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What do you look for when you look for holiday accommodation? Location, safety, hot water, cleanliness, price, tourist activities?

Amaru Hostal II

This restored colonial house is located 5 blocks from the Plaza de Armas (Main Square), but be warned that the uphill walk back is strenuous while acclimatising. San Blas Plaza was an easy 10 min walk with a couple of really good restaurants and cafes. I liked the charm of the San Blas area even though website reviews said it was unsafe. We didn’t experience any problems and walked everywhere.

The staff were amazingly friendly and helpful, with nothing being too much hassle. Everyone in reception spoke English, there was free ‘mate de coca’ tea available and breakfast was included in the price. The lady serving breakfast only spoke Spanish. However, through charades we learnt new words and got a delicious breakfast of fruit with yoghurt, fresh bread with jam, eggs and orange juice. [Coffee and tea were also available.]

Because of our itinerary we stayed in 2 different rooms (experienced a total of four rooms between us) which were en-suites, clean, comfortable with plenty of hot water. The ground level rooms were smaller with either a double bed or twin beds and darker inside than the rooms on the top floor which were larger and lighter. There was an extra toilet near the sun room.

Please not that there is also a hotel called Amaru Hostal I which is part of the group but located in a different area. We never saw this hotel so cannot comment on it.

Amaru Valle Hotel

As the taxi twisted through the narrow streets of Urubamba my heart dropped. Finally we stopped in a tiny dirt road, outside huge solid gates where someone was patiently waiting for us. As I stepped inside the gates, my heart lifted. The gardens were beautiful, even more beautiful against the Andean mountain backdrop. The purpose built accommodation reminded me a bit of a Swiss ski villa, with beautiful golden wooden stair cases.

The staff were very welcoming, taking our bags, showing us around, sorting out drinks for us and introducing us to the dogs. They were quiet but passionate people, making us feel like we were ‘home’.

The hotel is located four blocks from Urubamba main square. However, we never visited it. After a full day of exploring, all we wanted to do was relax and soak up the evening atmosphere. Both evenings we ate in the hotel restaurant. The simple but tasty food was a mix of traditional and modern local cuisine. Food needs to be ordered before 6pm and is usually served at 7pm unless you have made other arrangements.

Two things to note:

• There are two big dogs. Both dogs are friendly; however, if you are scared of dogs you will need to let the manager know. Some reviews of this hotel mentioned neighbourhood dogs barking. We never experienced this – both evenings were quiet and peaceful.
• The second thing is the hotel is up a narrow, uneven dirt road that has no lighting, which means if you go out at night you will need a torch.

Decisions, decisions! Which hotel to stay at? What location is the best? Do you stay in one place the whole time or is it better to only book one night?

Amaru Hostal Group

After deciding on a rough itinerary I contacted a number of hotels to see if they could help me organise the trip. The Amaru Hostal Group came back with a proposed itinerary which was within our budget, was exactly what we wanted and they would do all the organising.

The advantages of booking through the Amaru Hostal Group:

• The cost to stay in both the Cusco and Sacred Valley hotels were the same price.
• Transport to Amaru Valle Hotel was organised through them as part of the Sacred Valley tour.
• They organised pick up, drop off, train tickets and tour guide for Machu Picchu.
• We only needed to travel with the minimum we needed for our two nights in the Sacred Valley – all our other items, bags and valuables were securely locked up in the Cusco Hotel safe.

Language barrier misunderstandings

I was unsure about booking onto a tour. I didn’t want to be shepherded around and be kept to someone else’s tight schedule. But because of our limited time available booking onto a tour seemed to be the most sensible thing to do.

My biggest lesson through this booking experience is to double check what is or isn’t included. Because of the language barrier it is easy for things to get lost in translation. For example I thought that because I had booked a tour that it included the return journey from Urubamba to Cusco. It turned out that, if after our guided tour of Machu Picchu we had travelled by train all the way back to Cusco inst ead of staying a second night in the Sacred Valley then the return journey would have been included. However, because we had opted to stay two nights in Urubamba we had to pay for our own transport back to Cusco.

In other words what I had booked:

• Day trip to Sacred Valley including lunch.
• Drop off in Urubamba and taxi pick up
• Two nights’ accommodation in Urubamba, Sacred Valley
• Taxi pick up and drop off at Ollantaytamba train station
• Entrance and tour of Machu Picchu
• Taxi pick up and drop off from Ollantaytamba train station to Urubamba

I needed to:

• Provide my own lunch for Machu Picchu (knew this)
• Provide my own transport back to Cusco

Once the staff at Amaru Valle (in Urubamba) realised that we had misunderstood, they organised everything for us. The manager even travelled with us to the bus depot to ensure that we got in the right vehicle and that the driver knew exactly where we needed to get off. He also organised with our destination hotel to have a taxi waiting for us at our bus stop in Cusco.

