We only had about a day and a half in Lima due to our missed flight. I really wish we had had more time there, but we still saw a lot! ^^ From the hotel rooftop ^^ How dreamy is this?! Our hotel had the BEST breakfasts.
0 Comments
We spent our first day in the Sacred Valley hiking part of the Inca Trail. Even then shorter version (7 miles) kicked my butt! But the views were so worth it. It was such a spectacular day. Words really can't do it justice. ^^ That's cute little Jon sitting way up there :) ^^ Soaking in the view as we turned the corner and saw this sight below: Tired and sweaty, we returned to our hotel where we found a giant spider waiting for us in our room (I'm talking larger than my hand), to which the grounds keeper, upon our request to remove it, gave a little chuckle and said "Oh that? Typical garden spider..." But nothing a good massage and spa sesh can't cure. On our way out of the Sacred Valley, we got stuck on the tracks due to a teachers' strike in Cusco. It was quite amazing how the teachers, students, and community members rallied make an impact; they had effectively blocked all roads going to/from Machu Picchu for miles. Like, a lot of miles. In the middle of the night, they had taken out some of the rails on the tracks and littered the roads with giant boulders so that it was impossible to drive around them. It ended up delaying our trip by about 5 hours or so, which also caused us to miss our flight back to Lima, but it actually ended up being a really memorable experience for me. Teacher power!!!
Later during our stay in Urabamaba we visited Ollantaytambo. The ruins were just as spectacular as Sacsayhuaman. HOW did they get the stones stacked so perfectly? Seriously... It was totally mesmerizing to be there, After hiking around the ruins, we visited a community farther up in the hills. After a full day's work, the women of the community come home and weave (as a hobby). As someone how has recently taken up waving, I can tell you that it is incredibly laborious and strenuous work. It blows my mind that they're able to do it after working in a field all day. And their weavings were spectacular. See for yourself below! ^^ My mom made me buy a hat. Haha. So I rocked this super for the rest of the trip ;) ^^ The kids all lined up for a box of apples that Backroads brought them. I'm not sure why they all held on to each other, but seriously, could they be any cuter? ^^ And a random donkey
We left Cusco for a day of biking and headed to our next location: Urubamba. The bike ride was bumpy, to say the least, but included some amazing views and even a quick jaunt through a crop fire. ^^ literal twins Our hotel, Sol y Luna Lodge, was unreal. We stayed in little casitas which were painted brightly and so cute. I loved all the bright colors and plants. So dreamy. We spent the earlier part of the day at the Pisac ruins, the site of the largest Inca cemetery. Pisac overlooks the Sacred Valley and has some pretty incredible views. I was so mesmerized by those green terraces! ^^Pisco and the spa are always a good way to finish the night ;)
After spending a few days in Cusco with my family, we met up with the rest of our Backroads group to start our hiking/biking portion of the trip. A highlight was day 2, when, during a beautiful hike, our guides kept telling us they had a surprise for us at the top. The surprise was a herd of llamas that hiked with us for the rest of the day! 😍 Seriously, we were in heaven. ^^ How dreamy is that?! ^^ "Here, little llama." 😂 We finished up our time in Cucso at the MAP museum, where we had a pisco sour tasting and a lovely dinner, surrounded by pre-Columbian art. They have the most adorable collection of little pots. I mean... look at them!
We had the most amazing time in Peru! We started our trip in Cusco where we stayed at the Belmond Monestario- an old monastery which was converted into a beautiful hotel. We spent our first day acclimating to the altitude. visiting Saqsaywaman and walking around town gasping giddily at baby alpacas. The altitude is serious business people! Weird dreams and nighttime nausea kept me up often in the middle of the night. It was so strange! Salt Lake ain't got nothin on Cusco ;) I hadn't heard of Saqsaywaman before our trip, but it ended up being one of the highlights for me! The ruins are incredible. ^^ A natural slide
|
ELLEfeminist. linguist. traveller. foodie. crafter. ARCHIVES
January 2018
Categories
All
All photos are the property of Elizabeth Cheney and may not be used without permission.
|