How tiring a bus ride can be. I feel like a broken old man as I reach Cuzco. Fortunately, I had good companionship during the long bus ride. A young man from Chiclayo in Northern Peru told me all the way about life in Cuzco. He prefers Northern Peru however, where life is more quiet and relaxed and the people are more openhearted.

The first thing I have to do in Cuzco, is to organize the Inca Trail. I have to join a tour group because nowadays it is obliged to join such a group and to pay for a guide, cooke and porters. Usually I tend to rather organize things myself but after my lonely wanderings in Central Peru, I decide I could use a more relaxed 'holiday' feel for a few days. I heard a lot of stories about difficulties in organizing the trip. It would cost days to organize and the organization during the trip should be a mess. My experience however is much better. The overwhelmingly friendly hotel owner herself joins me as we go to the touring agency. Within a few minutes everything is arranged. The day after tomorrow I will join a group of 9 tourists, a guide, a cooke and a few porters. I do not like the idea of porters doing the hard work for rich tourists, I could easily carry a tent and some food myself. On the other hand, you cannot change the whole world. Sometimes you just have to join the game.

I have one and a half day to explore the city of Cuzco. Cuzco is the old capital of the ancient Inca empire. Qosqo was the name that means 'Navel of the world'. For the Incas Cuzco was the center of the world. At least, it was the center of the empire, running from Ecuador to the North of Chile, from the Pacific deserts to the Amazone rain forests. Not much is to be seen from the splendour of the old Inca empire. The Spanish have completely overthrown the city. Just a bit of stonework of a few houses is left. The center of Cuzco is built in a colonial style that has its own charm. In the vicinity of Cuzco some old Inca sites can be visited. Sacsayhuamán for example is well worth a visit. It is amazing how the Incas could manage to build these walls with such big stones and even more amazing how the stones fit like a glove with the other stones.

Day 19: First day of the Inca Trail

After another busride the tour company arrives at the starting point of the trekking. Just somewhere out in the wilderness, this is not how you would expect the start of one of the most famous trekkings in the world. After a few minutes of walking the scenery however becomes extraordinary. The glacier peak of the Nevado Veronika is towering far above the other mountains.

I seem to be very lucky with our tour group. Tom is a real nice fellow with an energy that never fails to encourage, Najib is always good enough for providing spiritual elements in discussions about every possible matter and the three English girls Kirsty, Carry and Karen always remind me there is a female side to things. Samuel shows to be the perfect cooke for us and Nancy is the best guide we could wish. Social, personal and she has a good feeling for the nature and culture of the area.

Today is an easy day. After a few hours of walking we arrive at the first camp where a party in honour of Virgen de Santa Ana is held by the locals. That means a cacophony of saxophones. Ensemble music is very popular, especially in the mountainous areas of Central Peru. The sound is a bit different than European ensemble music. Sometimes the music can be very exhilirating, dramatic or even ecstatic, sometimes at the cost of decent melody. But it is always good to hear something different, something out of the ordinary. Shows you that there always some hidden worlds, shows that there are always things to learn about yourself and the world around you.

Day 20: Second day of the Inca Trail

The second day should be the hardest day. We have got to climb to the Dead Woman Pass at an elevation of 4.200 m altitude. Because I am acclimatized to even higher altitudes and beacuse I am well trained after the slavery work on my bike, I have no difficulties. Where the others have a real bad time in the long, steady ascent, I am just beginning to enjoy things. Unfortunately, within two hours I am already at the pass. While I am waiting for the others of my group, I see all those people from all those trekking groups, making their stand against the elements. In some cases it is really a batlle against the elements and sometimes the battle is lost. The Inca Trail is not too difficult when you are well trained and well acclimatized, but doing this work out of the blue is a whole different story.

