Spring Break: Peru!!

Summer job search done with, most of us were raring to discover what coming back to school and Wharton really was about. Wharton was suddenly a changed place – people back in grunge from the smart formalwear, more smiles and relaxed faces and so many more activities to participate in. Either the workload was down or we had simply gotten used to the crazy academic schedules, but most of us definitely loved Sem 2.

Winters ended, spring arrived, the birds were out, leaves had color and people were generally of a sunnier disposition. It was also time for spring break and frenetic planning for what to do over the break started.

We have these student-led treks that go across the world during holidays and for me the toss-up was between Peru and Japan. Peru was obviously the winner, hands down – having lived in India, one always feels like Japan is next door compared to Peru. Plus I had always wanted to go to Machu Pichu!!

So Peru it was. About 70 students set out to explore Peru for 10 days. I wish I was writing my blog then because each day brought something new and exciting. The itinerary was supremely exhausting but amazing fun too! We covered most of Peru – Lima, Paracas, Cusco, Machu Pichu (of course!) and lake Titicaca were some of the highlights. Peru is an awesome country with beautiful scenery, amazing biodiversity, tonnes of history, beautiful music and warm people. In case anyone is interested, below is the super fun and super tiring itinerary we had across Peru

Day 1: Arrival in Lima, left for Paracas from airport.

Day 2: Boat to the Paracas islands

Day 3: Return to Lima, flight to Cusco in the mountains

Day 4: Cusco and around, getting accustomed to the altitude (Cusco is amongst the more beautiful small towns I’ve ever been to – strangely archaic with the most happening nightlife)

Day 5: Urubamba valley

Day 6: Trek to Machu Pichu (grueling 7 hour trek across the undulating hills – and we did the short version!!)

Day 7: Exploring the ruins of Machu Pichu

Day 8: Travel to Puno, Lake Titicaca, across the country (the most amazing landscapes and scenery I’ve seen in a long time)

Day 9: Take boat out on Lake Titicaca to Uros island (Titicaca has all these floating islands on which tribals live)

Day 10: Return to Lima, exploring Lima and departure

Writing about Peru is not going to be possible now, so I’ll just put up some pics here from the trip. Peru was a blast – everything I could have ever hoped for, was compressed into 10 days and happened. New friendships were forged, old ones were strengthened, the wanderlust taken care of for some time and amazing fun was had. I also went bankrupt shortly after the trip.

Paracas Islands - the Galapagos of Peru with the most amazing sea-life and biodiversity ever (apparently because of the unique combination of warm and cold currents in the sea)

Sea Lions - thousands of them, lounging around on guano-covered rocks

Penguins!! And I thought I had to go to Antarctica to see them (a venture to Antarctica goes every Dec from Wharton...unfortunately thats the only time I'll get in India:( so Antarctica is off the list)

Millions and millions of birds in Paracas, covering the island with guano - a valuable fertilizer

More lazy Sea Lions - they make an amazingly eerie sound - wish I had recorded that!

This is the nursing beach - thousands of pregnant sea-lions give birth to babies here!! I've never heard so much squealing in my life!

This was the cutest little monkey ever!

The Candelabra..a prehistoric carving in the rock believed by some to have been made by aliens who then populated the earth. Some others say that prehistoric men carved these out to signal to aliens...all a deep mystery!

A famous rock formation called Cathedral - half of it was destroyed in the 2005 earthquake

yeah...ummm..just jumping:) FA turned out to be the king of jumps in Peru though and SR was the queen of jump-shots

The hotel in Cusco - just about the prettiest hotel ever, till we saw our cottages in Urubamba!


So Cusco is this very pretty, very quaint little city up in the Andean mountains where you get used to the altitude before starting the Machu Pichu trek

The central square in Cusco...little did we know that the most happening nightclubs are all around this place!


Of Llamas that spat...


...And Alpacas that stank


of people..

..and monkeys...:)

Inca ruins in the Urubamba valley


These sticks were going to be really helpful on the Inca trail

Our cottages in Urubamba - amazingly pretty and super-luxurious

FA, the reincarnated 12th Inca posing with his face on the rain stick (this stick makes a beautiful noise like the rain, when you turn it upside down - used by the tribals to pray for rain)

Cohortmates @ Urubamba!

The bridge leading to our cottages

Up next...pics from the Inca trail and Machu Pichu!!