Leaving tonight for the Divinity Oracle aka the Apurimac river

The Apurímac is the source of the world's largest river system, the Amazon River. It rises in the south-western mountain ranges of Peru, 10 km (6.2 mi) from the village Caylloma, and less than 160 km (99 mi) from the Pacific coast.  It flows generally northwest past Cusco in narrow gorges of up to 3,000 m, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the USA, its course interrupted by falls and rapids. Of the six attempts so far to travel the Apurímac in its full length, only two have been successful. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apur%C3%ADmac_River 

I am leaving tonight for the lower Apurímac river just below the "Abyss" and rafting down to the jungle.  I think we will go as far as Santa Rosa.  The guides expect it to take 4 to 6 days and we will camp along the river´s edge.  A lot depends on how many rapids or falls we have to portage around.  We will then hire a vehicle to transport us back to Cusco.  On the 26th I then leave to do the upper Apurímac and we will end near Abancay or above the abyss.  At that point I will figure out how to get back down to the jungle and meet Cho, my jungle guide, and we will head to the jungle part - back to somewhere near Kimbiri.

I am having to do the Apurímac in reverse because of timing.  It adds a few days of traveling, but it will give me a chance to drive through the mountains from Cusco to the jungle on 3 different routes.  The route tonight (hmmm I think the state dept. said do not travel at night) is through Abancay into the Huancarama District to the Pacucha District to a place on the river called Puente Pasaje north of where the Pasaje River intersects with the Apurímac River.  We expect to drive all night and arrive around 11 AM tomorrow.  As expected, it is an insane 4 wheel drive in the Andeas (I did have an option of a little shorter route but then we had to hike in with mules).  If you look at the Google Earth screen shot above, you can see the crazy switch backs all over the mountain we are going over (I wish my baby sister was with me - she loves steep switch backs - lol). I do not know our return route but I think it is out of San Francisco via main roads.

I will miss the big week of the Cusco Inti Raymi festival or the "Inca Sun Festival"  It has been going on all month so it is a shame to miss the big party...but the focus is the headwaters.   This event is really more a pageant than a fiesta, with hundreds of locals playing the parts of Inca priests, nobles, virgins of the sun and soldiers  (I borrowed that last part from somewhere on the net). I wonder what a virgin of the sun looks like?

Well I think I have the best guides. All these people know each other and the master and student seem to be at odds as each wants to take me under different conditions.  The student (but very experienced now) does not know how to get us back out of the jungle other than we basically go village to village hoping for rides.  The Master has a vehicle.  I just do not feel good about winging it to get back out of the jungle, especially when their seems to be so much distrust between the groups (Inca v. jungle).  Plus most of the getting out is in the red zone.  Just too dangerous and foolish.  So going with the Master and I am looking forward to this first major run.  I should be able to update the blog in about 5 days.

Adiós familia y los amigos