Trekking Amongst the Worlds Highest Tropical Mountains



Lima was nothing to write home about, the city was shrouded in the coastal fog which plagues it for eight months of the year and I found it a drab and depressing place. A scenic bus ride north took me to Huaraz where I organised a three day trek into the Cordillera Blanca. I was joined by two Canadians, Jordan and Rene, a guide and two mules to carry the bulk of the equipment. A four hour bus ride took us into the mountains and it was a pleasant afternoon walk to reach the first camp at 3800m. We crossed the 4750m Punta Union pass the following day in miserable weather but by the time we reached camp on the other side of the pass the cloud had cleared somewhat, revealing a spectacular valley dwarfed by 6000m peaks. We decided there was time to make the side trip to Alpamayo base camp, enjoying views of the towering mountains between the clouds. Although the mountain itself remained hidden, there were plenty of hidden delights along the way. The sun came out on the final day, revealing Alpamayo for the first time and we continued down the valley to Santa Cruz to complete what must rank as perhaps the most beautiful trek of the entire trip.





A long overnight bus journey to Trujillo left me feeling exhausted and I spent a leisurely day watching the world cup and taking a stroll around town, organising a tour of the regions pre-Columbian monuments for the following day.



The giant adobe brick structures of the pyramids of the sun and moon were built by the Moche culture over 2000 years ago. Although heavily eroded they remain impressive - around 40-50 million mud bricks were used in the construction of each pyramid. Despite the names, there is no evidence to connect either temple to the worship of the sun or the moon. The Huaca de la Luna (pyramid of the moon) is the only one that has been extensively excavated - revealing some fantastic painted murals and the remains of adult males who appeared to have been sacrified. Its thought the sites were finally abandoned after rains caused by the El Niño phenomenon resulted in extensive flooding. Nearby, the citadel of Chan Chan was the capital of the Chimu culture which succeeded the Moche and covers almost eight square miles on the outskirts of Trujillo. Its a huge complex of 11 separate palaces, separated by tall adobe walls, some of which are decorated with clay friezes. The scale of the complex, rather than the structures themselves left the greatest impression.





That evening I went to a restaurant, planning to have a quick meal before getting the night bus north to the border. Shortly after arriving, a thief took off with my small rucksack. It was a well worked move, the thief's accomplice knocked over my large rucksack, providing the distraction, while the thief grabbed the smaller bag to my other side. In the pack was my passport, all my photo backups, most of my books and some souvenirs. This threw my plans to cross into Ecuador into disarray. The next day, the embassy informed me it would take two weeks for them to process a new passport. I was due to fly back home from Quito before the passport would be ready. I decided to try and cross the border without a passport - it seemed like the best chance of trying to salvage something from the last ten days.

Arequipa and the Colca Canyon



Arequipa, Peru´s second city lies in an earthquake prone area and is dominated by the nearby volcanoes of El Misti (5820m) and Chachani (6075m). Most of the towns stylish architecture, including the cathedral, is made from sillar, a white-grey volcanic rock, giving the city its own unique appearance.



Perhaps the towns greatest colonial treasure is the Monasterio del Santa Catalina. Although I´m not a great fan of religous buildings, I found this sprawling citadel quite fascinating. Founded in 1580, the nunnery was shrouded in secrecy until it was opened to the public in 1970. These days, the remaining nuns go about their business in a separate annexe and you are free to wander the maze of passageways and cloistered courtyards, which retain a mysterious secluded air.



The story of Juanita, the ice mummy is told in the Museo del Santuario Andino in Arequipa, where the girls well preserved remains can be seen. In 1998, an expedition to the summit of the 6280m Ampato volcano found the mummified remains of Juanita, who appeared to have been sacrified to the Gods. Since then numerous other ice mummies have been found at this and other nearby peaks. All were buried with artefacts which suggests they were of some importance, probably Inca nobility. During Inca times, the volcanoes were thought to be the realm of the Gods and these sacrifices would have been made to appease them. Clearly they went to great lengths to scale such peaks. Although it seems like a terrible fate, for the Inca, it would have been an honour to have been chosen to rest amongst the Gods.



