Tag: #traveler
Sacred Valley (Towns & Ruins)

Sacred Valley (Towns & Ruins)

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Towns & Ruins

I explored the magnificent towns of the sacred valley on two different routes which I recommend to every independent traveler and they both can be done On Your Own:

  • Cusco → Tipon → Cusco:

Tipon is not in the sacred valley proper, yet it lies at a high elevation to the south of the valley; yet there are some beautiful ruins here that are worth the trip.

It is really easy and straight-forward to go to Tipon on your own, you don’t need to join a cramped organized tour for that. From Cusco, you’ll take a collective directly to Tipon which takes around 30 minutes and for only 5 soles; however, as there are different collectivo stops in Cusco, depending on your destination, you’ll need to head to the right one for Tipon (click to request info).

Arriving at Tipon, you’ll start hiking to the ruins. Since the ruins are outside of town, which makes them more magical, you’ll hike around 3 hours (each way) to visit them on a well-marked trail. From the collective stop, you’ll see signs to the ruins or you can ask any local about “el camino” to the ruins and they will point which direction to you. The hike is about 1-1:30 hours of an uphill climb to the first terraces of the ruins. The first section of the trail consists of a dirt road passing through some local houses which will then be followed by a trail in the mountains with some beautiful scenery.

These ruins are off-the-beaten-path of the sacred valley and few tour groups go there which makes them much more special. When you arrive at the ruins, you’ll find yourself almost alone there and you be free to explore as much as you want of these ruins, take lots of pictures of your, almost private, Inca ruins; and if you still have an appetite for more ruins, you’ll see signs for “Pucara” which is another ruin’s site close-by. After getting your ruins’ fix:) you can head back to Cusco, same way as you came, or you can try the “cuy” in Tipon (click to request info).

  • Cusco → Pisac → Ollantaytambo → Cusco:

This tour is about visiting the small towns of the sacred valley and their ruins, on your own, and soak in the cultural and historic highlights of this special spot of our planet. In order to be able to optimize your time and be able to visit all the highlights on a day-trip from Cusco, you’ll have to get a grasp of the sacred valley’s geography and have a good map with you (click to request info).

The first stop in this tour will be Pisac. Apart from its ruins, Pisac is famous for its bustling market and a trip to visit this market should be on each explorer’s itinerary. To reach Pisac from Cusco, take a collective from its designated stop (click to request info) which will take you directly to Pisac’s main street. Get out here and walk in the direction away from the river and you’ll find the famous market.

You’ll be tempted to explore the market now, but I recommend to wait till you visit the ruins and explore it on your way back. The ruins are up in the hills, so continue walking through the market away from the river till you reach a dirt road which you’ll follow easily to the ruins. But be warned, the hike up to the ruins is fairly steep and if this is your rest day:) then you can take a taxi or hitchhike your way directly to the ruins. After exploring the ruins, the hike back is downhill and easy and takes you directly to the market. So now its shopping time:) Explore the market at your leisure, there are some hidden gems here and true bargains; however, expect to haggle the prices down with the merchants who are mostly friendly and smiling.

Exploring Pisac should take you around 3-4 hours after which you’ll ride all the way along the river to your next stop…Ollantaytambo. Again, from the main road in Pisac where the collective dropped you, you can take another collective to Ollantaytambo or hitchhike your way, but expect to pay a little fee.

Ollantaytambo is a little charming village famous for its Inca ruins. These ruins were used as defensive structures against the Spaniards and they are, in my opinion, the best ruins outside Machu Picchu. You can visit the ruins easily on your own or you can hire a local guide to give you a brief history about the ruins and the village. After visiting the ruins, don’t miss strolling around the old town and have the famous local drink at one of the village’s watering holes:) (click to request info).

Finally, when you are ready to head back to Cusco, there is a direct collective from here, but be aware that this collectivo will drop you at a different stop than the one you started your tour from (click to request info).    

 

 
Villarica Volcano Trek (Pucon)

Villarica Volcano Trek (Pucon)

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Villarica Volcano Trek

Pucon is a small city located deep into the Chilean Andes that is best known for its adventure tourism. The major attraction here is the Villarica volcano, which is a perfect conical-shaped volcano, that imposes itself in the city’s backyard. It is a picture-perfect volcano, the one you always imagined when you were a kid: perfectly conical-shaped crater, standing alone, 2,840 meters high, and snow-capped!!

There are many activities and adventures that can be done in Pucon, but this blog is dedicated to the mother of all adventures here…the volcano trek!!

