Category: Peru

Cusco, located in the Andes mountains of Peru, is a city rich in history and culture. Known as the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, it is now a popular destination for travelers looking to explore the country’s rich history and natural . beauty. This was the second time that we’d been to Cusco over the years. We’d swapped out our dusty backpacks for some nice new ROAM luggage. Here is our Cusco city guide, along with our ROAM luggage review.

 

Walk Through the City Center

Cusco’s city center is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is home to many of the city’s most important historical sites. Visitors can take a walk through the cobblestone streets and admire the colonial-era architecture, including the beautiful Cathedral of Cusco, which was built on the foundation of the Inca temple of the sun. Along the way, visitors can also take a peak at local markets and artisans selling traditional goods and souvenirs.

 

 

Take a Day Hike in the Sacred Valley

The Sacred Valley is a picturesque region located just outside of Cusco, and is home to many Inca ruins and traditional Andean communities. Visitors can go on a day hike and explore the valley’s natural beauty, including the Urubamba River, which winds its way through the valley. Visitors also can go visit the Inca ruin of Pisac, and visit a local markets of the town.

 

 

Enjoy a Peruvian Cooking Class

Peruvian cuisine is known for its unique blend of flavors and ingredients, and Cusco is a great place to learn how to cook traditional dishes. Visitors can take a cooking class and learn how to make dishes such as ceviche, lomo saltado, and ají de gallina.

 

 

Visit the Inca Ruins of Machu Picchu

One of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Machu Picchu is a must-see for anyone visiting Cusco. It is considered to be one of the most significant archaeological sites in South America and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the best things to see at Machu Picchu is the incredible architecture of the city. The Incans were master builders and the structures at Machu Picchu are a testament to their skills. The walls of the buildings are made of finely cut stone that fit together perfectly without the use of mortar. The temples and palaces have intricate carvings and sculptures that are still well-preserved.

Another great thing to see at Machu Picchu is the stunning views of the surrounding landscape. The city is located on a mountain ridge and offers panoramic views of the Andes Mountains and the Urubamba Valley. Visitors can also see the Vilcanota River winding its way through the valley below. The views are especially beautiful at sunset and sunrise, when the light changes and the colors of the landscape are at their most vibrant.

While visiting Machu Picchu don’t miss the Intihuatana, a large stone structure that was used by the Incans for astronomical observations. The stone is carved with intricate designs and is believed to have been used to determine the solstices and other important astronomical events. The Intihuatana is located in a secluded area of the city and offers a peaceful and contemplative experience for visitors. It is a unique and fascinating aspect of the Incan civilization that adds to the overall experience of visiting Machu Picchu.

 

 

 

Experience a Spiritual Healing Ceremony

Cusco is home to many traditional healers, known as curanderos or curanderas, who use a variety of techniques to heal the body and mind. Visitors can participate in a spiritual healing ceremony, such as a despacho or a mesa, which involve the use of traditional Andean medicines, such as the hallucinant ayahuasca, coca leaves and chakapas. These ceremonies often have a spiritual component and provide a way for visitors to connect with the culture and history of the region.

Cusco is a destination that offers something for everyone, from adventure and culture to relaxation and spiritual healing. This city will offer an experience that you will never forget. With its rich history, vibrant culture, and natural beauty, Cusco is a destination that should not be missed. To fully explore this area, it would be better to stay around at least a week. There are many tour options to choose from, such as the famous “Inca Trail” and the “Salkantay trek” which will give you the chance to fully explore the surrounding areas and not miss any of the must see places.

 

 

ROAM Luggage Review

I know this sounds a little travel nerdy, but we were super excited to road test our new ROAM luggage on our Peru trip. The last time we were in Peru, back in 2012, we were your typical backpackers; lugging around 80L backpacking bags as we lived for months on whatever we could jam into our packs.

Now, after a decade of backpacking bags, we finally had a premium set of luggage to help ease our travel experience. We were super pumped to roll out the luggage and give it a test. Here’s our three part review of our ROAM luggage experience.

 

 

Design

Before we jump into anything let’s begin with the design. Our journey starts on the ROAM website as you have a number of different luggage sizes to choose from. There are two types of carry on bags, where one has an added expansion zip that takes it from 37L to 51L capacity. Equally for the check in bags you have the option to make it expandable, taking the bag from 60L to 86L.

 

 

Once you’ve settled on your size it’s time for the fun part, customization! The best part about ROAM luggage is that they are incredibly customizable. There are 7 different elements that you can choose colors for, with multiple color options in each element. This allows you to literally make thousands of different combinations to suit your style.

