We've finally got our mountain legs and woke up yesterday to take a hike around the periphery of Cusco with our guide, Teddy Romero Mendoza. (I asked him what his given name was, and he said, ''Teddy''). The hotels and restaurants offer copious amounts of coca mate tea, and it really has helped to quell the altitude issues that came with landing at 12,000 feet. We were so lucky that on this tour, because we shared Teddy with one other very compatible couple, and we always managed to get out in front of the crowds.
We toured several very significant ancient sites around Cusco, even more remarkable in some ways than the Machu Picchu. We started at the weaver's village of Chinchero where we were taught the details of cleaning the wool and alpaca fur, natural dying, and backstrap loom weaving. We purchased a gorgeous table runner, completely hand-crafted, from one of the women in the artists cooperative.
The round, Incan terraces of Moray were a sight to behold. I have to say, photos don't do them justice. We also headed to the ruins at Pisac that provided us with an intricate look at the engineering of the Quechua people, including running water! Finally, Sacsayhuaman has, beyond doubt, the biggest boulders that have been moved by man alone to create the fortress and temple that protected the Incans from, other indigenous ''foreign'' invaders. We had a full day, and a great prelude to our trek to Machu Picchu.
Cusco was indeed, the center of the Incan, then the Santo Dominican culture. We had a great conversation that evening with Malku, a local shaman, and got a very distinct perspective on the intersection of the Incan and western cultures. Peruvians, I believe, recognize the potential for tourist dollars from our western interest in ancient cultures, and do a decent job of elevating the mystique and sharing information about the Incans. However, in talking with Malku, an Andean native (Quechuan), I see that views of the ancients are often viewed through very European lenses.
I think we are not in the ''high'' tourist season in February. Although we see plenty of westerners, we are largely out numbered by the locals. Cusco and surrounding environments is THE place to buy alpaca clothing, wall hangings and other goods. And as expensive as the shops around the central plaza can be by local standards, there's no way you could touch any of these hand woven and hand knitted items in the US for these prices. I tried to keep suitcase space in mind as we looked around, but I had to plan on purchasing another duffel.
Internet service in our Cusco hotel has been spotty at best, but finally came in with a vengeance about half way through our trip, and allowed me to continue posting our experiences on the Van Haalen blog (www.vanhaalen.com)
The agent had great response to questions and coordinated well to create an itinerary that met our expectations.
Bob Sunshine
1 day ago
Very responsive to all questions
Teresa Cardoso
2 days ago
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
2 days ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
3 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.