This volcano is one of the many active volcanos in Chile’s ring of fire region (last eruption: March 2015), yet it is the only one that you can hike up all the way to the volcano’s crater! However, to hike-up the volcano, you have to do it with a certified guide i.e. tour company. I know that this might sound not as independent as we all wish, but still there are a lot of planning and preparation you need to do, On Your Own, for this tough adventure. SO LETS START!!

Going to Pucon from Santiago is easy; but, as a budget traveler, I opted for the bus option. There are several buses operating along this route that are very comfortable and modern (click to request info). The journey takes around 10 hours from Santiago! But don’t be discouraged, there are night buses with sleepers that are very comfortable and saves a lot of time and, above all, money:)

If you are going to Pucon only for the volcano trek, it is recommended to spend, at least, a complete full day in the city before your ascent to enjoy the city, rest, and relax before this tough adventure.

Arriving at Pucon in the early morning, check in at your hostel and grab a good breakfast, then it’ll be time to pick your tour company. I assume by now you already did most of your homework on this and, at least, narrowed-down the many available companies to a couple of options. Basically, all the companies offer the same services, same timings, and equipment; they only differ in the size of the group, some luxury amenities that you can do without, flexible logistics, and of course…price! I, personally, narrowed-down my options to two companies before arriving which I can both recommend (click to request info). I waited to chose when I arrive because I wanted to meet the people and inspect the equipment, myself.

Hopefully, you’ll be done with selecting your tour company early-on to relax and stroll around the city (I don’t recommend to do another activity on the day before the hike as the hike will be very tough so you’ll need to take it easy and sleep early). So now to the hike itself:)

The day will start very early, normally you meet your guides and the rest of the group at dawn in front of the company’s office and then they’ll transport you, by a mini-bus, to the national park and the base of the volcano. At this point the guides have to make a decision about whether it’ll be possible to ascend the volcano or not, depending on the weather, which will hopefully be favorable. If not, they will transport you back to the city and you won’t pay anything, but once you started hiking…you’ll pay! In my case, the weather was not that favorable and the guides told us: it is a 50-50 chance of being able to reach the crater…so some decided to do it, obviously me:) while others went back.

Since I did this hike in the off-season (May), the cable cars at the base to the first stop were not operational so we started the hike from the base. The entire hike is very steep, but the first part was the least of them and with no snow on the ground, so it was moderately difficult till reaching the upper cable car’s station. By this point, the weather cleared and it was sunny:) 

From here you’ll start walking in deep snow which will make this hike much much tougher. Our pace got slower and slower, and I was getting tired but the reward waiting for me kept me going.

Unfortunately, it won’t get easier from here and the weather up at the top of the volcano was very different from the base…It was cloudy and windy. Here the guides told us that we won’t be able to see anything from the top, but we can continue if we wanted. So we decided to do it and the last section was as steep and strenuous as a hike I’ve ever did in my life and with the snow…100 times tougher!!

As the guides said, we reached the top and could see nothing from the clouds; moreover, we couldn’t stay up because of the wind… so, yes, we didn’t get a clear view of the crater, but the sense of achievement and the views while going down made it up, somehow, for us!  

The way down is much more fun. The guides will give you slides to sit on and you’ll slide your way back to the base, very fun and lively activity! Clearly I was enjoying it in this picture:)

When reaching the base, you’ll be transported back to the city and depending on your plans, you can have time to shower and eat. All in all, Pucon is a touristy city, but going in the shoulder season was pretty and peaceful; and the volcano trek is a must do for any adventurer.

N.B: There are some other adventure activities that you can do in the area surrounding Pucon as a day trip, but I, personally, didn’t have enough time to do any; albeit I planned for them in case the volcano trek was a no-go. So if you need any suggestions, just drop me an email and I’ll be happy to assist (click to request info)
Otter Trail (Day 5)

Otter Trail (Day 5)

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[Andre Hut → Nature Valley] (10.8 km)

The final day of this amazing adventure; the day you’ll be back in civilization:) Depending on your transport arrangements and timing, plan your start for this day bearing in mind that this is an easy short day that will take you only 3 hours to finish, with stops.

The first section will be along the pebble beach you spent the previous night on and it’ll involve some challenging boulder hopping.

Then the final uphill of this entire trail will start immediately after you hike along the beach for less than a kilometer. The uphill will be inside the forest and by now you’ll be expert in this terrain so it won’t be tough for you.

