Returned from the Land of the Incas - Peru ABD Trip Report

Zoe!! :)

(At first I thought that @EK4636 posted this picture, and I thought "Wait!! Zoe's not an Adventure Guide anymore!" Then I realized it was a post from an earlier trip. :) )

I'm still not convinced I can handle the altitude... :(

Sayhello

I know, Zoe was amazing. We rank all ABD CMs against the incredibly high bar that she set. I want to plan a trip to Telluride just so we can go check in with her new business and say hello.
 
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Great trip report. Thanks for posting! Peru is still high on our list. The photos look amazing. I'll be interested to hear if you felt you had enough time in Machu Picchu.
 
Great trip report. Thanks for posting! Peru is still high on our list. The photos look amazing. I'll be interested to hear if you felt you had enough time in Machu Picchu.

Thanks! Do it and you won't regret it!

To answer your question, yes and no. For me, absolutely, we spent all day there (I'll talk about it a bit more in my Day 5 report). I got the rundown of the history and got to walk around the whole complex and took "the" picture of Machu Picchu. For others who wanted to hike to Sun and Moon Gates, they probably would say they didn't spend enough time as they felt rushed on the hike. For those who really wanted to hike Wayna Picchu, they would definitely say they want to stay longer and wished that the hike was part of the adventure.
 
I apologize for the delay of Day 4. I was down with bronchitis for a few days and have been coughing non-stop. Apparently all the illness I dodged in Peru caught up with me. But here we go!!

Day 4: Moray and Maras Salt Pans


I will admit that I did absolutely no research before booking a trip to Peru. My decision to go was driven by the fact that Machu Picchu was on my bucket list, and there was a rumor that they are about to get stricter with access. I didn't want to research how to get there and when to go, so I said, ABD it is! (The desire to not let DH pick another vacation came in close second.) So when we were talking about Moray and Maras, I was not sure what to expect, but everyone was excited, so I went with the flow.

We got up, had breakfast, and boarded the buses. DH was able to join me today! We were also joined by an additional local guide - Diego - who was equally as awesome as Ken and Rudy. We drove for a while before we got to Moray. The view was amazing though.

Fun fact: Cellular signal in Peru was better than most of the places around Seattle! I was getting clear, strong signal everyday!

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When we got to Moray, the first thing we did was (of course) restroom break. Remember: go when you can, not when you have to. We disembarked and this was what we saw. It was absolutely gorgeous:

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Of course, we go history of Moray and how brilliant the Incas were at agricultural techniques from Diego. He asked us what did we think this was. Some of us thought gladiator stadium or sport arena. We were dead wrong. Sites like these are how they were able to make 300 (or 400 - Rudy and Diego are still feuding over the number) varieties of potatoes. The climate at the bottom circle and at the top circle can be drastically different. We walked down to the field, and of course, took the obligatory jump shots:

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Tip: DO NOT attempt a jump shot on your first day in the Sacred Valley. I was surprise I didn't pass out.

We walked around the site for a little bit before boarding the buses which conveniently picked us up down the hill from where we were. I quietly thank the Incan gods that we didn't have to hike back up to where the buses dropped us off. We boarded the bus and headed out to Maras Salt Pans. On the way, Ken who was on our bus passed out snacks and sweets to keep our energy up. Disney thinks of everything.

Tip: We spent a lot of time out and about in the morning today. In fact, you won't get lunch until you return to Sol y Luna around 2pm or so. Don't pass up on the snacks.

Tip: Load yourself up with protein in the morning so you have the energy. Don't just eat a bowl of cereal in the morning and call it good.

Before we knew it, we arrived at the Salt Pans. We made a quick stop before we actually got to the site at a sweet picture spot. If you are a parent, PLEASE hold your kids tight. I was a little scared by the drop myself.

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The building with the orange roof is the market. That's where the hiking starts (for point of reference). That narrow path down the side of the hill to the right of the market is the hiking path.

