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Mystical Peru…where magical vibes are unveiled with Orient-Express styleBy Suna and Rusi Kanga
Exhilarated by the charm of courtyard gardens, ancient cloisters of colonial renaissance style, and a Baroque-style chapel with magnificent paintings, it was hard to accept a suggestion to get into bed. "It will help you get acclimatized," urged the receptionist. We check into the duplex suite, beautifully appointed with Peruvian paintings in gold frames, fine old furniture, pottery, fruits and flowers. The bed, tucked under the sloped ceiling, faces a pop-up television at its foot. The ultimate seduction of luxurious, monogrammed bed-linen makes it easy to turn in.
At Sacsayhuaman, a fantastic Inca fortress overlooking this puma-shaped city, the massive granite blocks pose many questions. How were the stones lifted and stacked on the mountain? Back in town, we check out the lively night scene. At the Inka Wall restaurant, whirling Peruvian dancers offer good entertainment.
HIGH LAKE TO DESERT
How were these ancient drawings etched into the forbidding landscape? Theories abound: some speculate that they either represented a solar calendar, astronomic observatory, alien landing strip or were just totems. A German mathematician, the late Dr Maria Reiche, discovered that the giant figure of a monkey coincided exactly with the constellation of Ursa Major. Perhaps, the drawings helped the Nascans determine the seasons of the year, so vital to the peoples' subsistence? Questions, questions! Peru's monumental multiple-choices queries make every answer a fascinating possibility. Mystical Peru keeps you guessing. www.orient-expresshotels.com and www.perurail.com.
Kanga Concepts |
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The
silence among us is palpable. It is 6 am and we are perched on a high ledge
at Peru's greatest attraction, Machu Picchu. The Lost City of the Incas,
located at an altitude of 2,400 metres, has us lost in deep thought. Why was
the city built in a remote mountain location? What was its precise function?
How did it remain a secret during 300 years of Spanish rule? Dawn dissipates
the clouds hovering over the stony ruins and brings the city into grand
focus. Cameras click, the spell is broken.
Flying
Aero Continente from Chile, we land in the sprawling capital Lima. The road
to the Miraflores Park Hotel skirts a suburban waterfront of gracious
colonial buildings. Our suite is a preview of Orient-Express style. There is
a private sauna with monogrammed bath towels, king-sized bed, fax machine
and stationery and a grand ocean view. At the lobby bar, we sink into deep
leather sofas and raise pisco sours to 'salut' prestigious travel. 
To
understand Peru, one must first visit the treasure-filled museums of
cosmopolitan Lima. The Anthropology and Archaeology Museum is a grand
introduction to a 500-year history studded with stories of conquistadores
who came in search of gold and discovered an astonishing cultural heritage.
When Francisco Pizzaro, conqueror and first governor of Peru, arrived from
Spain in the 16th century, he was held in awe as a White God. Within months,
lured by the wealth of gold, Inca cities were ransacked and razed, and on
the ruins of ancient temples rose elaborate churches. The significance of
gold has prompted a popular expression. "When something is worth its weight
in gold, we say 'it's worth Peru,' " notes a local. 
No
city in Peru is as spectacular as Cuzco! Flying to an elevation of 3,360
metres, (about 12,000 ft), we land in what was once the fabled capital of
the Inca Empire. Cuzco's location, as one of the highest cities in the
world, adds to its heady charm, which is why one needs to avoid alcohol and
keep sipping mate de coca, a pleasant, non-addictive herbal tea brewed from
coca leaves (from which cocaine is made.) But we are not overly concerned as
the Monasterio is the first hotel in the world to offer oxygen-enriched
rooms. 
Built
in 1595 on the site of an Inca palace, the magnificent hotel was a seminary
for almost a century. Palatial style was regained in May 1999, when the
Orient-Express Hotels took over the management of an existing hotel and
renamed it Hotel Monasterio. The national historical landmark is the
property of the Archbishop of Cusco. 
Cuzco
is a delightful meld of three cultures: the native Quechua Indian, the
conquering colonial Spanish and the modern. Strolling through the lofty,
once-gilded temples and palaces, it is easy to imagine the pomp and
pageantry of the ancients. "Cuzco was considered a sacred city and people
had to purify themselves before entering the gates," notes our guide. The
Koricancha, (Temple of the Sun), is the city's best-preserved Inca structure
despite being stripped of its gold. 
