Today we take a large comfy tour bus to Cusco and stop along the way at various points of interest. There are 2 couples on the bus who were also on our islands tour so it was nice to see them again. Along the way our guide explains various features and cultural distinctions. As we passed through the city of Juliaca which it where the airport is he explained one of our questions about the buildings. We had noticed before that most of the buildings are unfinished, they have 2 or 3 stories than no roof, only re-bar sticking out. Apparently this is a tax evasion technique as taxes are higher once a building is complete. Juliaca is the biggest commercial city in the high plains and runs a huge black market. The Peruvian currency, the sol, is very strong against their neighbor Bolivia so people go to Bolivia, buy goods, return, and sell them on the black market. Taxi-chollos, the human pedaled tricycle taxis are very popular here as well, they have about 25,000 of them and they are the main form of pollution free transport.
Our first stop was the small town of Pucara, whose claim to fame is the oldest archeological site in the high plains. The site dates back to 1600 BC, and there is a small museum we visited which houses a few stone monoliths and some ancient pottery.
We stopped for just a few minutes at La Raya which is just the line between the Puno region and the Cusco region. The interesting thing about this point is that at 14,232 feet above sea level it is the highest point in the region. It is also the origin of the Vilcanota river known as the sacred river of the Incas.
A quick stop for lunch at a small town named Sicuani then on to Racchi also known as San Pedro. Racchi was really interesting and I wish we had more time there. It is the site of the remains of a temple called Wiracocha, a magnificent example of Inca Architecture. The complex spread over 652 acres and included houses, temples, palaces, astronomical observatories, food storehouses and walls. Pretty incredible.
The next stop was equally impressive in a totally different way. We went to Andahuaylillas the home of a church built on the site of an Inca temple and it’s frescoes are so beautiful is was been called the Sistine Chaple of the Andes! It was truly awesome, beautiful murals all around the interior of the church walls, and the amount of gold leaf everywhere was jaw dropping.
We arrived in Cusco around 5pm and met our guide for the rest of the week, Juan, who took us to our hotel. After discussing the plans for the next few days he left us for the evening. Our hotel’s location is excellent, just a few yards from the Plaza de Armas or the main plaza. We walked around the square for awhile (where I took the above photo) and Grant struck up a conversation with 3 people from Texas who had just finished a mission trip. Later at our restaurant the same people came in and joined us at our table. We had a fun evening chatting with them, all in all a very fun day.
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.