Did you stay in Cusco or somewhere in the Sacred Valley.!?

What did you think at your very first look of Machu Picchu..standing up high and looking down!!!

Personally I was amazed ...no matter how many pictures I saw of it before.. My eyes still opened wider at my first look.!!

Okay , get back in the groove, pay your bills, wash your clothes, go shopping for food etc...and then start on the report.
Welcome back

Percy

Percy,
We stayed two nights in Ollantaytambo (loved it!) after our initial overnight in Lima, one in Agua Caliente, and two in Cusco. Then we headed to Lake Titicaca for three nights (including a one-night homestay).
And yes, I know exactly what you mean about Machu Picchu. That first look was awesome. My daughter and I literally stopped in our tracks and just stared - and then looked at each other in total amazement. We both had these big expectations and were afraid we'd be disappointed, but we weren't. It lived up to every expectation imaginable! The scale was immense; the details elaborate; the stonework an almost unbelievable engineering feat. It was beautiful, and there was an air of mystery just as I'd hoped! We were mesmerized.
More later. I'm tired but still on that high (although at least I can breathe again now that I'm back near sea level!)

Thanks for the quick reply.

I know what you mean about Machu Picchu and then looking way down onto the Urubamba River was so awesome(how did they get all those stones up there !!)

I hope in Cusco you had the chance to take some pictures of the Peruvian women with their little babies..all dressed in those very colorful customs...and the babies are soooo cute , they look as if they have 3 golf balls in each cheek.!!!

I think I took pictures of them at Sacsayhuaman Ruins..just up the hill from Cusco.

will be waiting for your trip report

Thank You
Percy

I'm also anxious to hear about your trip. The places you did are exactly what we are planning for next summer. So many things to consider. How many days to stay in each place? I'm definitely not going with a tour company but will go with guides thanks to this forum. Staying in Sol y LUna or P)the one in Ollantaytambo)? Does it matter which? Taking the train to Puno or to hire a driver? I know I have 6 months to figure all of this out but am very excited now and on a mission!!! Hope you report soon.

Ok, here goes... I'll start with the big picture, then fill in the day-to-day details and experiences.

ITINERARY / HOTELS

Lima, 1 night at Mami Panchita. OK for an overnight, but not much more. $30. They picked us up at the airport(were waiting for us with our names on a sign - what a relief!) for $15. Our flight arrived at 10 p.m., so we just slept there and headed to the airport in the morning for our flight to Cusco (another $15 for the transfer). Definitely recommend arranging a transfer from your hotel in advance. I arranged both the room and the transfer via email. (Please let me know if any of you want links or email addresses or phone numbers for any of the places I mention.)

Sacred Valley - 2 nights in Ollantaytambo at Las Orquideas. Another basic place but very cute. Lovely grass courtyard with chairs, beautiful flowers. Our room had a view of the Inca ruins. $32 a night. Percy (our guide - more on him later) arranged it; he also picked us up at the airport in Cusco. The hotel has no email, so phone or in person is the only way to get a reservation.

Train to Aguas Caliente (reserved tickets in advance over the internet; Percy picked them up for us - charged a commission - well worth it to avoid the hassle of standing in line.)

Aguas Caliente - 1 night at La Pequena Casita. $45. Percy arranged it. We were happy with both the room and the location - just across from the train station and up from the bus stop to Machu Picchu. Clean. Comfy beds.

Cusco - 2 nights at Amaru Hostal. I had arranged it over the Internet before beginning to work with Percy. $35 a night. Clean and basic. Good location, 3 blocks off the main plaza (past the famous multi-sided Inca block).

Lake Titicaca - 3 nights. Two in Puno at Posada don Georgio ($35 per night) with an overnight homestay on Amantani in between. Would recommend the hotel - again clean and basic with a good location. We arranged our overnight stay through All Ways Travel via their website. It was $27 per person and that included the boat ride, a stop at the Uros reed islands, the overnight homestay on Amantani (lunch, dinner, breakfast served by family), a stop on Taquile Island with lunch, and the boat ride back to Puno.

Except for the homestay, our lodgings all had bathrooms/showers in the room. All served breakfast. All were rather chilly at night - but provided extra blankets (wonderfully thick and warm) upon request. All served breakfast. Usually rolls, ham, and cheese. Sometimes fruit. Always coca tea (yum! and supposedly great for the altitude). Amaru in Cusco served wonderful granola with yoghurt and fruit salad, also eggs - cooked according to your preference. All the places felt safe. Would recommend all with the possible exception of Mami Panchita. It was ok for just going to bed and getting up - but I was cold there and the room was rather dreary. Plus it was in an unpleasant section of town.

Regarding the itinerary, we thought it was about right. If I had it to do over, would add a night in Lima, a night in Cusco, and a night in the Sacred Valley - just for the sake of slowing down and having more time for shopping! Would also like to have had an extra 3-4 days for Arequipa. Overall, though, given the number of days we had, I thought our itinerary was pretty much ideal.

That's all for now. Will start later tonight or maybe tomorrow on the actual ins and outs of our (wonderful) adventure!

Karen

heyjude - We didn't see Sol y Luna, although have heard it's very nice. The town of Urubamba, though, isn't as nice (in my opinion) as Ollantaytambo. The latter is smaller and much more quaint. Our hotel didn't compare with the luxury of Sol y Luna and I'm sure didn't offer the amenities! So it depends on what's important to you. If you choose Ollantaytambo, there are nicer places than where we stayed. Hotel Sauce looked quite nice. I'd try to stay in town near the main square and ruins rather than down near the train station.
Regarding bus vs train to Puno, I had read pros/cons to both. The bus trip is several hours shorter and also cheaper. We went on Inka Express ($30, including a buffet lunch and three or four stops to see tourist sites). I'm very glad we did the bus.

Gee if you had a guide called "Percy" how can you go wrong !!!!

But you said "more on him later"...usually all Percys are good !!

Waiting for your the next episode.

Percy

Before starting (am I keeping you in suspense?), I thought I'd share my packing list (including what I wore on the plane)...

3 pairs pants (1 jeans, 2 lightweight travel pants)
3 short-sleeved tops
5 pairs underwear
5 pairs socks
2 bras
1 set silk long underwear (used as pjs but wore the top one evening when it was cold)
1 lightweight pullover fleece
1 lightweight cardigan sweater
1 lightweight windbreaker
1 gortex parka
1 pair shoes (Keen's sandals)
toiletries
insect repellant (needed at Machu Picchu)
sunscreen - needed EVERY day
hat - didn't take one but another essential (Julie and I both bought one for about $3 or $4)
2 cameras, rechargers, extra batteries
paperback book
Lonely Planet guidebook
A fold-up duffle bag to bring home souvenirs
Wallet (lots of $1 bills), passport, ATM card, credit card

I brought about the right amount of stuff. Next time... would leave sweater at home (I bought 2 anyway!) and bring a long-sleeved t-shirt. The sun is merciless! A hat and sunscreen are absolute musts.
We had laundry done at our hotel in Cusco - cheap and easy.

Jul and I both took bags we could carry on our backs. Glad we did. The hike up to our house on Amantani for the homestay would have been extremely difficult with a rolling suitcase - although you could leave the rolling bag back at your hotel in Puno and just take a daypack to Amantani. We did leave some stuff at the hotel in Puno.

On the topic of things to take to Peru, be sure to bring chap stick or similar for your lips. It's incredibly dry and dusty. I also wished I had brought something for my eyes. I wear contacts and was constantly getting dust in them and they felt dry a lot.

We stayed at Hotel Pakaritampu
http://www.pakaritampu.com/ in Ollantaytambu. It is close to the train station and maybe a 5-8 minutes walk into town. We liked it and had no problem with the location. But if you don't like to walk, you would be better off at Hotel Sauce which is right in town. I agree that Ollantaytambo is a much more charming village than Urubamba.

Yes, definitely chap stick! Also, extra wetting drops for my contact lenses (didn't mention those things separately as they were part of my toiletries - but it is certainly dry as yestravel says). Body lotion is also a good idea.

hanks so much for the reply. Will definitely go for Ollantaytambo, maybe Hotel Sauce, and take the bus to Puno.

We flew Continental from Baltimore to Newark to Lima, arriving safe and on time at around 10 p.m. It was the first time I'd ever been on such a long flight with no jet lag - because the time difference was only an hour.

Still, we were tired and glad to see the driver we'd arranged through our hotel, Mami Panchita. The drive through Lima late at night was depressing and kind of creepy. We obviously didn't see the pretty parts of the city, but what we did see didn't impress us - rundown buildings, scary-looking characters. I was glad we had arranged a driver. Maybe on another trip we'll give Lima a couple of days. Our hotel, as already mentioned, was adequate but not much more. It was in a rough neighborhood - a man started to approach us as soon as we got out of the car, but our driver hustled us to the hotel, where we had to ring a bell to gain admittance.

Our room was cold and the shower so-so (although there was hot water). Breakfast was typical - fresh orange juice, rolls, ham and cheese. Then it was back to the airport for our flight via Lan Airlines to Cusco. The place was packed - we wondered if we'd make our flight! But everything was well organized and before long we were on our way. We could see the Andes from the window of our plane - we were getting excited!

Once in Cusco, we were met by Percy, the guide we had arranged via email based on a recommendation from this board. He was wonderful - warm and kind, with good English skills and an easy, unassuming manner. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him and felt as though we had someone to take care of us during our visit. I was so glad we hired him and would highly recommend him.

He drove us to Ollantaytambo via Chinchero, where we stopped for a look at the Sunday market. We got there toward the end of the action (mid-afternoon), but there was still a fair amount of activity going on. The locals trade without using money. Since I wasn't one of them, I had to come up with some soles to buy a gord - which the seller cut open while I waited (I wanted one where you could take the lid off), a little flute (actually called a quena) and a "zampona" - a common Peruvian musical instrument consisting of several bamboo reeds of different lengths that you blow into. I'll be darned if I could get a sound out of it OR the flute that sound anything remotely like music! But they're gifts, so I'm hoping my friend will be able to do so. The guy in the market who sold them to me illustrated by playing beautiful music, and I tried and tried, as did Julie, but to no avail. We did receive a few good-natured laughs for our efforts.

And I got a few pictures, as well. So it was a successful stop. We were both starting to feel a little light-headed and were ready to move on, so we got back in the car for the drive to Ollantaytambo. The Sacred Valley was incredibly smokey/hazy while we were there. Percy said farmers burn their fields at the end of the dry season and it's often smokey during that time. Even so, the scenery was phenomenal. I couldn't believe how steep the mountains are - they just soar almost straight up.

Ollantaytambo is a great little town. Would highly recommend staying here - much cuter than the other Sacred Valley towns we saw. There are several restaurants, a fair amount of souvenir shopping, and it's convenient to the train to Machu Picchu (a significantly shorter trip than from Cusco).

Our hotel, Las Orquideas, which Percy had arranged since they have no website or email, is in a great location just a couple blocks off the main square and a 10 minute walk to the train station. Once he dropped us off, we were on our own the rest of the day.

After a brief rest (our heads were still spinning just a bit from the altitude - Chinchero is even higher than Cusco and we hadn't yet come down from the initial high!), we decided to go find some coca tea. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but was delighted when the server at the little restaurant we stopped at brought out two mugs, put some leaves in them, and poured steaming water. We loved it - drank it nearly every day. Whether it helps with the altitude or not, we enjoyed it a lot!

For dinner that night we ate at Mayupata. Shared a bowl of cream of asparagus soup (wonderful) and each ordered a pizza. Because they were so cheap, we thought they must be personal size pizzas, but no, they were more like a U.S. medium pizza. We both ate exactly half - so splitting would have been perfect. Oh well, live and learn. It was excellent pizza! Don't remember the cost, but it was cheap. I'm thinking we spent about $15 for two pizzas, the soup, and two Cokes.

Then it was back to the hotel for some reading and sleep! The room seemed cold to me, so I requested extra blankets - ended up being plenty warm.

More tomorrow!
Karen

DAY 2 - Sacred Valley Tour

Percy picked us up at 9:30 (we wanted to sleep in a bit and he was coming from Cusco, so it worked out well for both of us) for our tour of the Sacred Valley.

Julie felt a little queasy that morning, so she slept a little extra while I got up for an early morning walk. The town was gorgeous in the morning sunshine - definitely the time to take photos of the ruins.

Breakfast was the usual rolls and coca tea. I don't think they even had ham and cheese. I was Julie's hero by taking some to the room for her.

When Percy arrived, we set off for Moray. It's off the beaten path - quite a ways on a dirt road - but worth the effort to get there. No one's positive what the huge concentric circles were used for, but the main theory is that the Incas did agricultural experiments to test crops at different altitudes. You could feel the temperature rise as you walked down toward the center. Each terrace is supposedly its own microclimate. From the top, we could see a guy lying spread-eagle in the middle at the very bottom - a special place where energy is concentrated, Percy told us.

We didn't go all the way down inside - and glad we didn't. I got nauseous on the way back up and had to sit on a rock for a few minutes. Julie said I looked kinda green (and it ain't easy being green!). Still not used to the altitude. There was an entrance fee, by the way - a couple of dollars, I think. Get a driver or cab to take you there - definitely worth a look. Unlike anything we saw anywhere else (and the scenery along the way was incredibly beautiful - the landscape is just gorgeous).

