Exploring Machu Picchu at Dawn

August 2, 2016

We visited Machu Picchu twice while there, once the day before at Twilight and the second time the following morning at Dawn. To be honest with you, it’s hard for me to pick which I liked better as they were both so magical and so different. Our second morning there, we were in line to enter the Machu Picchu gates at 5:35am. The first buses up from Aguas Calientes arrive about 5:55am and even though we were there earlier, within 10 minutes after we arrived there was a huge line behind us full of hikers and people from the buses. They only let the first 50 people in at 6am and then stagger it out after that, so we wanted to make sure we were first inside for the sunrise.

Nick had scoped out where he wanted to shoot his photos that morning from the day before, so we immediately headed up to the Guard’s House at the top of the mountain above Machu Picchu when we went in the gates. It was dense fog all around us, so dense it was hard to see in front of us at some points. And the climb was hard! Not only the altitude but at 6 in the morning and the steep ancient stairs, I had a hard time and had to take quite a few breaks. I would recommend not rushing this climb as much as we did and taking your time.

Finally we made it to the top where you see that typical view of Machu Picchu. The fog began to clear, actually it looked like it was almost tearing away, a stunning experience in itself, and the view opened up over this ancient place. It was a surreal moment, seeing Machu Picchu in the dawn light, in the fog and staring around at this magical place from high above.

After the fog soon enveloped the view again, we climbed even further up to find a whole field of llamas wandering around. I immediately headed out to make friends with them (how could you not!?!) and spent the next hour petting and talking to Lucy (they had name tags on them). I told Nick later that while that climb was hard to get up to the top, they should have a sign at the bottom that reads “This climb is really hard but there are llamas at the top so it’s worth it.” No doubt, that would make it a whole lot easier!

Finally we headed back down, meandering through the ruins on our way and taking in the sweeping views of the surrounding mountains. Upon leaving, I took one last look back, knowing that this amazing place will be a place we return to someday again. Machu Picchu was an experience I’ll never forget, a place that truly stands the test of time and exudes an ancient magic all its own.

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Shadows + History : Exploring Machu Picchu at Twilight

August 1, 2016

Upon arriving at our hotel at Machu Picchu, the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, we decided to rest a bit and wait to enter Machu Picchu around 3pm. I had read a lot before our trip that between 3 and 5pm was one of the quietest times of day there as most of the tourists have gone back down the mountain to either Aguas Calientes or back to Cusco. Sure enough, we entered the citadel around 3pm and were immediately blown away by the beauty of Machu Picchu and at how empty it was. At one point after entering, I had to just sit down and take it all in. Machu Picchu is one of those places we’ve all seen photos of, but to see it in person, it blew me away. And to be wandering through the ruins which we had almost to ourselves made it even more special.

We spent the 2 hours before the sanctuary closes at 5pm just taking it all in, wandering through the ruins and processing the place we were wandering through. It all seemed quite surreal. If you’re going to Machu Picchu, this is the time to explore it, in the late afternoon just before twilight! The shadows were long and the evening light magical in this ancient place. Exploring Machu Picchu at Twilight was truly an experience I’ll never forget!

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What you Need to Know before Going to Machu Picchu

July 28, 2016

Machu Picchu… it’s one of those places that seems only real in a fairytale. And it is that magical in person and it is well worth a trip to see it for yourself, but it’s also kind of a trek to get there. And with so many questions about how to visit Machu Picchu, today I’m telling you exactly what you need to know before going to Machu Picchu and exactly how to get there!

Buy Your tickets Ahead of Time

You can’t buy tickets for Machu Picchu at the gate, so be sure to buy them before you go. We booked ours about a month before our trip through our hotel concierge but you can also do it yourself online. Just beware, the website is a little tricky and a bit confusing.

How to Get There

So Machu Picchu is accessible only via rail and there is no other way to get there. You have to go through Cusco, take a train to Aguas Calientes, then a 30 minute bus ride up to the monument itself.

Trains

You have a few different options for trains to Machu Picchu. We rode with PeruRail because their times worked best for us but you can also ride with Inka Rail. We took the PeruRail Expedition train which was quite comfortable. Also note that the station in Cusco is not actually in Cusco; you’ll leave from Poroy Station which is about a 35 minute car ride from Cusco itself. We arranged transfer through our hotel which worked out nicely.

