Peru and Machu Picchu
We flew to Lima via Santiago and on arrival transferred to our hotel in the stylish suburb of Miraflores. Our first day we enjoyed a full day sightseeing tour of Lima which is Peru’s cultural and business centre. We visited fascinating palaces, cathedrals and a monastery before exploring the outstanding Larco Herrera Museum, considered to contain some of the finest examples of Inca and pre-Inca artefacts in the world.
The next day we flew to Iquitos and then bussed to the river port of Nauta on the Amazon to board the Aqua Expeditions ship Aria Amazon. The ship has only 16 cabins but is spacious and indulgent with generous dining and lounge areas and an outdoor Jacuzzi. All cabins have floor to ceiling windows facing the Amazon River (with blackout windows for maximum privacy). The 24 crew include a paramedic and English-speaking naturalist guides and were all amazing. On the 3-night cruise we enjoyed delightful food, and drink (Pisco sour), and fascinating excursions on the Amazon on small skiffs to see interesting wildlife including pink (yes pink!) and grey dolphins, 2 and 3 toed sloths, giant river otters, caiman, anacondas and a wide variety of bird life. Oh, and did I mention the piranha fishing?
Sad to leave this incredible place, but on to other exciting experiences in Peru.
Flew to Cuzco and drove down to the beautiful Sacred Valley of the Incas which is 1000 metres lower, to make acclimatization to altitude much easier. After exploring the highlights of the Sacred Valley we continued to Ollantaytambo where we boarded the Vistadome Train to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu “Lost City of the Incas”. The train has panoramic windows allowing unsurpassed views and photo opportunities. After checking in to our hotel in Aguas Calientes, we boarded one of the buses that run regularly up to Machu Picchu. It’s a hair-raising ride up the mountains with tight corners and steep drops down to the valleys, but worth it once you arrive. We had a private 2-hour tour of the Lost City which was informative and incredible. Hard to put the spectacle into words!
The next morning we took the train back to Ollantaytambo where we explored the area and visited the Temple of the Sun and the amazing Inca salt pans of Maras. Then onwards to Cuzco, the most important city in the Inca Empire. Cuzco is situated at 3,300 metres. The town is built around the impressive central plaza which has some wonderful old churches and other buildings built atop original Inca foundations. The architecture and the colourful markets (and colourful locals) make the visit worthwhile.
All in all a fabulous trip!