Choose the front shell, back shell, zipper, binding, wheels, carry handles and monogram patch as you create a unique ROAM design. Another great function is the 3D design that changes in real time to reflect your design choices. Swapping colors is as easy as a click of a button, as you try all the different combinations until you find one that speaks to you.

 

 

Functionality

Along with amazing customization, ROAM also has a number of great features that make their luggage elite for traveling. Each bag comes equipped with polycarbonate outer shells, making the bag super strong and sturdy when transporting your valuables inside.

There’s also a telescoping handle that gives you two different heights to extend to, ball bearing wheels for a smooth journey, a water repellent zipper and a TSA approved lock. On the inside there is fabric lining and two compression boards and straps to lock down each compartment side of the luggage. This is perfect for when you need to open your bag and don’t want all your contents spilling out in the process.

 

 

In Practice

So with our brand new, fully customized The Large Carry-On (the expandable version) ordered and packed it was time to road test them. As we rolled into San Francisco International airport we could feel the smooth ride of the bag right up until we checked our expanded carry ons. Once the bags were expanded it was super roomy and it was enough to carry everything we needed for two weeks in Peru.

 

 

Being so lightweight and compact meant it was easy to transport them from taxis to our accommodation, as well we wheel them through the streets when needed. They even held up great with the cobblestone streets of Cusco as we rolled around town when leaving our accommodation and deciding to do a little more sightseeing (aka shopping).

Overall our ROAM ‘The Large Carry-On’ luggage was excellent for our trip to Peru. It couldn’t have been put through a more thorough road test and we’re so stoked to finally have a premium piece of luggage to travel with.

 

The plane’s shaking, I’m shaking even more and that’s all I hear before we start to go down! I wake up with a sudden gasp of air and realise I’m securely in the same shitty hostel that I fell asleep in the night before. A 24hr stomach bug is taking its toll and leaving me with sweaty night terrors about flying the Nazca lines in the morning.

That’s right, I forked out for the Nazca lines to check out all the fuss. But isn’t that expensive? Hell yeah it was, and I knew it was going to be, but if we don’t check these things out, how else could we write about them? Besides, I was in the area, and I knew that there was a lot more to Nazca than meets the lines.

As well as flying over the expensive lines there are also a number of budget activities that will intrigue your sense of travel (and go easy on your wallet). Two of the better ones include a visit to the pre-Hispanic mummy cemetery of Chauchilla and the ancient fresh spring water Aguaducts de Cantalloc.

 

 

When I first heard about the Nazca lines in Peru I was drawn to the mystery and intrigue of these age old inscriptions etched into the rocky desert. I’d decided to tackle the lines from the sky, which meant cashing out a little more than I’d planned on a tight budget. Luckily with a few well known haggling techniques I managed a flight for $70USD, which wasn’t too bad compared to prices of up to $100USD, but if you’re on a budget it still hits the account pretty hard.

After being rushed onto the plane by a busy pilot, (not exactly the thing you want with a flimsy looking 4 seated Cessna plane) we were up in the sky and our plane was shaking on route to the lines. After 10 minutes you reach the lines and commence a very short aerial tour. First the right side passengers fly over a dozen lines and shapes, before the pilot does a U-turn and shows the left side passengers the same route.

 

{ I would’ve put up more lines pictures, but it’s pretty hard to see – can you spot the monkey? }

You have a little map to help you make out the vague patterns in the desolate desert, but by the time you’ve made out the shapes you’re already onto the next one. Granted, the bird’s eye approach is the only true way to grasp their enormity, but within 10 minutes you’re done, dusted and flying back to the airport for a total flight time of 30 minutes in the sky.

Is it worth it? In my opinion it’s an individual call, which depends on a number of personal factors. Do you have the money? Is it something you really want to see? Do you have a fascination with pre-Hispanic civilizations? If you didn’t answer ‘yes’ to all three of those questions, I’d probably reconsider paying that much for a half hour activity.

Luckily Nazca isn’t just about the lines, and if you’re on a tight budget you can easily find some cheap activities and sights while visiting. Just outside of town is the pre-Incan cemetery of Chauchilla that contains an impressive display of underground tombs and real life mummies still intact. Encased in the dry desert conditions for centuries, the tombs were first discovered by thieves in the 70s and ransacked, before restoration efforts helped restore the tombs to their former glory. Well worth a trip out there to see the petrified smiles on their faces and long dreadlocked hair that would make the Caribbean jealous.

 

 

After the afternoons excitement head back into town and pop past the fresh spring water Aguaducts de Cantalloc. They’re an awesome collection of ancient stone wells that spiral down into fresh natural spring water pools. In a country where tap water is a no-no it’s a little scary to be assured that you can literally scope safe drinking water from the ground. But it’s all good, and by that stage it’s a refreshing end to a busy day.

