Sorry to hound you guys with questions. I'm a kind of "planning" type mind...
Inti Raymi will be taking place just as I arrive in Lima on the 19th of June. I originally wanted to travel straight to Cuzco, but I don't have any reservations there, my funds are limited, and I think prices will be inflated. On top of that, I don't want to be swarmed by tourists and I get the impression that Inti Raymi is a bit of a commercialized event. Even if it is fun and unique, I don't generally like wild parties and I'd prefer to get a glimpse into a more authentic culture.
So I had two alternate itineraries in mind. The first was to fly from Lima to AREQUIPA, and then do the Gringo trail backwards, hoping that most of the tourists will have left Cuzco by the time I get there (July 2nd?); and the second is to skip the Gringo trail entirely and head North to Huaraz, trek in the Andes, visist Chiclayo and Trujillo and spend some time in the Chachapoyas.
I don't want to be entirely on my own, but I also don't want to take spoiled western civilization with me, so maybe going to the North would be the better idea...
But then again, maybe the idea of taking the Gringo trail backwards will really work to my advantage. I was thinking of taking a trek in the Colca Canyons when I first arrive in Arequipa, but a local Peruvian who lives in Toronto told me that even the Colcas are full of tourists...
I would appreciate any advice. Thanks everyone!
Ignore Evelyn... she is a spammer who will rip you off. You give compelling arguments for missing it. Not on everyones must see list it is interesting...but gets in the way of doing lots of neat things that folks normally do. Without a hotel reservation by now you are either going to have to scramble or get really ripped off. Paying double with a minimum stay is not unheard of. The money you save can go to some nice stuff on your trip.
Well, it looks like I'll be heading North. First stop, Huaraz, for a trek into the Blanca region...
I'm looking forward to reaching the Chachapoyas region.
Should I be concerned about safety? I'll be a lone traveller, in what looks like it'll be a lonely region.
Huaraz is a great place, I arrived in Lima a few weeks ago with the intention of heading south but on a whim at the bus station booked a ticket to Huaraz. I stayed only 2 days but wish I'd had more time!! I'm on a very tight schedule unfortunately. There's lots to do from Huaraz but not a huge amount in the town itself. Just a warning though, it's not yet very busy so you may find it hard to get tours or treks etc that have other people on them. I'm travelling solo, and tried to book activites & a trek and found a lot of agencies didn't have other people booked for anything so I had to book for just me. I did a 1-day hike to Laguna Churup which was great but hard work if you're not used to the altitude (it's at 4500m). Make sure you acclimatise for a day or 2. I didn't...it's not fun. I also went rockclimbing at Monterroy, lots of fun but again had to do it alone. I've heard the Santa Cruz 4 day hike is amazing, noone has said a bad thing about it.
Chachapoyas is a great place, very friendly not overwhelmed with tourists and there are so many amazing ruins and treks in surrounding area that are easy to get to either with an organised group or with other backpackers you meet along the way. The first time I visited I travelled by myself from Villcabamba in Ecuador and had no problems either en route or whilst I was there (ended up staying four months), I returned last year for a couple of weeks travelling with friends this time and again no problems. I visited Cuzco and Arequipa (though not Colca) and whilst I enjoyed the experience would always recommend Chachapoyas above them.
If you want have a look at some of my pics - www.thebigpicturelibrary.com/amanda - and happy to answer any questions you have.
Cheers Amanda
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