Day 0 Arrive in Lima
Today was a long day. We should have known it was going to be one of unexpected events when our plane ran into problems landing in Atlanta. There was a ‘minor caution light’ that came on for the landing gear so the pilot calmly announced that we they took care of it (whatever that means) and that we were ‘going back around). We landed okay….
Then leaving Atlanta for Lima there was an ‘uncooperative pump’ issue that had us sitting on the ground in our seats while the issue was ‘addressed’. I suppose they brought someone in to talk to the pump about its behavior. In any event, the pump settled down and we were on our way. By the time we got settled in at our hotel in Lima it was either 1:30 or 2:30 in the morning… either way, it was late.
Day 1 Lima, Peru
Rise and shine! Anxious to see Lima, we dragged ourselves out of bed by 9:00 AM and headed down for breakfast. I could tell that Tim was still groggy because he was mixing in mangled Italian, French and German as he tried to communicate with the wait staff… everything BUT Spanish. Once he got coffee he was fine (sort of).
Carol Brewer stopped by and after satisfying our appetites we met in the lobby to plan the day. Through the hotel we scheduled a bus tour to Pachacamac, an Inca archaeological site south of the city. After spending some time exploring Miraflores, we had a quick lunch and headed for Pachacamac.
The Pachacamac archaeological site is about 35km south of Miraflores/Lima. The site is impressive with several pyramid temples, dwellings, remains of decorating adobe walls and other interesting constructions built by 4 civilizations. According to what we saw in the associated museum, Pachacamac was one of the most important religious centers of indigenous people at the Peruvian coast before the arrival of the Spanish.
We were all struck by the desert-like nature of the area and the dry air in spite of the ocean being so close. We looked at several temples in various states of restoration and the guide showed us a sample wall with layered illustrations. We also climbed a significant hill with the main temple atop it. That hill is set back about 500 yards from the ocean with a nice view. The last thing we saw before departing was the structure where the virgins were trained and kept under protection. You still can’t get close to it even today.
The city of Lima has grown in recent years until it not supports a population of 11 million residents. In the southern part of the city we saw scores of tiny three person micor-taxis, an enclosed motorcycle with two seats over a two wheeled rear axle. We didn’t see these vehicles in the Miraflores section of the city; apparently Lima has rules about where these vehicles could go and where they could not. I want to mention that unemployment was quite low, despite the huge population. Everywhere you looked there was someone cleaning the streets, watering the grass or picking up trash. For such a large city the streets were quite clean.
Day 2 Lima, Peru
This morning we met our fellow travelling companions and our Globus tour guide, Adrian. He gave us a great overview of the next week and laid out all the ground-rules for the group. 
An interesting fact he shared was that Peru contains 28 of the 32 world climates and it is 58% jungle. That was interesting and highlighted how little Tim and I knew about this country. Adrian also warned us to wear our sunscreen, hats and to drink the coca tea when we moved to higher elevations the following day. At that point we had free time until 2PM, so John, Carol, Tim and I headed out exploring.
Lima is a coastal city, but sits on a pleateu several hundred feet above the ocean with sheer cliffs down to the water. Our first stop was the shopping mall at Larco Mar on top of the cliff. Just up the coast from the mall is the Parque del Amor, a park with a statue of two lovers kissing. An just beyond that park were these crazy people launching themselves off the cliff with para-gliding canopies. Out they when over the ocean, then they soared back over the land and quickly gained height! Awesome. Carol, John and Tim each signed up and took off out over the ocean and then over the buildings of Lima. Fortunately everyone made it back safely.
At 2:00 PM we all piled into a bus for a tour of the area. Adrian took us to a local market where we tasted unusual (for us) fruits – some of which were very tasty. We found out that Peru grows 3300 of the 11,000 varieties of potatoes in the world. We visited a former monestary and walked through a large public area. Adrian was extremely knowledgeable and informed us about the food, the structures, the economics, the climate, the people and the history of Lima and the country. Peru is an interesting country with a vibrant culture. I couldn’t take notes fast enough. Fortunately- there was no test at the end of the trip! We were on our own for dinner (we had our first round of pisco sours.).
