After a year of planning 5 friends and I departed for a wonderful 19 day tour of Peru. I booked all of our hotels, transportation within Peru, private guides, and tours with Enjoy Peru. They did a wonderful job arranging transportation- private van, bus, train, and flights within Peru, made suggestions on some of the things we might want to see, and were especially helpful in setting the flow of the trip, gradually increasing the altitude. Our guides were very knowledgeable and accommodating. I would highly recommend them. And the price was very good!
Lima
Arriving late in the evening, a representative from Enjoy Peru was waiting for us as soon as we exited from customs. We were driven by private van to our hotel. Check in was fast and we made arrangements to leave our luggage the next day at the hotel, so we would only take a small bag with us to the rain forest. We would be returning here in a couple of days. A good nights rest and we were refreshed. Breakfast was included at the hotel, and afterwards we had time to walk around a bit - the hotel was well situated in Miraflores, numerous restaurants, a casino, and only a few blocks to the ocean. We left in the early afternoon for Iquitos. Again our driver at the hotel was exactly on time and off we went to the airport.
Lima-Iquitos-Amazon Rain Forest – ExploraNapo Lodge
A pleasant flight and we arrived in Iquitos, we were met by a driver and taken to the hotel, where we spent the night. This isolated city, some 2,300 miles from the Atlantic Ocean is considered the most inland port for ocean going ships. It was here, during the turn of the century, that rubber barons built their mansions. Today however, it is a crowded, rather dirty city, with high unemployment, but it was our starting off point for our Amazon adventure. We were met the next morning by our Amazon guide, Percy, and boarded a boat for the ExploraNapo Lodge. Percy was an amazing guide and really made our stay memorable.
Soon we were cruising past thatch-roofed houses and dugout canoes. We rode the boat to a land-bridge portage about 25 miles downstream, where we took small three-wheeled motorcycle taxis to another smaller boat on the other side of the land bridge.
Only two passengers were allowed in the taxi, so we had to take three taxis for the six of us in our group, a fourth taxi for our luggage, plus a motorcycle for our guide. We continued on by this smaller boat to our rustic but comfortable ExploraNapo Lodge about 100 miles downstream from Iquitos.
We stayed here for 2 nights and had a marvelous time. Each day we rode through the tributary streams looking for wildlife. We saw numerous kinds of birds, including parrots and toucans; monkeys, sloths, pink dolphins, and even a capybara. The Amazon is only one of 5 places in the world where there are fresh water dolphins and we couldn't believe our luck when they frolicked for us. We fished for piranha and ate our catch for dinner.
We visited the ACEER facility, a research center in the middle of the rainforest, where we climbed the swinging canopy walkway 150 feet above the forest floor at its highest point. You would walk a bridge and then stop at the tree it was connected to and could stand on the platforms there and look around. There was a separate bridge for bird watchers. Saw monkeys, toucans, other birds, Afterwards we stopped at the lodge and were greeted with fans and a cold beer. It sure tasted great after our walk through the forest and our climb! Percy arranged for us to visit a small one room school - the children brought out a world map and asked us to show them where we lived. They were very impressed when we showed them Michigan and pointed out the Great Lakes on the map. They of course, are dependent on the waters of the Amazon and have a great love and respect for the water. The children sang songs for us and we in turn sang "Old MacDonald" for them. We were sorry to say goodbye to the rain forest, but looked forward to our next adventure.
Lima – Ballarius Islands - Nazca Lines
After arriving back in Lima, we toured the downtown area and the Museum of Archeology, which gave us a good overview of the history of Peru – pre-Inca, Inca and Colonial periods.
The following morning we left early about 4:00am to drive along the Pan American Highway to Bellarius Islands where we saw penguins, numerous kinds of birds, and seals and the giant candelabra carved in the sand, much like a Nazca drawing. After lunch we drove on to Nazca, about a 3 hour ride, where we boarded a small plane to fly over the lines – absolutely amazing!
I was sorry that the flight wasn’t longer and that we couldn’t walk out to see the drawings. With such a full day, we welcomed an early bedtime. There is only the small airport in Nazca, not large enough for a commercial flight-so it is a bit difficult to get there. There is a commercial airport not to far away, that you could fly into, if time was short, just to see the lines.
