Hello! Thanks for stopping by. What follows is an attempt to capture our 17-day odyssey in Peru. It was an incredible journey with an overload of epic days.
I’ve listed the blog entries for Days 1 to 17 from top to bottom. So sit back and let the odyssey unfold. I’m new to the blog world, and I hope the comments and navigation sections on each post work as they should. But you can always come back to this page if you lose your place. Feel free to send any thoughts to hello@allaboutthestories.com.
- We’re going on a Peruvian Odyssey!
A whut? An odyssey (ŏd′ĭ-sē) – noun How did this come about? Well, it was unexpected. I mean, we’ve had our biggest travel year ever! But then the February ’23 issue of The Tennessee Magazine arrived in our mailbox, and the cover caught my eye. I mean, I’ve hiked ‘pert near’ all them Smoky Mountains… Read more: We’re going on a Peruvian Odyssey! - So much for the plan…
In Lima, near the end of our odyssey, I’m relaxing with an alpaca throw in the window of our room on the 16th floor, watching the city wake up. Workers are already cleaning a rooftop pool on the hotel across the street. We’re in Miraflores, and this is probably the nicest hotel we’ve ever stayed… Read more: So much for the plan… - The logistics of getting from here to there.
Planes, trains, vans, buses, taxis, boats, bikes, horses, and of course, our feet. I enjoy maps. And I like looking back and seeing what’s been accomplished. I tried two methods of capturing the trek using my iPhone. One was to use a mapping software, the other was to use the Health app. By putting my… Read more: The logistics of getting from here to there. - Arriving in Cusco
Our international flight from Houston landed in Lima around midnight on the 2nd of September. Customs was surprisingly easy. No forms to fill out and there was a departure gate that said “Nothing to Declare.” We went through it and….were on the street in Lima? The Wyndham hotel was right across the street and the… Read more: Arriving in Cusco - Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, Q’orichanca
This post was a hard one. I wanted to keep it relatively chronological (this is an odyssey after all, it’s what Homer would do). And I didn’t want to bore anyone with too much detail (but then again, Homer’s Odyssey is not a short fiction either). But it’s a packed day! And tomorrow promises to… Read more: Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, Q’orichanca - Sacred Valley & the Glass Cabanas
One thing about it, flexibility is important! While our itinerary said we leave at 8am, Ruben sent a note and said 7:15am is the plan. Partly to pick up a couple of folks for the Pisac tour, partly to beat the crowds, and partly to get us to our Salkantay Trek team and to camp… Read more: Sacred Valley & the Glass Cabanas - Family! Slowly! Slowly!
It’s cold this morning. Above freezing, but damp and the fog is thick. Hot coca tea was brought to our door promptly at 4:20am. Sergio wants us to be on the trail in an hour, it’s going to be our hardest day and he wants plenty of time. I liked the way he pulled us… Read more: Family! Slowly! Slowly! - Down the Mountain
The hard rain woke me up. Backpackers tune in on those things. I did a survey to see if anything was getting wet. We are only two in a four man tent but it looks like a bomb went off, our gear and clothes are everywhere. The tents are well-worn, but everything is fine. Alpaca… Read more: Down the Mountain - Of Stars and Zippers
We enjoyed the Hobbit Houses. We soaked in the solar hot tub with Emma and Harry. We ate popcorn. A big, wonderful dinner. Hot showers. And we got to charge up all the things. As we walked here along the road, we saw similar dwellings on the other side of the river, but they looked… Read more: Of Stars and Zippers - A Quelled Rebellion
“4am!” Emma’s is the first voice in a potential rebellion. Sergio quickly reconsiders and recalculates. “Ok, 6:20.” It was the night before, and we’re eating just after dark. It’s such a stunning campsite, we don’t want to leave before daylight. Sergio adds, “Truly, if we were to take any extra time, this is the place.”… Read more: A Quelled Rebellion - Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young)
It’s Day 9 of our 17-day odyssey. We just finished our 5-day/4-night Salktantay Trek late yesterday and said goodbye to our new friends. Today, we’re finally going to touch the gray granite of Machu Picchu! It’s hard to imagine that, in just a day and a half, we will have hiked from that grand view… Read more: Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young) - Machu Picchu
Late yesterday, Ruben and Big Al checked on Patricia to see how she was doing with the stomach bug. Ruben brought some meds and electrolytes, feeling pretty confident the bug would be vanquished before Rainbow Mountain in two days. In the meantime, they rearranged our schedule so that we could get the most out of… Read more: Machu Picchu - A Free Day in Cusco
We slept in! All the way to 6:30! The Rumi Punku is such a nice space. The breakfast includes a lovely buffet with lots of fresh fruits and juices. Eggs and omelets are available on request. The coffee is strong and the coca and muña tea leaves are ever-present. But Patricia is fighting a bug,… Read more: A Free Day in Cusco - Rainbow Mountain
The staff at the Rumi Punku already had the fire going when we came down a little after 4am. Today is the day for Rainbow Mountain and we wanted to stay ahead of the crowds. It’s the thing that caught Patricia’s eye in the Odyssey. And our last major hike of the trip. Rainbow Mountain… Read more: Rainbow Mountain - Trail Ninja – My Soul Mate
Emma, our Aussie friend, coined the name. It came from her watching Patricia square herself up with her trekking poles on the rocky trails. On a particularly challenging section, she would make quick moves in order to line up properly and it became a habit. This trek has been the hardest thing Patricia has ever… Read more: Trail Ninja – My Soul Mate - Altiplano
We’re nearing the end of our odyssey. It’s Day 13 of our 17 day journey and we have seen and experienced so much! Every day has been epic and different from the one before. And we have had incredibly full and active days. In fact, we started thinking about home, that far away place nestled… Read more: Altiplano - Abuela’s Casa
Yeah, I said that wrong. What I should have said was la casa de la abuela. But more on that later. The next couple of days turned out to be unexpectedly epic. Today started at 7am with a nice breakfast buffet at the hotel. After a quick taxi ride to Puerto Puno we reconnected with… Read more: Abuela’s Casa - Our Last Day
This is the last post for our Peruvian Odyssey. If you’ve just stumbled upon it, you might enjoy starting at the beginning and working your way through the whole story! Yesterday was quite a day and it’s so hard to imagine leaving the antiquity and culture on Taquile Island, where there are no vehicles and… Read more: Our Last Day