After this last uphill you’ll reach the top of the plateau with amazing final views of the towering cliffs above the ocean. You’ll continue hiking on the top and will have this amazing feeling that you almost finished this thrilling adventure.

It is all flat from here, so take your time, enjoy, take your last pictures, and keep going till you reach the metal gate marking the end of the trail!! CONGRATULATIONS YOU DID IT

From this point you’ll have an amazing view of Nature Valley beach 

and the trail will take you down all the way to the beach and civilization.

Now you’ll start meeting people: day trippers and beach goers and they’ll all congratulate you:) so enjoy your glory moment and don’t forget to stop by the rest camp to sign-out from the trail and collect your Otter Trail Certificate…YOU ARE OFFICIALLY AN ADVENTURER!!

 
Otter Trail (Day 4)

Otter Trail (Day 4)

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[Oakhurst Hut → Andre Hut] (13.8 km)

This is the longest, toughest, and most dangerous day of the entire trail! But don’t be discouraged as, since you reached this point already, then you are fit enough to do it, and the rewards along the entire trail are stunning!    

This is the day when the tidal chart you got at the reception on day 1 becomes very very important. Check the low tide and try to plan to reach the Balkrans river half an hour before that for the easiest of crossings, yet you’ll be able to cross at other times but it’ll be more difficult!

The river, itself, is after 10 km from the hut you slept in and 4 km from your next hut, so accordingly plan to start your day which might, sometimes, be at dawn. However, the trail is well-marked and has km markers every 1 km so it’ll be easy to follow even in the dark. Done with all the planning, then let’s start the adventure:)

The first part of the trail will be along the ocean with stunning views and nice sea breeze. This section is fairly easy, so you should be able to hike at a faster pace.

After km 6, the trail will get wilder and tougher. From km 6 to 8, it will be the toughest section before the crossing. In addition to rock scrambling and boulder hopping, it will involve lots of uphills and downhills and you’ll be amazed by the mere fact that such a trail was even built!

The trail will continue inside the forest, and if the weather is hot, beware of where you put your feet because there might be snakes on the trail!

At this point you have done almost 3 hours of hiking today, so take a break and recharge. The final part before the crossing is fairly easy inside the forest and should take you around 1 hour (you’ll be tired by now, so you’ll hike at a much slower pace).

Then the mighty Balkrans river will come into view!!! This is, maybe, the moment you mostly anticipated when you decided to hike the Otter trail…so take a deep breath and enjoy the view.

When you arrive at the river mouth there will be a map showing the crossing routes based on the tide situation. Since we reached the river at low tide, we chose route “A” which is the easiest, yet the longest in which you’ll have to walk in the water.

If you timed it right and had time before the low tide, then this will be an ideal spot for lunch before you cross. In our case, we arrived an hour before the low tide, so we rested, swam and enjoyed the stunning views around us.

Again since we had time, I put on my aqua shoes and decided to test the crossing without the bags and it was really easy as the water was waist level at max.

So when the time came, we decided to cross with our bags on our backs with the rain covers on as we didn’t need neither survival bags nor ropes (didn’t have them anyways since we knew we are going to cross at low tide and had the much cheaper alternative…garbage bags and small dry bags for our valuables… in case we needed them). We crossed 15 minutes before low tide and only the bottom of our bags got a bit wet…nothing more!

The feeling that you crossed and passed the most dangerous part is very refreshing, and since we had time, we celebrated by swimming again; but it is also advisable to relax a bit because the next 4 kilometers are the toughest in terms of hiking.

Immediately after the crossing, you will walk on a very narrow ledge which can be a bit scary, but there are fixed ropes to hold on to if you needed

In this section the adrenaline will be pumping in your veins and you’ll feel like a conqueror who was able to conquer the famous Otter trail, almost:)

After this ledge-walking section, you’ll reach a pebble beach which is very wild and remote.

Then, the first of the two big uphills will start. It wasn’t as bad as previously thought, but after all your effort, the trail will take you down again to another pebble beach:) so take a break here because the next uphill is really grueling. It is the toughest uphill in the entire 5-day trek, so take it slowly and keep going as you know you are almost there.