From Moray, we went to the salt pans - likewise unique and beautiful, but in a totally different way (and likewise not easy to get to - another few miles on a rough dirt road). Upon arrival, we were greeted by hundreds of rounded-corner rectangles filled with various shades of white water - all nestled in a valley surrounded by craggy peaks. It was a white, gray, and brown quilt in terraces, and it was amazing. The pans have been in use several hundred years - since the height of Inca times - for collecting salt. They fill the pans with spring water from the mountain, and as the water evaporates, the salt is left behind. The scale is enormous - I have no idea how many "pans" there are, but certainly hundreds, and each one is maybe 10 feet by 12 feet or larger. Got some great pics (which I'll share once I get them posted).

It was there that we discovered the dried corn and beans in little packages. You see them all over Peru - they make a yummy (and healthy!) snack. They're very cheap.

Next stop was Pisac and although it was Monday, an off-market time, the entire main square was filled with souvenir vendors. (I guess it's the local market where farmers sell their produce that happens on Sunday.) For us, it was great. Not crowded, yet plenty of stalls selling everything from gloves and sweaters to ceramics to jewelry. I'm not great at bargaining, but the stuff was inexpensive anyway. We bought a couple of large handbags, a wooden bowl painted by the husband of the woman who sold it to me, and some jewelry.

When we first got there, Percy walked us over to a couple of women selling large ears of corn and a wedge of cheese. We each got one and ate it as we shopped (Percy turned us loose and left us on our own for the shopping). The kernels were so large that you just pulled one off at a time and ate it - quite good.

When we finished shopping, we were hungry (it was 3 or so by this time) so we stopped a little outdoor restaurant right on the square and had ham and cheese sandwiches.

Because we spent so long in the market, there wasn't time to see the Pisac ruins. We definitely needed another day in the Sacred Valley. That way we could have done Moray and Salinas (salt pans) in one day, and Pisac the other - and done so much more leisurely. Plus, I wouldn't have minded a raft trip, although the water was pretty low when we were there.

Still, it was a great day. We returned to Ollantaytambo, had dinner at a tiny restaurant just up from our hotel (sorry, don't remember the name), and strolled around town a bit before going to bed.

Tomorrow - Machu Picchu.
Hope I'm not boring you with the detail!

althom -- the more detail the better. Peru is next on our list so I'm loving your trip report. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

Thanks for sharing your trip w/ us.

I, on the other hand, went to Peru in June and have been a slug about putting together a trip report. I really appreciate those who take the time to put one together.

DAY 3 - Machu Picchu - YAY!

We were up early to catch the 7:05 train to Agua Caliente, just a short walk from our hotel. It was really smokey/hazy that day, but the scenery was still gorgeous. My original plan had been to take a late morning train, spend the afternoon at MP, get up the next morning for sunrise, and then catch an early afternoon train back.

But it didn't work out that way. Getting train tickets on Peru Rail can be a hassle! I arranged them over the internet and at first was told there were no tickets for the days I wanted -even though it was a month in advance! Then tickets became available, but apparently only for the first train out in the morning and the first train back the next morning. Based on other stories I've heard, I'm not sure that was true, but it worked out fine anyway - and I wanted to ensure we definitely had tickets!

The train ride (Vistadome, not backpackers) came with breakfast and great scenery for no extra charge.
If you have a choice, sit on the left side - the view's better. Our seats were originally on the right, but there were seats on the left and we switched.

The ride from Ollantaytambo is significantly shorter than from Cusco (about an hour and a half), so we were in Agua Caliente before 8:30. Percy had arranged our hotel, La Paquena Casita, and they were supposed to meet us at the station - but they weren't there.

I figured it couldn't be that large a town, so we set off and found it rather quickly. It was a good location - just across the bridge from the train station (over the road), and down the hill a little ways, a block or so up from the bus station to MP.

We dropped off our stuff and headed out to get MP tickets and bus tickets. The 20-minute bus ride was up, up, up - back and forth and back and forth. The drop-offs were unreal! And then we were there!

I hadn't planned on hiring a private guide for MP, but a woman approached us at the entrance asking if we wanted a guide. At first we said no, but after discussing it, decided it would be a good idea. She charged 120 soles but was so good I gave her 130. Sonia was another university-educated tour guide. Her English was good and she was pleasant to be with. I'm sure you could do it with a good guidebook, but we thought she enhanced our visit.

As I've already said, that first glimpse of the ruins is amazing - takes your breath away. It's just like it looks in pictures - only more so, if you know what I mean. So real. So huge. So intricate. So... amazing!

We saw beautiful rock walls, learned about Inca astronomy and their use of sun dials, and just soaked up the atmosphere. We had a wonderful time...

and I'll add to this later!

Wonderful report, althom1122!

I would really love to go to Peru next year and was thinking about early to mid-October as a possible timeframe.

Sounds like you had warm weather with cool nights and some hazy days. Did you get any rain while you were there? How were the crowds at the places you visited? I'm a big fan of traveling during the shoulder or low season when I can!

Can't wait to read the rest of your report, and I hope you will share your photos once you've had a chance to get them organized online.

cmerrell - no rain at all until we got to Puno. There we had a bit of rain the first night we were there (on our way back from dinner) and also on our last evening after returning from our stay on the island. Percy had told us we might get rain there - he said the rainy season tends to start a bit earlier in western Peru. Fortunately, we had no rain at all that interferred with anything we wanted to do! I wouldn't go much later than mid-October, though. I think the chances for rain start increasing.

Crowds were not bad. At Machu Picchu, we certainly weren't alone, but the crowds weren't overwhelming either - and we were there at peak hours.

Yes, the days were warm (hot at times) and the nights chilly. Bring a hat. And sunscreen. They're essentials.

I, too, usually try for shoulder season, and I think it worked out well in Peru. We had such a wonderful time (as I'm hoping you can tell!).

Will definitely post my photos, hopefully by next weekend. Thanks for the encouragement! Peru is wonderful - I love sharing!

Karen

Thoroughly enjoyng your report. Do you thnk guides are usually readily available up at Machu Pichu. Sonia sounded great. Did you get an email address for her?

One more question. Do you think it would be enough time if we took the early train to MP and then took the last train back to Ollantaytambo? I was thinking we wouldn't have to carry any bags at all. Do you know when the last train leaves for O? Thanks

Sorry to say I didn't get an email address from Sonia. Wish I had. We arrived around 9:30 and she was just waiting around the entrance. I think there were 2 or 3 other guides as well. She approached us asking if we wanted a guide. At first we said no, but then we hesitated and started walking away - talked about it for a few minutes - and she came over again. I think she knew we were thinking about it. So no guarantee, but I'd say if you get there reasonably early, chances are good you'll find a guide.

I'm sure you'd get varying answers to your question about whether a day at MP is enough, i.e., arrive on the first train and go home at the end of the day. For me, the answer was yes. We totally loved our visit and spent a little over 3 hours with Sonia. But at that point, we felt like we'd seen most of it - at least gotten a good overview. Yes, I'm sure we'd have enjoyed more time, but for one thing, it was HOT! The sun was beating down on us, and we were tired. So after those 3 hours, we were ready for lunch - and then we just didn't feel any desire to go back in. We were ready to head down the mountain. I wouldn't have minded if our train had left that afternoon to go back to Ollantaytambo - but we did enjoy our evening in Agua Caliente (and I'll fill you in on what we did after our MP visit in my next installment!). I believe the last train back to Ollantaytambo departs MP at 1645. The first and last train require a 10-day advance reservation, so you'd definitely want to do that if you're planning just a one-day visit. I think the Ollantaytambo option (esp if you can stay overnight there) is MUCH better than coming from Cusco since the train ride is less than an hour and a half each way compared to about 4 hours!

MACHU PICCHU DAY CONTINUED

After touring the ruins with Sonia (and taking tons of pictures), Julie and I had pretty much had our fill. We used plenty of sunscreen but didn't have hats, and we were both feeling a strong need to get out of the sun. (We're both light and burn easily.)

For lunch at MP, there are two options (well, three if you bring your own): the expensive buffet that's part of the Sanctuary Lodge (I think Sonia told us the buffet was $26 per person or something like that) or a small snack bar with picnic tables outside (but with umbrellas so you could get out of the sun). We chose the latter and had sandwiches, chips, and drink, for about $10-$12 total.

On the way back down the mountain, we decided to stop at the Museo de Sitio Manuel Chavez Ballon. According to the Lonely Planet guidebook, if you ask the bus driver, he'll let you off and then you have a half hour walk back to town. So we did, and he did. The museum was out of the way but an interesting stop. There were only two other people there during our visit. The museum contained quite a bit of Inca pottery and utensils, but what I found most interesting were the pictures taken during Hiram Bingham's excavations showing what the ruins looked like when they were still largely covered with jungle. We spent a half hour or so there, then headed back to town. And we had a great time on the walk! We were on our own (a bus would pass by every 10 minutes or so!), walking along a jungle road in Peru - mother and daughter. It was awesome. We laughed and took lots of pictures and crossed a footbridge, which shook as we were out in the middle. Yikes! It was a great afternoon. Guess we were still on a high after Machu Picchu. (Although Lonely Planet says the museum is free if you have a MP ticket, that was not the case - we were charged anyway.)

That evening, after showers and a brief rest in our room, we did a bit of souvenir shopping at the market next to the train station, then had an excellent dinner at Inka Wasi - great atmosphere, great food. I had a vegetable omelette, and Julie had some sort of Hawaiian chicken dish. And we tried our first Pisco sours - yum! That pretty much did us in for the day, and we went to bed for a good night's sleep. We were pretty happy with our hotel - clean room, comfortable beds, decent shower, good location.

Next morning we got up, had breakfast (granola and bananas in addition to the usual rolls), and headed back to the train station for our 8:35 departure back to Ollantaytambo.

More later!

Enjoying reading about your trip. I didn't know about the museum. Sounds fascinating. And what fun it could be to walk down that mountain. We used a ton of sunscreen and still got burned at MP.

The museum is a little ways off the road at the bottom of the mountain, just before the bridge. So in fact you ride the bus most of the way back to town and get off at the bottom. The driver knows where. We were the only ones who got off, though. And then, yes, the walk the rest of the way back to town was a hour or so. It was really fun, and the museum worthwhile.

BACK TO SACRED VALLEY / CUSCO

The train ride back to Ollantaytambo flew by. They had a fashion show, of all things, on the train of various alpaca sweaters. They were pricey but beautiful, and I ended up buying one.

Percy was there waiting for us at the station. Since we hadn't managed to fit in the Ollantaytambo ruins on our Sacred Valley tour, we did it before heading back to Cusco. I found it fascinating! The ruins consist of massive terraces going straight up from town - with many, many stairs. It was tough on Julie (she wished she hadn't gone up) because she has a phobia about long sets of stairs - gets a feeling of vertigo and is afraid she'll fall forward and fall all the way down. So it was hard for her. It was beautiful, though, and I thought well worth it. As usual, Percy gave a good overview of what we were seeing. Next time I'd like to see the Pisac ruins also to be able to compare (there's never time for everything!).

Afterwards, we headed to Cusco, arriving mid-afternoon. Percy took us to our hotel (Amaru Hostal), and we were on our own the rest of the day. We didn't do much in the way of sightseeing. Strolled around town, did a little shopping, ate out, and had a nice, relaxing day.

More about Cusco tomorrow.

Actually, now that I think about it, we did the Inca Museum that afternoon. I wouldn't say it was a must-see (had similar stuff to the one at Machu Picchu), but it was worth a look. It did have some mummies, though, and they were pretty cool.
I'll continue tomorrow.

thanks so much for this trip report. we are going at the beginning of june. this helps so much.

Looking forward for your next part!

Let me try this again (I thought I just posted this, but it didn't appear - if it does, sorry for the double-posting).

I'm back finally! This is Karen (althom1122). I lost my password and have been trying for several days to get a new one (without success). Apparently, there's a bug. Finally, I gave up and just created a new account.

I'll resume my report later today, but in the meantime, wanted to let you know I've posted my photos. Here's the link:

http://kbutler1122.zenfolio.com/

Sure enough, almost as soon as I posted the previous, I got my password for my old screen name! More later.
Karen

Love your photos! Brought back wonderful memories of our trip this past April.

CUSCO

The next morning, our only full day in Cusco, Percy picked me up for a city tour. Julie decided to sleep in and spend some time on her own (24/7 even for a mother and daughter who have a good relationship gets to be a bit much after awhile - occasional breaks do us good!).

Percy and I first visited a number of sites out of town, starting with Sacsyhuaman. I loved the stonework there. Engineering perfection. I thought it was well worth a stop. Then we visited a few other places, and I must confess, I don't remember what they were all called!

Around mid-morning, we stopped at the Alpaca Factory - although I'd use the term "factory" loosely. When we pulled up, I didn't realize what it was. The building was right along the street on the outskirts of Cusco, and there were llamas and alpacas right out front by the door. I got a few good pictures and got to plunge my hand into the wool of an alpaca - ah - so soft. Inside, a woman gave me the spiel on the difference between synthetics, sheep wool, alpaca, and baby alpaca. It was interesting. Then, of course, I checked out the sweater - they were stacked in cubbies lining the walls from floor to higher than I could reach. I ended up buying a couple - wish I'd bought more. Although they were a bit expensive, considering the quality, I think they were a decent deal.