Nazca - Aeroquipa - Colca Canyon
Again an early morning departure, 7:00am to continue our drive to Aeroquipa. The drive along the Pan American highway was wonderful - desert, crashing surf, curves and hills, and then a green fertile farm area. These occasional green areas were irrigated and provided a startling scenery change. This was a long drive, but we were very comfortable in our private van and had a great driver. Although Lawrence didn’t speak a great deal of English, we could converse, with our smattering of Spanish and his limited English. We drove along a huge ditch for a period of time, and then Lawrence told us it was an earthquake fault. Peru is no stranger to earthquakes and has over 80 volcanoes. We stopped for lunch and then continued on. Upon arrival in Aeroquipa we were met by our guide, Francisco, and given the itinerary for the next couple of days. After our long drive, we relaxed, drank some of the coco tea-to help with the altitude, went out for dinner and then to bed. Our guide met us with a new van and driver in the morning and we began our tour of Aeroquipa.
Francisco took us to a picturesque overlook in the middle of the city. Now one sees why Aeroquipa is considered the most beautiful city in Peru. The 14,000 hectares (2 ½ acres = 1 hectare) of terraced farms – brilliant greens – right in the middle of the city. The land stays rich and fertile because of the volcanic ash and crop rotation. Above the city in the hills are shanties that are put up each night as people leave the country side and come to the city hoping to find work. Sadly, the unemployment rate is over 30% and it is unlikely many will find a job. There are 26,000 cabs in the city. According to Francisco, a lot of the drivers are accountants, doctors, lawyers, dentists, etc. We also ask about a large modern building that dominates the opposite hillside. It belongs to Opus Dei! That stops all of us in our tracks. They have established this significant structure and are, according to our guide, an arrogant presence in this city. We visited St. Catalina’s convent which occupies 6 acres. It is so big that it even has streets with names. Tradition tells us that the second child was promised to church service either the seminary or the convent. Girls would enter at the age of 12. The girls were in cells as novices for 4 years. The family paid a dowry – 1,250 pesos, and they would pay for their daughter’s servants, room and food. The site and size of the nun’s apartment depended on the wealth of the family. The suites (which they moved into after 4 years) had a kitchen, a sitting room and a bedroom. The servants, of course slept on the floor in some corner or other room. There was a lot of hanky-panky going on between the nuns and priests. In the late 19th century the Mother Superior ended all of the private apartments and servants. All the nuns moved into a dorm and with no more servants they began taking all those menial tasks upon themselves! Can you imagine being a nun before that and then having this happen! In 1970 there were only about 28 nuns left and they were in bad shape due to primitive conditions so the government stepped in and they now have running water and electricity and health care. The convent is beautiful. It turns out our guide is Francisco’s sister. After visiting the convent we drove out of town to see a beautiful old hacienda that is now rented out for parties and we visit a 700 year old mill that is still used to grind grain. Our day of sightseeing in Aeroquipa ends with dinner and early to bed.
We are off early this morning to Chivay where we spend the night before continuing on to Colca Canyon to see the condors. The paved road runs out and it is now dirt and stones. It is bumpy. That is kind! The week before there had been a strike in this part of the country. According to Francisco, the people were upset that the road had not been completed even though the money had supposedly been allocated for a long time. So the people went to Arequipa to make their case. They also put a lot of rocks across the road making it in accessible. The government agreed to finish the road, so the rocks were removed – half of them that is. So you had this bumpy weaving thing going on as we made our way up and down the mountains to Chivay. The ride was through the dessert, naturally. We pass herds of alpaca, llamas, vicunas and flocks of sheep with their shepherds. As we enter the Colca Valley region and see Chivay in the valley below we run across an elderly couple who are herding llama’s. Anyway the traditional soulis pass hands and pictures are taken. We also give them the remainder of our box lunches. It will probably feed them for a couple of days. She puts them in the traditional Andean back-pack, a huge blanket somehow folded and tied around her shoulders. We get to the Casa Andina Hotel in Chivay. It is very pretty. We have coca tea to help with the altitude and go lie down for 2 hours to allow our bodies to adjust. We go to Pinchollo for a short tour of the Inca ruins there and to see the oldest church in the region. This one is relatively plain compared to the others. Dinner was a buffet of regional foods and entertainment. There is a 5 piece band that consists of pipes and drum. The pipes look like “pan” pipes. But they are doubled and are of varying lengths, the longer the pipes the deeper the sound. There are also 2 dancers and their 3 year old daughter who dances some of the dances with them. All are in native dress. The daughter is beautiful. It is only later in the evening when she is dancing with one of the guests that you see how her smile turns on when he looks at her and is gone the second he looks elsewhere. How quickly they learn. Another early departure for Colca Canyon - to be there in time to see the condors....what a sight!