Day 3 Cusco and the Sacred Valley, Peru
After a 5:30 wake-up call we’re off to the Lima airport and our first experience with the organization skills of Adrian. We quickly got through the crowds and checked our bags, then headed to the gate. Again at Cusco everything was organized for us. Organized as Lamas and Alpacas, we boarded our buses and headed for La Princesita and the Mother Earth Ceremony.
Shaman Lawda completed the Mother Earth ceremony before lunch. We each blew on her offering three times and then made a wish… After a delicious lunch, while enroute to Q’enqo, we learned that Eucalyptus was introduced into Peru in the 19th century. The site of Q’enqo is set on a hillside of erected and carved stone. Much of it is carved out of a naturally occurring monolith. Q’enqo is one of the largest and most impressive wak’as or holy places in the vicinity of Cusco.
Most of us were very tired and took a nap on the bus as we left Q’enqo on the way to our hotel. On the way we stopped in Pisac and visited a local market before heading on to the Sonesta Posada del Inca Yucay Hotel. After checking in, we had little time to rest before heading out to dinner and dancing horses. The meal was great, the horses entertaining and the trip back to the hotel was quick. We were all ready to hit our beds that night. This was a full day and we were all plenty tired.
Day 4 Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, Peru
Finally, a day where we didn’t have to be up at four in the morning! This morning arrived with a nice cool sunrise. We all had time for breakfast at the hotel before boarding the bus at 7:30. The sun was just peeking over the mountains surrounding the valley as we headed north for the village of Ollantaytambo.
Ollantaytambo was an outpost for the Inca resistance led by Manco Inca Yupanqui after the arrival of the Spanish. When we climbed the many steps to the top it was easy to understand why they selected this place. It was still cool as we started exploring the town, but the temperature would continue to rise throughout the day.
The precise stonework in the walls of the village was amazing. No matter where you looked, the walls were set with precision that’s lasted for centuries. Our first stop was into the Guinea Pig hut, ranch or whatever. This smoke-filled stone structure had a thatched roof with an opening for the smoke to escape. After the small Guinea Pig roundup and rodeo was over we struck out for the rest of the town and the fortifications. But first, most of our group acquired the walking sticks that would be so useful once we got to Machu Picchu.
Along the way we caught a glimpse of a an image of Tunupa carved into the side of a mountain, and then our first direct view of the Terraces of Pumatallis. By now it was already warming up, so we grabbed our water and headed up the terraces… I can still feel that climb in my legs today. The views were incredible and the craftsmanship impressive. Even if we’d missed the Guinea Pig roundup, Ollantaytambo was well worth the time. I’d strongly recommend that you not miss this if you head to Peru.
After a short ride from the terraces we arrived at Ollantaytambo Station along the Urubamba River; we’d follow that river all the way to Machu Picchu. Adrian managed to get us all in one first class coach and we settled in for the ride. Along the way we had lunch and enjoyed the sights as Adrian pointed out the Inca trail and its hikers, terraced ruins and other points of interest. It was mid-afternoon when we made it to Machu Picchu Pueblo and we left the train, ready to head right up to the top.
Our bus took us up the side of the mountain with countless switchbacks. After the exciting 20-minute trip we still hadn’t gotten a glimpse of the ruins. Adrian organized us, got us quickly through the admission gates and we headed along the path. We rounded the last corner and suddenly there it was, right in front of us. Adrian announced, “You made it…, welcome to Machu Picchu!” It was awesome.
The pictures don’t capture the imagery. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon with intermittent clouds providing an awesome backdrop for the peaks. We explored, listened to the local experts and soaked it all in.
We enjoyed another bus ride that would qualify for a Six Flags feature and we were back in Machu Picchu Pueblo. We checked in and gathered for dinner where the big debate centered on the weather for the following morning and who was going to take the 6 AM bus back up the mountain in the morning.