Discovering Peru
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Discovering Peru
October 2007Day 1 ~ 03, Wednesday - Departure from U.S., Arrive Lima
The day of departure has arrived at last! You’ll check in at the airport of your choice to fly to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport where you will meet your hosts, Johannes and Lynda Witte. Here we’ll board our flight to Lima, Peru’s capital city that is known for its traditional flavor and friendly people. Our arrival in Lima is scheduled for late in the evening. Following customs formalities, we’ll meet our local guide and board the waiting motorcoach for transfer to the hotel, where we’ll check in for a two-night stay. (D-in flight)Day 2 ~ 04, Thursday - Lima
After a good night’s sleep, we’re ready to do some exploring! We’ll start the day with a tour of Lima, the “City of Kings.” We’ll see the Plaza Mayor with its bronze fountain dating from 1651 and the San Francisco Monastery, which was completed in the mid-1680s and is famous for its catacombs, paintings of the Rubens school, walls with Seville tiles, and library. Also see the Cathedral that houses magnificent altars in Churrigueran style, beautifully carved wooden choir stalls, gold leaf altars, and a unique collection of oil paintings and sculptures dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. Afterwards we’ll drive through the districts of San Isidro and Miraflores, which were inhabited by the Limeñan high society at the beginning of the 20th century. Despite the building boom, San Isidro has kept something of the aristocratic atmosphere for which this suburb was known at the beginning of the last century. This can still be seen in one of its famous parks, El Olivar, featuring olive trees brought from Spain in the 15th century. Our tour concludes with a visit to the Larco Herrera Museum, housed in an elegant 18th century mansion built over a pre-Inca pyramid from the 7th century. This museum holds the most extensive collection of pre-Columbian art in Peru (45,000 pieces) and boasts the finest gold and silver collection of ancient Peruvian cultures. Its masterpieces are considered worldwide icons of pre-Columbian art and have been displayed in many of the world’s renowned museums. Tonight we’ll be treated to a welcome dinner at Rosa Nautica, a unique restaurant in the Victorian-style that is situated on the Pacific Ocean. Rosa Nautica features both Peruvian and international cuisine, but it is especially famous for its refined seafood dishes. The restaurant’s four dining areas and its sophisticated bar “El Espigón,” rising from the midst of the ocean, provide a magical experience. Before dinner, we’ll toast the beginning of a memorable trip to Peru with a typical Peruvian pisco sour. (B, D)Day 3 ~ 05, Friday - Huaraz
Our travels will take us by private motorcoach to Huaraz. It will take most of the day to reach Huaraz, where we’ll check in at the hotel for a three-night stay and have dinner. The rest of the evening is at leisure to get acclimated to the altitude. (B, D)Day 4 ~ 06, Saturday - Callejón de Huaylas, Llanganuco Lake, Huaraz
A full-day excursion to Llanganuco Lake awaits us today. En route we’ll visit towns of the Callejón de Huaylas region such as Carhuaz, Caraz, and Yungay, which was destroyed by an earthquake and an avalanche in 1972. Continue to the beautiful Llanganuco Lake, where turquoise water reflects the peaks of the Huascarán and Huandoy Mountains. Return to the hotel in Huaraz where the evening will be free for independent dinner. (B, L)Day 5 ~ 07, Sunday - Paron Lagoon, Huaraz
Today we’ll visit Paron Lagoon, the largest and most important lagoon of sweet water of the White Cordillera. Located at the bottom of the peak of Paria, the lagoon water is light blue. This is the perfect spot to enjoy the local flora and fauna and to appreciate the peaks of Pirámide de Garcilaso, Huandoy Norte, Pisco, and Chacraraju. Our excursion includes lunch and we’ll be on our own for dinner back in Huaraz this evening. (B, L)Day 6 ~ 08, Monday - Sechin Archeological Site, Trujillo
Depart Huaraz by private transportation to make the full-day trip to Trujillo. On the way we’ll stop for lunch and have the opportunity to visit the Sechin Archeological Site. This adobe and stone ceremonial center belongs to the Sechin Culture dating from 1800 to 800 BC. The exterior features a wall covered with carefully carved stones near the entrance and the interior features a painted wall. The museum offers information about the main pre-Hispanic cultures that settled in the region such as the Moche, the Wari, the Chimu, the Casma, and the Inca; it also displays the objects found during the excavations on the archeological sites of the Casma Valley, especially ceramics. Upon arrival in Trujillo, we’ll check in at the hotel for a two-night stay. This evening’s dinner is independent. (B, L)Day 7 ~ 09, Tuesday - Chan Chan, Huaca Dragon, Huanchaco, Trujillo