Afterwards, we headed back to town for a tour of Qoriancha - well worth it. This site is not included in the tourist ticket, but it's worth the extra charge. It started as an Inca temple - and the typical stonework can be seen. But when the Spanish showed up, they turned it into a convent. It's a fascinating mixture of architecture, art, etc.

By this time, it was around noon, so Percy dropped me off at the hotel. That afternoon Julie and I used the tourist ticket and visited several museums. We especially enjoyed the Monasterio de Santa Catalina - worth seeing for the building (inside) alone. We also checked out the cathedral, which required a separate entrance ticket. I climbed the stairs to the tower for the view of the city - definitely worth doing. It's not that many stairs.

That evening we went to the folk dance that was included in the tourist ticket and it was, well, touristy. We enjoyed it, but left early (after the first couple of dances, they all started looking alike). We took a taxi from the main square (and also back). Although you could walk, it was a good ways.

Other than that, we just did some shopping and strolling. We were ready for the next part of our adventure - the trip to Lake Titicaca... tomorrow!

One thing I forgot to mention - Julie had been looking for an alpaca throw, but hadn't found what she wanted. So she decided to make her own (she knits and crochets - I have no idea where that skill came from - certainly not her mom!). We found several yarn shops in Cusco, and she came home with quite a bit of alpaca yarn. I can't wait to see how her blanket turns out! She'll have plenty left over to make a scarf or two - or three - maybe a gift - maybe for mom...

Karen -- your pics are fantastic.

May I ask -- what is the price range for the alpaca sweaters? I'm researching what prices are like for baby alpaca and even vicuna sweaters and blankets or other items.

Thank you.

Karen,

Have really been enjoying your trip report. And your wonderful pictures! I especially liked the ones in the market in the Sacred Valley. Did you pay each person that you took a picture of? What about if you took a picture of what they were selling? (I'm asking because I know that I'll want to be taking similar pictures when we're there--and I just want to make sure we do the right thing!).

bkk - regarding the sweaters (actually, I bought 3 - one on the train back from Machu Picchu and two at the Alpaca Factory)... the two from the factory were, I think, $75 and $85 or something like that. They have multiple colors. Both are cardigans - one buttons and one zips. (Maybe I'll take pics and post them with my photos online!) The one from the train was - ouch - $148. I saw the same sweater at one of the nice alpaca shops (Alpaca III or one of those?) in Cusco for the same price. It's heavier than the two from the factory - a pull-over. Extremely stylish. I saw sweaters in the street markets for less than $20, but it's obvious they weren't 100 percent alpaca. I think if you want the really good stuff, it's going to be fairly expensive. But the cheaper ones (and I wish I'd bought a couple!) make nice souvenirs and would be great for casual wear. All three of mine are somewhat dressy (one's a gift for my sister - shhh) and will be great with dress slacks or a skirt for work.

caligirl - I did pay most of the people i took pictures of. Usually 1 sole. For the market shots, I'd ask before taking the picture and would give them money if it was just a picture of, say, one person - although not always. In some cases, it was clear they weren't looking for money. In other cases, they were. For shots that included a lot of people, no, I didn't give anyone anything. I kind of did what "felt right" at the moment. In some cases, I was quite a distance away and used a telephoto. In that situation, I didn't give them any money. And lastly, if we bought something from someone I'd ask to take a picture, but didn't tip them since I figured I'd already given them business. I guess bottom-line - it depended on the situation.

Glad you're enjoying my pics/report! I'll keep adding to it until you've got the whole story.

Also, by the way, my daughter brought along quite a few small bottles of bubbles, which she'd give to kids (see my photos, esp the homestay album). In that situation, I'd take pics without giving any money - the bubbles were a gift so no money was expected. One one of the islands, I saw a couple tourists ask kids to pose for pictures and then they gave them candy. I'd read not to give out candy so we didn't do that, but some other token for kids (pens, pencils, something like that) would, I'm sure, be welcome. I must admit I had mixed feelings about it - the dynamic that has been set up between tourists/locals - that we tourists want pictures and the locals, who are obviously much poorer, want money for the photos. It felt uncomfortable to me. Is it exploitation? Is it zoo-like? The ethical dilemmas of traveling... (and I hope this doesn't sidetrack my trip report!)
Interestingly, I traveled to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia last year and did not find the same expectation to be paid to take someone's picture.

BUS TO PUNO

The next morning Percy picked us up bright and early to get us to the bus station for our 7:30 departure. We went via Inka Express and were extremely happy with them. There were two buses (large tourist buses with a bathroom on each) traveling together. We were on the second one and it was only slightly more than half full, so there was plenty of room to stretch out. We had a tour guide who provided occasional commentary on the bus and more detailed information at each of the sites we stopped at along the way.

The scenery was breathtaking - fields of crops with mountains as a backdrop, which gave way to grassy plains and craggy peaks as we continued east (and climbed higher). Every curve in the road prompted me to take yet another picture. I was mesmerized by the scenery - not bored at all on the trip. Do check out my bus trip photos if you get a chance.

We had 5 stops, as I recall - a church, some Inca ruins, lunch (buffet-style and included in the cost of the bus ticket), a museum with some ancient artifacts from the local area (and another church), and the highest spot enroute (where there were some local vendors selling gloves and other typical wares).

Then we passed through Juliaca (a rather dreary-looking town from the bus route) and on to Puno. Our hotel had arranged a free transfer, and the driver was waiting for us at the bus station - we arrived around 5:00, right on time.

It was obvious that Puno was higher in altitude. Both Julie and I felt our heads spinning when we lay down to rest for a few minutes before going to dinner! We took some Ibuprofen and felt fine the next day - but we both agreed there just wasn't air there!

Our hotel, as I mentioned earlier, was Posada don Georgia - cheap, clean, great location, average breakfast (bread, ham, cheese). No one spoke much English, but they were very nice (and Internet was reasonable - I think 2 soles an hour).

Both Julie and I loved our bus day and would highly recommend it as a great way to get from Cusco to Puno - if you fly, you miss some spectacular scenery.

We asked the hotel to call AllWays for us to check on our pickup time in the morning for our Lake Titicaca homestay (which I'd arranged in advance over the internet)....
and I'll tell you about it tomorrow!
Karen

Not sure if anyone's still reading, but I hope so, because we're getting to one of my favorite parts...

LAKE TITICACA

AllWays Travel picked us up at our hotel right on time at 7:40. There were already a half dozen people in the van, so we figured we'd head straight to boat - but no - they made 3 more stops and somehow managed to cram in about 6 more people! Fortunately, it was a short drive to the pier.

The boat was pretty good-sized. There were about 25 on the tour, with the English speakers in the minority (prob about 8 of us). We had plenty of room to make ourselves comfortable, as the boat had an inside cabin (where it was warm!) with a cushioned bench all the way around by the windows, an outside seating area in the back, and an upper viewing deck (only 8 could be up there at any one time). The boat also had a bathroom - but as our tour guide Walter told us -"only for pee-pee".

Most of our companions were closer to Julie's age than mine - quite a few 20-something backpackers, but with a few, ahem, more seasoned travelers mixed in.

It was a glorious morning, not a cloud in the sky, temperature around 65 - creeping into the 70s later that day. In less than an hour, we arrived at our first stop - the Uros (reed) islands. If you've never seen pictures, google it (or better yet, just look at mine!).

The native population literally makes the islands by weaving together the indigenous reeds that grow in the lake. The result is a huge floating blanket. It's like walking on straw, but if you stand in one place too long, you kind of sink down in just a little. They use the reeds for their houses, for boats, and even to eat - we got a sample and they're pretty good - taste a little like celery.

After hearing Walter's overview of the islands and their history (first in Spanish, then in English), we had about a half hour of free time to wander around. Julie had her bubbles and gave a bottle to, we think, every child on the island (about 15). We checked out the school house, a lookout tower (nice view), and the souvenirs the women were selling. Julie bought a yarn thing used to tie together braids - she doesn't have long enough hair to use it anymore - but it was really pretty. We also took a ride in one of the reed boats - glad we did because we had some wonderful interaction with a little girl blowing the bubbles Julie gave her (got some great pics of her).
After about 100 pictures, we departed for Amantani, our home for the night.
More later.

Please continue-im planning to go in june and this is great..thanks

AMANTANI WITH OUR FAMILY

About three hours after departing the Uros islands, we arrived on Amantani. Walter had briefed us on the logistics. Each twosome would be given to a different family, we'd have lunch, regroup later for an overview of island life and a sunset hike to the top of the (huge!) mountain directly in front of us, then have dinner, and then... a party.

While still on the boat, Walter passsed around a sheet of paper and each twosome wrote their names on it. When we disembarked, Walter started calling roll: "Karen and Julie"... we were first and as we stepped forward, he motioned for us to go with a 12-year-old girl in traditional dress, our hostess. All the women meeting the guests were dressed in the same full pink skirts, white blouses, colorful sashes, and beautifully embroidered black capes).

She nodded to us, smiled shyly, and motioned for us to follow. We waved to our comrades from the boat and set off up the hill with "our girl," as Walter continued pairing up the tourists with the locals. It was around noon by this time, the sun was bright, and it was hard to say which was bluer - the sky or the lake.

Fortunately, we'd left most of our stuff back at the hotel in Puno since we only had one night here, but even so, the climb up the hill was strenuous! At that altitude (12,500 feet - over 4,00 meters), I was huffing and puffing and had to stop frequently to rest. Montaya didn't mind a bit - waiting patiently with us while we took breaks.

Tiring though it was, the hike up to our house was gorgeous. The land was terraced into neat fields of potatoes and other crops. We passed numerous sheep and lambs. Occasionally we'd see a woman with a donkey. The houses along the way were made of red clay bricks. The trees were tall and straight. As the parade of tourists and locals continued up the hill, a couple would turn off with their hostess - they'd arrived! We kept going and going and going (and I wasn't feeling much like the Energizer bunny!). We weren't in the very top house, but we we were in the second house to the top!

When we arrived, we met our mom and dad - and gave them the fruit we'd brought as a gift. (AllWays had recommended that since most of the islanders don't get to shore often and have little access to fruit.) I was soooo glad to get rid of that 25-pound pineapple (ok, it only felt like 25 pounds after that hike!).

Our house seemed to be one of the biggest ones - and what a view we had. We could look the window of our room and see Lake Titicaca spread out before us. The two-story house was U-shaped and in the front was a little courtyard. Our room was up a little ladder, about 6 steps, and you had to duck to get inside because the doorway was less than 5 feet high. There were three beds in our room - each with lots of thick, warm blankets (YAY - I get cold easily!). And as we'd been told, there was no electricity - just a single candle and a book of matches.

Within about 15 minutes, Montaya knocked on our door to bring lunch.

(I'm going to break here and continue later this evening.)

AMANTANI - continued

Lunch, which we at the little table in our room, consisted of potato soup (with other vegetables), two boiled potatoes, rice, some sort of root vegetable, and some cheese-type thing. Basic, but quite good!

Afterwards, we had some time to ourselves. Julie took a little nap, and I went exploring, camera in hand. Before long I noticed an old man sitting by himself just outside the gate of house watching some sheep. I approached to greet him and noticed he was making yarn. He nodded at me, but evidently didn't speak Spanish. (Their native language is Quechua, although most spoke some Spanish. English was pretty much useless - none of the people we met seemed to know any English at all.) His daughter, or maybe granddaugher - I wasn't clear on that point - came out and illustrated how to make the yarn using what looked like a child's top. (I have a close-up in my photos if you want to see.) She handed it to me to try, but I didn't have the least bit of luck. She laughed, illustrated again, and handed it back to me. Still nothing. I couldn't even spin the top right, let alone do anything with the wool that was attached to it. So we both laughed and I gave up - decided not to quit my day job. She told me her father (or grandfather) was 95 - he looked it, but of course, I didn't say that! Although even if I had, they wouldn't have understood!
I continued my stroll, took a few more pictures, and headed back to see what Julie was up to....

Hope I'm not boring you with detail at this point. It was such a trip highlight that I wanted to give you a sense of what it was like. More tomorrow.

How could anyone be bored. Please continue. This hike up the hill concerns me. My husband and I are 60 and like to hike but not too much elevation change. How long were you walking uphill?

I've probably overstated the hill. It was about 30 minute walk to our house - all uphill but not terribly steep. I think it was the altitude and the fact that I was carrying a pack that weighed prob 20 pounds (I'm a small person). I'm in better physical condition than my daughter, but the altitude seemed to affect me more than her. I did huff and puff. But I think you'll be fine if you just take it slow and stop frequently. It's not like the Inca trail or anything! That evening (as you'll hear more about in my next installment), we hiked to the top of the island's "mountain" - it was farther than we'd walked to our house but I wasn't carrying 20 pounds. Still had to stop frequently, but made it without any problems. My legs didn't really get sore much - it was just getting out of breath and having to stop and rest. Hope this clarifies.

althom1122.. thank you for a great report...and photos also. i appreciate the info about paying for photos. interesting thoughts. i always wondered about that. definitely bookmarking for hopeful trip in the spring.

Karen,
Am thoroughly enjoying your report and a lot of it sounds familiar. Luckily I didn't have a 25-lb pineapple with me I do have a picture of what the Taquile Island's 500 steps up looked like (to me) as well as what they are really like (shallow) so I definitely understand your take on that pineapple.

