This is part 2 of our two-part series of posts about exactly which locations will be affected by this initiative. Read part 1 to see the 5 locations to be receiving the largest shares of support.

6. Lake Titicaca, Puno – US$ 14.5 million

Lake Titicaca is the highest navigatable lake in the world and with that comes a unique culture. The lake straddles the border of Peru and Bolivia where the original Copacabana lies. Puno on the Peruvian side is where travelers go to get a feel for the lake region and its people. From boat rides to floating islands made of reeds to various museums and galleries in the town of Puno itself, this is a very distinctive break from the mountains, jungles, and deserts of the rest of Peru. The investments in this area should help develop these opportunities even more.

The floating reed islands of Puno on Lake Titicaca are some of the most unique accomodations to visit or even experience during your trip to Peru.

7. Northern beaches of Piura and Tumbes – US$ 6.6 million

If sun and splash is your idea of fun, the sandy beaches of Punta Sal, Organos, Colán, Máncora, Cabo Blanco, Zorritos, and countless others between the cities of Piura and Tubes are perfect stops for your Peru vacation. The wild waves of the Peruvian Pacific draw some of the best surfers from around the world. The water shines cerulean blue all year and the rays never relent. It’s no wonder the government wants to show this area off!

8. Cusco – US$ 6.4 million

In addition to the lure of nearby Machu Picchu, Cusco has its fair share of things to boast about too.  Cusco is regarded as the oldest city on the continent and the capital of the legendary Inca Empire. In just 20 years, the population has boomed triple fold as a result of both tourism and natural growth. The San Blas neighborhood offers a bit of hippie flavor in contrast to the touristy kitsch on main roads. Then the glorious beauty of the city’s Cathedral and Plaza de Armas will leave you speechless, especially at night when illuminated with golden lamps. Sure, enough money flows into Cusco every day, but the new government investments will be put to good use.

The Cathedral of Santo Domingo in Cusco's historic center is one of the most iconic symbols of the colonial city.

9. Arequipa – US$ 4.8 million

Arequipa is Peru’s second most populated city and is dominated by Volcano Misti in its background. A number of markets, cathedrals, and other remnants from eras gone by are available for exploration. These sights are some of the most beautiful in the country because the White City, nickname Arequipa received because of its white buildings made of volcanic stone, is considered the epitome of mixed Spanish colonial and indigenous culture. Many visitors also come to check out the Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world. Condors flying around in the open skies are quite magnificent to witness, and investments hope to bring more people to see them.

Volcano Misti loom over the Arequipan landscape in this glorious landscape of southern Peru.

Thousands of feet trudge along an icy path more than 15,000 feet (4,700 meters) above sea level. Frosty clouds puff in front of the faces of indigenous women wearing brightly colored cloaks and decorative hats. They carry bundles of provisions wrapped in striped blankets expertly hooked over their shoulders, and lean forward with the effort.

This isn’t a forced march, it is a celebration. It is Qoyllur Riti.

Qoyllur Riti is a massive indigenous pilgrimage that takes place in June roughly 105 miles from Cusco. A 4-hour bus ride gets you to the isolated Andean town of Mahuayani, where the real journey begins. From here, participants begin their 5 mile trek to the Sinankara Valley and then to the glacier at the foot of Mountain Ausangate. Freezing temperature and punishing altitudes make the trip all the more difficult.

Origins of Qoyllur Riti

Qoyllur Riti originated as an indigenous pilgrimage to honor mountain spirits, known locally as apus. Dating back to pre-Colombian times, the veneration of apus has long been an important part of Andean life. Regional belief attributes factors such as storms and rock slides to angry apus, while good weather and nourishing mountain streams are seen as gifts from happy apus. Mountains are also believed to be the home of the Gods, and the birthplace of mankind.

Peru is famous for its stepped terraced agriculture—agronomic experiments specifically designed to create multiple microclimates. This ingenuity allowed pre-Colombian cultures to produce enough food to grow into permanent and powerful civilizations. These crops were able to thrive thanks to irrigation systems supported by glacier runoff from Peru’s 18 mountain glaciers. Today, this is still primarily how Peruvians irrigate their fields, and correspondingly, locals continue to thank the mountains for nourishing the land.

