http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Peru en-us Thu, 23 May 2013 11:29:51 +0000 Thu, 23 May 2013 11:29:51 +0000 HelloJust wanted to give yall a quick update. I arrived safely in Cusco Peru Travel was long roughly 24 hours and I spent the night awake in a Starbucks. Luckily the Starbucks was full and I asked to sit at a table with a few girls one who was wearing a Kappa Delta shirt I asked her what school she went to and she said Cornell and then I realized she was with Alma Sana So I spent my o http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/Cusco/blog-786865.html First day in Peru After flying all night and being rerouted through Florida I was so happy to finally be at my final flying destination for this trip. I was met at the airport by Mercedes the owner of the hotel Casa De Mama 2 I had booked for our time in Cusco. She took me back to the hotel where I met up with my friend who arrived the previous day. Mercedes was a wonderful host and offered coca http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/Cusco/blog-786724.html Hola amigosIts been a while I know. What can I say teaching has kept me very busy that and exploring South AmericaSo right now I am in Puerto Lopez a chilled fishing town on the coast of southern Ecuador and I have to say its a pretty nice spot. I39m here to teach English and am surrounded by great beaches and wildlife and as many bananas as you could ever wish for. However I on http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Amazonas/Chachapoyas/blog-786676.html Firstly thank you for all the contributions to my Free Belinda fund If someone could just let work know it39ll be 2014 before I head back that would be super Please don39t stop the donations though happy to never return to work or maybe remote login Ok ok no more boring work talk This last week has been busy as usual When I last wrote I39d just arrived in La Paz world39s http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-786672.html PERU TRAVEL TIPS the land of the Incas awaits travelers with a world of adventure and excitement. The perfectly fitted stones of this glorious empire continue to be the main attraction to people from all over the world. Machu Picchu the lost city of the Incas rediscovered centuries after the last Conquistador left remains a web of riddles for the adventurer and the scientist to tackle. The Naz http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Inca-Trail/blog-786568.html We traveled from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado a town in Southeastern Peru and the jumping off point to the Amazon jungle 55 kilometres west of the Bolivia residing on the Tambopata and Madre de Dios River a tributary of the Amazon River. The jungle was R39s favorite. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Madre-de-Dios/Puerto-Maldonado/blog-786556.html We completed the 4 day jungle trek to Machu Picchu around April 22 including over 50km of hiking22 on the Inka trail downhill mountain biking zip lining and amazon jungle ending at beautiful Machu Picchu at sun rise. At MP we walked through the Inka ruins trekked the Inka bridge Sun Gate and Machu Picchu Mountain.It was all a bit surreal Enjoy.....GandR http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Machu-Picchu/blog-786546.html TOURS TO MACHU PICCHUDAY 1CUSCO SANTA TERESA HYDROELECTRIC MACHUPICCHU PUEBLO We pick you up at 7.30 am and start at 800 am from Cusco through the Sacred Valley of the Incas during the journey we will appreciate different villages climate change from the Andes to the tropical sites we came to Santa Teresa where we expected a typical lunch then continue the tour to Hydroelectric arrivin http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/Cusco/blog-786412.html The Puya Raymondi is a plant that grows in the higher places of Peru only. It is of the Bromeliacea family and it is an intriguing plant because it flowers just once in its life and it might have at least 20000 flowers. We visit the Puya plants and then we can continue on to Pastoruri glacier. The road continues directly to the glacier. It is an easy glacier to access and we can take a guided w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Mount-Huarascan/blog-786275.html SERVICES IN MORALES GUEST HOUSE Hotels PeruBesides a safe and secure guesthouse with a friendly family atmosphere we offer the following services. Cafeteria Breakfast home made meals Snacks available Internet Laundry service Telephone Calls Security Safe Bus station pickup Free storage luggage Reconfirm flight tickets Book flight and bus tickets Rent Equipment http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Mount-Huarascan/blog-786270.html A new and amazing trek Come and see Salkantay 39the savage one39. Reach Machu Picchu in a different and spectacular way trekking through valleys grasslands glaciers cloud forests and junglesltbr stylecolor 666666 fontfamily arial fontsize 12.727272033691406px lineheight normal textalign justify gtThe famous Salkantay Trek recently named among one of the bes http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Inca-Trail/blog-786267.html httpwww.intiraymicusco.comPRESENTACINEl Inti Raymi Cusco o Fiesta del Sol fue una ceremonia inca que se realizaba con carcter anual en el Cusco la capital del Tawantinsuyo entre el perodo final de la cosecha y el inicio del equinoccio invernal de los Andes es decir en la segunda mitad del mes de junio. Inti RaymiEl Inti Raymi en la poca de los Incas era el equivalente a lo que hoy http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/Cusco/blog-786086.html It was a long old bus ride down the PanAmerican highway from Mancora and after 20 hours we arrive in the Peruvian capital Lima. Like all our destinations wed spoke to fellow travellers in advance to get advice how long to visit for recommendations of where to stay and sights worth seeing. Overwhelmingly the view of Lima was that it is simply to be passed through a stopover to break up lo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Lima/Lima/Miraflores/blog-785890.html Today was our last day in Aguas Calientes. About half of our group went back to Machu Picchu for a short visit and the other half of us stayed to visit the town. Matt and I were in the latter camp. I regretted it slightly. If Machu Picchu had been less crowded and I could have felt like I couldve just gone up and peacefully wandered for a bit Id have done it. But pushing your way betwee http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Salkantay-Trail/blog-785817.html Last nights sleep was maybe the best of the trip for me even though we went to bed a little after 9 to get up at 5 for Machu Picchu. Tony warned us these beds were magic and he was right. I remember waking up very briefly and hearing the thunderous rain coming down outside though. It was as they say here raining llamas and alpacas. Apparently Leslie was so startled that she tried to call http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Salkantay-Trail/blog-785815.html Our last day of trekking. Even though a bit of vacation fatigue is setting in especially with the constant moving around. When I think about everything that has happened and everything we have seen though it feels like so much more life than a week normally brings and so I am incredibly happy to have had every moment of it. The morning was up up up and the afternoon was down down http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Salkantay-Trail/blog-785814.html Today was our zipline adventure with Cola de Mono company day. When Matt and I signed up we assumed it was going to be an afternoon posthiking activity but it turns out it was at the same time as the hike which was disappointing. Especially since the hike today stopped at a schoolhouse. Dont get me wrong ziplining was a lot of fun but getting to go in and talk with play with the k http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Salkantay-Trail/blog-785812.html Today was a late start as things go around here. Which means we were on the trail at 830. Matt and I got up a little earlier than we needed to though so we could walk around the outside of the lodge again. The fog rolled in so early yesterday that we did not get to take another look at it after first arriving. I didnt sleep well at all last night so I didnt mind getting out of bed. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Salkantay-Trail/blog-785811.html Day 3 of TrekHighest altitude reached 15213 This was it. The big day as theyd been saying. The day that was going to break us. Spoiler It didnt As Im here writing this message I suppose you assumed that but I could be writing without the use of my legs. We woke up early again. I would say boo but were getting pretty used to it. Ive been able to get to sleep pretty immedi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Salkantay-Trail/blog-785810.html Today we are in the amazon jungles taking a hike. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Amazonas/Chachapoyas/blog-785747.html