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Peru

June - July 2016
A 17-day adventure by Jacalyn Read more
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  • Jacalyn BishopPeru
    Day 1

    The countdown begins!

    June 24, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    T minus 18 hours! Last minute packing still to come. Really just testing this app. 😀

  • Jacalyn BishopPeru
    Day 3

    5 steps from the airport!

    June 26, 2016 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We made it! On time (11:15p), smooth flight into Lima. We had been advised, prior to the trip, to wait for Dave at baggage claim before meeting up with the tour representative. Despite our fatigue, we did as told. Dave's flight was scheduled for, and came in from LA, an hour after ours. I figured we'd be driving some ways to the hotel since we were told to go as a group. So we all headed out of the airport, walked across the street and 50 steps to our left into the lobby of our hotel! Oh well, what's an extra hour in baggage claim at midnight?!
    Welcome to 'darkest Peru!'    Read more

  • Jacalyn BishopPeru
    2
    Day 4

    The Amazon Rain Forest - Day 1

    June 27, 2016 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We flew into Puerto Maldonado on Sunday and made our way, by bus then boat, to Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica resort. We had read, and prepared for, limited luggage weight allowance on the boat, but we were able to bring our full bags. The resort is fantastic. We have our own cabin with its very own set of hammocks to laze away the hours when we are not exploring the jungle. No electricity from 3p to 6p and no WiFi so very peaceful. There are Agouti running around like squirrels (related to Guinea pigs - pic below).
    We took a night boat tour on Sunday night, looking for White Caimans (small alligator like creatures), and Capibara - biggest rodents in the world. We saw both. At one point we sat in silence in the middle of the Madre De Dios river, tributary off the Amazon, listening to the night sounds and appreciating the incredible night sky. A memorable moment!
    Monday we got a wake up knock at 5am. By 6:30 we'd eaten and were back in the boat. (Most excursions start with a boat trip). Our guide's name is Paulo. We took a 2 mile hike into the jungle to Lake Sandoval where we got back into a boat and had the rare and incredible experience of watching river otters find and eat fish while Red Howler monkeys rested above them in the trees. We also saw many Black Caiman, birds, and a snake too.
    After lunch and a short rest at our room, we headed out on a hike to the canopy walk. We saw many very cool palm trees, including the fascinating erotic tree that is believed to have Viagra like effects (pics on other camera!) and the tree that's covered in red ants and has been used to torture filanderers and other criminals by tying them naked to the tree.
    The canopy walk was great - high above the jungle floor. We took a boat back to the resort and then played cards with Dave. At 6:30 we headed out for a night nature walk. We saw 2 types of tarantulas, an opossum, and owl monkeys (also called night monkeys because they are the only nocturnal monkey in the world). Dinner in the lodge afterward was very good.    Read more

  • Jacalyn BishopPeru
    Day 5

    The Amazon Rain Forest - Day 2

    June 28, 2016 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Up at 5:30 for breakfast and day trip to Lake Valencia. We went with an older couple from Wales who are lovely people. Started with a 2 hour boat ride and then, after a pit stop at the side of the river, we started fishing for piranha. The piranha were everywhere and ate the meat off our hooks way more often then they ate the hook! (But we still caught a ton!) A black juvenile Caiman was very interested in us at 1 point. (see pic).
    Our personal chef on this adventure cooked our piranha and a beautiful array of other food which we ate in a screened-in hut at the side of the lake. We ate off of large banana leaves. Food was delicious (though piranha are a bit too bony for my taste).
    The weather has been perfect in the Amazon. High 70s mostly and overcast in the morning so we avoid the intense sun and can wear long clothes to protect from the bugs.
    On the boat ride back, we found a sloth (our goal for this trip! 😊). Boat ride back was long and cold. We had dinner at the lodge, played some cards and went to sleep. Tomorrow, we fly to Cusco.    Read more

  • Jacalyn BishopPeru
    Day 6

    Puerto Maldonado to Cusco

    June 29, 2016 in Peru ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    We left the resort by boat this morning and then took a bus to the airport with a short stop at a butterfly farm. Our flight left at 1:35 and we were in Cusco an hour later. We were met there by our guide, Yahayra. We then traveled an hour through the Andes mountains to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We stopped at Ollantaytambo, an Inca archeological site in the town by the same name. The design and workmanship is very impressive for walls built in the 1400s - up to 60 ton stones make up the high walls with protection against earthquakes built in! Much of the architecture was destroyed in the Spanish conquest of Peru in the early 1500s.
    We then went to our hotel, Pakaritampu, which was just minutes away. The exterior is very nice and the rooms are basic but fine. Chilly in the rooms though! We had an excellent dinner at the hotel. Dave got Alpaca - a common Peruvian meat. It tasted like a firm mild sausage to me. No more Alpaca for me though. They are just too cute! We spent the remainder of the evening enjoying our WiFi connection 😊.    Read more