Just as if the flights are calculated - the condors catch the morning air and soar from deep within the canyon to above our heads. They were really as large as the books say they are - quite amazing. After this, we leave and head back to Aeroquipa - although the ride did seem shorter, or maybe it was just that we were accustomed to the bumps.
Aeroquipa - Cusco
Our flight today was in the afternoon, so before we left the downtown area, we strolled over to the museum which houses Junanita, the Ice Maiden. As you may know she was discovered a few years ago, when the ice melted on top of one of the many mountains, exposing her remains. Juanita has been well cared for, and has been studied by many scientists, helping them to better understand the Incas. She is moved from the museum for a period of about 2 months, I believe in February and March, to be checked to be sure that no damage has occurred. The museum is small and the presentation is very well done, giving you a glimpse into what it might have been like then.
The flight to Cusco was very comfortable but because of the late arrival, we rushed to view a few of the sites within the city. Afterwards we went to a folklore show - the food was really quite good and we enjoyed the show.
Cusco - The Sacred Valley - Machu Pichu
An early departure this morning to travel along the Sacred Valley. We saw so much that it's really hard to detail it all. The many terraced mountains and Inca and pre Inca ruins. Some of the building blocks were mammouth - how they were done so that the stones fit so precisely no one knows. We lunched at a beautiful hacienda on the banks of a river - quite a beautiful spot and a welcome retreat after our hard day. I would suggest that this be done in 2 days, since we didn't get back to our hotel until 7:30 in the evening -- a tired group!
An early morning departure and off we were to the train station to board our train to Machu Pichu. There are three trains from Cusco to Machu Pichu: The Backpacker, the VistaDome, and the Orient Express. The VistaDome (which we took) is only a few dollars more than the Backpacker, very comfortable seats, nice service and the views were spectacular. It's a long ride but oh so worth while. We arrived at Aqua Callentas and I was a bit surprised. The train pulled to a stop, we got off and were standing on train tracks. Well, a storm last year washed out the "train station" (it is being repaired), so you get off the train and walk the tracks. Porters met us at the tracks to take our bags to the Machu Pichu Pueblo hotel, and our guide rushed us to the bus stop to board the bus which takes you up to Machu Pichu. I'm not sure how far it was - maybe five to six miles up, but a beautiful ride, curves and always climbing. A large crowd was already at the entrance, but we quickly went through and began our tour. The first real view of Machu Pichu, is absolutely spectacular.
It is exactly as the travel pictures show, but even more impressive. As I stood and viewed the scene, tears actually formed. I had just gone through a hard year - the planning of this trip helped to keep me focused - this was the cumulation - I was so thankful to be standing there! We strolled around the site when we began seeing several people who were ill, then just as quickly one of our members became ill. John couldn't walk - luckily our guide was able to get help to him - a stretcher was brought, and he was put on oxygen for about a half hour. A very nice rescue station is there, and is used frequently - it's the altitude. We saw at least 5 people who were ill - in varying degrees. It appears that the altitude sickness is very indescriminate. Young or old, fit or unfit, it doesn't seem to matter. So you have no way to prepare for it, except to try and acclamate yourself by slowly moving to higher elavations and as you reach each higher elavation, slow down for a few hours until your body adjusts.
