Dispatches

Mountain Lodges of Peru – Peru, Part II

April 13, 2009

The morning began with a nice breakfast of homemade bread, jam from the previous evening (yay to lower cholesterol!) and their special coca tea. We then walked down to the local school to interview the teacher and help Yanapana pass out donated school supplies – like notebooks, toothbrushes and cereal. All of the children were very excited. We also saw the bathrooms that Yanapana recently helped facilitate and saw where the new playground will be built. Next, we had a quick stopover with the Mayor of Mollepata to talk about plans for the community.

Next it was time to back our bags and head to the first lodge on the Mountain Lodges of Peru route. The ride was beautiful, as we snaked along very steep, very tiny roads along the mountainside. Several times we had to get out of the truck so that it could make it over rocky, washed-out parts in the road. The views were amazing – with thick clouds, rain in the distance and green in every direction. Throughout the ride, several ladies in the truck kept pointing out local flora and explaining what they are used for in traditional medicine, which made for an interesting and entertaining ride.

We were at the lodge before we even knew it – literally. The lodge is tucked back in a valley and you don’t see it until you are right upon it. The building is beautiful and the backyard is a clear view of snow-covered Salkantay and several other mountain peaks. There was even a very thin waterfall, called Bride’s Veil, visible from the lodge. The lodge itself is very upscale and inviting, even more so if you’ve been hiking through the Andes for the last 6 hours. Visitors trekking this route to Machu Picchu typically stay at this lodge for two nights in order to acclimate, and each of us remarked that we definitely could have stayed longer. The rooms have a warm, cozy cabin decor and are very modern. The food was outstanding and they even cater to vegetarians with several faux-meat dishes that are identical to their meat counterparts.

After a quick lunch, we were back out in the field, trying to beat the clouds (and sun) and get as many shots in before our time was up. We talked with Vilma Arcef, the coordinator of the EcoTeam and the many projects they are working on at the four lodges. They are doing a very interesting forest reclamation project with several families in the local community – they are providing resources and land, and the community members can grow seedlings for native trees and then replant them in the area – thus far over 100 trees have been planted. Compost from the kitchen is used to fertilize these growing trees. In addition, each of the lodges has a grey/black water reclamation system that filters all water from the kitchen & bathroom sinks, showers and toilets. We also talked with a local researcher, Rob Williams from the Frankfort Zoological Institute, who was very valuable in explaining the current situation of spectacled bears, Andean condors and Andean cats, all three of which are currently nearing extinction. They are working with Mountain Lodges of Peru to try to quantify and track the patterns of each of these species to better develop preservation plans. Having species in the area, and having scientific data to back up what visitors are seeing helps bring in more tourism, but also helps justify further protection of the area. After a day fighting the rain, the cold, and a touch of altitude sickness we were all ready for dinner. But first, we were treated to a demonstration on how to make Pisco Sours. The drinks were good and strong, and quickly warmed us up. After dinner, it was back to work for a few more hours and then we all enjoyed a good nights sleep.
Next stop: Puerto Maldonado, Peru.