The nearby Colca Canyon is the worlds deepest, recent GPS measurements make it around 4000m deep. However it takes time to get to the deepest parts of the canyon and my tour only went as far as Cruz del Condor, where the canyon drops to a depth of 1200m. At this point you can just about see down to the bottom. The highlight of the trip was watching the condors soar overhead here, at times they pass as close as five metres overhead - quite a spectacular site !

The Inca Trail to Machu Piccu

It was a cloudy day as we set off, 14 gringos (a friendly group of mostly Brits, a few Aussies and a Kiwi), 20 porters and 2 guides - there must be more porters than tourists on the Inca trail! However, this does mean you are treated to a deluxe camping experience. All the meals are served inside a large tent and even chairs are provided! The food was very good, we were amazed at what they were able to knock up in the middle of nowhere. The first day was a leisurely four hours up to the village of Wayllabamba at 3000m. The next day we crossed the 4200m Dead Woman´s Pass, a relentless three hour climb with the gradient and the altitude taking their toll. At the summit, it began raining and a steep slippery descent took us down to the camp site at 3600m, where a cold night awaited us.

From here the trail follows mostly original Inca paving, initially up a steep pass past the ruins of Runkuracay, a fortified lookout, to the top of the second pass. A clear day resulted in great views out towards the Cordillera Vilcabamba as the trail descended to the Sayacmarca ruins. The name means inaccessible town and it was thought to be a staging post en route to Machu Piccu. The ruins have a fantastic setting looking out across numerous converging trails. As the mist rolled in, a gradual climb took us to the top of the third pass, through a section of cloud forest, thick with bamboo, bromeliads and hanging mosses. Near the summit lies the ruins of Phuyupatamarca, an Inca bathing site. A steep staircase led us down through the bamboo forest past the agricultural terraces of Wiñay Wayna to the final campsite.

The final section of trail, which had been damaged by a recent landslide, was now open again. Its only an hours walk through forest and up some steep steps to the Sun Gate, from where Machu Piccu is finally revealed. Its a breathtaking first sight - the city surrounded by mountains on all sides. As you walk down, the ruins take shape, culminating in the classic view point where the ruins are framed by the mountain of Wayna Picchu. Despite being the most famous of all the Inca sites, little is known of the true function of this lost city. It was thought to have been constructed during the 1400s, towards the end of the reign of the Incas and was never discovered by the Spanish. It was rediscovered in 1911 by American explorer Hiram Bingham. The current thinking is that the site was a retreat for the Inca elite as well as also serving some ceremonial purposes. The site contains three important temples, numerous dwellings and some impressive terraces. Sixty percent of the site is original Inca stonework, the rest was reconstructed by Bingham. After enjoying the site itself, a few of us climbed the steep path up Wayna Picchu mountain to enjoy a unique perspective of the city. I had been looking forward to visiting Machu Piccu for some years now, suffice to say I was not disappointed by the amazing setting of what must rank as one of the wonders of the modern world.

Cusco and the Sacred Valley

After Bolivia, Cusco felt very touristy and there were a few instances which really grated, like being overcharged three times on my last day. It was clearly just blatant dishonesty, two out of the three situations were easily rectified and I tried to put it out of mind. The final straw was buying a bus ticket through a travel agent for a deluxe service to Arequipa and then being put on the economy service - once at the bus terminal this was little you could do to complain. The same thing happened to five others who trekked the Inca trail with me and booked through a different company, so its clearly a common scam.

Cusco was the capital of the Inca empire before the Spanish arrived. This empire was divided after the death of Inca Huayna Capac between the two half brothers Atahualpa and Huascar. Atahualpa, who controlled the northern half in modern day Ecuador, had gained control of Cusco, to reunify the Inca empire shortly before conquistador Francisco Pizarro´s arrival in 1532. Pizarro arranged a meeting with the victorius Inca in Cajamarca in northern Peru and despite being heavily outnumbered, was able to capture Atahualpa. The Inca was able to barter his survival for two rooms of silver and one of gold, yet despite fulfilling these grand claims, Pizarro had him executed anyway and then marched south to take control of Cusco itself. The Spanish clearly profited from the divisions in the Inca empire and having killed Atahualpa were viewed as allies.



