Peru and specifically Machu Picchu have been on our bucket list for many years and we were very fortunate to finally get there this year. As an added bonus…we were joined by great friends!
A short flight from San Jose, Costa Rica landed us in Lima, Peru. Lima, in our opinion, was not as overwhelming beautiful or diverse as some of the other cities we have visited but did surprise us with its amazing food (and yes we did try the guinea pig) and charming old town.
We had 3 full days in Lima before our G Adventures tour began. We stayed in the famed Miraflores district of the city, which was central to everything. We spent our time exploring the city while the kids enjoyed having someone other than their parents to hang out with. We walked the boardwalk, toured The Catacombs of San Francisco , with its creepy displays of bones arranged in artistic patterns, and took a stroll through the historical centre to admire its beautiful architecture. We visited Huaca Pucllana, a 1500 year old pre-Inca ruin that once served as a ceremonial centre, enjoyed some amazing meals at some of Lima’s greatest restaurants – thanks to Jason the foodie extraordinarie – and much to the kids delight, played several games of Fortnite!
After meeting our G Adventures tour guide and group the fun continued with a flight to Puerto Maldonado followed by a 2 plus hour boat trip to Tambopata Lodge, deep in the Peruvian Amazon. We must admit when thinking of Peru we didn’t realize just how much of it is rainforest. We later learned the country is in fact over 60% jungle. Despite David being under the weather we had a once in a lifetime experience here! The lodge was remote, with no electricity other than in the main lodge, and due to an unusual cold snap we were absolutely freezing at night in the open air huts. Ironic that one of the coldest places so far this year was the Amazon! Our first evening we took in a night walk to see the creatures of the night which included birds, bugs, snakes and tarantulas!
The following morning we headed out for a jungle walk to see some of the fauna and flora; massive and ancient trees, birds, caiman, piranha and the native South American capybara – the world’s largest rodent.
We finished our morning with a visit to a near by fruit farm. Here we were invited to sample some delicious and some new-to-us fruits, all grown locally and organically. The highlight was watching a group of about 20 cheeky monkeys stealing the bananas the farmer had set up for us. They were hilarious, attempting to (and most often successful in) grabbing 2 or 3 bananas all the while hanging by their tails. Even our guides said they hasn’t experienced such a display before!
Fruit Farm Visit
That afternoon Peru was playing Brazil in the Copa America final, the first time the country had been in the finals since the 1970s. You could feel the excitement in the air. The lodge guides set up a satellite to watch the game. The entire team at the lodge, most of the guests, and even the fruit farmer arrived by boat to watch the historic game, which unfortunately for Peru ended in victory for Brazil. That evening we took in a night boat trip to look for caimans, where we lucked out by seeing several up close.
The following morning started very early, and included an return boat ride, a bus ride, and finally a flight to Cusco. Situated at approximately 11000 feet above sea level we were almost immediately stuck by the decrease in oxygen, complete with headaches, dizziness, nausea, coughing, and general lack of energy. Even walking up 3 flights of stairs we were struck with shortness of breath. Almost everyone on the tour experienced some sort of attitude sickness, despite many taking medication to help prevent and drinking coca tea or chewing the leaves. It truly was an odd thing to experience. We had one evening in Cusco to acclimatize. The next morning – another very early one -we transferred to Ollantaytambo where we took the train to beautiful Aquas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu.
Having somewhat adjusted to the altitude, and with Aquas Calientes sitting slightly closer to sea level at 7000 feet, we headed out for a hike to view some waterfalls followed by dinner where we were entertained by a local playing the iconic Peruvian pan flute. 
The next morning it was the day to reach Machu Piccu! We’ve mentioned before that travelling with kids is not always the same as travelling without them. After 3 very early mornings (we’re talking 4am early) and lots of planes, trains and buses combined with the lingering affects of altitude sickness they were barely keeping it together. So while we would have loved to hike to the plateau, it wasn’t in the cards. Instead David and Jason got up early to hike to the Sun Gate, while the rest of us joined them later via the long and winding bus route.
Manchu Picchu was absolutely breathtaking and all we imagined it would be. There are no words to describe how it felt to walk amongst the incredibly well preserved ruins, all the while taking in the panoramic mountain vistas. A true highlight of our trip!!
While in Aquas Calientes (which translates to hot waters) we took the opportunity to soak our weary bones in the thermal baths before heading back by train to Cusco.
The following morning, our time in Peru coming to an end, we visited the Ccaccaccollo Women’s Weaving Co-op, overlooking Peru’s Sacred Valley. This cooperative was set up to help preserve a way of life that was becoming lost. With the help of Planterra local women relearned weaving techniques and started selling their handmade alpaca clothing and goods. While at the village we met the women and children and learned about the different stages of the weaving process including the hand spinning, dying using natural dyes, and watched a weaving demonstration. We were also able to feed the lamas and alpacas and had the opportunity to purchase some of the creations.
And with that another country visited! Peru was one of our most memorable stops indeed with many new things learned, discovered and experienced.
With Love,
The Travelling Babins
“Stop talking about your mountains and start climbing” – Unknown
A fantastic tour of a Peru. Great photos andinfo. Thanks.
AWESOME PHOTOS – THANKS GUYS!