However, like most Peruvian traditions, Qoyllur Riti is now a mix of indigenous and Catholic heritage. In the 1780s, the local church supported the notion that Christ appeared to a local shepherd boy. This encounter left an imprint of Christ on a stone, which is now apparently stored in the mountain sanctuary. Since then, the festival has carried a strong, perhaps primary, Catholic influence, with decorated crosses paraded up the mountain accompanied by priests.

Modern Day Qoyllur Riti

Unlike many traditional Peruvian celebrations, Qoyllur Riti has maintained a sense of authenticity, largely due the event’s isolated location. Though tourists are becoming more common, Qoyllur Riti retains its spiritual emphasis. For example, alcohol is banned from the event and vendors are discouraged.

During this high altitude excursion, tens of thousands of people set up temporary camp on the mountainside and spend hours waiting in line to enter the small church to submit their offerings. There is also traditional dancing and performances by ukukus, men dressed in bear costumes who play an important role in Qoyllur Riti celebrations. Another activity is the use of fake money to buy fake property and goods—this symbolizes prosperity for the upcoming year.

In addition to entering the church, the goal of many seekers is to touch the sacred snow (or, holy water). Traditionally, selected locals would hack off a piece of the glacier and carry it back to their respective villages, to symbolize the gift of abundant water for the upcoming years. All pilgrims would touch the foot of the glacier, believed to have magical and healing powers.

Future of Qoyllur Riti

Sadly, global warming is forcing changes to the festival. The trek to the foot of the glacier gets longer each year because the mass of ice keeps receding, and taking ice from the glacier is now discouraged. According to the Peruvian Environmental Ministry, Peru has lost 22% of its glaciers in the past 35 years. Currently, Peru is home to 70% of the world’s tropical glaciers.

It is possible that in the coming decades, Qoyllur Riti will be lost not due to cultural shifts, but simply because the sacred glacier, the focal point of the celebration, is gone.

For more information about Cusco festivals or to book a trip to Cusco, contact one of our expert travel advisers.

Sound interesting?

If you’re heading to Peru next month, you’re in luck. The biggest traditional celebration in Peru takes place in Cusco on June 24, and festivities last for days. During this time, thousands of Peruvians and visitors take to the streets for dancing, music, and cultural reenactments, making it the perfect time for those interested in Peruvian history and traditional culture to schedule their Cusco tour.

The celebration, Inti Raymi, dates back to when the Incas ruled Peru. The festival is a massive religious homage to the Inca Sun God held during the Inca winter solstice, when the sun is furthest from Earth. The celebration was in part a plea for the god to not abandon his sons the Incas, but to return and continue to nourish the crops, and therefore maintain the dominance of the Inca civilization.

According to historical documents, the festival lasted for 9 days and was the most important of Inca celebrations. Members of the Inca nobility and army carried out lavish processions, detailed rituals, and gifted feast offerings. Llamas were sacrificed. Faces were painted. Important people paraded through the street. It was quite the affair.

This all ended with the arrival of the Spaniards. Viewed as a pagan festival that detracted from Spanish authority and contradicted the Catholic faith, Viceroy Francisco de Toledo banned Inti Raymi in 1572. And, like many of the Inca temples buried beneath new Spanish churches and monuments, the celebration of Inti Raymi went underground.

Not until centuries later would Inti Raymi officially reemerge when, in 1944, the American Institute of Art in Cusco reinstated the festival with massive reenactments performed by local actors. The event grew in size and popularity over the years, and in 2001 the Peruvian Congress formally recognized the festival as part of the Cultural Heritage of the Nation.

Today, the event brings history to life and perfectly complements a Sacred Valley tour or trip to Machu Picchu for those lucky enough to be in town at the right time. Over 500 actors, dancers, and musicians follow a set script, based on historical accounts from Garcilaso de la Vega, compiler and author of the most detailed known records of Inca civilization.

