Camino Inca

No matter what your interest in South America might be, if you ever ponder a journey into the outback of the spine of the Andes, three books constitute a must-read.

The first of the three is a work of the former American president, Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt explored great part of South America in the early 20th century. His journey took him into the interior of Paraguay, pursuing a jaguar hunt, through the highland wilderness of Western Brazil, and down an unknown river in the equatorial forest.

Second important work is by Peter Mathiessen, an acclaimed author of Snow Leopard, recounting his journey into the center of the Himalayan region of Dolpo. His South American journey title, the Cloud Forest, covers his epic through the Amazon, Tierra del Fuego of Argentina, Mato Grosso of Brazil and the Peruvian heartlands of the Incas.

These three titles are indeed about the past, journeys by explorers that undertook them long ago, and about the remote wilderness of South America of yesteryear, but regardless of the era when written and published, they cover the unique wilderness regions that are unlike any other on this earth, a must-see-and-experience for any serous traveler of today.

In light of today’s coverage on global warming and rapid loss of plant and animal species, they are no less current than when written in the heyday of their time.

Inca trail and other caminos andino, or ancient trails of the Andes mountains notably in Peru, continue to lure overseas visitors and trekkers in particular. The finest staging points into the interior of the Andes in Peru are Huancayo, Huaraz and Cusco.

The three common denominators of the above three towns is their altitude and prominent location in the Andes. Each is found in elevations over 11,000 feet above sea level and amidst dazzling environment and on important ancient as well as present day routes.

The northernmost of the three is Huaraz. It’s close proximity to Lima offers convenient and impressive entry into the heartland of High Andes. Located in the stunning Callejon de Huaylas Valley with towering snowcapped peaks rising on all sides, the area is known for its wonderful mountain scenery which is often compared to that of the Swiss Alps. Huascaran, Peru’s highest mountain, and its mesmerizing neighbor, Alpamayo, bewitch and in every sense of the word rival the most spectacular peaks of the Himalayas.

In central highlands of the Andes the place to see is the striking Valley of Mantaro. Huancayo is its as well as Peru’s key market town and a junction. The most memorable entrance to Huancayo can be made by train that follows a rail line over Ticlio Pass of 15,700 feet above sea level, the highest railroad mountain pass in the Peruvian Andes, an elevation that is nearly 1500 feet higher than the very top of the Rocky Mountains!

The last of the three 11,000-feet plus high towns in the Andes is Cusco. Of the three it is undoubtedly most visited on account serving as the key access point for Machu Picchu. But its prominence is not only in relationship to the Inca culture that permeates it but the art and architectural monuments of the Colonial era that are well represented as well.

Each of the above towns is blessed with wonderful Andes mountain climate of sunny blue skies and suitable to visit throughout the year with the exception of the rainy season December to March.

Severe rainfall in Peru recently has caused landslides along the railway line from Cuzco to Machu Picchu, making it impossible for trains to reach or depart Aguas Calientes, the access point for Machu Picchu, resulting in many tourists being stranded at the legendary site of the Incas.

The heavy rains caused severe damage to the 122-kilometer long railway infrastructure between Cuzco, Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes. While work to restore rail service into Machu Picchu has commenced and rains have in part subsided, it is a rainy season in Peru and the inclement weather will continue to adversely affect the repairs.

Tours operators have assisted in the evacuation operations of their stranded clients as well as other travelers caught buy the rains in the area. The Cuzco local government, Peruvian national government, the US embassy and the Peru Rail have all provided helicopters to evacuate the tourists from Machu Picchu to Ollantaytambo, from where they can be safely then transferred by road to Cuzco.

Although more than ten helicopters have been involved in the evacuations, weather conditions have slowed down the evacuations. Full evacuation of all travelers from Machu Picchu is expected to be completed this weekend. Though stranded at the Machu Picchu ruins the tourists stay at local lodges and medical services have been provided by the Peruvian army.

To restore the railway line may take at least another week although the engineers of the Orient Express owned company that leases and operates the railway infrastructure between Cuzco, Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu have inspected the tracks and announced that complete reconstruction works will take minimum three to eight weeks.

The sector from Ollantaytambo to Piscacucho, fully accessible by road from Ollantaytambo, is expected to last the longest, with service to be restored no earlier than early April. Piscacucho is only a short distance from Ollantaytambo in direction of Machu Picchu and serves as the trail head of the four-day Inca Trail.

Whether you plan to shop for some Ketchua (Quechua) woolens or handicrafts at the Otavalo Market or just wish to take pictures, this well-known market is a must when visiting Ecuador.

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