Loved the fact that you two walked the jungle area from the museum after getting down from Machu Picchu.

I checked out one set of photos (Sacred Valley) and your photos are really *Beautiful* ... wonderful stuff.

Will be back to read more and check out your other photos too. Loved the sweet faced children whose pictures you took when they were with Julie (little girl and also the little boy who gave her a kiss).

Thanks for a great read.

- Andrys
- my own Peru adventures are at http://www.andrys.com/indox.html

Hiya, thanks for such a great report. I am a tour leader and have just got home after taking a group around south america for nearly a month which included lots of Bolivia and Peru. We all took pencils, sharpeners ( no good one without the other )pens, yoyos, hairbands, bouncy balls etc with us to give to the kids, esepcially for when we took fotos of them.
A child who'd been given some foreign coins at ollantaytambo cut his foot quite badly and we were able to clean it up, put on antiseptic and give him plasters and cream etc. Hope he's ok now. His mum did not want to take him to the hospital which was quite far away.
It's great to get a guide, the guide books arent mostly up to date, especially the ones with desciptions and names given by bingham. Arqueologists in Peru have been discovering so much in the past five years so much of the history is being re-written.
Thanks again for your report.

Thanks for your comments! Just back from Disney World and decided it was time to wrap up my report...

AMANTANI HOMESTAY CONTINUED

After my "chat" (mostly gestures) with the woman who demonstrated how to make yarn, I headed back "home" to check on Julie. It was nearly time to meet our fellow travelers, and Montaya knocked on our door to lead the way.

She took us farther up the hill to the stadium - literally - it was like a soccer stadium, but with stands on only one side of the field. Women were gathered on the edge of the field selling hats, gloves, and some souvenirs. Walter, our tour guide, gave us a half hour overview of island life (in both Spanish and English). During his talk, Julie played with two little girls who loved the bubbles she gave them - they were adorable. Then Walter asked for some volunteers among our ranks to play soccer with the locals.

Julie and I (and our new friend Jane from the UK) decided to get started on the hike up to the top of the mountain for sunset, and before long the others caught up with us (because I was still huffing and puffing and had to stop often to rest - are you noticing a theme here?). It took about a half hour or so for the climb - and was it ever worth it! At the top was a temple to Pachamama (Earth Mother), a stone arch built over one of the pathways, and a fantastic view of the lake and the terraced fields below. Sunset was gorgeous, the atmosphere almost magical. We headed down at dusk and were glad we had a flashlight so we could see the path!

Soon after arriving back home, Montaya came upstairs to get us for dinner. We ate with her and her mom in their small stone kitchen with a wood stove on the ground and a low table with a small bench on either side. The room was lit by a single candle and the glowing coals from the stove. Although the evening had gotten quite chilly, the kitchen was toasty warm. Dinner consisted of soup (again), potatoes (again), and a couple of other vegetables (again). Very plain and simple - but good. The interaction between mom/daughter and mom/daughter was delightful even though we didn't speak the same language. We were able to understand that she had two other sons - one who lives in Lima (didn't understand the story on the other one). And we smiled at each other a lot. It was fabulous. (see my photos)

Then we headed back upstairs, but within 15 minutes or so, Montaya again knocked on our door and beckoned for us to come down into the courtyard. There she motioned for us to remove our jackets and she started dressing us in the local costumes - puffy skirt, blouses, embroidered shawl. Dress-up time! (See my photos!) We then headed down the hill to the main hall where we were treated to a party! A group of local musicians played lively melodies, while our hostesses pulled us onto the dance floor. It was a hoot, and no one managed to stay on the sidelines! I think everyone had a great time.

Afterwards, we headed back up the hill to our house (in the pitch dark!) and went to bed (there wasn't anything else to do - it was like when you're at home and the power goes off... only there, the power is always off). So we got under our blankets and settled in for the night. The bad news for me was that I had to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom! Which meant going outside, climbing down the ladder, and walking through the courtyard to the little bathroom around the side of the house. It was COLD outside! But my oh my, the stars - the stars made it worth the trip. I don't think I've ever seen so many stars! And not the same stars we see here (in the northern hemisphere). No Big Dipper. No Orion. Southern Cross? I wasn't sure how to spot it, but I knew it was there! I just stood and stared for a moment - and then scurried back up the ladder and into the warmth of my bed.

Will finish later!
Karen

And andrys, thanks for the link to your blog/photos. You got some really nice shots, too. We were among the groups that arrive on the other side of Taquile, so we hiked up a path and climbed DOWN the stairs - a little hard on the knees, but I think preferable to climbing up all those stairs!

Yes, Karen. It was definitely easier going down the steps than up! But the young people in their 20s said it was still hard going down.

Oh, my -- your experience going out in total darkness in a new place (where there's never any electricity or modern conveniences) and climbing DOWN a ladder in darkness to get to the restroom area in COLD night really amazes me.

I think I would not have an easy time of that.

Again, terrific report!

Just printed out your report; looking forward to reading it. Great photos; took a quick look at them and will be going back for a closer look.

Karen,

If you don't object, can you please provide some indication of costs with regards to your touring with Percy. Either a total or itemised list - whatever is easiest and what you have.

Thanks. And love your photos !!

Yes, here's the breakdown on Percy's costs. The amount shown is the total for both of us - he quoted it per person, but I've just given you the total:

Transfer from Cusco to Ollantaytambo with stop at Chinchero market - $50

Full day Sacred Valley tour including Moray and salt pans - $110 (would have been $90 without Moray and the salt pans - they're out of the way and on rather rough road)

Transfer back from Ollantaytambo to Cusco after we visited Machu Picchu (he picked us up at the train station and we spent about an hour touring the Ollantaytambo ruins because we didn't have time on our Sacred Valley day, but he didn't add any add'l cost to the transfer) - $50

Cusco city tour - $60 (including quite a few sites out of town)

He also made some bookings for us and did charge a commission - but I thought it was well worth it to have him do it. He picked up our MP train tickets and paid for them - so we reimbursed him - $174

Hotel Las Orquideas in Ollantaytambo - he booked it for us (they don't have a website) - $32 a night

La Paquena Casita in Agua Caliente - $45

Bus from Cusco to Puno - $80 ($40 each - I think we could have gotten them for $30 each if we'd arranged them ourselves - but he got them in advance and picked us up at our hotel that morning and transferred us to the bus station)

Overall, I thought his prices were very reasonable. He's really wonderful. Easy to be with. His English is good. And he's quite knowledgeable. If you email him - don't worry - his spoken English is better than his written English.

He didn't ask for any advance deposit. I paid him the full amount the end of our second day (Sacred Valley tour). He wrote down all the details (which is what I'm reading off of right now!).

If I had it to do over again, prob would have him just book all the hotels.

We felt like we were in good hands the whole time and had someone who could take care of things - yet we had a fair amount of time on our own. It was perfect for us. I gave him a $20 tip the day we left - and a hug!

His car, by the way, is a small Toyota in good condition. Let me know if you have add'l questions on arrangements we made.

To clarify, if I had to do it over again, I would prob have him book ALL the hotels (not just the ones in Agua Caliente and Ollanta). I didn't mean I'd JUST have him book the hotels and not tour with him. Would definitely tour with him again.

TAQUILE

After a good night's sleep in our house on Amantani, we were ready to head to Taquile and back to Puno. Montaya brought breakfast to our room - two little pancakes (thin like crepes) with butter and jam, plus the mint tea we'd had the previous day. Then we said goodbye to our family - everyone gathered in the courtyard for pictures - and headed back down the hill to meet the rest of our travel companions and catch the boat. All the women who had met us the day before were there waving goodbye as our boat left the dock.

We had about 3 hours on Taquile. Julie decided to stay on the boat because of her fear of going down long stretches of steps. The rest of us set off up the hill for the hike to the village (about 45 minutes to an hour). I stopped at the restroom at the bottom of the hill, and somehow everyone got ahead of me. That was fine - I did the entire hike on my own. And was it ever gorgeous. Taquile is more scenic than Amantani, reminding me at times of a Mediterranean coastal town with undulating hills, terraced fields, and flowers. The sky was again bluer than blue and the lake bluer still. I'd occasionally pass a local, but mostly I had the entire view to myself - it was so quiet and peaceful and so beautiful.
At the town, I caught up with the group while Walter was still giving his overview of the town in Spanish (so I hadn't missed the English part). Then we had some free time - I bought some alapaca gloves - and regrouped to hike another 15 minutes or so to our lunch spot on an outdoor terrace with a great view. (Cost not included in the tour.) From there, we hiked a bit more, then began the descent down the 500+ steps that kept Julie back on the boat. They weren't so bad, but I'm just as glad she stayed behind.
Then it was back to Puno (arriving at 4 or 5).

The next day was our last in Peru. We did a little shopping, hired a bicycle taxi (fun), and headed for the airport in Juliaca - about a 45 minute drive. We'd had AllWays Tours arrange the transfer. I think it was around $20 or maybe slightly more. We flew Lan back to Lima (a very turbulent ride - I was glad to get off!), and after a rather lengthy layover (about 4 hours), Continental back home.

I'll wrap up with some final thoughts/tips later!

Final thoughts...

Favorite things:

1. Machu Picchu (you didn't expect me to say anything else for number 1, did you?) It's worth it to hire a guide. You can prob find one waiting at the entrance. Book train tickets in advance. You can buy the entrance ticket to Machu Picchu ($38 for one day, as I remember) and the bus ticket up the mountain ($12) when you arrive in Agua Caliente. Buses leave whenever one's pretty well full.

2. Lake Titicaca homestay - an awesome experience. Beautiful scenery - but the best part was the interaction with our family. And the hike up the mountain for sunset was also wonderful. We booked over the internet in advance with AllWays - $27 each.

3. Ollantaytambo - we were so glad we spent two nights here. I think it's far preferable to a day-trip from Cusco. It was so quiet in the evening after the tour buses had gone. The ruins are awesome.

4. Bus trip to Puno - yup, spending all day on a bus was among the highlights for me. It was such a beautiful day with beautiful scenery the entire way.

5. Taquile island - very scenic. Enjoyed the hike. Taquile was include as part of the homestay tour to Amantani.

6. Uros islands - very touristy, but unlike anywhere I've ever seen. Floating islands made out of reeds? How cool is that? (very!)

7. Cusco - beautiful city. Loved strolling around San Blas. The main square is beautiful.

8. Pisac market - wide selection of souvenirs.

9/10. Moray and the salt pans - a bit out of the way, but worthwhile. Gorgeous drive through the countryside to get there.

Tips:

Bring some US dollars - most places take either dollars or soles. Machu Picchu, however, DOESN'T. You need soles there.

ATM machines are widely available (even in Ollantaytambo).

Always carry toilet paper. Public restrooms rarely have any.

Bring a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen (and use every day). The sun is merciless.

Bring insect repellent. Not an issue at Lake Titicaca (altitude too high). But they were a problem in Ollantaytambo at dusk.

Bring a small flashlight, esp if you stay off the beaten path a bit.

Wear comfortable shoes. You'll do a lot of walking (even if you don't go on a trek). I wore Keen's sandals the entire time and they were great. Hiking boots are not necessary at Machu Picchu - just something comfortable and with reasonable support.

Pack layers. It's cool in the morning and evening - can be hot in the middle of the day.

It's easy to arrange a trip to Peru on your own. Most people are not fluent in English but know enough for you to get by if you don't speak Spanish. Logistics are easy - taxis widely available and reasonably priced. Agree on the price, though, before you get in. We found hotels to be quite cheap. I think the most we paid was $45. All our rooms were basic but comfortable. A guide can enhance your trip. We thought Percy was great (he can be reached at smunditur@hotmail.com) - we enjoyed our time with him and were glad to have someone to help us out.

Food is inexpensive. We mostly ate pizza, omelettes, and sandwiches. We did try an alpaca burger (quite good). Soups were also a good bet. Most hotels serve at least a continental breakfast. Try the dried corn and dried beans - they make a great snack.

Souvenirs are cheap: sweaters, gloves, hats, wall hangings, jewelry. Wish I'd brought home more!

That wraps up this report! I hope you enjoyed it and found something useful if you're planning your own trip. Peru is amazing.

Would be glad to answer any questions.

Karen

One final thing - Peru is very casual. We never dressed up, although I'm sure there are nice restaurants in Lima/Cusco where you might want to. But people dressed much more casually in Peru than, say, Europe. No one wears shorts, however (well, a few tourists, but not many). Long sleeves are actually cooler than short sleeves because of the intense sun. Capris would have been fine, but both Julie and I only took long pants.

Also, forgot to mention that you'll be hounded to buy things and to take photos of people for a sole or two. In Cusco we were offered a massage about every 20 feet (not an exaggeration!). And kids are always trying to sell you finger puppets. Just keep going unless you want to buy.

Karen,

Muchas Grcias for this great report.

I do have a couple of questions: in addition to Ollantaytambo, are there any other villages in The Scared Valley that would warrant an overnight stay? And, what is your impression of Puno and does it warrant any time of its own?

