Peru and Brazil: A South American Adventure

Old Aug 18th, 2014, 05:44 PM
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Peru and Brazil: A South American Adventure

Greetings friends.

Just returned from what was an amazing trip to South America. In spite of a few hiccups, some avoidable, others not so much, Peru and Brazil (including a taste of Argentina) exceeded all our expectations.

To recap, we began in Lima. From there we flew to Cuzco for 3 nights in the Sacred Valley, 2 at Machu Picchu, and 4 nights in Cuzco. We then continued to Brazil, where we visited Iguazu Falls, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo.

In addition to the sights and sounds, we were drawn to the people, the hospitality, the costumes, the food, the markets, and the addictive atmosphere.

Stay tuned for a full report in the coming days and weeks...
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Old Aug 19th, 2014, 12:35 PM
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TP, I'm looking forward to your report.

South America is on my radar, and yours looks like an itinerary that I could copy and paste.

Thanks in advance.
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Old Aug 19th, 2014, 02:07 PM
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Sartoric, thank you. Hope I am able to provide some useful information. And please feel free to ask questions.

Here goes:


On South American Soil – for the First Time Ever

First off, thank you to everyone here for the wealth of information you provided me, either directly or indirectly, prior to my travels.

Just to give folks some background, I am in my 30s and traveled with three others. I travel frequently for work, but take maybe one or two personal trips a year, including usually one 2.5-4 week vacation. My prior travels have taken me all over the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. This was my first trip to South America. The drivers of my trip were the Incan sights, which I have wanted to see since I was younger, as well as Rio de Janeiro and Iguazu Falls.

Settling on Peru and Brazil, I was able to set aside three weeks. I also knew I wanted to spend a good amount of time at each of the destinations that were really important to me, which meant a couple of nights at Machu Picchu, for example, than a day trip from Cuzco, which I understand a lot of visitors do.

We included a stopover in Lima as there are no direct flights to Cuzco from anywhere in North America, and we were able to get a direct flight on United from Sao Paulo rather than Rio de Janeiro to DC, and save about $250 per person in the process (and we had the extra time).

Our trip began with a couple of flights on United, going from Washington, DC, to Houston and onwards to Lima. The DC to Houston flight was uneventful; it left and arrived on time. We had a 4.5 hour connection in Houston, where we grabbed a light meal. We boarded our flight to Lima on time, although we got off the ground about an hour later than advertised, due to a passing thunderstorm. We arrived in Lima at around 11pm. It took us about 30 minutes to get through immigration and about another 30 by taxi to get to our hotel, the Hilton in Miraflores, our home for three nights.

Upon arrival at the hotel, it was a speedy check-in and off to bed.

Up next – our first full day in Lima
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Old Aug 19th, 2014, 05:37 PM
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I am glad to see you have enjoyed your trip. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your trip report.
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Old Aug 20th, 2014, 02:31 PM
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Luademochila, thank you. The trip was simply amazing. I'm already thinking about going back.


Day One in Lima

After a lovely breakfast at the hotel (more on this later), we set out to explore the historic core of Lima on foot. Whenever I travel to a new city, I like to pick a neighborhood or area and really get up and personal with it.

The old center of Lima is very compact and easy to see. Our walk began at Plaza San Martin, a large public square surrounded by neocolonial buildings. Just off the plaza is Jiron de la Union, a pedestrian-only street lined with shops that leads to the Plaza Mayor. Midway on the street, on the right-hand side, is an old church, the Merced. We took a quick peek inside before continuing to Plaza Mayor.

There was a parade at Plaza Mayor on the day we visited. There were a couple of stages decked out in the colors of the Peruvian flag, military bands playing, and several groups decked out in vibrant costumes. It had the look and feel of a national day celebration, except that the national day holiday was about 10 days away. My best guess is that it is some type of rehearsal for the big day. Anyway, it was fun to sit in the square and take in the colors and the sounds, most of which were unfamiliar to me.

After we had enough, we ducked in the Cathedral for a visit, followed by a tour of the Archbishop’s Palace next door. The Archbishop’s Palace is nicely laid out and a good introduction to colonial Peruvian architecture. The room with the altar on the second floor is splendid, although I especially liked the wooden balconies, which we also saw on several other buildings in the historic center.

