heyjude2919

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.

althom1122

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!

heyjude2919

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?

traveller71

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.

althom1122

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!

althom1122

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.

heyjude2919

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

lreynold1

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

Elizabeth_S

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/l...aca/index.html

althom1122

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

althom1122

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lreynold1

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

althom1122

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.

althom1122

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.

ared2879

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!

lreynold1

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

althom1122

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

althom1122

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althom1122

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sarlin

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