Pisac was the only other village that I thought might be worth an overnight. The market is much more extensive than what's available in Ollantaytambo (although the shopping is pretty decent in the latter, too!). Also, the ruins at Pisac are supposedly spectacular. We didn't get there because we spent too much time in the market! Plus we had a very full day with going to Moray and the salt pans as well. Three nights (vice two) in the Sacred Valley would be nice. Maybe a night in Pisac and two in Ollanta. Urumbaba is the largest town, but it wasn't particularly appealing - not picturesque like the other two. The Chinchero market on Sunday was worth a stop, but I don't think it merits an overnight.

As for Puno, the shopping is pretty good. You can get things inexpensively, but I thought the selection in Cusco and Pisac (and even Agua Caliente) was a little better. Puno's not worth a lot of time. We got there around 5 the day before our Lake/homestay tour, left in the morning before 8, returned the next day around 4 - and then had the following day until around 2 or something like that before we headed for the airport in Juliaca. It was plenty of time for us. We missed Sillustani (sp?), ruins which are supposed to be impressive. But we had plenty of time in Puno.

If we'd had extra time, I'd have preferred another day in Cusco or the Sacred Valley.

Glad you enjoyed my report!

I have thoroughly enjoyed your report and really want to travel Peru. I have already contacted Percy by email. I was thinking about early August but I understand that it is the high season and crowded. You were there in October, correct? Did you have rain at all. I could plan this trip for mid September or early October. I just don't want to get into the rainy season. But then again I wanted to get out of the heat here in Maryland in the summer.
I loved your tips expecially about the toilet paper. I would never have thought of that.

heyjude -
We had rain only one day (actually it was in the evening), in Puno. Percy had told us we might get rain there. He said the rainy season tends to start a little earlier in eastern Peru. Go figure! But he was right because until then we didn't see a drop of rain. Other than the one evening, though, it was sunny every single day.
If you go with Percy, tell him Karen and Julie said hi!

When I emailed Percy I told him that I had read your trip report and that was why I was hoping he could guide us as well. I just talked to my husband and he has agreed to mid September. I think that will be less crowded and still not rainy. Your report is wonderful. We are doing a 12 night mediteranean cruise in early May and wasn't sure about another trip so soon financially, but after reading your report I think it's a must. We're 60 and 61...ugh! So the time is now. Thanks again, Judy
I'll say hi to Percy for you. One last question. We'll get hepititas shots and check on tetenas for sure, but aren't planning on yellow fever or malaria shots. Did ou get them?

Thanks so much for the $$$ regarding Percy. One question (which might seem rather silly or obvious to others). All the guide books and everything seem to quote US dollars for tours and meals and hotels. Did you actually pay Percy in US$ or in soles? I think I read somewhere that ATMs dispense both US or soles depending upon your need. Is this true?

thanks so much for your trip report. It has helped me so much with my plans for October next year too.

heyjude - We didn't get any vaccinations for this trip. I looked at the CDC website, and we weren't going to malaria areas (we did take malaria medication in Southeast Asia a year ago). As for yellow fever, the CDC site says areas east of the Andes in Peru are problematic (MP and Cusco are ok) - but since mosquitos are the main means of transmission, I decided not to get the shot since the altitude is so high at Puno that there were no mosquitos. Here's the link for Peru:
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationPeru.aspx
And yes, please do tell Percy hello!
I think I mentioned that there's at least one picture of him among my pictures (in the Sacred Valley folder).

traveller - We paid Percy in dollars. I asked him, and he said that was his preference. Our guide at MP, however, (Sonia) said she'd rather have soles. Most of the ATM machines I used did give the choice of dollars or soles, but some just offered soles. Quite a few places would take dollars, but a fair number would not. I always kept some of each currency on hand. Glad you found my report useful!

jude - Wanted to add that if you don't hear from Percy within a day or so, don't worry, it's probably because he's touring. He works as a tour guide for some tour companies and is sometimes gone for several days at a time.

Thanks so much for all of your help.Mid Sept.! Can't wait. Judy

Hi, Karen,

I have enjoyed your trip report a lot (in fact, I've been trying to post some questions for a couple of weeks now, but there was a snafu in my account). I'll try not to bombard you with questions, but I'm right in the midst of planning a trip for next May.

My son and I will be hiking both the Inka Trail and then a four day hike to a place called Choquequirao. We will have four days in between, and one option is to go to Lake Titicaca and then back to Cusco, doing the trip you described. If I had just read a description of the trip with the visits and homestay, I would have never considered it because frankly it sounds kind of cheesy. But your review sounds very positive. Were you concerned about it being kind of a fake touristy thing? Would you recommend this trip to others?

Thanks, Laurie

Laurie, while you're waiting for Karen to respond I'll jump in on the question about Lake Titicaca. We did a homestay in January of 2006 - initially I didn't have it on our itinerary at all but our guide David Choque recommended it. I'm so glad we did it - in some respects it was the highlight of the trip.

I didn't find it cheesy at all - the family we stayed with has guests maybe 3 or 4 times a year - (as I understand it there is a pool of families that participate so families are rotated through the list).

Here's a link to some photos (scroll down)

http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/liz_and_richard_in_south_/machu_picchu_and_lake_titicaca/index.html

Laurie, I guess it depends on what you like. Obviously, the trip was geared for tourists. But it was more the backpacker-type crowd than the large tour group type crowd and was pretty low key. I agree with Elizabeth - I didn't think it was cheesy. The Uros part of the trip was probably the most cheesy (but still a must-see just because the reed islands are so unusual). Even though we were with a group rather than on our own (as Elizabeth was), we had a fair amount of time on our own on Amantani and I loved having free time to wander and the interaction with our mom and daughter over dinner. They seemed very genuine and it was a lot of fun. The dance party was maybe cheesy - but it was a hoot - everyone seemed to love it, from the 20-somethings to the, ahem, 50-ish crowd. It was obvious we ate the food the locals eat rather than something geared for tourists. The hike up the mountain for sunset was wonderful - although we weren't alone (the other tourists were with us). Overall, I'd definitely - highly - recommend it. Although Machu Picchu was our number one highlight of the trip, the homestay was definitely number two. Both my daughter and I loved it. Go for it! A unique and fun experience.
And feel free to ask any other questions - happy to share my thoughts!
Karen

topping for tatersalad and ared2879

Hi, Karen,

Many thanks for being so generous with your insights and opinions. It helps so much. I am going to go ahead and book the Lake Titicaca trip, so that will fill our time between the Inka Trail hike and the hike to Choquequirao.

Now I have a couple of questions about the Sacred Valley. We will arrive in Cusco on a Wednesday morning and leave on our Inka Trail hike the following Monday. I'd like to spend those 4-5 days visiting Cusco and the places nearby, Pisac and Ollantataymbo being the two that seemed to get the most raves from you and others. Given the location of Ollantataymbo, I'm going to see if we can meet up with our hiking group there. If not, it looks like we'd have to go out and back to Cusco.

I'm wondering whether we should spend a night in Ollantataymbo. Do you know anything about the public transportation from Cusco? Would we be able to see the nearby sites without a car from there, or would we need to hire a guide?

Then after our second hike we will arrive in Cusco on a Saturday and leave for home on the following Monday. Do you think we should take a bus to Pisac on that day for the Sunday market or is your impression that it would be overrun (we'll be there in mid-late May)? We could go on a weekday like you did, do you think that would be better? And do you need vehicular transportation to visit the sites around Pisac?

In general, I would prefer to use public transportation and guide ourselves with our guidebooks. I've decided not to rent a car, though I have read a positive review on this board. Do you think we would miss a lot if we didn't hire a guide and car? Would a lot be inaccessible?

See, I warned you that I would bombard you with questions if you were willing! I'm sure this is only the beginning as the planning gets more into the detail phase. Thank you so very much, Laurie

The reason I'd suggest at least one (preferably two!) nights in Ollantaytambo rather than all 5 nights in Cusco is because Ollanta is a such quiet, peaceful village in the early morning and evening when there are no tour buses - which I thought was wonderful. It's like you have it to yourself! Although if you prefer city life, you may find it a bit boring - definitely more happening in Cusco at night. Once it gets dark in Ollanta, there's not much to do other than dinner. So it probably depends partly on your own travel style and preferences.
Regarding transportation, although as you know we had Percy, we saw lots of taxis readily available. I believe there are also local/public buses that are quite cheap. Not sure where to find them, but a local would undoubtedly know.
I do think Percy enhanced our time in the Sacred Valley - he made the logistics super easy and he gave us good info (plus he was just fun to have around), but we could have hired a taxi for less money and gotten around to the places we wanted to go. Most taxi drivers (we used a couple to get around in Cusco when we weren't with Percy) don't seem to speak English - so if you decide to go by taxi, there won't be much conversation (unless you speak Spanish). The sites you'll want to see are not all that close together - so a car in some form will be essential (either guide, taxi, or rental). These are rough estimates, but as I remember, it took over an hour from Cusco to Ollantaytambo (via Chinchero). From Ollanta to Moray was about 45 minutes. And then another half hour to the salt pans. From there, about 45 min to Pisac. And from Pisac back to Ollanta - about the same - 45 minutes. Roads are pretty good (some potholes) and there's not much traffic, but you don't make great time - I think Percy drove about 45 mph most of the time in the Sacred Valley (slower coming from Cusco - very curvy road).
Regarding Pisac - yes, if you don't get there earlier, by all means, I do think you should take a bus to see the Sunday market. I think what you miss by not going on Sunday is the local market - the exchange of vegetables, etc. The souvenir stands are apparently there any day of the week (and were not at all busy when we were there - a Monday, I think it was). So if you just want to souvenir shop, a weekday would be fine. If you'd like to see the bustle of the local market, though, you'll need to go Sunday (although I bet you're right that there are lots of tourists - can't speak to that).
Also, in order to get to the Inca ruins in Pisac, you will need a car (or taxi). The ruins aren't right there in town like they are in Ollantaytambo. We didn't see them (too much time shopping) - next time!
Hope this helps. Feel free to nudge if I haven't addressed everything.

One of the charming things about Ollantaytambo, by the way, is that all the streets are cobblestone. It was the only town we were in that was like that. Somehow it reminded me of an old medieval town in Europe - none of the other Sacred Valley towns we saw were like that.

Karen --

Thanks for your response to my post. I had read your posts, but with all the details, i thought that you must have been in peru much longer than our timeframe!

Karen,

Thank you so much for all your help. I have a couple of questions about public transportation that I will post separately, because I know that you had a driver.

but I do have one more question for you -- I am not a big shopper, but I am going to buy presents. I see that you shopped in a variety of places, and I wonder whether you could tell me your favorites in terms of quality and range of products. I assume that weavings and alpaca products are high on the list -- what are some of the other things you would recommend?

Many thanks. Laurie

Laurie,
I would recommend sweaters, scarves, gloves, jewelry, and wall hangings as gifts. I bought at least one of all those things! For sweaters and scarves, if you're looking for high-quality 100 percent baby alpaca (lots of sweaters are marked baby alpaca, but aren't), I think Cusco is best. Biggest selection. Lots of high-end shops, although expensive. The alpaca factory we went to on the outskirts of town is well worth a stop - you'll need a taxi or driver (prices are cheaper than the shops in town). Jewelry is readily available just about anywhere - and much of it is similar. Again, there are fine shops in Cusco, but for costume jewelry, any of the outdoor markets will do - Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Agua Caliente, Puno. Pisac is excellent if you're looking for craft-type stuff - ceramics, wooden plates/bowls, etc. I bought my wall hanging - a beautiful Inca calendar design in various shades of green (looks gorgeous in my kitchen!) - in Puno. Wish I'd bought two! They are widely available -I saw some in Ollantaytambo that I liked but wasn't yet ready to make a buying decision. I preferred the natural dyes to the synthetic (more subtle, rich colors vs bright). Mine's alpaca wool, although they come in sheep's wool, too, and also synthetics, I think. Lots and lots of choices everywhere. It's hard to choose! Julie and I also bought big handbags at Pisac - widely available but we happened to find two we liked there - and you can usually get a better deal if you buy more than one. (They were pretty cheap.)
Another great gift is gloves, and they're available virtually everywhere - and cheap.
Julie's very soft, very furry, all-white alpaca rug we got in Puno. We saw them at the stop along the bus trip - and maybe could have done better. Didn't have much time to shop. We bought her a bunch of alpaca yarn in Cusco (she's well on her way to having an alpaca throw).
Basically, if I had it to do over, I'd have bought more! Prices are reasonable and stuff is really beautiful.
Other options - Peruvian musical instruments (I bought two in Chinchero and one in Agua Caliente), carvings, and painted gords. I also wish I'd bought a table runner - there are some beautiful ones. All of these items are available in any of the markets. I thought shopping was really fun - wish we'd had more time for it. We saw these little Inca blocks in a store in Cusco and both Julie and I thought they were so cute - gray stone, looked like the real thing. Didn't buy them and have regretted it ever since - never saw anything like them again. So... if you see something you really like, get it then!
Let me know if you have other questions.
Karen

Topping for 4everywhere and to_europe.

topping

Karen,
I am 50 too! My daughter is 22 and is a spanish teacher. We are contemplating a trip just like yours! I have enjoyed your trip report very much. It is full of very useful information. I want to ask you a very rude question though. That question is if you could just give me a ballpark figure for approx,how much money we should plan to use for the total cost of the trip? Thanks so much for all your help

Hi, Sarlin, not rude at all. I don't mind sharing such things.