Events begin early in the morning at the Plaza de Armas (the main square) and the ceremony starts with a call for blessing from the sun at the Santo Domingo church and the temple Koricancha. A procession of robed actors carrying an emulation of the Sapa Inca, ruler of the Inca kingdom, on an ornate throne then winds through town toward Sacsayhuaman, a massive Inca fortress on the outskirts of Cusco. 

This celebration lasts all day, so visitors should come prepared for a day full of music, dancing, history, and brightly-colored crowds.

For more information about Inti Raymi celebrations or to book your trip to Cusco and the Sacred Valley, contact one of our travel advisers.

Farmers in Peru are currently in the process of sending 1,500 varieties of the vegetable to a “doomsday vault” in the Arctic Circle in order to safeguard the future of the potato. Samples will be stored inside a vault within a mountain, to protect the crop against natural and human disasters. In this way, Peruvians hope to guarantee the availability of potato diversity for future generations. The first stage of the three-year project involves training papa arariwas (conservation farmers) in pollination techniques to produce botanical potato seeds. These seeds will be dried, cleaned, and then packaged in foil packages to preserve them in long-term cold storage conditions.

An Andean farmer displaying a few varieties of potatoes

The seed samples being sent to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault will be provided by Parque de la Papa (Cusco Potato Park). This unique park in the beautiful Andean city near Machu Picchu covers more than 24,710 acres (10,000 hectares) and was organized by six indigenous communities to defend food security in the region. Featuring every imaginable shape, size, and color potatoes, the park protects a crucial part of the regional culture. Parque de la Papa has attracted plant breeders from all over the world, who come to Cusco searching for traits such as disease resistance, flavor, or nutritional properties for their own crops. However, in recent days, the park’s “potato guardians” collective has feared that climate change may harm the crops.

One of the varieties that will be stored in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is known as the “bride’s potato.” Its unusual name dates back to Incan times, when a bride was expected to peel this potato to prove that she had the necessary skills to be a good wife. Other strands of potato have particular nutritional value, like the red moro boli, which is high in antioxidants, while potatoes, like the ttalaco, a long, banana-shaped tuber, can be distilled and turned into a potato alcohol.

On average, indigenous residents of the Cusco Potato Park consume 4.4 pounds of potatoes per day, or more than 1,600 pounds annual. Compare that to the average American, who eats a mere 131 pounds per year (yes, including French fries and potato chips). You can enjoy a few pounds at the eco-park’s all-organic restaurant, Papamanka, meaning potato pot, which is housed in a new building with a large open kitchen, wood stove, and wooden counter where purple, white, black, and yellow potatoes are on display in ceramic dishes. Run by a women’s association aiming to preserve traditions and recipes, the restaurant serves delicious dishes like cream of corn soup made with huancatay (a local herb sometimes called black mint), grilled alpaca meat, and potato pudding made from potatoes, milk, sugar, and mint. The women continue to demonstrate a deep respect for their crops. For example, cutting a potato without eating it is viewed as an insult to pachamama (Mother Earth) that will bring bad luck.

Purple Peruvian potatoes

The farming practices in Peru are intertwined with deep cultural rituals and traditions. Each potato, it seems, had its own special or ceremonial use during Incan times. There were specific potatoes to eat at baptisms, weddings, funerals, and other events. Potatoes are both a cultural and biological legacy. Some have compared sending the seeds to Svalbard with sending family members to distant place for safekeeping, in case it becomes necessary to be saved by them in the future. This sort of potato passion can be observed during the annual harvest in Aymara each year, which celebrates their prized crop with carnival floats, colorful costumes, traditional dance and music, and shouts of “la papa es Peruana,” meaning “the potato is Peruvian!”

To understand the zeal for Peru’s potatoes, taste one during a Peru vacation by contacting one our knowledgeable travel advisors.

