Aguas CalientesToday we take a large comfy tour bus to Cusco and stop along the way at various points of interest. There are 2 couples on the bus who were also on our islands tour so it was nice to see them again. Along the way our guide explains various features and cultural distinctions. As we passed through the city of Juliaca which it where the airport is he explained one of our questions about the buildings. We had noticed before that most of the buildings are unfinished, they have 2 or 3 stories than no roof, only re-bar sticking out. Apparently this is a tax evasion technique as taxes are higher once a building is complete. Juliaca is the biggest commercial city in the high plains and runs a huge black market. The Peruvian currency, the sol, is very strong against their neighbor Bolivia so people go to Bolivia, buy goods, return, and sell them on the black market. Taxi-chollos, the human pedaled tricycle taxis are very popular here as well, they have about 25,000 of them and they are the main form of pollution free transport.
Our first stop was the small town of Pucara, whose claim to fame is the oldest archeological site in the high plains. The site dates back to 1600 BC, and there is a small museum we visited which houses a few stone monoliths and some ancient pottery.
We stopped for just a few minutes at La Raya which is just the line between the Puno region and the Cusco region. The interesting thing about this point is that at 14,232 feet above sea level it is the highest point in the region. It is also the origin of the Vilcanota river known as the sacred river of the Incas.
A quick stop for lunch at a small town named Sicuani then on to Racchi also known as San Pedro. Racchi was really interesting and I wish we had more time there. It is the site of the remains of a temple called Wiracocha, a magnificent example of Inca Architecture. The complex spread over 652 acres and included houses, temples, palaces, astronomical observatories, food storehouses and walls. Pretty incredible.
The next stop was equally impressive in a totally different way. We went to Andahuaylillas the home of a church built on the site of an Inca temple and it’s frescoes are so beautiful is was been called the Sistine Chaple of the Andes! It was truly awesome, beautiful murals all around the interior of the church walls, and the amount of gold leaf everywhere was jaw dropping.
We arrived in Cusco around 5pm and met our guide for the rest of the week, Juan, who took us to our hotel. After discussing the plans for the next few days he left us for the evening. Our hotel’s location is excellent, just a few yards from the Plaza de Armas or the main plaza. We walked around the square for awhile (where I took the above photo) and Grant struck up a conversation with 3 people from Texas who had just finished a mission trip. Later at our restaurant the same people came in and joined us at our table. We had a fun evening chatting with them, all in all a very fun day.
From the planning stage straight through the trip itself, Adventure life was on top of it all. Questions were answered completely, accommodations were better than expected. All fees and transportation was addressed. This is a very professional organization, you can book with confidence.
Eric Biddinger
4 weeks ago
Our 19 day personalized trip to Peru was amazing and memorable. The itinerary Adventure Life assembled provided us with a wonderful sampling of the country and culture - Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Amazon rainforest, Paracas, and the Nazca Lines. Our guides were exceptional- informative, friendly, helpful, and service-centric. It was a trip of a lifetime.
Gino
2 months ago
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
2 months 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
3 months 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!