Day 21: Third day of the Inca Trail

The third is the most interesting day. After a short ascent to the second pass of the Inca Trail, we enter a very green valley. We are coming closer and closer to the Amazone Rain Forest. These are the outer realms of the former Inca empire and likewise the outer realms of the Andes mountains. This is the zone of the so-called cloud forest, the mountain version of the rain forest. The atmosphere in these regions is nearly always very humid. Even when it does not rain, the mists around the mountains provide sufficient water for the vegetation to develop wildly. There is a completely green world we enter. There are no flowers or trees that I recognize, except for the ferns and the orchids. After a short descent, we climb again to a third pass. High above we see the Urubamba River deep below us. The Urubamba Valley is the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Machu Picchu and all the inca sites on the trail are built hundreds of meters at least above the Urubamba River and out of sight from anywhere in the valley. This is why the Spanish never found those gems and why they are preserved untill the present day. From now on it is only downward to the third camp. Tom and I take the long way via the steep terrace complex of Intipata. Fascinating, strange and wonderful stuff. Are those old sites so fascinating because its mysteries hide glimpses of a world of higher and unknown value than ours or are they fascinating just because they are a mystery?

Day 22: Last day of the Inca Trail

This is the day. The day we will reach the Machu Picchu, the most famous archeological site of South America. We are awakened right before dawn. After Samuel has done a great job in the kitchen tent and the tour group has taken proof of that, we can walk the last kilometers to the temple complex. When we walk foot by foot through the darkness, dawn is already spreading from the eastern horizon. Within fifteen minutes the atmosphere is set ablaze with pink and purple streaks. The peaks of the Cordillera Vilcabamba are towering high above our heads on the other side of the valley. Deep down below are the holy waters of the River Urubamba, The Sacred River of the Incas, cutting their way through the mountains on the way to the Amazone Forest and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean. The granitic mountains along the river are nearly vertical and incredibly green. Even without the Machu Picchu, it is fascinating to walk through this awe-inspiring landscape.

We arrive just before sunset at the Sunrise Gate. This is the place where the trekking groups are waiting for the sun to come up and to rise and shine over the mystical place of Machu Picchu. After walking in the beautiful scenery in the fascinating time between night and day, waiting for the sun to come up just seems to be a bore. I even ask myself if Helios is taking a day off but eventually the sun comes up. Of course the sight is brilliant but I knew before and therefore it is less special. All the other beautiful sights were natural experiences, this sight I could prepare myself for and is exactly how I thought it would be.

We enter the site of Machu Picchu and learn about the mystical references of the buildings with animals, nature and the astronomical and astrological world. The Incas had a good sense of the changing of the seasons and the position of the stars. And they knew how to build a city earthquake resistant. Most of the Spanish churches and buildings could not resist the times where the older Inca remains firmly stand the test of time.

After half an hour the first tourists are visiting the Machu Picchu site. It seems that the temple complex could easily have been built by the Japanese. Hundreds of tourists are spreading out over the complex. Most of the trekking tour groups leave the place. Tom and I do not. We ascend the stairs to the Wayna Picchu, the steep granite basilisc next to Machu Picchu. On top of the Wayna Picchu there are some additional temples. And there are awesome views into the Urubamba river thousand meters below. A great end of four supremely well spent days at the Inca Trail.

Day 24: Cuzco - Chinchero - Urubamba - Ollantaytambo 82 km

It is more than a week ago that I rode the last kilometers on my bike. The first kilometers of my comeback on bicycle are quite nervous: leaving the busy city of Cuzco. The road climbs steady above the streets. The view over the old Inca Capital is improving by the minute. All in all the ascent is not too tough. After an hour I am on gently rolling hillside landscape above and in between two river valleys. The landscape reminds me of Tuscany, but is in fact much more quiet and relaxed. The colors are even better and there is the added bonus of the high Andes Mountain Range with big white peaks in the distance. I am on my way to the Sacred Valley, the valley of the Urubamba. Machu Picchu and the other sites of the Inca Trail are not the only archeological highlights in the holy valley of the Incas. Two other important highlights are Ollantaytambo and Pisac.

