Peru Trip Review

Words can not justify what an amazing time we both had in Peru but here were our top three choices!

Colin's Favorite Moments
1.  rafting on the Urubamba River

2.  the white llama gift exchange
3.  feeding the llamas and alpacas AND finding a Dr. Pepper there too

Heidi's Favorite Moments
1.  that first sight of Machu Picchu when you turn the corner . . . total WOW moment

2.  the people; so friendly and hard working
3.  experiencing a new culture especially shanty town; oh and the food was good too

While we could have visited most of these places on our own, the expertise of both guides with their personal narratives, stories, and history made this trip even better.  So many times they would tell us something that we would not have known without them saying it.  I have traveled to a lot of amazing places in my 41 years . . . this trip ranks as one of the best yet!

On our first full day of the trip when we introduced our family we had to tell one thing we were most looking forward to while in Peru.  Colin said rafting.  I said that I wanted to see a llama roaming around Machu Picchu . . .

Yes, it was that awesome!

Peru day 11

Today is the last day of our trip . . . at least we have the entire day before we fly home on the red-eye.  While in Cuscso we stayed at the Palacio del Inka which was beautiful and really nice . . . as you entered the check in/front desk area . . .

. . . and the view from our room.  While it isn't spectacular it was much prettier at night with all the lights . . .

We did not leave the hotel until 8:30am.  It took 10 minutes to drive to the airport, 5 minutes to clear security, and our flight boarded at 9:00am.  Can you imagine trying to arrive that late for a flight in the US?  The flight to Lima was easy and just as beautiful . . . I did not have a window seat but Colin and I were seated together.

It is Sunday and the center of Lima is full of people.  As we arrive the Changing of the Guards is starting.  It is a lot different from the one we attended last week as there are horse mounted guards all over the place.

It is very festive and lively.  We only stay for a few minutes and then move on to our lunch location.  We are welcomed inside of the Casa Aliaga and quickly met with a tray of drinks and hors d'oeuvres.  The drink tray had about a dozen drinks and I pointed to one asking what it was . . . all I heard was a local drink that taste like Bailey's; sold!  It was strong so quickly ate some hors d' oeuvres.  Casa del Aliaga is the oldest colonial mansion in Lima.  The carved 'A' on the wooden door is amazing . . .

The house has been owned and lived in by the Aliaga family and their descendants since around 1535.  It was very nice.  Before we could explore the casa and eat, we had some local musicians and dancers perform for us . . .

 

While the mask were a tad scary it was fun to watch them.  We were then shown to the dining room . . .

. . .  where we had an amazing meal!  The food was so yummy.  We were given time to roam the casa which is where this family lives . . . sort of weird as there are family pictures all around and we are just walking around . . .

I can't imagine what this must have cost.  It was back on the bus . . . but wait there's more . . . we placed Jeopardy on the way back to the hotel because the traffic was awful!  I was on team Cuy and we lost to team Inca Kola.  It was fun to see how much we remembered from the trip . . . we lost on the bonus question but had fun.  We arrived back at the JW Marriott Lima and the tour is officially over but we are provided with a  hotel room for the night.  Most families were staying an extra day but we are flying out at 11:30pm.  We said good-bye to our guides . . .

. . . and head out for one last churro . . .

. . . and back to the room to relax, shower, and change clothes before heading to the airport.  We are on our own now.  When the taxi pulled up to the airport we are back to reality and hauling our own luggage to check in.  It was a great 11 days.

Peru day 10

It is starting to become obvious that our time in Peru is coming to an end.  Our group morning meeting times are getting later and later each day and our activities become less and less frequent too.  Our only organized activity today is to tour The Stones of Sacsayhuaman (it sounds like sexy woman when pronounced) . . . and every time the guide said it the youngest boy of the group would giggle.  One phrase we have heard often is "go when you can not when you need" . . . so before entering we take a restroom break.  One of the males came out laughing about a sign above the toilet in the men's restroom . . .

. . . apparently they do not like creative ways to use the toilet and it is funny!  So inside we go to explore Sacsayhuaman also known as 'Sexy Woman' . . .

And of course these guys call this place home and didn't even seem to notice us . . .

I know it is hard to tell just how large the boulder below is but this is the biggest carved boulder of the first wall and is estimated to weigh between 70-100 tons and each wall has 10 faces; sounds like a math lesson in the making.  Oh and this big boulder was brought here from a quarry that is 3 km away; can you imagine moving that thing?  It is hard to tell but I bet it is about 25-30 feet tall.

. . . and one more thing there is no mortar between the stones!  Some say the stones are so tightly arranged that it would be hard to slide a sheet of paper between the stones.  We hiked to the top with some beautiful views of downtown Cusco . . .

. . . and the Junior Adventurers practiced their best yoga poses . . .

. . . and then back on the bus where we were dropped off in the center of Cusco to enjoy the rest of the day on our own.

While I do enjoy the free time, I also enjoy the busy schedule and would have loved to had something organized for the afternoon!  As we arrived there was a parade . . .