When we got to the Salt Pans, we took a group photo (of course) and heard a little bit about the history of salt making. It's actually a tedious process and there are absolutely no machineries involved in the process. The most "advanced" technology, according to our guides, was the plastic bag-covered rock that they started using to block/unblock the canal to let the water into each pond. The pans are divided up into multiple section, and each section is owned by a family. There are storages at the beginning (see picture above) and at the far end. If you were lucky to be close to one of the storages, that's awesome. If not, well, you don't need any gym membership as you'll be carrying those heavy salt bags everywhere. It actually made me feel guilty paying like $1 for a 2oz bag of salt at the market, when I saw these worker carrying the huge bags.

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We did get a 15-minute shopping break at the market before we embark on the hike. There weren't a lot of stalls, and all the products are pretty much the same at the same prices. We bought some salts and chocolate bars from the stalls. We also bought some coca candy, because hey, you can't be too careful.

Tip: Use your time wisely as this was a shopping and bathroom break combined. This will be the LAST bathroom you will see until you return to Sol y Luna.

The market was also where we said good bye to a few people as the path was very narrow and there were drops on either side. Granted, you wouldn't have dropped too far, but it was high enough to be scary. And even if you did fall off the path, you'd fall into the salt ponds. Those who didn't wish to go turned around and went back to the buses. We continued on! Here's a shot looking back at the trek:

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There were a few spots that got to me because it was so narrow. Once we made it through the pans, we continued on to the path. We passed the storage area and began our descent down the side of the mountain. Now, the hike was downhill, so in theory, it was easy. The catch though was the uneven terrain with basically nothing on the side to grab on to if you need it. I chose to hang at the end with my adopted sisters, Nicole and Dawn, in case they needed help, and really, in hope that they would repay the favor at Machu Picchu the next day! The group went way too fast for us, but we took our sweet time...safety first! In total, the hike was probably about an hour before we got to board our buses again to head back to Sol y Luna.

Tip: Leave your sandals at home.

Fun fact: There were dogs everywhere in Peru. I would not recommend approaching them no matter how cute they seem to be!

We were STARVING when we got back on the buses! Luckily, the drive back was not very far, and we were at Sol y Luna in what seemed like 15 minutes. We entered through the ranch in the back of the resort, and we found that lunch was waiting for us. Lunch was pretty simple and it was served family style. Once we were done with lunch, we were told about the optional visit to the local market and local artist studio before dinner, but we only had about an hour and a half before we had to leave. I somehow was able to sneak in a quick trip to the jacuzzi to relax for a little bit before meeting back up with the group for the optional trip.

Ken and Diego led the group (there were about half of us) to the market. It wasn't a huge market and it was a "fresh" market with fruits and vegetables (and meats sitting out unrefrigerated which weirded some people out but I was used to seeing this growing up in Thailand). Diego showed us some local produce, and we were given a little bit of time to shop before leaving the market. I made a new friend with one of the shopkeepers there, and I bought some chocolate bars and other snacks for the bus as I learned my lesson today. She was totally cool with taking a quick picture with me, and she gave me a bag of snack as a gift:

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After the market, we walked a couple of blocks to a local artist studio. The artist name was Pablo Seminario. He first started with a small studio but now has begun commercializing his art. While I called it a studio, it was more like an art factory. Even though there were not a lot of people working while we were there, we saw different sectors of the studio where people would focus on creating the piece, firing it, and painting it. We also saw a classroom which we later learned that they also offer art classes for local schools.

Then we got to meet the man himself! We went up to his private studio where he told us about his inspiration and what he's been up to. Pablo's artworks have been on displayed at the Smithsonian. That's really cool! We had one girl there who was an inspiring artist, and Pablo gave her some advice which was to stay true on what she is passionate about creating. Many schools will try to make the students fit their molds, but true artists will break through all of that and stay true to themselves and their arts. (I really wished my DH who's currently attending art school was there to hear this instead of napping in our room at Sol y Luna!) Here's a picture of me and Pablo:

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After the studio visit, we exited through the gift ship (of course). My new friend Wally and I found Pablo's original artworks on display at the shop. Now, they will ship anything you buy home for you (at about $200), but the original works will run you between $1200 to $5000. Yes, that's US dollars.