Located just a short distance west of Trujillo, Chan Chan is a must for visitors to Peru. The well-planned metropolis of Chan Chan, the ancient capital of the Chimu Empire, was built entirely of mud and adobe bricks. We’ll also stop at Huaca Dragon, just north of Trujillo, to visit a restored, pyramidal, adobe temple consecrated to the rainbow and a small archaeological museum. Our lunch stop will be in Huanchaco, a fishing village famous for reed crafts used for fishing that are made of Totora reeds and used many places along the Peruvian coast. This afternoon we’ll visit the two pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. Built from millions of adobe bricks, they are the largest pre-Columbian structures in South America. End the day back in Trujillo. (B, L)Day 8 ~ 10, Wednesday - Lambayeque, Chiclayo
In the morning we’ll travel to Lambayeque to visit to the Real Tombs of Sipan Museum that was recently opened to the public. The tombs were discovered between 1987 and 1988 by the Peruvian archaeologist, Dr. Walter Alva, and he is still in charge of their protection and study. At the time of discovery, it was the richest tomb ever found in the Western Hemisphere and by 1990, it was the richest series of tombs found anywhere in the world for a century. Alva found the intact remains of a dignitary, or Lord, of the hierarchy belonging to the Moche Culture. The new museum conserves all the archaeological material found at Sipan and was constructed like three-story pyramids, making it an attraction in its own right. The exhibition includes a reconstruction of the Lord of Sipan Tomb with his jewels of gold, silver, and copper as well as additional tombs of warriors, and its value has been compared with that of the Tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankamon. Continue to Chiclayo for a two-night stay. (B, L)Day 9 ~ 11, Thursday - Ferreñafe, Tucume Valley, Chiclayo
Today we’ll visit the Sican Museum located in Ferreñafe, which is about 25 minutes from Chiclayo. This museum contains the artifacts found in two burials within the adobe pyramid of Huaca Loro. The Sican culture developed from AD 750 as descendants of the Moche (AD 100-800) and were predecessors of the later Chimu cultures (AD 100-1400). The gold, silver and semiprecious stone artifacts and accessories are beautifully displayed and depict many aspects of the Sican culture and people. Continue to the Tucume Valley to explore its 26 pre-Columbian pyramids dating from AD 1100. We’ll have an opportunity to climb to the largest of the adobe brick pyramids, Huaca Larga, for a panoramic view of this pyramid valley. Huaca Larga is 2,300 feet long, 910 feet wide and 65 feet high, although it may have originally been three times this height. At the end of the tour we’ll return to Chiclayo. (B, L)Day 10 ~ 12, Friday - Cusco
After breakfast, we’ll transfer to the airport for our flights via Lima to Cusco, the archaeological capital of the Americas and the oldest continuously inhabited city on the continent. Its legacy as the hub of the Inca Empire is readily apparent—most of the city streets are lined with Inca-built stone walls and crowded with Quecha-speaking descendants of the Incas. Upon arrival, we’ll proceed to the hotel to have a welcome coca tea, which should help relieve altitude sickness. The remainder of the day is free to relax and slowly adjust to the altitude. This evening we’ll enjoy a buffet dinner and Folkloric Show in Cusco. (B, D)Day 11 ~ 13, Saturday - Cusco
Our comprehensive morning tour of Cusco includes the beautiful church of Santo Domingo, the Cathedral, and Quenqo, believed to have been an important sanctuary during the Inca period. This will be followed by a visit to Puca Pucara, a strategically located “red fortress” that dominates the entire area, before visiting Tambomachay with its two distinctive aqueducts. Afterwards, we’ll ascend the hillside above Cusco to visit the mighty Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman. When the Spaniards first arrived in the 16th century, they were awestruck by its monumental walls. The afternoon will be at leisure in Cusco. Perhaps you would like to stroll through the streets of San Blas Artisan Quarter—its steeped cobblestone alleys not only offer spectacular views of the city but are lined with workshops and galleries, a great way to soak up the artistic atmosphere. The San Blas Church houses an imposing pulpit considered one of New World’s finest woodcarvings. (B)Day 12 ~ 14, Sunday - Chinchero, Ollantaytambo, Valle Sagrado (Sacred Valley)
