Sacred Valley Picnic - Note the ChairsToday we left Cusco to journey to the Sacred Valley and ultimately Ollaytatambo. It is impossible to comment about the drive out of Cusco without mentioning the plethora of stray dogs that seem to overtake the city's outer edges. I wonder how they all manage to get enough to eat while appearing to leave the roaming chickens and such alone. Our first stop was a native Ketuwa town where we were treated to an incredible weaving demonstration. They showed how glass was used to cut the wool from the hide, how they clean the wool using a root that makes a natural shampoo when grated, and how various color dyes are created using all natural elements found locally. By far the highlight was the ''sacrifice'' of a beetle/parasite that can be found on cactus which is used in order to make over 24 different shades of red (apparently it is also good for a lip color which will last 24 hours or 100 kisses but we didn't test this out ourselves). We also got a kick out of Anita, the resident alpaca, when she spit at Teddy. This is also where we treated ourselves to some textiles to take home with us and it is fun to be chronicling our adventures after the fact with an alpaca throw blanket wrapped around me. From the weaving demonstration the day just kept getting better, we got to see our first up close agricultural terraces in two different locations, a national park that is currently restoring some terraces, and a church dating back to the 1500's. Perhaps the best part of the day however, was our picnic lunch that we had in a secluded spot that Teddy and our driver discovered which had a breathtaking view overlooking the Sacred Valley and Urubamba river. The descent and drive into the town of Ollaytatambo was lovely and although we had already had such a full day by the time that we arrived, we were excited to walk up and explore the massive ruins. At the height of the ruin temple, Teddy pointed out the mountain range on the opposite side of the river from where we stood. ON this range you could see the granite quarry which was apparently where the Inca's had taken the stone to build the temple we were standing on. How they transported 1000's of tons of granite down a mountain, across a river, and up another mountain without the use of any modern day equipment is astonishing. This was also a really good place to visually see and be amazed by the extensive aqueduct and irrigation systems built by the Incas that are still working today.
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.