Booking through Amaru Hostal II took the hassle out of organising our own transport, making sure we were going to the right places and gave us the freedom to explore at our own pace. We were being looked after without being shepherded around on a hectic tour schedule. It was a satisfying combination of being independent and experiencing the best of the Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.

Read my review on Amaru Accommodation

Hidden in the Andean Mountains is this unique Inca city. Preserved under dense vegetation for about 500 visitors, protected by its remoteness from being destroyed, tourists can now experience this magical city with panoramic views. For me and my travel companions standing looking down at this old citadel was a dream come true. Because words cannot sufficiently describe the beauty I decided to try and show its beauty through photographs.

After a long climb up we are rewarded with our first views of the city.

Through the doorway and into the centre, surrounded by history.

Sitting in front of the women’s quaters.

The men’s quarters

Built at an angle to reduce dangers of an earthquake

Inside what would have been a meeting room.

Climbing aboard the backpackers train, I wandered if we had made a mistake. All the reviews I had read had said that it was crowded and uncomfortable. Yet here we were boarding a train that had skylights enabling the enjoyment of the mountain tops, two comfortable armchairs with a centre table and space to stand up or walk around in.

When we boarded the train we were experiencing torrential rain but as we passed from mountain valley to mountain valley the weather became brighter and sunnier. By the time we arrived at Machu Picchu we had beautiful weather.

Getting to entrance

On the platform were tour guides with various flag colours. Our last instructions before leaving the hotel were to find the tour guide with the green flag. Though the green flag turned out to be closer to yellow we still spotted our guide with ease. After gathering everyone belonging to this tour he introduced himself and his helper then divided us up into Spanish and English speakers. He would be leading the Spanish group and his helper would be delivering the tour to us in English.

While leading us through markets and shopping areas to the bus that would take us to the gate entrance, we were given the opportunity to buy last minute lunch items. The bus takes half an hour to wind its way to the top given us spectacular view of the mountains and valley.

Four hours till the next toilet!

At the entrance don’t miss the opportunity to go to the toilet, no matter how chaotic everything seems, even if you have to catch up, make sure you go because once you are through the gates there is no toilet till you return to the bus depot. And it does get chaotic with confirming your presence, filling in entrance cards, being given instructions on catching the bus back in order to make sure you catch the right train, off loading unnecessary equipment and bags before being led through the security check point.

Climbing Machu Picchu

I am not sure what I expected other than I knew it would be stunning, but my first glimpse of the Inca city took my breath away and I couldn’t help letting my jaw drop. I was stunned at their engineering ability; the sheer feat of building a city on a mountain top was incredible. And they couldn’t have chosen a more spectacular place. Everywhere I looked, every new corner, every new angle brought another involuntary ‘wow’ out my mouth. Half an hour into the guided walk I had run out of words to describe the beauty and was left only with the ability to absorb it and experience it. This was a unique experience forcing me to be present in the now instead of rushing to see what was next.

This was an amazing experience. Every time I thought it couldn’t get more spectacular, it did! On Machu Picchu time stands still giving you the opportunity to become completely absorbed in this world.

The only way to truly enjoy an Andean market is to let go of all inhibition, pre-conceived ideas and to take on a playful and explorative attitude. Walking round a market is interesting but visiting a Sacred Valley market can be so much more than ‘just interesting’; it can be engaging, memorable, a highlight, energising and special!

Chicha drink and traditional corn bread

Hidden away just off the main market area is a bakery selling a lot more than just bakery goodies. Through charades I found out that the black stuff in the barrel was Chicha – black corn drink. The owner of the barrel in his own take on charades explained that the best way to drink it was with lime juice. Game to give it a try, much to his giggling delight I experienced my first black corn drink and instantly fell in love with it. After that I wouldn’t drink anything else except Chicha!

While I was savouring the black corn drink the owner showed us how they roasted guinea pigs (which I couldn’t bring myself to try) and how they made traditional corn bread. Even though I am wary of eating street food, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try traditional bread. I figured that I saw them make it using reasonable hygiene precautions and it was baked in a hot oven! Chicha and traditional corn bread go really well together.

