DAYS 3&4:
CUSCO CITY & TAMBOMACHAY RUINS
The plane took off and we were on our way to wonderful Cusco, land of the Incas and chuck full of history, oh and Llamas too. Cusco lays at 11,200ft high up in the Andes mountains, so you have to take some time to relax and get used to the altitude when you first arrive there. Some of the kids had a rough start because of this so taking the first day off was a good call. We walked around a little bit through the cobble stone streets and had dinner at a pizza place near the hotel and went back to rest.
The next morning, we were all pumped and ready to start exploring this amazing city with its impressive contrast between the stark Inca constructions with massive carved stone blocks and the baroque colonial architecture.
Cusco was the capital of the Inca empire and as such, it is surrounded by several temples, watch towers and fortresses. This was a good place to start. We visited Qenqo, the Tambomachay temple dedicated to water, with fountains that still run after hundreds of years.
SACSAYHUAMAN
Then, we were taken to the most important Inca site in the area, Sacsayhuaman, a huge monolithic structure carved by the Incas in blocks weighing several tons. It´s incredible how they were able to move these massive stone blocks and lay them on top of one other with such precision. The views of the city were amazing from this vantage point, so we took some great pictures.
QORICACHA & SAN PEDRO MARKET
We headed back to the city to visit the famous Qoriqancha, the main Inca temple, right in the middle of Cusco city. Here, we were able to learn first-hand about the precision work on stone carving the Incas had, with impossible angles and earthquake proof techniques. They were master carvers.
On our way to take a quick tour of the local cathedral we heard some traditional music playing in a courtyard. We looked inside and there was a local man, dressed in traditional attire playing the pan flute, the drums, and other Andean instruments, all at the same time. Those ancient sounds took us back to the time of the Incas.
After the cathedral we had some time to explore San Pedro, a traditional market with hundreds of stalls selling everything from fruit and veggies, to llama steak and roasted guinea pigs. But what the kinds loved the most, was the many souvenir shops. They went crazy buying Alpaca sweaters, wristbands, and funny hats.
CATFETIN
That same night, some of the kids discovered the Catfetin, a local coffee shop/cat sanctuary, where you can eat cake and spend time with adorable rescue cats, what a great idea! Part of the income goes to care for the cats and look for forever homes for them. The kids had a great time playing and cuddling with these cute cats, it was the best way to end our visit to Cusco city.
DAY 5:
SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS
This was going to be a packed day, full of history and wonderful discoveries. We left Cusco early morning. Our first stop was a Llama sanctuary, where we were able to see and feed these adorable animals, but also meet their close cousins, Alpacas, Vicuñas and Huanacos and learn about their differences, some were left more confused than before.
PISAQ
We continued our way to the town of Pisaq a few minutes away. Here there´s also a famous souvenir market so the kids had some time to do some shopping, yes, more shopping.
After dragging them back to the bus, we climbed up one of the mountains there to reach and incredible Inca site. Pisaq is an Inca complex atop this mountain, overlooking the Sacred Valley. The views were amazing as well as the many terraces built by the Incas to grow crops.
At the very top, a watch tower still standing, gave us the best photo op. On the far side of Pisaq, we were able to see how these people used to bury their loved ones, right on the side of the mountain, in hundreds of cavities carved in the rock, amazing!
URUBAMBA
We hit the road again and had to stop on the way, when we saw several guinea-pig on a stick stands on the side of the road. I had told the kids that here in Perú people eat guinea-pig and they had seen some in San Pedro Market, back in Cusco, now it was the time for them to try it. They were intrigued and a bit grossed out, but many of them ate some. They will never look at these pets the same way again.
After this exotic snack, we went to the town of Urubamba, the largest town in the Sacred Valley. Here we stopped at this nice country hotel for a delicious buffet lunch. We ate, drank, and relaxed for a while. This was a nice break.
OLLANTAYTAMBO
It was midafternoon, so we headed out to our last destination in the Sacred Valley. Ollantaytambo is one of the oldest Inca towns still in existence. With one of the most impressive Inca stonework. We had to climb several dozen steps to reach the top of the site.
