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My Peru Adventure

By : Vicki Vandruff
Trip Begins May 28, 2009
Trip Ends June 10, 2009

White water rafting, mountain biking, hiking, zip-lining, kayaking oh my! What had I gotten myself into???
See my photos : My Peru Adventure

Want to go? Manco Multisport

I went to: Peru, Cusco, Lima, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu Ruins, Puno, Uros Islands, Manco Multisport Campsites, Taypikala Hotel Cusco, Q'Elqatani, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu
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May 28, 2009
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Taking off...

Los Angeles, CA

Machu Picchu, the haunting ruins of Peru, has been calling me for more than 10 years. I first saw this magical place on a travel show and was instantly drawn to it. But this trip is much more than that; 12 days of adventure await me and my group members. White water rafting, mountain biking, hiking, camping, and kayaking throughout the remote regions of Peru are on the agenda.

As a single traveler I typically avoid group travel packages because the risk of incompatibility is high. However, in this instance I was lucky enough to get in a group with only 2 others…brothers. My only concern then was being the only female and slowing the group down…I prayed my ongoing exercise routine and diligent training would pay off. As my flight prepared to leave Los Angeles, I was full of excitement and mentally prepared myself for what I believed would be a trip of a lifetime.

May 29, 2009
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The arrival...

Taypikala Hotel Cusco, Cusco

I arrived in Lima shortly after midnight where I had a reservation at the very nearby Ramada for a few hours of sleep. After a short walk across the parking lot, I arrived to find a very friendly staff and clean, nice hotel. Although I was there for less than seven hours, first impressions are important…I was pleased things were off to a good start.

I caught an early morning flight to Cusco and arrived at my hotel to find the rest of my group, including another guy who signed up late. After our guide introduced us and outlined our afternoon city tour he gave us a quick run down of things to watch for – signs of altitude sickness and stomach troubles. However, I had started taking Diamox, to prevent altitude sickness, a couple of days before and knew my bag was well stocked with a multitude of medicines to relieve stomach issues, so I wasn’t worried. Then he left us to rest for a couple of hours.

Unable to sleep, I freshened up a bit and hit the streets to exchange money and find something to eat. The hotel offered to exchange money, with I took them up on; I’m sure I could have gotten a better exchange rate at the bank, but the convenience was worth the few dollars. The hotel recommended a restaurant called “Witches Garden” and gave me directions. It had a very hip vibe with mystical décor and chill out electronic music playing in the background. Being advised to eat light the first day I had sweet potato raviolis…yumm.

The afternoon was spent seeing ruins in Cusco and visiting the textile factory. It was very interesting to see how wool is dyed using things from nature, and then to watch the women weaving. Weaving is a very complex process of pulling threads through one another to create patterns, but I honestly don’t know how they do it…the detailed fabrics are truly amazing. Left on our own for the evening, a couple of us went to the folkloric show and dinner. Although the sun had been extremely warm during the day, the temperature at night dropped dramatically and by my Southern California standards, it was freezing! It was only when I noticed the locals wearing hats and gloves that I realized it was truly cold. But I could only call it a night after I blended into the plaza crowd to listen to a Brazilian Cumbia band.

May 30, 2009
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The adventure begins...

Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley

Today the adventure begins! We boarded our shuttle van and headed for the Urubamba Valley, or the Sacred Valley as it’s now more commonly known. Upon arrival at our river embarkation point we geared up in wetsuits, waterproof jackets and life jackets then boarded the raft. After a quick instructional lecture from our guide we were off. The canyon and views along the river were magnificent. A good portion of the trip was spent gently floating along enjoying the scenery; but, there were a few hairy white water moments…one where we almost lost a couple of people as we plummeted into a “hole.” We spent almost three hours on the river before arriving at our destination – a beautiful home/restaurant on the side of the river that served us a fabulous lunch as our clothes dried in the sun. After lunch we again piled into our shuttle van and headed for Ollantaytamba, a mystical Incan village set in the valley of the mountains.

We toured the ruins with our guide and after checking into our hotel, were left to explore the small village on our own. We got more than we expected here, as the town was in full celebration mode of yet another Catholic Saint day. The action all happened in and around the plaza; hundreds of men, women and children in brightly colored costumes, marching with various small bands parade style around the plaza, intermixed with bands that played throughout the night and into the morning, and firework displays that were close enough to touch…literally.

May 31, 2009
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Let the good times roll...

Manco Multisport Campsites, Peru

I awoke this morning to the sounds of Mariachi music as the party continued on. We headed out at 5:00 AM for Day 2 of the adventure – mountain biking. We drove a couple of hours, passing through higher elevations that afforded us an incredible view of the glacier. The bikes were readied, we were provided helmets, and we hit the road…a very rocky single lane dirt road that was also being used by various cars, vans and large semi trucks traveling in both directions. Depending from which direction traffic was coming, the shouts of ”car” would echo through our ranks as we notified the person in front of or behind us that it was time to move into single file. Unfortunately, my bike had a multitude of problems along the way – a broken spoke, stripped gears, and finally a flat tire. But, our mechanic quickly fixed the problems and had me on my way again, except for the gears; left with only two of eight gears hills became quite a bit more challenging, but I was bound and determined to make it and I did…eventually.

Along the way we stopped for lunch at the home of a coffee bean grower; the patio was covered with beans drying in the sun. The home and their way of living are very simple and untouched by time. After our guide toured us through the coffee field on the hill behind the home we enjoyed a lunch prepared by our cooks that would rival that found in any four star restaurant. We rode for another hour after lunch before the van picked us up to take to our campsite – the very large yard of a private home, complete with swimming pool, shower and restroom facilities and a cooking area for our cooks. With tents pitched and showers taken we relaxed over beers and prepared ourselves to enjoy another great meal. Sometime in the middle of the night it began to rain; having never experienced the sound of rain on a tent, I found it extremely relaxing and soon drifted back off to sleep.

