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Family trip report Peru: Inca trail, Sacred Valley, Cuzco, Lake Titicaca and Lima
Travelogue Peru 2021
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ecf48c9996.jpg I was finally walking the ruins of Machu Picchu. The site was empty. The llamas were grazing and the perfect blue sky gave us the surreal impression of waking up in another world, the ancient Inca world. I was so happy that we chose the 5 day / 4 night Inca trail. After a refreshing night in Aguas Calientes and one of the best hot showers of my life, we emerged clean from our hard and rewarding multi day hike. I look at my daughters and my heart is full of pride. They walked the Inca trail at 8 and 5 years old (the younger one had to be a carried over Dead woman’s pass). Yes, this is not a Disney vacation. What an adventure! We are a family of four. My husband is American and I am French. We went to Peru for 16 days from July 13th-29th 2021. This trip while exhilarating and adventurous, it was also hard and presented it’s own challenges. Reading other people's trip reports has always been a source of inspiration. Maybe my trip report can be of some usefulness to a family, especially one traveling with young children. Preparation: When traveling stopped abruptly and borders closed in March of 2020, I could still escape in my imagination and plan and research my next destination. Machu Picchu was always on my list but I never got around of visiting it when I was younger and single. Pregnancies and raising babies/toddlers puts one's hobbies on hold. A wake up call was when my two younger sisters who are fit and healthy started having musculoskeletal problems (back and knees), and ultimately could no longer do the Inca trail with me. With the vaccine available and borders reopening, tentative plans were done with Alpaca Expeditions for July 2021. I highly recommend them. They were fantastic. They are a Peruvian company, pay their employees well, and outfit their chasqui (porters) with appropriate hiking equipment, have dorms for them to stay between expeditions, send their children to school, and are the first company to hire female porters. They also had a chef, and sous chef on the trail with us. A team of 13 was there for the five of us (our family plus a close friend). The Inca trail was always going to be the pièce de résistance of the trip. I chose the 5 days/4 nights trip as opposed to the more common 4 days/3 nights (same distance) because I wanted less kilometers every day with younger children. But an absolute benefit was seeing Machu Picchu twice, once on the afternoon of the fourth day and once on the morning of the fifth. And even more importantly, seeing Machu Picchu rested and showered on the fifth day was instrumental in being able to enjoy this 15th century Inca citadel. For that reason alone, I highly recommend the longer version of 5D/4N Inca trail. We live in Florida, so at sea level. We were going to embark on a difficult hike at very high altitude. Reading old trip reports directed me to the Inca town of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley to acclimate before the hike. With it’s pedestrian cobblestone streets, numerous archeological sites, and delicious restaurants, it was a great place to rest and get used to the altitude (2,792 meters/9,160 feet). My daughters are fit figure skaters and train 10+ hours a week. They also do ballet and swim. Still, the 5 years old is very young for this kind of multi day hike. The original plan was to have her go with my husband by train to Macchu Picchu while my 8 year old and I hiked. But after corresponding with Alpaca Expectations and discussing it with Peruvian colleagues at work, we decided to bring her along but with her own personal porter. She and Walberto became fast friends. He was so kind and gentle with her. He was also extremely sure footed while he carried her over dangerous terrain. It was so precious to see them climbing holding hands, developing an understanding while she chatted in English and he answered in Spanish. We did some practice hikes to gauge the children’s endurance in Zion (Angel Landing, The Narrows), Great Smoky Mountains (Alum Cave Trail) and Yosemite (Nevada falls). Most of the stress planning this trip and in Peru revolved about me worrying about the children. And it would have been so much easier for me to go on a solo trip. But at the sheer mention of this my daughters would break down in hysterics at how unfair it was that I was going to find a mysterious city of gold, adopt a baby llama and play the flute on the floating island all by myself. So I brought them with me. Our final itinerary: 2 nights in Lima close to the airport to do a day trip to see the Nazca lines with Nazca Flights. 3 nights in Ollantaytambo 5D/4 nights on the Inca trail with the last night being in Aguas Calientes. 1 extra night in Aguas Calientes at the Inkaterra 2 nights in Cuzco 1 night in Puno 2D/1N Homestay on Amantani Island with All Ways travel (titicacaperu.com). 