10 Days in Peru
On Wednesday, October 12, we arrived in Lima, Peru! We had just enough time to grab some lunch and drop our bags before going on a walking tour of the historical district. While this tour won’t go down in the books as one of the best, we enjoyed walking through the busy (heavily trafficked) streets, marveling at the colorful buildings and the post office where you drop your mail off by placing it into the mouth of a lion.
The next morning, we flew to Puerto Maldonado airport and met Harry, the guide who would be by our side for the next 3 days in the Amazon Rainforest. We rode by shuttle bus and then boat and then walked uphill for 20 minutes to get to our new home in the middle. of. the. jungle. The girls are very excited to post about their time in the rainforest, so I won’t write anything more. :)
On Sunday, October 16, and not a minute too soon, we left the rainforest and headed to Cusco. What a beautiful town in the valley of the Andes! It is full of people and alpacas and vendors selling their wares among buildings built by Incas. We had dinner on the second floor of a restaurant overlooking the bustling town square (Plaza de Armas) that was surrounded by twinkling lights on the mountain.
The next morning, we met Fabricio, another amazing guide-turned-friend, for a full day tour.
We started by exploring the Plaza de Armas by day, visiting museums and cathedrals, learning about the history of Cusco and the architecture of the Incas (see Reese demonstrating that a wider base and a narrower top helps with stability during earthquakes).
We drove to Puka Pukara, where we walked through the Incan fortress of walls, terraces, and tunnels.
As dark clouds began to roll in, we ducked into Manos de la Comunidad, where we learned about llamas and alpacas, and then enjoyed a demonstration about dyeing wool in a variety of colors using the termites that live on cacti and different seeds, fruits, and plants, as local artisans weaved at their looms.
Our last stop was Sacsayhuaman, where the Festival of the Sun is held.
On Tuesday, Freddy was our guy!
He brought us through the Sacred Valley, pulling over periodically so that we could enjoy the incredible vistas, each one more impressive than the next. As we drove, he explained to us the importance of agriculture to this community, and the massive amounts of corn, quinoa, and beans harvested in the region.
Then we visited two separate ruins: the Qoricancha ruins and then the Ollantaytambo ruins. Considering we climbed to an altitude of 3,514 meters, and logged nearly 100 flights of stairs and 15,000 steps that afternoon, we considered it our training day for Machu Picchu.
And lastly, we wandered through the cobblestone streets of Pisac, visiting the markets and bargaining for souvenirs.
That night we stayed at a lovely hotel in the Sacred Valley that had its own planetarium and resident astronomer! During the hour long activity, we were able to look through a massive telescope to see Saturn and Pluto, golden stars and turquoise (!!) stars.
On Wednesday morning, we rode on the PeruRail to the town of Agues Calientes. We unloaded unnecessary items at our hotel, and then boarded the shuttle bus to Machu Picchu. After a 25 minute anxiety-inducing ride, switchbacking up the side of a mountain far too close to the edge, we arrived! All of us were incredulous. We watched a wonderful documentary about Machu Picchu before we left home, but were still blown away by its magnitude and magnificence. It is a marvel of engineering and architecture. It truly is a wonder of the world! We had a 3-hour tour with Peter on Wednesday, and then hiked Montaña Machu Picchu on our own the following day.
All of us absolutely loved our time in Peru, and we are sad to see our 10 days in this spectacular country come to an end.