The blue sky stretches over the sun-lit valley, and it seems no wonder the Incas were worshippers of the sun. A spectacular view of the sacred valley emerges as we make a steep descent down a couple of thousand feet. The road is windy and the scenery is quite a contrast to the city of, Read More

Dancing through the streets of Cusco the fifteen saints and virgins from nearby churches are paraded to the beat of the enchanting Peruvian music, all in celebration of Corpus Christi. It’s a vibrant beat and thousands of strong, well dressed men ‘dance’ the patron saints from their church to the main cathedral.

Machu Picchu, Peru

A vivid portrayal of a complex history, “Cradle of Gold” sweeps me back to 1911 when Hiram Bingham discovered Machu Picchu, what a story, what an adventure it was. In a fascinating region known for awe inspiring landscapes I am poised to relive Hiram Bingham’s discoveries in the Andes through the eyes of Chris Heaney.

Now that I have your attention… it’s actually Sacsayhuamán in Cusco – but all we have to remember was “sexy woman” to get the pronunciation correct. She’s an old Inca fortress in the back of Cusco city that stands at an altitude of 12,000 feet and possibly the best display of the Inca’s most extraordinary, Read More

Inca Trail, Peru

Unbelievable… Imagine standing on a pinnacle, 7,000 feet up, gazing down in awe on the most famous Inca ruins, totally surrounded by the majestic ‘Andes’ Mountains. Yes, we’re at the magical ‘Machu Picchu’, the heart of the Inca Empire. A living testament of man’s harmonious interaction with his natural environment.

High up, very high up, in fact 11,000 feet above the sea, in very thin air sits the intriguing city of Cusco. Often referred to as the ‘Navel of the World’, the umbilical life-giver, the puma, the stealthy predator, Cusco has a long and interesting history.

Our Cusco history lessons end with the Colourful Festival of the Sun Inti Raymi. This festival or pageant originates from the Incas who worshipped the sun. We have timed our trip so that we are here during the Winter Solstice. This means that we get to witness the wonderful celebrations of Corpus Christ and Int, Read More

Responsible Travel

Ok, so for our hike of the Inca trail, we hire the red army and no, this is not a Japanese army. This is Llama Path –  a guide company, and the most amazing team of men I have ever seen. Our Inca trail group is made up of five hikers, a guide and, Read More

Inca Trail Peru

Choosing to hike the Inca Trail in Peru is not a decision that should be made without foresight and thinking ahead. It is up to you to ensure that you are fully prepared for what the hike will involve and know what items you need to bring. Here is some advice from those of, Read More

South America is full of gastronomical treats and cultural treasures, and you can experience both in a single cup of coca tea.  Arriving in Colonial Quito I look around our accommodation and find a generous supply of Coca tea in tea bag form.

If you are searching the web for information about the four day Inca Trail trek you will find hundreds of travel companies offering this popular experience in Peru. However, many of these companies are acting only as agents for the relatively few specialist trekking companies that actually operate the trek of the Inca Trail to, Read More

Day 3 – Inca Trail Chaquicocha to Winaywayna – Inca Flats Our reward from yesterday’s slog on the Inca Trail  is a somewhat more leisurely scenic six hour day on what is called Inca Flats. In reality the “Inca Flats” means up, down, up down, and then there is a long slow drop of 1,200, Read More

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