Following the visit to the palace we had wanted to walk around the square and duck into some of the shops but it was too difficult with the parade going on and the streets blocked off, so we forged ahead, making our way to the Governor’s Palace for the Changing of the Guard. If you’ve seen the ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London, you can give this one a miss.

From here we made a right on Jiron Ancash, heading towards the Monastery of San Francisco. Before reaching the monastery, a small museum on the block caught our attention. The site hosted excavations of the city that dates back to pre-European times.

After the unexpected stop we proceed to the Monastery for a tour of the complex. The Monastery was our favorite religious / historic sight in Lima. There is a wealth of treasures here, from the intricate patterns of the dome to the extensive catacombs to its wonderful courtyard.

From here we stopped at a café across the street for some refreshments before visiting Parque de la Muralla, which contains the foundation walls of the city pre-European colonization.

We next returned to the Monastery, from where we made our way to the Mercado Central. We spent quite a bit of time at the market and the Chinatown neighborhood that surrounds it, just browsing the wares. We stopped at a restaurant for some traditional Chinese pastries before high-tailing it back to our hotel.

After a couple of hours of rest and relaxation, we grabbed a taxi and headed to Astrid y Gaston, where we had made dinner reservations about eight weeks in advance (I’ll cover my impressions of the hotel as well as meals in a separate post to come later).

Dinner completed, we returned to the hotel.

Tomorrow is a day of museums with glimpses of Barranco and Miraflores.
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 07:52 AM
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Following along - great start! Really interested in your impressions of AyG in Lima - we loved it there and in Santiago but were really disappointed with it in Buenos Aires.
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Old Aug 23rd, 2014, 01:26 PM
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Elizabeth, thank you for following along and commenting. It's always encouraging to know that folks are actually reading this.


Day Two in Lima

We devoted our second and final day in Lima to its history and culture. After breakfast at the hotel, it's a quick cab ride to the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History. The museum is extensive and very well laid out. The first part is a journey through ancient Peruvian civilizations, going back to pre - Incan times. On display are artifacts, art, and dioramas of everyday life and important functions of the many peoples who called Peru home. My favorite displays were the ones on the Paracas and Chimu peoples. The tour of pre - Incan civilizations is followed by an exhibit on the Incas including a scale model of Machu Picchu. The second half of the museum is devoted to Spanish colonization, independence, industrialization, and modern day Peru, including an exhibit on Peruvian elections. While interesting, I enjoyed the ancient stuff much more and spent more time there. In all, we were at the museum for two hours, although we could have easily stayed for two more.

The nearby Larco Museum awaited us. The National Museum and the Larco Museum are connected by a short walk through mostly residential streets except for one commercial thoroughfare. To get from one to the other, simply make a right upon exit at the National Museum and follow the blue line painted on the pavement (the paint is really faint in the beginning of the walk so just ask one of the guards standing outside the Museum if you miss it). The walk took us about 45 minutes including a stop at a supermarket on the way.

The Larco is smaller than the National Museum but equally as interesting, especially if you enjoy ancient art and artifacts. There are exhibits on each of the peoples who lived on this land before the Europeans arrived as well as a room filled to the brim with pottery from antiquity. Also at the Larco is a gallery devoted to exotic pottery. On the property is a beautiful garden as well as a restaurant and a handful of shops. We spent about an hour and a half browsing the myriad treasures (again, there's more to occupy us but it was what we could do on this visit) before sitting down to lunch at the restaurant. The food here is delicious and well worth a visit.

The seaside neighborhood of Barranco was next on our agenda. We took a taxi, and asked to be dropped off at the main square. From here we took a vintage tram that dropped us off at the Osma Museum. The museum is housed in a beautiful mansion and contains art from the 16th to the 19th centuries including fine silver pieces.

From here it was on to Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores. Huaca Pucllana is the site of an adobe pyramid complex dating back more than 1,000 years, well before the time the Incas built Machu Picchu. The complex was larger than I expected, and our guide really did a fantastic job bringing the bricks to life.

By now it was 6pm. We spent the rest of the evening in Miraflores, browsing its many shops and markets and enjoying a quiet dinner.

There is so much to see and do in Lima. We could have easily spent a full day between the two museum we visited this morning. Both Barranco and Miraflores merited more time. Nonetheless, we felt that our two days and three nights here gave us a good taste for the city with the desire to come back for more.