Here we saw enormous blocks of carved stone, with straight angles and Inca crosses, but the most amazing fact, was that these massive blocks were brought there from a quarry miles away. How did they do this is still a mystery. Across the town, on the side of another mountain, laid other rock structures the Incas used as storage for their crops. The altitude and dry air of these barns kept the grains fresh.
The day was coming to a close, so we climbed down and walked through this quaint little town. The narrow streets with adobe hoses and thatched roofs made us feel like we were walking back in time. The original canals along every street, still carried fresh water from the nearby river to every corner of the town. Inca ingenuity was out of this World, maybe it was the Aliens.
We had two birthday girls this trip, so as a surprise we found a couple of local girls, dressed in traditional attire to sing happy birthday for them in Quechua, the native language of the Incas. It was such a great moment.
After that, we had the chance to go inside one of these traditional houses to see how the locals actually live. No surprise, they raise their own guinea pigs in their kitchen, I guess no need for a fridge here. The kids were able to feed them and buy some souvenirs from the family.
AGUAS CALIENTES
It was time to leave the Sacred Valley, so we walked to the Ollantaytambo train station. We boarded our train on time, it was dark already. 1.5hrs later we arrived at our destination.
Aguas Calientes, a small town built especially to cater for the travelers visiting Machu Picchu. This town lays next to the Urubamba river and at the bottom of the mountain where these famous Inca ruins are located.
We walked to our hotel, a few blocks away, checked-in, had something to eat and went straight to bed. This day had been really busy but so worth it. Everyone was tired but happy. The next day was to be an amazing one!
DAY 6:
MACHU PICCHU – THE CLIMB
This was the highlight of our Peruvian adventure and everyone was so excited to finally be here. We woke up early, as usual, and walked a couple of blocks to the bus station. There was already a long line, but tickets are sold with a specific boarding time, so we didn´t have to wait that long. The ride up the mountain takes about 20 min. It’s a winding road through lush vegetation, and as we climbed up, we were able to see stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
All of a sudden, after a turn, we saw some carved stone structures, it was a glimpse of what was about to happen, Machu Picchu was right around the corner. We arrived at the top and it was crazy busy. This site is the most visited place in the region, so expect to meet hundreds of other travelers wanting to see this World Wonder, but it´s so worth it.
THE SITE
Our guide took us to the entrance of the ruins and after a short walk this magnificent site revealed itself to us. The whole Inca site stood there, imposing, atop a lush mountain surrounded by wonderful nature and a light mist that made the whole scene ominous and mysterious, as if the Incas themselves were amongst us.
We took a group picture and had a moment to relish in this marvelous place. The kids took it all in before heading up to the very top of the site. There, we stop for a bit, while our guide told us about the history and architecture of this UNESCO world heritage site. The fog started to clear, and a timid sun picked its head through it, it was going to be a beautiful day!
THE HISTORY
We started heading back toward the main areas, walking down the same steps and into the same rooms the ancient Peruvians used hundreds of years ago. The kids were able to see up close, how the locals lived, how they worked the land in masterfully built terraces, how they worshiped the sun god and cared for the Inca, it was amazing.
Machu Picchu is stunningly preserved because it was abandoned before the Spaniards arrived in the area, so it was never discovered and destroyed by them. All its structures are original, just how they were centuries ago.
It doesn´t matter how many times I come to Machu Picchu, it never seizes to amaze me. Coming with different groups and types of people help me see these site through their own eyes, in a new light, with wonder and pride.
Down on the ceremonial field, we saw the local llamas and alpacas sunbathing and even a chinchilla or two looking down at us from a crevasse in the perfectly carved stone.
HEADING BACK
The sun was high up and beating down on us hard, so we took some more pictures and headed out of the ruin. Oh, we almost forgot to stamp our passports with the Machu Picchu stamp, a must for avid travelers. We took the bus down to Aguas Calientes, tired and hungry but super happy for this great day. We had lunch at a local restaurant and spend some time in the local market – yes, another market – before it was time to go to the station and take the train back to Ollantaytambo and then the bus back to Cusco. It had been a long day, but it was a journey of a lifetime.
We were to leave the mountains next day and head into the wilderness of the Amazon Rainforest!