Peru
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10 things to know before your visit to Machu Picchu [update 2020]
Guide updated in May 2020 1. Mountain sickness I think that 100% of the visitors of Machu Picchu must pass first by Cusco before going to Machu Picchu. Cusco is at 3 400m of altitude, so if you come from Lima (or any place < 2500m of altitude), you risk to have the mountain sickness ( soroche). Allow 1-2 days of acclimatization in Cusco. Even if Machu Picchu is only at 2500m, the route Cusco – Machu Picchu will pass by places higher than 3800m, which is starting to do a lot 🙂 To remedy this, chew coca leaves (all hotels and hostals in Cusco will provide you with free…
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[Rates 2020] How to go to Machu Picchu without having to trek, walk, get tired
Article & Rates updated in May 2020 To join Machu Picchu from Cusco is really the course of the fighter. There is no direct way where one can simply go up in a bus, make a small nap then to wake up just in front of the entrance of the ruins while saying “Oh! we already arrived!”. Moreover, many agencies, intermediaries, various options which are offered to us in Cusco do not arrange the things. Too much information kills information! Before coming here, I believed that only the Inca Trail of 4 days led to Machu Picchu. And then, I was told about a 2h walk along the rails then…
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5 months in South America & Cuba: Itinerary & Transportation (Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Cuba)
Update May 2017: Here is the latest version of our itinerary in South America, Cuba & the Caribbean. All that lasted 5 months… I found transportation a bit complicated to understand in South America, some border crossings are recently impossible (especially Los Antiguos – Chile Chico), I had to tear out a lot of hair to establish this itinerary. There are many land border crossings, especially between Chile and Argentina, make sure you have enough blank pages in your passport. Click on the button at the top left of the map below to access the list of destinations. CHILE Easter Island(round-the-world ticket) Santiago (round-the-world ticket) Punta Arenas (plane 160€/person) ARGENTINA…
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12 days in Peru: Itinerary, budget, guide, advice
There are two places in Peru that we wanted to visit absolutely: Machu Picchu and the lake Titicaca on the Peruvian side. Because of the lack of time, we did not devote the time that it was necessary to visit the surroundings of these two zones. Itinerary Cusco (3 days) : night bus from Copacabana (Bolivia). Rest and visit of the Sacred Valley with an agency Machu Picchu (3 days) : train from Ollantaytambo and two nights in Aguas Calientes Cusco (2 days) : rest, visit of Rainbow Mountain Puno (2 days): night bus from Cusco. Rest. Lake Titicaca: Visit of Uros Island, Floating Islands and Taquile Island Back to…
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Puno and Lake Titicaca (Peru): visit of the floating islands Uros & Taquile
This is the second time we visit Lake Titicaca (see our article on the Bolivian side here), but this time we are interested in its Peruvian side. Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary Route Cusco – Puno The day before we bought bus tickets to Puno in a travel agency. This one told us that the tickets would be given to us at 7pm. We had to wait until 8 pm and threatened to cancel our reservation so that they would be delivered to us at 8 pm. Surprise: the bus does not leave at 10:30 pm as we had been told, but at…
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Vinicunca (Peru): Discovering Rainbow Mountain
After Machu Picchu, the discovery of the Rainbow Mountain is the excursion the most put forward by the travel agencies in Cusco The “rainbow mountains” or “montagne arc en ciel” or “montañas de colores” are spectacular mountains that seem to be covered with paintings of 7 different colors. This work is 100% natural and has been made over the millennia. The red results from iron oxide, the green from copper sulfate, the yellow from sulfur, .. Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary The tour is fairly standardized regardless of the agency chosen and includes The pickup at your hotel at 3am Transport to Vinicunca…
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Cusco (Peru): the navel of the world
That day, the sky looked like a shining mirror and Viracocha invited all the stars to follow him to the shores of Lake Titicaca to witness the creation of the world. At his request, the Moon (qilla) rose from the waves, followed by the Sun (inti) and the stars (wara). “O Pachamama (mother earth), bring forth from your sacred womb man and woman, in homage to Pachacamac, the Guardian of the world,” cried the Sun. From the frothy water were born Manco Cápac, a golden stick in his hand, and his sister-wife Mama Ocllo, the first two Incas. They walked northwestward to the place where the stick sank all…
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Machu Picchu (Peru): one of the 7 new wonders of the world
This article is a travel notebook, for practical advice, consult our guide (updated in July 2018): 10 things to know before visiting Machu Picchu Of the New Seven Wonders of the World, I visited the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China. Today, it is the turn of Machu Picchu Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary The general excitement at the hotel starts at 4:00 am, people start running down the stairs, getting ready, breakfast. Without wanting to wake me up so early, all these noises wake me up anyway. A small check by the window confirms me that it is better,…
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Aguas Calientes (Peru): at the doors of Machu Picchu
Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo, is the closest village to the ruins of Machu Picchu. Every day, this small village nestled in the valley welcomes thousands of tourists, who come here with one goal: to conquer Machu Picchu. Part 1: Travel Diary Part2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary Ollantaytambo Today is the big day, we must be in Aguas Calientes to visit Machu Picchu the next day.We decide to leave with only one backpack, leaving the other to our hostal in Cusco. We have to be at the Ollantaytambo train station at 12 o’clock, but as we travel by colectivo, we add a little margin and…
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Opinions on Bolivia Hop: bus hop-on hop-off in Bolivia and Peru
In Bolivia, the quality of the bus is proportional to the price. So, if you want a good, comfortable and safe bus, you have to put the price. Most of the time, it’s just 2-3€ more. It isn’t much for you, but it is huge for Bolivians (it represents 2 meals) Even if we took local buses to get around Bolivia, there are two places that don’t reassure us much: The bus terminal in La Paz and the crossing of the Bolivia-Peru border La Paz and its bus terminal aren’t the most welcoming; and the crossing of the Bolivia-Peru border is a source of problems (corrupt police officers, pickpockets, buses…