We returned to Sol y Luna just in time for dinner. The dinner was at the ranch in the back again, but tonight, we had a Peruvian cooking demonstration by the Master Chef Nachos. My DH and I got to the ranch early and chatted with the Chef who's been cooking since he was a teenager and has been working at Sol y Luna for over 10 years. We chatted about our cooking experiences as my family used to own a restaurant. He's an amazing guy and I hope that when you go, you will enjoy his cooking as well as his stories. Now that I think about it, Chef Nachos was always with us at dinner every night until all of us left and was always there when I come in for breakfast. When does he sleep?

Anyway, Chef Nachos showed us how to make some simple Peruvian dishes including the trout ceviche.

Fun fact: Peruvian trout looks exactly like salmon. I thought they mislabeled the food when I first saw smoked trout!

Now because I was talking to him earlier about cooking, he actually asked me to help with making the ceviche. I was HONORED! We made some ceviche for the group, and it was quite delicious (and not only because I made it). We also learned how to make the class pisco sour. I got to make that, too! For someone who loves to cook, tonight was my magical moment. Pixie dusts everywhere!

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Dinner wrapped up with some stargazing lesson with Rudy. Sol y Luna assisted by turning out the lights at the ranch for a few minutes. The sky was so pretty. We were able to see the Southern Cross as well as the Scorpius Constellation. It was a low key end to a fun day.

Tomorrow: MACHU PICCHU!!!!
 


We were in Peru in late June/early July, so it's really fun to follow along with your trip report and compare/contrast the ABD and NatGeo itineraries. Some of our pictures are identical, lol. Looking forward to the rest.
 
Your photos are stunning. We visited Peru back in 2002 (not with ABD) and I'm having fun seeing some familiar sights in your report.
 
Day 5: This is it! Machu Picchu!

If you have ever been on a trip with Adventures by Disney, you are already aware of this routine (and if you have never been, what's been stopping you?). Because we can't be trusted with a schedule, the tour guides always remind us the night before about the time and place to meet the next morning. Last night was no different. Now, with ABD, the days are usually long and while we're always waiting to hear the words, "Adventurers! Tomorrow, you get to sleep in! We'll see you at 11am!" That has yet to happen.

Our guide Ken drew the short straw this time and was the one giving us the reminder speech. He did a great job, I think, of leading up to it. "Now, remember Adventurers, Machu Picchu was on most of your list when we first started. In fact, Machu Picchu is probably on many your bucket lists. How long have you been waiting for this moment? Think about how long other people have been waiting for this moment that may or may not happen for them? Now, all that excitement, isn't worth it to get up early and get excited?!" Then he dropped the news, "So, tomorrow, we'll be meeting up at 6AM!" Everyone cheered, and one girl chirped in, "Why not 4?!" Ah, to be young again. Everyone was excited. You can feel it in the air.

Fast forward to the (early) morning of Day 5, we met up at the gathering point in front of Sol y Luna. Everyone was there - even those who'd been out sick the few days before. NO ONE was going to miss this. As it was pretty early, we were all pretty quiet as we boarded our buses and headed down to Ollantaytambo to catch our train.

Tip: BRING YOUR PASSPORT on this day. No passport, no Machu Picchu!

While on the bus, our guide (I don't remember which one...it was 6AM, give me a break) handed us our train tickets. I was giddy because the ticket said Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu. I'm going to Machu Picchu!

Tip: The train ticket has two portions: top and bottom. Fold it in half and tear it in half, keeping the one where you need to hand over to the ticket taker on top. Trust me, it saves time because otherwise they would have to do this at the front of the line and you would hold up the line.

