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Peru: Sacred Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Along the trail
Along the trail
This journal is co-created by Nate and Michele. We planned our trip to Peru over Thanksgiving 2011 to celebrate our 1-year wedding anniversary and it was truly magical. We share a passion for travel and seek destinations that are both off the beaten path and which offer a winning combination of great food, beautiful scenery, adventure and amazing people. Peru did not disappoint.
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Lima: Miraflores coast

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Lima: First clear view of Pacific Ocean

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Lima: Outdoor Miraflores gym

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Lima: Miraflores coast

Cebiche rocks!

Michele:
We arrived in Lima from Chicago (via Miami) at 7:00 on a misty, overcast Sunday morning. Lima is a sprawling city of 9 million, situated on a desert coast next to the Pacific Ocean. We stayed in a very quaint neighborhood called Miraflores, on the South side of the city, and had the entire day to explore before flying out to Cusco the …
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Lima: First clear view of Pacific Ocean

Coca tea cures all

Michele:
We took a short, early morning flight to Cusco and were welcomed at the airport by our Peruvian guide, Vidal, and driver, Roger. We were dropped off at our hotel, Casa Andina Catedral, which is in a perfect location next to the main square, Plaza de las Armas. The hotel incorporates an original wall constructed by the Incas. We were …
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Lima: Outdoor Miraflores gym

Significant sites outside of Cusco

Nate:
The first stop today was at Sacsawayman. Much of the site is off-limits due to preservation, exploration, and repairs. But what we could see was unbelievable. The site sits about 1,000 feet above Cusco and is believed to be an old fortress or temple. Llamas and alpacas roam freely across the wide open area between what was some sort of …
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Lima: Illuminated cross

Tiobamba - a village of 2 families

Michele:
We spent the entire day touring the Sacred Valley, which is a valley in the region of Cusco and below Machu Picchu. Our itinerary was to explore some towns and sites in the valley and then spend the night in the town of Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo is close to the start of the Inca Trail, which we would begin to hike the next …
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Admiring the Lima nighttime coastline

Away we go!

Michele:
I have to admit I was a little nervous about this trek. We would cover over 26 miles in 4 days, with trails mostly going up or down. Nate and I both trained a little bit before the trek, by running and also walking on the treadmill at a steep incline, so I guess I was as ready as I was ever going to be. (Though I was a bit worried about …
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Lima: Al fresco kitchen at first dinner

Hardest day ever

Michele:
Vidal had warned us that this was going to be the hardest trekking day but I was not at all prepared for the intensity of the trail. Our goal was to reach the first of 3 mountain passes we would cross, Dead Woman's Pass, which is also the highest point we would reach at 13,800 feet. We were woken up at around 7:00 by one of our porters, a …
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Cusco: Plaza de Armas

Sleeping above the clouds... with llamas

Nate:
It was cold this morning until the sun rose over the mountains and showered our camp with direct light. Once packed, we set off for the first site of the day, which was visible from camp, but uphill. We arrived at the Runkuraqay and learned that it was kind of a stopover point for travelers on the trail. There was area for grain storage …
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Clouds above Cusco

Most beautiful view in the world

Michele:
We woke up to our last breakfast with our team of porters and Augusto. A table was set up outside, overlooking the clouds. Our group wore the brightly colored and festive garments from their individual villages and Nate and I passed out some gifts for their kids (like pads of paper and pencils) as well as tips. We were very lucky to have …
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Cusco: Windows perfectly aligned

Another hike?

Michele:
I was very happy to take another shower in the morning (probably my sixth in the last 12 hours) and have a good breakfast at the hotel. We caught a 6 a.m. bus up to Machu Picchu to get an early start. We would need to leave the site at noon to catch a 1:30 train back to Ollantaytambo, where Roger would then pick us up in the passenger van …
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1-9 of 10 Results

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