A separate note on our train experience – you should book your train tickets online before you go. You will get an email saying to pick up your tickets at the train station office. I read it as you could pick them up at least a half hour before your train. In actuality, you must pick them up 4 hours prior to your train time, meaning for morning trains, you’ll have to pick them up the day before. We didn’t know this and when we arrived at the train station in Poroy the morning of our train, we found out our tickets had been canceled since we hadn’t picked them up and had to buy new tickets. Luckily there were still a few seats available, but for future reference, be sure to pick them up the DAY BEFORE!

Buses in Aguas Calientes

When you arrive on the train, you’ll be in Aguas Calientes, a small town at the base of the mountain where Machu Picchu is. Most people stay here as there are lots of hotel options, though you can stay right at the gates of Machu Picchu at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge which is what we did, but more on that later. Once you arrive by train, you’ll need to buy a bus ticket. There aren’t great signs pointing you to where you do this, but take the bridge over the river and then right below it will be a tiny hut that says “Official Bus Tickets.” Here you’ll buy your tickets up the mountain. It’s $25 per person for a roundtrip and they take US dollars or Peruvian soles.

This bus up the mountain is rickety and bumpy, and if you are prone to car sickness, be aware of that up front. It takes about 25-30 minutes to get up the tiny windy road.

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San Pedro Market of Cusco : Color + Souvenirs

July 26, 2016

When we were planning our trip to Peru, I spent a lot of time perusing travel blogs for inspiration and ideas for our trip. One of the blogs I visited a lot to get ideas of locations in Peru was Gal Meets Glam and it was there that I found San Pedro Market of Cusco and I’m so glad I did! We spent a large chunk of our afternoon in Cusco wandering this lovely local market full to the brim with amazing fruit, colorful souvenirs and local finds. It was one of our favorite spots in Cusco and well worth a visit!

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Travel Tips : What to Know about Altitude Sickness in Cusco

July 25, 2016

If you’re thinking of heading to Peru, specifically Machu Picchu, you’ll have to get there through the city of Cusco which sits at extremely high altitude in the Andes mountains, about 11,000 feet above sea level. Just to give you an idea of how high this is, Sedona, Arizona is about 5,000 feet above sea level. So Cusco is high up there in the sky and with that comes altitude sickness and very thin air with low levels of oxygen. This can be hard to get used to and some people get really sick due to the altitude, so if you’re headed to this region, here’s what you need to know about altitude sickness in Cusco.

You’ll notice a difference right away.

Immediately after stepping over the threshold of the plane in Cusco, we noticed the air was different than we were used to. Just walking up the jet bridge into the airport required a lot of extra energy and deep breathing. It’s pretty amazing how immediately your body notices the lack of oxygen and the thin air. I immediately looked at Nick and said “walking up this jet bridge shouldn’t be this hard.” It’s important to be prepared for it and realize that you’ll need to adjust based on your reaction to the thinner air.

Drink lots of water in the 3-4 days prior to your trip.

Try to drink only water and lots of it in the days prior to arriving in Cusco. This also means avoiding alcohol and carbonated sodas… stick with lots of water and that will help keep your system running the best it can before you arrive.

Altitude sickness can affect anyone.

From all the research on altitude sickness, it can affect anyone and there really is no rhyme or reason why some people get sick and others don’t. I kind of thought before our trip that I would get sick because I’m prone in my daily life to headaches and dizziness which can be symptoms, but I had no issue at all. So it just totally is luck of the draw…. that’s why it’s so important to do all you can to be prepared.

You can get a prescription for altitude sickness pills from your doctor before you leave.

If you think you might get sick, you can get altitude sickness pills from your doctor. We got these and took them the day before we arrived to Cusco. But truthfully, I didn’t like the side affects that affected me from the pills: having to go to the bathroom a lot, tingling in your limbs (which I already get badly normally, and this made it unbearable at moments). So my advice – if you’re prone to the side affects already, don’t take the medication and chance it. You can also drink Coca tea in Peru to help with the side affects if you do get sick.

Stay at a higher-end hotel that has oxygen in the rooms.

Most of the higher end hotels in Cusco actually pump extra oxygen into the rooms so that particularly when you are sleeping, which can be difficult to breath during the night, it definitely makes a difference and we could feel the change in the air when walking into our room.

Don’t push yourself.

