A central market in Cuzco, Ecuador offering fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers (2 dozen long stem roses for US$1.60) and assorted meats. There were numerous stalls offering fresh cooked meals and it seemed a popular place for lunch. Gave me a new perspective on the expression “the whole hog”.
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The waterfront on the Cote d’Azur, in Villefranche-sur-Mer. The town rises quickly out of the crystal clear, azure water of the Mediterranean as cascades of bright bougainvillea fall over retaining walls and down hill sides. The waterfront is lined with bistros and cafes and and is a favorite for strolling. The town is immediately to the east of the city of Nice and less than 7 miles south-west of Monaco. The bay at Villefranche is one of the deepest natural harbors in the Mediterranean and a favorite anchorage for cruise ships.
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It’s one of the Wonders of the World and growing in interest year after year. It’s currently estimated that over 70% of tourists visiting Peru are bound for Machu Picchu. Getting to the Inca citadel isn’t like a usual excursion but actually unfolds in a number of steps that require preplanning. Understanding the process and knowing what to expect can go a long way towards getting the most from your adventure. Most visits begin in the Inca city of Cusco a number of hours by bus or train away from the famous Inca citadel site.
The Inca Trail – For the more adventurous (and fit) a hike into the mountains is one way to visit Machu Picchu. These treks are usually two to four day hikes over the mountains to Machu Picchu. They are booked with agencies that provide guides who handle provisions, and are experienced with the route and setting up camp on the ancient trails. For an excellent article on walking The Inca Trail click HERE. The trail is an over five hundred year old path or road paved with stones that includes stairs carved into the rock. For more information on a recommended trail company click HERE.
Machu Picchu – Getting into the archeological site requires admission tickets along with tickets for a round trip bus ride up the mountain 9a two hour hike up the mountain and back is also an option). The number of people admitted to Machu Picchu is limited each day to only about 5,000 and the time inside the area is usually limited to three hours. A visit requires an admission ticket for specifically designated time and area to visit with cost starting at about US$34 per person. The busiest time each year are the months of July and August with the rainy season being from January through March. For more information or to by tickets click HERE.
The Day Trip – the most typical journey begins with a stay of a couple of days in the Sacred Valley at a hotel, an eco-lodge or a hostel. From there take a day trip by train from the nearest station in the valley to Machu Picchu’s gateway town of Aguas Calientes at the base of the mountain. Getting to the train from your hotel can also include a ride in a local three wheeled taxi popular in the valley.
Pachar Station in the Sacred Valley
Grounds at Tierra Viva in the Sacred Valley
The Town Of Aguas Calientes
Staying In Aguas Calientes – this is the town focused on visitors to the Inca Trail, the mountains and Machu Picchu. It’s actually an attractive area and has been developed around the Machu Picchu train station. It offers a good range of nice restaurants, shops, hostels and hotels. To get to Aguas Calientes there are a number of options for train service from Cusco along with bus tours. The town is a great base for Machu Picchu adventures.
Exiting the train station at Aguas Calientes
Machu Picchu By Train – Another convenient way to get there is taking a train from Cusco to Machu Picchu using IncaRail or PeruRail. Look for service to Aguas Calientes or Machu Picchu for your destination and returning to Cusco. The trip averages five hours each way and tickets can be purchased that include the bus service up to Machu Picchu. Both train services also offer package tours that include train fare, accommodations and entry into the archeological site. Both train companies provide a number of levels of service and a number of trains per day.
The Inca citadel itself is a marvel to see and experience. Perched high atop a mountain at 7,972 feet and protected by shear cliffs, it’s very difficult to understand how it was built. The main part of Machu Picchu is an arrangement of public squares, store houses, residents, temples and terraced gardens, all constructed from carved and stacked stones with some weighing up to18 tons. The famous temple stones are so perfectly fitted together without using mortar that a piece of paper cannot be slid between the joins. On a couple of higher peaks towering above the main citadel are more buildings and terraced gardens. These can be reached using well marked trails and carved steps.
We’re not big on guided tours for a number of reasons, but we were invited to join some friends on a South American packaged tour* that seemed a good value. It included a number of destinations that we were interested in and maybe one or two we would have never considered. One of those was a stay at an Amazon Jungle Eco Lodge. Visits to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos were still on our bucket list so we quickly agreed.