Annually,
about a million people visit Machu Picchu. Our journey to this sacred
mountain-city begins with one of the world's great train rides. PeruRail's
Vistadome, managed by the Orient-Express, races along the Urubamba River,
past a breathtaking vista of meadows, mountains and raging waters. Snacks
and drinks are served during the four-hour ride. PeruRail also runs a luxury
train, the Hiram Bingham, on a daily round trip with fine dining offered
both ways. 
A
short bus ride up a steep, mountain road takes us to the only hotel at the
top, a stone's throw from the stunning ruins. We are surprised to learn that
Machu Picchu is at a lower altitude than Cuzco and can only be reached by
train or by hiking the famous Inka Trail. The Machu Picchu Sanctuary
Lodge's 31-rooms have an appropriately rustic mood derived from artistic
Peruvian textiles and local ceramic wares. The food is delightful and
service extraordinary and earth-friendly and recyclable products pay respect
to nature. In the garden, indigenous blooms are lovingly nurtured. 
Strolling
amidst the stony dwellings covered with moss, we marvel at the sheer scale
of Machu Picchu. The spectacular ruins and the grandeur of the location take
one's breath away! When American Hiram Bingham discovered Machu Picchu
during a Yale university expedition, the incredulous professor wrote: "Would
anyone believe what I have found?" Overlooking the ruins like a benevolent
benefactor is Huayna Picchu or Young Mountain, the towering form seen in
most pictures. The more agile in our group trek up to the summit and are
back within three hours. 
Machu
Picchu's history is shrouded in clouds. Bingham believed it was a
citadel during the Spanish war. Others theorize it was a ceremonial centre
or religious university, or a refuge of the Virgins of the Sun, the chosen
Inca women who escaped from Cuzco when the Spaniards arrived. Some say it
was a secret location to cultivate coca leaves, abandoned when water ran
out. Whatever the reason, Machu Picchu is the highlight of a region regarded
as the archaeological capital of South America.
Esoteric
groups congregate here to chant mantras, to talk about cults and cosmic
energy and discuss books such as The Celestine Prophecy, a novel set in Peru
that stirred interest in spiritual culture. Why did the Incas choose such a
challenging location for their city? Llamas roaming the ruins make us wonder
if reincarnated Incas are eavesdropping on glib explanations by the guides.
"It's a very special place for Peruvians. The ruins are amazing at night
especially at full moon when the granite stones glow," say a local.
From
the high Andes we travel to the world's highest navigable lake. Peru is
among five countries with the greatest biological diversity in the world.
There are 50 mountains of 6,000 metres or more, 1,679 glaciers and over
12,000 lakes! 
From
Cuzco, we take the Andean Explorer for the nine-hour journey to famous Lake
Titicaca, Puno. On the PeruRail's first-class train managed by
Orient-Express, meals are a highlight, enjoyed in cushioned, winged chairs
at damask covered tables. Wining is promoted around the bar near the
Observation Carriage where we down pisco sour. Attention veers between
scenic views of rivers,
mountains,
meadows and herds of vicuna and alpaca and the onboard Peruvian dances, good
luck ceremony and weaving displays. Lunch is an avocado salad with
palms, chicken with mushroom sauce and dessert, served by smartly attired
staff.
The
world's highest navigable, Lake Titicaca shimmers like a silken blue sheet
embroidered with mossy green. From our room at Hotel Libertador, we see
silhouettes of floating isles where Uros Indians lead an unusual existence.
A boat takes us to the islands anchored on thick totora reeds where friendly
islanders live in reed huts and make a living selling crafts. At pretty
Taquile island, we see Indians spin alpaca wool with drop-spindles even as
they walk, taste quinua (cereal soup) and pegerrey (king fish) in a
villager's home and shop for textiles.
More
mysteries await us in a desolate desert where we fly to see the famed Nasca
Lines. To appreciate the baffling geometry of the huge drawings in the Nasca
desert we take to the sky. Our single-engine Cessna is buffeted by strong
winds as the pilot swoops over the giant drawings on a desolate plateau.
Created by ancient Peruvians along the western slopes of the Andean
Cordillera, each form is precisely outlined and some are up to 900 feet
long! A humming bird, monkey, dog, spider, whale, shark, aquatic flora and
fauna and different birds… Amazement heightens as each giant pattern comes
into view.