Cory posing majesticallyThe morning of our second camping day begins with a hike where I learn a very important lesson: even though you are wearing pants, you should still put bug spray on your legs. I’ve been skimping on this step lately because one benefit of the altitude is that you don’t encounter as many mosquitoes, but our hike this morning drives the folly of my decision home. Don’t get me wrong, it’s lovely. We’re on one of the less popular Inca trails, and as we wrap along the side of the mountain Juan points out the vistas of Machu Picchu. I can’t imagine walking all the way there….as it is, my calves are screaming by lunch. But we are able to stop every hour or so for water, and Juan takes us to the home of a local woman a bit before lunch and she shares some bananas with us and lets us take a rest in her hammock. One of the things I love about this trip is getting to see the activities that resonate with each of us, and Cory is loving today. He loves hiking, he loves interacting with locals and he loves hammocks. It makes me happy to see my new husband so happy.
We meet our crew for lunch and are able to give Aurelio some fresh avocados that we’ve picked up along the way. He quickly assembles them into our lunch of boiled potatoes and although it’s a simple dish, it’s so delicious after our early morning exertions. We hike some more in the afternoon – passing by some magnificent peaks and valleys– before heading back to the van for our drive to Santa Teresa. We camp near a lovely hostel, and spend the afternoon reading and relaxing in the sun. After a shower I’m able to assess the extent of the damage inflicted by the mosquitoes, which is (I’ll admit) quite extensive and a little bit gross. I must have sensitive skin or something because my bites are so swollen that Cory tells me my legs look like a horror movie.
It’s our last night with Aurelio and even though we’ve only had him and Edgar for 48 hours, they feel like a part of our team. They surprise us with a “Feliz Honeymoon” cake after dinner and I am amazed, once again, by the joy and the wonder of this trip.
We've used Adventure Life for several trips in the past and have always been very pleased with them. The staff is personable and professional at the same time. Erin put this trip together for us in just a few days, and it has everything we were looking for! I recommend them without hesitation.
benn
1 month ago
I served as the person responsible for planning a trip to Galapagos and Machu Picchu for a group of 14 people. Jane with Adventure Life was very helpful throughout the process. Making suggestions, offering insight, and in the end helped me overhaul an initial plan into something even better. Also, Jane makes all the plans including the flights within and between Peru and Ecuador. Thanks to her this is going to be a stress-free adventure. After making the final decision about the trip, Jane gathered the contact information for all the travelers and sent out the details to each traveler individually with links to pay deposits, upload passport info, and personal preferences. She also ensured a group email was sent out to the entire group welcoming us to the trip preparation process. Our trip is a year from now and we are excited to make this once in a life time trek. I am happy to have organized things through Adventure Life. However, two small issues came up that were a little off putting. First, Adventure Life adds $50 per person to the cost for each traveler as a donation to a Galapagos conservation fund. I think this should he offered as something that can be added at each traveler’s discretion. Instead, it is automatically added, and each person must ask to have it removed if they do not want it included. Second, although the trip deposit may be paid with a credit card without incurring an additional fee, the balance must be paid in another way to avoid a 3% credit card fee. Maybe this is standard with all travel agencies. In the end I would definitely go through Adventure Life for the next big trip.
Brenda Nielsen
2 months ago
I think it was very helpful that Franny and I spoke on the phone. I think she had a better idea of what we were looking for, and she planned a great itinerary for us!
Elizabeth
3 months ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
3 months ago
Easy.
Great work on the follow up and details by Waru.