September 13, Friday Second visit to Machu Picchu

Destination: Machu Picchu 

Accommodations: EL MAPI BY INKATERRA 

Activity Note: Today’s discoveries involve extensive walking on steep and uneven planes and an altitude of more than 7,000 feet. We recommend you stay hydrated and rest if necessary. 

Today, we did the upper circular route in Machu Picchu, much higher than we walked yesterday 8,200’ at the top – and definitely out of my comfort range. If you have a fear of heights, you know what I mean. It’s paralyzing being that high up. Throw in uneven stone steps and stairs without handrails, it’s terrifying. But… even though my friend Sharon, who is also not happy dealing with heights, couldn’t go on the walk because her knee was really bothering her from yesterday, undaunted, I made up my mind I would do it!

The Inca civilization did not have a written language, and unfortunately, there are no records as to what life was like back in the 1400’s or why it was abandoned. Many archaeologists believe Machu Picchu was constructed as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti as his palace. Others think it was constructed by the Incas as a spiritual site.

The names of the buildings and what they could possibly have been used for, is based on what archaeologists presume. They think that it was abandoned after about 80 years because the people came down with small pox introduced by travelers. There are many places where workers are restoring parts of the ruins that have deteriorated. The ruins were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

It is thought that about 800 people lived there and according to skeletal remains, they were immigrants. Alpaca and llama remains were found in the ruins so they must have been brought in from another part of Peru. Dog remains were also found, usually in the same area as a human.

A man named Hiram Bingham is thought to have been the first to discover Machu Picchu in 1911. He knew it was an important archeological site and began to document his findings in a book entitled The Lost City of the Incas. However, Bingham didn’t exactly “discover” Machu Picchu. Apparently the locals knew of its existence for centuries.
It is amazing that given the area and its almost inaccessibility at the time, that the Incas were able to create such an amazing site. It is truly one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

After breakfast, we walked to where the bus would pick us up. There must have been 2,000 people waiting for the buses that take you up the winding road to Machu Picchu. And this was about 8 am!!!
Obviously, Machu Picchu is the most iconic site in Peru and probably of the whole of South America.

The lines moved pretty fast as buses were coming and going at regular intervals. Again, the hair raising turns the bus takes going up the mountains, sometimes inches away from the edge of the sheer drop, was already giving me angst.

We finally arrived and Patty told us if we needed to go to the bathroom, do it now since once you start the walk, there are no bathrooms. The walk would be about three hours and we had to hydrate with water and electrolytes often along the way. We had our mosquito repellent on as well as sun block. We are very near the equator and the sun is unbelievably strong. Yesterday and today, people who rolled up their sleeves because it was getting hot, were bitten on their arms. So far, Allan and I have been lucky. The Sawyers repellent is much better than Deet. It doesn’t disintegrate plastic when you touch something with insect repellent-laden hands like DEET does. And the Sawyers cream is a wonderful moisturizer for your face as well as an insect repellent.

We had to show our passports to enter Machu Picchu and we were given a lanyard to wear during the walk. Patty explained to Ricardo, the guide who again was accompanying us, that I was afraid of heights. He was amazing. He walked with me almost the whole way, telling me to breathe slowly, don’t look down, and encouraging me the whole way. The first leg if the journey was arduous. Between the stone steps, the wooden steps, sometimes no handrails, and the heights, I was breathing heavily and just praying I’d get to the top sooner than later.

As we climbed the final steps to see our first glimpse of Machu Picchu from above, everyone congratulated me and Ricardo said “Well done!” I had tears in my eyes and my hands were shaking because I couldn’t believe I had gotten that far.

We continued our climb to the very top and finally were rewarded with the iconic view of the ruins. The mountains in the distance were in a haze, but it was still breathtaking.

We took many photos at the top and then slowly made our way back down, sometimes descending over huge stones and rocks. My wonky foot held up pretty well considering the depth of many of the rocks that I had to walk down and the fact that my broken bone is still healing.

Patty hugged me at the end and I took a picture with Ricardo. Patty was also so very helpful, offering a steady hand during the descent.

We got on another very long line for our return bus trip down the mountain road, but it actually only took about 20 minutes to get in the bus.

We went for lunch and Allan had the alpaca. I tasted it and it was very good and tasted similar to lamb. I stood up and thanked the group for their encouragement while I was climbing up to see the ruins. They were all very supportive.

We were exhausted, myself because of the anxiety of the climb, the heat, and the steps – Allan because of the heat. We came back to the room and promptly fell asleep for two hours.

10 of us including Patty went out to dinner at a French-Peruvian restaurant. The food was amazing!! Allan and I had the onion soup which came with shredded Peruvian cheese that we could put in the soup ourselves as well as lime and a spicy sauce. The entree we had was pepper chicken that came with vegetables and homemade potato chips. I had a rich chocolate mousse for dessert with homemade ice cream and Allan had the apple pie with the ice cream. What a meal. It was so much, we couldn’t finish it and we couldn’t take it with us. I said to Patty that I didn’t want to waste the food. We all agreed. She said to have everyone’s leftovers packaged up and she would take me to deliver the food to a needy family in the street. We found a mom and daughter just closing their stall and they were very grateful to get the food. It would have been even nicer to buy a fresh meal instead of giving our group’s leftovers, but we did what apparently people do all the time. Our 2 meals together, including wine and two waters cost $69.34. Unbelievable!

Time for bed because we are leaving the area tomorrow at 8:30.

Along the winding road to Machu Picchu.

I was shaking so much. In this pic I had just climbed the stone steps that are all open without hand rails as well as the wooden steps that sometimes had handrails. The steps went on and on and was the only route to get to the top. I was proud that it took me less time than a few others in the group to get to this point, but we were still nowhere near the top.

You can see some of the steps on the right. And… you can see the height.

These are typical of the stone steps we had to navigate.

Our first look at Machu Picchu ruins from up above. Notice the smile. I DID IT!!!

It was unbelievable!

Now we are making our way back down. The entire upper circular route took about 3 hours. Some of the steps were about a foot high. Thank goodness for Ricardo and my walking pole.

See the people to the left of the little building? Way up? That’s how high we were.

Walking through the ruins.

Below is a picture of The Temple of the Sun

Ricardo my hero.