Up next, the Sacred Valley, but before that, I will say more about our hotel, some of the restaurants that we enjoyed here, and our overall impressions of Lima before moving on.
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Old Aug 23rd, 2014, 06:06 PM
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Wrapping Up Lima

Lima is a first stop for many visitors to Peru as there are no direct international flights from afar to Cuzco, and it's a worthwhile city to spend a few days before continuing on. While Lima does not have any of the marquee sights that make Peru famous, it offers a good introduction to the country (or to South America, as in my case). Its historic center is compact and very easy to explore. Its museums provide a good overview and understanding of some of the ancient attractions that we aim to visit later in our trips. I also found Lima very easy to get around, whether walking or via taxis, as they are plentiful and cheap (make sure you have an idea of what prices are and bargain, and also use caution to take taxis that are clearly marked with the taxi light on top of the vehicle).

While I enjoyed Lima, in some ways even more than Cuzco (more on this later), I can also understand why it's not love at first sight for many visitors, especially if one visits in winter as I had. Given its coastal location, Lima is oftentimes overcast, foggy, and misty at this time of year, and the cooler temperatures does not lend itself to a more outdoor, "sunny" lifestyle than other cities. Lima is also large city and very spread out, although individual neighborhoods such as Miraflores and Barranco are walkable. As such, it takes a bit more effort to digest and appreciate.

Appreciate it I did. I found the people here and all over the country very warm and hospitable. There seemed to be parades, block parties, or celebrations everywhere we went and on every day. People always seem to smile and have fun. I especially enjoyed the vibrant colors, music, and food, not only in Lima but all over Peru.

In Lima, we stayed at the Hilton in Miraflores. The hotel is in a modern highrise, and included all the features of a typical Hilton property with a few Peruvian accents. The rooms are nicely sized and functional and the beds comfortable. Our rate came with complimentary breakfast, which we took at the main lobby restaurant. The breakfast is a la carte, and accompanied by a selection of breads and pastries. Everything that we ordered were very good, although I especially enjoyed the eggs cooked with a mild yellow chili sauce. The Inca waffles were very good as well.

Two other restaurants worth mentioning are Astrid y Gaston and the Larco Museum restaurant. Astrid y Gaston was all it was hyped up to be and more. The restaurant moved from its Miraflores location about three months ago; it now occupies a beautiful mansion in the San Isidro neighborhood. There are several dining rooms inside the restaurant and the one in which we dined had three tables. We were treated to the tasting menu, which consisted of a 29 course journey across the diversity of the country. We began with a delicious cocktail followed by several hors d'ouvres. We were then treated with everything from cervical to meats to grains and a couple of items that were foreign to us. Each of the dishes were beautifully and artistically presented, and tasted even better. Particularly memorable were the fried seaweed; the dish of fish, chicken, and pork skins; the tiny potatoes; the "beach"; and the cerviches. If you can afford it, I definitely recommend a visit. Come for the food as well as the experience.

The restaurant at the Larco Museum is very good as well. It is in a very beautiful setting, overlooking the gardens. We ordered a Peruvian sampler for the appetizer, which was delicious. For the main course, I had a wonderfully prepared sea bass while others ordered beef and chicken, also done to perfection. For dessert, I chose the lucuma mousse, which was just the right compliment to the rest of the meal.

Hope you enjoyed my report so far. More tomorrow...
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Old Aug 24th, 2014, 05:03 AM
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I understand your feelings about Lima - very similar to ours.

Obviously Astrid y Gaston Buenos Aires is an outlier .... and I just checked its latest reviews and see it has closed. Not surprised.

Looking forward to the next installment!
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Old Aug 24th, 2014, 09:10 AM
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I am a huge fan of Lima, but it takes some research (and time) to dig out the treasures in such a sprawling metropolis. You did an amazing job within the short time & on a first visit!
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Old Aug 24th, 2014, 01:23 PM
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Elizabeth, thanks for sharing.

Mlgb, thank you. Lima's definitely on the list of places I hope to return to someday.

And now the next installment...


To Machu Picchu...or Not?!?!

The day began with an early wake - up call, a boxed breakfast from the hotel, and a pre - arranged taxi ride to the airport for our flight from Lima to Cuzco. Our 7am flight was delayed for about 45 minutes; we were waiting for crew from another aircraft, which was delayed due to weather. Once we were on board, the flight was smooth and we gained some time in the air, arriving about 20 minutes late. There were some of us who had experienced altitude issues upon arrival in Cuzco, including one of my travel companions. She was given some coca tea, which is sold at the airport, along with some coca candy, which we bought at the markets in Lima last night. The coca largely did the trick, at least for now.

