The Vagabond Hiker

Hiking, trekking, and climbing the world

Images from Arco, Trentino & an eastern European city break

Confession: I almost decided not to publish this blog. After all, I already posted twice in 2019 and 2023 on hikes and ferrate in the Lago di Gardo area of northern Italy. In addition, city cultural walks are not the main focus of my vagabond life, though I have published two blogs, in 2022 and 2023, featuring some amazing cities – predominantly European – that I have had the fortune to visit. However, my month-long stay in Arco highlighted different aspects of the environs of my favorite town in Italy that I have not yet shared. Furthermore, a chance to travel to two of the three remaining countries in Europe that I hadn’t yet visited, convinced me to post this blog. I hope you’ll indulge me a few photos from this past month. . .

Arco (TN), Italy

Located only 6 km north of the northern tip of Lago di Garda, to me it seems a world away from the water-sports and beach tourism of the lake. As arguably the outdoor capital of Trentino, Arco certainly attracts its fair share of active adventurers and all the climbing, hiking, and mountain/road biking shops to support them. With a two-week heatwave engulfing much of Europe, as well as some (thankfully) short-lived physical maladies, my excursions were generally short, always directly from my apartment, and early in the morning, often finishing about the time the sun appeared from behind the mountains, signalling the onset of another baking summer day in the Anthropocene epoch.

View of Arco Castle Hill with tower from my apartment balcony. The Sarca River (Fiume Sarca) is visible below.
Fiume Sarca and old mill near Arco. Several times I did an 8 km early morning loop walk up one side of the river and back the other side.
Roman bridge at Ceniga, rebuilt in the late 19th century. This was the farthest point of my many riverine loop walks.
Massone village street with clock, a few minutes’ walk from my apartment. From here there are numerous hikes through the Bosco Caprone and up into the nearby mountains.
Morning view towards Riva and Via Ferrata Susatti from above Arco. This lovely lane with oleanders and olive trees was part of the approach walk to the Monte Baone scramble.
Eremo di San Paolo along the Fiume Sarca above Arco. Near this hermitage a plethora of climbing gear is attached to an overhanging cliff.
Night view of Castle Hill with moon from my balcony
A morning view of the Monte Baone scramble route just outside of Arco
An early morning view of Fiume Sarca and community choir hall from the pedestrian and bicycle bridge 3 minutes’ walk from my apartment
My Sarca Riverside Apartment, a fantastic value with its own parking space. A faint blue rectangle shows my balcony. No AC for the summer months, though!

Chișinău, Tiraspol, and Odesa

Low-cost Wizz Air offers direct flights from Verona, Italy to Chișinău, Moldova three times per week. Many of you dear readers may know that I suffer from chronic FOFE*, but the opportunity to visit Moldova and Ukraine was too good to pass up. Flying out on a Sunday and returning Thursday gave me 31/2 days to experience the culture and history of an area I had never visited.

Map of Moldova, showing Transnistria and Odesa, Ukraine

Day 1 in Moldova featured a guided tour visiting the Curchi Monastery, walking around the historical and archaeological complex of Old Orhei (sorry, no pictures), lunch at a local rural restaurant, and an afternoon tour & tipple at a unique winery. The next morning I enjoyed a private guided walking tour of Chișinău and an afternoon relaxing by the lovely hotel pool. The “5 star” Diplomat Club Hotel I stayed at in Chisinau was a solid 3 star experience, nothing more. (To be fair, the price reflected this reality). The quiet location and outdoor pool were certainly unusual in the city, and with only a 20 minute walk to the center or 10 minute walk to Valea Morilor park, it was a good choice despite the run-down rooms. The third full day I took a private guided tour to Transnistria and Odesa, Ukraine. The final morning before my return flight I spent walking around Valea Morilor park.

