Posts Tagged ‘cusco’

Leaving the tourist areas

Tuesday, 13 November, 2012 19:26 Written by Pariwana Hostel
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Many cities in Peru have relatively concentrated ‘tourist areas,’ and one way to stay safe is to stick to these areas places, call taxis from your hotel and use other precautions that may limit your full experience of the city.  If you have the urge to not confine yourself there are a lot of great way to explore, and most of the starting with asking.   Figure out what safe areas there are to explore in each city before wandering out to find them, and find out how to get to them.  A bilingual reception staff, like those at Pariwana Hostels in Lima and Cusco, can be helpful in making sure you know exactly where you’re going, and if you’re feeling adventurous there are always many people to ask concerning the layout of the city who may give you different, and even fuller answers.

Plaza de armas – Cusco

If using sources such as waiters, taxi drivers and friendly locals on the streets, try to confirm these locations with a local you trust, often someone back at your hostel.   Next plan a route to avoid getting lost; getting lost in a foreign city is never safe, especially as you stray off the more worn tourist paths.

First write down the areas or streets you may want to visit, and then look at a map.  Being able to review these areas will help you find them while you’re enjoying your day, and also help you identify where the areas end so you don’t accidently wander out of them and into somewhere higher risk, plus, studying your map while exploring an new city will help you learn its layout.  Make sure to identify, or ask for, landmarks or boundary streets that will indicate to you that you’ve gone far enough, and then further ones that will tell you you’ve already gone too far.  Make sure they are obvious things that you can see from a relatively long distance, large churches that peak over the top of the rest of the skyline often work well, major streets or bridges that will automatically make you pause when you reach them or similar natural ‘speed bumps’ in the city layout.  Look for these landmarks as you wander and pay attention to where you came from, don’t hesitate to turn around and cover the same ground to get back to an area you know.  Remember nothing is more like holding up a “Roba me” sign than unfolding a huge map in an area that you already shouldn’t be in, and trust your intuition.  Wander far, and wander well!

Tips on Travel in Cusco

Tuesday, 21 August, 2012 15:52 Written by Chael
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                Cusco is the most visited cities in Peru, and one of the most visited in the entire of the continent. As such, it has a lot of transportation options to choose from. Peru does not have the best domestic travel services, but the system is quite functional. You can travel on the cheap, or opt for something a bit more luxurious. It all depends on how backpacker you intend to be. Pariwana Cusco hostel can give you the low-down on the transport options available to you, but this article offers some hints to get you ready.

                For off, the small airport in Cusco is one of the most transited in the country. Multiple flights travel to and from Lima and Arequipa daily, and also to several jungle cities like Iquitos. If you choose to fly, you might want to look at the weather report. Flights get cancelled more often than not, and it could put a dent in your plans. The airport is tiny but well set-up, with restaurants and clean facilities to handle the hordes of travellers coming in.

You can get to Lima for as low as 70 bucks, perhaps on Star Peru, which is most often considered the cheaper option among the domestic carriers. There is also Lan Peru and Taca airlines. Once at the Cusco airport, you should take a taxi to the Plaza de Armas, but don’t let the taxi drivers trick you into paying 30 soles for a ride, it should cost no more than 7!

Otherwise, a more sure way to arrive to Cusco from Lima or vise-versa is to travel by bus. There are many carriers, and some have their own terminals. However, you’ll be happy to know that the Terminal Terrestre is the main hub for several companies that offer daily service to the main Peruvian travel hubs. The terminal is about 15 minutes walking down the Avenida del Sol, the avenue not 3 blocks from Pariwana Cusco.

Lima is about 24 hours away, Nazca is 15 hours, Arequipa is 10 hours away, and Puno is around 7 hours. Make sure your bus has a bathroom if you think you’ll have to use it. There’s a 55 sol, 22 hours bus straight to Ayacucho if you choose to take that road less-traveled. The company is called Expreso los Chankas and is located on Caceres. One bus leaves at 7pm, but you should take the 6:30am bus to enjoy some of the most spell-binding views in the country.

Finally, one last transport option is the train. You might have jumped the train to Machu Pichu. PeruRail also runs a 10 hour service to Puno that includes lunch. The train departs Mondays, Wednesday and Saturday, and Fridays between April and October. Backpackers might enjoy a luxurious train journey have having roughed it perhaps along the Inca Trail.

Visit to the Maras Salt Mines

Friday, 10 August, 2012 20:37 Written by Chael
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Most backpackers will head out from Pariwana Cuzco early in the morning to make the best out of their day. They will hit up all the big ruins, and snap photos galore before coming back to Cuzco. The city is always beckoning you back with its superb nightlife and unique gastronomy. But beyond the borders of Cuzco to the north, up a long 40 kilometer dirt road, lies a site less-visited by the hordes of tourists. The site is near the village of Maras, and has had practical significance since the Incas.