We spent less than $3500, total, which I thought was pretty reasonable, given that we did it all on our own and had a private guide much of the time. (That doesn't include souvenirs - which added about $500, as I remember.)
Here's the breakdown:

Mami Panchita (inc transfer) 60
Las Orquideas (Ollanta) 35
transfer by Percy 50
Las Orquideas 35
driving tour by Percy 110
Pequena Casita (at AC) 45
train to Agua Caliente 175
bus to MP 24
entry tickets to MP 80
guide at MP 45
Amaru Hostal (Cusco) 35
transfer from Ollanta 50
Amaru Hostal 35
city tour 60
Inka Express bus tickets 80
Posada don Giorgio (Puno) 35
Amantani home stay 60
Posada don Giorgio 35

international flight
(Continental) 1500
Lan flights -
lima/cusco & juliaca/lima 390
Meals (estimate) 450
TOTAL 3389

Hope this helps. I planned the entire trip over the internet. Percy was a great help, although someone else posted that they'd tried to contact him and didn't get a response. It's pretty easy to make the arrangements - and getting around once there is also simple. Good luck - and glad you enjoyed my report. I just happened to check the board this morning and was surprised to see that my report had bubbled back up!
If you have more questions, feel free to ask.

I just remembered something I left off - $25 transfer from Puno to our flight at Juliaca. (I suspect there are other things I've forgotten, but I've definitely covered the bulk of the expenses.)

And one more thing - I had the breakdown of costs readily available because I create an Excel spreadsheet while I'm doing my trip planning. I'm not living on a shoestring, but budget is important to me, so I like to keep track. (I didn't want to lead you to believe I just happened to remember every little detail 3 months later!)

Thanks so much, karen. It will be very doable then, I am sooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Karen, thanks so much for all the great info. My husband and I are going to Ollanta (3 nights), Aguas Calientes (one night) and Cuzco (4 nights) in June. We're probably going to stay at the Hostal Sauce in Ollanta, the Wiracocha Inn in Agua Calientes and the Orquidea Real Hostal in the San Blas area of Cuzco.

After reading your trip report, it sounds like instead of taking a train from Cuzco to Ollanta (when we arrive at the Cuzco airport@ 8am from Lima) we might want to use a driver or cab it. Now, how do we get from Ollanta to Agua Calientes? We'd like to leave Ollanta in the am so we have time to climb around the mountain that is in between MP and AC (I can't remember what it is called but it begins with a "P" and you don't need to pay to enter/hike up it) in the afternoon. I read somewhere on this site that the only way to get to AC is by train, that there is no road. If this is the case, do you know how frequently the trains run between Ollanta,e.g. is there just the Vistadome and the Backpacker one time daily each way stopping at Ollanta or is there a local that just does the Ollanta/AC trip? We will stay in AC that night, get up to catch the first bus to MP (@5:30 or 6am I think?), tour MP all day and take the vistadome or backpacker all the way from AC to Cuzco, where we'll spend 4 nighs to tour Cuzco, Pisc and some of the other little towns.

Is there something that you forgot to bring on this trip that you wish you had brought? Hadn't brought?

Since we are going in June, I assume it will be cold at night (30s F) and warmer (60s F) and sunny during the day, does this sound right to you?

Karen and everyone else reading this any and all advice you have on other aspects of our trip appreciated.

bookmarking.

Hamburger, a note to you from tatersalad:
on the issue of train times take a look at this link.
http://www.orient-express.com/binaries/horarios%20PeruRail%202008_tcm4-94917.pdf

Happy travels

Karen, great trip report -- very detailed and useful. Love your photos too. Thanks for sharing. We're thinkng of going this May.

tatersalad -- thanks for the link. I think we're all set. I just noticed how well our screen names go together -- hamburger with 'tater salad.Oh ho. too much coffee for me this morning

I have found this trip report & luv2travel’s instrumental in attempting to schedule a trip to Peru the last week in May/first week in June, so thanks! I would love some feedback on our itinerary. We were thinking the following:

After arriving in Cuzco, traveling directly to Ollytantambo
Day 1&2 - 2 nights in Olly (would like to see salt pans, Moray, ruins at Olly and town of Olly. Could we fit Pisac into this?)
Day 3 - Train to Aquas Callientes for Machu Picchu. Overnight in AC
Day 4 - Spend additional ½ day at MP and then head to Pisac, Overnight in Pisac
Day 5 - Tour ruins & town of Pisac, head to Cuzco in afternoon, Overnight in Cuzco
Day 6 - Tour city of Cuzco, with a second overnight in Cuzco
Day 7 - AM bus or flight to Puno with overnight there
Day 8 - AM boat for a homestay overnight
Day 9 - Return to Puno & overnight in Puno
Day 10 - Flight to Lima

Two questions - 1. is it possible to consolidate day 5 & 6 (i.e. can we fit Pisac into days 1&2), or would we be rushed and have to miss sights? 2. after a homestay, do we need to overnight in Puno on Day 9?
Again, thanks in advance for your help - these boards are tremendously useful!

Hi, PlanningPeru - I was just getting ready to top my report for some others and discovered you'd asked a question and I'd missed it!

Yes, you can fit in Pisac into your first two days, but it makes for a very full schedule. It also depends on when your flight gets in from Cusco. Assuming you're on an early flight, I think you'd have two options (would recommend discussing with Percy) -
1. Go straight from Cusco to Pisac, see the market and ruins, and then get to Ollanta late in the day. Next day, see the Ollanta ruins and then the salt mines and Moray. Probably the best option.
2. Alternatively, from Cusco, go straight to Ollanta and see the ruins there that day. Then the next day do the salt mines, Moray, and Pisac - this is a very full day. We didn't get to see the ruins at Pisac by doing it this way because we wanted quite a bit of time at the market.

Regarding your question about whether you need to spend a night in Puno after the overnight homestay - it depends on when your flight is, but I suspect you'll have to stay in Puno. Our flight was originally scheduled for 6:30 and we had considered trying to make it to Juliaca after arriving back at the boat dock (around 4 or 4:30 as I remember). Finally, I decided not to risk cutting it so close, and I'm glad I didn't! Because a few weeks before the trip, I got an email from Lan Airlines saying our flight had been changed to 4:30! Fortunately, I'd already made arrangements with the hotel in Puno to stay the night after the homestay. One nice thing was that the hotel kept our excess luggage so we didn't have to cart everything to Amantani with us. Hope this helps!
Karen

Hi Karen,

How did you book your Lake Titicaca Tours. I googled All Ways Travel and found this website. Correct?

http://www.titicacaperu.com/

The price seems to have gone up a lot in the last few months. A day trip to Amantani is already $29. And I couldn't find info about homestay on their website.

Am I looking at the right site?

Thanks in advance for your help!

TTT

An update: About All Ways Travel... The website is correct. The prices on their website seem to be different from what I got when I emailed them. Now it's closer to what Karen got -- $29 pp for a 2 day, 1 night homestay.

Karen - Thank you for the wonderful trip report.

We're in the process of planning our next journey, scheduled for March/April 2009. We have always travelled to Europe for our holiday getaway, but given the present value of the dollar to the euro, we decided to look for a possible alternative.

So this morning I clicked on the Latin America forum, (never thought to click on it before) and put in a search for Machu Picchu and came up with your trip report.

After reading your detailed description of your journey with your daughter (I loved the details), I think Peru just might be our next travel destination.

Robyn

Hi Robyn - welcome to the LA forum!

Karen and Julie's trip report is great - here's a link to our blog of a similar trip as well....

http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/liz_and_richard_in_south_/machu_picchu_and_lake_titicaca/index.html

I loved being an armchair travel on this one. Thanks. You write well. I enjoyed following along.

Thanks for the compliments! I hadn't been on here for a few days and didn't realize my report had popped back up to the top. Regarding All Ways, I think the website was wrong even when I used. As I recall, when we emailed All Ways, they were very prompt in responding and answering questions. Anyway, we were happy with them.
Karen
(Busy planning my Egypt trip for October!)

My husband and i are planning a trip similar to yours.
You mentioned your photos, but I can't see where to view them.

Here's the link to my photos:

http://kbutler1122.zenfolio.com

ttt

This is my next trip. Thank you for the wonderful travel log.

Thanks for the wonderful trip report. We leave in 2 weeks. our plans are very similar to what you did, so this report was GREAT !
We will be there for 3 weeks and are including Colca Canyon and the Amazon.
trying to organize my packing so I am not taking too much especially since we plan on utilizing laundry in the towns.
Especially insightful was the bubbles for the kids when taking pictures of them. I have already got some pens, pencils, sharpeners, coloring books,stickers etc.
will now look for bubbles.

Thanks again for a well-written and informational trip report.

Hi Karen and Julie,

Well, our trip is getting closer and closer -- June! Did either of you have any problems with altitude sickness? I sometimes get headaches when I go to @6000ft, so, I'm wondering if I should take diamox or just rely on chewing cocoa leaves.

Any advice from you or anyone else reading this appreciated! We are staying in Ollanta the first 4 days then doing MP for 2 then saving Cusco for the last 4 days of our trip.

Thanks

wan2go: try Target for bubbles. They have, I think it's a 12-pack. of very small bottles for kid's birthday party favors. They're perfect.

hamburger: definitely drink coca tea! You should be alright since you're starting in Ollanta - it's lower in altitude than Cusco, and few people have problems there. Still, take it easy the first couple days, avoid alcohol, and drink plenty of water. In Chinchero our first day (enroute to Ollanta), we felt the altitude, but we had no problems in the Sacred Valley. We could feel it a bit in Cusco, but it was at Lake Titicaca where it really hit us. But even there (Puno), we just relaxed when we arrived (felt light-headed that evening) and were ok the next day - although if you read my trip report, you'll remember how I huffed and puffed climbing the hill on Amananti!
Take it easy and you should do fine.
Karen

Hi Karen, I have just been reading about your amazing adventure. Our family of 4 will be going to Ecuador and Peru, including Machu Picchu in just 5 days. I noticed on your packing list, that you just brought Keens. We have been debating taking extra hiking shoes or running shoes for Machu Picchu and advice seems to be mixed. Did you feel that you would have benefited from this second pair of shoes? We hope to hike the mountain behind Machu Picchu ( whose name escapes me right now). I would appreciate your advice.
thanks
Evelyn

we just got back from a peru trip last weekend. we went on a 5 day trek -- which was when we used our hiking shoes. but for machu picchu itself, my husband & i both wore our keens (& we hiked from aquas caliente to machu picchu).

but i would bring bug spray -- even people in our hiking group that were using 100% deet ended up wtih lots of bites

Evelyn, we didn't hike up the mountain (Huayna Picchu), but I think even for that I'd have been fine with just the Keen's. For a 4-5 day trek, I'd want something more - hiking shoes/boots of some sort. The Keen's were very comfortable and pretty supportive for walking a lot. The one problem I had, though, is that my right heel developed a blister, then a callous which cracked and was quite painful by the end of the trip. Maybe it was partly because it was so dry, but the Keen's, which slope up around the heel, must rub a bit. Even since then, if I wear the Keen's several days in a row, I tend to start developing a callous in that same spot (right foot, inside heel). It was great not having an extra pair of shoes to carry around, but for my next trip (Egypt in October!), I'll prob take an extra pair (most likely my Teva flip-flops, which are very lightweight) to give myself a break from the Keen's.
Agree with ared regarding insect repellent - be sure to bring some, esp for MP!

Thank you so much for your rapid reply! Yeah, I am packing a lot of Ultrathon insect repellent, and sun screen. We will spend a week in the Galapagos and a week in the Peruvian Jungle so we will be using lots of both I'm sure.
Wow, that is great to travel to Egypt.I wish you a safe journey!
Evelyn

thanks also ared 2879. Since we have a lot planned and had heard that the trekking experience depended a great deal on the kind of guide one had ,we chose to take the bus instead. The biggest hike we will plan to take is Huayna Picchu so I think I may just take the Keens. I have different kinds of cushy wicking socks so hopefully that will help as well.
Evelyn

bookmarking

bookmarking

Bookmarking Wow what a report.
Thanks.

bookmarking! This was an awesome post.

topping...cuz I'm going!!!! In January...hope the rain doesn't cause too many dispruptions.?

Thanks for topping. I just got an email from Katie saying I was quoted in the new Fodor's Peru guide! That makes my day!

Hi Karen
Excellent tips and details. I am thrilled to have chanced upon this forum with such extensive and priceless information.

I am planning a 6 day trip to Peru in July and I was wondering if I could also include a day trip to the Lake Sandoval.
I was thinking of the following itinerary, do you think it makes sense ?
Day 1 Arrive in Lima
Day 2 Fly to Puerto Malonda Airport and picked up by the Lake Sandoval Lodge, overnight at the Lodge
Day 3 Return to Cusco. Have City Tour and see ruins around Cusco : The Cathedral, The Koricancha, Puca Pucara, Kenko, Tambomachay and Sacsaywaman. Stay at Ollantaytambo
Day 4 A full day visit to the Incas Sacred Valley, Pisac market, Ollantaytambo ruins.Stay at Ollantaytambo
Day 5 Go to Machu Picchu
Day 6 Fly back to Lima and then USA

I have set a budget of $1200 per person including the Lake Sandoval Lodge trip (which is $200 per person)
Tickets from US-Lima not included.
Do you think its resonable?
Thanks in advance!

