos with their owners dressed in traditional costume for money.  Llamas have a fine undercoat which can be used for handicrafts and garments. The coarser outer hair is used for rugs, wall-hangings and ropes.

O is for Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo became the strong hold of Manco Inca Yupanqui and temporary capital of the Inca Empire after the fall of Cuzco during the Spanish conquests of Peru.  The town was heavily fortified during this period and in the 19th century became very popular with foreign explorers because of the ancient ruins found there.

Q is for Quechaun

The Quechuan languages are a family of related languages in South America.  It has approximately 46 dialects, grouped in at least seven languages.  All of them can be called varieties of Quechua; the best-known variety is the dialect of Cusco, an early variety of which was the official language of the Inca Empire.

T is for Titikaka

The lake which at a height of over 3800m above sea level is the highest navigable expanse of water in the world.  The origin of the name ‘Titikaka’ is unknown but translates into ‘Rock Puma’ with the outline of the lake resembling a puma hunting a rabbit.  The lake crosses the border into Bolivia.

Many distinguishable forest types are represented, From sub-tropical moist forest in the lowlands to cloud forest, as well as tropical savanna ecosystems in the East of the reserve.  These forest types are home to over 20,000 plant species.

P is for Puerto Maldonado

A city in Southeastern Peru only a short distance from the border with Bolivia.  It is situated at the point where the Tambopata and Madra de Dios Rivers meet, a tributary of the Amazon River and was founded by Don Juan Villalta on 10th July 1902 as a station for exploration of the area.  He named the port after Faustino Maldonado, of Tarapoto, who had explored the Madre de Dios in 1861 and drowned in the rapids of the Mamoré River.

S is for Sun Gate

The Sun Gate or Inti Punco is the first place that hikers on the trail can see the Lost City Of Machu Picchu from.

The city is split along a natural fault line, which can clearly be seen, into the agriculture and urban sectors with over one hundred and forty buildings constructed from heavy hard granite stones quarried from the surrounding area.  The urban sector is dividend into three parts, the Popular District, the Sacred District and the District of the Priests and Nobility.

R is for Raqshi

The Inca site at Raqshi and the remains of the central wall of the Temple of Wiracocha. The wall is one hundred metres long and nearly twenty metres high with the four metre high foundations built in the classic Inca stone work of interlocking blocks. 

V is for Valley

There are lots in Peru but the most note worthy is the Sacred Valley of the Incas.  It contains numerous archaeological remains and villages.

W is for Winay Wayna

An Inca ruin along the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. It is built into a hillside overlooking the Urubamba River. The site consists of upper and lower house complexes connected by a staircase and fountain structures.

The remaining sixteen metres is of adobe construction, sun dried bricks of clay and straw.  Running along the top edge of the wall are the remains of the tiled roof.

U is for Urubamba

The town is often used by visitors to the area seeking out the Inca ruins located near by along with the wide variety of adventure sports on offer.  The river of the same name meanders through the mountain gorge to Machu Picchu with the famous Higham Bingham trainline running along side.

The valley was appreciated by the Incas due to its special geographical and climatic qualities. It was one of the empire's main points for the extraction of natural wealth, and the best place for maize production in Peru.

Y is for Yabba

Used when asking for more food, meaning: 'I would like some more.'

Z is for Zig Zag

The train to Cuzco travels through the series of switchback turns, which descend the hillside into the city station, known locally as ‘the zig-zag.’

X is for Kiss

The one I gave to Mo when we reached the Sun Gate and saw Machu Picchu for the first time.