Peru is NOT for the Faint of Heart: Part II - Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu

Peru is NOT for the Faint of Heart

Part II – Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu

We woke up VERY early, enjoyed another lovely breakfast at the Miraflores Park Hotel and met our group at the airport. I forgot to mention that Jeff and I were part of a very small group of travel consultants visiting Peru for the first time. We flew to Cusco for our transfer to the Sacred Valley. Cusco is approximately, 11,000 feet above sea level. I immediately felt the lack of oxygen when going up the ramp to baggage claim. We met our guide, Roger there. Roger was so knowledgeable –maybe too knowledgeable. He was only interested in the history and explanation of what we were doing and seeing rather than understanding that we were travel consultants wanting to see hotels for our clients, learn about the highlights (without too much detail). Unfortunately, Roger also didn’t understand how important helping people was as we climbed steep rocky pathways up and down. He also became impatient when we wanted to shop….so much about Roger…

On the way to the Sacred Valley, we stopped at the Pisac Market. This is a touristy area full of handicrafts all made from Alpaca. The things sold at Pisac Market (see below) are not high quality but it was a fun place to shop for small gift items. Later, we enjoyed a ceremony and blessing from a local Andean Shaman who participated in the inauguration of the Indian Museum in Washington D.C..

After lunch at Hacienda Huayoccari, we arrived at our hotel for the next 2 nights, Sol y Luna Lodge (see below). The Sol y Luna Lodge was one of our most favorite lodges that we have ever experienced. It is understated luxury. Our room was huge with a wood burning fireplace and separate sitting area. The bathroom was also quite large with a soaking tub, shower and dual sinks. The views from Sol y Luna were breathtaking as was the Sacred Valley in general. We had a fantastic dinner and met the owner, Petite from France.

The following morning, we journeyed to Maras. Some of our group enjoyed a private horseback riding excursion to Moray while a few of us went with the van. We enjoyed a fantastic gourmet picnic overlooking Moray. After lunch, we went to the amphitheater-type ruins of Moray. We walked through the Maras salt flats which were located on a wide, open hill above the Urubamba Valley. This was very scary and some of the group decided not to do this. The paths through the salt flats at times had loose rocks and blasts of wind which made for unstable walking. Good hiking boots are a must here.

We returned to Sol y Luna and had a private cooking demonstration and dinner. Our group shared their tales of how our guide insisted that the Maras salt flats was a “piece of cake” which is definitely was not. The “piece of cake” comment became one of our catch phrases while we were together so we were able to laugh off the experience our way.

The next morning, we went to the train station to get to Aguas Calientes. We were treated to the President’s Car on Inka Rail. What a wonderful way to see the landscapes of the majestic Andes as we approached Machu Picchu. The train followed the Vilcanota River.

We arrived in time for lunch and a site visit at the Sanctuary Lodge which is the only hotel directly in Machu Picchu. The lodge is perfect for those who really want to experience all of Machu Picchu because you need to take a public bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu and the buses end their service before dark. The rooms were very small and most were recently refurbished.

Our group visited Machu Picchu which has been named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It was built by the Inca Pachacutec in the 15th Century and is perched between two peaks offering incredible views of the Urubamba River Valley and the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Hiking Machu Picchu means climbing up uneven, rocky steps. You need to understand this and wear hiking boots.

After our tour of Machu Picchu, we took the bus down to Aguas Calientes and walked two blocks to the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Hotel (see above). The hotel was set amongst beautiful gardens and offered specialty walks throughout the vast property. We had a junior suite overlooking the river. The only problem was that the room was quite cold. At least it was only for 1 night. I loved their quinoa pancakes for breakfast.

The following morning, Jeff and our Blue Parallel host, K.C. hiked to Huayna Picchu which was a steep hike higher than Machu Picchu. They said that the hike was worth it because the view from the top was breathtaking.