I think your trip is too rushed. I would add several more days.

Unless you live at high altitude, you will not want to do much of anything on the first day you arrive in Cusco. It is better to go straight from the airport to Ollantaytambo, and you may have enough energy to see the Ollantaytambo ruins (or the town) that day.

I was surprised to see my trip report brought back to the top! Glad you found it helpful. I agree with migb that your itinerary is a little rushed. I can't comment on Lake Sandoval Lodge, because we didn't go there (although I did an internet search and it looks fabulous!). Flying there for just one night and then flying back to Cusco seems like too much traveling for such a short stay. You won't even have a full day. Could you add a couple of nights to your trip? I, too, would switch the order and stay in Ollantaytambo before Cusco. Maybe something like this (if you could add 2 day):
1 Arrive Lima
2 Fly to Lake Sandoval
3 Lake Sandoval
4 Fly Cusco, transfer to Ollantaytambo
5 Sacred Valley sights and overnight again In Ollantaytambo
6 Machu Picchu as a day trip and return to Cusco (roundtrip train from Ollanta then get taxi to Cusco
7 Cusco sights
8 Morning in Cusco, then flight back to Lima and on to US (most flights from Lima-US leave late at night)

The advantage to this is you'd have no one-night stands, plus you'll be able to more gradually adjust to the altitude, which you'll definitely notice in Cusco. If you can't add time to the trip, I'd think hard about your sightseeing priorities. How important is the jungle stay? It sounds great, but is out of the way compared to the rest of your stops, so it's the easiest to cut... unless it's a high priority. In that case, I'd find it a real dilemma, but I think you're better off cutting something than rushing too much to try and see it all. I personally enjoyed the Sacred Valley more than Cusco, so I'd opt for more time there if I had to choose. In your shoes, I'd prob cut the jungle lodge, but again, it depends on what's important to you. Ideally, you can add a couple of days and see everything you want at a fairly reasonable pace.

If you do the jungle lodge and add a night, does that mean an extra $200 per person? Or does that price also include the airfare from Lima and then to Cusco? Are you planning to hire a guide for your Sacred Valley time? Or just use taxis to get around? I'd have to add everything up, but at first blush, yes, I think it's doable on the budget you mentioned.

Let us know if you can add any time, and we'll chime back in with more thoughts!
Karen

Thanks mlgb and Karen for the prompt replies.

I meant that the budget includes the extra $200 per person. I estimated the guide fees (yes, I am planning to hire a guide) and it also includes all airfares.

So, you are suggesting that I could still make do with 6 days provided I leave out Lake Sandoval? I am the sort who tries and packs in as many sights but I guess the factor of altitude is an important consideration

Thanks again!

Also, i was wondering if it would make sense to stay in Ollantaytambo all days and just travel to Cusco, MP to see the sights, what do you think about that?

Really appreciate all your feedback!
Thanks

I would spend at least the last night in Cusco, even 2 would be okay (if you have 5 nights) It's nice to be closer to the airport, plus there are a lot of restaurants, bars and shopping in Cusco for you final night.

You could do it that way, but I agree with mlgb. Ollanta is really nice for a relaxing couple of nights. But the change of pace, going back to Cusco where more is happening, is nice.

Hi Karen & Julie,

Thank you for your wonder and informative account of your Peru trip. I plan on going there myself in mid Sept 09. I haven't nailed down my exact schedule yet, but reading your blogs helped a lot. I'll be re-reading it often.

Thanks, Axel. It's good to know that the work that goes into a trip report can be helpful even some time later. I appreciate the feedback! Peru is great - you'll love it.

Karen,

Did you feel that you had enough time to explore the floating Uros island on your own? It seemed like you guys only had 1/2 hour to do it. I guess you can't really go anywhere far on it, lol, but I wonder if the half-day Uros Island only trip will visit more than one of the floating island. AllWay travel will also book hotel in Puno if I go through their web site?

For the bus trip to Puno, how much time did the bus linger at each stop that it made? Thanks.

Axel, At the time, I did think our time on the Uros was pretty limited, but actually, we saw everything there was to see on the island we were on. There are other islands, but they look to be all the same, although my guess is that some are ones where people actually just live without being visited by outsiders - and I'm not sure how it would be possible to get to them. It's a fascinating place but very touristy. This will sound like a crazy comparison, but it kind of made me think of Wall Drug in South Dakota. It's a large very touristy souvenir stand that's advertised for miles and miles on the turnpike. You can't NOT stop there if it's your first time through! But an hour is plenty of time. AllWay gave a fairly lengthy overview of the island when we arrived (in both Spanish and English). We basically sat through the entire Spanish version and then the English version - which took up about half the time we had there. In hindsight, I'd have left the group and gone wandering for the Spanish portion. But you're right, there's not far to wander. AllWay didn't book our hotel, so I don't know, but I'm guessing they would. My sense was that they were a very reputable company.

For the bus trip, I'd say we lingered an average of about 45 minutes at each stop, A couple were slightly longer and a couple were shorter. It really broke up the driving quite nicely. The stops were interesting -- not blockbuster sights -- but work a stop since we were going by anyway.
Karen

Karen: just wanted to say thanks for the trip report. I'm glad further discussions brought it back up to the top. Such reports are plentiful on the Africa forum (last year's destination)...but they are few and far between here in the South America forum. I jotted down a whole list of helpful bits of information!

Glad you enjoyed it skibumette! It makes the effort of writing a report worth it when you know others get something out of it. Thanks for commenting.

Karen:

Popping this back to the top to ask a question. You mentioned you carried backpacks. What kind did you use and were you able to carry them on the airplane?

Thanks so much!

Hi Babs,
I took the Rick Steves' convertible bag (not exactly a real backpack, but you can use it like one for a short time):
http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&theParentId=8&id=346

plus a small daypack for every-day use - and yes, I was able to carry on both on the way down.

In addition, I took a duffel that I packed in my bag on the way there. It folds up really small, but opens up to be really big:
http://www.ebags.com/baggallini/zip_out_shopping_tote_bagg_large_rip_stop_nylon/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=18648

On the way home, I put my dirty clothes in the duffel and checked it, and put my souvenirs in my Rick Steves carry-on bag.

Julie carried an Eagle Creek backpack. I forget the model, but it has a zip-off daypack. I don't think hers was carry-on size. I'm pretty sure she checked it.

Hope this helps. I can't believe this thread still occasionally comes to the top. So glad it's been helpful. Good luck with your trip!
Karen

Hi Karen:

Thanks for the info. I like the baggallini bag and your idea of checking your dirty clothes and carrying your souvenirs!

Two weeks until we go, sure wish Machu Picchu was open.

I'm on my way to Peru April 1. Percy sounds pretty great but couldn't seem to find his email contact reading thru postings. Also wonder if you have any thoughts on asking your hotel for guides once you check in. I already have the hotel booked.

Karen, we are headed to Peru in early April and I just wanted to say thank you for all the great information--it has been so helpful in planning our trip! Thanks

bevw: Percy's email is smunditur@hotmail.com. If you can't get in touch with him, then yes, I'd ask at your hotel. I'm sure they can help. If you can still get Percy, I'd highly recommend him.

rgeorge - glad I could help. Thanks for the feedback!

Karen

althom1122,
In addition to my old blog-like Peru PhotoDiary with smaller pictures (from 1997 when it wasn't called a blog), I have the larger images with long captions at my main travel-photo site.

http://www.pbase.com/andrys/machu
for Machu Picchu only

and

http://www.pbase.com/andrys/peru for the rest of Peru with sites like Taquile Island which was so beautiful to me (though not much can top Machu Picchu).

My older guestbook entries on the PhotoDiary site have notes from people who were following a similar route to ours while some were from people who said they used it to get an idea of what their sons or daughters were seeing while travelling in Peru.

Nowadays the trip to Taquile Island takes less time, I read.

- Andrys
http://www.pbase.com/andrys

Hi Karen!

As two woman traveling in Peru, how safe did you feel? I am planning a trip with 2 of my friends (all girls 25+) and our one main concern is safety. We are just going from Lima to Cusco to do the Machu Picchu 4 day hike and contemplating doing a 2 day Lake Titicaca add on. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!

Amanda

We felt quite safe in Peru. I think the people are gentle and honest. One of our favorite travel destinations. You gals should be fine.

Hi Amanda,
Like JC98, we felt quite safe. I wouldn't go in dark alleys alone at night in Cusco (or anywhere else), for instance. And actually, the area of Lima we stayed in before heading to Cusco did NOT feel safe. But the small towns, yes. Just use common sense and avoid situations that make you feel uncomfortable.
Karen

I've been twice to Lima by myself. It's a big city and so being aware of your surroundings and belongings is a good idea, but actually with the security guards and policemen stationed about every 15 feet I feel more safe there than at home. Just book your hotel and airport transfers ahead of time.

If you have more than a few hours in Lima you might look into staying at Second Home Peru in Barranco.

Great trip report.Thanks for all the details. South America is one of my favourite place to go. Although I went there in 2006, I still like come back here to read people trip reports and get more idea for the future. I definitely will go back there again.

http://www.pbase.com/monicawong

Hi Karen. this is fantastic. Our trip to Peru will be in Oct 2011 to celebrate not only our birthdays, but also our 50th anniversary. We will visit MP on my birthday. Your report was so interesting that I couldn't stop reading. This evening I read the complete report. In the near future, I will reread your report and take notes.

Thank you so very much for this report.

Brenda

Brenda, thanks for reading. I can't believe my report came back up to the top after all this time! You'll love Peru. It's a wonderful place. Good luck with your planning!
Karen

Karen
Have been reading your report and enjoying. It's kismet that it came up recently as we are planning a very similar itinerary this June. I have one question that I hope you can shed some light on. Could you let us know what your grasp of Spanish speaking is. Also how important is that skill for a trip like this. Appreciate your response.

Brett

Hi, Brett, I just happened to check back in this evening and saw your question. I had Spanish in high school many years ago and basically can say hello and thank you - that's about it. My daughter knows just a tiny bit more, but she doesn't "speak Spanish" by any stretch.

It wasn't a significant issue. It is true, though, that you'll likely be in places where English isn't widely spoken. In restaurants a couple of times, our waiter spoke little to no English, but we could always point at stuff on the menu (often there were pictures or an English version of the menu). If we needed to ask directions and were on our own, we might have to try more than one person to get the answer. But it's not a major problem. In the tourist places, there's usually someone around with passable English - enough to communicate the basics that you'll need. You'll definitely be able to manage, although actual conversation with locals will be somewhat limited.

Have a great trip! Glad you enjoyed my report.
Karen

Good morning Julie,

I realize that it has been awhile since you were in Peru, but I was wondering if you know anything about the following hotels.

Going to Peru October 2011. Would like some insight on the hotels we are considering.

LIma - Manhattan - Near airport due to early flight next morning
Lima - Runcu - remaining nights
Colca- Casa Andina
A Calientes - Sanutario
Cuzco - Terra Andina
Nazca - Casa Andina
Arequipa - Casa Andina

One of the hotels has an observatory

Thank you for any information

Karen
Thanks for the reply. That helps to put my mind more at ease. Really enjoyed your report and it just ups the anticipation for the trip.
Brett

bmcknight, sorry to say we didn't stay in any of those hotels and none of them sound familiar, so I can't even comment on location or general impression.
I notice you posted a separate thread asking for info, so hopefully you'll get enough input from people who have personal experience with these hotels to be able to help you. Good luck.
Karen

Thanks for your reply. Thus far there has only been 1 reply

Thanks again for the wonderful trip report.

brenda

Hi Karen,
thank you so much for your report. I'm planning a trip to Peru in June 2011 and decided to copy your itinerary... it includes everything we want to see in 10 days.

How did you find Percy?... you mentioned you found his recommendation on this forum...but did you look into other tours?...or did you feel confident that he would be better in comparison to other guided tours?
I contacted Percy already and he is available to help us on our trip. I guess not knowing much about the country, I just want to feel safe and in good hands.
Thanks!

I found Percy because someone else on this board had recommended him. For this trip, we didn't want to go with a group - we wanted a private tour. His quote seemed reasonable and, basically, I just trusted the recommendation I'd gotten here on Fodor's. So we took the plunge! As you saw from my report, we were very happy with him. He's a really nice guy. Easy to be with. Pleasant conversation. Not pushy in any way. As two women on our own, we felt very safe with him. He picked us up at the airport in Cusco. I can't recommend him highly enough. When we went off to Machu Picchu on our own overnight, we left some of our stuff in the trunk of his car.
Here's his picture:
http://kbutler1122.zenfolio.com/p170453518/h388734c2#h21befc65

Hi Karen,
so it's official, Percy will be our guide. This trip is taking its shape.

Question concerning the touristo ticket for Cusco. Percy said I need to purchase it. Did you? did you buy it online and had Percy pick it up?

Thanks!

Hi izza - congratulations on your getting your plans firmed up! I think you'll like Percy a lot. He's really sweet.

As I recall, we bought the touristo ticket at the Ollantaytambo ruins rather than in advance. I don't think they sell them everywhere, though, so having it in advance might be good if your first stop doesn't happen to sell them. They're not terribly expensive (about $10 US). If he'll pick it up, that might be the way to go. He did pick up the Machu Picchu train tickets for us - it made it much easier. I'd go with whatever Percy suggests. His spoken English, by the way, is better than his written English. He's very easy to communicate with in person.

