Perú, Luxury adventure in the Andes

The sea breeze of Lima gives us a warm welcome to Peru. Walking through its streets we head towards the district of Miraflores, where the best hotels in the city can be found.

We were accommodated at the fantastic Miraflores Park A Belmond Hotel Lima,  located in a luxuriant garden with wonderful views of the Miraflores Malecon. A veritable urban sanctuary. The Tragaluz restaurant awaits us, we are in one of the gastronomic world capitals, and after hours of flying, we are hungry. What more could we ask for!
The restaurant emanates elegance and tranquility. The Limeños know it and enjoy their exquisite dishes as much as we do.
We tasted a Nikkei tuna ceviche, nori, and sesame oil, grilled Conchas, black butter, and crispy garlic, as well as the first Pisco of the trip.

After an early wake-up, a flight from Lima to Cusco awaits us. An hour and a fifteen minutes later we are in the Inca city by antonomasia. Cusco, the ancient capital of Peru -in Inca times- had bustling and beautiful cobblestone streets with hidden corners full of history

The cathedral in the Plaza de Armas, Templo de Santo Domingo and Koricancha, a church and a Dominican convent built on the bases of Koricancha, the main religious building of the Incas dedicated to the worship of the sun, are a true must-see. We are at 3,399 meters above sea level, and it is noticeable, but nothing that a coca candy or an infusion of muña can not solve. It is important to adjust the body and take it calmly.

We stayed three nights at the Palacio Nazarenas A Belmond hotel Cusco, a hidden hotel, ideal for resting and enjoying its beautiful courtyards and cloisters between its walls of ancient Inca stones. We had lunch in a wonderful location with the nicest views of Cusco.

Tomorrow will be a great day, we will visit the city of Machu Picchu and in the best possible way, aboard the majestic Hiram Bingham A Belmond Train, Machu Pichu! Name given for being the explorer who rediscovered the citadel and made it known to the world.
Once we arrive at the Poroy train station, it is impossible to not be amazed. The train is magnificent! The carriages are painted in their distinctive blue and gold colors. We enliven the wait with a nice glass of cava and music masterfully interpreted by an Andean quartet.
Interiors are luxurious, warm, and cozy, with the elegant decor in the style of the Pullman trains of the 1920s. Dining Cars, an Observation Bar Car, and a Kitchen Car accommodate up to 84 passengers.
Nearly 4 hours filled with Gourmet experiences and unforgettable views. We arrive at the town of Aguas Calientes, the prelude to the Machu Picchu citadel.

The only thing left was to travel by bus along the winding road with vertiginous cliffs through a mountainous tropical forest.
We arrive at one of the seven great wonders of the modern world. The most impressive urban creation of the entire Inca empire.
Machu Picchu (old mountain), and in front of us half-hidden by clouds, like a cautious guardian, the mountain Huayna Picchu (young mountain). We begin a beautiful journey into the past. The Inca citadel was built around 1450 and abandoned a hundred years later, after the Spanish conquest.

The historian Hiram Bingham re-discovered the ruins thanks to local shepherds and divulged them to the rest of the world. He was not the first to arrive, but he was the person who made it known worldwide.

Back to Cusco on the train is a party, caused by sensational musicians in the Vagón-Bar who know how to heat up the atmosphere and the enthusiasm of all passengers on the train. For those who are calmer, they prefer to enjoy an after-dinner drink while admiring the landscape.

I really enjoy traveling part of my journeys by road. It gives you a closer, and dustier view of the land, meeting and visiting the local communities, their stores, and markets.

We head to Ollantayambo, crossing fields that merge with views of the snow-capped peaks of the Urubamba and Vilcabamba Cordilleras.

Stopping at a small village of Chinchero where we are shown in detail the process of washing, dyeing with plants, spinning, and weaving, and how it was done by their ancestors.

We move on, to Rio Sagrado A Belmond Hotel Valle Sagrado a hotel with a privileged location, next to the Urubamba River we enjoyed succulent grilled specialties in the immense nature of the Valley. Thank you, Pachamama!

During the afternoon, we explored Moray, a peculiar place, with a group of terraces placed in concentric circles. Apparently, it was used as an agricultural laboratory in which many species of crops of varying altitudes were domesticated.

The colonial town of Maras was the center of exploitation of the nearby salt flats which date back to pre-Columbian times. A sort of natural bathtubs, apparently minuscule from above, that dye the area in a palette of colors that goes from clay pink to the purest white, bright and crystalline at the time of harvest.

Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the trip was  Andean Explorer A Belmond Train Peru is the essence of great train travel, a journey through the ancient kingdoms and natural wonders of Peru. That should be days of travel in one of the most luxurious trains in the world, across mountains and extensive Andean plains, to Arequipa. Sharing experiences with the rest of the passengers. The service was up to expectations and the gastronomy was a work of art, the cabins spacious in the daytime and cozy and comfortable at night.

We made our way to the shimmering beauty of Lake Titicaca, which extends along the border between Peru and Bolivia and is one of the longest lakes in South America. According to legend, from its depths emerged the founders of the Inca empire who gave birth to the world itself.

By boat, we head to the floating islands of Uros, where we share experiences with the "URUS" community.

La Raya marks the border between the regions of Cusco and Puno and is a typical natural area of the zone known as "Puna" whose surrounding flora is mostly made up of "ichu" and its fauna of “alpacas”, "llamas" and vicuñas. We explore the caves of Sumbay, where we appreciate more than 500 paintings and engravings from the local fauna, including herds of guanacos, a relative of the llama that still lives in the highlands of Peru.

We move to the viewpoint of the Cruz in the Colca Canyon, it is 15:00 in the afternoon, and we are totally alone, and without a trace of the Andean condor. It is practically impossible to see condors at this time of the afternoon, we are discouraged by the guide, but our patience is rewarded and after 20 minutes we see a family of condors flying through the canyon. Majestic and gigantic, aided by the currents of the canyon. One of the most exciting moments of the trip.

Back to Lima from Arequipa, enchanting volcanic land, we travel to the Larco Hera Museum, the only colonial mansion of the 18th century, which was built over a pre-Columbian pyramid of the 7th century. Among the many treasures of the Larco Museum, we admire the large collection of ancient Peruvian gold and silver. A quiet place where the wealthiest Limeños celebrate Mother's Day, between piscos and ceviches.

It's time to say goodbye Perú, or let's leave it as see you later!