1 night in Puno 1 night in Lima When I was a child, I watched a TV series called The Mysterious Cities of Gold, a French-Japanese co-production. Set in 1532, it follows 3 children with a Spanish navigator Mendoza in the search of the seven cities of gold. The first season of the series is a mix of ancient South American history, archeology and science fiction. If you have children, I would highly recommend this series before traveling to Peru. Day 1 Arriving in Lima Out of caution, we all tested twice negative for Covid before boarding our plane (antigen and PCR). But we were only required to have one test and the children less than 11 years old needed an attestation of good health from their pediatrician. We also needed to complete a declaration of health for the Peruvian authorities. Once in Lima, a double mask was required. Our connecting flight was delayed and we didn’t check into our hotel at the airport in Lima (Holiday Inn) until midnight. Waiting for the airport shuttle was chaotic and took over an hour. Day 2 The Nazca lines We got up at 4am for our pick up for the Ballestas Islands and Nazca lines. It was very hard with only a few hours of sleep. It was tight before without our flight delays but we didn’t have a day to spare in the itinerary. It is one of the reasons we went with the expensive option of a private tour from Lima. Day pack, check! Water, check! Snacks, check! Sunscreen, check! Anti-nausea medication (zofran) check! Multiple cups of coffee for the adults and hot chocolate for the children and we are ready! Except the private van does not show up. A quick email search from Nazca Flight says that due to strong waves, the Ballestas portion of the trip is a no go. Departure will be now at 7am. It was sent yesterday evening, and tired from the flight, I hadn’t checked. Sigh. The five year old never really woke up completely. She is still at the age when she can be carried like a rag doll and still sleep. She is easy to put back to bed. The 8 year old is hungry! So we immediately improvised a “midnight” dinner in bed for her which highly entertained her since she had just finished reading a book by Enid Blyton with the Sullivan twins doing just that. We woke up again 2 hours later, and this time a comfortable and spacious van whisked us away from the dreary neighborhood of Lima’s airport to the mysterious gigantic Nazca Lines. Ah what a gloomy car ride! This is the most ugly Pacific Ocean coast line I have ever seen! With the gray sky hanging low, the industrial buildings, the abandoned construction sites… As we are riding towards Pisco Airport, I keep refreshing my weather app showing bright blue skies in Nazca… I sure hope so, we have 4 hours to go. We go over the 16 Nazca drawings and test our girls if they can remember them. They choose their favorites to see if it will be the same ones once seen in person. At Pisco Airport, the sun is shining bright without a cloud. A great day for a flight! The small aircraft is already waiting for us. Quickly my daughters and I take 4 mg of Zofran. My husband takes Dramamine. All the passengers get a window seat. We are so excited! It is a very small plane and it feels unstable, but soon enough we are circling our first Nazca lines, the Whale! Wow! You can see pictures on the internet but it amazing to seeing it in person so clearly! You realize the scale of these immense drawings. The plane twists and turns so that with each drawing each side of the plane has a chance to see it. My five years old had the map of the Nazca lines in her hands. With each drawing that she sees, she circles it. “This is too much fun!! It is like a treasure hunt!!!” We all have our favorites now: The Hummingbird (Colibrí), the Spider (Araña) and the Monkey (Mono). And for me, the Condor. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9684108aba.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a106c71282.jpg The 8 year old is a bit green/gray at the end. She tends to have car sickness as well, so I am so glad I pre-medicated her. I am feeling a bit nauseous too, but the flight is short and it is so worth it!! It is a long drive home, so we stop for lunch in Pisco. A small family place. I speak Spanish so I am given a menu that is completely different than the English menu (for my husband). Prices are different too. The food is excellent and cheap (at least on the Spanish menu). And thus begin my addiction to ceviche. I had no idea that ceviche is a whole meal in Peru, not just an appetizer like in the USA. It is delicious. For he next 4 days I order it every day. I miss it even now. |
Following vicariously. I miss Peru and ceviche too.
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Thanks for the effort in making the report. Inkaterra must have been a welcome oasis after the trail. We spent 2 nights there, 2nd day was a spa day for wife after our hike up Hyuana Picchu. Where she slipped and almost fell to her death. I went back for a 2nd day. Those Pisco's tasted so good.
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Thanks for reading. I have written more but I am waiting for my husband to proof read because English is not my first language. (French is). It was a great adventure but I am not going to lie, it was a hard trip. My sister in law was supposed to do the Inca trail with us and she canceled last minute. She said” You will do it again with me, right?”. After the trail, I was like: “absolutely not”. But now with distance of several months, maybe. The most stressful thing was to keep my children safe. But what a eye opening experience for them! No regrets.
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Excellent trip report TV. Looking forward to reading more. It seems a very long time since we were last in Peru and I do miss it!
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We will be awaiting the next installment, whenever you both have time.