Step 1. Let us assume that by bus, rail, or plane you’ve successfully arrived in Cusco, home of the historical Incan Empire. Good job! After you refresh yourself with a tasty pisco sour in the bustling Plaza de Armas, it is time to head to the train. It would be nice if the train station was located in town, or in walking distance of town, but it is not. The Poroy train station is located eight-miles west of Cusco, or about a 20 minute ride. To get to the station you can take a taxi or a small local bus—your hotel can help you with this. Hint: The bus is less expensive.

Step 2. Once you are at the station, you need to decide what class of ticket you want to buy. Here are the three types in order of cheapest to most expensive: Expedition, Vistadome, and Hiram Bingham. Please note that if you are traveling during high season, you should buy the tickets well in advance, as they often sell out. Tickets can be purchased online at www.perurail.com. If you fail to heed this advice and discover there are no tickets for the day of your planned Machu Picchu adventure, do not despair: you can take a bus to the town of Ollantaytambo (located between Cusco and Machu Picchu), and take a train from there to Machu Picchu.

Train to Machu Picchu. by: Vishanu Bhoja 2010

You should be aware that unlike airplanes, in which all classes travel in the same vehicle, the Cusco-Machu Picchu train has three different types of trains for the three different classes. Therefore, departure times depend on what type of ticket you purchase. As of February 2011, Vistadome leaves the station earliest, right before 7 a.m., giving those who pay the extra 30 soles for first class a head start to the ruins. Expedition leaves around 7:40 a.m., and Hiram Bingham leaves leisurely a little after 9 a.m.

In addition to ticket price, there are slight differences among the trains. Expedition class takes a standard train with seats that face each other and snacks for purchase onboard. Vistadome offers similar service, though the train has panoramic windows, windows on the ceiling, leather forward-facing seats, and complimentary snacks. Then, for all you classy travelers, there is the Hiram Bingham. You’ll feel like you’re in a moving five-star hotel on this train. This is full-service trip with meals served onboard (there are two dining cars) and your train ticket includes a bus ticket to the top of Machu Picchu, the entrance ticket, a guided tour of the site, and afternoon tea at the Machu Picchu lodge.

Step 3. It is important to remember that the train does not actually take you to the Machu Picchu ruin site. It takes you to the small town of Machu Picchu Pueblo, also called Aguas Calientes (just to make things confusing) and the only way to get here is by foot or train. The renowned Machu Picchu site sits teasingly about five miles further on. But take a deep breath, because now you’re almost there. After you exit the train at the last stop you have two options: hike up the steep path that runs near the road (a one-to-two hour journey) or buy a rather costly bus ticket for the 20-minute ride up to Machu Picchu’s entrance. Buses leave every 30 minutes.

Step 4. Congratulations! You’ve made it to Machu Picchu, one of the 7 New Wonders of the World. Now is the time to forget your travel-induced stress; you’re standing in front of one of the most remarkable architectural and historical sites in the world. It is time to finally enter—if, that is, you remembered to buy your Machu Picchu entrance ticket at the Instituto Nacional de Cultura in Cusco or Aguas Calientes. Otherwise, you have a long trip back down. There is no ticket booth at the site.

For more information about how to travel to Machu Picchu and to learn about more Peru travel opportunities contact one of our travel advisors at Peru For Less.

Courtyard of the luxurious Hotel Monasterio

A mere 10 minute drive from the Cusco airport and only a short walk from Plaza De Armas, Cusco’s main square, the beautiful and luxurious Hotel Monasterio boasts an ideal location. The beautiful building, former colonial San Antonio Abad seminary in the 17^th century, and built in the classic Andean Baroque architecture, dates back to 1592. Recently converted into a hotel, this delightful retreat retains its centuries-old charisma.  As much of a museum as a hotel, Hotel Monasterio has an opulent golden chapel, which contains an altar and “retables” covered in gold leaf and paintings for the 18^th century Cusqueña School.