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We were told that the Mouse has gone ahead and reserved all the tickets in the same car. Do not freak out if you're not sitting with your family according to the tickets. DH and I were one of the first to get on, and we sat with the family we met the first night we were here to chat on the hour-or-so train ride. The trek was fantastic! The view was stunning! Your ticket entitled you to a coffee/water/tea and a snack (we got carrot cake). Just like the plane, everything else was extra.

Tip: Sit on the opposite side of the boarding door. You'll get the full view of the mountains and river.

We arrived at our destination, and we stopped for a short bathroom break.

Tip: Go to the restroom here. After this point, restrooms were scarce and you have to pay to use them.

We had to walked a little way to get to our buses that will take us to Macchu Picchu. "Don't stop to shop! You'll have time later!" can be heard throughout our entire walk. The buses that were waiting for us were not Disney buses, and they do not know that we were in a group together, and they do not care if all of us were on the buses. So, DO NOT STOP or get separated!

When we got on to the buses, it finally hit me that it was still early in the morning, and I was tired. The windy roads going up the mountain did not help either. I totally fell asleep. On the way up, we actually saw people hiking up the hill. I admire them and applauded them for their determination...as I adjusted my air-conditioner and fell back asleep on the comfy bus seat.

When we arrived at the top, IT. WAS. A. MAD. HOUSE. There were people EVERYWHERE waiting to enter. If you have your junior adventurers with you, hold them tight! We were waiting for awhile for people to use the (paid) restroom with the lines about 15 deep. (Again: Go when you can, not when you have to.) Once everyone was done, we walked up the steps to get to the entrance of Machu Picchu. You have to have a Peruvian tour guide with you to enter, and we split up into 3 groups: Rudy, Diego, and Jose (our new guide for the day). DH and I were in Diego's group.

Fun fact: You need your passport to get into Machu Picchu.

What I expected was the beauty of this world wonder, but what I didn't expect was how soon we were going to see it. Within 5 minutes from the entrance gate, and as we walked through an opinion, we were greeted with the amazing vista. Of course, we took our family photo.

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Here's a shot of the entire valley. So beautiful.

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We hiked and explored Machu Picchu and learned about why the location was chosen and the significance of it. We also learned about the Inca's three worlds. I was amazed at the "technology" they used to be able to tell the time of year - particularly the winter and summer solstices. We saw the living quarters eat Machu Picchu which made me immediately thankful for my townhouse (especially since I don't have to hike up to my house). About halfway up, we took a small detour as a group for more story about Machu Picchu, particularly the serpentine stone and the Inca Cross as we would continue our trek to the temples of Machu Picchu.

As we walked over to the Principle Temple and walked up to the inithuatana ("The Hitching Post of the Sun"), we came across this stone that was carved to look like the mountains behind it. I thought it was pretty cool.

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Then we hiked up to one of the most important spot for the Incas - the Intihuatana. We were told to not touch or go near it. There were staff members stationed before and after it. Apparently, back in 2000, a beer company shot a commercial here, and a crane fell into the rock and chipped a corner off. The Peruvians went nuts (understandably so). The operator was found guilty and sentenced to 6 years in prison, and the beer company was fined millions of dollars. DO NOT TOUCH this rock.

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Tip: The hike up to this point wasn't terrible, but watch your steps. The grounds are uneven, and the Incas are not known for making the perfect staircase.

There wasn't much to do at the top as we were hurried down the other side of the Intihuatana...and it was almost lunch time. On our descent we saw llamas on the grounds of Machu Picchu. These llamas were spoiled! Again, in my opinion, the hike up was tough on the body, but the hike down was tough on the fear of falling. Watch. Your. Steps.

We left Machu Picchu and headed to lunch which was at the restaurant right across from the entrance. It was buffet style, but again, the Mouse yielded no power here and we had to fend for our own seats. The food was probably the second worst meal I had on this trip. The food was not anywhere near spectacular - bread, meat, warming trays, and pre-made desserts. But I get it, there wasn't really any other options.