Two friends are leaving for Peru now for a more casual trip, I am jealous! I just had "your memories" pop up on Facebook, reminding that I was in Chachapoyas NINE years ago on my first visit to that area, pre-cable car. It has changed quite a lot since, as has much of Peru. |
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Day 3 Llamas, High Altitude in Chinchero, an unfortunate hotel room in Ollantaytambo. We woke up with a full night of sleep to catch our Latam plane to Cuzco. We even managed to have two breakfasts, one at the hotel, one in the priority pass lounge before our flight. We have a car and a driver waiting for us at the airport in Cuzco. Originally we were going to stay at El Albergue but because of construction we changed hotels to the hotel Sauce. Honestly once in Ollantaytambo we were happy to stay within the village and not close to the train station where El Albergue was. The Sauce Hotel sent us a punctual driver to pick us up in Cuzco. I wanted the children to be able to pet llamas but the farm I selected on the way to Ollaytaytambo was closed because of COVID. The driver suggested another location, in Chinchero. It would onlyextend driving by 30 minutes but the route would take us to 3,720 meters (12,200 ft). I knew that it was higher in altitude than Cuzco and debated internally if we should do it since we were not used to the altitude yet. Landing in Cuzco, I was slightly light headed but otherwise fine. The children seemed unaffected. And how could we refuse seeing cute llamas and cuys? So leaving Cuzco we started our ascent high in the mountains by car. It was beautiful: the view of the eternal snow on the mountain peaks against the deep blue sky. We stopped in Chinchero and the children had a fun time petting and feeding the llamas. They were fascinated by the cuy house. We did stay for a textile demonstration and bought sweaters. The textile demonstration was touristy but we enjoyed it a lot more than we expected. My 8 year old becomes quiet: “I am dizzy mommy”. My 5 year old: “My head hurts”. Ok, time to go. Time to drive down to Ollantaytambo (2,792 meters; 9,160 feet) to an altitude close to Breckenridge mountain ski resort in the US where we have skied without issues. The children fall asleep in the car. When they wake up in Ollantaytambo their symptoms are gone. My husband and I still feel fine except a slight breathlessness. But our room in Ollantaytambo in the Sauce hotel smells strongly of fresh varnish. We open the windows and go out to eat at Apu Veronica. We love it so much that we proceed to eat all of our dinners there for the next three nights. Coming back to the Sauce hotel that first evening, the varnish smell is intolerable still. We have to look for a yet another hotel. Having two young children with me, I don’t like unpredictability. COVID made it so that there is plenty of inventory. We go across the street to Hotel Sol and get a basic but comfortable family room for $37 a night. We especially love the big windows giving us a splendid view of the ruins of Ollantaytambo. |
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I will posting without waiting for husband to proofread… I am in the mood to get this trip report done, and I don’t want to loose the momentum. Day 4 Horseback riding. Pachamanca lunch. Breakfast is not included in our hotel and it looks like the kitchen is closed. With two children, I would have preferred more convenient arrangement however it gives us the impetus to go exploring early in the morning. We find ourselves in the main square of Ollantaytambo and a very old man prepares us a delicious breakfast of pancakes and omelettes. The Hacienda del Chalan comes and get us for a morning of horseback riding. The children are given ridiculously cute and small ponies. The youngest is riding a mini poney; the eldest a “double”poney. My five year old is more comfortable than my 8 year old and ends up riding with our guide in the front. My 8 year old has a extra helper in the back guiding her poney. The morning starts out cold, but we do not need our winter coats or gloves. Just a sweater dress leggings and for the children, cowgirl boots that they wore on the plane to Peru. We come back early enough to be dropped back in Ollantaytambo at El Albergue for their Pachamanca lunch which is a traditional Peruvian way of cooking. The food is layered in a earthen oven. A picnic table is set outside and we enjoy the pastoral setting. In the evening, my husband feels the effect of the altitude. He had the night before started to take diamox. He retires early to sleep. I walk Ollantaytambo with the children and find ice cream. I really like this village: the cobblestones, the walkability, the ancient Inca architecture, the delicious food and presentation of every dish. |
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Day 5: The Sacred Valley We are picked up early by Alpaca Expeditions for a tour of the Sacred Valley. My husband feels so much better that he stops taking the diamox this morning. I still feel fine except a bit of shortness of breath while climbing stairs quickly. I don’t like taking medications despite or maybe because I am a physician. We have a small pharmacy if needed but the only medications we end up using during the whole trip were: Zofran (for the Nazca lines) , Dramamine and diamox for my husband. We also carried dexamethasone in case of a severe reaction to the altitude and need an evacuation. It is a lovely day not too strenuous and great way to get used further to the altitude by going up and down the mountains. We visit Moray, the Salinas de Maras, and Pisac. A great tour of the sacred valley and completely worth it. My eight year old would me to buy her a Salina for her birthday. We come back in the evening and the night comes quickly and early. By 6pm it is pitch black. We eat once again at Apu Veronica. We are regulars now. Our children play with the cook’s children. There is on the second floor a balcony where my husband and I can enjoy a glass of wine while watching the life enfold in the village of Ollantaytambo. We talk to a woman, a solo traveler and blogger. My daughter thinks she looks like a movie star. We also talk to a man who came back from a solo hike, the Salkantay trail, disliking any group led activities. He said he was sick as a dog from food poisoning the first days and then nearly froze to death at night. In all a marvelous time, he said. We meet up with the fifth member of our group for the Inca trail, Margie, a colleague and an old friend. My children love her so much. Tomorrow we are embarking on our own expedition, the 5 days and 4 nights multi day hike on the Inca trail. At the end the reward of Machu Picchu awaits but I suspect the journey will be the prize. We will be with Alpaca Expeditions, and a team of 14 people will help us accomplish our goal. It is with trepidation that we sort out our luggage into our Alpaca Expedition duffle bags and day backpacks. The rest of our clothes will be in our suitcases waiting for us in Cuzco once done with the Inca trail. The children have long fallen asleep by the time we are done reorganizing our luggage. We close the lights and fall asleep thinking of our coming up expedition. I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. |
Originally Posted by ToujoursVoyager
(Post 17289712)
At the end the reward of Machu Picchu awaits but I suspect the journey will be the prize.
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Thank you for reading. I hope that you found the Inca trail rewarding and fascinating. It was really a treat to be able to access archeological sites otherwise unattainable.
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What a beautiful light you have on the granaries across from the Ollantaytambo ruins.
Amazing to see it with so few people. |
That is the sunrise over the Ollantaytambo ruins. All of our sites were either empty or had very few people, most of the time Peruvians visiting their own country.
