With the main goal of our Peruvian adventure being my hike to Machu Picchu, documented in my previous post, I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t discuss the other wonderful experiences we shared as a family. We began our adventure at 11,152 feet in Cusco. The city was bustling with the annual Inti Raymi only a few days away. The Inti Raymi, or sun festival, is the Incan celebration of the winter solstice. People were coming to Cusco from all over the world to experience the festival. The Inti Raymi starts in Cusco with the Incan king proclaiming the celebration to be held at the fortress of Saqsaywaman, at 12,142 feet above the city of Cusco. It was a once in a lifetime experience watching locals celebrating their history. Everyone was dressed in the brilliant colors of Peru.

We had several days to explore Cusco and attempt to acclimate to the altitude and lack of oxygen. Coca tea was provided at every opportunity especially breakfast. It is rumored to help with the altitude. I wouldn’t be able to say scientifically if it helped or not, but the three of us escaped any significant altitude issues. I personally felt that significant water intake was equally important. Our lips stayed chapped. My videos of the trip are on YouTube if you search Dennis Thrasher.

We had wonderful days exploring the cathedral, museums, Incan palace, shops and the food, oh the food. All of the restaurants received fresh produce daily from local farmers. The food was truly special in each restaurant we visited. We had our first Cuy (guinea pig) and alpaca steak along with wonderful stews, potatoes and fresh breads. It was an easy walk downhill to the main plaza followed by a difficult uphill walk back due to the lack of oxygen. We would rest by stopping in the local shops to explore. The hotel provided oxygen in our room to ease our tired bodies to sleep.

Following the Inti Raymi, our trip continued into the Sacred Valley for magnificent views of the mostly agricultural region. Mt. Veronica, the area’s highest peak, loomed in the distance at 18,642 feet.

We visited several interesting sites in the Sacred Valley. Along with the magnificent views, we visited a large salt mine and an Incan agriculture experiment station called Moray. The Inca had learned that each tier of their terracing had a slightly different ecosystem. They experimented with what grew best in the different areas. It’s possible they even used this site to genetically modify crops.

We had time to visit a local shop that specialized in naturally dyed alpaca wool products. All the brilliant colors of Peru were made using various natural items and techniques. Needless to say, the locals parted us from some of our money.

We worked our way to the end of the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo is a charming village complete with its own set of Incan ruins and stunning mountain views. Ollantaytambo is completely walkable. You can stroll the stone streets and shop, eat or visit a couple sets of ruins.

After a nice day in Ollantaytambo, our family separated the next morning. I left early the next morning to hike KM104 (details in my previous post) while the ladies had a free day to shop and explore to their hearts content. They would leave by train later in the day so we could meet up at our Aguas Calientes hotel. It is important to note that luggage is not allowed on the train. We each packed a backpack with a few clothes and toiletries and left our luggage in hotel storage. One of our tour team members picked up our luggage and returned it to our original Cusco hotel.

The family made their way to the Aguas Calientes hotel later that evening to find me washed and completely collapsed in the bed. They thought I was dead – ye of little faith. Dinner and Pisco Sours were included with our hotel. The Pisco Sours eased the leg pain. The morning would bring our greatest adventure. A full tour of Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu is one of the new wonders of the world and an UNESCO world heritage site. It is truly a special place that you could explore endlessly. We had most of the day to explore before returning to town for dinner and shopping. Our evening train would return us to our Cusco hotel. We would spend one last night in Cusco before boarding a flight to Puerto Maldonado, the beginning of the Amazon River.

We left our original guide and driver at the Cusco airport. Once we landed at the small airstrip in Puerto Maldonado, we were picked up by hotel staff and taken to the docks. We boarded long, skinny river boats to make our way down the river to our jungle cabana. We would have two and a half days to explore the Amazon Jungle. We were shown our three walled jungle cabana and assigned a naturalist almost immediately. We took a short hike with our naturalists where he explained all of the plants and animals we encountered. We returned for a 5 star dinner complete with beer and wine. The hotel ran on generator power that was turned on and off at specific times. They turned off the power while we were on tours. They would restore the power at meal times and until about midnight.

During our stay, we had a night river cruise to see cayman, a jungle hike, a lake boat ride to see rare giant river otters, a jungle canopy tour and a night jungle hike. We found a tarantula nest during the night hike.

We said our goodbyes as we worked our way back up the river to the airport for our last stop before returning home. We had 24 hours in Lima before we were done.

We were met at the Lima airport by our new guide and driver. Lima was much more cosmopolitan than the rural Cusco. They took us to the last hotel of our stay. We walked to the closest plaza and enjoyed our first ceviche, raw seafood slightly cooked in citrus juice mixed with onions and peppers. The following morning we had a half day tour of Lima before our return home. We explored the cathedral that held Francisco Pizarro’s remains, the catacombs and the famous Love Park before our night flight back to the US.

Peru is not to be left off your bucket list. We found the people warm and inviting. The food rivals anywhere in the world. The views were endless and beautiful. Do yourself a favor and plan this trip now.