Details are Hazy
My trip to Peru was in May 2011, many years before I began my travel blog, so details may be a little blurry. The good news is, I took so many photos on this trip – probably the most I’ve ever taken during one journey. They will help me piece everything together and I’ll be able to give you at least a general skeleton-story and timeline of this grand Peruvian adventure. I will probably miss the specific names of many of the sacred sights, but we can enjoy the photos. Overall, this was a pretty robust trip and only my 17th country – it was during my very early days of traveling and well before I made the decision to see every country in the world.
My first night was obviously in the capital, Lima. I had my first Pisco Sour upon checkin at the Crowne Plaza, chowed down on a surprisingly good pizza in town and it was my first time trying filled churros…this was years before they arrived in the US. I liked Lima from what I quickly saw that first night – a bustling city with lots happening all around. I’d fly to Cusco the next day to start my tour of The Sacred Valley, so I’d get just a quick taste of Lima during this first stop.
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Because I Got High
My biggest memory of Cusco was having my first taste of altitude sickness. I really should’ve taken it easy that first day, but instead, after landing, I started my tour right away. Midway into the tour I started to feel dizzy and by the time I was back at the hotel, I was stumbling into bed like I was coming home from a wild night at the club after 15 drinks. It was awful, but by the next morning, I was coming out of it. I’d have the same reaction years later in La Paz (Bolivia). I recommend doing absolutely nothing for the first 24-48 hours to let your body fully acclimate to the elevation – otherwise your time might not be enjoyable at all. I hated the first day, even though I was surrounded by such beauty! You have to take it easy!
The Sacred Valley
Here’s where the details and exact timeline get a little sketchy. I won’t be able to correctly ID and label each photo, but on the way to Machu Picchu, I’d see Pisac and Ollantaytambo. A few notes I found in my email from my guide:
On the 14th, I’ve scheduled them to arrive and we go directly to the town of Pisac at the beginning of the Sacred Valley. On the way to Pisac we visit the archaeological complexes of Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo Puca Puca and Tambomachay, which are part of the city tour. The next day we would have the tour to the archaeological site and the visit to the Pisac craft market, which is very special on Sundays and then we move to Urubamba where we have the following nights until the day we travel to Machu Picchu. On May 16th we do the tour to Chinchero, which is a characteristic site for its looms, and we return via Maras Moray and salt mines. On the 17th we have free time to be in contact with nature and if you like we can do some alternative activity of canoeing or horseback riding in the area.
So, here come the photos of my trip from Cusco, through the Sacred Valley, and on the way to Machu Picchu. If you’ve been here and you want to help me label/caption the photos – by all means! For now, I’m skipping the captions and I’ll group them according to my outfit!
First, the white shirt!
Red shirt, next!
On the Radio
One definitely crystal-clear memory I have was being invited to go on the radio in the tiny village or Urubamba. I popped in to Radio Huayna Picchu – because, why not – just to say hello and ask if I could see the studios. Before you know it, I was being interviewed live on the air, en español! So much fun!
And, as you can see…yellow shirt!
Machu Picchu
Naturally, the most stunning of all was indeed Machu Picchu. Special thanks to Sanctuary Lodge for hosting me. The luxurious property, nestled in the jungle, was nothing short of a dream. My room had its own outside rain shower and private Jacuzzi and the grounds were just majestic, including little streams of water running along the stone walkways. This place was out of a movie. The only thing I didn’t care for was the enormous spider in my room – I called security and they took it away. It was gigantic! Yikes!!! But what are you gonna expect in the jungle?
RAMBLIN’ TIP: I definitely recommend staying at Sanctuary Lodge, but if you’re looking for something more affordable, I’ve compiled this list for you HERE.
And Now…The Moment You’ve Been Waiting For
And here it is: Machu Picchu. No photos or videos can ever do it justice. Just being there is so awe inspiring.
Home via Lima
I vaguely remember my last night in Lima, especially the crazy sandwiches I saw and ate. One thing is for sure, Peruvians take their sandwiches seriously!
Thanks for checking out my Peru trip. It was a blast, and my program and guide were fantastic.
Don’t forget to check out some of Lima’s best hotels at great prices HERE.