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https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b5c716215.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ca9cb13cd.jpeg Day 6 Let the adventure begin. Finally this day, the first day of the Inca trail is here. We are driven 20 minutes to the porters’s housing where a full and delicious breakfast is waiting for us. Miguel our guide goes over the hike goals of the day. My five year old meet her personal porter, Walberto, a kind and patient young man. Her individual goal is to hike on her own until lunch every day (unless treacherous terrains) and then in the afternoon, she can chose to be carried by Walberto. My day backpack contains two liters of water liters. It is what makes the pack heavy. The rest is sweaters, rain ponchos, sun hat, wool hat, gloves, toilet paper, sunscreen, bug repellent a map and my phone (mostly for pictures). The children’s stuff is spread three ways between Walberto, my husband and myself. I made a point of letting my eight year old hike unhinged by a backpack. She is a determined little girl to finish this hike unaided. The Inca trail reopened on the 15th of July and we are doing it three days later. There are no other groups on the trail with us. Most of the porters have not led an expedition in two years. Our first day is relatively easy. We do walk near some railroad tracks at the beginning which makes me feel nervous since there are trains passing by, but soon after a few hours, we are arriving at our first checkpoint. Then the real trail starts. It rains lightly and the ponchos are useful. Lunch is set up in a vegetable field next to donkeys. More than ten different courses come from the little cooking tent. The chef and the sous-chef are simply extraordinary. At every camp site, a portable toilet is set up. I highly recommend choosing a company that provides this. After lunch, I see the porters setting up the tents and inquire about it. The next camp site is several hours away and it is raining. But our guide Miguel gives us the option of continuing. After a brief discussion, we decide to continue on. It turns out to be the right decision. The rain stops. We walk on mostly flat terrain for 2 more hours to a beautiful evening camp site. A vigorous stream runs next to our tents. As the night comes, the temperature drops fast and we put on our winter coats. We are given snacks such as hot chocolate (priceless for getting warmed up) and popcorn. Soon after comes dinner. Of all the multiple dishes that the chef gave us, my ultimate favorite was always the soup. A soup always started the lunch and dinner and was the best soups I ever had my life. I generously added some pico de gallo. There were so many dishes that were excellent. Everything was so fresh. Best guacamole ever. The adults began fantasizing about opening in Peruvian restaurant in Orlando and sponsoring our chef from the Inca trail to come to the USA. A headlamp is absolutely a necessity to find our way back to the tent and prepare ourselves for the night. Warm water is brought to us to wash with a towel. My husband and I split the children, so we have one each in two tents. I dress them very warmly with a base layer, middle layer, sweater, parka winter coat, wool hat. They don’t complain about being cold but the five year old get herself out of the sleeping bag while she sleeps and when I wake up in the night her hands are ice cold. I ended putting some wool socks on her hands. The hand/foot warmers that we use in skiing would have been a good idea to have, especially for the subsequent nights that were even colder than our first. |
The amount, quality, and variety of food they produce on the trail is amazing. We had a honeymoon couple in our small trekking group, and the chefs made and decorated a cake.
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Yes! All that delicious food made in the most rustic conditions... I had read about it, but still was so surprised! It is a good thing we were walking all day and we had big appetites! We had a cake too; the children had a cooking lesson with the chef on the trail. So much fun!
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https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d2517ce16.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fc7ed882d.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e161b18dd.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3c7c99628.jpegDay 7 My alarm goes off before they wake us up. A cup of coca tea is offered, but I decline and stick with coffee. Morning should be peaceful in the mountains and I do take it all in for 15 seconds before turning to the task of getting the children ready. We have in theory 30 minutes before breakfast is served, and honestly I struggle with that timeline with little children. The next two mornings, I ended walking up an hour before everyone else. The air is cold and it feels nice to sip coffee in the breakfast tent. The children sip on their hot chocolate. They consumed an incredible quantity of hot chocolate on this trip, so much that we had to start rationing at the end of the hike. We are all bundled up in our winter coats that we will shed less than hour into the trail as our bodies warm up and the sun comes up. I cannot fathom doing this hike in the wet season when it is cold and wet as opposed to now cold and relatively dry. Today is going to be our toughest day. We are going to attempt to hike over the Dead Woman’s Pass and camp tonight at Pacaymayu. My five years walks bravely. She is determined to make it to at least lunch (llulluchapampa 3800m/12460 ft) and she does. She alternated between holding my hand or Walberto’s her porter. Miguel our guide congratulates her: she is the youngest he has seen being able hike this section of the trail. Our porters took down our tents after we left in the morning, to eventually zoom pass us and set up camp again for lunch. We felt at time part of the Lord of the Ring expedition. The endless staircase, the ancient woods, the low clouds as we approached the ominous Dead Woman’s Pass. Hours pass by. After lunch, my youngest is happy and comfortable in the carrier on Walberto’s back. The trail changes from difficult to extreme. We walk about ten minutes before stopping and getting our heart rate down and catching our breath. My 8 years old has the least amount of difficulties, climbing like a leprechaun. We see llamas on the other side of the ravine. We look up and notice the Dead’s Woman’s pass getting closer. My youngest fall asleep in the carrier, and Walberto unaffected by her weight, keeps climbing ahead with of us. Finally, we make it! Dead Woman’s Pass! It is freezing and wet; we take a quick picture. Concerned by how cold it is, and cursing myself for not bringing the winter coats on this leg of the hike, I take off my jacket and wrap it around my youngest daughter still asleep on the back of her porter. She has a sweater, a poncho, and fleece leggings but I don’t think it is enough. As we come down the mountain, we send Walberto ahead to the camp to protect her from the cold. My friend Margie and I had elected not to have hiking poles. I understood now their utility as we going down the mountain. It is slippery and treacherous. Still, the decision of not having hiking poles was a good one