On most tours of Peru, seeing Machu Picchu is a one-and-done experience. You get one opportunity, so you better hope the weather is good that day. Our Overseas Adventure Travel tour had us scheduled for the afternoon with the opportunity to return early the following morning to see the ruins in different light conditions with far less tourists. There was the hope, too, that if the weather was bad during the afternoon visit, it would be better (or at least different) the next morning.
Well, we hit back-to-back grand slams! What a gorgeous morning! Exploring one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in uncrowded conditions under sunny, blue skies was magical!
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Look closely; that’s a rabbit napping in the nook!
We saw alpaca this morning, too, and they were adorable!
Following our steep, switch-back drive down the mountain from the ruins, we enjoyed a delicious lunch together before exploring the town of Machupicchu (aka Aguas Calientes). Situated on the Urubamba River (aka Vilcanota River), the town is just 3.7 miles from the ruins of Machu Picchu, so it is a busy tourist destination. I thought it had a great vibe, though. Sure, there are tons of restaurants and shops to serve the tourists, but it is beautiful in some respects, too. Surrounded by lush, tropical mountains, the town is hilly, and the river runs right through it.
See those switch-backs beyond the ruins? The bus ride tested my stomach– and my nerves! The drivers were amazing, though.
The train runs in the middle of town (and in front of our hotel).
This was the view from our hotel room window. We left the windows open to enjoy the relaxing sound of the water:
Our lunch at a local restaurant was beautifully presented and delicious!
There are also amazing stone sculptures scattered throughout the town, and Raul took us on a walking tour to see them. These are only some of the many we saw:
Raul also took us to see the cemetery, which was quite different than what we normally would see in the U.S.A. There were high walls of cubicles with a casket in each one. Family members decorate the front of the cubicle with the favorite things of their deceased loved one. While we were there, parents were decorating the cubicle of their deceased daughter in memory of her birthday. They were arranging beautiful flowers, and they stopped to talk with Raul and our group. Their daughter had died in her sleep at the age of 22, and they never learned why it happened. There was no hospital in the town and an autopsy was never done. It was very sad, but we were grateful they shared their story with us.
When the Incas arrived in the Urubamba Valley in the 1100’s, they discovered a mild climate and fertile soil, which was conducive for growing fruits and vegetables. As a result, they settled in the area, their civilization and culture grew, and the valley became their sacred land.
As we floated down the Urubamba River, we learned about the Incas from our river guide while taking in the views of the surrounding Andes. We could see the terraces the Incas constructed entirely by hand to grow their food—terraces that are still used today.
Those white structures hanging off the side of the mountain are hotel rooms for hikers!
It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the opportunity to be on the water brought joy to my heart! Although we mostly floated, we had the opportunity to do some paddling over what was billed as “Class 1 Rapids.” That may have been a bit of an exaggeration, but it was still fun!
Our group had split up into three boats, and each guide asked his paddlers to come up with a boat name. I suggested “Buena Onda” for ours, which translates to “Good Vibes.” It was the name Andrea, our Argentina & Chile tour leader, gave to our tour group when we traveled with her back in March. One of the other boats was “Pisco Sour,” named after the favorite regional cocktail, and the other was the “Titanic,”—fitting considering they grounded into some rocks on their way down the river. Fortunately, they fared better than their namesake; at least they didn’t sink.
After our float trip, we stopped at the rafting company’s facility to change into dry clothes. Evidently, they like cats, because they constructed this fabulous cat lodge for them!
Our rafting guide and bus driver with a new friend.
Paddling on the river was followed by hiking at the Ollantaytambo Inca Fortress— just my kind of day! Our entire Peru tour was rated a 4 out of 5 for its “moderately strenuous” level of activity and high altitude, which was perfect for me. I looked forward to hiking around these and the other ruins we visited throughout our tour, even if the air was thin. As a competitive swimmer, I was aerobically fit and I had also prepared by walking fast laps and running stairs while wearing a KN95 mask after my swim workouts. This was a great opportunity to test my fitness.
The spectacular views! We were fortunate to have another sunny day, and the views from the top of the ruins were beautiful! There were only a couple of us from our group that ventured up to the top, so we took turns taking a celebratory photo and stood in awe of what surrounded us.
Back at the foot of the ruins and outside the walls of the national park was a craft market, so I spent the remainder of my free time roaming around shooting photos, while Bruce explored the lower area of the ruins with Raul and a few members from our group.
I’m not a shopper at home, but I love to see the native handicrafts in each country I visit, especially the colorful textiles in Central and South America. They are so photogenic!
Although our day had already been so full of rich culture, history, and excitement, we still had our home-hosted lunch to attend! This is always a favorite activity on an Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) tour, so we looked forward to it. Usually, the group is split up to visit three different homes in smaller group settings; however, that wasn’t possible for this tour due to the lack of available hosts. Instead, we all went to visit the same family at a home with a large enough room to host the entire group.
After meeting the great grandmother, mother, daughters, and great-grandchildren, we assisted with meal preparation and setting the table. In their home, the kitchen is used for all meal preparation except for the cooking which is done outdoors.
The salsa was also prepared outdoors the old-fashioned way, using a rock to chop the ingredients. We took turns giving it a good whack.
Lunch included tasty juice made from black corn, cinnamon, cloves, sugar and key lime. We also had squash soup, delicious vegetable filled tortillas, and guinea pig. Bruce and I gladly offered our shares of guinea pig to Raul. He loves the Peruvian delicacy; we preferred the tortillas and everything else.
After we all bid farewell to the family by presenting them with gifts we had each brought from home, we had one more stop to make before returning to the Villa Urubamba Hotel for a rest before our group dinner.
The granddaughters showing off the new fused glass earrings Bruce had made and given them.