  • Jacalyn BishopPeru
    11
    Day 7

    Ollantaytambo

    June 30, 2016 in Peru ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Today we toured the Sacred Valley of the Incas. First we went to Awanacancha where they farm Llama, alpacas and related cameloids. They dye and weave the animal hair and create a variety of intricate tapestries. Ken purchased a scarf made of baby alpaca wool and we also bought a small tapestry for the wall. Prices were expensive, so we had to stop ourselves there!
    Next we stopped to take a picture of the beautiful valley. On our way to the next stop, our van was stopped by inspectors who were unhappy that our driver (Cero) was missing a maintenance log of his vehicle. Our tour guide was angry since we had already been cleared by inspectors on the way up and she made sure these inspectors knew it! She is feisty! After 10 minutes or so, they let us go on our way.
    We drove to the Pisac archeological site, an old Incan city, much of which has been rebuilt since the Spanish invasion and destruction in the late 1400s. Many Incan cities were built on top of mountains to avoid jungal tribes and to keep watch over the entire area and avoid invasion.
    Next we had a short stop at the Pisac market - a craft market with many vendors. We were impressed by both the overall quality of the items as well as the lack of nagging by the vendors. We found a couple of items for Addey (so easy to shop for!)
    We had a late lunch at Wayra restaurant at the Sol y Luna cafe where we had an included buffet style Peruvian feast. It was fantastic (minus the cow's heart that we were only told about after we ate a bite)! For the record, the flavor wasn't bad but the consistancy was strange.
    We were dropped off at our hotel and then walked up to the small town square. We covered the whole thing in about 1/2 an hour and walked back to the hotel.
    We played some cards and had a sampling of Peruvian chocolate for dinner - my kind of dinner! 😊. Too full from lunch for anything more! Tomorrow, horse back riding...    Read more

  • Jacalyn BishopPeru
    Day 8

    Sacred Valley Horse Tour

    July 1, 2016 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Today we rode Peruvian Paso horses through the Sacred Valley of the Andes mountains. The views were stunning! Our tour guide for today and tomorrow's adventures is Willy. He is very nice and knowledgeable.
    We rode an hour out, to Moray, a huge earthwork that is essentially circular stacked levels of earth used by the Incas as a testing ground for plants. There is a significant temperature difference from the top to the bottom and therefore different plants thrived at different levels.
    We had lunch in a tent overlooking the valley. Not a bad picnic spot! Food was made by a chef who works for the today's tour company and it was delicious - beef, quinoa, veggies and apple pie for dessert.
    On the way back we were able to ride a bit faster, but despite our understanding that Paso horses have a particularly smooth gate, it felt just like a trot to me! May have a sore behind tomorrow but still very much worth it!
    Next we went to the Maras salt mines - 3000 small pools of mountainous salty spring water that are dried so that water evaporates and leaves salt. We bought some pink salt on our way out which is supposed to be great for BBQ.
    We rested at the hotel in the late afternoon and ate dinner at the hotel. Dave had the Peruvian delicacy of fried Guinea pig (for $20!). Ken and I opted not to try it. There wasn't much meat there to try! And they included a shot of anise afterwards to "help the stomach" after eating it. More card games after dinner and off to bed...    Read more

  • Jacalyn BishopPeru
    Day 9

    The Urubamba River

    July 2, 2016 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We left at 9am for our river rafting excursion. The temperature, when we left, was in the 60s and the idea of rafting in bathing suits in 40 degree water was not exciting! As it turned out, we had long wetsuits and a windbreaker over it, both provided by our guide, and the cold was not an issue. The rafting was great! We spent about an hour in level 1 to 3 rapids and then stopped at the side of the river for lunch. We ate at a restaurant near the shore which was very good. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day for Peruvians, which we are enjoying especially after a full morning of activity. We had Peruvian cola with our lunch, known as Inca Cola - a lot like Rock N' Rye.
    We were driven back to our hotel at about 2pm. It would have been ideal to leave tonight for Aguas Calientas (near Machu Picchu) but our tour operator must have thought the rafting excursion took longer than it did. We walked into the small town square again though not much to see or do. Then we rested at the hotel until dinner. Adventurers that we are, we ate at the hotel again!    Read more

  • Jacalyn BishopPeru
    2
    Day 10

    Machu Picchu

    July 3, 2016 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    What a day! Took the 8:30 Peru Rail train 🚈 to Aguas Calientes with our guide, Yaharya. We had seats on the left side of the train which is ideal for seeing the gorgeous views on the way. They served drinks and sandwiches, and the ride took 1.5 hours. At the train station we gave our overnight bags to porters who took the luggage to our hotel (Inkaterra). In the meantime, we walked a short distance in town to catch a bus to go the 1/2 hour up the mountain to Machu Picchu.
    I've heard from several people that, even with all the hype, you can't help but be overcome by the Incan city that was never destroyed by invading armies. They were right.
    When you turn the corner and see the city, it's awe inspiring!
    Yaharya gave us a 2 hour informative tour of this Incan city that was shared with the world after 'discovery' by an American history professor from Yale in 1911.
    We ate an included buffet lunch at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge. Afterwards, Yaharya left us to head back to Cusco (4 hours back! And only to come with a different group tomorrow).
    We headed back into the archeological site to take the Sun Gate hike. An hour up and difficult but absolutely worth it! The views were stunning. The Sun Gate is the entrance from the Inca trail into Machu Picchu. I was far less winded on the hike then I anticipated and was proud of my accomplishment. 😊
    I forgot to mention that we were accompanied on our hike by our red bull-pig. We forgot our Wandering pig at home and had to buy a stand-in. No red pigs at the markets so we opted for a red bull (to go with the red hippo-pig we had to buy in Africa)! 🐷🐂
    Dave did the hike in his water shoes that he's been wearing since the Amazon when his hiking shoes literally fell apart. It's surprisingly difficult to find a pair of hiking shoes in the small cities of Peru! His water shoes have been holding up great though.
    After the bus ride back down the mountain we walked to our hotel, another Inkaterra. The hotel is beautiful and our room is impressive. (I'm running out of adjectives for this trip I think!)
    We were a mess so we took showers before going out to explore the grounds. Then we had dinner which was included in our stay and which was delicious. Very impressed with Inkaterra resorts. Too bad they are only in Peru!    Read more

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