The silver jewellery shop

Wandering through the market street we found a silver shop. Escorted to the back of the workshop we were given a demonstration on how they make their silver jewellery. There was a team of 8 people each having their own speciality from spotting faulty silver to cutting and shaping the stones used to decorate the designs. The shop owner bubbled with enthusiasm and pride; showing us how to tell if something is real or fake silver in order to work out its true value.

Bargaining, appreciating and talking

Of course the market is also about buying souvenirs, fashionable items or presents for friends. I really enjoyed the whole process of bargaining with the sellers. I found it a subtle dance of two minds meeting, a graceful dance between what I was willing to pay and what they were willing to accpet. Often the negotiations were done through writing because of the language barrier. Yet somehow, even with a language barrier conversations would spark up. I found that more often than not even just stopping to admire something would start a conversation which would leave us both feeling good. Though they would have preferred to have their wares bought, they also enjoyed it when someone told them how beautiful it was and appreciated the hard work they had put into making it.

I seem to have got addicted to the markets, the people, the colours and the atmosphere. It is not often that I want to spend hours wandering around a market, but I found given a choice I wanted to be at the market. I wanted to be where the locals were buying their stuff, selling their stuff or sitting around in the sun.

As the bus came to a stop our tour leader explained that we were at a family run animal sanctuary rescuing animals from the black markets. This sanctuary was completely funded by the owner and donations. We were met by an enthusiastic owner whose passion for his animals, their safety and protection was oozing out every pore. Though he only spoke Spanish and we only spoke English, his enthusiasm and appreciation for the animals on his property rubbed off on us.

Beautiful Macaws

Slowly through an interpreter we heard his story. He is a retired biologist who has now dedicated himself to saving animals from the black market. One Macaw easily fetched a price of US$1000 and are third only to drugs and guns sold on the black market.  With sadness he explained that macaws (up to a 1000) would be stuffed into PVC piping and smuggled overseas. Only about 10% of these birds would survive the journey – but even 10% at US$1000, black market dealers felt this was worth the loss. Many of the Macaws rescued were released back into the wild, however those that were hurt, sick or had been mistreated in some way stayed as permanent guests on his property.

The largest flying birds: the Andean Condors

His favourite birds though were the condors. As he led us to the cage he explained that the condor was an important symbol for Shamans who believed in animal spirits living on the earth. The condor depicted heaven. Eagerly he led us into a cage housing three big, mighty birds with attitude and character whose entertainment for the day was making tourists duck as they swooped past us. Two of the three were rescued after being fed poison. It was taking time to work with local farmers on the value of condors and dealing with their fear of these birds. They are now seen as a pest trying to steal their livelihood.

Fashion conscious Dogs

Our guide taking a breather on an old chair, whistled for his four-legged companions. We gasped at these dogs. They were completely hairless except for their fashionable Mohawk fringes. These were the Peruvian Hairless Dogs, affectionate family pets but a little wary of us. I don’t blame them; I was probably as wary of them! While watching their antics the owner explained they have a body temperature of 40oC making them useful for those suffering from arthritis. (It took a while to figure out that because of the heat they generate, when they sleep on the bed with someone struggling with arthritis, their body heat helps alleviate stiffness caused by the cold weather.)

As a sanctuary their role was to rescue, rehabilitate and educate. This was an upward battle against black marketers desperate for income, black market buyers who had no respect or concept of the damage they were doing to the environment, farmers pushed to encroach on natural environment creating conflict between wild animals and producing an income. And they did this all with dedication, passion and no government funding. I really admired them!

Our taxi was ready and waiting at 8am sharp to take us to the Sacred Valley tour start point. At the bus depot our tickets were checked, our itinerary confirmed and our bags packed. Once we had received our lunch vouchers and claimed our seats the tour was ready to start. As the bus driver started the skilful art of manoeuvring his bus through the narrow and busy Cusco streets, our tour guide introduced herself in Spanish and then in English.

The entire trip would cover 170km, four major Inca settlements, markets and significant archaeological ruins. The highest point of the trip would reach 3800m above sea level before slowly winding down to the lowest point, Ollantaytambo at 2700m. Along the way our tour guide promised to introduce us to the Andean culture, the people, to traditions and myths as well as give us an insight into the Pre Inca culture.