Despite the unique historical atmosphere, this modern five-star hotel provides the comfort, quality, and reliability that guests cherish. The rooms are impeccably decorated with both colonial and modern styles. No two rooms are alike and they all vary in size and format. Treat yourself to one of the two luxurious two-story suites, or enjoy the other 109 beautifully appointed guest rooms.

There are four well-maintained courtyards on the property which are surrounded by lovely gardens and fountains. Look up at the night’s sky to view the stars, while listening to sweet sounds from the fountain and you will be at peace in this elegant courtyard. Two of the courtyards are utilized as fine dining restaurants.

If exploring the Sacred Valley area has you worn out and aching, consider treating yourself to a massage at Hotel Monasterio. Specialists at the hotel combine ancient Andean healing techniques with oriental influences on relaxation. They have a wide variety of massages including ones especially for “adventurers and hikers.”

Another historic Cusco hotel is the elegant Hotel Novotel, which was built around an early 16^th-century house. This Cusco beauty, opened by the French Novotel chain in 2001, displays works of art from the XVII century, and is decorated in the style of the epoch dating back to the Spanish conquistador Pizarro. The hotel features 99 elegant rooms, including 16 suites, and boasts German, English, Spanish, and Portuguese speaking staff. Novotel also offers a garden-side restaurant, The Cote Jardin, where you can enjoy delicious French fare as well as traditional Peruvian gastronomy. Enjoy lazing in the comfortable rooms and the beautiful XVII century patio surrounded by arches.

Guestroom in La Casona

If you would like to be taken back in time and stay where various Spanish Conquistadors have in the past, La Casona is another great luxury lodging option in Cusco. Originally built between 1585 and 1700, this beautiful hotel has undergone various remodeling over the centuries before being declared a Historic Monument by the INC (Instituto Nacional de Cultura – National Institute of Culture). It is a beautiful building, featuring gorgeous stone foundations and archways, rich dark wood trimmings, polished wooden and tiled floors, and colorful murals on clean white walls. Each of the hotel’s suites is complete with a large stone fireplace, individually controlled heated floors, housekeeping service 3 times daily, and a dining area for two. Guests will surely feel as pampered and privileged as the original owners.

For more information about what to do in Cusco and to learn about more Peru travel opportunities, contact one of our travel advisors at Peru For Less.

The Inca Trail Cuzco to Machu Picchu is one of the most well-known, and well-trod, paths in the world.

The Inca Trail once ran from Cuzco to the exclusive religious citadel of Machu Picchu, roughly 100 kilometers of well-preserved trail that the mighty Incas Empire used centuries ago.

Lush greenery is a common sight along the Inca Trail Cuzco to Machu Picchu

Now, the Inca Trail Trek from Cuzco is rarely walked completely. The vast majority of trekkers start at Piscacucho, KM82 on the train line from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu, nearly half-way  through the Sacred Valley.

Inca Trail trekkers sign up in Cuzco with a tour agency, which then organizes bus transport to Piscacucho. It is manadory that you go with an INC registered tour group.

It is also mandatory that you obtain an Inca Trail permit. These permits sell out months in advance, especially for the high-season months June-August, so it is advised to book well in advance. The Inca Trail permit is necessary for both The Two Day Inca Trail and The Four Day Inca Trail treks. The numbers allowed on the Inca Trail is now limited to only 500 people per day.

What is today known as “The Inca Trail” is actually only one of many Inca trails that spans the Andean Inca Empire, which was at its height in the 15^th century when the Spanish conquistadors landed.

The Incas’s advanced and well-maintained road system was one of the reasons that the Tupac Inca Empire was able to spread out from Cusco as far north as Ecuador, and as far south as Chile and Argentina. The Inca trail network expedited goods and correspondence, and rest stops and guard posts were placed strategically along the way.

The Spanish also used the network extensively. The Inca outposts, towns, and cities within direct access of the Inca Trail were the ones most easily conquered. In a sense, the extensive network leading to the key Inca outposts of the Empire was part of its downfall.

However, Machu Picchu, the spectacular citadel high atop the Andes, was spared Spanish colonialization.

