Posted by Diane Valenti on Wed, Jan 04, 2012 @ 07:40 PM
It was down to the Pyramid of Giza and Machu Picchu in the recent Huffington Post poll to select the top place to see before you die. Machu Picchu won!
I’ve never been to the Pyramid of Giza. But, I have been to Machu Picchu…four times! The first three times, I traveled by train. The last time, I hiked the Inca Trail and arrived at the Sun Gate just as the sun was rising.
I can’t quite put my finger on what makes Machu Picchu so special. But, there is something undeniably mystical about the place. It is where I healed a rocky relationship with my father, fell in love for the first time after my divorce, and deepened a friendship that remains one of my most cherished to this day.
Theories abound as to the purpose of the site. Was it a religious retreat? A military installation? A university? No one knows why the Spanish never stumbled across it during their conquest of Peru or how the Inca’s engineered the site with such precision.
Even amongst the growing throngs of tourists, Machu Picchu never seems to lose its majesty. It feels eternal, somehow untouched.
I remember sitting perched on a stone wall by the Sun Gate alongside my fellow hikers from the Inca Trail. We watched the sunrise and the shadows of neighboring mountains retreat to slowly reveal Machu Picchu, as mysterious as ever.
What makes Machu Picchu the #1 place to see before you die? I guess you’ll just have to experience it for yourself to answer that question.
Explore our Llama Expeditions’ tours to Machu Picchu for more information.
Posted by Diane Valenti on Wed, Nov 16, 2011 @ 09:39 AM
I am currently organizing a trip to Peru for 10 people. They want to participate in the Inti Raymi celebration next June. It will be during the height of the tourist season. Cusco will be swimming in visitors!
In fact, I’ve been amazed at how fast hotels and even trains to Machu Picchu are filling up. This Sunday, when I checked the train schedules, I was surprised to see that some departures had already sold out. And, with Machu Picchu’s new entrance restriction of 2,500 people a day, I expect tickets to the popular site will be snapped up quickly, as well.
So, how early should you book your Machu Picchu holiday? It depends.
1) When do you want to go? June and July, and to a lesser extent August, are high season in Peru. Thanksgiving and Christmas are busy, too. If you want to travel during these times, book at least five to seven months in advance. If you want to celebrate Inti Raymi, book six to eight months in advance, as Cusco will be packed.
2) What do you want to do? There are strict limits on the number of people who can visit Machu Picchu (2,500 a day) and the number of people who can hike the Inca Trail (500 a day, including porters and guides). Also, some lodges in the Peruvian Amazon, such as Posada Amazonas, have a very limited number of rooms. I would book five to seven months in advance depending on both what you want to do and when you plan to travel. As an example, I booked my trip—hiking the Inca Trail over last Memorial Day—five months in advance.
3) How many people are you traveling with? My group of 10 people (all friends and family members) will need to book sooner than say a couple. It is harder to get 10 tickets for anything than it is to get two.
As Peru’s popularity as a tourist destination grows, I expect the need to book well in advance will continue. The days of booking the Inca Trail once you arrive in Cusco’s Plaza de Armas are gone.
Thinking about taking a trip to Peru next summer? Check out our small group tours or call us about a custom guided tour.
Posted by Diane Valenti on Thu, Nov 10, 2011 @ 06:00 PM
Wondering how to pack for your Machu Picchu vacation? After visiting Machu Picchu via train three times, I have some recommendations for the trip.
Before you start packing, get a small rolling suitcase or manageable backpack. Don’t try to bring a big suitcase to Machu Picchu.
First, the train doesn’t have sufficient space for large suitcases. Most passengers stow suitcases under the seat, on the rack overhead, or in available space located at the ends of each car.
Second, once you arrive in Aguas Calientes, the small pueblo at the foot of Machu Picchu, you need to carry your suitcase to your hotel. On the way to your hotel, you climb and descend stairs, cross railroad tracks, and walk through the local, often crowded handicrafts market. You may also have to climb a hill.
I usually bring two suitcases since I have yet to master the art of packing light. I leave the larger suitcase at my hotel in Cusco, and I bring the smaller one with me to Machu Picchu.
What should go in that small suitcase? Here are several items that I have found indispensable. This list is not all-inclusive, but it gives you some ideas of must-have items to pack.
1) Insect repellent. I’ve encountered both biting flies and mosquitoes at Machu Picchu.
2) Rain poncho, umbrella, and Ziploc bags. Rain is a frequent visitor to Machu Picchu. In fact, during my second visit, I was caught in a sudden torrential rainstorm. It is best to come prepared, even on sunny days. The Ziploc bags are to protect your camera, cell phone, and other valuables from getting wet.
3) Sunblock, sun hat, and sunglasses. If it is not raining, the sun can be brutal at Machu Picchu. Plus, since there are few trees in the park, it can be difficult to find shade.
4) Shoes with good treads. You’ll be climbing steps and walking on uneven stone paths. Also, there are virtually no handrails in the park. So, make sure to wear comfortable shoes that have good traction.
