Peru, and specifically Machu Picchu, had been on my list of places to visit for a very long time. As part of a longer trip through South America which included Bolivia, Chile, Easter Island, Ecuador and the Galapagos, I landed in Cuzco. Getting used to the altitude, I based myself a few days in this colonial city. Cuzco really surprised me: Cobble stoned streets, street performers on every corner and beautiful architecture and impressive plazas, all in a valley that’s surrounded by high mountains made it a great first stop.
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Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley
From Cuzco, it’s only a short train ride to Machu Picchu, one of the ancient 7 world wonders. This Incan citadel was built in the 15th century and abounded at some point, resulting in these impressive ruins high up in the Andes mountains. As I walked around late in the day, I felt like I had the entire place almost to myself. It was truly magical to walk through this Inca city, step inside the remains of the buildings and to see the citadel from one of the viewing points. This place truly lives up to its hype. As the sun was setting, the lighting was very dramatic. To top it all off, a llama sneaked into my shot for that picture perfect shot of Machu Picchu! Make sure to book your tickets for Machu Picchu on time and if you’re into photography, book both an afternoon and an early morning slot as both times you get a different experience.
As I left Machu Picchu, I took the train to Ollantaytambo to explore more of the Sacred Valley. Here, the landscapes are vast and filled with llamas and alpacas.
Palccoyo rainbow mountains and Ausangate Lakes
But, Machu Picchu isn’t the only thing in Peru worth visiting. The landscapes of this country are truly unique and colorful. For example, take the Palccoyo rainbow mountains. At an elevation of over 5000 meters, you’re literally out of breath as you hike this colorful mountain range with many colors of the rainbow and cool rock formations. Ausangate, a nearby mountain range, is equally beautiful, but features red and turquoise lakes and very few people, making the experience extra enjoyable.
Tambopata National Park and the Chuncho clay lick in the Peruvian rainforest
And then there’s the Peruvian Amazon jungle. I had seen photos of hundreds of macaws feeding off of clay licks in a tv documentary a while back and wanted to experience this for myself. So, from Cuzco I took a plane into the jungle town of Puerto Maldonado, from where you have to travel via the Tambopata river into the Tambopata National Park on the border with Brazil. The next morning, I went out at sunrise to experience thousands of Scarlet Macaws and other parrots feeding off of the Chuncho clay lick on the banks of this Amazon river, where I even spotted a family of Capybaras. The wildlife in Peru is so diverse and as I finished my trip through the jungle, I spotted giant otters and caymans at the Sandoval Lake from a canoe. This was more than I was hoping for!
Lake Titicaca
It was then time to say goodbye to Peru and head over to Bolivia, but not before spending 2 days at Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest lake. The population here lives on floating islands called Uros and need to keep changing the straw of their island every 2 weeks to prevent it from going bad. It was quite a fun experience to sleep on one of these islands and stay with a local family. In the evening you even feel the floating island rocking a bit, guaranteeing a perfect night’s sleep!