Walking west out of the village, one comes to the scene: beautifully contrasting salt evaporation ponds. What is it, exactly, that you’re looking at? The white ponds gently fall in altitude. They look like a scaling collage of polygonal shapes, each crowded precisely next to its neighbor, trying to hog up as much sunlight as it can.

Your adventurous travel to get here will be well-rewarded with the various ponds reflecting colors from white to brown, red to greenish. Make sure to snap a few photos for the folks.

So, what is it? The site has been used for centuries by the locals to gather salt. The water itself comes from a nearby spring that belongs to and underground stream. The first users of the spring carved small channels to direct the water out, and down over the inclining hill where you see the salt ponds today. Each pond is about 4 meters wide, shaped variously.

Each pond has its own local minder. If you see one pond whiter than another, it’s because that salt farmer is more skilled than the latter. The water enters each pond through a small hole, and is kept no more than 30 centimeters deep. Salt forms crystals along the ground and walls of each pond. When there are enough crystals, the farmer closes off the water supply, and lets the remaining water dry out before collecting the salt for market. The community works together to regulate the harvest.

There are no hostels in town, so you’ll surely return to Cuzco, but the trip is worth it. Why not make a whole day of it between the salt mines and the Moray Incan Ruins nearby?

Find a Safe Hostel or Hotel

Thursday, 05 July, 2012 15:23 Written by Pariwana Hostel
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Finding a good, secure place to stay wherever you’re visiting is essential to staying safe for the rest of your visit.  While it can be tempting to walk around and try to find ‘the best deal’ or the ‘coolest place’ once you’re on the ground, it’s a good idea to find a place to stay for your first night beforehand, and avoid walking around with all of your belongings, which leaves you in a vulnerable position.  Some hostels will allow you to store you bags in a locked room even if you’re not necessarily staying the night, and finding one that will let you do this, so you can go out with your essentials and have your other things safely stored away, can be a good route to take if you insist on waiting to make a decision until you see your options up close. 

In Cusco and Lima Pariwana Hostels offer this option, and also have good security, so you can feel comfortable leaving your things for an afternoon, or spending the night.  Some other places offer similar security, but the Pariwana model represents some good things to look for: a locking front door (thick iron construction doesn’t hurt) and a security camera or person doing visual checks before the door is opened, twenty four hour attention so that you can get back in and have somewhere safe to stay, even if you lose track of time, lockers to secure your things within the dormitories and a bag storage room for travelers that is locked by the desk and uses a tag system, ensuring no one else walks away with your things.

Another helpful feature is a reception team that speaks your language.  If you speak Spanish, obviously this is an easy task, but many places, including Pariwana, staff bilingual teams that speak English, and sometimes even other languages.  Finding a front desk you can communicate with can help you and your bags stay safe within the hostel, and makes it easier to ask for advice on local directions and travel directions, another key component to keeping safe from the moment you arrive, to when you get on the next bus.

Using Collectivos, the peruvian public transportation

Tuesday, 26 June, 2012 17:02 Written by Pariwana Hostel
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Many cities in Peru may lack a centralized public transit system with underground trains and covered bus stops, but to say that any city of size doesn’t have a public transit system at all would be a mistake.  In fact, most larger Peruvian cities are crowded with buses running on well-established routes and charging uniform fares for a ride, just like any major US or European city.  In smaller cities the system is more or less the same, but the ‘buses’ may actually take the form of vans with sliding doors or even cars that, from down the street, can look like taxis.  These cheap and extensive public transportation systems are a great way to get around the city, and a great way to learn its layout.

These privately operated, publicly accessible buses, vans and cars are called collectivos and are generally extremely safe, though often not used by tourists.  Using one requires finding out what area or street you need to get to and where near you to pick up a ride.  In major cities such as Lima you may easily find paradareros, or bust stops and destinations painted on to the side of large buses.  In smaller cities like Puno, there are few formal stops, just routes that are followed, and the destinations are usually on a sign on the top of the car.  In medium size cities like Arequipa, a mix of all possible vehicles will be offering service and in vans the routes are often posted on the front window in rotating, suction cup based boards.  Once you know what sign to look out for based on the area you’re going to, just go to a major street and scan the painted sides, roof top signs and windshields for the right ride.

Before you leave, ask your hostel staff what landmarks will tell you you’ve arrived and what cross streets to look for.  If you feel unsure once you’re en route, ask your driver to alert you when you’re near your destination, they’re usually more than willing to help.

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