I descend to the Urubamba River and reach the nice village of Ollantaytambo. I visit the archeological site. Like all the other sites a lot of stonework is to be seen. The old stones never fail to fuel the imagination. Does this place really breathe a faint odour of a sophisticated, spiritual past or is it just imagination? I do not really know. Maybe it does not even matter. If it results in deep feelings of peace and tranquillity, why should I bother to judge these feelings as unreal?

Day 25: Ollantaytambo - Urcos 108 km

The transcendental feelings of yesterday did not leave a deep imprint. Today is a cloudy day and I do not feel any more inspired than the weather. After cycling 50 flat, easy kilometers to Pisac, I lack motivation for the ascent of 7 km to the archeological site of Pisac. I have seen enough of those old stones the last days.

Of course, skipping the highlight of the day is not a good investment in spirit or motivation. Just like an ordinary day of office work, I am glad to finish the 9 to 5 day in the village of Urcos where I can visit one of Perus many, many internet cafes.

Day 26: Urcos - Sicuani 95 km

A horrible night in South Americas worst smelling hotel fails to raise spirits. Sleepy and dirty I am glad to arrive in the provincial town of Sicuani where I can have a cold but highly appreciated shower.

Day 27: Sicuani - Abra la Raya - Pucará 145 km

After two dull, cloudy days, the weather is improving just in time. Today I will climb to the Abra la Raya, the pass between Cuzco and Lake Titicaca. The valley above Sicuani is very colourful. The farmlands in the valley are painted in all the earth colours provided: yellow wheat, orange and brown earth and the olive green eucalyptus trees. The Indian population is at work on the land. This is great cycling landscape.

After an hour the landscape changes into all too familiar puna landscape. They call me mellow yellow sings 60s folky Donovan lazily. That can truly be said of Pachamama, the so-called Mother Earth of the Indians. The whole world seems to be painted in Donovans favourite colour.

The pass is 4.300 m high. Because the road is paved and never too steep, it was not quite the effort of some of the passes in Central Peru. In fact it is a difference of night and day.

The descent of the pass is relatively short. On the Titicaca side of the La Raya pass is the famous Altiplano, the high and barren plains of around 4.000 m elevation. The land of the condor and the land of the lama. Condors I do not see but lamas are all the more abundant. The friendly, woolly monsters are everywhere to be seen in the punas of Peru. One of the best qualities of the Altiplano is the air above it. The sky is as deeply blue as I can imagine. Panoramic is too small a word. The white clouds are constantly moving, constantly changing shape. The clouds seem to be pure liquid, as if they can take any shape possible.

In the afternoon the wind is getting stronger and stronger. It is hard work pushing myself forward on this altitude with this wind force. It is getting more cloudy as well. After a few hours I drop the torch in the village of Pucará. Just in time. As I pass through the entrance door, a cracking thunderstorm turns the Altiplano in a hell of wind rain, hail and thunder and lightning.

Day 28: Pucará - Juliaca - Sillustani - Puno 138 km

Today the weather is fine again. Clear blue skies welcome me. Because of the rains of yesterday the air is even more crystal clear than usual. The immense Altiplano is every bit as inspiring as I thought it would be.

After passing a village, two young lads are cycling around me. They do not say a word to me and when I speak they do not answer. I do not trust them. Every time they cycle just a few meters behind me. They seem to negotiate about something I am not supposed to hear. I decide to behave as calm as possible. I will not try to cycle away. They do not have 25 kg of luggage on their bikes and will surely be faster. Luckily I am not the own person that feels their bad presence. They feel each others too. When they are quarrelling, I can slip away.

