Choquequirao

Perched on a steep mountainside in the Andes, Choquequirao is one of the “lost cities” of the Incas, and supposedly one of the last built as they were fleeing the Spanish conquistadors. Reachable only by walking a minimum of 32 km each way, going from 2800 to 1400 and back up to 3100 meters above sea level, much of the ruins of this lost city are yet to be uncovered. When the whole thing is excavated, they say it could be bigger than Machu Picchu. We started out—me, Sarah, Jane, their dog Ande, Deklan and our guide Ruben—on a four hour nighttime bus ride winding up and over the Andes mountains, which was enough to make Ande carsick. A taxi met us at a junction (I have no idea where) to take us to the town of Cachora where we would start our trek, but not before getting a flat tire. We were off to an adventurous start! In Cachora we stayed the night in a hostel and awoke at 6am to start our long day of walking. Our group now also included a porter, Ruben Dario, two mules, and a horse for riding who we named Sancho Panza. As we began the trek the road was mainly flat, but this soon gave way to intense (mostly) downhill switchbacks. We stopped at a hacienda whose inside was burned and the owner killed by Sendero Luminosos (Shining Path Guerrillas), though his 97 year old wife was still there to greet us. We saw remnants of plants that were killed by pesticide sprays meant to kill coca plants but which only killed numerous other plant species, and which were paid for by US tax dollars.

The campground where we stopped for lunch is where most groups camp the first night; little did we know we were on an expedited version of the trek, doing the trek that most do in 4-5 days in just 2.5. In the river valley we crossed the river on a precarious bridge and then started back up the mountains, where we finally reached our campground, to find it swarming with a group of students from Lima learning to be tour guides. Seeing the small niche businesses people had created along the way made me think more about the potential of microfinance services in rural areas. People actually seemed to be doing quite well in offering services, mainly beverages and camping, to tourists. However this was a special place, still carefully heeding the line between local development and over-tourism and environmental exploitation.

The next day we awoke again around 6am, and began the steep ascent to the lost city we had come to find. That last struggle of uphill switchbacks in the sun made reaching Choquequirao feel like the real icing on an 11,000 foot cake. We came out of a dark wooded path onto rows of stone terracing that led us into the central plaza. Though it was midday, there were perhaps twenty other people in the entire city the whole time we were there. We hiked up to the circular grass area which was used to dry corn and other harvested items, and with a 360 view surrounded by snowcapped mountain peaks, green forest and deep valleys, it felt as though we were on top of the world. We explored the various, mysterious sections of this ancient city, which is said to have been a military complex built as the Incas were fleeing the Spanish. But when it comes to the lost Incan cities, much is still hypothesis and theory.

As I huffed and puffed my way back, glad for any opportunity to let Sancho carry me, I was humbled watching Ruben Dario leading us all 40 miles of the way in his flimsy sandals made of tires. That night we had to make it back to where we had stopped for lunch the day before, which meant some hiking by the light of the full moon. While it was a bit scary trekking down and up steep cliffs and crossing a bridge that moves with every step in the dark, it was nice to have a break from the sweltering heat. We arrived back in Cachora the afternoon of the following day, never happier to eat a plate of spaghetti and some mystery soup. But not before passing the heartbreaking sight of children playing in sewer water using condoms as water balloons. Once back in Cusco with my scorched, dirty and insect-ravaged skin, I was truly glad to have undertaken such an adventure before they build a funicular to cart tourists en masse up the mountain to see what may then become the next Machu Picchu tourist extravaganza. That said…. congratulations to the Cusquenos, Machu Picchu is one of the 7 new wonders of the world! 

New York Times Article about Choquequirao

More of my pictures from Choquequirao

Comments

[Jessica]

Anna!
That sounds like it was so much fun. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of your photos!