Adventure Machu Picchu

We warmly welcome our guests from Slovenia, Germany, and the U.S. here in Arequipa. Today we’ll have a brief briefing before we pick up the motorcycles. Everyone is eagerly looking forward to starting the tour tomorrow.

Our first day of riding takes us from Arequipa down to the coast, where we wind our way along a newly built road to the Pan-American Highway. Although the Pacific Ocean is so close, it never rains here, and the entire region is a desert of enormous dunes, broken only by narrow, green river valleys. We’ll spend tonight in Puerto Inka, a port used by the Incas but originally built by earlier cultures.

Today is a short day of riding. After traveling a few more kilometers along the coast and then through the desert, we’ll reach Nasca around noon. This afternoon, most of the group will take a flight over the legendary Nazca Lines. Those who don’t want to fly will drive to the observation tower to see at least some of the figures and lines from there. After visiting the tower, we’ll stop at a historic canal—an aqueduct—that still carries water. We feel as if we’re in an oasis.

Now we’re leaving the desert and heading into the highlands. It’s cloudy at the start, but after a few kilometers we break through the clouds and climb to an altitude of over 4.000 meters over the first 80 kilometers. Here we take our coffee break—probably one of the highest in the world. Our lunch break is then back down at about 2.000 meters above sea level, but after that we head uphill again, this time even higher. In the afternoon, we spend a long time riding on a high plateau at around 4.500 meters, and we really feel the lack of oxygen at these altitudes. Now, quickly back down into the valley to 3.000. ;-)

Another incredible day of riding. Today’s route seems to weave countless twists and turns through the landscape. Up and down—curves, curves, curves—warm valleys and refreshing highlands. We’re slowly acclimating a bit; we feel the altitude less than we did yesterday. It’s fascinating to see the vegetation in the valleys at these elevations—at European altitudes, nothing has been growing there for a long time. In the evening, we reach Ollantaytambo, our starting point for tomorrow’s excursion to Machu Picchu—unfortunately without our motorcycles.

Today we’re taking the train. After breakfast, we’ll travel by train through the Urubamba Valley to Machu Picchu Pueblo—formerly known as Aguas Calientes—and from there take a bus up to Machu Picchu. Discovered just over a hundred years ago, this Inca city is still 80% intact and captivates visitors with its location and charm. On a walking tour through the ancient city, we’ll learn a lot about the daily life and customs of the Incas. After the tour, we’ll return to Ollantaytambo via the same route. Along the way, we’ll be entertained by local music and dances.

Now that we’ve visited Machu Picchu, we’re heading to Cusco today. On the way there, just like the past few days, we’ll enjoy stunning scenery in perfect weather. We’ll also make a stop at a traditional textile workshop. In Cusco, our first stop is Sacsayhuaman; the stone walls of this historic site are impressive. After arriving at our hotel, we walk down to the Plaza de Armas. Since the Inti Raimi festival—marking the winter solstice—will be celebrated the day after tomorrow, the entire region is in a festive mood, and the communities are showcasing their traditional costumes with music and dances. Everyone is thrilled and taking photos and videos.

The cradle of the Incas beckons us today. According to legend, the first Incas emerged from Lake Titicaca, then traveled across the Altiplano toward Cusco, and built their empire from there. Although today’s route isn’t full of curves, we enjoy the drive through the ever-changing landscapes. Once we arrive at the lake, we admire the play of colors at sunset and the starry sky at night.

We’ve been traveling at high altitudes for days now, but today we want to go even higher. First, though, we’ll visit the floating islands of the Uros. It’s hard to believe that people here build islands with living quarters out of reed-like grasses. Afterward, we’ll cross the Altiplano and actually pass the highest point of our trip at just under 5,000 meters, then head down to Chivay. From the top, we had a view of the eight surrounding volcanoes, one of which is constantly emitting smoke. Of course, we mustn’t forget the other snow-capped mountains of the Andes.

Our last day takes us to the Colca Canyon, the deepest on our wonderful planet. Here we’ll see another marvel: the condor. With a wingspan of over 3 meters in some cases, it is the largest flying bird in the world. On the way back, we’ll stop again in Chivay before heading up to just under 5,000 meters and then down to Arequipa. This is where our truly impressive tour comes to an end. At the farewell dinner, we have a special celebration, as Ksenija has achieved EBT Gold Member status with her 10th tour. This calls for a celebration. We wish everyone a safe trip home and hope to see you again soon.