Peru vacation experience useful tips, insider tips and information
This year my partner and I decided to take a trip to Peru.
Arrived at Cusco by truck-bus, we immediately leave to reach Oropesa, the capital of bread.
Peru what to see and places to visit
Almost every house in this village has an artisan oven, in the streets you can smell the scent of wood and hot bread that guides us through the first patio we meet.
We take advantage of the opportunity and walk along stony streets, divided in the center by a drainage channel; we are careful not to step on the corn in grains lying in the sun, we move away with decision the goat that tries to bite into my pants, passing by a family of cuy (guinea pigs) who looks at us curiously and we meet the gaze of an indigenous lady who looks at us with wide eyes.
The sense of hospitality of this people prevails over their distrust and we are led into a subsequent courtyard, where a small oven gives birth to fragrant bread that we eat with joy.
America Coast to CoastThe visit ends with a hug and we resume the journey.
The asphalt gives way to stones and gravel, the road becomes increasingly narrow, winding, difficult and descends winding towards the Vilcanota, where the river, which will later take the name of Urubamba, begins the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
The truck resumes climbing, trudging, stopping from time to time to make dangerous maneuvers when crossing other vehicles that powder us with dust. A quick stop to admire the the chullpas (pre-Inca cylindrical tombs) of Ninamarca and resume the journey up to Paucartambo in party.
Paucartambo means “place in bloom”, from Paucar (flowery) and Tambo (place, warehouse, refreshment point).
After 25 kilometers past Paucartambo, along the road that leads in Amazon and 3739 meters above sea level, you get to Three crosses.
We have come this far to admire a phenomenon or rather a miracle of nature: it is a physical phenomenon of refraction or recomposition of the sunlight that crosses the cold atmospheric hood of this intermediate region between Sierra and Selva.
To see it you need to arrive before dawn, stuffed with warm clothes.
After this enchanting stop, we are on our way to Manu National Park.
This park, a real cultural and natural heritage, extends to the east of the eastern Andean mountain range, between the departments of Cusco and
Madre de Dios.
It is the largest nature reserve in all of South America and the ninth in the world.
It is a protected area, with the greatest and most varied biodiversity of the whole earth.
In 1973, UNESCO declared it Biosphere Reserve, precisely because of the importance it represents for the future of humanity.
The park covers an area of ​​1881806 hectares and is divided into three areas ranging from 4000 meters above sea level in the Andean part, to 365 meters in the lower forest, with climates ranging from dry and icy climates. Ande, in the humid forest shrouded in clouds, up to the heat of the Amazonian plain.
After the visit to the park, from Paucartambo, along the dirt road that goes up the mapocho river, you can reach the end of the road in about 7 hours by off-road vehicle, near a small village where it is possible to rent mules and horses.
From there, in two or three days, it is possible to reach the Community of Q'eros who are believed to be the last true descendants of the incas and who, for hundreds of years, have lived in isolation.
Entering the village, we are greeted by the joy of a thousand musical bands that run along the cobbled streets, accompanying dancers dressed in typical traditional clothes.
The day is splendid and we are so excited and happy to be able to participate in a party still untouched by tourism, that the sight of the tiny bathrooms without water and already clogged does not worry us too much.
In a hurry, we leave the camp and head towards the sanctuary because the party has already started.
There are 14 folkloric groups that brighten up the party with their dances and each of these is financed by a godfather (carguyoc) who takes care of all the costs that are certainly not a small thing.
The godfather, in addition to paying the costs for the costumes and accessories necessary for the dance, rents a large house with a patio where, in the evening, the dancers retire to continue the dances with friends, guests and anyone else who wishes to participate.
Admission is free and even an occasional passer-by will be welcome in the small community where, without spending a penny, they can dine and drink beer or soft drinks at will.
La Festival of the Virgin of Carmen it has an ideological meaning that summarizes the artistic representations and socio-cultural aspects of two civilizations and two religions: the Incaic and the Spanish.
During the celebrations, the representative dances of different worlds, not yet fully integrated, follow one another along the streets and squares of the village.
The evening arrives and in the middle of the streets of Paucartambo Straw fires are lit, representations of purgatory, which the noses trample continuously, with the feet protected only by light open sandals.
The fireworks conclude the celebrations in the square and each folkloric group retires to their headquarters to drink and dance until dawn, hosting anyone who wishes to celebrate.
We prefer to go back to the tents to be fresh the next day and be able to fully appreciate the other days of celebration.
Peru when to go and climate
The best time to go to Peru is from June to August and coincides with the dry season, the best time to visit the country for those who intend to do excursions.
Those who love to travel go to the highlands all year round, even if during the wettest months (January to April) there is the risk of trekking in the mud.
Almost all major Peruvian holidays fall in the rainy months and the celebrations continue undisturbed despite the heavy rain.
Let's go back to the path that will lead us to Cusco, aware of having witnessed a party still untouched by mass tourism and happy to be able to recommend this truly exciting excursion to all friends and tourists.
Photo gallery Peru