I can't wait for a trip report! Tell him Karen and Julie say hi. It's been over 3 years - I wonder if he'll remember us!

Oops, the $10 price is way outdated. It's more like $43. Sorry about that.

great info, althom. thanks for your trip report. I am going next month. one question: should I do the vistadome or expedition train? I loved the prices you got on your hotels.

We did the Vistadome and enjoyed it very much. I didn't see the expedition train (did it used to be called "backpacker train"?), so I can't compare. We had breakfast included. I suspect the expedition train is fine, too. The Vistadome has larger windows, I believe, so better views, although I'm not sure it's really worth it. Good luck!

Hi Izza29 - when is your trip in June? We're going to Cusco ourselves in mid June (already bought the tickets) but are still trying to figure out what to do once there. We're interested in having Percy be our tour guide as well. Are you going to Machu Picchu? Do you have to buy the Machu Picchu train & bus tickets yourself (I'm asking because you mentioned that you had to buy the Cusco tourist tickets yourself) or does Percy take care of that as a package? Have you looked into any other tour packages and still decided on Percy because his prices are more reasonable (besides the fact that he comes highly recommended)? We have not - so just wondering if you have. Thanks.

thanks althom. I leave in 5 days! cramming in some research here now, lol.

Karen,

Thanks so much for your amazing trip report!

I just wanted to ask about the airfares you mentioned --

[These...

international flight
(Continental) 1500
Lan flights -
lima/cusco & juliaca/lima 390 ]

I had a few questions:

* Can I assume that these prices were for the two of you (and not per-person)?

* Were the two domestic flights (Lima-to-Cusco and Juliaca-to-Lima) purchased as two one-way tickets, or were they a package?

* How did you go about purchasing tickets on the domestic flights? Did you book them directly through the airline's web site, or did you use Percy or another third part?

Thanks so much... I've been trying to estimate airfare costs and have been unsure of the best way to buy the domestic tickets. The options seem to be: buy them as part of a single package with my international flight (expensive), separately through LAN or StarPeru or another airline (a bit cheaper), or through a third-party booking agent like Go2Peru (middle of the road).

I've heard so many stories from people who have had problems with the domestic airlines' web sites that I have been leaning toward the last option -- but I just wanted to get your opinion.

thanks so much,
Sasha

Just to clarify, with my second question, what I was trying to ask is, did you each buy a one-way ticket from Lima to Cuzco and a one-way ticket from Juliaca to Lima?

*Or* did you each buy a "multi-destination" round trip-fare, so that it was like a package
-- one fare for each person that got the passenger from Lima-to-Cuzco and then Juliaca-to-Lima? I think technically that's called an open-jaw ticket. I have done this before... but not in Peru.

thanks!
Sasha

Sasha,
It's been awhile, but as I remember, yes the prices I quoted were the total for both of us (of course, prices have gone up significantly since then with the price of oil).

For the domestic flights, I purchased them on the LAN website, and yes, I booked it as an open-jaws ticket, Lima-Cusco and Juliaca-Lima flight. I remember being very worried about it and whether it was actually going to work, but it did. I'm trying to remember if they actually sent me the tickets or if it was electronic ticketing. I don't remember. But it did work!

I think any of your options would work, but I'd be reluctant to pay more to book the tickets with your international flights. Going direct with a local carrier I think is fine.

Good luck!

Karen, thanks so much! And thanks again for all the details in your trip report -- it gave me so many ideas. Among them, I am now quite interested in doing the bus trip to Juliaca! I hadn't really considered it before, but your comments make it sound great!

best regards,
Sasha

Luvit-
Sorry didn't get back to you sooner. I was busy planning my trip. We are leaving May 29th, arriving in Cusco on May 30th...driving to Ollantaytambo with Percy. We have a Sacred VAlley tour with Percy on May 31st...Visiting MP on June 1st (I bought the train tickets online, printed them already). The bus I believe (as Karen did) can be purchased on the spot.
We are coming back to Cusco, with Percy on June 2nd. We will have a city tour with Percy on June 3rd. We are then departing for Puno on June 4th.
I bought the train tickets online. I will buy the bus tickets there on the spot.
Percy made most of the hotel bookings (as suggested by Karen).
I decided to go with Percy because, after reading Karen's adventure, it felt much more exciting to follow a local then to follow a large group of tourists. It seems more personal and much more interesting (to me anyway). I didn't search other groups or tours. I went with my gut and I'll let you know on June 9th if it was worth it (which I'm sure it will be).
For the touristo ticket, I can buy them online. They are only good for 10 days so I will purchase them just before I leave (and probably have Percy picked them up for us).
Hope this helps!
izza

Izza, I hope you have a great trip. Tell Percy that Julie and I say hello and hope he's well. Percy actually bought the bus ticket for us that final morning. He picked us up at our hotel and took us to where the bus station and got the tickets for us. I can't wait to hear about your trip. Please post a trip report!
Karen

Hi althom.
Last question before I go... how much peruvian money did you take out before your departure? Did you divide them in different denominations? I do remember you saying you had a lot of 1$ bill in soles.
thanks!

Izza, as I recall, we didn't get any Peruvian money before leaving. I generally wait until arrival in country when traveling abroad and just use an ATM machine at the airport. I'm pretty sure that's what we did there. Many places, although not all, take either US dollars or Peruvian soles. In fact, some of the ATM machines give you a choice of dollars or soles. I think we paid Percy in dollars, but we paid our guide at MP in soles. Also, as I recall you MUST have soles for the MP entrance.

Hi althom,
and you used your credit card for those machines right? Debit doesn't work there? Do you remember how much was the service fee?
Thanks!
izza

I think I used my debit card, but I don't remember for sure. The fee depends on the bank in Peru and your own bank/card, so I believe it varies. I didn't find it any more expensive than any other international travel I've done.

the machines take debit cards. I believe they charge 10 soles per transaction which is about 4 bucks so it makes sense to get the max withdrawal each time. Your bank will probably charge as well on the home end. Mine charged $2.50 per transaction which was a discount from the normal $5 fee. I also always get money upon arrival; rates are better.

Thank you for the wonderful trip report and postings! I can't wait until my trip in October!

We've booked 2 rooms (for 4 people), at Hotel Midori in Cuzco from Oct. 1-8. This was paid with a modest time-share exchange fee.

But after reading the reports and advice here, I am considering spending the first 3 days and 2 nights in Ollantaytambo. I have heard and read so much that the Sacred Valley is so much better for acclimation, which I am concerned about for the 4 of us. And it sounds like we'd save time and some money by NOT traveling back and forth between Cuzco to SV, and Cuzco to MP. We'll lose out on those first 2 nights at Hotel Midori in Cuzco; which is ok, since we only paid a reasonable exchange fee for the whole week via time share.

What hotel would you recommend in Ollantaytambo? Hotel Sauce? Hotel Pakaritambo? Or El Albergue, right next to the train station?

On the tail end, I am now thinking about going to Puno/Lake Titicaca too!? For 2 days and 2 nights. Then fly back from Puno to Lima to US. Do you think it's worth the extra run to Lake Titicaca? Luggage and all, for 2 extra days? Will we need to acclimate again to the higher altitude? Please send any recommendations for hotels in Puno, and local tours or tour operators.

What do you think about the itinerary below? Thanks very much for your help!!

Sat 10/1
Arrive Cuzco via Lima. Car or taxi directly to Ollantaytambo.
Rest, acclimate. Visit nearby ruins.
Overnight hotel in Olly. Please send recommendations.

Sun 10/2
Pisac Market and ruins.
Maybe afternoon visit Maras/Salt Mines and Moray on way back to Olly.
Overnight hotel in Olly.

Mon 10/3
Morning train from Olly to AC; then bus to Machu Picchu.
Afternoon bus/train back to Olly. Pick up luggage.
Take car or taxi to Cuzco. How much should this cost? How best to arrange?
Any other place to see or stop before we leave SV?
Overnight Hotel Midori, Cuzco (4 nights).

Tue 10/4
Day in central Cuzco -- Cathedral; San Blas; Koricancha; etc.

Wed 10/5
Day trip around Cuzco -- Saqsayhuaman; Quenqo; Pukapuka; Tipon.
Are there day-tours for this? Or can we do this ourselves with a taxi(s)?

Thur 10/6
Easy day in Cuzco (or split up above and do some here).
Pack for next leg to Puno.

Fri 10/7
InkaExpress bus from Cuzco to Puno. (Is this the best bus line or method?)
I hear bus ride is 8 hours, with 3 stops and a lunch. $79 per person.
Do we have to book bus tickets ahead of time, in US?
(The train is 10 hours, but very expensive at $220 per person. Too pricey!?)

Need hotel in Puno. Any recommendations?

Sat 10/8
Day trip to Uros and Taquille islands.
Overnight hotel in Puno.

Sun 10/9
Flight from Juliaca/Puno to Lima.
Lima flight back to U.S.


Thanks again! Appreciate any advice or tips!

Your MP day (Monday) is very long. Although MP can certainly be done as a day trip, your day will be long and you'll be pretty tired by the time you get back to Cusco.
For the trip to Puno, it's a shame you couldn't add a day and do an overnight home stay on one of the islands. For us it was a highlight. The bus trip is long for such a short stay in Puno. Could you add one more night?
In Olly, El Aubergue looked very nice - probably much nicer than where we stayed, but I didn't like the location as well. I'd prefer to stay closer to the main part of town (although it's not that long of a walk). Hotel Sauce looked nice, I thought.

I had a fantastic tour guide for lake titicaca; his contact info is in this post: http://www.fodors.com/community/south-america/great-tour-guide-for-lake-titicaca-and-other-recommendations.cfm

There were just a few nice looking hotels in Puno; to my surprise, they were only about $60 per night. If I find their names, I will come back and post.

In Olly, I stayed at El Albergue and loved it and loved the location. Once you enter its doors, it is another world. You wouldn't believe you are AT the train station. Pakaritampu looked lovely as well and is not far away. I did not see Hotel Sauce.

I agree with althom that it would be nice if you could do the overnight home stay. Your last day in Cusco relaxing could be used as that extra stay.
I like the flying back to Lima directly from Puno/Juliaca; very efficient.

If you book your train from MP/AC to Poroy, they actually end up providing a bus from the Olly train station all the way to cusco bus station.

RE the bus to Poroy:
They stopped that train/bus combo two days before we rode the train, and just kept the train going to Poroy. It was very confusing to many of us, and our hotels on the other end.

Hey Karen
This is Karen as well from Western Howard County now but used to live in Columbia, MD. I've just enjoyed a lot of your posts and it sounds like we're a lot alike also with (almost) grown kids. Can we chat off-line via phone or email? I have a lot of questions to ask you...I actually don't know how to email you without going through this site- don't know an email direct link...let me how to do that...thanks, Karen

Hi, Karen - you can email me at kbutler1122@gmail.com

Karen, in researching for an upcoming trip, I came across your trip report. It is wonderful and very valuable, even 5 years later! Thank you for taking the time!!

Thanks for the feedback. It's very gratifying to know this was helpful so long after the report! Have fun in Peru!

I am going to peru for 8 days and was hoping you could help with advice; I really want to see manchu pichu and maybe do an amazon tour, but is there anything else I MUST DO& See? Should I fly directly to cusco to save time? From cusco how do I get to manchu pichu? I am going in feb so I was wondering if I cant do the inca trail if there are other routes>? Also, where do I stay after seeing manchu pichu? any suggestions apprectiated. Thanks!

how did you come in contact with your tour guide percy?

I found Percy through this board. Someone else had recommended him. His contact info is somewhere in my report above.

I think you could fly directly to Cusco without spending the night, but you'd have a layover in Lima. I don't know if it would save time or not. Our flight arrived in Lima late at night and there were no night flights to Cusco so we had to spend the night.

From Cusco to MP, the best way is by train. It's a longer ride than if you stay in the Sacred Valley (which I would recommend). With only 8 days and wanting to go to the Amazon as well, you may not have time for the Sacred Valley and would need to go directly from Cusco to MP. You could do a day trip to MP from Cusco and stay in Cusco again that night.

Not sure about other hiking routes, as we didn't do that.

Good luck.

Thanks!

Could I fly to Lima and stay o/n, get to sacred valley and stay two nights, then train to manhu pichu for 2nigjts? Where would you recommend staying near mp?

Hi Karen (althom122),
I have recently been in contact with Precy to arrange his services for our trip this summer. I have some questions that I would love to ask you about instead of filling up this posting; do you have an email address I can contact you at?

Percy sounds wonderful from the email that I have just receieved and it is great to know that the people posting on this board have first had positive experiences with him.
Rhonda

Question? I am arriving in Lima at 10:05 pm and then have a flight to Cusco at 5:20 am. I arranged a stay at Manhattan Inn but am wondering if it is even worth going there with the short time that I have. How long did it take to get thru customs and arrange a taxi to Manhattan Inn? check in and check out lenght of time? How early do you need to be at the airport before your flight leaves? how long did it take for you to get back the next morning? I am considering just staying at the airport for the 6 hrs. since I might only end up having 4 hrs of sleep at Manhattan Inn.