Modern day Cusco has little apart from a few remaining Inca walls to remind you of pre-columbian times. The Spanish left a more permanent imprint, with some fine churches and a grand cathedral. Inside the cathedral there are some interesting Peruvian interpretations on catholicism - notably a black Christ and guinea pig for dinner in a reworking of Da Vinci´s Last Supper. Aside from the churches, my favourite building was the cloistered Coriancha, a real colonial gem, sitting atop one of the cities rare Inca remains. The Inca museum failed to really do this great civilisation justice and my attention switched to the surrounding ruins.

A few kilometres north of the city, lies the fortress and ceremonial centre of Sacsyhuaman. It was the site of a great Inca rebellion, when the Spanish were almost defeated. The impressive fortified walls remain and one can only imagine what Cusco itself would have looked like before the Spanish tore down the Inca temples and constructed churches in their places. As the road to Pisac snakes its way north there are a few smaller sites - the sacrificial site of Q´enko, the settlement of Pucapucara and the Inca fountains of Tambo Machay.

I arrived in Pisac on market day and the locals were out in force in traditional dress. This provided quite a colourful spectacle before I climbed up past the agricultural terraces to the ruins themselves - a large citadel set on the hillside overlooking the town itself. Having had a taste of some of the more accessible Inca ruins, it was time to visit the most famous of them, the lost city of Machu Piccu.

Election Day on the Road to Cusco

The last two days have perhaps been the lowpoint of the trip so far - a nasty bout of food poisoning (bad fish from Lake Titicaca), knocked me for six. However, I still had to get to Cusco in order to confirm my Inca trail booking and pay the balance, so I made the journey in two stages, stopping overnight in Puno. Yesterday was election day in Peru, the final run off between ex-president Alan Garcia and ex-army officer Ollanta Humala. On the road, Bolivian political graffiti for Evo´s MAS and Tuto´s PODEMOS parties, was replaced by Peruvian propaganda for Garcia and Humala. Garcia going for the "The Responsible Change" slogan, while Humala offered up "Love for Peru". Either result would be another swing to the left in Latin America after the recent election of Michele Bachelet in Chile and Evo Morales in Bolivia.

With over 90% of the vote counted, the result looks like a case of better the devil you know, than the devil you don´t - Garcia taking 54% of the vote to Humala´s 46% (voting is compulsory here). Garcia claimed his re-election was a message in favour of national independence and said the result was a blow to Venezuelan president and regional strongman Hugo Chavez, who backed his opponent and has been accused of interfering in Peruvian affairs. Until this final round Humala had led at the polls with a strong socialist-nationalist approach and support from the poorer indigenous minority. However, it looks like as predicted the bulk of the Lourdes vote (she was voted off in the last round) went to Garcia, giving him a clear majority.

Garcia´s last attempt at running the country between 1985 and 1990 ended in economic disaster with rampant inflation after the Government starting printing money in order to try and maintain spending. His period of office was also notable for his inablility to contain rise of the Shining Path terrorist group (the group were brought under control after the arrest of its leaders in 1992). He eventually resigned amidst allegations of embezelling millions of dollars. All this was great political ammunition for Humala but Garcia retaliated, criticising Humala for his involvement in a failed military coup against former president Fujimori as well as his close ties to Hugo Chavez. The election of Humala would have further strengthened Chavez´s socialist axis in South America but many are wary of the influence of Venezuela´s president and perhaps Humala´s more extreme socialist leanings may have proven too much for the elite to swallow. With Evo Morales currently acting out similar policies in neighbouring Bolivia (state control of foreign interests, notably oil and gas as well as land redistribution from the wealthy elite to the indigenous poor), many Peruvians were able to see into the near future of what Humala would have offered - and they may not have liked what they saw.

Lago Titicaca y Isla del Sol

In Copacabana, I met up with Ellie again and we set off for two excellent days trekking on the beautiful islands of Lake Titicaca. Here the local people have a laidback farming lifestyle and I doubt much has changed here for centuries. The first days trek took us out along the main island to Sicuani from where we hired a motor boat to take us across to the Island of the Sun and the village of Yumani. As the sun set on another day, some local children met us walking up the hill and tried to tempt us to stay at their hostel. Unfortunately for them, there were other hostels with better views.

