Back in the coach, we travelled to Ollantaytambo or the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This is where we start the Inca trail tomorrow but before we venture out, we spent the day visiting the local areas including Pisac. Our first stop was a women's co-operative market where they make llama wool and other Alpaca garments and sell at a very reasonabl...

J'etais deja passee par cette petite ville avec Francois pour prendre le train et se rendre au Machu Picchu, mais cette fois-ci, j'ai pris le temps de visiter ce tres beau coin. Ca s'est fait en une journee. Alex et moi avions quitte tres tot le matin, apres la messe dans la Cathedrale a Cuzco. Nous avons pris un taxi pour se rendre et nous etio...

After our day at Machu Picchu, we went to check in at our hostel. When we were shown to the room reserved for us, there was gooey white stuff dripping from the ceiling and onto the bedspread. Mark got some on his leg and determined it was glue. Good to know they were working on the building's integrity. I called the hostel assistant back, saying...

Today was a long day but so much fun!! Bram and I were picked up at 8:30AM and were part of a 30 person tour to the Sacred Valley. The drive all day long was so scenic with mountains all the way. Sometimes we drove up them and sometimes down them. Our first couple of stops were along the side of the road on some mountains that overlooked the va...

We spent the day at The Sacred Valley of the Incas. Here we visited Pisac and Ollantaytambo, to get a taste of Inca culture and practice some hiking for the Inca Trail. We first stopped at a woman co-operative to see how they spin, dye and then transform alpaca wool into many different crafts. The men work on the Inca Trail. Pisac - The highligh...

Pro: 3rd hiker to arrive at the front gate of Machu Picchu. It was a race to the finish. Even though we couldnīt make out anything with the fog at 6am, I was feeling like a champ! Con: 2 days of the runs while trekking from some kind of food poisoning maybe. No worries, CIPRON is a miracle pill!! Amazing views everywhere in the Sacred Valley, th...

"Now you are pumas. What is your name?" "Martin." "No, now you are puma." Our guide turns to another member of the group. "What is your name?" "Puma." Thus began our trek at km 82, the beginning of the famed Inca Trail. We had had a relatively calm morning. Our bus was supposed to arrive between 6 and 6:45 a.m. It actually came at 7, and then we...

I really didn't know what to expect from Peruvian food, and have been pleasantly surprised.  They grow over 1000 different species of potatoes, some sweet, some creamy, some yellow, some just plain old starchy.  Each grows best at a different altitude / climate zone.  There are also multiple kinds of corn, squash, and beans, as well as a grain c...

Fiona We left Cusco and set off for the Sacred Valley, but first stopped at a little village where Gap, our tour company, sponsored a weaving project for the women of the village (the men were all porters for Gap's trips up the Inka Trail). It was interesting to see how they spun the alpaca wool, dyed it and then wove it. Of course, I got roped ...

The Sacred Valley and the ruins in and around were always impressive. One time my passenger rented a motorcycle and invited me to hop on the back of it. We drove around the ruins we didn't normally visit and I got to see things I normally wouldn't, even with my crazy job. We usually stop by Pisac and Ollantaytambo, disregarding all the other rui...