June 1, 2009
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The ultimate workout...

Manco Multisport Campsites, Peru

It was another early morning as we prepared for our first day of hiking…roughly five hours; on the upside we will get to enjoy the mineral pools at our camping spot. The hike was mostly uphill, except for “the pass” which was a long section of steep downhill steps bordered by the mountain face on one side and a steep drop on the other. Mid-day we stopped to eat the bag lunches our cooks had prepared that morning and then resumed our hike until we reached the foot bridge that crossed the river. We made our way single-file across the bridge, being careful to balance out the weight when we wanted to stop for pictures. Once on the other side of the river we walked a while longer before we came to the next crossing point…a basket on a cable pulley.

We made good time and arrived at our campsite about an hour ahead of schedule. It’s been a long time since I’ve been camping, but in my book this was definitely a 5-star location. The grounds were grassy and beautiful and a multitude of warm mineral pools awaited us. While the crew finished setting up camp our small group headed for the pools and a much needed rest. Later that night, we enjoyed dinner under the stars before heading back to the pools for more therapeutic soaking.

June 2, 2009
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Zip, zip, zip...

Machu Picchu, Peru

Last night we made the decision to alter our hike for today to include zip-lining. So rather, than hiking out of the campground, we grabbed a van and headed out. We walked about 20 minutes before finding the “base camp” for the zip-lines. We were harnessed up, given helmets and told we needed to take a short walk to get to the lines. It may have been short in distance, but it was almost straight up and the heat was unbearable. But, about 30 minutes later we reached our destination. We zipped across six lines, back and forth over the canyon and river. On the last line, the zip-line guide asked me if I wanted to go tandem with him and go upside down! And my answer…OMG YES!!! It was amazing and definitely one of the highlights of my trip. From there we hiked to the train station that took us to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu City).

June 3, 2009
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Machu Picchu and beyond

Machu Picchu Ruins, Peru

It rained during the night and I awoke to find the clouds and fog extremely heavy…so much for sunset over Machu Picchu. But this was our only day, so we left early to get in line for tickets to hike to Wayna Picchu. With only 400 tickets issued per day, we were lucky to get numbers 394-397; we opted for the 10:00 entry time, hoping the sky would clear. Although the clouds never completely cleared, they parted to give us a spectacular view of Machu Picchu from the top of Wayna Picchu. I wasn’t going to go up because I didn’t think it would be clear enough to see anything, and even if I hadn’t, the hike was more than worth it…it was difficult and a real challenge for me, so I came away feeling great about having completed it and fortunate to have had a peek at what laid below. We spent the afternoon shopping in Aquas Calientes before taking the train back to Cusco.

June 4, 2009
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A day to rest...

Cusco, Peru

Finally, I had a free day to relax and enjoy the culture and the people. I wandered the streets of Cusco and spent countless hours in the Plaza de Armas watching and talking with people; I don’t think I’ve ever met friendlier people. The only thing I had to do was buy some additional warm clothes in preparation for the remainder of the trip; we had been advised Puno and the Lake Titicaca area were experiencing abnormally cold weather…25-65o Fahrenheit. Being from Southern California, I was definitely not prepared for that!

June 5, 2009
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A slow ride to Puno...

Q'Elqatani, Puno

We took a bus from Cusco to Puno, which took most of the day. We made several stops along the way to see ruins, a museum and have lunch, before arriving in Puno late in the afternoon.

June 6, 2009
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Boating and floating on Lake Titicaca

Uros Islands,

We boarded a boat that would take us across Lake Titicaca to our first home stay on Llachon; en route we stopped at Uros, the floating islands. The “mayor” showed us how the islands are made from the roots and stalks of the lake reeds. This was fascinating, as not only are the islands themselves made from reeds, but so were their houses and boats. The home were we stayed was clean and the food was good, albeit simple. The family was very inviting and it was fun to play with the kids. On the downside there wasn’t a shower, but it was so cold I don’t think I could have gotten out of my clothes anyway.

June 7, 2009
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Paddle power...

Taquile Island

In order to stay warm last night, I slept fully dressed in several layers of t-shirts and sweaters, gloves, scarf and hat! This morning the sun was out and it was a bit warmer as we prepared to make the 3-hour kayak trip to Taquile Island for our second home stay. The water was smooth and the paddling was easy, but it was quite a distance. We arrived at the dock about mid-day and boarded the sag boat to take around the backside of the island where we were greeted by our host. They were awaiting our arrival and lunch was prepared. After a short siesta we took a walk into the main plaza. The rising full moon over the lake was an incredible site.

June 8, 2009
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Winding down...

Q'Elqatani, Puno

As I lay in bed last night, I could see the full moon through my window as it shone across the lake…what a beautiful site it was. With one group member ill and me nursing a twisted ankle, we passed on today’s hike and were lucky enough to grab an early boat back to Puno. We arrived mid-afternoon and had the remainder of the night to enjoy the last day of our trip.

June 9, 2009
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The long road home...

Lima, Peru

Today started the long journey home…the one-hour van ride to Juliaca; to the almost three-hour flight from Juliaca to Lima; to a five-hour layover in the Lima airport, before my eight-hour flight home. But, I put my time in the Lima airport to good use by getting a desperately needed manicure and pedicure.

June 10, 2009
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What now?

Los Angeles, CA

My flight arrived back in Los Angeles at 7:00 this morning. Already I’m thinking about where and when I’ll go next….

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