General Travel Tips – Page 10 – Pirwa Hostels BLOG

Colca Canyon to Lake Titicaca

October 5, 2013 Pirwa

The route from Arequipa to Colca Canyon is marked by open plains surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes. Along the way, we make several stops: at the Pampas Cañahuas Reserve to watch the grazing herds of alpacas and vicuña, at the town of Viscachani to stretch our legs and enjoy a coca tea or coffee, at the Mirador of the Andes Lookout (4850masl) to take in some dazzling expansive views of the surrounding landscape. The lookout is located at the highest point of the crossing, meaning that you will probably be feeling a little fatigued from the altitude! (Check out an earlier post if you’re looking for tips to prevent and deal with altitude sickness….you’ll probably be glad you did.)

At Chivay, we’ll enjoy a buffet lunch where you can sample alpaca and other local dishes. Chivay is considered the canyon’s principal town and entry point, so this is where visitors must purchase their entry, which is presently S/35 Peruvian nuevos soles.

Continuing on to the town of Coporaque, you can get settled in our inn for the night before exploring the town with our local guide. Evenings can be quite cold in the canyon, but you can warm up in the La Calera Hot Springs if you desire. The entry cost is S/10 Peruvian nuevos soles. (The inn can provide towels, so you just need to bring sandals and your swimsuit.) The pools are surrounded by beautiful mountains. Dinner will be accompanied by a folkloric show highlighting the canyon’s two pre-Columbian cultures, the Collagua and the Cabana.

After an early breakfast on the second day, we head to the viewing platform of Condor’s Cross, the most famous site in the canyon, stopping along the way to enjoy views of the canyon and its river as well as thousand year old cliff-side agricultural terraces and pre-Columbian hanging tombs. As the sun’s rays begin to warm the canyon, the endangered Andean condors rise from their nesting colony deep below Condor’s Cross, circling ever higher in search of food. The sheer size of the world’s largest birds of flight is stunning to see at close range, especially in the setting of the canyon’s natural beauty. There are some small trails in the area that we can walk as well. During the return to Chivay for lunch, we’ll visit some of the tiny towns of the canyon.

Then, it will be time to depart from the canyon and begin our journey over the altiplano, the high Andean plains. Depending on the time of year, we may see Andean flamingos feeding on the shores of Lagunillas Lake. At the end of the journey, you will be dropped off at your hotel or hostel in Puno.

Although Puno itself is not a large city, the islands of Lake Titicaca will surely be calling to you. Most visitors choose to see at least the Floating Islands of Uros, and if time allows the islands of Amantani and Taquile. For more detailed information on things to do in Puno, here’s a selection of earlier posts on the topic:

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Learn to Make Chocolate at the ChocoMuseu in Lima or Cusco

September 28, 2013 Pirwa

The ChocoMuseo mission is to make chocolate in the countries where cacao grows, which is why it luckily has three different locations in Peru. In Lima, it’s located 3 blocks from Kennedy Park in Miraflores (very close to our hostels, which are located one block and four blocks from Kennedy Park). In Cusco, it’s 2 blocks from the main square, the Plaza de Armas (just a block from Pirwa Colonial Hostel, Pirwa Posada del Corregidor, and Pirwa Suecia B&B!). There’s also one located half a block from the impressive ruins of Ollantaytambo.

(You may remember reading about Ollantaytambo in an earlier blog post, “5 Best Spots to Visit in the Sacred Valley of the Incas“.)

Visitors can take part in popular activities, especially the 2-hour “Cacao Bean to Chocolate Bar” workshop, which takes you through the whole process. Other workshops vary by location and month, but some of the standards are truffle-making and sculpting chocolate.

Each activity has a cost, although entrance to the small cacao and chocolate museum is free (and you are often invited to enjoy a cup of cacao husk tea for free as well….it’s different, but the taste really grows on you….you’ll probably find yourself buying a few bags to take home). There’s an artisanal chocolate kitchen open to view, as well as a store and café if you want to sample some of their products, which include natural cacao goods, crafts such as mugs and chocolate-making tools, and of course, chocolates.

Although the ChocoMuseos are actually quite small, the workshops and café make it a fun way to spend an afternoon and learn about one of the region’s most fascinating and delicious products.

As always, feel free to ask reception in any of our Pirwa hostels in Peru for tips and recommendations on fun, enlightening ways to spend your free time during your trip!