 

 

After walking back to the center I was well and truly ready for a nap. A day of uncertainty turned into a lot of fun and I was glad I had the opportunity to check out Nazca. Whether you take the lines or not is your call, but if Nazca is on your way remember there’s always a lot more a town has to offer. You just need to be willing to find it.

Before I left for backpacking South America in 2012 I had a small, but determined, bucket list. Getting to Rio for Carnival (without going completely broke), check out Foz de Iguaza, swim in the Caribbean in Colombia and trip balls in an Ayahuasca ceremony. Kidding! Well, kind of. I told my friends about my desire to try this mystical jungle plant, painting a picture of fire-lit ceremonies out in the Amazon, guided by an authentic indigenous shaman who would take me on a wild ride through my psyche. I Googled the hell out of it and when I finally got to South America I got first hand accounts from other travelers. Turns out Ayahuasca is a pretty common South American travel bucket list item. I heard stories of spiritual awakenings, hallucinations and vomiting, lots and lots of vomiting.

 

 

What is Ayahuasca?

Ayahuasca is a brewed mixture of various Amazonion plants. It’s Quetchuan for “vine of the soul” and has been used by shamans for hundreds of years to cure almost every ailment. It’s said to be able to cure everything from cancer to mental illnesses. What I was hoping to cure, I still wasn’t sure, but I was hoping Ayahuasca could identify something inside of me that needed to change, hoping that afterward I could feel somehow lighter.

 

Where are Ayahuasca Retreats in South America?

So after my trip to Macchu Pichu, I crossed the Sacred Valley into a small hippy town called Pisac. The location of the ceremony was behind a beautiful two-story house. A group of cabins (for those doing week long or even month long retreats!) were grouped around a small dome structure, where the ceremonies take place.

The dome was a bit like a giant igloo, with a entryway in front to leave your shoes and belongings, and behind the door a big circular room. Comfy pillows lined the edge and pictures of Ganesha & the Dalai Lama hung on the wall. When I walked in, I grabbed the pad and blanket that each participant takes to their seat. And the vomit bucket, can’t forget the vomit bucket.

The room began to fill up with a variety of people. Young, old, gringos and Latinos. A group of white people, mainly Americans made up the majority. They all seemed to know each other and had obviously done this before. They entered in couples or small groups, most wearing woven ponchos, each one more elaborately designed than the last. They weren’t exactly the native Peruvians I had hoped to be surrounded by at the Ayahuasca ceremony, but whatever. They chatted about upcoming parties and previous Ayahuasca trips until the shaman called our attention to start the night.

 

The Best Ayahuasca Shaman

On several recommendations I chose Diego Palma as my shaman. The ceremony started at about 9. He began by asking who the newbies were and we all shyly raised our hands. He also asked the group if anyone was taking prescription medication, to which I even shier raised my solitary hand. All 29 heads turned in my direction. He asked me what I was taking and I reassured him that his wife had emailed me with approval of my medications. He seemed to be happy with this answer, but I was left more nervous than ever and my thoughts started to race. Dear God, please don’t let me die in this dome shaped room full of hippies in overpriced ponchos.

The ceremony began with the shaman thanking the spirits and asking them to guide the ceremony. His started a type of sermon, guiding a theme for the ceremony.  He discussed the importance of silence, both during the ceremony and in life afterward. We were told that Ayahuasca is a very solitary medicine and were instructed not to interfere with anyone’s journey. He explained that our end goal is to be in a state where we didn’t have conscious thought, but let our unconscious take over.

One by one we were directed to come up to the front and sit in front of Diego, the brew of Ayahuasca between us. At this point we should have had an intention in mind; a personal problem or theme we want to focus on. When it was my turn I nervously slinked up to the pillow. The shaman looked at me, sizing me up, then poured a bit of Ayahuasca into the cup. I stared blank faced back at him, completely unsure of anything at this point. He continued his gaze and poured a bit more into the cup. Then he handed it to me and I held the cup to my heart and closed my eyes, mimicking my predecessors. I tried to focus on my intention fighting off last minute nerves, and croaked out “Causaypaq.” A toast meaning “to life.” No backing out now, I thought, and swallowed the liquid in one gulp. It tasted like rotting seaweed and the flavor consumed my mouth and sinuses.

I shook my head and tried not to gag on the way back to my seat. I closed my eyes and tried to let myself go. I found myself searching for a sign that the medicine has kicked in. I took every passing thought as the start of a hallucination. My stomach burned and I could feel the brew rising up in my throat. I breathed and try to relax.