Don’t plan your time in Cusco packed full of things to do and places to see. It’s best to spend the first day or two here and just wandering at a slower pace. You’ll notice you get winded a lot faster and you might need to stop and take breaks to breathe in a lot deeper. Don’t push yourself, try not to move too fast and take time to breathe more often than you normally do.

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Exploring Cusco : Where Inca Meets Colonization

July 22, 2016

Cusco, the gateway to the Incan empire! I didn’t know much about Cusco before our trip there, only that it was the city you have to go through to get to Machu Picchu. And while yes, it’s the gateway to Machu Picchu for millions of tourist each year, it’s also a fantastic and beautiful city in its own right. I expected it to be touristy, but in fact, it’s the complete opposite. Cusco is a genuine and beautiful city, where Inca meets colonization. Some buildings still hold Incan stones used to build them thousands of years ago, while others bear the marks of colonization and Spanish architecture. We only had an afternoon in Cusco, but we were sorry we didn’t have longer. And while most people go through Cusco to see Machu Picchu, I’d go back just to spend time in this lovely city!

We happened to be there on a day that a festival was taking place and half the city had to be out in the streets celebrating. We were blow away by the crowds and the infectious atmosphere, which made for even more of a celebration for us to enjoy Cusco!

What to See and Do in Cusco

-Wander the cobblestone streets and pet llamas along the way.

-Explore the Plaza de Armas

-Wander the San Pedro Market (another whole post coming on this!)

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Everything You Need to Know before Visiting Peru

July 21, 2016

Peru was a fantastic destination and one I know we’ll for sure be returning to in the future, but it did also pull us outside our comfort zones a bit. I wasn’t sure what to expect before traveling to Peru and even though I did quite a bit of research, I didn’t find much to really prepare me for our time there. So if you’re thinking of heading to the land of the Incas, here’s everything you need to know before visiting Peru!

The Toilet Paper Issue

I read numerous posts and articles before leaving for Peru that mentioned over and over how you have to put your toilet paper in the garbage can everywhere. And yes, in almost all public places, even including airports, this is true. However, staying in higher-end hotels (which we did), they have their own piping systems and the rule doesn’t apply there. But just be careful with this as apparently paper can really clog up their piping and when in doubt, ask. Or a good note of reference is if the trash can has a lid, you probably will put it in there, if it doesn’t, you can probably flush it.

The people are the friendliest I’ve ever encountered (and so are the llamas).

I’m serious when I say this, the people in Peru are the kindest and most helpful we’ve ever encountered while traveling and we’ve traveled to a lot of places! Everywhere we went, they were lovely to deal with and beyond helpful.

And the llamas and alpacas, let’s be honest, this was the best part of our trip! Everywhere we went there were these lovely creatures and they were so friendly. Our doctor told us not to pet them before we left, but seriously, how could I not do that!? The best thing though is to make sure and have some hand sanitizer because no matter how lovely, they are dirty too. But pet as many llamas as you want and just wash your hands after.

Outlets

I had a hard time finding much on what type of outlets Peru would have before we left and none of our adaptors said they worked in South America. Every place we stayed though, had both American type outlets as well as European style outlets so bring your European adaptors, but most hotels will also have US Style outlets.

Don’t drink the tap water.

This is an important one and one you’ll regret if you don’t follow. Don’t use the tap water in Peru, even to brush your teeth. All hotels will supply bottled water for this purpose, but also be careful not to swallow any in the shower. And finally, ask for no ice when eating out at restaurants.

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How I Planned my Trip to Peru – A Timeline to Follow

July 20, 2016

When we were traveling through Peru, I had numerous questions come in from readers and on Instagram of how exactly I had planned our trip. A lot of people mentioned that they have heard it’s a lot of work to plan a trip to Peru, particularly to visit Machu Picchu and I won’t lie, it was. This 5 day trip through Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu perhaps took the most planning of any trip we’ve ever done, but I will say this, it was beyond worth it in the end. If you’re thinking of traveling to Peru and Machu Picchu, it’s a lot of work to plan, but you won’t be sorry. And to make it even easier, here is exactly how I planned my trip to Peru!

6+ Months Before

Book Your Flights

We flew LAX to Lima on LATAM airlines and were pleasantly surprised by the service and food we had on our flights. Flights can be pretty expensive from the US so you’ll want to book well ahead of your trip and watch for good fares.

For intra-Peru flights, we flew Star Peru from Lima to Cusco and back again. We didn’t have the greatest luck with them (they canceled our flight on the way back to Lima and messed up our schedule without notice) but at the time of booking, they were the cheapest.) If I did it again, I’d probably just fly everything through LATAM.