My advice for altitude sickness is to take it easy on the first couple of days, especially if you are not used to the thinner air. Have some water or coca with you so that you have something to help ease your sickness as quickly as possible, or at least have some small bills with you to purchase something on the fly at the airport. And understand that altitude sickness may not hit immediately. One of us only developed symptoms on the second day, even though it didn't last long.

For our visit to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, we hired the services of Andean Treks, a Massachusetts-based company that works with a local outfitter called Inca Tours and Travel Adventures. I worked with them to secure our permits for our one day Inca Trail hike as well as admission to the Citadel. I also used them for transportation services in the Sacred Valley.

Stateside, I worked with Daisy and with Lauren, and both were fantastic in answering my questions and helping us tailor our itinerary to meet our needs. They were also very prompt in replying to emails. Lauren was even kind enough to check in during our travels to make sure we were doing okay.

Back in Cuzco, we were met at the airport by Wilson, our Inca Trail guide, and Sebastian, our driver over several days. We were taken to Inca Tours' office, which was about 20 minutes away from the airport.

We stopped here for our Inca Trail orientation briefing, although it turned out to be much more. Once we settled down, Wilson informed us about a potential strike that could impact the train line connecting Cuzco with Machu Picchu Pueblo, the village at the foothill of the Citadel. This would have been disaster. A quick succession of bad thoughts ran through my mind. I mean, we spent so much money to do this, it was supposed to be one of the major highlights of the trip, but worse, I wasn't sure if my older travel companions would be fit enough to make the hike even if we were to return on a future trip. We talked through our options. Wilson suggested that our best option would be to drop a night in the Sacred Valley, and head to Machu Picchu Pueblo the night before the pending strike. In order to do this, we would need to change our train tickets, cancel one night accommodations at our Sacred Valley hotel, and book an extra night at Machu Picchu. To us, this was a no brained even with the additional costs that we would incur. So we went to work. Wilson and his team called our Machu Picchu hotel, El MaPi, only to discover that it was sold out for the night that we needed. They then pulled together a list of other hotels. We divided the list amongst us and called to inquire about availability. We ended up with about six options, including the Sumaq, a five star property, which we selected. Wilson also help us contact our Sacred Valley hotel, the Pakaritampu, to inform them that we would be departing a day earlier than expected. He spoke with Helga, who confirmed the potential situation with the train strike and agreed to remove a night from our reservation without charging us. In the meantime, someone else went ahead and changed our train tickets.

Crisis averted, we were given maps, information for our upcoming hike, and tickets for Sacred Valley and Cuzco attractions (bolero turistico), and we were on our way to the Sacred Valley, where we will now spend two nights instead of three.

It's now 10:30 am and we, along with our driver Sebastian, left Cuzco for a full day of sightseeing before we arrive at our Sacred Valley hotel in The town of Ollantaytambo.

Up next, llamas, alpacas, and Pisac...
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Old Aug 25th, 2014, 05:31 PM
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Llamas, Alpacas, and Pisac

After sorting out our Inca Trail hike and visit to Machu Picchu, we were on our way to Ollantaytambo by way of Awana Kancha visitors' center and Pisac. The Awana Kancha is a place to see llamas, alpacas, and vicunas. We were also able to pet them, feed them, and pose for our obligatory photos. On the site is also an exhibit on the wool making process complete with a couple of workers in traditional dresses working looms. We spent about 45 minutes here, including time browsing the gift shop and purchasing a couple of items.

After the visit, we made our way into the Sacred Valley, pausing for a couple of photo stops along the way. We arrived in Pisac in time for lunch. Our driver recommended Ulrike's, a nice cafe just off the main square. The cafe seemed to be geared towards tourists but nonetheless offered a good lunch menu with local and Western dishes.

Following lunch, we browsed the crafts market and made a handful of small purchases before heading to the ruins. Our driver dropped us off at the parking lot near the top of the ruins and waited for us at a lower lot. We walked through some agricultural terraces and made our way towards the citadel. The site is more extensive than we expected and it was a delight to wander amongst the structure. We saw some tourists while we were here but the numbers don't add up to nearly what we encountered at our sites the rest of the week. We spent about two and a half hours here, as we wanted to take it slowly in order to acclimate to the higher altitude but also to take it all in.