Walking the Inca Trail is one of the best experiences you can have in Peru. You arrive at the spectacular Sun Gate, the entrance to the mind-blowing Machu Picchu, at 5:30am, before all the crowds and just as the sun rises.

Until my first visit I always thought Machu Picchu was over-rated, but there is something special about the place. It’s calmness and setting are unique. It´s incredible to think that a civilization that did not even use the wheel was able to build such a city in a place that modern man still struggles to reach.

One top of the mountain, you feel separated from the world below and you are surrounded by great peaks that shoot up from he valley’s ground, with snow capped mountains peaking through in the distance.

I have visited the pyramids and tombs of Egypt and this place compares without any doubt as one of the great wonders of the world.

If you are interested in an Inca Trail Trek or a Cusco to Machu Picchu tour, check out this popular tour, Peru Packages: Heart of the Inca.

It was my first trip to the town of Cusco and then Machu Picchu. I was embarking on the most well known trip in Peru and probably South America: to Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Cusco, Tambomachay, Saqsaywaman, and Qorikancha

As I left my hotel I shared the street with a flock of llamas that were being herded through the city by a local woman in traditional dress.

The city of Cusco, particularly the center has been architecturally unchanged for centuries. I immediately walked to the central Plaza de Armas. The Plaza is surrounded by grand cathedrals and churches.

The streets of Cusco

I made my way to the bus station for buses to Pisac. From here you can take buses to the sites to the North of Cuzco. For 1.50 soles I hopped aboard a bus going to the Inca sites around Tambomachay.

Travelling by combi-bus in Lima is interesting enough, but in Cusco, it is like another world. After leaving the bus station, at the first stop it filled with locals making their way to Pisac after a day working in Cusco.

The bus was suddenly packed with Quechua speaking ladies in bright colorful clothes along with their days shopping attached to their backs in the traditional Cuscenian way.

Luckily the ladies also did speak Spanish, and they kindly directed me when to leave the bus to see the ruins at Tambomachay.

It is thought Tambomachay was a place for the Incan elite to escape the city and relax with some royal spa treatment. It was here that I found a guide for the day.

Initially adamant that I would do it alone with my guide book, a young Spanish speaking guide, Luis, offered to give me a personal tour around all the sites for 20 soles, a real bargain considering I didn’t know where I was going.

From Tambomachay we crossed the road to the site of Pukapukara. It was thought that this site was used as a fortress or guard post. It was here I learned how the Inca’s communicated over long distances.

The Incas used a quipu rope-knot system for correspondence, but forts were within direct line of sight so they could also use a code by reflecting light off shiny objects, sometimes gold or silver.

My guide and I then took a combi-bus down to the site of Q’enqo (pronounced as Kenco). Luis told me that ritual sacrifices and the preparation of bodies for burial may have taken place here. At the top of the site is a huge rock that was probably used for ceremonies.

The final ruin of the day was the site of Saqsaywaman. This is the site of the famous Inti Raymi festival and is one of the grandest sites. The site was razed by the Spanish to build the Cathedral and homes for the conquistadors.

Rocks of Saqsaywaman

Saqsaywaman was the site of one of the fiercest battles between the Incas and the Spanish.

My guide took me around the site including a trip through the pitch black tunnel through to the temple of the Moon. The craftsmanship and the design are impressive. As a bonus too, the site is 2km above Cusco so you have fantastic panoramic views over the whole city.

The following day I woke up early and went to explore the remaining museums and sites in Cuzco. The highlight was a trip to Qorikancha, a temple with walls that were once gilded in gold. The site was change into a convent by the Spanish. Now it is a museum that shows some impressive Inca stonework and fantastic works of art from the Cuzco School of Art.

I went by local bus to Ollantaytambo where I would catch the train to Aguas Calientes. I sat next to an older gentleman that fell asleep on my shoulder as we wound through the mountain roads. Changing bus at Urubamba I then found a smaller combi-bus to take to Ollantaytambo.

