Rainforests and Mountains - Peru
Day 1 – Study Time
I was just about to start my MBA program, so naturally I missed the first week of class to leave the country. At least I would have a few hours I could sit and read to get ahead in class and not fall behind. But after about 30 minutes and sitting with extra leg room I fell asleep and decided school can wait
Our late landing time in Lima meant not much happened for the day. However we decided we would at least kick off the trip with a pisco sour and just call it a night to wake up early for our morning flight.
Day 2 – Into the Jungle
After a quick breakfast, we headed off to the rainforest. Finishing a quick, and slightly bumpy flight, we landed in Puerto Maldonado where the heat and humidity did not take long to start soaking my clothes in sweat. We walked to the terminal and boarded our bus to town to catch our motorized canoe and headed to the Inkaterra Lounge where we’d spend the next two nights.
The boat ride up the Madre de Dios River took about 30 minutes, and along the way we were surrounded on both sides by tall trees and birds along the shoreline. Once we came ashore, we walked to the lodging area, settled in, and explored the grounds. Exotic birds, monkeys, and insect noises filled the air and we began to wonder if it’d ever be quiet.
After the new arrivals settled in, we grouped up with a few guys visiting from Austria and set off with our guide into the forest. Showing us exotic plants, trees that have adapted to the ecosystem, and explaining how everything interacts with it’s surroundings, our guide gave us a crash course on everything we saw showing his expertise. At one point we came across a termite nest, which we learned the insects had medicinal values to Peruvian tribes and offered us a chance to eat one – I of course accepted.
As it approached the evening, we headed back to the lodge for dinner and a bit of relaxation before we set off for our night river tour. Once on the water we quickly found caiman on the shoreline and large swathes of birds up in trees. If there’s one thing I learned on this tour, it’s to not swim in the water.
About the time we returned to the lodge, the milky way became visible overhead. We were free to explore as we pleased as long as we stayed on the grounds, so we set off into the darkness to get to the shoreline to get a clear view of the sky and the start above. The generators kicked off around 9pm and the lights went out, and then the sky really popped with all the stars.
Day 3 – Treetops and Canoes
The following day was filled with treetop walks and more trips into the jungle. After full from breakfast, our group set off into the forest to climb up into bird watching posts and travel among the trees on suspension bridges.
As we neared the end of this walk, and after seeing tons of colorful birds and monkeys, a sudden storm came through so we had to hurry down to the ground and back to our camp. Taking the rain break as a time to relax, we sat on our porch listening to the wildlife come alive as we waiting for the weather to break.
Once rested and dry, we boarded our motorized canoe and set off to Lake Sandoval – the home of the endangered giant river otter and a plethora of other wildlife. Touring around the lake for a few hours in our large paddle canoe, we started the trek back to make sure we got back to camp before sunset.
After sundown, we went back out with our guide to see what we could find during the nocturnal hours. The main creature we found were some large tarantulas, both in burrows on the ground and in holes in trees – nowhere was safe from large spiders!
Day 4 – How not to combat altitude sickness
Day four we said goodbye to the rainforest and headed to Cusco. We did a brief stop in Puerto Maldonado at a butterfly house while we waited for our flight. Colorful butterflies fluttered around, but this time of year we missed the peak as a lot of the blooming had already passed.
Once on our flight, we flew to Cusco, said our goodbye’s to the rest of the Swamp Boys, and headed to our hotel. Our contact told us that we needed to make sure we take the first night easy, eat light, no alcohol, and get plenty of rest to make sure we combat altitude sickness. Once again we did the exact opposite and had a heavy sushi dinner and went to the worlds highest altitude irish pub. We spent some time exploring the city, petting stray dogs, and eying stores and restaurants for us to try while there. After it was past our bedtimes, we headed back to the hotel for sleep for a full day of Incan History lessons.
Day 5 – Incan History Lessons
We had a brief free morning to look at some shops and grab a quick bite to eat, but we then were rounded up for a city tour and set off to learn about the Incan Empire and Peruvian culture. We first set off to Sacsayhuama, with it’s massive stones for a hilltop fortress. We were given a quick lesson then free to roam the grounds, and the overlook above Cusco.
After a bit, we then set off to our next stop – Q’enco (the temple dedicated to Mother Earth), then a quick stop at Puka Pukara (The Red Fortress). After a little wandering, we set off for one final stop outside the city at Tambomachay, an old Incan rest stop pictured below.