Visiting An Amazon Jungle Eco Lodge
After two days spent visiting Quito, Ecuador it was time for our group to head out to Suchi Pakari (Suchipakari) Eco Lodge near the town of Tena in the Amazon rain forest. This part of the trip had us on a tour bus climbing up from the central Ecuadoran Andes city of Quito heading east. From the cities 9,300 feet we climbed up to 13,000 feet as we headed to our destination in the rain forest. With a few city traffic delays getting out of Quito we soon picked up a good highway for the first hour of the trip. As we began to descend the eastern slopes the road often dropped to two lanes with numerous switchbacks and curves. Heavy trucks often kept our speed below 40 mph and pot holes became increasingly uncomfortable. Numerous bridges seemed questionable regarding the weight of our bus and one two-lane bridge had one lane closed and was being disassembled for repair. It was made of 2.5′ x 4′ steel plates resting on steel girders. Looking through the missing plates there was way to much exposed rust on those support beams. The bus ride ended up being a seven and a half hour drive with us arriving at the lodge just at dinner time.
Suchipakari Eco Lodge
The lodge was located a few miles down a dirt road and was composed of about a dozen buildings that included guest rooms (mostly four units to a building) covered patios for the restaurant and bar, a spa and a swimming pool. The buildings are well maintained, the staff is welcoming, helpful and friendly and the grounds are beautiful with lots of flowering bushes.
The lodge offers a number of excursions around the local area including a wildlife rescue center, kayaking, chocolate making and guided nature walks in the nearby primary jungle (boots are provided). Included are three meals a day but with limited selections. The rooms have no air conditioning but with a fan the nights were actually pretty comfortable. The bar and dining areas are outdoors on thatched-roof patios.
We were told that there are a number of similar eco-lodges around the wider area similar in make up and operation and are often included as part of the various organized regional package tours. As we were leaving a National Geographic tour group was arriving.
In my opinion the three day experience wasn’t worth the fifteen hours on a bus going and coming back. My wife and our travel companions however found the experience interesting and worthwhile. Let’s call this a recommendation with a caution…
*The packaged tour we selected with our friends was through Exoticca and included Machu Picchu, a couple of days each in 2 cities in Peru, 2 cities in Ecuador, 3 nights on San Cristobal, Galapagos and the eco-lodge at a really good price. More on Exoticca, our experiences and online reviews in a later article.
The Republic of Ireland has become the star of the British Isles and Dublin is at its center. Today Dublin is an international city with a focus on high tech. Todays photo features the The Ha’penny Bridge, known officially as the Liffey Bridge, a pedestrian bridge built in May 1816 over the River Liffey. Made of cast iron, the bridge was cast in Shropshire, England.It is a primary pedestrian walkway in downtown Dublin.
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Cruising through Paris on the river is one of the most enchanting ways to experience this incredible city. Sit back as you cruise past historic architecture, famous monuments and take in the remarkable beauty of the city. Most visitors to Paris will want to add a cruise on the River Seine to their plans and there are a number to pick from. Champagne sunset cruises, lunch and dinner cruises and general sightseeing boats. Either day or night this is an experience not to be missed.
Hop-On-Hop-Off Boats
If you are on a budget our choice for value is the Hop-On Hop-Off Batobus (LINK). It features nine stops from Notre-Dame to the Eiffel Tower including stops at the Louvre, Place de Concord, and the Champs-Elysees. You can purchase tickets at any one of the stops with a 24 hour pass (metered from the time of purchase) costing about $20 with 48 hours under $24. These boats run from morning to about 9:00 pm about every fifteen to twenty minutes and are a great way to jump from one destination to another throughout the day and evening.
Dinner Cruises
There are actually a number of options for romantic dinner cruising on the Seine. One that is highly recommended is the Bateaux Parisiens Seine River Dinner Cruise, that include dinner and live music. Enjoy unobstructed views through floor-to-ceiling windows as you dine on the romantic Seine beginning at about US$130. A lunch cruise starts at US$75 per perso HERE.
Another popular Seine River tour is with Vedettes de Paris. Their one hour cruises average US$22 per person and include one program focused on children of all ages along with a late afternoon happy hour cruise.
The Intentional Travelers 