It’s been a while since I have participated in a South American Explorer’s (SAE) Club event. I’ve been terribly busy with work, and other hobbies such as dancing, the gym and reading have taken priority over hiking these last few months. A recent trip to Rio de Janeiro (posts on that coming soon) has rekindled my adventurous spirit and I finally made it out this morning/afternoon to explore more of Cusco with an amazing group of fellow adventurers.

Getting There…

I made my way to the SAE clubhouse this morning at about 10:00 AM and was happy to see some familiar faces from my dance classes there, along with loads of really interesting people from all over the world. It was a nice group size, with maybe close to 20 people participating. We left the clubhouse and walked towards the Rosaspatas market on Calle Recoleta where we took a private van to the entrance of the Tambomachay ruins. It cost us S/. 4.00 per person… well worth it. From there we crossed to the other side of the street where there are normally a collection of busses at rest.  My friend and trip leader Kim found a little path, and from there we began our hike.

The Hike…

It always amazes me how much great hiking there is so close to Cusco and how beautiful the landscape can be here. In just a short 15-20 minute bus ride we found ourselves walking along a river and through a valley full of Andean ruins and interesting sites which are normally overlooked by tourists interested in visiting more accessible and/or “impressive” ruins due to their limited travel time.

The path we walked along was part of an old Inca trail, and was admittedly quite gorgeous. We walked behind the Puca Pucara ruins and followed the river, chatting away and enjoying the walk before coming to a large stone and some terracing. According to one of the trip participants, Paolo Greer, this large stone had been someone’s home, and it was clear upon closer inspection that this large stone had been carved to include some interesting nooks and crannies where people may have slept in the past. I do not remember the name of the site, but it was quite nice and a place I would definitely return to.

From there we continued along the river where we saw some very nice Andean terracing on the other side of the valley. We could also see the city of Cusco in the distance, creating an interesting juxtaposition of old-vs.-new and reminding me of how privileged I am to be living in Cusco and so close to this wealth of culture, tradition, architecture, etc…

Getting Back…

Our original plan was to walk back to San Sebastian where we could take a bus back into the center of town; however, we took a wrong turn and eventually made our way back into an area very close to Calle Recoleta… so much so that we just decided to walk all the way back  into town instead of taking a bus. We walked through areas that I had never explored before, evaded the barks of a pack of street dogs, and did it all before 2:00 PM… not a bad morning!

Hike Grade: A-

I really enjoyed the hike. It was great to get out of the city, get some exercise, breath in some fresh air, make new friends and see new ruins. I think the best part was getting to chat with all of the other hikers on the trip and to share the experience with them. Personally, I would have preferred a longer hike, but it was really nice to know that this little hike is so close to town and easy to get to. Furthermore, it was great to connect with the SAE again and take part in one of their activities. I highly recommend checking out their website (saexplorers.org) and/or stopping by their clubhouse in San Blas.

Hope to see you on a hike in the future, and best of luck to everyone in their explorations all over the world!