The Main Temple

The Temple of the Condor. The rock carving looks like the head and wings of a condor, the sacred bird of the Incas. The natural rock walls form the bird’s body. Behind the carving, several connected caves and windows were possibly used for ceremonies or to hold mummies.

At lunch, Allan tried alpaca. I tasted it. It tastes a bit like lamb.

The restaurant – Indi Feliz

Our group at Machu Picchu

September 12, Thursday  Sacred Valley • Machu Picchu 

Destination: Machu Picchu

Accommodations: EL MAPI BY INKATERRA

Activity Note: Today’s discoveries involve extensive walking on steep and uneven planes and an altitude of more than 7,000 feet. We recommend you stay hydrated and rest if necessary. 

This morning after breakfast we gathered at a fire pit to participate in a healing ceremony conducted by a curandero… an ancient medicine man. The ceremony is not only for healing, but also a prayer to be offered for health and well-being. The curandero made an offering to Pachamama, a deity associated with Mother Earth. He gave us a leaf with a flower on it and we had to face Machu Picchu mountain and blow on it three times.

The curandero had a huge piece of paper, to which he added many items: gold flakes, silver, hearts, spices, rice, corn, etc. Then we added the leaves and flowers that he had given us. He wrapped and tied everything up, enclosed it in material, and went around to all of us and touched the top and sides of our heads with the package. Then he built a fire and put the package in it to burn.

He grabbed Allan’s hand and placed a hat on him and then took my hand and led us to the center for a photo op. Apparently, Allan was now the superior one. I have no idea what I was. 🤪

The medicine man said that the way the fire burned was very good luck for us. Good to know!

We bid good bye to the medicine man and took the bus to the Ollantaytambo train station to catch a train to Aguas Calientes. The train ride offers views into the scenic gorge of the Urubamba River.  We were able to see the Inca trail on the way.

A box lunch was provided for us consisting of chicken sandwich, a drink, an orange, a banana, a slice of cake, a protein bar, and a chocolate bar. It was delicious.

We disembarked the train in Aguas Calientes, often simply known as Machu Picchu town, and then boarded a bus to take us to the site. What a ride!! Hair pin turns the entire way, climbing up, up, up until you think you can’t climb any higher. I couldn’t look over the edge. Most times we were inches from the steep drop with no guardrails!!!

Finally, we arrived at Machu Picchu. We had to wait in line to get in and show our tickets as well as our passports. It was a beautiful and sunny day, and off we went to explore the ruins.

I have to say, given my fear of height, this was not in my comfort zone. There were many uneven steps, twists and turns, and sometimes no handrails. We had a nice guide with us whose sole purpose was to help us navigate the climb. However, I was proud of myself that I did it.

Most travelers visit Machu Picchu on a day trip, which makes for a hectic pace and only limited time at this unique archaeological wonder. We will be there again tomorrow doing the upper loop. And today since we arrived in the afternoon, the crowds had greatly diminished.

Machu Picchu has an amazing history, but it is too long to tell in this post. If you’re interested, I suggest you google the ruins and read about this Inca civilization.

We rode the bus back down the mountain, our bus driver navigating the hairpin turns, and it was once again terrifying. And to think we’re doing it all again tomorrow!

We are staying right in the heart of the town of Machu Picchu and our hotel is upscale and quite lovely. There are shops all along the street so we’re looking forward to browsing in them when we return tomorrow from the ruins.

I can only post a few pics since the internet connection is rather slow.

The medicine man adding the items for the offering to Mother Earth

We faced Machu Picchu mountain and blew on the leaf three times

The offering

Part of the ceremony

Burning the offering to Mother Earth

The Superior One

The Inca trail as viewed from our train

Starting the climb in Machu Picchu

The ruins

September 11, Wednesday 

Destination: The Sacred Valley

Accommodations: VILLA  URUBAMBA

Activity Note: We will spend the day at elevations above 9,000 feet. We recommend staying hydrated while at high altitude. 

What an amazing day we had today. It was set up so that we would immerse ourselves in many cultural experiences throughout the day as well as the opportunity to discuss controversial topics with the people. It will promise to be a Day in the Life of Urubamba, a town of around 2,700 people and the largest community in the Sacred Valley.

Our first stop was to visit a woman who grows coca leaves. Coca is a plant filled with mineral nutrients, essential oils, vitamins, and to a lesser extent, some pharmacological effects – one of which happens to be cocaine. You can extract the cocaine through a very complex process, and the drug cartels can buy the leaves from the growers to do just that. They would pay double the price that a grower could get at a market, but most growers stay clear of the drug dealers since they know it would be a miserable life to get involved.

The coca leaf has been chewed and brewed for tea for centuries among indigenous peoples in the Andean region – and does not cause any harm and is actually beneficial to health.

When chewed, coca acts as a mild stimulant and suppresses hunger, thirst, pain, and fatigue. The farmers chew it all day to help give them the stamina they need to work the farms. It also helps overcome altitude sickness. In addition to the above, the coca leaves are considered sacred in the indigenous cultures.

Interestingly, because of its stimulant effect, the coca leaf was originally used in the soft drink Coca Cola but in 1903 it was removed and a decocainized coca extract became one of the flavoring ingredients.

The coca leaves can be harvested three times a year, but the growers are only allowed to bring 6 lbs of coca leaves from their farm during each harvest. The government takes 80% of the crop to try to control the selling of the leaves. The lady admitted that she smuggles more than the 6 lbs by putting the bags into the pockets of her apron or hiding the bags under her clothes. If she gets caught, she has to pay a fine. She doesn’t want to smuggle too much at a time because if the guards find out, they will watch her constantly. Her daughter helps with the picking and bagging of the leaves and since the guards do not know she is her daughter, she is able to take an additional 6 lbs and smuggle a few more as well. They will also ask people in the bus that they take when they are returning from the field, to take a 1 lb package and most folks will do it. Since they are allowed to take 6 lbs, one lb package isn’t a big deal and the person can get by the guards with ease.

We had the opportunity to chew some of the leaves and the lady mixed them with stevia leaves to sweeten the taste. If you chew enough leaves in a day, you will have a positive drug test for cocaine.

After we thanked the coca lady, it was off to the market. We were lucky in that today is Wednesday so the big market was the one we could visit. It was unbelievable! Gorgeous fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, meats, livestock, guinea pigs, all for sale with people buying and selling all over. Most people do not have refrigeration, so they go to the markets twice a week to stock up.