Book Your Hotels

Because Peru and Machu Picchu are such huge tourist attractions, you want to book your hotels in Cusco and Machu Picchu well in advance. Also keep in mind a ton of people travel in tour groups through these 2 spots so hotels book up really quickly with huge groups.

We stayed at the JW Marriott El Convento Cusco and the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge – both of which I’d highly recommend.

1+ Month Before

Buy your train tickets to Machu Picchu

We traveled by train on Peru Rail from Cusco (Poroy Station) to Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientes Station). The website was a little difficult to maneuver if you don’t know any Spanish and their English section was a little hard to use, but overall, I was able to buy our tickets online.

However, when we arrived at Poroy Station (which is a solid 35 minute drive from Cusco be aware), to pick up our tickets, we were informed that it is required you pick them up at least 4 hours prior to the train, meaning we should have done it the previous day but didn’t know. We had to end up buying new tickets for the one way to Machu Picchu which was kind of a hassle. So long story short, once you arrive in Peru, make sure you pick up your tickets at any Peru Rail kiosk throughout the major cities.

Buy your Machu Picchu Tickets

One thing that’s really important to note, you CANNOT buy tickets to Machu Picchu at Machu Picchu. They must be bought in advance and they only sell so many per day. I bought ours through our hotel concierge over email so that we were sure to have them beforehand.

Arrange airport/train station transfers through your hotel

It was a huge help to have pick ups arranged through our hotel for both the airport and the train stations throughout our trip and didn’t cost very much. It was so much easier than having to figure out taxis and speak in Spanish to get places. I would highly recommend arranging these through your hotels before you leave on your trip.

1 Week Before

Buy your Travel Insurance package

We don’t always buy travel insurance but I did for this trip and I’m so glad I did. We ended up having to add an extra day to the trip based on our flight out of Cusco being changed without our knowledge. And our travel insurance covered our extra expenses. We buy ours through World Nomads.

Go through your packing checklist and confirm you have everything you need

There was a lot of extra stuff that we needed to bring for Peru and Machu Picchu in particular, which I’ll cover in depth in another post. But things like sunscreen, chapstick, bug spray, hiking gear – make sure whatever you need, you make a detailed list and then check it off and make sure it’s ready to pack.

2 Days Before

Print off all your booking references and information

I do this for every trip, but because there were so many individual bookings for this particular trip, it helped even more to have everything printed off and ready to go.

Confirm all flights

This is also a great time to confirm your seats and loyalties with all your flights as well as adding all the flight information into your phone to track your flights.

Check the weather forecast and confirm you have everything you need

While you’ll have a good idea of weather about 10 days out, it’s important to check again within the 2-3 days before you leave. It actually ended up being a little cooler than it had looked for us, so I added in an extra scarf and coat before leaving.

1 Day Before

Confirm all tickets

Make sure you have any tickets necessary printed out like your train tickets and any boarding passes for flights.

Get Excited!

You’re heading to Peru! You’ll have the trip of a lifetime, so now, just be ready to explore!

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How Peru Made Me Fall in Love

July 19, 2016

Back in May, Nick and I ventured out on a trip of a lifetime, or so I thought. For an early birthday trip (Nick turned 30 in June), I booked us a trip to Peru through Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu. When booking it and when telling people about it, I kept saying, “it’s one of those once in a lifetime trips.” For some reason, and I don’t really even know why, I didn’t think I’d enjoy South America as much as I enjoy some of the other continents. For some reason, I kept thinking, we wouldn’t do this trip again or see much more of the country. For some reason, I felt like we just wouldn’t have any desire to go back. And wow, could I have been more wrong.

Our trip to Peru was life-changing. And I don’t say that lightly. I’ve seen a lot of the world, I’ve stepped foot on 6 continents and visited 30+ countries and countless cities. I’ve lived abroad and fallen in love with so many places around the globe, but Peru was different. Maybe it was my attitude going into it. I felt myself feeling differently on our way to Peru. I was giddy with excitement, a feeling that while still makes appearances when traveling, has somewhat lessened over the years of constant travel. I was apprehensive, a feeling that I think actually is good for a traveler. It means we still have more to learn, we still have more to absorb. And I think those feelings, that’s how Peru made me fall in love.

