Gallavanting around PeruThis morning, after a simple breakfast, I bid a fond farewell to my host family, and hike back down the hill to meet up with the rest of the group. We climb back on the little boat for the trip to Taquile Island, only an hour's ride across the blue water. We will hike around the entire island today, stopping here and there for short explanations from our guide, Roger.
We stop at a small house near the top of the hill. A woman is weaving colorful wool on a loom, while her husband stands knitting a hat. Roger tells us that if a young man is interested in a young woman, the first thing she will ask him is, 'How well do you knit?' If a man can knit a hat with a tight enough weave that a drop of water will roll down it rather than soak immediately through, he is, presumably, responsible enough to marry and have a family. What would American society be like if men proved their manhood by how well they knit rather than how well they drink beer/play basketball/drive a car? Hmm.
We continue our walk around the island. The sky is a bright blue above, with the water reflecting both sun and sky in a glitter of gold and blue, and flowers of all colors spill down the hillside--purple, pink, orange, yellow. Around lunchtime we reach the main plaza, at the very top of the island. I climb the stairs to a lookout on the roof of a large building, and can see into the blue horizon for miles. The far Bolivian mountains glimmer in the distance.
We eat a delicious lunch at one of the restaurants, sitting outdoors beneath an awning. A bold chicken struts arrogantly around our feet, looking for a handout, perhaps? After lunch, we make our way back to the boat for the return journey to Puno. We arrive in mid-afternoon, and, after returning to the hotel, I wander down to the Plaza de Armas to journal and watch twilight spill across the sky. I'm approached by a girl about my age, who asks if I've seen any internet cafes. Calle Lima is peppered with them, and I point out a couple from my vantage point on the Cathedral steps. Inge, who is from the Netherlands (and of course speaks flawless English), and I decide to meet for supper later that evening.
We've used Adventure Life for several trips in the past and have always been very pleased with them. The staff is personable and professional at the same time. Erin put this trip together for us in just a few days, and it has everything we were looking for! I recommend them without hesitation.
benn
3 weeks ago
I served as the person responsible for planning a trip to Galapagos and Machu Picchu for a group of 14 people. Jane with Adventure Life was very helpful throughout the process. Making suggestions, offering insight, and in the end helped me overhaul an initial plan into something even better. Also, Jane makes all the plans including the flights within and between Peru and Ecuador. Thanks to her this is going to be a stress-free adventure. After making the final decision about the trip, Jane gathered the contact information for all the travelers and sent out the details to each traveler individually with links to pay deposits, upload passport info, and personal preferences. She also ensured a group email was sent out to the entire group welcoming us to the trip preparation process. Our trip is a year from now and we are excited to make this once in a life time trek. I am happy to have organized things through Adventure Life. However, two small issues came up that were a little off putting. First, Adventure Life adds $50 per person to the cost for each traveler as a donation to a Galapagos conservation fund. I think this should he offered as something that can be added at each traveler’s discretion. Instead, it is automatically added, and each person must ask to have it removed if they do not want it included. Second, although the trip deposit may be paid with a credit card without incurring an additional fee, the balance must be paid in another way to avoid a 3% credit card fee. Maybe this is standard with all travel agencies. In the end I would definitely go through Adventure Life for the next big trip.
Brenda Nielsen
1 month ago
I think it was very helpful that Franny and I spoke on the phone. I think she had a better idea of what we were looking for, and she planned a great itinerary for us!
Elizabeth
2 months ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
2 months ago
Easy.
Great work on the follow up and details by Waru.