Patty gave us a task. She gave us some sols and she said we had to shop for some food items to bring to the home luncheon. We were divided into teams of four and Patty told us in espanol what we had to purchase. I had to ask her many times to repeat it and she said we can’t look it up on google. Just do our best. We finally were able to pronounce the name, but I have since forgotten it. I went around to each stall and said “Por favor. Donde es _______(whatever the name was). The people we asked understood and pointed us to the correct stall. We finally arrived at the stall who was selling what we needed and she asked how much we wanted. I showed her my sols and she gave me the proper amount. It was an herb and it smelled like peppermint. We all succeeded in purchasing what Patty wanted us to get, so off we went to the local school.

But…we didn’t get on the bus. Instead, Patty gave us money to catch a cab – one of those little cabs that zoom all over the place. We got in and told the driver where we wanted to go, praying he understood our Spanish. He did and we arrived safely although the ride was harrowing.

The bus picked us up and took us to a local cemetery. People with money can afford beautiful crypts high up and poor people are buried on the lower levels. Some of the crypts were interesting to see as the crypts had items in the window to depict what the person liked in their lifetime. One window had two bottles of beer.

We left the cemetery and visited a local school which is supported in part by the Grand Circle Foundation. Grand Circle has donated over $34,968 since 2017. Over the years, Grand Circle Foundation, along with the generosity of travelers, has helped to provide a wide array of items for the school including helping to build a kitchen and supplying it with pots and utensils. Now, the parents come and bring food to cook and the children get a hot lunch every day. Many of the students come from impoverished circumstances and must walk one or even two hours to school. The government doesn’t always provide adequate support, so they depend on travelers to help them out with supplies. We all brought school supplies for the kids – Allan and I brought mechanical pencils in different colors that were a big hit. The children must remain in school up till the sixth grade, but many do not since they are needed to help with the farming. The government doesn’t have the time or the money to check up on whether a child is in school or not, so the parents can make the decision to either continue with the schooling or not.

When we arrived the children ran out and grabbed our hands and led us into their second grade classroom. My little one was named Valentina and she wanted to know my name. We colored together and she told me what areas to color and what colors to use. She was adorable and she hugged and kissed me when I left.

The children sang a song for us and after we handed out our gifts, we had to say adios. It was a wonderful experience. But not before Patty brought them rolls and bananas for them to enjoy.

Next, we visited the home of a local family in the Sacred Valley, where we helped the abuela or grandmother, cook some tortillas. Then we all sat down to a delicious soup, rice, a sauce that went on the rice, the tortillas we made, avocado, corn on the cob and….GUINEA PIG!!! Yes, most of us had a taste, including Allan and me and it was really quite tasty.

The abuelo of the family (grandfather) sat at our end of the table. He was just sitting there and I felt badly since we couldn’t talk to him because of the language difference. So… I bright up my trusty Spanish translation app and I started asking him questions. How many children did he have, how many grandchildren. I told him how many children and grandchildren I had and he was surprised. I was actually able to do that without the help of the app. I asked what he did for a living. He is a farmer. What did he grow? Broccoli, onions, etc. Did he have help tending his farm? Yes, his familia. I told him I had a guinea pig for a pet. He was surprised and then I told him I’d have trouble tasting the one on the table. He laughed and understood. Dick wanted me to ask what sports he liked…soccer and basketball was the answer. And he told us his favorite team.

When it was time to leave, I said to him “Abuelo, gracias por hablar conmigo “. And he smiled and nodded and said “De nada”.

On the way out, we saw the guinea pigs that were being raised for the family to eat and to sell. Poor little guys didn’t know they would soon be featured on the dining room table.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a local chicheria or bar, to sample the popular local beverage chicha. These establishments are all around, but they do not advertise. They are signified by a red plastic bag that is perched on the ends of a pole in front of the chicheria.

Chicha is made from corn which is dried out once it begins to sprout. Then it is boiled for two hours in water. Next, more corn is added and the mixture is boiled for another hour. Then it sits for two days to ferment.

While we were in the chicheria, workers were coming in from the fields and drinking huge glasses of the chicha, and even filling up bottles to take home with them.

We all sampled some of the brew. One taste was just the fermented corn. This was rather sour and not very pleasant tasting. The next sample had some fruit that was added and it was sweeter, but still not something I’d want to drink on a regular basis.

We met with Dick and Sharon and another couple for drinks and then it was off for dinner. We went to a private place that only takes certain groups and private parties. The place was beautifully landscaped and beautifully decorated. Oscar, the owner, said that the restaurant was a hobby for him. We were served a salad from his garden and French fries and delicious rotisserie chicken.

Afterwards Oscar took us on a tour of his home. He had collected beautiful pottery and artifacts from the Inca era, and it was all beautifully displayed.

He said over the years he has managed 18 restaurants in Cusco and that’s how OAT began a partnership with him 22 years ago. OAT had gone to his restaurant in Cusco, but now, they go to his villa in Urubamba where we dined tonight.

We have really taken some chances today although Patty always told us it was safe. Eating salad and drinking chicha. One of the ladies on the trip has vomiting and diarrhea, so we’re hoping we will have avoided any sickness. Fingers crossed.

Tomorrow we leave this hotel and make our way to Machu Picchu.

The lady who grows the coca leaves

1 lb bags of coca leaves

Chicken feet for sale

The market

A shopper

What we purchased to bring to the lunch

Riding in the little cab

Cemetery

The beer lover

The little girls who grabbed my hands – Valentina and Luna.

Our names together

Our masterpiece!

Allan with Luna

Preparing the tortillas

I’m stirring the batter

Allan mashing the potatoes that go into the batter

The tortillas cooking

Drink made from black corn. Delicious

Soup made from some of the produce we purchased.

The highlight of the meal. Guinea pig!

Our meal

A fruit. Don’t know the name

Me and the abuelo

The guinea pigs awaiting their fate

Corn sprouting to make the chicha.

this was very tart

This was sweeter but not the greatest

Red bag designating this is a chicheria.

September 10, Tuesday  Fly to Cuzco • Weaving demonstration • The Sacred Valley

Destination: The Sacred Valley 

Accommodations: VILLA URUBAMBA  

Activity Note: We’ll spend the next six days at elevations above 9,000 feet. We recommend staying hydrated and eating light while at high altitude. Travelers may rest at the hotel if necessary.

