Steph and I at the highest pass along
the trail early in the morning...
"My wife dresses to kill. She cooks the same way."
- Henny Youngman
Steph and I at the highest pass along
the trail early in the morning...
("Original Itinerary" from our travel agent.)
Land Itinerary excursions are described in detail on websites
http://www.perujungle.com
http://www.peruandes.com
August 12
After clearing customs in Lima Airport, proceed through the nearest
doors to the outside of the airport. Look for our employee, Edda Chumbiauca,
standing behind the security fence, holding a sign with our logo (head of a
hoatzin in a diamond shape). Edda always carries her cell phone #888-7061. Hotel
Melodia.
August
13
Breakfast at the Melodia included. Edda will meet you in the hotel
lobby at 8am, take you to the airport and help you check onto your flight to
Cusco. Upon arriving in Cusco Airport look for Andean agent, holding up a sign
with your name on it. Local office is #263498. Transfer to Centenario Hotel
Afternoon tour of Sacsahuaman National Park and sites near Cusco.
August 14, 15
Hiking, camping on Inca Trail with private guide, porters, cook, arrive
Machu Picchu by evening of August 15
August 16
Full day guided tour of Machu Picchu, leaving on late afternoon train
to Cusco. Hotel Centenario
August 17
Transfer out of Cusco; fly to Lima; fly to Iquitos. Upon arrival in
Iquitos Airport you are met by our staff, wearing tee shirts with our logo (head
of a hoatzin bird in a diamond shape). Iquitos office phone 242792.
Speedboat transfer up the Amazon, then the Tahuayo tributary to our lodge.
August 18-21
Private or group guided excursions in and around the Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo
Reserve. Among activities that you can select are: canoeing, hiking, boating,
wildlife viewing and photography, visit native villages, zip-line canopy
adventure, survival training-camping, etc.
August 22
After breakfast motorboat to Iquitos. Lunch, city tour, then farewell
supper with staff. Transfer to airport, fly to Lima.
Machu Picchu
History:
The American professor Hiram Bingham searched already some time for the lost city of Vilcabamba. This was the last hiding place of the Incas. On July the 23rd of 1911 he and his team were again deep in the Andes looking for Vilcabamba. He relied on cryptic indications in an old document about the last free Inca Manco Capac II who escaped from the Spanish after the defeated revolt in Cusco.
The weather was very bad, but an innkeeper fanned the interest of the professor telling a story about a lost city in the neighborhood. He and his team stayed in the humble hotel of the innkeeper who was promised a silver dollar if he could bring the team on location.
On the 24th of July Bingham went together with the innkeeper and a representative from the Peruvian government facing the bad weather, gray clouds and tropical rains. The other members of the team choose to stay in the hotel and wash their clothes. The professor and the two fellow passengers had to cross the wild Vilcanota River by a wooden bridge and climbed 600m on a very steep mountain. Halfway the mountain the guide talked with the owner of a simple hut with a thatched roof.
Bingham wanted to continue and a 10-year-old boy guided him. They had to climb over Inca terraces and a little later his encouragement was finally rewarded. He stood before the walls of Machu Picchu. The picture on the left-hand side is the first ever taken from the Sacred City. The tropical vegetation was ranked over the ruins totally, but the remains were pretty good preserved. In the next years of investigation Bingham took about 11.000 (!) pictures from the complex.
In his book "The Discovery of Machu Picchu" he later wrote: "Suddenly I was standing in front of the walls of a ruin and houses from the best quality of Inca building art. The walls were difficult to see because the trees and moss ranked partly the stones during centuries. But in the shade of bamboo bushes and climbing plants were the walls visible of white granite blocks chopped in the highest precision. I found brilliant temples, royal houses, a big square and tens of houses. It looked like a dream."
Machu
Picchu is situated between steep mountains with summits above 5.500m and
the always-wild Vilcanota River. The only way to
get there was over a narrow footpath constructed by the Incas, the Inca
Trail or the Camino del Inca. Today
thousands of tourists come by train to visit the Sacred City. The visitors get
of the train in Aquas Calientes and take a bus to
the ruins. The city of Machu Picchu is located at
2.400m above sea level and a 100km from Cusco. 
Lots of visitors still arrive in the sacred city by the Inca Trail. There are trails from 2 to 9 days; the most common are the 2-days and the 4-days trail. You have to have a good physical condition. The second day of the trail crosses a pass of 4.300m with views on glaciers, white summits and the mystical subtropical forest. On the four-day trail various ruins can be seen and the guide will explain with a charming pride what these places represented in the empire of the Incas, Tahuantinsuyu. Left is the ruin of Wiñawaña where the Inca Trail passes the day before arriving in Machu Picchu. The Sacred City is situated on the other side of the mountain. More details of how to get there and what you need in the Machu Picchu section of Cusco.