We decided to go eat lunch at a place some other families ate last night called Incanto.  I had yellow potato gnocchi with a fresh tomato sauce, and Colin had pizza.  Can you tell we have had enough Peruvian food?  The local food in Peru is good but the change is nice too.  While the pizza and gnocchi were good, it was no where near as good as the food we had last night!  After we ate, we wandered around a bit and headed back to the hotel to take a nap . . . well, I took a nap and Colin played games.  I left him in the hotel room while I ran out to buy the rest of my 'White Llama' gift for tonight.  I arrived back at the hotel in time to change for dinner and head down stairs with gifts in tow.  Colin was so excited!  The kids managed to sit all together and the adults enjoyed our meal too.  It was show time and ready for our 'White Llama' gift exchange.  We played with some rules . . . could only be stolen 3 times; could not take back an item if already had it; went in reverse number order so number 1 went last.  Bummer because I was number 17.  The best part was the guide would open the item first and then give a little chat about the item without giving it away.  I think this made the game so much more fun as it sure did build up the anticipation and usually had us laughing.  It was about the story he told and seeing the big reveal . . . time to get our 'White Llama' gift exchange started . . .

I got two crappy magnets . . . I mean they weren't that bad but . . .

Colin got a stuffed cuy (guinea pig) with fork and knife taped to it . . .

. . . it was hilarious and everyone was laughing.  It was probably the most creative gift of the night.  It was quickly stolen and the second pick he got an Inca warrior pendant made out of llama bone . . .

Why the shower cap?  This gift gets the award for best wrapping!  It was wrapped in the hotel shower cap and tucked back into the small box!  We all had so much fun with the creative gifts.  Tomorrow we head back to Lima which means the trip will soon end.  I am not ready to return home.

Peru day 9

Thankfully today we did not have to be on the bus until 9:00am . . . I know 9:00am so late and totally felt like such a slacker sleeping until 8:30am but man was it so nice to not have to rush!  The hotel we have been staying participates in a program called Pack for a Purpose . . . simple request for basic school supplies for the school that is across the street from the hotel.  I had an old suitcase that was about to be discarded so we packed it with a lot of supplies and left it at the front desk.  I was hoping to visit the school but the timing was never right.  I really wanted Colin to see how fortunate he is at his school.  I think he understands but sometimes a gentle reminder is always good.  So I left the hotel feeling good . . . and hope the teachers really enjoy what we brought . . . all 35 pounds!  While it doesn't sound like a lot but man it was packed with tons of stuff and lots of books too.  We still had time to eat breakfast and not be rushed before boarding the bus.  As we pulled out of the hotel, the kids were arriving at school . . .

. . . so cute with their red hats; my heart was full!  Our final destination for the day is Cusco, but we have several stops along the way.  We have been hearing about cuy (guinea pig) all week and today we drove through the town of Calca which is also referred to as Drive-Thru Cuy town.

What?  Take a look . . .

Oh my is all I could think . . . she was so proud of her cuy!  You can't help but laugh.  We continued down the road and arrived at Pisca.  Several things were going on today in this town . . . for us it was a stop at the market also known as a shopp-ortunity at the local market.  We were also informed that tomorrow night we would be having a 'White Llama' gift exchange . . . oh how fun!  We were each given 10 soles (about $3) to find the perfect 'White Llama' gift.  It was game on!  Trying to find the perfect gift . . .

. . . but kept finding things that we wanted and more than 10 soles!  Colin was just itching to hold the baby goats . . .

With one maybe two 'White Llama' gifts purchased and many purchases for us, we headed back to the meeting point.  The town was also celebrating the Feast of Carmen . . . lots of parades, music and dancing in some very colorful, unique costumes . . .

Back on the bus and a short drive down the road to Awana Kancha Camelids Center where we would be loco for llamas and alpacas . . .

Okay, okay so we were able to feed real live breathing llamas and alpacas endless grass . . .

Someone wasn't as excited as me . . . I think they know what to do . . .

Thankfully we did not get spit on while hanging out!  About this time Colin came running up to me asking for money.  I was so engrossed with all these critters that I was confused.  He just said, "Mom, come quick there is only one left."  So I followed him to the gift shop/snack bar area . . .

. . . due to the altitude we both stopped all soda and caffeine over a week ago and he has been searching high and low for a Dr. Pepper since we arrived in Peru.  Everywhere we went he asked and always heard a no or what is Dr. Pepper?  Since we only have a few more days in Peru, I was like why not?  He was so excited and I think his friends were too . . .

. . . but apparently there was no sharing.  As for me, I was back to the looking at these guys . . . just look at his face . . .

After we finished feeding tons of grass to the four legged friends, we headed to the shop where the local ladies produced some more fabulous woven textiles.  I saw this little girl hanging out as her mom was weaving . . .

. . . in her hand she has a small Joker toy.  Such a cutie!  The colors of yarns were like a rainbow . . .

Quick stop for our last view of the Sacred Valley . . .

. . . sure going to miss the amazing views and cool weather too!  We arrived in Cusco (elevation 11,200 feet above sea level) just in time for a late lunch on the square . . .

After another yummy lunch we headed to our hotel and given the afternoon to relax and enjoy free time.  The elevation is the highest we have been this trip and even though we have been in country for over a week you can still feel the effects.  We were both happy to have some down time to relax and hang out in the hotel.  After a few hours of nothing, Colin and I headed out for dinner on our own at La Bodega 183.  It was a super yummy salad and pizza . . . so nice for a change of food!