Andean culture and traditions

All along the road were houses with two clay cows with a cross on top of the roofs. To the locals these sculptures are known as Torito de Pucará and they are considered lucky symbols that bring prosperity and fertility to the household. They are placed on the house when the house is first blessed before a newlywed couple move in. The bulls and the cross are a symbol of mixed religions. The bulls belong to the belief that Amaru, an ancient god appeared as a strong bull to help the people plough the soil and produce food to feed families. The cross comes from the Christian religion that many indigenous tribes adopted during the Spanish colonisation.

Even more intriguing were the red flags flying above certain houses. It turned out that if you are a black corn beer drinker then these flags are very important – they show you were you can buy ready black corn beer.

Women’s Project

Half an hour into our winding trip we stopped at a rural village market. Our enthusiastic guide explained that this market was part of a project to help keep the Andean traditions alive under the modern woman. With the economic pressures they found more and more women migrating to bigger towns to do odd jobs and the traditions and ancient knowledge on tending lands, farming, weaving all being lost. This project was aimed at helping women to earn an income while passing down their knowledge to the next generation.

The fragrance of the land, the colours of the market and the lively women besieged our senses. We knew we were in a market that catered to the tourists but we were also in a market that was run by very proud women from a very poor community. What really amazed me about these women is how friendly they were. They were so soft spoken, gentle and humble, yet so proud of their achievements.

Even though I could only speak three or four Spanish words, I really enjoyed engaging with these women and they left a permanent impression on me. What exactly impressed me about these women? I am not 100% sure but I think it was a combination of their attitude to life, their willingness to see the vibrant beauty that surrounded them and their love of life.

Mate de Coco

Medicine is medicine! Though sitting sipping my strangely sweet but bitter mate de Coca tea I did feel a little naughty. Naughty because unlike prescribed medicine I knew that the tea was freely available and I could have as much as I wanted.

To explain… Coca tea is a tisane made using the leaves of the Coca plant. This is the same plant that drug lords use to chemically produce cocaine. I am told that the amount of cocaine present in the leaves is small – 250g of coca leaves would be needed to make 1g of cocaine. And the process involved in dipping tea leaves in hot water is not equivalent to the chemical process required to produce cocaine. So if you are tempted to drink the coca tea, don’t worry about getting high or addicted! One thing to be aware of, is the coca leaves do contain stimulant alkaloids which means the tea does provide a stimulant similar to coffee.

The tea originates in the Andes mountain range and Peru is one of the places it is legal to drink it. It is sold as loose leaves or in tea bags. There is also an option to buy the decocainized version – this version of the tea is legal in the USA.

Coca tea’s place in Peruvian culture

Coca tea has a sacred place in Andean culture and has been used for about 4000 years in all aspects of their culture from child birth to celebrations to funerals. From ancient times the rituals involving coca tea have been considered sacred and have a great significance to the people involved. One of its medicinal uses is to alleviate altitude sickness. It is supposed to increase the absorption of oxygen into the blood.

I found the legends, myths and stories woven around the use of coca tea fascinating. It has a long history of love and persecution. The Andean cultures honoured it but the Spanish invaders persecuted it as a diabolical weed. The European colonizers identified it as an essential element of religious and medicinal rituals of the Andean people that kept these people strong, bonded and resistant to colonisation. The first adversaries tried to eliminate the plant under the pretext of ensuring the salvation of the local indigenous people.

Now days the adversaries of this plant want to eliminate it because of the recent (recent in relation to the 4000 year old story of the coca plant) invention of cocaine. Because some humans have found a way to chemically manipulate the plant to produce a substance that is addictive the whole plant and its place in traditional cultures needs to be abolished and destroyed.

Is Coca tea addictive?

Unlike caffeine, tannin and nicotine the traditional form of coca leaf consumption is neither harmful nor addictive. None of our hotel companions noted any side effects from drinking the tea, though most stated that two or three cups was their limit and then they wanted something stronger like coffee!

Sipping my tea on the last day I thought about the history, rituals, debates and eradication programs. I personally would like to see the end of cocaine abuse without depriving cultures of a plant that is sacred to them, a plant that plays a central part in their rituals and medicine.

Hangover, headache, flu, out of breath? Though these could signify that you might have partied a bit too hard the night before, if you are at an elevation of 2400m or higher it could also be symptoms of altitude sickness. Altitude sickness is your body’s reaction to the effect of reduced pressure of oxygen at high altitudes and usually occurs following rapid ascent.

Contributors to altitude sickness

Flying from Lima, Peru to Cusco is an example of rapid ascent. You are travelling from sea level to about 3400m above sea-level in one hour. This breaks all the rules that the medical brochures and travel doctors give on slow ascent! It is the reason why altitude sickness among tourists is so prevalent.