for me: it gave me free hands to help the children and the walking sticks felt cumbersome. My husband on the other hand, loved his hiking poles. I also elected to have hiking shoes instead of hiking boots; I felt lighter with those however I did have to be more careful than my companions on the way down, and slipped a few times but caught myself and did not hit the ground. We were lucky that while the clouds were low and rolling over the pass, we still had a sliver of blue sky. But as we walk down from Dead Woman’s Pass, we are racing against the sun that is setting quickly. Dusks settles in and it is definitely dark by the time we finally arrive into camp. This day was the hardest hike I have ever done in my life. My poor five year old is waiting for me in our tent under our sleeping bag very cold. Worried about hypothermia, I call for hot chocolate and a warm water bottle to slip under her clothes. She perks up and during dinner I have to fight to keep her coat on because she is now too hot. She is fascinated by the cook and every day spend a lot of time in the cooking tent, so much that finally she is adopted by the crew, helping with the preparations, peeling vegetables, rolling the bread. We are ravenous that night and the soup is even more sublime if that is possible. While the children fall asleep fast and warm, I have some trouble sleeping. I don’t handle cold very well and my body won’t stop shivering. I did come prepared with merino wool base layers, middle layers, sweaters, a heavy winter long parka from north face, a wool hat, three pairs of wool socks, cocooned in my sleeping bag etc… if there is a next time, I will bring heat warmers. The cold for me was harder than hiking. There is no denying that the camping site is absolutely beautiful and the stars are crystal clear. |
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https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...19c84eb73.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d5fed7b3f.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6a1bced85.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...38a4cf57b.jpegDay 8 Easy day In the morning, we are veterans now and prepare ourselves quickly. I drink coffee admiring the mountain view while my children practice their figure skating jumps on land. Soon, we put on our backpacks and start out. The hard part is already done. We have now two easy days of hiking in front of us. We have plenty of time to stop and learn about the flora and take our times in the breathtaking Inca archeological sites along the trails such as the Sayaqmarka ruins. One of the reasons that I travel is to be in touch with history. We have these incredible sites to ourselves. We have not yet encountered any other hiking groups. The climate and the vegetation changes to a rainforest. It is beautiful. Heavy fog rools in and unfortunately, we can’t see what we guess are amazing views over the ravine. Early we make it to our third overnight camp Phuyupatamarca camp. A family of llamas are eating grass next to our camp and we are delighted to follow them around. The llamas are not shy. A perfect ending to our hike that day! This camping site is one of the most beautiful but there are little tiny mosquitoes that are bothersome. They seem unaffected by the Picaridin mosquito spray. During the night, the cloud covers dissipates and the starry night is revealed in all its splendor. I can’t sleep anyway because of the cold. I walk a little outside the tent. The southern constellations are foreign to me. By the morning the fog rolls back in. |
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https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c60170018.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d6fd01732.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f3f731200.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...492292884.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eca08b576.jpegDay 9 Machu Picchu We take our time and by lunch time we make it to the majestic Intipata ruins and then later the Winaywayna’s terrific ruins. And while my husband and I would have been perfectly happy just taking a picture from the top, our children insist on exploring and going up and down the hundreds of stairs because you know we didn’t have that many during the Inca trail. “Come on mommy! That is why we are here!” We said good bye our incredible team of porters and cooks. We gave them a well deserved tip and heartfelt and emotional thank you. We continued on with just Miguel our guide and Walberto to my youngest daughter’s delight. We had been until now on the same pace as the 4 days/3 nights Inca hike even though we were on the 5 days/4 nights hike. While the 4D/3N itinerary calls for a ridiculously early morning rise, a mad dash to the sun gate and visiting Machu Picchu ragged and tired, our itinerary made it that we arrived at the sun gate in the early afternoon and saw Machu Picchu twice. We see some of the steepest stairs yet, called the gringo killer, and my daughters think it is hilarious to see us climbing on all four. My five year old waves from Walaberto’s back: “You can do it!” We made it!!! We are at the Sun Gate! Magnificent Machu Picchu! No other groups are with us. We are so fortunate. What a moment! We take a thousand pictures! Our guide Miguel makes an offering to Pachamama, Mother Earth using coca leaves. Kindly he supervises my daughters’ offerings to Pachamama, chocolate biscuits. “She will be well pleased” he said, “Pachamama loves sweets”. It is the first time in two years that he makes it back to Machu Picchu since the COVID shutdown. It is an emotional day for him as well. We are looking forward to a night in Aguas Calientes, a warm shower and a visit of Machu Picchu feeling human again the following morning. However, in our excitement, we can’t stop taking pictures of Machu Picchu now. We walk slowly down, unhurried. It feels strange to see tourists again. There is a feeling of pride and gratitude. My daughters and I sing the opening to our favorite French show, the Mysterious Cities of Gold. In town, my five year old says good bye to her companion Walberto. Miguel gives us rendez-vous tomorrow at 5am. We checked in our basic but comfortable (and at this point anything is luxurious!!) hotel Inti Punctu in Aguas Calientes. We give three huge bags of laundry to the front desk and they delivered clean and folded laundry in three hours! The first hot shower in days. Children are finally clean and tucked under the blankets watching Spanish cartoons. It is my turn. Amazing. I never want to leave the hot water. But my poor husband is been waiting patiently his turn… reluctantly I leave the glorious water. As I dry myself, I notice water coming down from the ceiling! I dress myself quickly and rush downstairs to the front desk and explain in Spanish what is going on! They move us immediately to other rooms but when I meet up with Margie our friend, we tease her that it was all her fault since her room is above ours! We walk a bit in Aguas Calientes and have dinner with our guide Miguel before falling asleep comfortably and finally warm. |
Seriously TJ , this is one of , if not the best and most engaging trip reports I have ever read on Fodors, or anywhere else for that matter. It was like I was there.