Ollantaytambo

On arriving into the Plaza de Armas in Ollantaytambo, you are greeted by a small town that is now a key transit hub for people going to Machu Picchu.

The town is also one of the oldest continually inhabited towns in Peru, with many of the streets still exactly as they have been for centuries. The original water canals from the irrigation system of the Incas still exist – making the town very pleasant.

I walked up to the ruins before I made my way to the train station. They were very impressive, but with a night booked to stay in the town after Machu Picchu, I walked on to give me something to do later on.

Ruins of Ollantaytambo

Due to the mud slides a few months back, the train to Machu Picchu does not actually run from Ollantaytambo, so travelers go by bus from the station to the station at Piscacucho.  This will change in July though when the new tracks open. The bus journey wasn’t particularly pleasant, but there is no alternative to get to Aguas Calientes without a number of buses and a hike that would probably take a day to complete.

Aguas Calientes is a pleasant enough town. It hasn’t got much to offer, and like all towns on the route from Cuzco, they are primarily transit hubs for Machu Picchu. The surrounding mountains and the river through the middle of the town add some gloss.

Obsessed with making sure I got to climb Huanya Picchu (the big peak behind Machu Picchu), I had a quick dinner and early night so I could wake at 3.30am to make the trek up to the entrance gates at Machu Picchu for 5.30am.

After walking under the clear starry night sky for about 25 minutes I arrived at the base of the road hill to Machu Picchu. It was here that my lack on planning came to haunt me, as it is not possible to access the route without already having a Machu Picchu entrance ticket.

Tickets can only be bought at the office in Aguas Calientes or Cuzco. With the office opening at 5am I made the dash back to Aguas. By this time though, the queue for buses to the entrance gates was huge!

After riding the winding hill up to the entrance gates of Machu Picchu, and then queuing again to get in, I thought my hopes of walking that extra peak were over. Luckily though, on entrance to Machu Picchu there was just enough space to allow me to do the trail!

Machu Picchu is a calming break to the tourist hustle and bustle of Aguas Calientes.

There are very few words I can use to describe the initial experience upon entering Machu Picchu. It is just an astonishing place. There is something special about its calmness and remoteness that makes you feel incredibly privileged.

The calm of Machu Picchu

As I walked quickly towards the entrance gate to Huanya Picchu, the sun was breaking over the mountains surrounding the citadel, with the clouds sitting below the eye line. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I got goose pimples from the sheer serenity of the situation.

You can understand why the Incas would have constructed this place here, in honor of their gods that had placed them at the centre of their known world.

The walk up to the top of Huanya Picchu was short, but high; so many steps at high altitude took my breath away. At each stop as I turned around to see the citadel behind, I was struck even more by its beauty. At the climax of Huanya Picchu I took solitude on a rock overlooking the ruins of Machu Picchu to just ponder.

The climb and the early start had been immensely worth it.

Machu Picchu from Huana Picchu

The descent down took me back to Machu Picchu. Here I found a quite spot away from the crowds to relax and have a snooze before I went to explore the citadel. The long morning was catching up with me.

Walking around Machu Picchu, you develop a deeper appreciation of the place. To imagine the Inca’s constructing this place in such a previously remote place is baffling and a testament to the abilities of the Inca Empire. The stone masonry, the construction and the design is nothing less than beautiful.

I had the night back in Ollantaytambo, waking to go and explore the impressive fortress at Ollantaytambo. The town was also the last stronghold of the Inca’s, and the imposing ruins that are still very much intact are a testament to this.

Me being an Englishman in Peru, in need of a television to watch the England World Cup match, I embarked on a small trail of my own to find a place. In Ollantaytambo I was not too hopeful. Luckily, a local resident invited me into his home to watch the England vs. USA game with him and his family.

A perfect end to a perfect holiday, showing the best of what Peru has to offer, great people with a great past.

As I left I pondered the sheer diversity and variety of people and places in Peru, especially between the people of Lima and the people in the country.

This is a something special about this part of the world, and I left with a huge appreciation of the difficulties of Andean culture.