Monday, July 14th, 2003 – Day 146
The reason I came back to Cusco at all was to visit the 3 day (15th – 18th of July) festival in Paucartambo. Gallinas de Rocas minibuses leave daily for Paucartambo from near colliseo centrale (about 7 minutes by taxi from the town centre). it took me a long time to figure this out. All the guidebooks are incorrect. I was up at 7.00am and was a little hungover. I left my bags at the hostel (paid 40 Soles for 2 nights) and only took bare essentials (soap. Towel) as there are only two hostels there. I had hired a sleeping bag yesterday for 15 Soles (5 Soles per day and a 20 US deposit). I took a taxi to the bus office and found that most of the buses that been booked up. There was one seat left for the 8.00am departure. I bought a ticket for 10 Soles and I boarded. It was a stuffy bus and it did not leave until 9.00am. What a wait. I had breakfast (eggs and potatoes) on the bus. Felt sleepy.
The journey takes 3 hours (on a good day) and is 110km (69 miles) north east of Cusco. Up to last year traffic was only allowed one way (buses went there Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays) but now traffic can barely pass each other on this very scary journey running alongside a cliff on a unpaved road where many landslides have occurred. It was a large fall to the bottom and people were generally scared especially when we met oncoming traffic. Either them or us had to reverse to a corner or a space. It took 5-10 minutes to pass another bus or truck. It was a scary road and I had my eyes closed for part of it.
Anyway when I got there, I looked for a hostel. I wasn’t hard but they all have shared dorms (10-15 people to a room). I finally settled on Hostel colonial. It was 10 Soles that night for a single room (as the festival had not started yet) and 18 Soles for a 6 person dorm with nice beds for the next two nights. I went to see some unofficial dorms but they were filthy (15 mattresses on a dirty floor for 10 Soles a night). Anyway I spent the day walking about and trying to find other tourists to go to Tres Cruces.
“Another 45km (28 miles) beyond Paucartambo is Tres Cruces (Three Crosses), sacred to the nature-worshipping Incas and still legendary for its mystical sunrises in the winter months. (May, June, and July are best.) Tres Cruces occupies a mountain ridge at the edge of the Andes, before the drop-off to the jungle. From a rocky outcropping at nearly 4,000m (13,200 ft.) above sea level, hardy travelers congratulate themselves (for having gotten there, as much as for the sight they’ve come to witness) as they gaze into the distance out over the dense, green Amazon cloud forest. The sunrise is full of intense colors and trippy optical effects (including multiple suns). Even for those lucky enough to have experienced the sunrise at another sacred Inca spot, Machu Picchu, it is truly a hypnotic sight”.
I finally found 6 other tourists who were willing to hire a mini van. We had all come here a day early (the festival was on between the 15th and 18th) to get to Tres Cruces before the festival rush when thousands of people would be up there. We stayed around the plaza and talked for a few hours. There were 2 Peruvians (father and son), a South African (a trainee Shamen and hippie), an American (who was “finding himself”), an Argentine (following Che Guevaras steps around South America using his book “Motorcycle Diaries” and a German. We also had 5 local girls on board.
We set off at midnight and it was a dark and unpaved road. It took 2.5 hours to get there. We paid 8 Soles each for the trip and 5 Soles for the Manu National park entrance. The American was seeking “identity” and had both songs in German and Irish. She wanted me to sing “Whiskey in the Jar” by Thin Lizzy. We arrived at 2.30am. Three of the guys brought tents and set up in the cold and dark. The rest of us slept in the van. I had a sleeping bag and was comfortable but got little sleep. There were about 4 other cars there high up in the he mountains. We waited until 5.30am when the sun came up. It was a great sight but I wasnt moved (it was numbing cold) and we stayed until 7.00am until the sun fully rose. t was a sleepy journey back.
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Paucartambo – Peru – Town (14-07-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Paucartambo – Peru – Town (14-07-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Paucartambo – Peru – Town (14-07-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Paucartambo – Peru – Town (14-07-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Paucartambo – Peru – Tres Cruces (14-07-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Paucartambo – Peru – Tres Cruces (14-07-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Paucartambo – Peru – Tres Cruces (14-07-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Paucartambo – Peru – Tres Cruces (14-07-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Paucartambo – Peru – Tres Cruces (14-07-2003)