Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
24-0835; www.actionvalley.com ; Santa Teresa 325; 9am-5pm Sun-Fri, closed mid-Jan to mid-Feb) ,
where you can get the adrenaline pumping with paintball and bungee jumping. It's 11km
outside Cuzco on the road to Poroy.
A more soothing option: hit a spa. Samana Spa Offline map Google map ( 23-3721;
www.samana-spa.com ; Tecsecocha 536; h10am-7pm Mon-Sat) is one of the most luxurious options
in Cuzco, with a menu that includes Peruvian hot stone massages and chocolate body
wraps.
Mountain Rites: Q'oyoriti
Life in Peru often comes to a halt during one of the country's myriad religious rituals. One of the most unusual is
the celebration of Q'oyoriti.
Held in late May or early June, between the feasts of the Ascension and Corpus Christi, this procession takes
worshippers up one of the area's most sacred mountains: Ausangate (6384m), the pakarina (sacred place of origin)
of llamas and alpacas. Though it's officially about the icy image of Christ that appeared here in 1783, the festival re-
mains an indigenous appeasement of an apu (a sacred deity found in the geographical landscape).
The traditional way to go about appeasing an apu is to buy an alacita (miniature scale model) of what you desire.
Sold en route, these included houses, cars and money. You then line up at the church on the mountain to have it
blessed by a priest. It's a three-hour trek up the mountain, traditionally in the wee hours to arrive around dawn. It's a
fervent belief among many inhabitants of the region that if you attend Q'oyoriti three times, you'll get your heart's
desire.
Note that discomfort will be an aspect of the pilgrimage: Q'oyoriti takes place at an altitude of 4750m. It's bru-
tally cold, there's no infrastructure and the temporary toilets are an ordeal. But the whole thing is other-worldly and
monumentally striking.
Welcome to Peru - this is the pointy end.
Be wary of cheap massages touted in the street. Most practitioners lack formal training
and there are reports of massages getting unexpectedly intimate.
Tours
Agencies
There are hundreds of registered travel agencies in Cuzco, but things change quickly, so
ask other travelers for recommendations. Classic options include half-day tours of the city
and/or nearby ruins, half-day trips to visit Sunday markets at neighboring villages and
full-day tours of the Sacred Valley. Agents also offer Machu Picchu day trips that include
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