This morning we’ll travel to the charming community of Chinchero, where remains of the royal hacienda of Tupac Inca Yupanqui are located as well as a beautiful colonial temple built on Inca foundations. The main attraction, however, is the market that traces its roots back to the time of the Incas when bartering, or “trueque,” existed. Today this market takes place in the main square at the foot of an Inca wall and is a vibrant hub of activity known for its wide range of handicrafts. Join a local family in their courtyard for an overview of the Andean weaving process to see how wool is carded, spun, and dyed and to learn about the different techniques used in creating belts, ponchos, and shawls. After lunch at a typical hacienda in the Urubamba Valley, we’ll pass ancient farming terraces that are still in use today to grow barley, wheat, and corn on our way to the town of Ollantaytambo. This was the site of the only successful Inca battle against the Spanish conquerors and the only town in the area to retain its original Inca layout. Here we’ll see the Temple of the Sun consisting of six gigantic monoliths whose total weight exceeds 50 tons, as well as the Terrace of the Ten Niches. Have dinner and overnight in Valle Sagrado (Sacred Valley). (B, L, D)Day 13 ~ 15, Monday - Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu, Cusco
Today our travels take us to Machu Picchu, the best-known and most spectacular site on the continent. We’ll travel by train to the small town of Aguas Calientes and then take a 20-minute motorcoach ride to the “Lost City of the Incas” to experience firsthand the air of grandeur and mystery that surrounds the site. Until its discovery in the 1911, Machu Picchu had remained forgotten for 400 years. It is invisible from below and completely self-contained, surrounded by agricultural terraces sufficient to feed a population, and watered by natural springs. Machu Picchu seems to have been used by the Incas as a secret ceremonial city. Two thousand feet above the rumbling Urubamba River, the cloud-shrouded ruins include palaces, baths, temples, storage rooms, and some 150 houses, all in a remarkable state of preservation. A buffet lunch will be served at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, the only hotel located within the very sanctuary of the Machu Picchu Inca citadel. We’ll return on the afternoon train to Cusco. (B, L)Day 14 ~ 16, Tuesday - Andahuaylillas, La Raya Pass, Raqchi, Puno
A pleasant eight-hour bus trip takes us through picturesque Andean landscapes dotted by small villages and herds of llamas and vicunas. We plan to end the day in Puno, making interesting stops along our way. The first one is Andahuaylillas, known for its baroque church dating from the 17th century, and the motorcoach will climb to La Raya Pass (14,172 feet) to enjoy a panoramic view of the snow-capped Andes. Our tour continues to Raqchi to visit the Viracocha Temple, the only Inca temple featuring cylindrical columns covered by fine clay layers. Our travels today include lunch, which will be served at a typical restaurant in Sicuani. Upon arrival in Puno, we’ll transfer to the hotel to check in. (B, L)Day 15 ~ 17, Wednesday - Copacabana, Sun Island, Puno
After breakfast we’ll drive along the south side of Lake Titicaca to the ancient shrine of Copacabana, located on the boundary between Peru and Bolivia. On the way, we’ll pass through the towns of Chucuito, Juli, and Pomata, whose churches are jewels of colonial architecture. Once in Copacabana we’ll visit its church and board a catamaran to the mythic Sun Island. According to legend, the Inca couple Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo appeared here to found the Empire of the Sun. We’ll visit the Inca Garden, steps, and fountain as well as the Inti Wata Cultural Complex. This complex features the Ekako Underground Museum and an interesting exhibit of Andean crops, medicinal herbs, and Andean fauna. Activities on Sun Island include a traditional Kallawaya shaman’s ceremony, the Titicaca Reed Shipbuilders Display Centre, and a unique sailing experience aboard a huge traditional Titicaca reed vessel to visit the Pilkokaina Inca Palace. A buffet lunch will be served on board and we’ll return by catamaran or motor boat to Copacabana, traveling from there by motorcoach to our hotel in Puno. (B, L)Day 16 ~ 18, Thursday - Sillustani, Juliaca Airport, Lima, Return to U.S.
This morning we’ll visit the burial towers in Sillustani, whose construction challenges the law of gravity since the diameter at the top is larger than the diameter at the base. Sillustani is partially encircled by Umayo Lake, offering us a beautiful landscape. We’ll stop for lunch at a restaurant en route to the Juliaca Airport. Here we’ll board the flight to Lima in order to make our international connection. Upon arrival in Lima, we’ll bid farewell to Peru as we check in for our late-evening, overnight flight to Houston. (B, L, D-in flight)Day 17 ~ 19, Friday - Return Home
Early this morning we’ll return to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. After clearing customs, connect with the flight to your final destination. Hopefully you have enjoyed your wonderful Peruvian travel adventure!B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner
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