Apparently, at this point, we were an hour behind schedule. Maybe it was me and my "hike at our own pace" team that delayed the group. Oh well, at least we didn't pass out. Part of our groups were itching to get going, and the other part (ahem, me) wanted to sit down in the A/C for a bit to cool down.

Now most people would consider themselves lucky to go to Machu Picchu even once, not us. We're Disney. We got to go TWICE! Once we were done with lunch, we headed back in with our afternoon entrance ticket. This afternoon, we said goodbye to Jose, and we were split into 3 groups. They called them the "Sun and Moon Gates" group, the "Guardhouse" group, and the "On Your Own" group, but I called them the "Overachievers" group,"We-don't-want-to-die-at-Machu-Picchu-but-we-want-to-see-it-all" group, and "We're-just-here-for-the-participation-ribbon" group. I went with the "no dying" group and hung out again with Diego and Ken.

The overachievers group ran ahead (literally) and made their way up to Sun and Moon Gates via the Inca Trail which is quite a hike. They had about 90 minutes to do the hike, and I admired them for their bravery. Our group took the less strenuous route and split from the "On Your Own" group at the bottom of the hill. Now I made fun, but I get it. Some folks with acrophobia and/or with kids chose to stay at the bottom.

Now, even though I said it was less strenuous, it was still a hike. Our group stopped every 5 minutes to catch our breath.

Fun fact: Don't forget, you're still 8,000-9,000 feet above sea level.

After a few stops, we made it to the beginning of the Inca Trail where the other group set off toward the Gates. Hey, at least we can said we stood on the Inca Trail, right? A few steps later, we snapped this picture:

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It. Was. Beautiful. This is the angle of Machu Picchu you saw on National Geographic. It was beyond words. Oh, did I mention that somehow the cellphones here are more reliable than Seattle? Yeah, I FaceTimed my Mom. It was awesome. I FaceTimed my Mom from Machu Picchu:

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We continued to walk a few more steps toward the Guardhouse and then to another area for another photo opportunity. (For WDW fans, this would have been the Nikon Picture Spot if they could put up a sign.) This was when it really hit me of what a humbling experience this was. I consider myself fortunate in the sense that I have been to a lot of places and in some cases, more than once or twice. But I knew standing at the top of this sacred place that there is a very strong chance that I would never set foot here again in my lifetime. That made this place much more special in my mind.

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We hung out up at the top for a little while, and apparently we were so loud that staff members came by to tell us to quiet down. DH and I took one last shot of this beautiful place:

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We trekked down the slopes and exited the front gate. Surprisingly, there wasn't a gift shop...well, at least not a legit one.

Tip: There's a little hut by the exit that has a Machu Picchu stamp that you can use to stamp your passport with. I'm not sure about the legality of it, but hey, everyone was doing it, and they can't arrest all of us...right?

We boarded the bus and headed toward the train station. We were given about 10 minutes to shop. DH got himself a flute that he's been asking for since we arrived in Peru. I now had to find a way to hide this flute or I feared that it will become my nightmare. (Note: it's been 3 weeks since we got back, I have hid it so well that he has not even asked for it. Success!)

While we were on the train, something...cool(?)...happened. I am not even going to ruin it for you, but let's just say I had to ask myself if whatever was happening was real life or did the coca leaves finally caught up to me.

By the time we got back to Sol y Luna, it was very late. Some of us went to dinner while others ordered room service. It had been a long day, and tomorrow, we're leaving this peaceful oasis.

Tomorrow: We're going up! It's Cusco time!
 


Day 2: Cusco...and a whole lot of altitude!
Fun fact:
Unlike the techy TSA, Peru security officer tested medication to confirm that it is medication by making you take it. Right there at the the security check point. It was...interesting.

I normally bring an emergency medical kit with pain, stomach, allergy, cold medicine, etc. Did they make you take one of each medication?
Obviously I would not want to take these unless I needed them for emergency. Should I put my medicine kit in my checked luggage?

