Replica Iron Man Costume

Cusco Machu Picchu - Arequipa

Arrive in Cuzco at sunrise, and the first test: climbing the hills the city with our backpacks, has more than 3000 meters!
Cusco is the ancient Inca capital, what we see around the city: old doors, old walls ... But the Spaniards have also left their legacy, with many cathedrals.
We arrived a week before the feast of the Sun, a large celebration or Peruvian across the country come to meet. Suddenly, we were treated to many fashion shows each day (schools, universities, military), probably in anticipation of the big day.


Plaza de Armas

View from the terrace of the hostel

Defile




after a visit to Machu Picchu (section aside), we explored the valley of the Incas: many cities in and around Cusco, the Inca ruins of rich: Pisac and Ollantaytambo, which keeps the Inca city plan, which the temple has not been completely destroyed because it was not finished!






Pisac



Ollantaytambo



Finally, it was distant from the center of Cusco to the ruins of Tambomachay, Puka-Pukara and Sacsahuaman.



Tambomachay


Inca Walls has Sacsahuaman


We decide to leave before the feast of the Sun, the city is already becoming crowded with tourists. So we are in the direction of Bolivia and La Paz.

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Vallée des Incas - Canon de Colca

Depart from Iquique, Gaudelin always in the direction of Arequipa, while 3 buses a day and travel time to cross the border and multiple identity checks on the road.

In Arequipa, found Camille, who had crossed to San Pedro and we were ahead, and explores the center of town around the Place des Armes. Many cathedrals, marches, all dominated by snow-capped volcanoes over 5800 meters.











The cuy, local specialty, better known among us as guinea pigs


Taxis Arequipa


We then left all 4 for a day half of the hike in the Colca Canyon . For that, we had the chance to be good advice, especially we are not going through an agency. After 6 hours of bus, we arrived the first evening Cabanaconde , or it was very well greeted by the Catalans. It turns out that at that time there was a religious festival, and we could watch the fireworks at night!



The next day we finally share in the valley towards an oasis located at the bottom. On the way, we travel through magnificent scenery, and it passes through some small mountain villages. Not more than twenty families live there, supplied by mules, and living through the export of cactus fruit.
We finally arrived in the early after-noon at the oasis, or a hot water naturally flows. So we have to bathe before going to bed with the sun, since there is no electricity!












The next day, climb up rough Cabanaconde before a meal of steak deserves alpaca, and back to Arequipa.


With Camille (left) and Gaudelin (Right)





Finally, before leaving town, we visited the monastery, colorful. It is a city within a city, with its own streets and lived a dozen or religious. Even today, some is still used.



view of the convent, with Misti in the background







We start now both in the direction of Cuzco. Camille by climbing on top of Misti, while Gaudelin hand to La Paz.

Legendary Pokemon Pokemondeluge

Humberstone San Pedro de Atacama

We start from San Pedro with Gaudelin for a night bus heading for Iquique. We are supposed to arrive at 5am, but for the first time, we lied in the opposite direction since came with 1:30 in advance! So we end up at 3:30 in Iquique with our big bags and only two taxis to get to the center.
Finally, we come not too get on the tube your taxi, from the hostel and we filed is closed! So it crosses part of the city to find a cheap hotel.

It thus ends our night before leaving in the direction of Humberstone, a few miles of Iquique. There is a colectivo that rises in the mountains to finally arrive at the site, has more than 1000 meters above sea level. It is an old mining town, which has been completely abandoned after the discovery of chemical fertilizer (it has so far behind in the blog that can not be more accurate to say anything!) .




Since then, associations are trying to restore it, and you can stroll to discover buildings and buildings in the homes of older people. There are also some exhibits where you can discover everyday objects from the era.
Several neighborhoods comprise the city: those or accommodated the leaders, those for married workers and the guard, unmarried workers. It was a full-fledged town, with its museums, theater (or the greatest of the era came to play), his walk, his school and hotel with swimming pool housed in the carcass of a boat.



The Church, with the entrance of the museum next


Playground




Back to school




cuisine restaurant


The pool



Bakery









A little further, linking the railway, is the industrial area, or we used the resources from the mine (which is even further).


Old locomotive



After a few pleasant hours under a blazing sun, or we thought we were in a western, we go to Iquique, where we had to wait a moment beside the a bus route passes the stop not running.
Back in the mist, or we take the end of Sunday to visit the city with a stroll up the beach, or we could see a surfer. It must be said that one Sunday Sunny autumn, there are not many people in the streets!

Depart the next day to Peru.