So our Peru adventures started in Puno with a night on the floating islands of Uros. This was an awesome experience which the kids loved. We chose Uros Qhota Uta Lodge and they arranged a taxi to pick us up from the bus station to transfer us to a jetty where they picked us up in a boat to take us to the floating island. The islands are amazing with very comfortable accommodation. The family was very welcoming and we set off in a traditional boat on sunset around the waterways which was so calm and relaxing. A lovely 3 course meal followed which was cooked using traditional cooking methods.
We woke at 5.30am to catch our bus to Cusco. We chose Inka Express but in hindsight we would have been better on a bus which wasn’t a tour because it didn’t suit us. Everyone off the bus, everyone on bus. The trip to Cusco was about 10 hours on Inka Express but if you don’t stop along the way it can take 7 hours. The scenery along the way is spectacular. We arrived in Cusco at about 4pm.
In Cusco we arranged our train tickets from Ollantaytambo with Inka Rail and also our Machu Picchu tickets choosing the mountain and site visit. You can buy the tickets from the http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/ or the office in Cusco which we needed to do because of the kids id/passport requirements.
Sightseeing in Cusco included wondering the streets and squares such as San Francisco and visiting our first Inka site, Sacsayhuamán, which is on the hill above Cusco near the cristobel which you can see from most parts of the city. We walked up which was a bit tough with the altitude and when we got to the top discovered we only had enough money to but the day ticket for 70 Sols each. In hindsight we should have purchased the Tourist tickets for all of the ruins and sites. Sacsayhuamán was amazing and worth the cost. We were blown away by the craftsmanship with limited tools. For eating in Cusco we found the Irish pub good value for money and also Jacks cafe from breakfast really nice.
From Cusco we arranged a private car to take us to Ollantaytambo via Pisac. The car and driver cost about 170 sols or $60 Aus dollars and it was so worthwhile. The driver was knowledgeable, spoke English and took us to a culture centre and viewpoints along the way. We chose to be dropped at the top of Pisac and walked down to the village below which took two hours. We brought the 2 day ticket for Pisac and Ollantaytambo and it also included Moray and Coricancha which we didn’t have time to visit. It cost 70 pesos and was free for kids under 10. It’s a great walk from the top of the mountain and the ruins are amazing and in many ways unfathomable. Once again the craftsmanship, and the location is mind blowing.
From Pisac we traveled to Ollantaytambo arriving at about 4pm. Ollantaytambo is a lovely village in the Sacred Valley, set on the Urubamba River amid snow-capped mountains. It’s known for the Ollantaytambo ruins, a massive Inca fortress with large stone terraces on a hillside. Major sites within the complex include the huge Sun Temple and the Princess Baths fountain. The village’s old town is an Inca-era grid of cobble-stoned streets and buildings.
From Ollantaytambo we caught the Inka Rail train to Agua Calientes or the base of Machu Picchu. The train cost about $500 Aus return for the 4 of us and included a light lunch. You don’t have much choice but to catch the train unless you want to walk the 28km along the train tracks to Agua Calientes. You can also do the famous 4 day hike of the Inka trail but the cost was to high for us.
So you cant travel to Peru without visiting Machu Picchu even if its a bit costly for the budget traveler. We chose to stay 3 days in Agua Calientes and purchased tickets to the 7am session of Machu Picchu Mountaina which is the 3 hour hike. We woke at 3.30am and left the hotel at 4am to be on the first shuttle buses to the mountain. You purchase tickets for the bus the day prior near the bus stop. You can walk up to the mountain but because we were doing the hike we chose not to, however we did walk down. The Mountaina hike was amazing and very strenuous, so when we got down to Machu Picchu to explore the ruins we were tired and thirsty which somehow took the edge off it. Overall thou it was an amazing experience which I am glad we did. The walk back to town took about an hour.
The day after Machu Picchu we decided to do the 8km round trip hike to Los Jardines de Mandor https://www.jardinesdemandor.com/ You basically follow the road/river and train tracks toward Machu Picchu for 4km. Its a great walk through beautiful scenery and its not crowded so its so relaxing after Machu Picchu. The Jardines cost 10 Sols entry and are so worth it. The gardens are stunning and at the very end of the track you reach a waterfall where you can swim. We spent about 2 hours in the gardens and then had lunch in the restaurant which was fantastic. There weren’t the tourist crowds and we really enjoyed this day.
From Agus Calientes we traveled back to Ollantayambo by train and then caught a mini bus back to Cusco which cost 10 sols each and took about 2 hours. We stayed one night in Cusco at Kisma Hotel before catching the 8am flight from Cusco to Lima with Aivanda airlines.
We had heard not such great things about Lima but we had to pick up a passport so it was a definitely stop off. Despite the stories we didn’t mind Lima. We stayed in Miraflores which was safe and cosmopolitan. During our visit we went to Kennedy Park, strolled along the walkways on the cliff and swam at the beach. It was relaxing and a nice change from the country areas.
From Lima we flew 1.4 hours north to Piura. We chose this as a destination as we were on-route to Mancora for some beach time. From Piura we caught a taxi to Mancora which cost about 100 AUS or 250 Sols.
Mancora is a surfers playground but unfortunately much a the beach was swept away making high tide a challenge for many of the properties and the beach goers. Fortunately at low tide you can walk north and south. Las Pocitas to the south is a beautiful palm tree lined beach area. North you can see the lakes with pink flamingos plus turtles and seals washed up on the beach. There is also a good choice of restaurants and cafe in the town especially those located on the main road.
Mancora to Ecuador; We caught the bus which was an interesting day. Given we left on a Wednesday we couldn’t access the more tourist orientated buses such as Cruz de Sur instead having to use local services of CIFA. After we booked the tickets we read some terrible stories so were prepared for the worst. Its wasn’t terrible but it also wasn’t great. A mini bus van picked us up ad took us 1 and 1/2 hours to Tombes where we sat in a bus station for an hour before the CIFA bus arrived. The bus itself wasn’t too flash but it was okay. We traveled to the Ecuador border before arriving at a town which is where the bulk of the passengers bordered the bus. From there is was pretty much straight through apart from the odd stop along the roadside. The trip took a total of 10 hours compared to others that take 8 but it was fine.
So now its time for our Ecuador adventures to begin