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Loving it, your daughters are precious in those blue "tutu" dresses.
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Wow! Thank you for the compliment! It means a lot coming from you! You have such a wonderful blog!
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@mlgb: Lol I had to fight with them to put these blue sweater dresses because the organza around the sleeve would itch them! I rolled the sleeves…
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If you feel inclined, I'd like to see the report of the rest of your trip, TJ!
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I am off tomorrow, I should be able to do another installment. We loved the Inca trail and Machu Picchu, but my husband’s highlight was lake titicaca and the homestay with a family.
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Looking forward to it.
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https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6a19e8856.jpeg Day 10 Machu Picchu visit By six am, we are boarding the bus in Aguas Calientes to visit Machu Picchu. Miguel our guide tells us that before covid the lines would snake around for blocks. The bus does many switchbacks before stopping in front of the Belmont hotel, at the entrance of Machu Picchu. Miguel tells us that the government would like to convert the hotel into a museum. Today is as perfect as it can: blue skies, majestic ruins, and very little people. They are very serious about mask wearing and we got a stern warning when we lowered our masks briefly for a photo. We visit Machu Picchu slowly, listening to Miguel telling us about the Inca rulers, Hiram Bingham, and the temple of the sun. The Inca road system (and the Inca trail is only a small part of it) included a route to Machu Picchu. During our hike we encountered other trails, some of them not maintained and waiting to be rediscovered in the forest. The hike to Huayna Picchu was closed to my disappointment. Machu Picchu keeps a small group of llamas on the grounds. In the afternoon, we check in the Inkaterra hotel for a well deserved break. |
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https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5e0d4b8ea.jpeg Day 11Aguas Calientes We wake up late for once and take advantage of the nature tour offered by the Inkaterra hotel, see the spectacle bears, and swim in the hot springs. We take the train to Ollantaytambo. There is another team from Alpaca Expeditions who were on the 4D/3N Inca a day later than us and just came off the trail after visiting Machu Picchu this morning. They look worn out and are sleeping in their seats. I am once again very glad that we were able see Machu Picchu rested after a good night of sleep in a real bed and after a hot shower. Knowing myself, I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy Machu Picchu as much. And this was a site I wanted to enjoy slowly and throughly. From Ollantaytambo, we are transferred to Cuzco, reunited with the rest of our luggage and dropped off at the Ninos Meloc hotel. It is late by the time we check in, but the lovely staff keep the kitchen open and a wood fire going. Our room is spacious but cold. We do have a portable heater but the ceiling is high. With extra blankets we are fine. |
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Day 12 Cuzco We have a full day in Cuzco and we start out with a free walking tour of the city. It takes a while to find our tour guide because he is not wearing the colors of company (inkamilkyway.com) But we eventually find him and only one other person is doing the tour with us, a Russian spending a year in South America. I love walking tour of the city. There is minimal work involve on my part except for making the children behave. We usually discover neat neighborhood on walking tours. We really enjoy the San Pedro market, tasting different fruits and nuts. We can even dig deeper in the history of the Incas and Pizzaro, Catholicism the religion of the conquerors versus the Inca gods. After the tour we were all excited to visit the Inka museum, but to our disappointment it was closed because of covid. Hours were not updates on the website. Normally, our children love museums and had good experiences in the Acropolis museums (has a treasure hunt!) and several ones in Paris. Our consolation was to go to the museum of chocolate and have the children do their own chocolate creations. Several baby llamas clean and decorated were paraded in the streets of Cuzco and of course my daughters needed to obligatory picture of a baby llama in their arms. Overall our visit in Cuzco was too short. We needed more time to explore and do a few museums. It is a gorgeous city and we much preferred it to Lima. |
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Day 13 Another early day departure. Our guide from All Ways Travel (titicacaperu.com) finds us just as we are finishing up breakfast. With no trains running, no direct flights, no Inka Express bus, our only option was a private transfer. Our guide and driver had driven the distance from Puno to Cuzco the day before. Despite the long distance both are grateful for work. Our guide comes from Amantani island and at the beginning of the pandemic went to Puno to learn English. Once fluent he was hired and opened his first bank account. He provides us with an intimate detail of the islander life. Marriage for example is to join the community on the island with the right to vote and be elected. Living with your significant other and children is not the driving force for getting married. Christianity is also more remote and the Inca gods play a more important role. Our guide had been living with his significant other for nine years and had a son. He recently bought a house on Amantani and was wanted now to get married to be accepted in the community politics and have a say about the common projects around the island (like building a paved walking road). Our van is very spacious, for at least 25 people but we are alone. It is very useful especially when the children want to sleep. The drive from Cuzco to Puno is 7 hours non stop but we have multiple stops following the same one done by the Inca express bus (the Sun Route). Frankly with all the stops and lunch break the day, the voyage went fast. We see the Andahuaylillas church (that didn’t impress us), the raqchi ruins (highly recommend as a stop), and stretch our legs at La Raya Pass (14,222 feet/4,335 meters). Our museum stop, Pucara is closed. Driving at a high altitude on this plateau, we are privileged to observe the agricultural daily life. The traditional clothes are worn daily, not just during parades and national holidays like some countries. On Amantani and Taquile islands on lake Titicaca, we witness this as well. There is a lot of pride in ones clothes and it says from which village one comes from. We checked in our hotel, the GHL hotel Lago Titicaca, our first modern hotel! It is warm, comfortable and the breakfast buffet splendid. Just don’t do laundry there: it is one of those places that charges per item instead per kilo like our cheap hotel in Aguas Calientes, the Inti Punctu. I ran in the same situation in Luang Prabang in Laos: the fancier the hotel, the more expensive the laundry is. And traveling with children and carry on only, we have a lot laundry to do when traveling. It is time once again to sort out our luggage. We are only bringing one carry-on with us on the island. There are no cars on Amantani. Whatever we bring, we have to be able to carry. The rest of our luggage will stay at the hotel in Puno. We also bought fruits for our host family (no fruit trees are able to grow on the island because of the altitude) and bread from Cuzco, called pan chuta. My husband has also a backpack full of toys for the children of our host family. |
More great stuff. You are not alone in wishing you had longer in Cusco, many do, there is just so much to see and it is a great palce just to wander the streets and see what you find. We stayed at Niños Meloc on our last visit and I too remember it being very cold! A great choice as they run a number of schools for underprivileged children from the revenues generated.
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I am looking forward to spending more time in Cuzco when I come back with my sister in law.
The Ninos hotel was mentioned a few times on this site and it did not disappoint. |
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https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...20190c9a9.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b379e15a4.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5f48098d3.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e699683b3.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ecc791184.jpeg Day 14 Floating Islands and Amantani island Excited to be on the water, we leave behind Puno. Our little boat is very comfortable with an indoor area, a bathroom, and an upper desk. In the high reeds, we catch a glimpse of a pig. Lake Titicaca is a large freshwater lake but around the shores of Puno, it seems small, almost swampy. We guess in the distance the remarkable Uros islands, made entirely of reeds. There are several primary schools interspersed amongst them. The Uros population is dwindling, and after witnessing the harshness of their daily lives, it is easy to understand. They are proud people our guide tells us, excellent fishermen, independent from the Incas as well as the current government. Lima’s influence seems so far away now. Adults and children alike are fascinated by the Uros islands. And while some might call it touristy, it is a way of life I have never encountered before and I am very grateful to be able to walk on one of these reed islands and talk to its habitants. When you walk, you feel the softness of the ground undulate slightly under your feet. We listen closely as we are taught how the inhabitants build the reed islands and maintain them. Two to three Uru families live on one floating island, and the island has to be maintained with additional reeds every three weeks. An Uro man takes a bite from one of the reed roots to demonstrate their comestible value. And of course, my daughters want to imitate him immediately. It tastes a bit like celery. The women of the island want to dress up our daughters in their traditional garments and our daughters are willing participants. Despite the social economic harshness that Covid brought on to their economic survival, we do not experience any hard sales. Products to buy are laid out. We bought a small toy boat made of reeds and a small purse. We boarded the traditional reed boat for a small ride. Our guide sets a fee for us; at the end, our navigator changes the price (not by a lot). I argue weakly and then let it go. Back on our modern boat, we leave the floating islands behind and navigate towards what seems to be a never-ending ocean. My five years old has difficulty understanding that this indeed is a lake. Far away in the distance we can guess the outlines of Taquile and Amantani islands. Our captain is from Taquile island and we learn that his clothes and especially his hat have to be just right for him to be able to score a bride. On Amantani island, we meet our “mama” , a stocky woman with a huge smile. She guides us to her house, climbing with agility up and up. Her house is lovely with a gorgeous flower garden. We are shown our rooms, and then congregate in the kitchen, the heart of the house. The kitchen is a low dark room that keeps the much-needed heat in; it is cold outside. We had requested to be hosted by a family with children. Two little shy heads peak around the corner. The Amantani little boys are 7 and 9 years old. The big sister is 15 and she is more self-assured. Since the pandemic with school online, she has to climb to the top of the mountain on Amantani island to get reception on her phone. Unfortunately, the phone battery doesn’t last all day, and she still ends up missing a good part of the curriculum despite her best efforts. She wants to become a physician and next year will have to live in Puno with family members to pursue her studies. I am delighted to encourage her further. We are served a delicious lunch of a hearty soup and an omelet. The sheep are back from the field and there are two newborn lambs. They are adorable and we take turns picking them up. My five years old gets extremely attached to one and is determined to bring it back with us in Florida. After inquiring about the price, only 15 dollars, we did buy it. It is eating our grass in our backyard as I type this. Just kidding. I promise her that we can always come back. My husband distributes the toys, but also school supplies to the children. The soccer ball is a huge hit. Soon