The next day, after a fine sunrise, we set off along the ridge with great views towards the coastline on either side. Isla del Sol, has a lovely Mediterranean feel, with deep blue water and sandy beaches, yet is 3800m high on the altiplano. According to Incan legend, this picturesque island was birthplace of the first Inca and the sun itself. Traces of Inca culture remain, most notably, the fine stonework of the Chincana ruins at the northernmost tip of the island. The walk back along the coastline through the pretty fishing villages of Cha´llampa and Cha´lla, turned into a bit of a race against time to catch the 4pm ferry. Luckily I made it with a bit to spare leaving Ellie behind to stay another night on the island. As the boat left the harbour, there were fantastic views out past Isla del la Luna with the snowy peaks of the Cordillera Real in the distance. Back in Copacabana, I checked into the hostel right on the beach (its not Rio but I was not complaining) and watched the sun set over the harbour. A perfect end to my stay in Bolivia I thought, but it was not quite to be.

Bolivia under Evo Morales - At the Crossroads ?

Its been 6 months since Evo Morales, Bolivia´s first indigenous president took office. What progress has he made so far and what are the main obstacles he faces.

With 194 Governments in 181 years since independence, Bolivian politics has a long history of instability. Historically governments have been corrupt and their politicians out to line their own pockets as well as those of family and friends. Many recent governments have been weak coalitions where the balance of power is shared and its difficult to pass legislation and make real progress.

Many of the countries elite got rich from the rich mineral resources - notably silver and tin but more recently oil and gas have been a surer route to a quick dollar. The miners revolution of 1951 brought Victor Paz Estensorro to power under the MNR banner and although he promised to improve conditions for the miners and redistribute the countries wealth, in practice little was achieved. Although MNR were to dominate politically over the next few decades, the country reverted to type with ineffective corrupt politicians distributing the countries wealth amongst themselves.

American influence in the countries affairs began to increase rapidly after the second world war. It is often joked that the real president is the US ambassador, whose influence helps sustain America´s free market policies, with the threat of withdrawal of US investment when Bolivia refuses to toe the American line. Neoliberal US policies in Latin America, in particular those of the World Bank and the IMF, were one of the main causes of the 2001 economic crisis in Argentina. Whilst in Bolivia this process of Capitalisation has held development back and helped keep the country poor. In addition, most of the countries leading army officers are trained in US military academies and this helps to increase their leverage in Bolivian affairs.

Bolivia receives large amounts of foreign aid, it is always asking for more money, yet there is never enough investment put towards creating a self sustaining economy. When Evo Morales came to power, he stated that it would take time to reform the state institutions and that he felt padlocked in his palace, a prisoner of existing legislation. There are massive indigenous expectations from their new president but he will need to be careful not to anger the existing elite if he is to remain in power longer than his predecessors.

Until recently, foreign multinationals controlled the countries oil and gas resources, with most of the profits leaving the country or being siphoned off into the bank accounts of corrupt politicians - the multinationals have never been taxed fairly and this needs to change if Bolivia is to reap the rewards of these natural resources. The country is self sufficient in oil and has the regions second largest gas reserves (after Venezulea), but the problems arise when the talk turns to selling the excess gas overseas. Bolivia supplies a significant proportion of both Argentina and Brazil´s gas, but its Chile´s role in any potential future export which causes the most controversy. Landlocked Bolivia is heavily dependent on Chile´s northern ports, indeed the territory used to belong to Bolivia. The port dispute with Chile has been simmering for over 120 years with many Bolivians unhappy that gas could be exported this way through Chile and north to Mexico and North America.