Another activity OAT includes on each tour is meeting with a local for a presentation and question/ answer period on the designated “Controversial Topic.” In Peru, it’s the coca leaf industry, which will be the topic of my next post. Until then, here are scenes photographed on the grounds of the hotel:
Displayed on the wall of our room; they made me smile!
A woman from the area came to the hotel grounds to sell her handicrafts. Here, she is spinning wool the old fashioned way.
She made these dolls and the beautiful costumes they are wearing. I couldn’t resist; I bought the pair, and they sit on our fireplace mantle– Bruce’s recommendation!
Next up: PERU #9: THE CONTROVERSIAL COCA LEAF INDUSTRY
Our first day in Lima, the capital of Peru, was a full one! After seeing the parade, Parque Kennedy, the Inka Market, and Indian Market (all covered here), we walked the Malecon, Lima’s clifftop walkway. It was located just two blocks from our hotel, so we enjoyed walking different parts of it each day while we were in Lima.
Larcomar, a shopping center built into the cliff, was right at the foot of the boulevard where our hotel was located, so we couldn’t help but to see it. Shopping malls aren’t our thing, but this one was worth a stroll around just to see how it was situated on the steep cliff. There were amazing views from the top level and restaurants!
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
The sky wasn’t the prettiest while we were there, but we fully expected that. Lima is known for its often foggy and always humid weather, but it was winter, so the temperature was in the 60’s. I loved every minute of it! The poor photography conditions was worth the trade-off to be out of the Georgia heat.
The cliff-top walk was beautiful with many small parks and bougainvillea growing everywhere. Our destination for our first walk was Parque del Amour (Love Park), inaugurated on Valentine’s Day, 1993. The centerpiece of the park is a huge sculpture called, “The Kiss” but we were there to see the Gaudi-inspired mosaics that included phrases and poems about love. We loved it!
We had also hoped to see the paragliders that usually fly along the cliffs, but we didn’t see any. Stay tuned, because they will appear in an upcoming post!
We enjoyed a Pan con chocolate, heated on the spot, while visiting Love Park. The U.S. price was the equivalent of only $1.20, and the warm chocolate and bread was delicious!
This is the Peru Sole, their currency.
Around our hotel:
Since the included meals with Overseas Adventure Travel are always multi-course, we usually opt for something lighter and more casual when we are on our own. Bruce wanted our first dinner in Lima to be a treat, though, so we made reservations for Huaca Pucllana. Located adjacent to the Huaca Pucllana ruins that we were planning to see, it worked out nicely to enjoy dinner first and then tour take the evening tour of the ruins.
What a memorable and fascinating evening! The beautiful terrace of the restaurant overlooked the ruins, so we dined enjoying a very unique view!
Following dinner, we went next door to see the museum and take our evening tour. There were just four other people, making the experience intimate and enjoyable.
These ruins were amazing, once we understood the history and construction of the site. Built as a ceremonial center between 450-650 A.D., they were abandoned for at least a century until the Wari society’s elite converted the top of the pyramid into a sacred space where their deceased were interred. Later, the Ychsma people (1100 to 1450 A.D.) used it to bury their dead as well. They also used it as a repository of offerings associated with ancestor worship.
The most amazing thing about these ruins was learning that what we saw was just a fraction of the size of the original site. It was only by accident these ruins were discovered in the 1980’s during excavation work; the remainder has been built over during the past centuries.
The adobe and mud bricks were made and then stacked in this fashion for more stability.
Here’s a fun fact: People think Maccu Picchu is ancient at 574 years old, but Huaca Pucllana is 1,100 years old!
Coming up next: PERU #3: LIKABLE LIMA (PART 3)– BARRANCO DISTRICT
For our last day in Italy, we made our way from the Alps to the Venetian countryside, stopping at an apple orchard in Valsugana. We learned from the owner about apple cultivation and the production of apple juice, cider, and vinegar. Cherries were being grown there as well and we were fortunate to arrive just in time to taste them at their best!
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Lunch followed; a variety of home-cooked dishes that included apples as an ingredient, of course!
Our journey continued to Villa Condulmer where we stayed our final night. Built in the 17th century as a monastery, it later became a private residence that changed owners several times. Famous composer, Guiseppe Verdi, was friends with the one of the owners and stayed there for a few months in the 1800’s. In 1959, the villa was transformed into a hotel and features the piano that Verdi played during his stay.
The villa was gorgeous! We enjoyed meandering through the lobby, bar, and sitting rooms as well as the lush grounds in both the front and back. It was a perfect place to relax and enjoy the last day in one of our favorite countries!
In the evening, following a champagne reception for our group, we enjoyed our last dinner together and bid farewell to our fellow travelers and Maria, our tour leader.
As was our previous three tours with Overseas Adventure Travels, we enjoyed it very much and highly recommend their small group tours. If you do check out the site and contact OAT, please let them know Elaine Krugman referred you and give them my customer number: 3018126. If you book a trip with them, not only will you receive $100 off because you were referred by me, but I will, too!
Thanks for joining me on this journey! I hope you will return to see Peru!
Notice how wide the streets are in this community?This is why! It’s a community for private plane owners. They keep their planes on property, and then drive them to the adjacent airport. I didn’t know this when my sister took us there for our lakeside picnic. I couldn’t believe my eyes! “Stop the car; I want a photo of this!”
Jepson Prairie Preserve is an internationally known and nationally recognized vernal pool ecosystem. My sister and I visited the preserve to do photography, and we were fortunate to arrive in time for a docent-led tour. Click on the photos to view full screen.
Elaine-iaK's Travels: A Traveler's Tales of People, Places, Photos, Pools... and CHOCOLATE! 