* – FOFE: Fear Of Flying Economy

An Orthodox church at Curchi Monastery. Less than 2 hours’ drive from Chișinău, it was wonderful walking around the grounds and enjoying the art and architecture.
The recently renovated orthodox church dome at Curchi monastery
With our small group at Milistii Mici Winery. Their wine-cellars are the largest in the world, with more than 200 km of underground galleries and 1.5 million bottles. The tour was fascinating and the wine’s not bad, either!
Mihai Eminescu National Theatre in Chișinău. I missed a wonderful piano concert here as I did not get back from Odesa until late that evening.
Saint Pantaleon Orthodox Church, Chișinău. The historic center of the city was very leafy.
St. George the Victorious Chapel with WW2 tank at the Memorial of Glory in Tiraspol. The landlocked breakaway state of Transnistria, internationally recognized as part of Moldova, is a throwback to the Soviet Union, with 1500 Russian troops stationed there. I am assured that most are locals, however.
Catherine the Great Monument Park, Tiraspol. The city is not all that walkable, but this large park is lovely.
Ladas at a Tiraspol Soviet-era cafeteria. Lots of relics and mementos from the Soviet Union make this a popular spot with tourists.
Moldova-Ukraine border crossing. It took almost an hour each way to cross. Not all that bad considering the country is at war.
A traditional (though a bit kitschy) Odesa restaurant, where my guide and I had a late lunch after crossing the Ukraine border from Moldova.
Odesa National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet. I grabbed the photo of this lovely institution from the internet. (My photo, taken from a moving buggy, was horrible). Though the theater reopened a few months after Russia’s invasion, for obvious reasons all museums in Odesa remain closed.
Old Odesa Corner, a lovely quiet spot in the bustling city
Lion statue at Old Odesa Corner, symbolizing power, courage, and guardianship. Definitely appropriate for these troubling times.
Odesa’s Potemkin Stairs, immortalized in Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 silent movie Battleship Potemkin. Intriguingly, one can see only the landings from the top and only the stairs (no landings) from the bottom. Note the hotel on the pier that was bombed by Russia in 2023.
A gorgeous (IMO) 19th century baroque revival building in Odesa
Odesa Passage (shopping arcade) in Derybasivska Street, another gorgeous example of baroque revival
Damage to a side chapel of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa, sustained on on 22/23 July, 2023 from missile and drone strikes by Putin
Valea Morilor Park steps, 10 minutes walking from my Chișinău hotel. Circumambulating the lake was wonderfully peaceful after a long, stressful day in Transnistria and Ukraine.

Despite the lovely city of Odesa and the great winery we visited, I must admit to being glad to return to Italy. Moldova was certainly interesting, but ex-soviet countries almost invariably lack any service-oriented culture and their infrastructure is spotty at best.

It is a rainy Saturday in Vione, Brescia, two reasons not to be out hiking today. However, I’ve done some amazing hikes in this mountainous area of northern Italy that I will post next month when I’m enjoying the seaside in Hastings, East Sussex. Until then, stay cool outdoors,

The Vagabond Hiker

Peru’s Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu

When my Choquequirao trek was canceled last year, I had little expectation that I would be going on this amazing trek anytime soon. But, one year on, that is exactly what happened. This time, despite having only three clients, KE Adventures elected to run the trip. As it turned out, my fourth trek in Peru was the most challenging of my life. The wildflowers we encountered are well-represented here, in part because of their sheer numbers and variety, and in part because taking the time with these macros provided a chance to catch my breath! Enjoy.

Pre-trek: Cusco area and Saywite Archeological Site

As with any trek in the Cusco region of Peru, the first couple days are spent acclimatizing in and around Cusco (elevation 3400 m) and the Sacred Valley. This time was no exception as we visited several local Incan sites as well as enjoyed a city tour.

Rural view with Incan ruins above Cusco
The “Puma Paw” at Sacsayhuamán. Some stone blocks here weigh more than 100 tons.
Cantua buxifolia, the Peruvian magic tree
A sundial at Saywite Archeological Site, where we stopped for a couple hours walking on our long drive to the trailhead

Choquequirao Trek Overview

Sitting astride a high ridge amongst the snow-capped peaks of Peru, the Inca fortress of Choquequirao is one of the most important discoveries of Inca antiquity. Already a rival to Machu Picchu in terms of its size, if not its splendor, more buildings and llama-decorated terraces are being excavated each year. More remote and challenging to access than Machu Picchu, it is consequently far less visited and still offers one the chance to wander freely amongst the evocative ruins and explore the terraces in relative solitude. KE Adventure’s fully supported trek was by way of the awe-inspiring canyon of the Apurimac River, involving an exciting descent and ascent of almost 2000 m to reach camp beside the citadel of Choquequirao. After two half-days exploring this amazing complex, we continued trekking for five more days through the rugged and beautiful Cordillera Vilcabamba, a region dominated by impressive snowy 6000 m peaks, including Pumasillo and Salkantay.

