Choquequirao: 3030 m altitude, 60 km round trip about 5 days, transport: none, terrain: gorgeous.
Choquequirao was actually discovered en route to Machu Picchu. However, there is less and get the excavation works are more recent. To date, only 30% of recovered – in particular the top (and important). The slopes are still largely buried. How does it compare to Machu Picchu, I hear you ask. Well, it does not. They are completely different cities. Choquequirao is different, built in the conventional. Palaces, religious buildings, residential and military buildings around the large central square. Many of the buildings are 2-3 stories. The city is dominated by a magnificent ceremonial hill tops cut off and turned into a religious arena and an observatory (6 of the two peaks and rivers dedicated to the Inca can be seen here). The slopes have a large number of structures, from simple cabins well-preserved large agricultural terraces. The total area covered by Choquequirao is 1810 hectares, much larger than that of Machu Picchu.
Choquequirao is not just a pretty face. They call it a sister of Machu Picchu, I would call a brother. While the young women danced around the moon in MP, Choquequirao kept all fed and safe – is the administrative, military and economic of the region, but the carrier has had a strong religious significance. Choquequirao is where the remains of the Inca was their last day. The archaeological work here is slow due to the inaccessibility and limited resources, but it seems that what can not find Choquequirao more and more important every year.
Choquequirao is truly a lost city. Inaccessible hard from both sides, it’s no wonder that it is never discovered (even in these days of new-age Machu Picchu worship). This little piece of paradise firmly blocked by the mountains guardian. They isolate this spot from all over the world, such as a ring soundproof padding. There is only a low share of the condor and the rainbow reaching the city from the valley floor. We could almost touch the rainbow.
But is not the best thing Choquequirao. Lost in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by silent mountains, it was absolutely empty. And so is freedom. There was an invisible team of archaeologists somewhere, my guide Victor, Felipe and Rolando (two Austrian guys I came with), and an English / Peruvian researcher with his faithful Sancho Panza. But it was still at the end of the season. No ticket, no security, no supervision, even a toilet. It ‘was all of our ethics. We were on tour, we were guests here – the place was one of the terraces. We went where we (respecting the archaeological restrictions) wanted, day and night. Choque is particularly magic after nightfall, when you have the courage. Not for the faint of heart, to walk around the ruins and desert, hear whispers of the spirits and ask, what is sacred ground incursions.
The reason why we had a lost city all to ourselves was because there were no trains. Did you get the track for two days to beat, and it was not all a walk on Sunday.
The starting point is Cachora, a charming, sleepy village at the bottom of a valley. A bus from Cuzco drops you just before you get to Abancay. You race down to two hours to the village.
Once there, things were easy to find. Cachora is the filing of a mule in the mountains. This is a hotel rather simple, a fundamental place to eat potatoes or soup, and a basic shop to buy basic services. The water is not important if you have purifying tablets – you will come across many sources on the street. I’m not sure but I think they draw virtually any villager is available when you ask a leader. They are all still good.