Palacio del Inka Must-Stay. Cusco oozes history. Cusco was the historical heart of the Inca Empire(the largest empire in pre-Columbian America) from the 13th to the 16th century. And the five-star Palacio del Inka is no exception. This hotel, formally a huge colonial mansion, was claimed by Gonzalo Pizarro in 1533. Gonzalo was the brother of [...]
Machu Picchu Must-See. High on so many travelers bucket list is Machu Picchu, and rightly so; it is truly magnificent. This Inca Empire landmark rests comfortably on a mountain ridge at 2,430 meters (7,970 feet) and is a UNESCO World Heritage site as well as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The Incas constructed [...]
Ultimate Guide Salar de Uyuni Bolivia. Salar de Uyuni is located in the southwest corner of Bolivia. It is the world’s largest salt flat in the world at over 4,000 square miles. And it is at a high altitude, at 11,995 feet (3,656 meters). The Salar was formed eons ago, when water from nearby mountains drained into this [...]
Bolivia – 111th Country. To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries. Bolivia is my 111th country. Check out the best 193 travel books to read! Bolivia has been on my bucket list for a long [...]
Cholita Wrestling La Paz. One of the joys of travel is witnessing local dress. And visitors to Bolivia will immediately note the unique style of many Bolivian women. A high bowler hat, a puffy skirt, and long braided hair. These are the Cholitas. These Cholitas are indigenous women from the Aymara and Quechua groups of the [...]
Sauce Hostal Ollantaytambo Sacred Valley. Sauce Hostal is located in the heart of, a quaint village of 10,000 in the Sacred Valley. Ollantaytambo is a great base to explore the valley and also a great midpoint between Machu Picchu and Cusco. In fact, I made Ollantaytambo my home base for three days to explore the area [...]
Three Days Sacred Valley Peru. It was a long overnight flight (3 segments from ORD-SAL-LIM-CUZ) with little sleep. I was excited for my trip to explore the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Cusco. I was starting my trip with three nights in Ollantaytambo. While I was planning on spending three nights in Cusco, I decided to [...]
Pachamanca Farm Lunch Ollantaytambo. El Albergue Hotel dates back nearly a century standing near the Ollantaytambo Train Station. The town of Ollantaytambo sits in the Sacred Valley, half-way between Machu Picchu and Cusco. Wendy Weeks, a young artist from Seattle, settled in Ollantaytambo in the 1970’s and took over and rebirthed the hotel. In 2011, [...]
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