We had our lunch at the Orient Express Hotel at Machu Pichu, you can overnight here also, but it is very expensive. It is the only hotel at Machu Pichu, which would allow you to see the site itself at sunrise and sundown, but we opted to go back to Aqua Callentas and stayed at the Machu Pichu Pueblo. There are much less expensive hotels in this small town but we loved this hotel. After our long day, we felt like royalty when we saw our rooms. White rooms with beamed ceilings, luxurious bath towels, robes, slippers, and a 5 course dinner with wine was included. The next morning we had a great breakfast and took a tour through the gardens of the hotel which I found quite delightful. We had a leisurely morning, checked out of the hotel, then had lunch in town before boarding the train back to Cusco. On the trip back to Cusco, the crew put on a fashion show, featuring alpaca and llama sweaters (which you could purchase). A delightful way to end a busy tour and a memory for a lifetime.
Cusco - Puno - Lake Titicaca
We were sorry to leave Cusco behind. I would highly recommend spending a couple of days here! There are many things to see and we rushed an awful lot into a couple of days. We took the IncaExpress tour bus out of Cusco to Puno. It's a long bus ride, but stops along the way at several Inca and pre-Inca sites, and also a full lunch is provided.
The drive was really beautiful scenery and you gradually climb hgher and higher which is a good way to acclimate to the higher altitude, a perfect way to see the Peruvian Altiplano. We were met at the bus station in Puno by our guide and private van, taken to our hotel and given our schedule for the next day, our tour of Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca covers 3,305 square miles of the southern highlands (altiplano) of Peru, on the border between Peru and Bolivia. It is the largest lake in South America, and at 11,500 feet above sea level, the largest lake in the world above 6,500 feet. At this altitude the lake shines an iridescent blue through the clear sunlight - a beautiful complement to the red and brown-hued hills of the altiplano. The combination makes quite an enchanting picture. After breakfast our van took us to the boat dock, where we boarded a boat and went to the reed islands.
The Uros Indians have lived on these island for years and the islands themselves are man made, built from reeds. Walking on these man-made islands was rather a strange feeling, they were squishy - well what else would one expect? After our visit with Uros, we continued by boat to the island of Taquile. The men of Taquile are easily recognized by their nightcap-like woolen hats, which they are constantly knitting. On the island, you will find quaint squares, rolling trails, a few pre-Inca ruins, simple houses and terraces, gorgeous scenery, and not much else. The island does not have electricity, roads, cars, hotels, or dogs. Island families will welcome you to stay a night in their home, or you can walk a ways to the far side of the island and camp. The view of the Cordillera Real mountain range across the huge, silent lake is worth the trip. But be aware that to get to the village you must climb up 863 feet from the boat dock. Everything is carried up to the village and at this height the uphill climb is gruelling and coming down is even more difficult. I can truthfully say this was the hardest thing I have physically done in my life - I just couldn't breath - but I did it and the view of the mountain range really was worth the effort. Our tour guide on this portion of our trip was Charo. She was absolutely fantastic. She knew the history, the flora, the fauna, and spoke perfect English!
Lake Titicaca - Lima
On our way to the airport we visited a local farm. We made a donation to purchase a llama to be given to one of the farmers in the area. The farmer that receives the llama must then give one baby llama to another farmer, thus promoting the farms and helping them to grow. A very worthwhile idea I think. Similar programs are being done in other countries with goats and cows. We said our goodbyes to Chara and boarded our flight back to Lima. The flight was quite wonderful; we flew over many volcanoes and could actually see the craters - very impressive. Arrived back at the Lima airport, where our driver and guide were waiting. I'm just amazed at how punctual everyone has been on this trip.
Lima
The following morning we had a special treat. A friend of a friend, arranged for us to go to a private home, which houses an unbelievable collection of Peruvian artifacts, art, silver, and gold. This home is in Miraflores, the owner is of Italian descent. He moved to Peru as a young man prior to World War II. His collection is so great that he has been given a special standing with the Peruvian government, and his collection is now held in trust, and will continue to be available for viewing by the public even after he dies. This collection is in a private home, arrangements must be made in advance to view it - the owner will arrange to have an English speaking interpreter present - and probably no more than 6people could see it at one time. This is an amazing collection! A perfect ending to our perfect trip. After our tour (the hotel arranged for our taxi ride there and pickup) we had nice lunch, and then upon returning to the hotel for checkout, they surprised us with a day room for our use, until we left that evening for the airport. We left for the airport that evening a little sad - we had had such a wonderful trip, seen so many sights and met so many nice people, that we felt a tug at our hearts.
A wonderful trip!
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