Chifa

Seems like I am going on an Asian food tasting in Peru!  Percy highly recommended that I try out one of his favourite Chifa place for dinner. 

Chifa is the common term used in Peru (and also in Bolivia it seems) to describe a place which cooks Chinese food.

So I left the decision of ordering to Percy, since the menu was in Spanish, and also because he has tried most of the food and could recommend better.

Day 142 : Purple Passion

Last day in Cusco, and since my ankle is still slightly sore and extremely swollen, decided to take it easy, clear my emails and have a leisurely lunch with Washuma and Maria from Sweden (lunch was Indian buffet!  Food was ok, though it seemed to lack the authentic Indian feel), before preparing my stuff to catch the 8 hour overnighter bus to Arequipa.

After hearing from Washuma his specialty drink, I pestered Washuma to make one for me before I leave, and I was glad he obliged. 

Day 141 : Machu Picchu 100 years

“You haven’t seen South America, if you have not visited Machu Picchu”, so I was told. 

So after 3.5 months in South America, I finally got to Machu Picchu.  One of the 7 wonders of the world, it sure is worth the acclamation, and I can now tick this of my list!

I was also told to be at Machu Picchu at dawn or after 4pm, to avoid the crowd.  With an entrance ticket for Wayna Picchu that requires me to be at Wayna Picchu’s entrance at 10am, I decided to be there first thing in the morning and have some time to wander around Machu Picchu before climbing Wayna Picchu.

Day 140 : Aguas Caliente

Getting to Machu Picchu early in the morning meant that I will need to stay a night in Aguas Caliente (I find the name of this town rather strange, as it is literally translated to “Hot Water”!), a small town located at the foot of Machu Picchu. 

Getting there was a little complicated however, as I had to take a 2hr ride on a mini van from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, before catching a 1.5hr scenic train ride to Machu Picchu.  There is probably a direct train to Machu Picchu from Cusco, but it would have been way much more expensive. 

If I had more time, I would have liked to spend a little more time in Ollantaytambo as the town looked really pleasant though compact.  This is also the area of the Sacred Valley, where one can see some remains of the Inca ruins and other interesting sights.

Heading straight to the train station upon arriving in Ollantaytambo, I noticed that there were separate cabins for locals and foreigners.  Wasn’t able to see if the seats and service level was different for the locals but the one for foreigners was fairly comfortable (though a little crammed with everyone’s bag either on their laps or on the floor), and a drink as well as a light snack was served on the way.

Day 139 : Korean Craze

I had bumped into a Korean couple (Sujin and Wong Sang) last night in the main square of Cusco, whom I had met while I was in Puno and Uros, and we agreed to meet for lunch at a Korean restaurant at 2pm. 

So I invited Washuma to join me, his first time eating Korean food!

Food in Cusco seems to be on the more expensive side, and the Korean restaurant was no exception. 

It was a good thing they had lunch specials so we ordered Beef Bulgogi on rice.  As a typical Korean restaurant (it is run by Korean!), it came with a selection of kimchi, which was an extremely refreshing change from the typical South American food. 

To the Market…

We headed to one of the nearby markets to get a glass of fresh juice. 

There were rows of juice stores, all filled with customers, and they don’t seem to differentiate themselves at all as the menu were all the same.  So we settled at one of the stores and I ordered a glass of passion fruit, orange and pineapple juice. 

It took a while to be prepared, and when it was served, it was tangy and refreshing… Yum!

 

Day 138 : Cusco

Cusco is a really pretty city, with stone cobbled roads and an extremely Spanish feel in the main square, due to the numerous Spanish architecture as seen in the balconies and numerous churches (there are 11 churches just around the main square!).

Very pleasant for walking around and spending a few days here.  A very touristy town though as most people who goes to Machu Picchu will highly likely spend a few days here.  It is also the first time I see so many Asians in one location!  Most of them seem to be from Japan or Korea. 

Floating Islands Uros

Made a stop in Puno, enroute to Cusco primarily to visit the Floating Islands of Uros. 

Located on the Peru side of Lake Titicaca, lives a community about 30 minutes away by boat from Puno.  What is fascinating about this community is that they live on “man-made islands” that are created using a plant called Totora. 

Day 137 : Peru Immigration

On a number of occasions when I mentioned to others that I am from Singapore, those that have been to Singapore would always bring up the thing about the words they see on the Singapore immigration card (something about “Drug trafficking is an offense that is punishable by death” and in bold red).

So as I was given the immigration card for Peru and I saw on the back of the slip the following “In Peru, commerce sexual exploitation of children and teenagers is punished by jail”, it totally reminded me of the same words which others have said to me about the Singapore immigration card, and couldn’t resist taking a photo shot!

Parade on the Streets

Arrived back in Copacabana at about 11.30am after taking the morning ferry from Isla del Sol, and quickly went back to my hostel to pick up my luggage and do some final checks of my emails before heading out to the bus terminal.

The moment I walked out in the streets I found myself in a middle of a parade!  Not sure what was the occasion, but it was really bustling. 

Day 136 : Isla del Sol

Isla del Sol is located on Lake Titicaca, about 2 hours away by boat from Copacabana.  Boats usually land either on the northern part of the island (near the Inca ruins) or the southern part of the island (where town Yumani is based and where most accommodation are located).

The plan was to take a boat to the northern part of the island and trek for about 45 mins to the Inca ruins (Mesa Ceremonial & Roca Sagrada), and subsequently continue trekking for another 3 hours to the southern part of the island and find an accommodation for the night.