This morning after breakfast, we left at 7 am for the drive to the Lima airport for our flight to Cusco. Cusco is the fifth largest city in Peru, Lima being the first. Everything went pretty smoothly at the airport and we boarded our flight with ease. They made this huge safety announcement in Spanish and at the end, in English they basically said… Read about it in the pamphlet at your seat. Too funny!! We arrived at our destination around lunchtime.

We had to carry our carryons down the steps as they didn’t put up a jet way and then we had to walk to the terminal. Once in the terminal, we had to walk up a winding ramp that doubled back on itself three times. Now mind you, we are now at 10,860 feet, so breathing, when you’re exerted, becomes a bit difficult. At one point, my fingers started to tingle. But after a little bit, I was fine. We picked up our luggage and boarded the bus that would take us to a weaving village and then eventually to the Sacred Valley.

It was amazing that most of us did fine with the altitude. However, some of the folks did have side effects… Trouble breathing, headaches, and dizziness. We were told to eat light which means, find things that are easily digestible, and to keep drinking water with electrolytes.

The weaving village of Huayllarcocha, was even higher than the airport at a whopping 12,500 feet. They always say to start at lower altitudes and work up to higher ones, so I’m not sure why we hit the ground running with such high altitudes, but Allan and I were fine. Now maybe it was the pills we are taking that got us through. Who knows.

We had a very interesting demonstration of how the women dye the alpaca wool and baby alpaca wool, sometimes using plants, bugs, etc to get the beautiful colors. It was amazing how the different plants dyed the yarn beautiful colors and sometimes, there was a chemical reaction when two things were mixed together, making an entirely different color. The lady asked for volunteers to do some spinning and so I tried my hand at it. First I had to pull the yarn to thin it and then I twirled the spool to wrap the yarn around. The lady said I did a great job. 🥰

They passed around a nice hot tea made from mint, which is supposed to help ease altitude sickness.

After the demonstration, we had the opportunity to do some shopping and I bought a gorgeous shawl made from baby alpaca wool. Baby alpaca wool is more expensive than alpaca wool and more expensive than sheep wool. It feels cool to touch and so very soft.

After our weaving village visit we boarded the bus for a two hour drive to where we will be staying for the next two nights. We had a box lunch on the bus… Pasta, vegetables, and chicken salad, potato chips, a mini apple pie, a banana, and a bar of chocolate. And of course, we kept drinking water with the electrolytes.

We went through the mountains, slowly making our way down to an elevation of over 9,000 feet. It was beautiful to see the countryside and the little villages tucked into the mountains. Some of the villages were from the 1800’s.

We passed through a little village that had signs up advertising roasted guinea pig. It apparently is a delicacy here in Cusco, and many families serve it on special occasions. We will be able to try it at some point. (I’ll have to apologize to my pet guinea pig Jellybean, who is now in guinea pig heaven, because I probably will be eating one of his relatives. 😳)

There was terracing in some areas in the mountains that was done to prevent erosion as well as for plantings.

Our guide Patty told us that everyone aged 18-65, must vote in the elections in Peru. It is compulsory. If you don’t, you will be fined. People over the age of 65 can vote if they want to…or not.

We finally arrived at VILLA URUBAMBA, a family run hotel situated in a beautiful area with flowers and trees all around and lovey accommodations.

We had a drink at the bar and then had a delicious dinner in the restaurant.

All in all, it was a great day!

Leaving the airport in Cusco.

Box lunch chicken salad.

Going through the mountains and below, terracing and the 1800’s village.

The lady doing the demonstration

Plants to make the green color

She picked bugs off the plant and squashed then to make blue

This lady was weaving a pattern using a technique passed down through the generations. She has memorized the pattern.

My baby alpaca shawl. The blues are much more vibrant than the picture shows.

Learning how to spin the yarn

Roasted guinea pig anyone???

Two ladies standing in the street. This is what the older women commonly wear

King size bed. Bathroom has a walk in shower

Looking out our window.

Very picturesque.

September 9 – Monday    Explore Lima • Fish market • Larco Museum

Accommodations: JOSE ANTONIO

This morning after breakfast, all of us who were on the Amazon trip walked with Patty to a ‘wash ‘n dry’ laundry so we could get our sweaty Amazon clothing cleaned. The laundry will charge us based on how much our laundry weighs. We decided not to send the laundry to the hotel laundry because they charge by the piece.

Patty had arranged for our laundry to be ready later this afternoon and we were outside the shop at 8 am waiting for the doors to open. The proprietor was late, but eventually she opened up and we shoved our laundry through the little opening in her security gate. I had taken a picture of our laundry and made a list of each piece in case something got lost. Of course, that was a moot point since there would be nothing we could do if we found an item missing, as the place would be closing at 6 pm and tomorrow we would be leaving before the laundry opened.

Our clothing weighed 5 kilograms – 11 lbs and she charged us 30 sol which was about $7.89. What a bargain!!!! We were all just hoping that for that price, our laundry wouldn’t shrink or come back with stains.

We then boarded a bus to visit the Chorrillos fish market, where we met our guide Sandra who took us all through the market. We watched as the ladies scaled, gutted, and readied the fish to be sent to restaurants. The one lady has worked in the market for many years and she makes a very minimal wage. Her husband had passed away a few years ago, so this is how she gets money to buy food, etc. We walked over to speak to a fisherman who told us he fishes through the night and finishes about 6 in the morning. The fishermen were mending their nets to go out tonight. They fish everyday no matter the weather.

One of the ladies at the fish market fried up some fresh fish for everyone to taste. I didn’t try it but Allan said it was good.

When I left I went over to thank the fisherman, and he told me I had beautiful eyes. Aww shucks!

Then, we went to the Larco Museum, established in 1926. The museum is a privately owned museum and has a huge collection of pre-Columbian art, some dating back thousands of years. We saw beautiful earrings and nose rings that were the fashion at the time, as well as beautifully preserved textiles. One gorgeous textile was over 3,000 years old and perfectly preserved.

The museum is one of the first museums in the world to allow visitors to walk between storage shelves containing 30,000 catalogued ancient pottery artifacts that will eventually be displayed in the museum. Ancient Peruvian cultures represented their daily lives in ceramics, and this gallery holds the world’s largest collection of erotic ceramics that we were also able to tour. The entire collection of the museum is cataloged online as well.