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The Santa Cruz Route in Huascarán: One of the World’s Best Treks

September 24, 2013 Pirwa

Peru offers some of the best alpine hiking in the world, as attested by National Geographic when it included the Santa Cruz Trek in its list The World’s 25 Most Epic Hikes. The trek follows the river of the same name through Huascarán National Park, which contains all of the stunning Cordillera Blanca- the highest mountain range outside of the Himalayas and the most concentrated collection of large peaks in the western hemisphere. It’s appropriate for all experience levels and is generally done in 4 days. (Although experienced hikers seeking a more challenging route often opt for the longer Alpamayo Trek.) The hike does reach a difficult summit, however, at the cold and windy high pass of Punta Union.

The lively hikers’ hub of Huaraz serves as the base town for almost excursions into Huascarán, whether it’s day-hikes, longer treks, mountain climbing, skiing or biking. The Santa Cruz Trek itself generally begins in nearby Cashapampa (2900m), although it is sometimes also done in reverse. Going with an agency group tour means that you will also have a guide, a chef, and donkeys or horses to carry the camping and cooking equipment. (Feel free to contact the travel specialists of Pirwa Travel Service at pirwatravel@gmail.com for information.)

Along the route, you follow the rapids of the Santa Cruz River past red quenua trees and turquoise lakes under the looming mountain peaks. Beginning at a narrow gorge where the river spills out from a cleft in the mountains, the first day’s hike is only a few hours. As you continue past eucalyptus groves and flowering bushes in different colors, towards the dark rock spires of the gorge walls and the route’s first waterfall, the guide tells you about the area’s history and the scenery gets ever more varied and majestic. The first night’s camp is at Llamacorral, a grassy area enclosed by stone walls.

The following day, you won’t be able to resist marveling at the glacial lake of Jatunococha surrounded by the narrow valley’s steep walls. In the distance, the snowy peak of Quitaraju will rise above the scene. Just a little further on, a set of dozens of waterfalls from Arthayacocha River spring from the 300m tall valley walls give the impression of an enormous natural dam holding back an ocean. Exiting the gorge and entering a wide grassy field with steams. The series of Andean peaks which will come into view include the beautiful Alpamayo and Artesonraju, the Paramount Pictures mountain. The scenic lagoons will also continue, most notably with colorful Laguna Arhueycocha and the glacier and ice fall that tumbles into it.

The second day’s camp in generally Taullipampa, which you reach by descending into a meadow. On the third day, you ascend a stunning valley to a glacial lake surrounded by impressive ice covered peaks. The high point is at Punto Union Pass, at a daunting 15,617ft above sea level (higher than any peak in the contiguous U.S.) boasting enviable views. After the pass, you descend through a forest and a series of lakes to the third day’s camp. From the pass on, the landscapes are much starker, but are still beautiful in a different way. The final day takes you through Huaripampa village, with its humble thatched roof homes and guinea pig farms, before ending in Vaqueria. Though you are free to take a polar dip in any of the icy lakes along the route (and some do), most prefer to wait until the trek’s end and then to take advantage of the area’s hot springs. From Vaqueria, you can take a bus to Yunguay.

Things to Remember

The best time to go is from April through September, when it’s very cold but rains are not a problem.
You are required to buy a trekking permit for Huascarán National Park, which costs about almost US$30 person.
You can reach Huaraz from Lima by bus, an 8-10hr trip, or you can fly. (You can arrange transport through Pirwa Travel Service.)
Day trips from Huaraz to sites like Pastoruri Glacier or Laguna 68 can help you acclimatize before the trek.
Make sure to bring a rain poncho and mosquito repellent.
Prepare for a strong sun in the afternoons and very, very cold nights.

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Into the depths of Cerro Rico: The Mines of Potosí

August 28, 2013 Pirwa

Despite being the most popular tour in Potosí, and the reason why most people visit the city, tours of the cooperative mines of Cerro Rico are not for everybody. The experience is memorable and provides an insight that merely hearing about the miners and their working conditions never will, but it can be physically and mentally uncomfortable for some. While women were discouraged from entering the mines in the past, lest they bring bad luck, this superstition has not really had any force in the last decades, so anyone who would like to experience what life in Potosí is like for most local families are free to take part. For more than 400 years, Cerro Rico has defined Potosí, and even though so much mining means that the mountain doesn’t have much time left, it’s still that way today.

