Discovering Kuelap: The second Machu Picchu

Good day fellow travelers - It has been a while since we met and I
thought I'd write something up on a recent trip Karin and I took to
some unforgettable ruins in the north of Peru.
It isn't especially easy getting to Kuelap, but if you've spent
some time traveling you'll agree that in some occasions the harder a
place is to get to, the more worthwhile it is once you get there.

And so it was with very little hesitation and much intrigue that Karin
and I set off for our next adventure - a four day trip to Peru's
hidden secret, Kuelap. For over ten years I have been fascinated by
enchanting accounts of Kuelap - described by many as a second Machu
Picchu - but for one reason or another I never quite managed to make
it there myself. That was until I was in Peru recently with Karin, and
with some spare time on our hands we set off for what would be an
inspiring trip up north.

To reach Kuelap we had to spend a few nights in Chachapoyas, a
mountain town only accessible by a lengthily bus ride from either
Cajamarca or Chiclayo. Karin and I were told that the road from
Cajamarca is visually stunning although it is quite dangerous. The
route apparently passes though the Utcubamba Valley and provides superb
views from a road that is literally carved into cliff faces thousands
of feet high. Unfortunately we were pressed for time and decided to
take the shorter route from Chiclayo in an overnight bus. We arrived
early in the morning and in some serious need of sleep. So we trailed
off to find our hotel with the intention of getting some shut-eye and
leaving Kuelap for the following day.

Surprisingly few tourists make it to Chachapoyas which I find
remarkable; not only is it close to the ruins of Kuelap, but there are
a number of other attractions in the area. It is a laidback town, and
perhaps also one of the most scenic I have been to in Peru. Outside the
hotel a local kid proudly tells me that Chachapoyas means 'Misty
Mountain' and that Chachapoyans are all 'Cloud Warriors'. And who
am I to disagree? - Clouds float through the town at eye level, and
while the townsfolk seem too friendly and laidback to ever be warriors
- they are said to be descendants of the Chacha culture that built
Kuelap and warred with the Incas.

Private tours run daily to Kuelap from Chachapoyas leaving at about
8am and returning at about 4 or 5pm the same day. Even though Kuelap is
only 27km from Chachapoyas (as the crow flies) - the drive there
takes an astounding three hours!!! Had we known we'd have prepared
ourselves. As this was not the case, Karin and I bounced around once
more as we ascended towards the ruins in a tiny taxi that ought to have
broken down some time during the eighties. The road is rocky, steep,
and not in the best of conditions. It winds its way over mountain
passes and around cliff edges, and while the views are quite simply
spectacular, looking down can be dizzying.
So, after a flight to Chiclayo, ten hours in an overnight bus with
little sleep, three more hours on a rocky road, and a 30 minute steep
hike up the final hill, we finally came to a sign welcoming us to
Kuelap. After all of that, I began to wonder whether it would be worth
it.

It is. Believe me.

I strolled around a corner and quite unexpectedly, there it was -
towering yellow walls amid an explosion of vivid plant life. Groups of
Llamas graze on green grass while being dwarfed by the gigantic walls
of Kuelap, which appear barely able to restrain the natural overgrowth
spilling down their sides. It took my breath away completely. It is
very easy to see that Kuelap was built as a fort; it is quite literally
impenetrable and it is no wonder it took the Inca so long to conquer
the Chacha people. Entering through the very narrow yet impressive
entrance way we arrived within the complex to find an extensive number
of ruins hidden under a jungle of brightly colored Air-plants,
Bromeliads and Orchids. I was immediately reminded of the first time I
visited Machu Picchu, and while both places are very different from one
another, they inspire the same kind of awe and admiration one reserves
for sacred sites.

For Karin and I, one of the most extraordinary parts of the trip to
the ruins was that we were there for the better half of an entire day
and were, save for the guide who had brought us, completely alone. We
did not see another face, Peruvian or foreigner, almost the entire time
we were there. We spent most of the day walking through the labyrinth
of forgotten ruins and temples, and were filled with a sense of peace
and isolation. In the early afternoon the hunger pangs began to kick in
and we returned to the car for the ride back to Chachapoyas -
stopping on the way back in a small village for some traditional food
in a cliff side local restaurant.

Now that I have been, I am able to tell my own enchanting tales about
the secretive fortress, lost on a 3000m high rock, and surrounded by
cloud forest. Kuelap certainly has something very special about it,
something I will never forget, and something I definitely want to see
again.

You can find photos of this trip he
http://bart-cat-travel.blogspot.com/

Go for it - and keep on traveling

Bart
http://www.cat-travel.com

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Information on Kuelap
· Kuelap is the largest ancient building in the Americas and is
estimated to contain 3 times more stone material in its construction
than the largest pyramid at Giza, Egypt.
· Only 1% of tourists visiting Peru journey to the north of the
country and only a tiny fraction of these few visit Kuelap
· At 3000 masl, Kuelap's outer walls measure 600 meters in diameter
in some areas and are as high as 19 meters in others
· Kuelap contains over 400 buildings within its walls with three
distinctive sections, the first for the commoners, the second for the
military, and the third for the royalty and high priests
· The Chacha culture, about whom very little is known, began building
Kuelap circa 800AD
· Towards the beginning of the 16th century the Incas took control of
Kuelap after a lengthy war, only to abandon it when the Spanish arrived
in the middle of the same century.

Travel Advice and Tips
· Keep your eyes open for blond haired, blue eyed locals in the area.
Many theories surround the origins of these people who claim to have no
European ancestry whatsoever. One such theory is that they are the
direct descendants of the Chacha people whom the Inca described as a
'tall and fair' race
· Make sure you take a lot of water and a small snack on your tour of
Kuelap
· El Chillo is the best hotel in the Chachapoyas area and is well
worth checking out, but do not expect any luxury there.
· There is far more to the region than just Kuelap. If you have some
extra time you should visit Revash, Yalape, and the cliff hanging
Karajia Sarcophagi close to San Miguel de Cruzpata, which featured in
National Geographic some years back. All are very impressive sites
· If you can, take a private tour to the ruins. Not only is the ride
more comfortable, but its faster, safer, and provides a more personal
experience

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