Evo Morales´ Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party, first became a serious political force during the elections of 2002. It was a close run affair with Gonzalo de Sanchez Lozado´s MNR narrowly defeating MAS. Goni formed a coalition with the NFR and MIR parties to maintain a conservative hold on power. Problems began in February 2003 with mass protests against the governments unpopular tax increases for workers. There were clashes between the police and army in Plaza Murillo with several casualties. Eventually the government was forced to back down on the tax hikes but in September trouble flared up again. The rising tide of indigenous protests centered around the poverty stricken city of El Alto above La Paz. The union structure is strong in El Alto and this together with its strategic position controlling the roads into and out of La Paz, meant their demands were soon having a powerful effect. Parties of the left, including MAS, helped to arrange road blocks to paralyse the country. The main issue on this occaision was the export of gas through Chile - the army was forced to break up the roadblocks with more casualties. The government then tried to censure the press but were rapidly losing control. Soon there were marches in every city and calls for Goni to resign. After 7 weeks of protests Goni eventually gave in, fleeing to the US and vice president Carlos Mesa took over. However, he was isolated from the start and was unable to make progress with a much weaker coalition. In June 2005, it was his turn to resign and Eduardo Rodriguez Veltze took over as a reluctant president for a 6 month term, with elections on the agenda.

The weakening of traditional parties left the way clear for two parties - Evo´s MAS on the left and former caretaker president Tuto´s PODEMOS on the right (despite him adopting the colour red and the communist star). Evo won the elections with 54% to Tuto´s 29%, in Bolivian terms a landslide victory. Morales was heavily backed by the indigenous majority but by now it was clear that his support ran much deeper.

Morales came to power on the back of rising disatisaction with the last few governments and the state of the economy. He promised to change the economic model with improvements in social infrastructure, especially in health and education, more state control over oil and gas and land redistribution from rich to poor. He said he would support the countries coca industry whilst attempting to clamp down on illegal cocaine production. There would also be benefits for foreign companies who helped create jobs in Bolivia. Taxes would increase for the rich but not for those in lower wage brackets and salaries of politicians and other government workers would be cut, including halving his own salary. He also campaigned for the extradition of Goni from the US to stand charges in Bolivia.

With strong links to Venezuela´s Hugo Chavez and Cuba´s Fidel Castro, Morales is certainly not a close friend of the current US administration. Chavez is widely seen as threat to US economic interests in the region. In his own country he has used profits from oil and gas sales to fund state institutions such as education and healthcare and is as popular as ever.

Another issue that is likely to be a thorn in the side of the US administration is coca - a crop which plays an important role in Bolivian culture. Morales, a former coca farmer, is keen to expand the legal market for the plant, which includes its use in tea, sweets, soap and shampoo products as well its medicinal uses. America spends 600 million dollars a year on the war against drugs in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, destroying coca fields by aerial spraying. Attempts at crop substituion are widely regarded to have been unsuccessful. The drug cartels respond by moving their operations and planting more crops. Its not clear how Morales plans to reduce the proportion of coca turned to cocaine - much of the coca crop from the Chapare region is channeled toward this purpose.

True to his word, in May, the Bolivian state seized control of oil and gas installations and aims to buy back over 50% of the assets of companies involved. Morales announced - "the pillage of our natural resources by foreign companies is over". There are worries that this approach may scare off the foreign investment needed to help develop the industry. Brazil´s Petrobas were one of the companies not impressed with having to renegotiate their contract. These behind the scenes divisions do not fit well with Hugo Chavez´s grand plan to unite the continent against North American economic interference.

More recently, Morales announced that he plans to redistribute 5 million hectares of land over 5 years. This idle land, much of which was handed out to the rich over the years in exchange for political support, is often not used for agricultural purposes - and large areas are used as collateral for business loans. Santa Cruz landowners oppose the plan and say they will defend their land. The issue is perhaps the first real test of Evo´s Presidency - many see potential trouble ahead if troops will need to be sent in to seize control of the land.

The democratic revolution continues - this week, the Bolivian government announced an ambitous anti-poverty plan. Billions of dollars will be invested, with the aim of creating 100,000 jobs a year for 5 years, eliminating illiteracy and improving access to clean water. Money will come from the increased gas profits, now under state control and foreign lending and investment.

Most Bolivians I spoke to seemed to think Evo Morales was good for their country and his approval rating remains high. Few would doubt it will take a strong character to change South America´s poorest country for the better.



A MAS (Movimiento Al Socialismo) Education rally in Potosi - note the Che Guevara icongraphy. Che was executed in Bolivia after attempting to start a rebellion in the southern jungles - his image continues to resonate throughout the modern country. Evo Morales himself has installed a large portrait inside his presidencial office.