After touring around the ruins and learning about their history, we headed back to Cusco to get a tour of Santo Domingo Monastery, the famous Korikancha (Temple of Gold devoted to worshipping the Sun), and finally close the tour with the Cathedral at the Plaza de Armas. The Cathedral was filled will historical portraits, paintings, statues, and art. Note for this site, you cannot take pictures while inside but there wasn’t an inch of this place not covered in some sort of artwork or Peruvian importance.
Later on, we had free time to roam the city as we felt. We found a great restaurant that served Alpaca Burgers and more pisco sours, and the evening was finished walking through small shops and alleyways looking for souvenirs and knick knacks to purchase.
Day 6 – Sacred Valley
Day 6 started with a morning pick up at the hotel, and our charter bus heading off through Sacred Valley. Initially heading towards Pisac, we stopped at Awana Kancha for a lesson in Peruvian and Incan agriculture. While here we also were able to see some traditional Peruvian attire and work being done – as well as some llamas we were able to pet.
We stopped for lunch once we were closer to Pisac, and were able to spend some time in the outdoor market. Knowing what was ahead for the trip, I chose not to purchase anything but there were a plethora of items for sale I’m sure anyone could find something they want. After a bit of window shopping, we began our ascent to tour Parque Arqueológico Pisac overlooking Pisac and the valley. With massive terraced plots for farming, and old structures, there was a lot to explore if the altitude didn’t wear you out first.
Parque Arqueológico Pisac as we enter the main entrance.
After a bit of time, we continued on our bus to Ollantaytambo and the massive fortress and temple above. The stairs to the top are massive, and will wear you out as you attempt to reach the top. Since we were staying overnight, we left the group as they went back to Cusco and we roamed the grounds and more shopping stalls in the small town. As the sun set, we grabbed a quick dinner and called it a night to prepare for the following day.
Day 7 – Trains and Hiking
Waking up early, we met our guide at the train station and started the main course of the trip – the hike up to Machu Picchu. The morning started pretty brisk, but that quickly wasn’t a problem as we gained elevation and the clouds broke giving us some sunlight. Starting at the Km 104 stop, the hike was challenging, but more due to the high altitude and not so much the trail. Around lunch we stopped and ate a packed lunch at Winay Wayna Waterfall, as well as take a little time to catch our breath and rest our legs before the hardest part of the trek – Winay Wauna and a lot of stairs. Essentially an Incan Inn in the mountains, we were free to explore a bit to take some pictures as we climbed the staircase in increments.
The view of Winay Wauna as we approached
After this, we followed the ridgeline and made it to the main event. Walking through Intipunku – Puerta del Sol (The Sun Gate) we got our first look at Machu Picchu. Today wasn’t our day to tour the grounds, so we made our way through the rest of the trail and a small area of the ruins to head down the mountain to Aguas Calientes for the night. After checking into our hotel, we immediately passed out on our beds for a much needed nap.
After a couple hours, it was time for dinner and more market shopping. We walked and decided the first restaurant we came across was a great option, and luckily they served Cuy which was on my Peruvian foods to try. After dinner and a couple drinks, we roamed the market streets and explored the quiet city. Similar to Pisac, the shops have anything and everything you could want and the vendors are willing to get your attention to try and make a sale. As the city closed down, we decided to do the same.
Day 8 – Macchu & Huayna Picchu
As the sun came up, we checked out of our hotel and ascended back up to Machu Picchu. For anyone who thinks they’ll be able to get a nice open space to explore think again because it was crowded. It may have been just that time of year, but there were a few points it felt like we were in a can of sardines. Our guide certainly knew what he was talking about as he explained each building we passed, milestones around the ruins, and gave a great history of everything we were seeing.
About halfway through the day our tour was over but we had a chance to do even more hiking and began the climb up Huayna Picchu overlooking the ruins. This shorter hike was significantly more challenging that the day before. With narrow paths, steep steps, edges, and overlooks it came with a level of risk. The views however are worth it. With a clear view of Machu Picchu in it’s entirety it’s worth the climb if you can secure a permit.
After catching our breath, we descended, met our guide to head back to Aguas Caliented, and ultimately back to Cusco for our final night. Once back in the city, we took our final chance to explore, but some last minute souvenirs, and foods we knew we wouldn’t get to try again for a while. Finally, it was time to start the end of the trip, and exhaustion started setting in, so back to the hotel for one more night.
Day 9 & 10 – Study Time for Real
The final two days are uneventful. We had the morning free but were so exhausted we didn’t venture too far from the hotel. We trudged onto our bus taking us to the Airport to fly to Lima. We had late flights so we stayed in the Lima airport for a few hours, I took advantage of the time to finally read my textbook like I planned, and then we set off back home. Overall I managed to read about 14 chapters in my test, so I somehow managed to set myself up to not be too far behind in class.