The museum is housed in a former viceroy’s mansion dating back to the 18th century, and is built on the site of a seventh-century temple.

After visiting the museum we wandered through historical downtown Lima. Our guide pointed out beautiful architecture from years ago, although sadly, many of the buildings were abandoned. We saw the Archbishop Palace, and many other gorgeous edifices.

There was a protest going on and the square was filled with police. Our guide said there is always some kind of protest going on. The guards were not allowing people to walk through the square, but Sandra spoke with the guards and they let us go through, as long as we kept walking.

Next, we went for a welcome lunch and enjoyed a Pisco sour which is a South American favorite cocktail made from Pisco liquor, citrus juices, simple syrup, and egg whites. The lunch was delicious and consisted of some Peruvian favorites.

We did some more walking through the town and Patty stopped at a kiosk to purchase churros filled with caramel sauce for us to taste. They were delicious!

We boarded the bus and as we rode around, we passed many commuter buses with different colors on them. The colors signify the areas that the bus goes through so people will know what bus to get on to get to where they want to be.

Gasoline is about $5 a gallon and interestingly, even though milk and other liquid food items are sold by the liter, gasoline is sold by the gallon since the first gas company that arrived in Peru was owned by an American.

At 5:30 we went back to Janet’s laundry ‘wash n’ dry’ to pick up our clothes. The clothes were folded and packaged beautifully and they smelled really great too. All items were present and accounted for, so we were very happy.

Sharon, Dick, Allan, I went to a pizza place and Allan and I had a pizza with garlic, cheese, and capers, for….$11.00… Including a bottle of coke. Food prices are very cheap here! I had a glass of wine for $5.

We have a very early day tomorrow as we are flying to Cusco which is 11,000 feet in altitude. We started taking our altitude sickness pills today. We will take two every day while in the high altitude areas.

Buenos noches.

The fish market

Scaling and gutting the fish

Tuna

The fishing boats

The fisherman who liked my eyes. 👀

Flowers art the Museo Larco

One of the artifacts

Storage area for 30,000 artifacts

Beautiful architecture

The guards all around the square

Pisco

Janet did a fabulous job on our laundry!

Janet’s laundry shop

Our laundry came back neatly folded and smelled wonderful!

September 8 – Sunday

Accommodation: Jose Antonio

We are back in the same hotel that we started in before we left for the Amazon. We were eating breakfast and our friends Sharon and Dick walked in. They flew in very late last night because of flight delays, and arrived at the hotel around 2:30 am. It was good to see them and catch up over breakfast.

After breakfast, we had an orientation meeting with our guide Patty who will be with us while we are here in Peru. We met the rest of our group and Patty had us introduce and tell a little about ourselves. There are 13 of us in the group.

Patty talked to us about what to expect on the trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu. She discussed that we all need to be punctual when we meet for tours, be respectful of each other as well as the Peruvians, and to immediately tell her if something is not to our liking or if we are not feeling well. She explained how the altitude can affect us and that we must walk slowly and take it easy when we arrive. She told us there are some railings as we climb into the site, but many areas do not have any. Our walking poles and the wall to follow will be our friends. Patty said we have to be patient because the lines to get on the buses going into Machu Picchu as well as the lines to enter the site are very long. Reservations were made by Patty months ago and now, the tickets are sold out for the rest of the year. It will be crowded as Machu Picchu is the highlight of Peru.

After the orientation, we went for lunch and then we walked around Lima’s Miraflores district with its small cafés, fine shops, and art galleries. We had already seen much of the area when we were here a week ago.

Patty took us to a supermarket and showed us some of the exotic fruits and vegetables that were for sale and then we walked over to the Parque Kennedy and saw the beautiful flowers planted all around. We had the rest of the afternoon to ourselves and many of the new people went to visit the ruins that Allan and I had already visited. Since Dick and Sharon weren’t interested in seeing the ruins, we walked back to the hotel along the walkway that stretches along the Pacific Ocean. The area was filled with people enjoying the Sunday afternoon.

We rested for a few hours at the hotel and then Allan and I gathered all of our rather smelly clothes that we wore in the Amazon because tomorrow, Patty will take us to a laundermat where they will weigh our clothes and wash and dry them for us. She arranged with the place to make sure we will get them back on the same day. We will pay a little more, but it is necessary.

We had drinks at the hotel with Sharon and Dick, ate dinner at the hotel…then…off to bed.

Our guide Patty showing us some fruit

Walking along the Pacific ocean.

September 7  Saturday • Fly to Lima • Join main adventure

Destination: Lima

Accommodation: Jose Antonio

Yesterday, when we were with the medicine man, or Shaman as he is called, Caesar told us that if a villager wants to become a medicine man, they have to be willing to drink a psychedelic infusion to open their minds, and visions would be given to them about the plants that will affect cures. The psychedelic effect can last for 7 hours and alters their thinking so the person will be open to the visions he will experience. Caesar said the ritual is taken very seriously and they feel it is bona fide even though to us, it seems crazy.

After the medicine man’s talk (which of course was translated by Caesar) he performed a healing and blessing ritual over all of us. We sat with our eyes closed and he passed over us with a special plant that he had sprinkled with a healing potion. He asked us to relax and think of someone or something that we would like a blessing or healing for. He began to chant as he walked back and forth brushing our heads with the leaves of the plant. The ritual was very meaningful for all of us.

This morning, we went on a nature a walk and Caesar pointed out many birds for us that he spotted all around.

We had our last lunch at the lodge and then it was an hour boat ride to the bus that would take us to the airport. We descended those 27 steps for the last time. Hurray!!!

The boat ride was great and then we arrived where our bus was located that would take us to the airport. OH NO!!!! We had to climb about fifty steps to get to the top. UGH!! However, I was very proud of myself that I didn’t have to stop half way up, but just kept plowing along. Machu Picchu here I come!!!

The bus was air conditioned and the ride was about 45 minutes. The roads were jammed with those little motor cars as well as motorcycles and it really was a free for all.

Caesar had arranged for our boarding passes and our baggage tags, so check in was a breeze. We bid adios to Caesar. He was a wonderful guide and naturalist. We all chipped in and gave him money to buy a new soccer ball for the school we had visited. He will deliver it personally and take pictures to send to us.