The trek by the numbers:

  • Nine days
  • 78.5 total kilometers*
  • 6730 meters total elevation gain*
  • 4643 meters highest elevation

* I only did a partial ascent/descent on Day 7, reflected in the totals shown

Our Chiquequirao trek route from Capuliyoc to the Urubamba Hydroelectric Dam

Day 1: Capuliyoc to Chiquiska campsite

8 km, 120 m gain

We made a very early start from Cusco today, which included a stop at the Saywite archeological site (see previous photo) and featured lunch at the trailhead as our mules were being sorted. The afternoon hike was an easy introduction to the area, as it was mostly descending towards the Apurimac Canyon.

Looking back to Capuliyoc trailhead and its glamp-site, where we had lunch

Day 2: Chiquiska campsite to Marampata camp

8 km, 1550 m gain

After descending to the Apurimac River, a long, tiring ascent to Marampata camp followed. I needed to have a mule carry my pack the last hour or so. A stomach bug, nausea, and concomitant dehydration made this the most difficult trekking day I’ve ever completed.

Early morning view of our descent to the Apurimac River
Apurimac Canyon vista. My photos not surprisingly ceased around this point for the rest of the day.

Day 3: Marampata camp to Choquequirao

9.5 km, 600 m gain

After resting and hydrating at camp (and avoiding food), I was somewhat recovered for day 3, which included an afternoon at the Choquequirao site, the first of two explorations we would have at this amazing complex.

Barnadesia horrida, the first of many flower photos, mostly lacking English common names
Trail view towards Choquequirao (the flattish area on the hill in the mid-ground), with cacti foreground
A stream cascading down the mountain across our trail
The Vagabond Hiker at Choquequirao entrance gate.
Lamourouxia virgata
Some of the twenty-three Llamas embedded in the agricultural terraces, from which the steps derive their name
View northeast from the Choquequirao Llama steps
Epidendrum secundum, one of the crucifix orchids, known commonly as the lopsided star orchid
Looking down on Choquequirao’s main plaza
Andean condor. Only a slightly better image than that from my Cordillera Huayhuash trek in 2018.
Choquequirao “medicos” building remains. Not surprisingly, the wooden roofs had all completely deteriorated.

Day 4: Choquequirao to Pincha Unuyoc

7 km, 450 m gain

After a couple hours in the morning for further exploration of Choquequirao, we continued down to Pincha Unuyoc. I was feeling better, and spent much of the hike exploring the macro capabilities of my Olympus TG-6.

Some of the homes of the upper class at Choquequirao
Another perspective of Choquequirao’s main plaza
Altensteinia fimbriata, an unusual-looking orchid.
Landscape with bromeliad
Salvia sagittata, a high altitude member of the mint or sage family
Oenothera rosea, the Rose evening primrose. It is native to the Americas, but invasive in many areas around the world.
Leonotis nepetifolia. This invasive has several English common names. I like Klipp dagga.
Day 4 camp. One of the only times we needed our chemical toilet; most camp sites had flush toilets that actually worked!
Some of our mules at our day 4 campsite. I thought I should include at least one photo of them!

Day 5: Pincha Unuyoc to Maizal

8 km, 1160 m gain

The first of three “summit” days, featuring extended ascents . . .

. . . but first, a tricky descent to the Rio Blanco, here negotiated by Martyn and Matt.
. . . followed by an exciting river crossing; here, our guide, Rudy, is watching Martyn.
Day 5 vista

Day 6: Maizal to the Rio Yanama Valley

9.5 km, 1200 m gain

Our second “summit” day was to the Abra San Juan, our 2nd highest pass of the trek.

