22 de outubro de 2011

Moray, Maras, Urubamba de Bike


Moray, Maras, Urubamba on Bike


Para não ficarmos sempre dentro de um ônibus ou van escolhemos fazer um dos percursos de bicicleta, o que resultou em um dos dias mais divertidos na viagem.
Contratei o tour pela internet, as agências aqui nem sabem que esta possibilidade existe.
Eu tinha algum receio porque não subia em uma bicicleta fazia tempo, mas meus receios foram amenizados quando o guia Noel apareceu no hotel uns dias antes para explicar como seria a processo. Ele nos deu algumas opções de trajeto, umas mais radicais outras menos, sempre com a opção de colocar a bicicleta na van se houvesse alguma dificuldade. Ele mesmo iria avaliar nossas habilidades e indicar qual seria nosso percurso. 
Saímos de Cusco às 08:30 numa van, eu, Daniel, nosso guia peruano Noel Lopinta, que falava português (já trabalhou por aqui), o motorista e apoio logístico José e um colega que fazia a avaliação dos serviços turísticos para alguma agência peruana. 
Para os amantes da adrenalina: bungee jump e pendulo gigante, ficam no caminho de Cusco a Chinchero, bem na beira da estrada, é o 4º maior do mundo, 122m ! Se eu soubesse não teria perdido!
Chegamos ao ponto de início da pedalagem 1 hora depois em algum local próximo a Chinchero. Saímos pedalando rumo ao sítio arqueológico de Moray por uma estrada de terra de subidas e descidas leves, as vezes cruzando fazendas, ovelhas, riachos... Estavamos vendo o Peru de perto, dizendo olá aos que cruzávamos vendo as pessoas em seu trabalhos diário, amei!!! 
Moray é incrível, aprendemos bastante com nosso guia sobre o povo e o local.


Since we were tired of always touring inside a bus or a van, we decided to travel to our next destination on bikes – this turned out to be one of most joyful days of our trip.I hired a travel agency that provides this kind of service through the internet since the local agencies don’t even know this kind of tour exists.
Tip: For a bike tour, contact:
I was a little uneasy since I hadn’t ridden a bike in a long time, but when the guide , Noel, showed up at the hotel and explained how it would be, I felt pretty relieved. He showed us alternative routes – some more difficult than others - and told us that, if necessary, we could jump inside the van at any time since it would accompany us along the way. He would also check our fitness level to suggest the best route. 
We left Cusco on a van: my cousin Daniel and me; Noel Lopinta, our Peruvian guide who speaks Portuguese and had lived in Brazil; José - our driver who was also in charge of “logistics”; and a colleague of theirs who was in charge of evaluating tourist services and reporting back to a Peruvian agency.
Tip for adrenalin junkies: there is bungee jumping and a giant pendulum on the way from Cusco to Chinchero, right on the roadside. It’s the fourth highest in the world: 122 meters high! Had I known about it at the time, I wouldn’t have missed it!
After an hour on the van we reached a spot somewhere near Chinchero, where we would start our bike ride. We started our tour heading straight to the archaeological site of Moray. The trail we took wasn’t steep but had gradual uphills and downhills. We crossed farms, sheep on pastures and streams… We got to experience the real Peru, waving hello to passersby along the way, watching people go about their daily activities… I really loved the entire experience!
Moray is an incredible place and our guide taught us a lot about it and the locals. 


a equipe - the team


fazenda no percurso - farm on route




sítio arqueológico de Moray - archaeological site of Moray
 

Já era hora do almoço e após descermos e subirmos todas aqueles degraus, fomos presenteados com um almoço de primeira, com direito a brownie de chocolate de sobremesa!

Finally it was lunch time. After a strenuous walk around Moray, we were offered a first-class meal and, to top it off, chocolate brownies for dessert!

a paisagem do almoço - lunch time landscape
o almoço, que lhe parece? - lunch, how does it seem?
camping para almoço! muito bom, tinha até banheiro! 
camping for lunch! very good, there was even a bathroom!


Depois do chá seguimos para as minas de sal de Maras passando pelo povoado. Este trecho começou a ficar mais radical, trilhas mais estreitas e íngremes, nossa habilidade foi sendo testada e incrementada ao passar do dia. Muito lindo, não perca! 