Our flight was delayed about an hour and 1/2. Latam did give us a little snack bag filled with juice, ritz crackers, and a chocolate bar, so at least we had something to eat while we waited.

The flight was filled and when we landed, it was bedlam with everyone trying to get their luggage from the overhead bins and trying to get off the plane. The man next to me literally pushed me out of my seat!! Seriously. We’re all going to get off the plane, and unless you have a flight to catch, calm down!!!

Our guide for Machu Picchu, Patty, met us after we picked up our luggage and we drove by bus to the hotel. Patty had our room keys all set to go so we went to our room and then met up with Mary and Rich at the hotel restaurant and had dinner.

Sharon and Dick, our friends that are going on the main trip with us, were delayed in Atlanta so we won’t see them until tomorrow morning.

Here are some pictures that Caesar took of the birds and animals we saw in the jungle.

Jesus bird

Crowned slaty flycatcher

Great egret

yellow hooded blackbird

Amazon kingfisher

Roadside hawk

Squirrel monkey

Black mantaled tamarin

September 6 – Friday

 Accommodations: CEIBA TOPS LODGE

This morning we ate breakfast at 6 am and by 6:30 we were in a covered boat to take a two hour journey through the Amazon to visit the Explornapo Lodge in the heart of the jungle. We got stuck on a sandbar at one point because the river is so low this time of year, but our driver was able to navigate us off the sandbar and back to cruising along. We finally left the main river and went down the Napo River, a tributary of the Amazon and arrived at Explornapo. We had to climb up many wooden steps and ramps from the river bank to finally arrive at the lodge. Exolornapo provides access to the pristine forest of Explorama’s Sucusari Reserve, as well as access to the adjoining Amazon Canopy walkway which is one of the longest treetop walkways in the world.

The lodge offers the opportunity to live in authentic Amazon River style with palm-thatched houses in the rainforest. The toilets are a hole in the ground and the showers are very primitive. Scientists come here from all over to study the rainforest.

Our group came here specifically to walk the canopy walk, but because of my fear of height, there was no way I would be able to do it. The canopy walkway, with many aerial platforms and cableways, is more than 1,500 feet long and 115 feet off the ground. That’s 12 stories high!!!!

As the group left for their walk, Allan and I enjoyed sitting in the restaurant area, having a glass of wine, and watching the squirrel monkeys jumping from tree to tree. The monkeys would jump down to where the staff hung huge stalks of bananas for the monkeys and the monkeys would pluck them off to eat them.

There were probably 50 or more monkeys running up and down the trees and taking the bananas with them to the treetops. Then as they peeled the bananas to get to the sweet fruit, they would drop them from above, causing banana peels to rain from the sky. Too funny!

A squirrel monkey’s tail is not prehensile, that means they cannot use it to grab onto things. They use it for balance and nothing more. Squirrel monkeys are considered to be one of the cleverest monkeys due to having a large brain compared to the size of their body. They are highly vocal and have around 25-30 different types of calls. Caesar always can recognize their call.

We walked over to the hammock area for awhile and enjoyed listening to the chatter of the birds, insects, and monkeys. This lodge is very primitive, but it does have WiFi. And an interesting note, this is one of the lodges that Caesar’s father helped to build 40 years ago.

After about 3 hours, the group returned and we all sat down to a delicious lunch of dorado fish. Then we went to listen to a local practitioner as he told us all about the traditional remedies he uses to help the villagers, using only the plants from the rainforest to make his medicines. He uses wild garlic, Dragons blood, Cats claw, and many other plants. Each medicine has specific purposes – curing bronchitis and asthma, or arthritis and rheumatism, and even one that can cure cancer. Some medicines you drink while others are rubbed into the skin. It was fascinating.

We left the lodge and took a one hour boat ride to a little town, but I don’t remember the name. We had to get off the boat very carefully as it was about 15” off the ground. No way could I jump off so I just sat down and then slid off. Then we had to climb yet another set of wooden steps and ramps to get to where the mototaxis were waiting to take us to the town called Indiana, where we would board another boat for the short ride back to our lodge.

The taxis are pretty primitive but actually had good suspension, which was evident as we bumped along over potholes and rough roads. It was an adventure speeding past all the houses with kids outside playing and laundry hanging from the clothes lines.

We arrived back to the lodge and once again climbed the ramp and 27 steps to get ready for pre-dinner drinks and dinner.

Dinner was very good and Caesar told us what we need to know to get ready for our flight back to Lima tomorrow.

Cruising along the Amazon tributary

Our boat

Another set of stairs and ramps to climb

The Explornapo Lodge restaurant

Monkeys eating bananas

This plaque mentions Caesar’s dad

Medicine man

Our ride to the boat.

Another set of steps!!!!

The boat we cruised all over the Amazon in.

September  5 Thursday 

Accommodations: CIEBA TOPS LODGE

First of all… did you all run out and look for that Masato beer I mentioned yesterday? I know you were all “salivating”( pun intended) to try it! 😂

Anyway, this morning after breakfast we got in our boat to cruise the Amazon in search of pink dolphins. 

Freshwater Pink dolphins swim all through out the Amazon and we had a great time trying to spot them as they surfaced. They stay under the water for about 3-5 minutes and then they surface to breathe. 

It is thought that the dolphins turn pink whenever they get excited. Since their blood vessels are visible thought their skin, it is very easy to see the pink color, almost like they are blushing. When they are very active, they get even pinker.

The baby dolphins are born tail first and the father (or another assisting dolphin) waits until the head is born and then they take the baby up to the surface to breathe. If the baby came out head first, since it can take a few hours for the baby to be born, the baby would drown since by the time the rest of the body emerged, the baby would not have gotten the breath needed to survive. After a baby is born, it suckles a thick milk from its mother until it is able to get fish on its own.

It was very difficult to photograph the dolphins because you never knew where they were going to pop up. I was happy that I actually did get a pretty good shot of one.  Caesar sent us a photo he took last year of the head of a dolphin as it surfaced and you can see it below.

Dolphins are mammals and these dolphins have a bulge on the top of their heads and a long thin snout. We really only saw their backs in the water.