Dehydration may contribute to the onset of altitude sickness. Don’t underestimate how quickly you can become dehydrated at altitude! Just by exhaling at higher altitudes you will be increasing the rate of water vapour loss from your lungs. The answer is not to stop breathing but to ensure you increase your liquid intake.

For the first 24 hours after arriving in Cusco you will want to ignore all advice on physical exercise being good for you. Because of the rapid ascent into Cusco your body needs to acclimatise, which means you want to limit your physical exertion and increase your rest times. The fact that you will feel short of breath will help you slow down, but it is better to plan to spend the first day taking part in non strenuous activities such as sitting on the veranda of your hotel, admiring the beauty, sleeping or sipping tea.

Symptoms

Headaches and shortness of breath are usually the first two symptoms. Most people taking it easy and giving their body time to acclimatise will find that these symptoms ease. I personally had shortness of breath and a fast heart beat (tachycardia) which had completely disappeared by the next morning. Some of our hotel companions had headaches, diarrhoea, pins and needles and dizziness.  By following the advice given to us we all only experienced mild symptoms.

However, ignoring advice and exerting yourself physically by doing too much can result in a ruined holiday. In severe cases tourist have to be evacuated to lower altitudes to recuperate – if you are short on time in Cusco this could result in you completely missing out on your plans.

Cures

‘Mate de Coco’ is the number one cure. Whether this is true or a myth is still out for debate. Some people swear by it, others think it is nonsense. Personally I just enjoyed the experience of drinking tea made from coca leaves and this tea helped me keep hydrated. Does this tea make you high? None of our party had any side effects from drinking this tea!

There are also different medicines you can get from your travel doctor or from a pharmacist in Cusco that will deal with the side effects of altitude sickness. And if everything else fails you will have no choice but to descend to a lower level to acclimatise and reduce the symptoms.

Four days! Four days in a place that vibrates with beauty, tradition and culture. Four days to meet people, learn about their history, see the archaeological digs, visit markets and projects and experience Machu Picchu.

With the help of our hotel – Amaru Hostal II we planned our time in Cuzco to get a real taste of life in this region while still visiting some of the main tourist destinations.

Our Itinerary

Day 1 Cuzco: specifically planned to give us plenty of rest to acclimatise to the altitude. If you don’t want to ruin your time in Cuzco, then this is important or you may find yourself one of those tourists requiring evacuation to a lower altitude to treat altitude sickness symptoms. Having to acclimatise was a really good excuse to sit on the hotel veranda sipping ‘mate de coco’ tea while soaking up the Cuzco sun, atmosphere and the stunning views of the Andean mountains. It was also a good time to take stock of what we had experienced and talk about our trip highlights.

Day 2 Sacred Valley: This was a key settlement area of the Incas. Our full day tour included a visit to a Cultural Project where local women are taught how to do traditional weaving, dyeing and make items. The sales of these items help supplement their income from farming. The tour also stopped at a family owned wild life sanctuary where we were able to stand next to condors, the famous Pisaq market and then finishing at Ollamtaytambo archaeological digs dating from the Pre Inca and Inca times. Sleep over at Urubamba

Day 3 Machu Picchu: We were picked up from Urubamba by taxi to catch the backpackers train from Ollamtaytambo station. After a scenic two hours train ride (as compared to the four hour journey from Cuzco) we were met at Machu Picchu station by our tour guide who explained the tour itinerary and then led us to the bus stop. The bus journey is half an hour from the station to the gate entrance. (And the views are spectacular). Stopping for the toilet at the entrance is important! This is your last toilet stop for the next four to five hours, so don’t miss it! The four hour guided tour of stories, history, theories and humour gave us a deep understanding and appreciation of the Incas lifestyles, building techniques and the region’s history. Sleep over at Urubamba.

Day 4 Cuzco: The ‘bus’, actually a five seater taxi, travels from Urubamba bus depot to Cuzco bus depot and is a lot cheaper than a ‘proper’ taxi. This is a chance to experience local driving through the Andean mountains! In Cuzco we had the choice of wandering round on our own or doing a half day tour. We opted to wander on our own to the various plazas and churches. We wanted this time free to be able to experience and explore the local area. Sleep Cuzco.

This was a whirlwind tour but without the rush. It gave us the opportunity to explore and savour the environment, soak up the beauty, learn about the local traditions and to meet lots of interesting people.