5) Money. Even if you’ve paid for your entrance fee and bus ticket ahead of time, you need a little money. There is the ubiquitous souvenir shop and snack bar. (I recommend the chicken empanada, by the way.) And, it costs one sol to use the bathroom at Machu Picchu.
6) A bathing suit. If you want to try the famed thermal baths on the outskirts of Aguas Calientes, pack a swimsuit. You can rent a towel at one of the many shops along the way.
7) Earplugs. Many of the hotels in Aguas Calientes were quickly built to meet the growing tourist demand. As a result, they are not well insulated. This makes for thin walls and even thinner windows. If you want to get a good night’s sleep, earplugs are a must.
8) Altitude medication. Machu Picchu is lower than Cusco, so you get a little relief from any symptoms of altitude sickness you may be experiencing. However, you must return to Cusco at some point. To avoid getting a pounding headache on the way back from Machu Picchu, pack your altitude medicine so that you can take it the morning that you leave.
Now that you know what to pack, check out our Andean Adventure and see Machu Picchu!
Posted by Diane Valenti on Fri, Nov 04, 2011 @ 04:08 PM
When I flew to Peru last February, I immediately lost my ATM card at the airport in Lima. I was so tired I forgot that the ATMs in Peru dispense cash before returning your ATM card. I took my cash and walked away. The ATM, in turn, gobbled my card.
This would have been less of a problem if I had been traveling to Cusco or Machu Picchu. I could have gotten by on the cash I had and charged the rest of my expenses to my credit card. But, I was heading to Peru’s north coast where cash is still king.
Thankfully, I was able to call my bank and cancel my card. I then took a cash advance against my credit card. I also called home to have someone immediately pay off the cash advance. If I had not done so, I would have owed almost as much money in interest as the amount of the advance itself.
In the process of resolving this issue, I learned a few lessons.
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Take the international phone numbers of your bank and your credit card company with you. Without these numbers, I would not have been able to act as quickly. Instead, I would have been left to scour the Internet looking for the right numbers to call.
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Make a copy of your ATM card. I was able to easily read the card information from my copy to the representative at the bank to cancel my card.
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Have a plan B. Losing an ATM card is not a unique situation. I have since met several other people who made the same mistake because they were tired and disoriented from traveling. I ended up waiting in line for almost two hours at a local bank for the cash advance. If I had had a PIN for my credit card, I could have used my credit card at an ATM and saved a lot of time.
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Have a plan C. Make sure to take the phone numbers of people back home who can rescue you from a cash crunch in an emergency. I could have had a friend wire me money via Western Union.
I also learned to pay better attention to how I feel. I should have waited till the morning when I would have been more clearheaded to take care of my banking transactions.
To learn more about money matters in Peru, download “Peru: What You Need to Know Before You Go” from the Resources page of our website.
Posted by Diane Valenti on Wed, Nov 02, 2011 @ 09:37 PM
One of the first things I noticed when I arrived in Chiapas, Mexico, to attend the ATTA World Summit was the hordes of children roaming the streets, dirty and bedraggled, selling everything from woven belts to cotton candy. It was disconcerting. I didn’t know what to do when confronted by their beseeching eyes and outstretched palms.
I’ve run into this situation time and again when I’ve visited Cusco. Clearly, I can never buy enough handicrafts to really make a difference in the children’s lives. But, should I buy any at all?
The answer seems to differ from place to place. In Cusco, we discourage our guests from buying handicrafts from children. We tell our guests to buy directly from the children’s parents or other adults. This encourages parents to send their children to school to learn rather than to the streets to earn a living.
Sadly in Chiapas, school is not an option for some children. In this case, our local guide advised us to buy something from the children rather than to just give them money.
According to UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, “tourism can contribute to eradicating extreme poverty and hunger through improving basic infrastructure and services” while “community-oriented tourism can promote women’s social and economic mobility.”
I have, personally, seen the difference that tourism can make when I stayed with the porters the night before embarking on the Inca Trail and when I visited a weaving community in the Peruvian Andes. At the porter community, our local outfitter is raising money to build a computer lab to provide access to the Internet. For the first time in years, young adults are staying with their families in the weaving community to participate in the weaving cooperative rather than moving to a slum in Lima in the hopes of getting a job. Life is better because of the sustainable economy tourism creates.
This is why Llama Expeditions strives to patronize locally owned hotels and restaurants on our tours. It is why we work solely with local guides. And, it is why we support such organizations as Generacion and the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco.
When you take a Llama Expeditions’ tour, you become part of the solution for these children and their families. Have fun! Do good!
Posted by Diane Valenti on Sun, Oct 30, 2011 @ 10:21 AM
Last week I attended the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s World Summit in Chiapas, Mexico. Yes, I was working. But, I was also a tourist. I wanted to bring home a souvenir from my trip. In Chiapas, the definitive souvenir is amber jewelry. The amber is produced locally, and plenty of jewelry stores and street vendors offer a wide selection of necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.
I brought a bracelet for $20 from a reputable-looking shop. Within two days, the bracelet fell apart; so much for my souvenir.