Caesar said some of the local tribes are very superstitious about dolphins. Some people believe that a male and female dolphin can come out of the water and take a young child living on land away from its family and keep it for their own. Others believe that touching a dolphin will bring very bad luck. However, on the Internet, I found this information: “In the Amazon region, the pink dolphin is seen as a symbol of fertility and is believed to bring good luck to those who encounter it. In some indigenous cultures, the pink dolphin is seen as a protector of the water and is revered for its wisdom and power.”

I’m not sure which folk lore to believe, but the pink dolphins we saw were beautiful creatures and I’d like to believe they will bring good luck to all who encounter them.

We passed many rice fields that the natives plant along the Amazon, which provides much of their carbohydrate needs. They eat a lot of bananas and vegetables as well as the fish they catch from the river. Just about everything they need to live can be found right outside their door.

After a few hours on the boat, we came back to the lodge and had lunch. Our appetizer was a Peruvian dish called causa. Causa is a cold layered dish of lime, potatoes, mayo, avocado, tomato, black olives, and hard boiled eggs. It was delicious!! I also had dorado fish wrapped in a leaf and steamed. Very tasty!

And then it was off to meet the Yaguas tribe, an indigenous jungle-dwelling tribe who shared their life in the jungle with us. There is social pressure for the tribe to learn Spanish to assimilate into Peruvian culture. If this continues, the culture and language of the tribe will one day be lost for good.

The members of the tribe did a traditional dance for us and then they grabbed our hands and had us all participate in the dancing. 

They also showed us how to use a blow gun. The gun itself is made from two pieces of wood that are hollowed out and then glued together with sap. The gun is quite long with a mouthpiece on the end. There is a site on the gun that helps the hunter zero in on the prey.  They use long dart-like arrows that are sharpened to a point with the teeth of a piranha. They put a cotton like substance on the arrow so it becomes similar to an arrow with a feather. 

You have to seal your mouth around the end of the blow gun and take a deep breath through your nose and then blow. All the men on our tour gave it a try and I’m proud to say, my “hunting” man was the ONLY one to hit the target! So proud of him!  (You Tarzan…me Irene !!!  🤗)

The tribe had a lot of items for sale that they make and I bought a few things. 

We bid our goodbyes (the tribe only speaks their own language) and we cruised back to the lodge for drinks and then dinner.  

After dinner Caesar took us on a night nature walk through the jungle which was amazing. We had to put on insect spray and bring a flash light for the walk. Allan and I had our mosquito hat nets with us, that we had used when visiting Alice Springs in Australia, so we were really prepared for the walk. 

Caesar has an eagle eye and spotted all kinds of jungle creatures and pointed them out to us. He spotted an owl on top of a pole, a beautiful butterfly which he was able to catch and unfurl its wings for us, and a katydid eating a caterpillar. He also found a hole where a HUGE tarantula lived. He got a stick and poked it, and then he said… okay… let’s go, which I was very happy to do. Fortunately the tarantula stayed in his hole.

We paused a few times and turned off our flash lights so we could hear the beautiful sounds of the rainforest. What a chorus it was and just so beautiful to hear.

We started to hear thunder and see lightning in the distance and the animals were calling out. Caesar said we have to leave because the wind would kick up quickly and it’s not a good time to be in the jungle when that happens. He was right! The wind did start to blow and we made it back to our cottages just as the heavens opened up. 

We have to get up early in the morning for a long day. Unfortunately I won’t be participating in the canopy walk that is scheduled because of my fear of heights. I don’t think Allan will either. But we will be with the group afterwards for lunch and to go on a tour of the botanical gardens.

My photo of the pink dolphin and below is Caesar’s.

We climb this staircase twice a day to go on our boat excursions. 27 steps on the stairs and then you have to navigate the ramp!

Causa

Our lunch of dorado fish wrapped in a leaf.

The tribe uses this plant to mark their faces. It is also used for an insect repellent.

The tribe dancing for us

Sharpening the wood arrow with piranha teeth

Allan showing his prowess with the dart gun

Owl on our night walk

Butterfly

The butterfly, when threatened, can turn its wings to look like an owl. It was pretty amazing to see.

The under part of the same butterfly

These flowers grew all the way up the tree trunk. So delicate and beautiful.

Huge frog

The cotton like material. A small piece is wrapped onto the arrow.

Livin’ the life

September 4  Wednesday  Explore the Amazon 

Accommodations: CEIBA TOPS LODGE

This morning we were all ready to go at 6 am to do some bird watching from our boat and to see the sunrise. Our guide Caesar is amazing and was pointing out birds all over the place…from up in the air to those hidden in the foliage. Some you could barely see because they blended in so well with the scenery. Others were bright and vivid. We cruised to a few different places along the Amazon and each area had different avian life. Caesar can recognize the birds just by listening to their songs.

We went back to the lodge and had breakfast and then put insect repellent and sunscreen on, filled our water bottles with water and electrolyte powder, and off we went to visit a family who live on the Amazon.

The family didn’t know we were coming to visit. Caesar says the people in these villages along the Amazon are very welcoming and gracious and will be happy to share their home even if you just pop in. The people in the villages do not speak English and they lead a very simple life. They eat the fish from the Amazon, they grow vegetables, they have chickens, and they build their own one room homes on stilts. The homes must be on stilts because in the rainy season, the water will be up to their front door and they must get around in canoes.

We arrived and I almost had heart failure. This is not a tourist attraction, so there were no cement steps leading up from the banks of the river, over the hardened mud to get to the home.
I definitely needed help climbing up since it was very steep. Caesar and Santos our boat driver helped us all and before we knew it we were being greeted by the family.

The house is one room and everything takes place there. They have a little girl and all the bedding for nighttime was along the wall to be taken out each night. They sleep on mats with no pillows and they put mosquito netting over them while they sleep. Having the house on stilts not only keeps the water out during the rainy season, but also prevents snakes from coming into their home.

They have a little platform extending out from the home where they do the cooking. They had just a few pots and pans. There was a solar panel that provided electricity to the one light in the middle of the room. They do not have a refrigerator, but rather salt the fish they catch to preserve it.

The mother and father spend their days working hard to collect the bananas and vegetables that grow nearby their home or to help the others in the village when needed. The villagers must collect the bananas, fruit, corn, etc before the rainy season, otherwise they will lose all of the produce. After the banana tree yields its fruit, it is cut down with chain saws and machetes to make room for new trees.