About 15 minutes later, although I don’t think my sense of time was exactly on point, the shaman said it was time for seconds. He previously instructed that anyone who was still thinking conscious thought at that point, should come up for more. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be feeling at that point, but I didn’t feel like I was starting my path to spiritual healing. So I waited my turn and scooted up in the dark for another cup.

Shortly after my second drink I began to feel a very physical high. I started slouching further and further into my cushion until I was pretty much laying down. I felt like a strong gravitational force was pushing me against the wall and down to the ground. It felt like I was traveling through space at light speed and the momentum had thrown me to the back of my spaceship. Was this the emotional weight of my demons I was meant to breakthrough? I wasn’t sure and at the time I didn’t care because I was thrown into an instant state of euphoria. I was completely in the dark but I knew I had a ridiculous giant grin on my face.

 

 

All around me I could hear sounds of violent vomiting. I could hear some retreating to the porch to vomit. I could hear the distant sound of others gagging in the bathroom. I could hear the guy next to me puking loudly, his bucket echoing the noise.

 

Do You Vomit During the Ayahuasca Ceremony?

My nausea, however, hadn’t kicked in yet. I felt ecstatic and started thinking about all the amazing people in my life. My mind started running through a list of all the friends and family I missed from home and wished they were there. I thought about how much I loved my (then fairly new boyfriend) Jules.

Then the nausea started. At the beginning of the ceremony our shaman had said that nausea was expected. Vomiting was the expulsion our demons, but he mentioned that we shouldn’t force it. If it happened, it happened, but we should definitely not stick our fingers down our throats to coax it. With that in mind, I laid on my cushion with my stomach churning. I pulled the bucket up to my face a few times, in hope of some relief but it never came. I sat in an uncomfortable state of nausea, but was comforted and a bit jealous of my fellow Ayahuasca takers vomiting all around me.

The next hour or so (again, my sense of time was probably drowned by the brew) I spent in a weird dream state. Honestly, I might have fallen asleep. It was around midnight by that point and I had barely eaten anything all day.  I think I fell in and out of sleep, although the Ayahuasca induced a sort of dream like feeling. I began to hallucinate a bit of geometric, fractal images.

Then the shaman and some other participants who had brought musical instruments began to play in the dark. The songs, many in Quechuan, we’re beautiful medicine songs. The voices of the participants were stunning and I let them guide me through the rest of the night.

Soon some candles were lit in the center and the music became livelier. A group of three women came up and danced. They moved their bodies to the music and their fluid movements flashing in and out of candlelight triggered more hallucinations. I saw more intense fractals projected onto the curtained wall in front of me. I laid back and fully enjoyed being a spectator to the impromptu performance without any pressure to participate.

Eventually the music transitioned into a soft lullaby and people started to fall asleep. I slept restlessly, transitioning between dreams and Ayahuasca strangeness. In the morning I could hear several people packing up their cushions, but did not have the energy to fully awaken. I dozed until I heard the sounds of something scraping against the floor near me, the sounds coming closer and closer. It sounded like it was about to approach me, then stopped, moved to my other side and continued. Was I still hallucinating? I poked a cautious eye from beneath my blanket to find the room empty except for my heap of blankets and a cleaning woman sweeping the floor.

I checked my watch and saw that I had slept until 10:30 and everyone had left. Embarrassed I folded my blankets and thanked the very impatient looking cleaning woman. My eyes were still playing tricks on me as I found my way to door. A small group was lingering outside and I can only imagine how I looked to them, my eyes bugged out searching for a returned sense of normalcy. I tried to ignore the geometric patterns I was seeing in the grass while they asked me how my first time was. Clearly I wasn’t fooling anybody. They were seasoned veterans and noted that the previous nights ceremony was one of the best they’d ever experienced. I had nothing to compare it to but was glad to hear the shaman was one of the best.

I reunited with my friend, who had been in the shower, to wander back into town. After not eating for almost 24 hours I was unstable on my feet. We grabbed a collectivo back to Cusco and then hopped on a bus back to Pisco. The whole day I felt shaky and odd, but wasn’t sure I had experienced a true spiritual healing. Overall, it was a far cry from the indigenous jungle ceremony I had prematurely bragged to my friends about. Participating in an Ayahuasca ceremony has definitely become a popular stop on the gringo trail. The experience was intense and I’m glad I tried it, but it’s not something I’ll be trying again in the immediate future.  Perhaps I hadn’t gone deep enough to fight off my demons, or maybe I don’t really have demons to fight off, but I was reminded that, in general, I’ve got it pretty good.

For more info on Diego Palma’s retreats, check out his site at Sacred Valley Tribe.