South America for me had always been a destination never high on my list. It scared me a little, so outside of our comfort zone, so different than we are used to. It made me apprehensive to plan a trip to my neighbor continent, it seemed difficult. And to be honest with you, this trip did take more planning than perhaps any trip I’ve ever planned. It was a long process and there were a lot of steps, particularly for Machu Picchu. But on the other side of our experience in Peru, I will say with 100% certainty and honesty, every moment planning and every dollar spent is far beyond worth what your experience will be in this amazing country.

There were moments on our trip to Peru that were some of our best ever while traveling, and coming from me, that means a great deal. I held a baby alpaca, spent mornings with wandering llamas, sat in awe at Machu Picchu, breathed in the thinnest air we’ve ever experienced at 11,000 feet in Cusco, ate incredible food, wandered local markets, spoke broken Spanish with locals and fell completely head over heels in love with Peru.

This trip completely changed my opinion of South America. It made me want to travel more in that region, to take in the absurd beauty that South American landscapes are, to meet more locals throughout the region, to better my Spanish, to find out more about countries that I really don’t know that much about. Peru made me fall in love not only with the regions within its own borders, but with an entire continent and I’m not sure I can say that about any other country I’ve ever visited. Peru changed me, it brought back that sense of new-ness that sometimes gets lost after traveling as much I have. It brought back that awe, it inspired me.

And while I had been telling everyone before hand about our “once in a lifetime trip to Peru,” I know better now. I hope to visit Peru many times in my lifetime. I hope I get to visit Machu Picchu over and over, at different times of year, at different points in my life. I hope that I explore all over South America and I hope that with each time I visit, I find myself going back to all that Peru gave us on our first trip there and the dreams that it inspired.

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Favorite Moments in Peru

July 18, 2016

Our trip to Peru in May was an epic one and not only because it was in celebration of Nick’s 30th birthday and we stepped foot on our 6th continent to date, but because we fell deeply in love with the country. We had so many amazing experiences during our 5 days in Peru, but here were my favorites:

Flying into Cusco over the Andes

We were exhausted the morning we flew to Cusco, arriving in Lima late the previous night, and my intention had been to sleep on the hour long plane ride that day. But as soon as we got airborne and I looked out the window, I was hooked! The views over the Andes on that plane ride were truly spectacular!

Exploring Cusco

If we had one regret on our trip to Peru, it was that we wished we would have spent at least another day in Cusco. We fell hard for this amazing city and our one afternoon here wasn’t enough! We spent the day wandering local markets, taking in local festivals and wandering the ancient cobblestone streets.

Holding a Baby Alpaca

After leaving our hotel in Cusco to head out and explore, we were immediately greeted on the street by 2 local Andean women with baby alpacas. They handed me one of them (so we’d give them money), but I didn’t even care. It was probably the highlight of my life and the furry little creature just laid in my arms while I was grinning ear to ear.

Machu Picchu in the Late Afternoon

After arriving at our hotel at Machu Picchu around Noon, we grabbed lunch at the hotel restaurant and then settled into our room. We waited until 3pm to head over to Machu Picchu, as we’d heard that’s when the crowds start to disperse and it gets really quiet. And since we stayed right at Machu Picchu, it was so nice to be able to just wander over. We weren’t disappointed! It was one of those crazy feelings walking into such a famous place, unsure of where to start, unsure of what we were even looking at. I found a spot along the tiered steps and just had to sit to take it all in. It was a moment I’ll never forget.

Machu Picchu in the Morning in the Fog

The following morning, we walked out of our hotel and were in line at the gates of Machu Picchu at 5:40am waiting for them to open at 6am. Immediately after we got in the gates, we headed up to the Guard’s House, which is where that typical famous photo of the sanctuary is taken. It was dense fog the whole hike up (which is not easy by the way) but once we got up to the top, set up for photos and waited a bit, around 6:45am, the fog started to lift and break apart, showing an incredible view. We were lucky to get that view though, as within 15 minutes it was blanketed with dense fog once again. I’ll never forget that view though, looking out over such a famous monument as the fog rolled in and out, imagining what it must have been like for the people that lived there all those years ago, seeing the same thing. There are some places in the world that you truly just have to be there to understand what it feels like, Machu Picchu is one of those places and trust me, I was blown away by those views and all the thoughts that go with them in a place like this.

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Exploring Machu Picchu at Dawn

Shadows + History : Exploring Machu Picchu at Twilight