After our visit to the home, we bid adios and walked along the path to the elementary school. The children were out for recess and they and the teachers didn’t know we were coming. Again, we were greeted with warmth and hospitality. The kindergarten kids were playing and they came up to us and were very curious. One little girl was curious about the reading glasses I have around my neck so I put them on to show her. I took her picture and showed her and she was thrilled. When I left, the teacher came over and hugged me. It was a special moment.

We walked over to the older grades classrooms…1,2,3, and 4 grades are all in one room with a teacher. Next door is a one room classroom for 5 and 6 grades. The younger kids sang for us and they asked where we were from. Caesar translated for them (and for us as well) since they don’t speak English… only Spanish.

It was amazing seeing how the kids were being taught. The government mandates that each child attend school and the government also built a water purifying plant so they have clean water which all the villagers can help themselves to. That being said, the people bathe everyday in the Amazon since the water provided is really just for drinking. Books and educational items are also supplied by the government and private organizations.

When it was time to leave, thankfully we didn’t have to go down the treacherous path. The villagers had built make-shift steps down to the river in the mud, since the parents from the village bring and pick up their children in canoes, so those steps were much easier to navigate.

The sun is extremely hot since we are so near the equator and the humidity makes it rather uncomfortable. We were all dripping wet by the time we returned to our boat… and I mean soaked!!! It’s imperative that we stay hydrated.
Riding back in the boat was a welcome relief from the heat and we cooled off a bit while we motored along.

On the way back to our lodge, our boat got stuck in the sand and Santos has to get out to push until we were free. At least he was able to cool off in the water.

We had a delicious lunch, but we told Caesar to please give us half plates of food from now on. They give us too much and it’s wasted.
I said to Caesar that I wished we would have known we were visiting a school. We know we will be visiting one in the next segment if our trip going to Machu Picchu and we purchased gifts for them, but we would have loved to give the kids we met today something. Caesar said if we’d like, he will purchase a soccer ball on our behalf. We can all chip in for the gift. Perfect!!! I was very happy. The soccer ball is a great gift since the school has two soccer fields with wooden planks for the goals. The kids love playing on the field and when we had arrived, they were playing soccer in their bare feet!

After lunch we met at 3 pm to go piranha fishing. Caesar had a few choice spots to try. First… he gave us all fishing poles with beef on the hook. Then he told us to take the tip of the pole and swish it around in the water and then drop the hook in. There were constant nibbles on all our hooks but the fish were adept at getting the bait and not getting hooked. Caesar caught a red belly piranha, a small catfish, as well as a white sardine and one of the guys in our group was successful in catching a white piranha and another type of piranha, but the second catch was too small so it had to be thrown back. Despite everyone else’s best fishing efforts, we only succeeded in feeding the piranhas our bait.

Caesar spotted pink dolphins and we were able to catch a quick glimpse of them as well as some blue gray dolphins as they went by.

We were very hot and dripping again, and every time we do a boat excursion, which has been twice a day, we get out of the boat and have to trek up a long ramp till we get to a staircase and then we climb 27 steps!!! Geez! When you’re hot and dripping wet, it’s not fun. But I figure it’s getting me in shape for Machu Picchu. Since dealing with a broken foot and wearing a boot for 6 weeks and then having Covid, I haven’t been doing much walking, so this is great exercise even though I grit my teeth every time!

We met our friends for a pre-dinner drink and then it was off to eat. Allan and I had the spaghetti with meat sauce that was very good. We also had a chicken noodle soup. They gave us a sample of fried dorado fish which is a delicious white fish caught right here in the Amazon. And…Santos our boat driver fried up the piranhas that were caught today and we each had a sample. Of course…I got a bone and that was that, but at least I can say I tried it.

Caesar told us about a local beer that’s for sale called Moscato. Apparently it is made from yucca. Women boil the yucca for about 45 minutes and then put it in a wooden crate. Many women sit around the crate and pound the yucca with sticks. When most of the yucca has been flattened, they take a huge handful and put it in their mouths and chew it for a number of minutes. They spit it out, add it back to the crate, and continue that process until all of the yucca has been chewed. Then they mix it up and put it all in a stone pot with a plant leaf on top, and let it rest. After 1 week, it can be given to children as milk. After two weeks it becomes beer and is bottled and sold. They believe the saliva is what makes the fermentation process happen.

Caesar also told us that back in 2016, he was asked by Cornell University to fly to the school to give a lecture on the Amazon. He didn’t know if he should go. He had never been away from his village except to live for a short time with his family in Iquito when he was 12. They only stayed a short time because he missed his friends and didn’t like the busy city life.

. His family said it’s a great adventure and opportunity for you…so go! He flew for the first time in his life, and landed in JFK. He said the 7 hour flight was the longest thing he ever endured. He stayed in NYC for a few days, and he said he went out one night at 3 am in the city and people were walking around everywhere. He couldn’t believe it. I said to him… that’s because… “the city never sleeps”!! He then flew to Boston, and then to Cornell to give his lecture. He had a slide presentation and the students were fascinated with what he had to say. And now, many students and teachers from Cornell and all over the US come to the Amazon and he is their guide. It’s so amazing that this man, who never left his village, was brave enough to travel all by himself, to a country he really didn’t know much about, and give a lecture to college students.

It’s not an early wake up tomorrow, but it will be a busy day. We are looking forward to the agenda.

Buenos noches.

On our early morning bird watch. Caesar took amazing photos of the birds we saw and he’ll give us the photos with the names of each bird.

vultures eating dead fish

Path to the house

You can’t really tell, but it’s very steep.

The mom who lives in the house with her parakeet and a pepper she picked to prepare a meal.

The house that the mom, dad , and little girl live in.

Bedding along the wall

Cooking platform to the right and the pots they use

The mom preparing food

Mosquito netting and the little girl’s doll

Walking along the path to the school.

The little girl who loved my glasses

Kindergarten class and their teacher. The teacher hugged me when I left.

The 1 2 3 and 4th graders.

Much easier getting back down to our boat

Came back to beautiful flowers after our room was cleaned.

Monkeys being fed at feeding station. They were climbing all over

A traditional Peruvian chicken dish for lunch.

Going out to try our luck at piranha fishing

Caesar caught one

Allan planning strategy

I had no strategy😂

The fried piranha that we were able to sample.