Andean lupines in the mist
Muddy Inca steps on day 6.
View from the Abra San Juan, 4150 mslm
With Matt (c) and Martyn at Abra San Juan. It was a tough, slow climb for me.
Our group at Abra San Juan. The fog never really lifted that day.
Matt and Rudy admire the vista on the descent as the clouds briefly thinned
Caiophora pedicularifolia. As this species has a known range of only Bolivia, perhaps it is another species of Caiophora.
Balcony trail on day 6, one of our few instances of any exposure.
Nasa triphylla. This beauty somehow reminds me of a shooting-star.

Day 7: Rio Yanama Valley to Totora village

11 km, 500 m gain*

* Reflecting my partial ascent/descent

Our “summit” on day 7 was for me a step too far. I did the first (easiest) half of the ascent and the second half (likewise more gentle) of the descent, catching the van transporting our camping supplies for the more challenging bits. (Our mules left us the evening before, exchanged for a rather clapped-out van).

A bucolic vista near the beginning of the Rio Yanama valley ascent
Lupinus mutabilis, the Andean lupine. I finally got a decent macro of this widespread flower.
With out chef, Juan (l), and Velarmino at Abra Mariano Llamocco, the highest point of the trek. I felt no guilt from my van ride up the massive headwall.
Resting at our lunch stop with Salcantay in the background, wreathed in clouds. I waited here about 21/2 hours for the rest of our group to arrive.
Near our day 7 Totora village camp

Day 8: Totora to Lucmabamba

17 km, 300 m gain

After three long ascents, today’s hike – the longest of the trek – was actually not that challenging as it generally descended along the valley.

Footbridge over Rio Santa Teresa below Collpapampa
The most impressive waterfall of many (mostly cascades) we saw on the trek.
Our group on another balcony trail, showing one of the landslides that have plagued this portion of the trek.
A hungry puppy at one of the camping areas along the Rio Santa Teresa
River-level view of the Rio Santa Teresa. We crossed the bridge here and climbed up to the local road to avoid several landslides.

Day 9: Lucmabamba to the Urubamba Hydro Dam

11.5 km, 850 m gain

Today featured one final pass to climb, whose summit provided views towards Machu Picchu. After lunch at a restaurant, we completed the trek in the early afternoon and caught the train to Agaus Calientes for a nice hot shower at our hotel.

Camino Inca, shortly after leaving our Lucmabamba campsite.
The upper portion of Salcantay (6271 m) appeared at the pass.
A zoom view towards Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu from the pass. Can you spot them? As this portion of our trek coincided with the wildly popular Salcantay Trek, it was absolutely rammed with people.

Post-trek: Machu Picchu

We explored this phenomenal World Heritage Site for more than three hours the morning after our trek, before returning by bus/train/private van to Cusco. It was my first visit since 2009. Only one photo since I’m sure you’ve already seen many. . .

Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu with bird. I’d like to think it’s an Andean Condor!

An interesting side note regarding the artifacts that Hiram Bingham brought back to Yale from his excavations at Machu Picchu between 1911 and 1916 is that many were finally returned this past decade to Peru where some museum-quality pieces are now available to see at the Museo Casa Concha in Cusco. I highly recommend a visit there when next you are in that special city.

Once again I am back in Italy, enjoying early morning walks and hikes in the Arco area of Trentino, before the heat of the day drives me indoors. Next week I relocate to northern Brescia in Lombardy, to the west of the Dolomites proper. Surrounded by two large national parks, it is an area of northern Italy that I have not explored, and promises some very interesting hiking. Either my upcoming month in Brescia or a recently completed “City Break” trip will be the subject of my next blog post. Until then, stay cool outdoors,

The Vagabond Hiker

Walks amongst the ruins in Antalya, Turkey

For my first (and hopefully only!) foray into medical tourism, I decided at the last minute to travel from Britain to Antalya, Turkey for a dental treatment. As the entire treatment would require around one week, I had time for to enjoy some of the local parks and archeological ruins the city and province of Antalya offered. With three extra days added afterwards, I also ventured farther afield south along the Lycian coast to the village of Çıralı. (For those readers who are not geography majors, the crescent-shaped province of Antalya is located in southwestern Turkey along the Mediterranean Sea, centered on it’s eponymous capital city of 1.4 million people. Tourism is the dominant industry). The late April seasonal addition of a daily British Airways flight direct from London Gatwick to Antalya made this trip simpler and more cost effective.