From here, it was a couple of hours to the Hotel Pakaritampu in Ollantaytambo, where we would spend two nights.

On our second day in the Sacred Valley, we tour the town of Chinchero as well as the ruins of Moray and the salt terraces at Salineras. Stay tuned...
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Old Aug 26th, 2014, 05:52 AM
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Just found this, and am following along. Am glad to read a good report on Lima, which I haven't visited yet, but expect to be my entry to SA on my next visit.
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Old Aug 26th, 2014, 09:31 AM
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Thanks. This brings back lots of memories. Many people short-change Lima which is a mistake. Sounds like you were there in July, when there are parades all month long throughout the country. Look forward to the next installment.
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Old Aug 26th, 2014, 09:46 AM
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Thursdaysd, welcome. Feel free to ask any questions as you're thinking about Lima.

Dwdvagamundo, you're welcome. Yes, I was in Peru during the second half on July, when we saw parades and celebrations almost daily.
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Old Aug 26th, 2014, 10:26 AM
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There is far too much hand-wringing about Lima, the colonial center and even the entire corridor extending south of the center all the way to the coast (Miraflores/Barranco) have improved tremendously in even the last 5 years. Barranco is gentrifying rapidly. There is even a luxury hotel that has opened last year in one of the restored mansions http://hotelb.pe/barranco
Of course if you are an art lover then at least one night at Second Home Peru is a must (the home & studio of Victor Delfin). For a first time visitor on a budget then I like http://www.3bhostal.com/, good rates for a single on a 2-night stay, booked direct. Fantastically helpful staff.

The center of Quito is also a comfortable place to visit now, despite old advice that it is "unsafe".
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Old Aug 26th, 2014, 10:31 AM
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Glad to here that, mlgb. I must admit that the warnings about Ecuador are very off-putting. Advice to travel in a group is not helpful for a solo traveler!
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Old Aug 26th, 2014, 10:43 AM
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Mlgb, I found Lima to be very safe, although we exercised the normal precautions that we would in any major city we aren't familiar with. Also thanks for the information about Quito; I'm adding it to the list of places to visit for a future South American trip.

Will try to get the next installment up tonight.
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Old Aug 26th, 2014, 02:54 PM
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A Gorgeous Day in the Sacred Valley

After a good night’s sleep and breakfast, we were met by Sebastian in front of our hotel for a full day of touring. We left our hotel at around 8 and made our way along the Urubamba River towards the town of Urubamba. From Urubamba, we continued up and around the mountains to reach the picturesque village of Chinchero. Along the way, we made a few quick photo stops to take in the beautiful scenery of the towns and villages, the surrounding mountains, and the snow-capped peaks in the distance.

Upon arrival at Chinchero, we headed straight to the ruins. We approached the plateau overlooking hills upon hills of cascading agricultural terraces. The vista here is incredible. There are mountains straight out in front of us. To our right is the village’s adobe church, the main square, and the residential quarter, most of which housed curios shops on the ground level. We spent about an hour exploring the terraces as well as some of the remains, and about an equal amount of time browsing the village and the myriad shops. We then visited the church and a small museum on the main square; the church was worth a look inside but we found the museum uninteresting. We wanted to check out the market, but found that it wasn’t operating on this day. Nonetheless, we found Chinchero the most interesting of all the villages we visited in the Sacred Valley. It oozed with charm and felt more authentic than some of the other places we’ve seen. And the incredible panorama of scenic vistas only adds it.

With Chinchero crossed off our list we then headed to Moray, the site of an agricultural enigma. At Moray is a series of large circular terraces that historians assumed was used for an agricultural experiment to study the effects of different climates on crop growth during Incan times. Just off to the side of the circular structure are two similar but smaller structures. After viewing the three structures from above, we hike down to the bottom for a closer look. From this vantage point, you are able to see the sophistication of the structures, including remains of the irrigation system.

