AMONG THE SNOWY HEIGHTS HUMANTAY LAGOON HEIDS

If I had to answer the question about what has impressed me the most about this beautiful country, located on the South American continent, Peru, surely my answer would be the greatness of its mountains and the unusual beauty of its landscapes that are still mostly preserved in the wild state. The Humntay Lagoon, placed in the province of Anta, is one of these places that makes visitors fall in love with the radiance of its fascinating charm. I suppose that anyone who has once traveled through the Andean lands of Peru will agree with me, since it is difficult that so much beauty does not impact us and does not remain etched in our memory forever.

FLYING TO CUSCO

The first country that I was lucky enough to visit on the South American continent was Peru. As a child I used to read many legends and stories about the Andes, but I never imagined at that time that one day I would have the opportunity to see the stars above this wonderful land. To get to Cusco, I first took the flight to the capital, Lima, and from there another to my final destination. Cusco is a city, full of colonial-style architecture, that is, from the time when the first Spaniards arrived in the 16th century. The heart of the city is the old town, where the Plaza de Armas (the Main Square) is located. If one day you will have the opportunity to visit different Latin American cities of colonial origin, you will realize that this square, with the same name, is present in many of them. If you are also European, Asian or African, you will be amazed that all the streets intersect in straight lines due to the fact that the city plan is based on the prototype of the Roman city. There are not narrow streets with the dead ends, at least in downtown areas in most of the American cities, also in the North America. In this way it is difficult to get lost, although I did get lost, and many times. Sometimes, I believe that I have the special gift for it.

• 

• 

• 

By the way, according to what el Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, an important baroque writer, whose father was Spanish and mother an Inca princess, it was Manco Cápac, the founder of the Inca culture in Cusco, and his sister Mama Ocllo, who arrived from the Lake Titicaca, advised by the Sun God, their father, and founded the city of Cusco, in the place where a golden javelin fell, which they had previously thrown. On the other hand, if you are traveling in South Spain, you can visit the house of the Inca-Spanish writer in Montilla.

THERE IS MAGIC IN THE HUMANTAY LAGOON

If you like hiking and being surrounded by nature, a visit to the Humantay Lagoon in the Vilcabamba mountain range will amaze you. After a hike up, you will reach the lagoon, whose unique turquoise color attracts the attention of visitors. The lagoon has been formed by melting snow from the Nevado of Humantay, which is part of the Andes chain. The walk is somewhat hard, and this is due to the fact that you have to climb a lot and we are also talking about great heights where breathing will cost you even more. Although they are not many kilometers, only around 3.5 km, climbing them will take you around 2 hours. However, the views are worth the effort you are going to make, since the lagoon is really fantastic and you should not miss visiting it if you come to Cusco. Visitors who come to this unusual place make offerings to the Pachamama by creating mounds of stones (the apachetas). In Inca mythology, Pachamama was the goddess of fertility, the earth and the time.

How to get to the Humantay Lagoon? Based on my experience I think the best way is to rent a guided tour from Cusco. In this way, you will save yourself from the numerous transport changes and the fact of having to haggle the price with the taxi drivers. If you decide on the tour, you will be picked up at the hotel very early in the morning, around 4:30 and you will have breakfast and lunch included in the tour price. In addition to explaining the history of the places, the guide also brings oxygen in case you get sick with altitude sickness. Remember that the height reaches up to 5,473 meters. It’s a lot!

TIPS:

• Be careful with the heights, it’s not a joke, you can get very bad. I think it’s best to wait a couple of days to get used to them, before going up a mountain in Peru. The coca leaf is beneficial to prevent altitude sickness. It is taken as a tea or simply you can chew it.
• In addition to this beautiful place, I advise you to take a trip to Machu Picchu, in my another article I describe it. Check it out!
• To go up to the lagoon, don’t forget to bring your own water, a hat, glasses and sunscreen.