The
Sacred City is built between two sharp peaks, in south the Machu
Picchu (Old Mountain) and north the lower Huayna
Picchu (Young Mountain). 800m below twists the Urubamba
(or the Vilcanota River) through the 90° steep
rock walls. The vegetation is the beautiful subtropical rainforest. All of this
combined with the surrealistic beauty of the city of Machu
Picchu makes this place one of the most beautiful on earth.
How'd they do it? It's hard to understand from our knowledge of Greek, Egyptian and other early civilizations with written records how such a magnificent site could not have been discovered by the Spanish. Yet until its discovery in the 1911, Machu Picchu, "the lost city of the Incas", remained forgotten for 400 years.
Actually, Machu Picchu was not a city at all. It was probably built by
Pachacuti Inca as a royal estate and religious retreat in 1460-70. Its location
— on a remote secondary road in nearly impassable terrain high above the
Urubamba River canyon cloud forest — almost ensured that it would have no
administrative, commercial or military use. Any movement in that direction to or
from Cusco and the Sacred valley upriver would have been by other Inca roads,
either the high road near Salcantay or by the Lucumayo valley road. Travel was
restricted on these roads except by Inca decree. 
After Pachacuti Inca's death, Machu Picchu remained the property of his allus, or kinship group, who were responsible for maintenance, administration and continued building. As an extraordinary sacred site (location as well as buildings), it surely was visited by Topa Inca and the last great ruler, Huayna Capac, although each in turn built their own estates and palaces. But few outside the Inca's retainers would have known of its existence.
"To visit Machupijchu, you must prepare the
soul, sharpen the senses. Forget for some minutes, the small and transcendental
problems of our lives, of modern... man..."
- Napoleon Polo Casilla 435 Cuzco Peru
Click here for a full size topographical map of the Inca Trail (169k).
Peruvian Amazon
Rainforest (Iquitos)
The second part of our Peruvian
adventure took us up to the headwaters of the Amazon near Iquitos.
Miami
We took a three-day trip through
Miami on the way home...
"The Original Everglades Day Safari: Florida's Finest Eco-Tour" - www.ecosafari.com or 800-472-3069
8:00am to 5:30pm
Everglades Day Safari is the original eco-tour in South Florida. Since our
beginning in 1991, we have provided visitors and residents the opportunity to
observe the beauty and mystery of the Everglades. We promote man's
responsibility to co-exist constructively with nature in this truly magnificent
kingdom. We have assembled the very finest team of scientists and
naturalists to guide, entertain and teach our customers. Each year we have
many repeat customers as well as their referrals. You will learn the
history, current problems and hopeful prognosis for the future of the
Everglades... one of the truly unique ecosystems of the world. One of our
highly-trained guides will escort you deep into the realm of the alligator in
search of the mysteries that lurk tern. Your guide will be with you
throughout the day as you travel to different areas within the Everglades.
Our safaris always include: A nature walk, airboat ride through the "river
of grass," southern lunch, nature drive and much more. You will
provided with man great photographic opportunities, so bring plenty of
film. Our safaris are intentionally kept small and our itinerary flexible,
allowing our guides to adjust to the ever-changing conditions of the
Everglades. Where you are young or old, a serious naturalist or just an
interested human, you will find our safari one of the most exciting and
educational days of your life.
Dolphins Plus
- 305-451-1993 - www.dolphinsplus.com
"Located on the ocean side of Key Largo, Florida, Dolphins Plus operates a
marine mammal facility involved in environmental education programs, in-water
therapy with handicapped, and the study of inter-species interaction between
dolphins and humans and is a member of the National Marine Mammal Stranding
Network.
Dolphins Plus works closely with nonprofit organizations such as the Marine
Mammal Rescue Foundation.
We offer a structured program and a nonstructured program. Both programs
are designed for those interested in learning more about dolphins and their
environment and will provide a total role reversal experience with the human
entering the dolphin world as a swimmer or snorkeler.
The Nonsturctured Program
The nonstructured program is NOT a program for non-swimmers or those who are
not comfortable in the water. You must be aware that you will be
snorkeling in deep water... As much diving and swimming underwater as
possible is recommended. WE ARE NOT AN AMUSEMENT PARK: We make no promises
of any direct contact between human participants and dolphins in our
nonstructured programs. These animals are acclimated to being in the water
with humans. They are not trained to do tricks for you or work for
food. The dolphins set the pace.
Under construction 
**All photographs (unless otherwise noted) are the property of
Stenning Schueppert and may not be distributed or circulated for any purposes
(personal or commercial) without his express written consent. Questions or
comments regarding selected photographs are, of course, welcome.
Informational credit goes to GORP (www.gorp.com) and Info-Peru
(www.infoperu.com)
Last updated April 5, 2001.