Enjoy some of the archeology and landscapes I captured on my “off days.”

Hadrian’s Gate, Antalya, the entrance our small tour group took into the old town.
Shehzade Korkut Mosque, Antalya
View with flowers from Kecili Park, Antalya
Coastal view near my hotel, east of the old town in Antalya
Another coastal view near my hotel. These lovely flowers, sadly, are invasive lantanas.
Mehmet Manavoglu Park, about a 5 minute walk from my Antalya hotel.
Poolside view at the Hotel Akra Antalya. It is arguably the best resort hotel in Antalya and less than 10 minutes’ walk from the dentist.
Perge stadium. I joined a tour group to the ancient cities of Perge, Aspendos, and Side, an all-day trip with Solymos Travel that included a set lunch of some local fish.
Market stalls, Perge stadium
Colonnaded street in Perge. Fortunately, we had plenty of time to wander around after the “official” tour.
The Theatre of Aspendos, the best preserved of antiquity.
The Acropolis in Aspendos. I was the only one to walk up here from the Theatre, but again we had sufficient time to explore on our own.
Temple of Apollo detail, Side. Side is mostly a sea-side touristy (though in a nice way) town that appeals to a predominantly German clientele. The history was interesting, nonetheless.
Temple of Athena, Side
Side archeological complex aerial view, a photo I grabbed off the internet
Manavgat Waterfall, north of Side. Beautiful, but mostly an Instragram spot.

After four visits to the dentist, all was sorted and I got a private transfer down the coast about 70km to the chill beach town of Çıralı for three nights. Along the East Lycian Way, the Ancient City of Olympos (Olympus), Antalya, is just to the south.

Map of the East Lycian way and other park trails and sights. Çıralı and Olympos are circled in red on the left.
Olympos beach with Acropolis hill and castle. Venetians, Genoese, and Rhodians all built fortifications along this coast.
Olympos River estuary. Innumerable frogs were in full throat on the two mornings I visited.
A rather depleted Olympos river and bathhouse ruins, in the Ancient city of Olympos. Some nice photos and a short history of the city can be found on this site.
Ancient Olympos Necropolis church. The visitor center is on the far right.
Olympos ruins and poppies
A small portion of the Bishop’s Palace, Olympos
Detail of “building with mosaics”, Olympos. Remnants of the floor mosaics are now in a museum in Antalya.
Olympos oleander
Çıralı beach and town view from Olympos hillside
Olympos beach rock formations
An arch on the south side of Olympos. The area south of the river was much overgrown and the focus of my 2nd day’s walk.
Sarcophagus of Alkestis, South Olympos
West Theatre entrance from the inside, Olympos
Greek tortoise (Testudo graeca) with baby below Çıralı castle. The vulnerable Caretta caretta (loggerhead sea turtle) also nests here from mid-May to the autumn.
Çıralı mosque. I spent a long morning on a circular hike around the village and into the surrounding hills. Tourism has displaced some of the traditional agriculture, though much still remains.
Canada Bungalow porch view, Çıralı. It was a fine choice for my short stay, though a bit out of town. My recommendation is the Azur Hotel, though there are numerous accommodation options amongst the pines and orchards.
A friendly neighbor, Canada Bungalows

Tomorrow I begin my travels to Cusco, Peru for a 9 day trek to the Incan ruins of Choquequirao and Machu Picchu. This is the trek that was cancelled last year and I was fortunate that KE Adventures decided to run it this year with only 3 clients. Stay tuned for more archeology and hikes next month!

The Vagabond Hiker

PS The dental treatment I had in Antalya went wonderfully and the cost savings more than paid for the short vacation to Turkey.

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