Time For Ice Cream, ArequipaThe next morning we awoke early. The plan was to visit the ruins of Ollantaytambo before the crowds arrived and watch the sun rise over the mountain peaks. Kudos to Santiago! The morning air was brisk as we strolled towards the ruins from our Hotel. Funny—they looked much smaller from the sitting room! This site comprises a critical part in Inca history. Being the gateway to the Amazon, the Incas devoted significant resources in this area. There are large food storage depots visible along the sheer rock faces of the surrounding mountains. Inca guard structures are also spread throughout the area. There was also ample space devoted to housing of military and governmental officials as a visible symbol of power for any people venturing up from the Amazon basin. Finally, this site marks the last refuge of Manco Inca, the last Inca Emperor who staged a famous rebellion against the Spanish and then fled from Cusco. After being defeated here by the Spanish, he escaped with his followers deep into the Amazon where he lived in exile before finally being killed some years later. Huge stone terraces lead up to the sun temple on top of the mountain. It defies imagination to think how the Incas transported such large stones from a quarry way across the valley and then across the Urabamba river. Standing on top, it is easy to see how this site was an ideal spot for a last stand against the Spanish. As the sun peaked over a tall mountain peak, we made our way along a narrow trail and eventually back into town.
After a nice breakfast at the hotel, we boarded small three-wheeled taxis that appeared to be crafted from old motorcycles. Our taxi had not traveled more than five feet before it broke down. No worry! Another one quickly pulled up. We hopped in and off we went.
At the train station, we boarded a train operated by Perurail, a company owned by Orient Express. We then descended further down the now narrow valley through an ecological transition zone. The Urabamba River which was nothing more than a babbling brook a few days ago was now a raging body of water. Just a few months earlier, record rainfall resulted in the river swelling to a torrent that washed out parts of the railway as well as the Inca Trail. Thousands of tourists were stranded in Aguas Calientas and had to be flown out by helicopters. Visible evidence of water’s destructive forces can be seen throughout the valley in the form of landslides. We soon left the dry arid terrain behind and found ourselves in the midst of a cloud forest. It was nice to see lush green foliage for a change in contrast to what we had experienced for the last week.
We arrived in Aguas Calientas and checked into the El Mapi Hotel. Aguas Calientas is the quintessential tourist town. It serves as a base camp for the dozens of buses ferrying tourists up and down the muddy road that leads to Machu Picchu and it also serves as the return point for tired hikers finishing the Inca Trail and in need of a soft bed, tasty meal and a hot shower. Restaurant upon restaurant as well as all manner of souvenir shops squeeze into spots along the narrow pedestrian streets. At some point in time, it was discovered that pizza sells. Every one of the dozens of restaurants has a pizza oven.
Despite its tourist overtones, the town has a certain charm. There is a nice court yard with a charming church and fountain. The Urabamba River winds along the border and it is pleasant to stroll down the road to a museum which houses artifacts from Machu Picchu. I was surprised to discover that many of these artifacts were discovered within the last 10-15 years. Just recently, a gold bracelet was discovered at the base of a tree.
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.