July 24 Arriving in Urubamba, we parked on one of the main streets, walked into a walled lot and found ourselves ready to enjoy a break at AMA Sacred Valley, a local organization that provides training and job opportunities to the vulnerable populations of the Sacred Valley. Its boutique sells traditional (alpaca) handicrafts made by […]
July 24 Although our driving time today would not be as lengthy as prior days, we would stay very busy visiting several sites, including the first of the day, a local jewelry maker high in the hills above Cusco. Operated by a local artist, we entered the shop through the ground floor garage and climbed […]
July 22-23 We set out from the hotel for a quick walking tour of the neighborhood nearby; indeed, one of the selling points of the overall tour was the central location of the hotels we had been staying in. In this case our initial destination was the San Pedro Central Market, the city’s main food […]
July 22-23 The next day would be another long one, at 8 to 9 hours, with stops along the way as we motored to Cusco where we would spend two nights. Our bodies began to notice the slight drop in elevation along the way (we would lose over 1,000 feet, ending up at 11,152) and […]
We left the floating islands of Uros and made our way in short order to Taquile Island, docking on the western shore and then hiking up a steep hillside to a dirt plaza where we were rewarded with a presentation by some of the locals. It turns out that our guide is from the island, […]
July 20-21 Today would be full of exploring some of the different aspects of local cultures, but first we hit the restaurant for breakfast, another fully satisfying experience, offering many of the same items we would get each day with variation from place to place. I, as is my custom, arose early and was able […]
July 20-21 It would be another long day in the van with a few stops allowing us to take in some trip highlights. But first up would be another hearty breakfast in the hotel’s lovely dining room, overlooking the swimming pool and the property’s lush grounds. Soon enough, our luggage was collected, and we found […]
July 19 After another hearty breakfast at the Andina, we soon found ourselves in our van heading out of town, towards the Altiplano high plains and the Colca Valley and Canyon. It would be the first of many days of enforced idleness, Joanna and I perched in the far back reading or perhaps watching a […]
July 16-18 With a busy day ahead of us, we were up early and hit the breakfast buffet to make sure we had sufficent energy to last through the morning. Another good selection of proteins, carbohydrates, and sweet things greeted us, and the bonus was sitting outside on the patio, the sun warming us nicely […]
July 16-18 After introductions with the group in the lobby and a quick check to make sure we had all we needed for the rest of the evening, we exited the Pullman, climbed into what would be the first of many transit vans (12-passengers plus) and drove to the Huaca Pucillana Restaurant, which sits directly […]
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