This is a country that immediately captured our hearts and gave us some of our fondest travel memories. Peru has such a varied landscape, with towering Andes mountains, the Amazon jungle, and its long stretch of coastline. This is the land of the Incas, a powerful civilization that left behind ancient cities and of course, mystical Machu Picchu. Come to Peru and you can fill weeks of your time exploring these ancient ruins, trekking through the Amazon, sailing on Lake Titicaca, touring the Sacred Valley, and flying over the Nazca Lines. Peru is one of our favorite countries…will it be one of yours?
Tim and I wandered through the maze of shops, stopping occasionally to purchase something or pay one sol to have our photo taken with a Peruvian child. It is completely normal for children, as young as three or four years old, to wander through the market selling trinkets or asking to have their picture taken with you for one sol. Whether or not this is a good idea is up for debate, but for right now, that’s how things are in Peru.
Tim and I spent three days touring the Sacred Valley of Peru. This area is filled with historical Incan sites, stunning landscapes, quaint villages, and colorful, friendly people. Here are some of our favorite photos from these three days.
There are several ways to get to Machu Picchu. For people short on time or for those with no desire to hike their way to the Sun Gate there is the option of arriving in Aguas Calientes by train and then taking a bus up to the main gate of Machu Picchu. But for those who desire a little more adventure there is the option to hike the Inca trail to the Sun Gate. This is the original main gate of Machu Picchu when it was used by the Incans.
Following our day hiking the Inca Trail, Tim and I spent one day exploring Machu Picchu. We spent the night in the town of Aguas Calientes, located in the river valley a half an hour away from Machu Picchu. At 5:30 am we were winding our way back up the mountain, excited for the day ahead.
Jorge and Alfredo picked us up at our hotel in Ollantaytambo and drove us to the site where we would rock climb and zip line. We put on our harnesses and started ascending up the rocky face of the mountain.
Tim and I ended our trip to Peru in the Amazon rainforest. This would end up being quite the experience and would take us out of our comfort zone. I was now wearing a giant, hot, plaster cast on my left hand that was already beginning to disintegrate (I broke my hand mountain biking a few days earlier). Tim and I were heading into the jungle, and we didn’t know what to expect, other than it was going to be very hot, very humid, and very far from home.
