A panorama
of rolling sheep-cropped grasslands set against the backdrop of majestic,
snow-capped, Mountains was the scene greeting us as we moved through the Sacred
Valley of the Incas in the Peruvian Andes. A dramatic landscape made more
poignant by the realisation that rural life had not changed much there for a
very long time. Children happily walking to and from school on the other side
of a deep valley, shepherds draped in brightly coloured scarves and the
obligatory bowler hats, small villages or isolated farmhouses made of mud and
straw bricks and of course amongst it all the ruins of the lost Inca
civilisation.
We had just
over a week in this elevated part of Peru where the air is thin and the dogs even
thinner. Most of the time was spent wandering around the fascinating stone
cities of the Incas and wondering how on earth they managed to put together
such huge structures with flawless precision. The highlight of this portion of
our adventure was visiting Machu Picchu where we spent two days meandering
through the fantastically preserved city perched precariously on a south facing
peak ringed with a spectacular range of jagged, forest-clad mountains. Here the sun could be very strong, punching
through the thin, clear air; moments later an eerie scene would develop as
swirling mist and cloud enveloped the site.
Between our
exertions on the mountain tops we spent our time strolling around the extensive
hotel grounds set amidst pristine cloud forest. Several themed trails had been
created where a knowledgeable guide would point out the weird and wonderful
flora and fauna of this unique habitat. Some 300 orchid species inhabit these
damp and ever changeable slopes, some almost microscopic, others large and
garish. Many of the smaller species depend upon mosquitos as pollinators, which
gave me a whole new respect for these otherwise annoying critters. Everything
has its place in nature.
In the areas
closer to the hotel itself several hummingbird feeders had been set up and we
spent much time sitting quietly watching these ever active gems zipping to and
fro. If you remained still these multi-coloured jewels would come very close,
almost touching distance. But to photograph them was an altogether more frustrating
activity bringing forth a few curses as a perfect pose evaporated before I had
time to press the shutter release. Photography
also brought home how dark it can be under the forest canopy, even on an
otherwise sunny day the dense foliage prevented strong light from penetrating
to the lower levels.
Hummingbirds
are beautiful, but we had an altogether larger prize in our sights; a bird that
sparked my imagination on those cigarette cards all those years ago, the Andean
Cock-of-the-Rock. We booked a guide who instantly dampened our expectations by
telling us that a party of South African birders had recently visited (and paid
handsomely) especially to see this bird but had to leave disappointed.
Undaunted we walked quietly through the forest stopping every few yards to scan
the canopy for movement. We espied tanagers, more hummingbirds,
brightly-coloured motmots and flycatchers, but not a hint of our quarry. We
wanted to press on, but reluctantly had to make our way back. And then a
movement away to our right, surely that was a large red bird? But it is
surprising how even such colours simply merge into the multi-hued background.
We stood stock still scarcely drawing breath and just as we were about to move
on the bird decided to put us out of our misery and swooped across our path to
perch brazenly in the open only a few yards ahead. And what a beauty, such
vibrant orange-red plumage and that ridiculous crest! This male eyed us for a
few seconds whilst I clumsily failed to get my camera sorted out, before once
again taking wing and disappearing into the lush scrub. But we had seen it and
despite being determinedly English with white knees and oversized hats we had a
round of high-fives to celebrate.
Over the
course of the next few days we actually caught sight of a couple more of these
strange, out of place birds. On one occasion and with our eyes now firmly in,
we watched a courting pair high in the branches just outside our casita. A
wonderful way to conclude such a fantastic visit to dark and deepest Peru.
So ended our
month long trip. We witnessed some spectacular scenery, met many interesting
and friendly people and saw well over 200 species of fascinating birds. And we
only just scratched the surface of this massive and diverse continent. I wonder
what Brazil is like……….
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