Peruvian Adventures -

 Leaving the Panama Canal, we headed south crossing the equator to Manta Ecuador.  We have been to Ecuador twice before to work or to visit our friends Jan and Wayne Soppeland.   Our plan was to leave the ship in Manta to travel independently to travel to Machu Picchu, Peru.  We really wanted to have that experience.  The trip to the Inca ruins was offered by the ship from our next port, Lima, Peru at four times the cost of our trip.  However this adventure was not without challenges; arranging all the flights, trains, hotels and transfers.  AND if we don’t make it back to the ship by the time it leaves Lima, we are on our own to find our way to the next port, Easter Island! 

 We flew to Lima Peru via Quito Ecuador.  From Lima we flew to Cusco, a city at 11,000 feet in altitude, to begin our Machu Picchu adventure.  We found Cusco to be a wonderful place to visit.  A City of Inca descendants, with many archeological places of interest.  We definitely underestimated how much there is to see and experience here.  If you are planning a trip to the land of the Incas, we suggest three days in Cusco and one in Machu Picchu.  This group was a special treat to run into:

Such a visual treat!

       The Incas used a unique tongue and groove technique in building their structures.

Cusco is the gateway to visit to Machu Picchu.  We left our hotel at 5:00 am, it took several hours to get to Aguas Calientes at the base of the road up to Machu Picchu.  This included an almost two hour bus trip and then transfer to a train, for another two hours.  

We were in a group of travelers from Brazil who spoke little English.  When we started up the mountain, we were assigned to our own personal guide, John, who was an Incan descendant and spoke  Quachu, Spanish, and English.  He proved to be a knowledgeable and very helpful guide.  

First impressions of Aquas Calientes and the area.  This looks like our back yard in Hawai’i!  As we were traveling up the mountain we noticed the same flora we enjoyed in Hawai’i.  What! a rainforest at 9000 feet above sea level?  Yes, as we pointed out the ti plants, the bird of paradise flowers, the orchids, and the various kinds of ferns that made up our yard.  A bit of homesickness for Hawai’i.

From Aqua Caliente we boarded another bus for the thirty minute ride up to the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu. 

That’s when the real adventure began.  As we traveled up the mountain. We encountered a massive landslide about two thirds up the mountain.  The slide was at least a quarter mile long with boulders as big as our bus. It happened three days prior to our trip.  The slide prevented access to Machu Picchu, but it trended along the side of the switch backs.   Twice we had to exit the bus and hike up through steps hastily built into the mountain, to catch the bus at a higher altitude.  We would then get back on the bus and travel until again we had to exit and hike.  Might have been quicker if we had just walked the entire way.  The rain and the mud made the steps and pathway slippery and unstable. Plus it was very steep.  Actually an unexpected fun surprise. 

This place is mystical. It is difficult to describe, so we will let Machu Picchu speak for itself. 

Our travels back to Cusco were uneventful.  We arrived back at our hotel at 9:00 pm……a long day.

The next morning we left Cusco for our one hour return flight to Lima.  As we circled out over the ocean for our landing in Lima, we spotted our ship in the port.  We had left the ship in Manta to go to Machu Picchu and after three days at sea while we were on our travel adventure we were happy to see it.  

Yes! success, we had caught up with the ship.  After a short taxi ride from the airport to the port, we were back on our home away from home having experienced a wonderful experience off ship.

Impressions of Cusco and Machu Picchu.  Spend more time in Cusco…..Machu Picchu is outstanding, but the real story of the Incan Empire is in Cusco. Next time we will spend more time in Cusco.

Lessons learned – We can travel for at least 4 days with each a very small backpack.