Chloe and I had a wonderful adventure in Peru – the highlight being a one-day hike up Machu Picchu. We spent a few days before the official tour (National Geographic, by the way) in Lima. We explored downtown Lima, the Museo Larco, some ruins near the hotel, and the Miraflores district. From downtown Lima we took a cab back to our hotel – we later learned that was not such a great (or safe) idea!
On our first official day of the tour, we took a cooking class! The class included a visit to a local market and sampling fruit – many of which we had never seen before. On Day 2 we flew to Cusco and drove to Urubamba through the Sacred Valley and stopped at Las Salineras – a pre-Incan salt “mining” area (salt water springs/ponds) and the Inca site of Moray.
On Day 3 we continued to explore the Sacred Valley and the highlight of the day was the Parque de la Papa (Potato Park). an agricultural area preserving over 700 species of potatoes. We also visited Pisac and Ollantaytambo Ruins. On Day 4 we rode the train to Aguas Calientes (the gateway to Machu Picchu). However, on the way, we got off and hiked up Machu Picchu! Only Chloe and I – plus one other young man – hiked. Day 5 included a thorough guided tour of Machu Picchu with the group. The group was about 14 folks. Macchu Picchu is an amazing place.
On day 6 we were back in Cusco and spent the day exploring this ancient Incan capital. The tour included a very nice planetarium visit. The show explored the southern hemisphere sky and the relationship of the Inca culture with the cosmos. We also had another cooking class. Day 7 brought us back to Lima. We visited the San Francisco Church and catacombs walked around the main plaza, and enjoyed that national adult beverage – Pisco Sours.