all five children are playing volleyball with the soccer ball in the small courtyard. We also give our solar battery phone charger to the 15 years old for her online lessons on top of the mountain where there is reception. My husband thought he would need a solar battery charger on the Inca trail, but in the end we didn’t. Our guide encourages us to hike up the mountain to Pachamama’s temple. Even though our daughters have climbed the Inca trail, they are tired and whiny. They do not want to climb. I end up climbing with my five-year-old on my back and alternating with the guide carrying her as well. He is from Amantani island and you can tell that he loves his island very much as he talks fondly of his life here. The path was recently paved in 2020; it is easy to follow. There are no cars on Amantani, but there are a few rare motorbikes. There are also no dogs, because our guide tells us, they would eat too much, and meat is reserved for festivals. The islanders are mostly vegetarians. The pandemic has not caused any deaths or severe illnesses, he adds, and honestly with the lack of testing ability, it is difficult to gage how much it is or was present on Amantani. Observing the islanders, I see that they are hardy and healthy people; healthier than the Uru plagued with rheumatisms from living on the water, and obesity especially for the women who don’t walk far on their small reed island. In contrast, the Amantani people walk and climb for miles every day. Our guide tells us he used to walk 7 miles to school at the age of 5-year-old on his own. The sunset from the top of the mountain is beautiful, especially with the 360 panoramic views of the water. In the distance we guess Bolivia. With the night comes the low temperatures, and once again we put on our winter coats and wool hats. In the dark, we come back to our house for dinner. Our guide bid us goodbye. His house is on the other side of the island. Even for a hardened islander like him, it will still take him an hour to walk and hike to his house. It is nice in the kitchen with the family around the table. The children are curious and ask a lot of questions. They speak Quechua amongst themselves and learned Spanish in school. I translate as best as I can for my husband and children. There is electricity at the house and we briefly use it to change into our night clothes. The bathroom is in a separate building. If we don’t want to walk outside at night in the cold, a chamber pot is provided next to the bed. Plenty of blankets are given. The starry night is clear and full of constellations. The children are very happy to spend the night at the house. Falling asleep my eight-year-old says: “Those boys are so lucky to be living here.” My five-year-old answers: “I get to see my baby lamb again tomorrow. “ |
Thank you for continuing your report.
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https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8cb3037f3.jpeg Day 15 Taquile Island We wake up with the sunrise. With limited access to electricity, we went to bed not long after the sunset yesterday. There is something really nice about following the circadian rhythm so closely. My five year old runs to the sheep pen and start carrying around her pet lamb everywhere. After breakfast, we say goodbye to our host family. It is worth noting that we pay our host family directly, not through All Ways Travel (there is a separate fee for the guide and the transport to the islands paid to All Ways travel). In the past some families on Amantani were not paid by the various travel agencies that brought them travelers. It is important to select the right one. We leave on our boat once more, with the family waving goodbye. We are very close to Taquile Island, and soon we find ourselves climbing the vertical path on that island. We watch traditional dances. Knitting is exclusively performed by males. Their economy is based on collectivism and on the Inca moral code of do not steal, do not lie, do not be lazy. We return to Puno late afternoon and spend the night at the Sonesta Posadas del Inca. I had chosen it because it had it’s own llama herd. But the llamas are gone by the time we checked in and we liked the sister property GHL lago better where we spent our first night in Puno. |
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Day 16 Back to Lima Juliaca. The city of ill reputation is where our airport is located. It is according to our driver, the contraband capital and largest source of cocaine smuggling. Through the relative safety of our car, we see the streets littered with garbage and crumbling concrete buildings. The airport in contrast is modern, safe and empty. Our hotel in Lima, the Faraona Grand hotel is located in Miraflores. We love our neighborhood but the room is cold and a bit dated. The reception is able to give us a tiny space heater. That night we dine at Astrid and Gastón. We are lucky that Astrid is visiting her restaurant. My 8 year old recognizes her from one of her portrait in the restaurant and she is so excited! Great food, great service. A fun night before our departure tomorrow! Day 17 We have a easy day today. Our flight to the USA is a red eye and it not departing until 10:30pm. I booked the hotel for two nights, so we get to keep the room until it is time to leave to the airport that evening. We walk a bit around miraflores. There is a street with photographs exposing events around the worlds. We are happy to see another side of Lima , not just from an airport hotel. Flight is uneventful going home. |
What a fantastic trip! Thank you so much for the detailed trip report, it brought back a lot of memories of our travels in Peru. You did well to reach the top of the mountain on Taquile. I can recall my wife getting sick on that ascent despite having been at altitude in Cusco for several months.
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Thank you for reading and following my journey.
Writing it also allows me to reflect back. It was challenging at moments. Different than just going to France for a week (which we did later that summer, where I didn’t plan a thing except bicycle, drink wine and visit castles). I am so glad we went. I miss the adventure, the surprises that come with exploring. |
Great memories, fantastic photos.
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Thank you for reading along!
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