I am coming closer and closer to the famous Lake Titicaca. The landscape is completely flat. After twenty kilometer cycling in the flat nothingness, the mountains are really far away. Only the thin air suggests the high altitude. Lake Titicaca lies above 3.800 m elevation. As a big oasis in the middle of nowhere, the city of Juliaca is sprawling with life. There is a procession going on in the Main Street of the big Altiplano city. Processions in Peru are full of colour and surely full of life too. Waves of cheering and noise escape the moving masses. I meet a French missionary. In a tea stall we are drinking quinoa and wait untill the crowds are gone. After half an hour the Main Street is still filled with the multicoloured crowds. The missionary has to cycle as well to the other side of the town. Together we ride the backstreets of Juliaca. With 250.000 inhabitants Juliaca is the biggest city of the Peruvian Altiplano. On my own I would have had difficulties finding my way through the alleys and sidestreets. With my guide it does not take more than half an hour to leave the place. I am on the Altiplano again.

It is now only 45 kilometer to Lake Titicaca. Between here and Puno, the biggest city of Lake Titicaca, the road is very unattractive. The busy traffic makes cycling a nervous experience. Halfway I take a break to relieve the tension. A few kilometers off the main road lie the Inca death tombs of Sillustani. The tombs formed a welcome break. Back on the main track it is gas, dust and noise again for more than an hour. After an unexpected ascent of a small hill range, I descend into the city of Puno. Puno is situated steeply on the hill range behind the Lake like an Altiplano variation on Monte Carlo. The views over the blue Lake are fascinating and feed the enthusiasm to explore the Titicaca region.

Day 29: Puno

Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. It is also the place of the Floating Islands. These islands of reeds are totally made by hand out of the reeds that grow abundantly along the shores of the Lake. The reed islands are home to many hundreds of families. Everything is made of reed. The houses on the islands are made of reed as well. The people make a living of fishery but the last centuries tourism is commercially far more attractive. I find out that the Islands are indeed crowded with tourists. I must not complain. Tomorrow I can cycle again. With a little luck I can reach Bolivia tomorrow afternoon...

Day 30: Puno - Juli - Pomata - Yunguyo - Copacabana (Bolivia) 148 km

I had high expectations of cycling along Lake Titicaca but the crowded traffic diminish my enthusiasm with the minute. I did not sleep too well tonight, maybe because of the altitude. I am feeling a little exhausted. The result is that I am not having a happy time. It takes me two hours to get myself together and to enjoy life again. Maybe the changing landscape helps a bit. I have left the Lake for a while and I am riding through a wide, open valley. Heaven and Earth lie before me as a grand panorama. Little white clouds accentuate the deep blue sky above, their shadows chasing restlessly over the ground surface.

At one o'clock I reach Juli. The small city is a little jewel along Lake Titicaca. The landscape remains beautiful. The road does not leave the Lake anymore. The landscape is very dry. Barren hill ranges flank the Lake now and then. The occasional valleys however are very green and full of life. Everybody is working on the land. The people are greeting me wildly enthusiastic. I feel my spirits rise in this friendly atmosphere.

I see the large bay before me that must lead me to Bolivia. The wind is strengthening again but I will hold on. Behind the lake I can see the white peaks of the cordillera Real, the high mountain range of Bolivia. The mountains must be some 150 kilometer far away.

The last kilometers of Peru are not the most easy. After the beautiful gem Pomata, the wind is raging over the plains. Slowly, slowly I see the small city of Yunguyo coming closer. Yunguyo is the last Peruvian city before the border. After Yunguyo it is only 8 kilometer to Copacabana in Bolivia. I have no difficulties at the border. The friendly administration is doing a good job and within a few minutes I am outside the office. With my first steps in Bolivia I see the sun sinking in the waters of Lake Titicaca. The romantic inside of me cannot help but love the beautiful sundown. The responsible inside of me knows I have to hurry to reach Copacabana before it is dark. And the traveller inside of me feels that new adventures loom behind the horizon.

Read about cyling the Death Road, mountaineering in the Cordillera Real, riots in La Paz, cycling on the Altiplano and other adventures in Bolivia on the next page.