Who was the airline for your internal flight? Were they strict with carryon size and weight in the internal flight?

Do the hotel rooms provide bottled water for washing your face and brushing your teeth?

If I do not want to do the rafting, is there another activity option?

Thank you for your help.
 
I normally bring an emergency medical kit with pain, stomach, allergy, cold medicine, etc. Did they make you take one of each medication?
Obviously I would not want to take these unless I needed them for emergency. Should I put my medicine kit in my checked luggage?

Who was the airline for your internal flight? Were they strict with carryon size and weight in the internal flight?

Do the hotel rooms provide bottled water for washing your face and brushing your teeth?

If I do not want to do the rafting, is there another activity option?

Thank you for your help.

Medications - Speaking from our trip 1 1/2 years ago we had no issues with any medications or challenges on what we brought in. Maybe a new policy was implemented?

Internal flights - I don't remember the name of the airline we used for our internal flight. Both my wife and I packed as heavy as we could go with Delta limitations and neither we nor anyone on our trip had any issues with luggage. Again, policies change.

Bottled waters - Everywhere we went we had bottled waters in our bathrooms that was specifically for brushing teeth. The hard part for us was not falling into muscle memory first thing in the morning and actually using the bottle water.

Rafting - This was the question I really wanted to address for you. We read some reviews on Trip Advisor talking about the rafting and quality of water we would be in. We quickly decided we would rather not participate in this particular outing and notified our guides when we met them on day 1. When we got to the rafting day we reminded our guides that we were not going to join the group and were interested in going into town. They scheduled a car to take us into town and the driver pointed out some specific things we should check out. He then waited for us while we walked around town. We walked around for a couple of hours and when we got back to the square he was there waiting on us to return us to the resort. Our guides then provided us with a taxi to meet up with the rest of the group that afternoon for lunch. Then the next afternoon when the group had an optional town day we kicked back by the pool and enjoyed the breath taking views and some adult beverages.
 
I normally bring an emergency medical kit with pain, stomach, allergy, cold medicine, etc. Did they make you take one of each medication?
Obviously I would not want to take these unless I needed them for emergency. Should I put my medicine kit in my checked luggage?

Who was the airline for your internal flight? Were they strict with carryon size and weight in the internal flight?

Do the hotel rooms provide bottled water for washing your face and brushing your teeth?

If I do not want to do the rafting, is there another activity option?

Thank you for your help.

Great questions. We only carried prescribed meds with us on board. They only made us test the liquid one. Your guides are like walking medicine cabinets. We learned this on our first trip so we only bring our prescribed ones.

Our internal flights were LATAM. We heard they were strict with number and weight but we didn’t exceed either. You can bring more, but you will have to pay for the extras.

The hotel provides two bottles of water daily (the normal size ones) and the guides provide an additional one liter bottle at each hotel. If you need more, you can ask. They also give out plenty of water throughout the day so you can always take some back to your room. Washing your face with tap is ok, but that is not recommended for teeth brushing.

Rafting. You either go or you stay on the bus waiting for everyone to finish down river. So perhaps the suggestion above is what you can do instead.
 
Loving your report and writing style! We did one of the first departures of this trip back in 2008 and it’s still one of our all time favorites. And Rudy was our guide! Can’t believe he’s been doing this for 10 years!
 
Thank you so much to both of you for answering my questions. It's a little stressful having to worry about water, altitude, and medication. I really do appreciate your first hand experience and your trip report came just in time as I am planning for this trip.
 
Not to jump on EK’s report but for those headed on this trip worried about altitude I wanted to say - one of the best preventive measures you can take is aspirin (to thin blood) with caffeine (to increase blood flow through your brain) This helps counteract the effects of thicker and slower blood flow, which is what gives you the headache and light headed feeling at altitude. Plus plenty of water to keep hydrated. If you are from the south, you’ll be familiar with BC powders. These dissolved in your water bottle is the perfect fix. Otherwise, washing down a couple of aspirin with a coke works just as well.
 

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