Moray was followed by a quick stop in the village of Maras for some refreshments before continuing on to the Salineras de Maras, a series of functioning salt terraces found in a valley surrounded by tall mountains. We were dropped off at the entrance of the site and hiked our way across the terraces until we reached the exit on the other site. The place is unlike anything we’ve seen before. The terraces are filled with pools of water, although you can see piles of salt piled up to dry in the sun in varies parts. The brown and white colors make you feel like you’re in another world. While navigating across the terraces was not difficult, there were some sections that were quite narrow and slippery. This, combined with my fear of falling into one of the pools, slowed my pace. Close to the end of the hike, we were met up by Sebastian, who ventured up to make sure we were okay. With his help and taking it slowly, I eventually made it to the other side. From this point, it was an easy walk down the mountain. Together, we walked along the riverbank, passing some stands selling basic food and drinks and homes in various states of construction. Not too far away is a pedestrian bridge, which marked the end of our walk.

It was about 3 in the afternoon and we were interested in lunch. Luckily, there was a restaurant right past the bridge, Tunipa, and we stopped for a late meal. The restaurant was serving a nice buffet. I was primarily interested in the salad bar and the cerviche station, although I did have a taste of alpaca meat for the very first time. It was decent, although I don’t know if I would order it from a menu.

After filling up our stomachs and lazying around a bit, we headed back to Ollantaytambo, where we said goodbye to Sebastian. Sebastian was a joy to get to know and spend time with. Even though he primarily spoke Spanish, and we didn’t speak the language, we managed to communicate pretty well with the little bit I picked up and my knowledge of Portuguese. He is incredibly kind and caring. At Moray, Sebastian noticed that we took a bit longer than he had anticipated and hiked down to look for us. And I cannot say enough about the effort it took for him to come up to the salt terraces in order to make sure we didn’t have any troubles. Throughout our time, he always made sure we were comfortable and enjoying ourselves. The great thing about these journeys is that we get the opportunity to interact with new people, understand their ways of life, and make new friends; Sebastian is just this type of friend.

Back at the hotel, we took a short nap before packing smaller daypacks for our trip to Machu Picchu tomorrow afternoon. Because of limited spaces, we were informed beforehand to leave our luggage with the hotel in Ollantaytambo and only take our essentials and a change of clothes with us for our time at Machu Picchu.

We’re off to Machu Picchu tomorrow, but that’s it for now.
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Old Aug 27th, 2014, 02:58 PM
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Around Ollantaytambo and Onwards to Machu Picchu (the town at least!)

For our third and final day in the Sacred Valley, we stayed close to home base and spent much of it in the town of Ollantaytambo, or Ollanta as locals call it. We started our day with a visit to the ruins. The ruins were of religious significance for the Incas, who also used it as a fortress during their battles with the Spanish invaders. We spent a good hour wandering the main part of the complex before making our way around the mountain and onto the lesser explored parts. There are wonderful views of the town below as well as of the Incan storehouses on the mountain opposite the site. In total, we were here for just over two hours.

We spent the remainder of the evening wandering about the old town, admiring the architecture, and visiting some of the shops. At around noon, there was a parade that went through town, so we stopped and watched. Following the parade, we ate a light lunch before returning to our hotel.

Speaking of, we stayed at the Hotel Pakaritampu, a 3-star property a stone's throw from the town's main square, the ruins, and the train station. The rooms are large and possessed a homey feel. There are about 40 rooms in all, housed in four buildings, as well as a building housing the reception area. The property is complete with a nice garden, as well as a couple of resident llamas. The staff here was very nice. The breakfast wasn't spectacular, but adequate. And I cannot forget to mention that the management was very accommodating when we needed to cancel our third night at the last minute.

Overall, I had a great time during my visit to the Sacred Valley. The sites may not be as well known as Machu Picchu and the towns and villages may not be as famous as Cuzco, but sure do they pack powerful punches. I am glad I had the opportunity to travel among the people and get to see the lands they lived in. I felt it gave me a fuller picture of what life was / is truly like, and a better understanding of the country as a whole. My only regret is that I did not have more time to explore some of the smaller and even lesser known villages, but that's what second and third trips are for.

With that, we were met at our hotel by Wilson, our guide for the Inca Trail hike the next day. Together, we headed to the train station for our journey to Machu Picchu. We took an Inca Rail train, which runs less frequently than its competitor, Peru Rail, but it was clean and comfortable nonetheless. The train offered a light snack and refreshment service to complement our experience, although I was content with simply watching the scenery roll by. The ride took about two hours, and from there, it was a short walk together with Wilson to our hotel, the Sumaq, for the night.

At our hotel, it was pretty much dinner, shower, and then bed, for we had an early start the next morning.

To Machu Picchu tomorrow...
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