Finally, you’ll reach the top of the plateau with stunning views and it’ll be all flat and downhills from here to the huts:) 

These last 2 kilometers are really fun and the final steep downhill will take you right to Andre huts which are located on a wild pebble beach 
Otter Trail (Day 3)

Otter Trail (Day 3)

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[Scott Hut → Oakhurst Hut] (7.7 km)

This is the first day when you’ll start encountering the famous river crossings of the Otter trail and you’ll have to plan your hike according to the tide chart to be able to cross these rivers at low tide. The third day of the Otter trail is relatively short, yet it has some challenging uphills. The total distance between the two huts is 7.7 km which will take you around 4 hours, with rests, so you’ve time. However, your start time will depend on the low tide time as the second river that you’ll have to cross, the Lottering River, is after 7 km.    

In this day, you’ll hike on a terrain that, most probably, you never hiked before and you’ll go to places you won’t believe your eyes for their beauty, so get ready and prepare for an amazing adventure:)

The first part of the hike will be, the now familiar, uphill from the hut inside the thick forest. Shortly after that the terrain will completely change and you’ll hike close to the ocean shore.

 

It is an unbelievable background for a hike, what more can an adventurer want other than a blue ocean, green forest, and beautiful sunshine:) You’ll stop a lot here for the perfect ocean picture.

The trail here will involve some boulder hopping and uphills, but every few kilometers you can find hidden pools where you can swim…amazing! 

After 2.5 km, you’ll reach the first of the two river mouths…the Elandsbos river…and it is out of this world.

Crossing this river is very easy, at maximum you’ll only have to take-off your shoes, but the views and the feeling of exclusivity here will make you cross this river back and forth from the excitement.

 

The next section of the trail is the toughest. From here it’ll be an uphill after an uphill and all exposed to the sun without the shelter of the forest trees, but I personally, didn’t realize how tough it was because I was owed by the beauty surrounding me (pic).

After around 4 kilometers, the trail will reach the top of a cliff and start to flatten, to much of your relief. Then in 2 kilometers you’ll start seeing the Lottering river mouth and the huts on the opposite side. At first sight you’ll be scared of the crossing as the huts are directly situated above the river mouth which is deep and wild.

But don’t be as when you start going downhill towards the river, the trail will take you away from the ocean and the crossing will be at a very shallow area. The dissent from here is very steep, so be cautious; and if you reach the river at low tide, you’ll only need to take-off your shoes and cross.

You are now almost at the huts, only 20 minutes left, so secure your bags after you cross the river and go for an amazing swim, but don’t let the fun distract you as the high tide will come. From here to the huts it’ll be a slight uphill and when you reach the huts, you’ll realize that they are situated at an unbelievably amazing spot…so enjoy!

And remember, if you want to check the difference in the water levels between low and high tides, you can go back to the crossing area and try your luck:) and don’t miss the amazing sunset over the ocean.
Terracotta Army

Terracotta Army

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Terracotta Army

Legend says that emperor Qin believed that he’ll rule another empire in the afterlife so he needed his army buried with him! The result was the magnificent Terracotta Army…8,000 life-sized clay warriors, 130 chariots, 520 horses, and 120 cavalry horses! Each with its OWN unique characteristics resembling the real-life army & placed according to their ranks!! Believe me… YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT TILL YOU SEE IT:)   

The Terracotta army is located close to the city of X’ian in Shaanxi province and you can visit it on your own and on budget…its only one bus ride away:)  

From east square opposite to the train station, you have two bus options that will take you directly to the mausoleum that houses the three pits containing the terracotta warriors (click to request info). The journey takes between 40 minutes to 1 hour and it only costs CNY 20 (2012 prices).

At the mausoleum there are three different pits as well as a museum and you can visit them in any order you like, but I, personally, like to save the best for last and this is Pit “1”. So start your exploration with Pit “2”.

In this pit you’ll get a glimpse of how astonishing these statues are as you’ll find soldiers, generals, and horses.

After Pit “2”, head to Pit “3” which is smaller, yet houses the famous headless army.

Next, head to Shi Huang Mausoleum where you’ll find some of the most well-preserved warriors displayed in a museum like displays.

  

Now you’ll feel more & more excited after this introduction and craving for more, and knowing that you saved the best for last…you’ll find yourself running towards Pit “1”:) So prepare to be amazed and astonished my fellow explorer, you are about to see one of the most impressive monuments on our planet!

I won’t talk much about this pit and will leave you to explore it, enjoy it, and admire it. But one thing before you embark on this discovery…here you’ll find the Terracotta Army in its full power

 

Try to view them from every possible angle

& get as close as you can to admire the unique details and characteristic of each soldier.

I’ve to admit, till now, and having visited 44 countries, the Terracotta Army is one of my favorite monuments from all over the world…THEY ARE SIMPLY AMAZING!

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