After tea we headed to the salt mines of Maras. After crossing the village the trail became narrower and steeper. Since our stamina had been tested throughout the day, we were sure we could make it. The mines are really worth visiting. They are so beautiful. You can’t skip it!















município de Maras - City of Maras
o salto faz parte de uma corrida de aventura pelas Américas! 
 the jump is part of an adventure race across the Americas!
e a chuva ali ao lado... - impending storm...



detalhe do piso e do percurso - route floor detail
Minas de sal de Maras: a água salobra brota da terra e é recolhida nas piscinas. Eles esperam secar e recolhem o sal. O trabalho é feito por cooperativa dos moradores locais, que ainda resiste aos interesses financeiros.

The salt mines of Maras: salt is obtained by evaporating salty water from a local subterranean stream which emerges at a spring, and is directed into an intricate system of tiny channels constructed so that the water runs gradually down onto the several hundred ancient terraced ponds. Once the water is evaporated the salt is collected. The mines are run by locals who work on a communal basis and still resist the economic interests of foreigners.  





 
O último trecho foi o mais desafiador, mas a esta altura eu já me sentia uma profissional da bike!! rsrsrs Em meio a ameaça de uma bela tempestade, com um lado do céu azul e outro preto, fomos percorrendo a sinuosas e íngremes trilhas até chegar a Urubamba, onde fomos resgatados por José e levados para o aconchegante hotel San Agustin Monasterio de La Recoletta.

Foi   S E N S A C I O N A L !!!!!!   vou ter que comprar uma bike!
Antes do jantar um belo banho, pois o próximo  só daqui a 4 dias  em Machu Picchu, amanhã entramos na Trilha Inca!!!! Yuhoooooo! o mais esperado da viagem!

Para esta e outras atividades contrate:

The last stretch, which would take us to Urubamba, was the most challenging of all, but by then I was feeling like a professional biker!!! Ha ha ha… We rode along the winding and steep trail and saw a storm brewing on the way – dark clouds on one side, blue sky on the other. Thankfully, when we reached Urubamba, we were rescued by José, who took us to a cozy hotel - San Agustin Monasterio de La Recoletta.

Our tour was SENSATIONAL!!!! Gosh, I need to buy my own bike!
Before dinner I took a really nice shower since I knew I wouldn’t be able to take another one before reaching Machu Picchu, a trail that would take us four days to hike.

Still, I was so excited! The next day we would take the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. Wow! I expected this to be the most exhilarating part of our trip.

If you wish to go for a bike ride in Peru or enjoy different kinds of activities, contact:

olha de onde a gente veio, lá em cima! - Look from where we came, up above!
 

Finalmente cheguei a beira do Rio Urubamba, desde ontem queria estar lá!
 I finally reached the bank Urubamba river, since yesterday I wanted to get there!




chegamos! Thank you Noel!!!! - Arrived!
brincadeira - joking
a la "Priscilla a rainha do deserto" adoro essa cena 
a la "Priscilla the queen of the desert" I love that scene
para finalizar o dia, mais um belo jantar! - to end the day. another lovely dinner, to end the day!

4 comentários:

  1. para quem gosta the mountain bike!

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  2. Olá pessoal, lembram quanto pagaram pelo passeio?

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  3. bom dia! voces lembram qual foi o custo do passeio?

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    Respostas
    1. Nós pagamos USD 115,00 para duas pessoas, mas foi em 2011...
      BIKING TO MORAY AND MARAS SALT MINES. Full Day

      Biking Level : Easy. Optional single track trails for experienced mountain bikers
      Duration : 7 hours. (4 ½ hours net on the bike approximately).

      Location : Moray - Maras Salt mines - Pichingoto - Urubamba

      Description : Full support guiding trip. Off road circuits through the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
      Maras salt mines, agriculture fields, Andean terraces and villages. Full day down
      hill available upon request.


      Itinerary description

      After picking you up from your hotel we will transfer you to Cruzpata on Maras plateau, where we will start our mountain bike adventure enjoying lovely views of impressive Andean peaks, many cactus plants and Andean villagers on their daily activities, optional visit of the Inca experimental agricultural terraces of Moray. A picnic lunch will be provided here. Proceed on a dirt road to Maras, where we can stop and visit the Salt mines. Finally we will continue our adventure ending it in Pichingoto looking at your skills.


      PRIVATE SERVICE: NET PRICE PER PERSON:

      The price for 2 people is: $115.00 American dollars per person



      Price includes:

      · Briefing (orientation meeting)
      · Private transportation from hotel to start point of ride and from end of ride to hotel
      · Professional bilingual mountain bike guide
      · First Aid Kit
      · Repairing Kit
      · Front-suspension mountain bike
      · Helmet
      · Gloves
      · Water re-fill
      · Picnic lunch

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