Is the 4-Day or the 5-Day Inca Trail Right for You?
I recently hiked the 4-day version of the Inca Trail. I had wanted to do the 5-day version, but my available dates didn’t coincide with a 5-day hike. So, what …
Read More 
Our Peru Adventure: Lima to Cusco
Gustavo picked us up at our hotel at 7:15 to take us to the airport. As usual, traffic getting to the airport was awful. It took us an hour and …
Read More
Is Peru Dangerous? 10 Tips to Stay Safe
I recently met a friend for tea who I hadn’t seen in a number of years. When I suggested she travel with us at Llama Expeditions to Peru, she was …
Read More
Our Peru Adventure: Wayna Picchu and Aguas Calientes
There were two morning hikes – one at 7:00 and one at 10:00. We chose the 7:00 AM hike because we had heard that the trail was very narrow and …
Read More
Packing List for the Short Inca Trail
The night before the 1-day Inca Trail hike, you should prepare two bags. The first is an overnight bag for your stay in Aguas Calientes. You should pack whatever you …
Read More
Our Peru Adventure: Visiting Vicuanas and Pre-Inca Burial Towers
We were met by Mary and John Alexander, our guide, at 6:30. While we weren’t able to print our boarding passes for our flight from Juliaca to Lima due to …
Read More
Should I Buy Handicrafts from Children in Cusco?
One of the first things I noticed when I arrived in Chiapas, Mexico, to attend the ATTA World Summit was the hordes of children roaming the streets, dirty and bedraggled, selling everything …
Read More
Secret to Getting a Hot Shower at a Cheap Hotel in Peru
Getting a hot shower can be tricky. On numerous trips to Peru and other countries within Latin America, I discovered that hot water doesn’t seem to flow as abundantly or …
Read More
How to Prepare for the Weather at Machu Picchu
The weather at Machu Picchu is typical of mountainous regions: unpredictable. I have experienced everything from torrential rainstorms that I thought would wash the site away to perfect blue-sky days. …
Read More
Shamanic Ceremony in the Andes
I looked up startled by the sudden sound of an avalanche cascading down the slope of a distant mountain. The shaman smiled. Apparently, the avalanche was a sign that the …
Read More