15,000 miners work in the mountain’s 400 mines, most of which have several levels. (Although most of the work takes place at the lowest levels, tours do not descend to such depths because of safety considerations and because they are quite uncomfortable.) Expect low ceilings, and steep, narrow passageways that can be muddy and rocky. If you suffer from asthma, you will not want to enter at all due to the dust particles, and claustrophobics should definitely abstain as well.

Most mine tours are guided by ex-miners and begin in the morning. (There are afternoon tours as well, but the morning tours tend to spend more time in the mines.) First stop is the miners’ market in downtown Potosí, where anyone can buy dynamite, ammonium nitrate, and fuses for about US$2 without even needing a license. Here, you can pick up some gifts for the miners that you will meet during your visit. (The miners must buy their own explosive and tools and do all of the work by hand, selling their production at the end of each week for the best price they can negotiate.) Afterwards, you head to a refining plant and then on to Cerro Rico itself. Your safety equipment will be provided, but you will want to bring water and a handkerchief for your mouth.

Upon entering the mines each day, miners salute the statue of Tata Kaj’chu which sits in the entrance of each of the mountain’s 400 mines. In the dark underworld of the mines, this figure representing the devil is supposed to hold sway. Calling him Tío (Uncle), they ask for protection and give offerings in exchange for the minerals they take out of hell. On Friday nights, there is a cha’lla (offering), wherein alcohol is poured on the ground before the statue, lit cigarettes placed in his mouth, and coca leaves laid out. Getting into the spirit, the miners join the devil in his drinking and smoking. Most miners are Catholic, but offerings and requests to Christ are only made as far as the sunlight reaches.

Most mines which are open to tours have a small exhibit in the first level which sheds light on some of the mines’ history and the issues miners face. By level 2, you are mainly crawling, and then slide down to the following level through a sort of wooden chute. Level 3 is more spacious because often materials are sorted at this level. Temperatures in the mines range greatly, from very cold to 45C on the fourth and fifth levels. Most tours end with a dynamiting demonstration, so that you can feel the force of the explosions, noticeable even at some distance.

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Vegetarian Cusco

August 21, 2013 Pirwa

With a nod to frugality, certain traditional local meals have always been vegetarian, like Locro de Zapallo (Squash Stew) or Kapchi de Habas (Stewed Broadbeans). Still, meat and potatoes have always reigned supreme in Cusco’s dining scene. Cusco’s vegetarian options have steadily increased over the years, however, compelled in part by tourist demand and in part by growing religious populations which do not permit meat consumption.

Om (-) on Calle Saphi is Cusco’s first and only free restaurant runs on donations only (leave one!) and serves up vegetarian food with Indian and Peruvian influences. You can also help them with ingredients or in the kitchen, or taking food to the city’s poorer surrounding communities. It’s a great project headed by the Indian expats who also run Maikhana.

Govinda Lila ($) is a tiny food stand (comedor) in the San Blas Market. Grab a spot on the bench and get a set lunch menu (soup, main dish with salad, and juice) for just S/3.50. The options are humble, not very varied (beans, lentils), and not as flavorful as in other places, but it’s the cheapest vegetarian lunch in town.

El Encuento ($) has been trying to make Cusco more health-conscious for more than a decade. Lunch menus are S/6, which include a well-stocked salad bar. The set menu soups are just alright, but the main dishes are quite good (try the Quinoa a la Jardinera or Arroz Tapado if it’s on offer!) It’s the best vegetarian set lunch menu in town, but if you’re fine with paying more (S/10-20), try one of the a la carte options rather than the menu (the Cauliflower Stirfry is nice!).

Govinda’s (Saphi) Fixed lunch menu & A la carte Despite the name, expect veggie food with Peruvian flair

Maikhana Buffet (on the second floor of Galeria la Merced on Avenida El Sol) ($$) If you’re feeling quite hungry, and craving Indian flavors, Maikhana can take care of you for S/15. There’s a range of vegetarian and meat curries (unfortunately the better ones are the ones with meat), although you’ll probably find that it’s a more limited selection than you would expect a buffet to offer (maybe 4 meat options, 4 vegetarian, and rice).

Greens ($$$) This restaurant isn’t wholly vegetarian, but their organic menu offers plenty of options. While it’s rather expensive to be a lunchtime standard, it’s a nice stop if you’d like to leave the set menus behind and indulge in some more upscale food.

Even though Cusco does have a variety of options available for different budgets, there still might be days when nothing tickles your fancy. In that case, why not stop by the market and pick up your own ingredients? Most of Pirwa’s hostels include guest kitchens where you can fix your own meals.

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