I had an opportunity to spend three weeks in an alpine Peruvian town Pisac for remote work in November 2019. I had been to Peru as a tourist before, and this time, I was looking to stay in one area for a more immersive experience.
Pisac proved to be an ideal living environment for me with its tranquil vibe, impressive mountains, and kind-hearted locals. Once I got used to the altitude (roughly three thousand meters), there was no shortage of activities in and around this vibrant ancient town. It did help a great deal to know some Spanish and have a strong digestive system.
I do not have a single highlight to share, as it was more like a continuing flow of amazing moments. Every day brought fresh eye-opening experience, whether it’s yoga with panoramic mountain view, discovering new amazing fruits, epic hikes, first time Ayahuasca, or genuine heart felt connection with an indigenous (Quechua Indians) family. Though I have come down from the highland, I still feel elevated from the richness of the experience.
Pisac
Pisac is located about 30km (~45min drive) from Cusco in Sacred Valley. Its clean narrow streets are a joy to explore with few cars as the highway is on the outskirt of the town. The town is filled with an endless stretch of souvenir stalls, produce market, and modern cafes and restaurants for tourists and local expat community. The expansive Sunday market is a big draw for tourists. There are hiking and ruins options right from town as well as within day trip reach. Historic Machu Picchu is an easy overnight trip away.
I stayed at Pisac Inca Guesthouse (https://www.pisacinca.com/), located on the edge of the town by cornfields. I was placed in their smaller original building, which featured a patio with a panoramic view of mountains. Practicing yoga on the patio in pure tranquility was a magical daily experience, and I could not help stop and feel the commanding presence of the mountains.
The guest house’s Quispe Huaman family went out of the way to make my stay enjoyable. My need for yogic diet (vegetarian, fresh, non-chemical food) was easily met, and I was in awe meal after meal I had to ask for a cooking class. Their seemingly simple dinner (often soup) carried a completely different flavor profile each night. I was also introduced to many new tropical fruits from the Peruvian jungles, and even familiar ones like mango tasted distinctively different!
Hike
I had some of my most memorable hikes ever on this trip. They inevitably involved altitude, and it was a good idea to wait a few days to acclimatize before embarking on any hikes.
Humantay Lake was well worth going out of the way for: roughly ~4 hour drive one way from Pisac (3 hours from Cusco). It was a popular destination and crowded with tourists but for a very good reason. Next time, I would stay there overnight to allow more time to hike around as there was much to be explored.
In contrast, Kinsa Cocha (my guest house called it the “hike with three lakes”) was only about 45-minute away by car and almost completely deserted. The expansive wilderness was magnificent, and flattish trails helped with altitude. As a bonus, I was able to visit a textile weaving place nearby that empowered locals and promoted the traditional Peruvian textile art (www.textilescusco.org).
Ayahuasca (Plant Medicine)
I had ruled out Ayahuasca for some time as I didn’t see how it fit into my yoga and meditation practice. Daily practice goes well with my diligent nature and work ethics. Taking a drink to have a spiritual experience did not resonate with me.
But I had become more curious recently after hearing about amazing healing stories. Now I was in the medicine’s heartland, where it had been practiced as a sacred ritual by indigenous people for thousands of years. I felt open to trying.
Conveniently, there was a well-known establishment (Wasi Maha Templo; https://www.sacredvalleytribe.com/) just outside the town which provided an opportune setting. I was relieved to meet other first timers and felt the support the space provided as a safe container.
Instructions were given, and a ceremony began as the sun set. It felt like awhile before effects started taking hold, but once it did, it came very strong. I didn’t know what to expect as I had heard experiences vary widely. Mine was mostly a visual one, and I did not purge as much (not complaining!). I had set the intention to see my path to liberation and was shown a beautiful, extraordinarily colorful journey, which lacked any sort of specificity. Vivid images moved with live music of all sorts, including some Sanskrit chants to my delight.
I do not have any profound insights or specific healing from the ceremony. But overall my heart feels more expansive and relaxed, and I have noticed more gentleness and spaciousness in how I perceive things in general. I am back to my daily yoga and meditation practice but am grateful for the opportunity to be part of such an ancient ceremony in the heart of plant medicine land.
Titicaca Lake
Titicaca Lake was a perfect way to cap off this high elevation trip. Known as the highest navigable lake in the world at 3,800 meter, it was a good thing to make this the last stop after having plenty of time to get used to the altitude.
Puno is a large bustling city and acts as the gateway to Titicaca Lake. From Cusco, it is a full day away by bus (sightseeing or direct) or ultra luxury train (https://www.perurail.com/trains/perurail-titicaca/). While the idea of one of the world’s most beautiful train rides for US$280 was intriguing, I opted for a direct bus for better schedule (shorter at 7 hours and daily operation).
I went with Transzela bus (http://www.transzela.com) and got a front row seat on the second floor of a luxury double decker bus! Just ask for a seat with panoramic view. The bus ran parallel to the train tracks for the most part and rode through expansive wilderness and countless idyllic villages. It was easily one of my most beautiful bus journeys ever, all for 50 soles (under US$20)!
Uros Floating Island
Instead of staying in Puno, I had arranged to transfer to a floating island right in Titicaca Lake. Uros floating islands are made with dried Tortora reeds and inhabited by indigenous people Uru. I was told there were about 50 tiny islands closely anchored together.
Uros has a mixed reputation, largely as staged and a tourist trap. I understood this when I saw dozens of tourist ships from Puno taking over islands all at once in the morning. Kind of like when ports and towns are overrun by cruise ship guests, just on a much smaller scale.
But as I stayed put afterwards, I got to taste the tranquility and the harmonious way of living. Residents there were indeed dependent on tourist dollars, but I enjoyed the expansiveness of the lake, whispering sounds of totora and its fresh scent, and the ground swaying ever so gently.
I stayed with Lorenzo and Maria at Uros Winay Totora (http://www.uroswinaytotora.com/) for two nights. They shared the island with four other families, which formed a microunit of roughly 20 people within the greater Uros community. They happily showed me how they fished, made totora handicrafts, and even took me to nearby schools.
I was impressed they had minimum electricity from solar panels. Otherwise it was simple living in synch with the sun cycle, as there was not much to do at night other than taking in night view of Puno in the distance and stargazing.
On a day trip to Taquile Island, I saw how close we were to the sky when clouds emerged and formed a narrow band between themselves and the lake. It felt as if I was just under the world’s ceiling. But of course there was still much more space above the clouds. The space was always infinite; I just needed to shift my perceptions.
Puno
Before catching a flight back to Lima, I had built in a brief stop in central Puno for souvenir shopping as I had read that alpaca was cheaper there than in Cusco. The central shopping area was compact, and it didn’t take me long to spot a neat alpaca store (Wasi Alpacas) which had select 50% off sale!
Afterthoughts
I hadn’t travelled for the sake of traveling in nearly 2 years after quenching my travel thirst during globe-trotting adventure in 2017. This trip reminded me of why I loved to travel: going beyond the familiar world for new perspectives, greater appreciation for things I already have, and fresh inspirations.
I may have come down from the altitudes, but I am vowing to myself to stay open to possibilities. There is such vast richness that exists beyond the rational mind, beyond the attention-grabbing perceptions. That is where I am inspired to be.
Thanks for sharing!