In Peru, the definitive souvenir is something alpaca. You can buy alpaca sweaters, ponchos, hats, or scarves. But, how do you know that you are buying real alpaca and not some sort of synthetic blend billed as alpaca? Unless you are a textile expert, it can be hard to tell. This is why it is important to buy from a reliable source rather than from one of the many street vendors circling the Plaza de Armas in Cusco.
If you want a high quality alpaca coat, for example, you can’t do better than the Alpaca 111 store in the Larcomar mall in Miraflores or at the Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima. They have a fantastic selection of high-end alpaca fashion for shoppers with the most discerning taste. However, the prices are quite steep.
If you are in Cusco, another option is the store run by the nonprofit Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco located on the Avenida Sol. This organization works with rural communities in the Peruvian Andes to revive the communities’ weaving traditions. The center provides training to community members on how to form and operate a cooperative that makes, markets, and sells alpaca goods. The center’s efforts help rural communities benefit from tourist dollars flowing into Peru. The quality of the alpaca products in this store is quite good, and the prices are considerably lower than those of Alpaca 111.
A third option is to visit one of the rural communities that the center works with. There you can buy alpaca goods directly from the artisans. This option also gives you an opportunity to meet people in these remote communities and see how they live.
For example, on Llama Expeditions’ Sacred Valley tour, we take our guests to a community located several hours from Cusco. It is well off the beaten tourist path and not something you could access on your own. Our guests enjoy a delicious lunch with the community members, see a weaving demonstration, and have the opportunity to buy authentic alpaca products at incredible prices.
I bought a stunningly beautiful alpaca poncho for just $100. Better yet was the once-in-a-lifetime experience. The people-to-people interactions stayed with me and made my vacation even more memorable.
Posted by Diane Valenti on Thu, Sep 29, 2011 @ 03:29 PM
One of my primary concerns when I was preparing to hike the Inca Trail was whether there would be bathrooms. With 500 people (hikers, porters, cooks, and guides) hiking the trail daily, I was worried about finding a large rock or tree with sufficient privacy to … well, you know.
In retrospect, I didn’t have to worry at all. There were bathrooms strategically placed along the trail where our group stopped for food breaks and for the night.
One wouldn’t want to linger unnecessarily in these bathrooms—they didn’t have the comforts of home. Some required a fellow hiker to guard the door, as the lock was broken or nonexistent. Most had the carefully-position-your-feet-on-either-side-of-a-big-hole type of toilets. The toilets did flush, though.
For the most part, the bathrooms did not have toilet paper. I tucked several small Kleenex packs in my coat pockets to deal with this situation.
Some bathrooms had sinks. Some didn’t. We always had soap and water back at the campsite or lunch stop to wash our hands. Bringing hand sanitizer is a good idea if you don’t want to take any chances.
Finally, I am happy to report our last campsite not only had bathrooms but also had showers, one of which was hot. True luxury as far as I was concerned!
Posted by Diane Valenti on Wed, Sep 28, 2011 @ 04:51 PM
I have been to Machu Picchu four times. During each visit, I was able to wander through the ancient ruins, exploring wherever my curiosity led. However, according to an article on Andina, a Peruvian news site, these days may soon be coming to an end.
In a move to prevent damage to this UNESCO World Heritage site, the Peruvian government is looking into establishing standard routes led by a guide at scheduled intervals. This could make a visit to Machu Picchu very similar to taking a museum tour led by a docent.
Already the INC, Peru's ministry of culture, has set a daily limit of 2,500 tourists, leaving some visitors stranded for days waiting to buy a ticket.
Machu Picchu's popularity has rapidly increased, spurred by the centennial of its discovery by explorer, Hiram Bingham.
If a Machu Picchu trip is in your future, please check out what Llama Expeditions offers. Take the Classic Inca Trail Hike or consider a tour that includes a visit to the Amazon Rainforest or a llama trek. Visit our Exploration page for details on all our tour packages.
Posted by Diane Valenti on Mon, Sep 12, 2011 @ 05:22 PM
This year marks the centennial anniversary of Hiram Bingham's rediscovery of Machu Picchu. Predictably, record-breaking crowds have converged upon the ancient citadel.
To protect Machu Picchu from the damage so many enthusiastic tourists could inflict, the Peruvian government has restricted the number of daily visitors to 2,500 people.
This new restriction has caught some travelers by surprise. Many have been left stranded for days in Aguas Calientes when Machu Picchu is "sold out."
It used to be that you only had to book the Inca Trail hike up to 6 months ahead. Now, you'd be well advised to make your Peru holiday plans well in advance, too.
If a Machu Picchu trip is in your near future, please check out what Llama Expeditions offers. Take the Classic Inca Trail Hike or consider a tour that includes a visit to the Amazon Rainforest or a llama trek. Visit our Exploration page for details on all our tour packages.
Posted by Diane Valenti on Mon, Sep 12, 2011 @ 04:23 PM
After four days of hiking the
Inca Trail, I entered Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate. The Inca citadel lay in the quiet hush of dawn below, some areas still obscured by the shadows of the surrounding mountains. It was easy to imagine what it must have been like for Hiram Bingham. Of course, Machu Picchu made it on the list of
Top 10 Lost Cities.