It was much harder than it should have been but I finally am the proud holder of two tickets to visit Machu Picchu next month. My Bolivian friend at our hotel in Peru’s Sacred Valley came through and things did work, although not without wrinkles. Even he had trouble getting the government website or booking system to work properly for several days. So if you are looking to buy tickets, here’s what I recommend: Go through your hotel if at all possible – which means you’ll have to wire money and some personal details (like your passport number) which is a little discomforting. It cost us about $30 extra – $10 per tix comission to the hotel and $10 to wire money – but I think it’s worth the peace of mind to know that you have advance tickets, given that the number of visitors per day is restricted and it take a lot of time, effort and money to get to Machu Picchu – (you have to book advance trains, hotel, etc.) I’m very excited to see this amazing place!
Category Archives: The Americas
Advice on how to get Machu Picchu tickets – persistence and a little help from your hotel!
Filed under Adventure travel, Peru
Why we’re wiring money to a Bolivian man living in Peru….
The first coat of arms of Bolivia, formerly named as the Republic of Bolívar in honor of Simón Bolívar.
I got so frustrated with unsatisfactory answers from various Peruvian authorities on the basic point of HOW TO BUY ADVANCE TICKETS TO MACHU PICCHU that I have finally decided to go through our hotel in Peru’s Sacred Valley (a prime launching pad for people visiting MP) to get tickets. Hopefully this will work but it seems a bit iffy right now. We have to wire $120 for two tickets via Western Union to a man who works at the hotel, who will then buy the tickets for us – for a modest commission plus whatever it costs to wire money these days (haven’t done that in three years, since we needed to send our son some money when he was living in Poland.)
In addition we had to give this man our passport numbers (which are required to buy the MP tickets) and a few other distinguishing characteristics (our date of birth, nationality, etc.) and he, in turn, gave us information about himself that we apparently need to include when we wire money so he can pick up the wire transaction. (This is how we found out he’s Bolivian…he also sent us his passport number and home address, not the hotel address.)
At this point, we have no reason to think he’s not reputable – the hotel he works for is recommended by at least one travel guide I’ve used. But I’m still uneasy about the whole thing – especially handing over personal info and money to a total stranger in this age of “identity theft” and old-fashioned money theft. I fault Peruvian officials for NOT making the process much clearer and easier for tourists to understand and follow. After all, MP is their major tourist attraction – and we are spending a lot of time and money to try to get there.
Filed under Peru
Machu Picchu – still trying to figure out HOW to buy advance tickets
The ruins viewed from the Guardian’s Hut
I have never – ever – had such trouble figuring out how to buy tickets for a place in my life. It’s maddening. I have not been able to get clear answer on 1) if I need advance tickets in November to visit Machu Picchu? 2) If there is any way to get advance tickets?
The Peruvian government has a website to reserve the tickets but because you can no longer use a credit card of any type to pay for them (due to problems with credit card fraud, apparently) it’s highly unclear how the reservation system works. There are all kinds of stipulations that frankly don’t make much sense. Below is the latest missive I got from the Peruvian government website folks. Clear as mud….(My concern is that we’ve spending a lot of time and money to go to the site – we’ve booked planes, trains, a hotel etc – and apparently there is a limit on how many tourists can visit so I certainly would prefer to reserve or buy tickets in advance. But maybe I don’t need to – because we’re not in the peak tourism season. Or maybe I just plan cannot!)
Dear Betsy
We don’t accept any other kind of payment.
Probably visa won’t accept the payment until the next year.
If you have already employed a hotel o some service in Cusco they are able to help you to purchase your ticket.
Another option is to contact to some travel agency.
On our website www.machupicchu.gob.pe – Consultas (Queries)- agency, you can see the list of the travel agency.
Remember that you have 6 hours to make the payment or your reservation will be cancelled.
However if you want to visit only Machupicchu City, you can buy your tickets with 3 to 2 day in advance, if you want to visit Machupicchu and Huaynapicchu you need buy your tickets with 2 weeks in advance.
In Perú:
You can make your reservation on our website www.machupicchu.gob.pe and pay Any office of the Banco de la Nación it is necessary to bring the printed RESERVATION FORMAT; Hours of Availability: Monday to Friday from 8:00 – 17:30 hrs and Saturday from 9:00 – 13:00hrs. Only you can pay in cash and Soles (Peruvian currency).
In Cusco:
In our authorized offices located on Av. De la Cultura Nº238 Condominio Huascar Wanchaq. Hours availability from Monday to Saturday 07:15 – 18:30. you can book and pay
The AATC (Association of voyages and travel agencies) located on Calle Nueva Baja N º 424, Cusco – Peru Phone: (084) 22-2580. Hours of availability: Monday to Friday from 9:00 – 16:00hrs. you can pay just with Visa Card
Remember that you have 6 hours to make the payment or your reservation will be cancelled.
Thanks for your understanding.
Sincerely,
CALL CENTER
DIRECCION REGIONAL DE CULTURA CUSCO
Facebook, Skype y Twitter: DRC Cusco Ministerio de Cultura Call Center
e-mail: callcenter@drc-cusco.gob.pe
Telefono: (51) 84 236061
Direccion: Av. de la Cultura Nº238 Condominio Huascar Wanchaq – Cusco, Perú
Filed under Adventure travel, Peru
Easiest way to buy a plane tix in Peru – IN Peru
My son quickly solved our flight dilemma – where we could not buy a ticket online with a credit card for a Star Peru flight from Lima to Cusco – by going to the Star Peru office in Lima and buying the ticket with his debit card. Of course this option isn’t available to those of us who aren’t in Lima but it was nice to know that he could actually get the dang thing. Meanwhile we’re contemplating getting a Visa card since we’re hearing that Visa is more widely used in Peru than Master Card. I don’t know why. For example, I cannot use my Master Card to buy tickets online to Machu Picchu. After finally figuring out how to use the government website I discovered during the third or fourth click that they only take Visa.
Buying tix to Machu Picchu?
My son has just returned from Machu Picchu and I’m figuring out how to get there! Along the way, I’m beginning to understand why people do package tours to places like Peru. I’m usually pretty good at arranging my own trips – flights, hotels, restaurants, trains, cars et.al. but Peru in general and Machu Picchu entrance tickets in particular have been a challenge. For Machu Picchu I figured out the train tickets (after sorting through three different rail services, each with several options of trains) and the hotel to stay in Aguas Calientes, the town nearest MP. But figuring out whether and how to buy the tickets online ahead of time has been tricky.
The official government website http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe appears at first to be useless – thanks to an off-putting advisory translated into barely understandable English that pops up on the first page that suggests you can’t buy tickets online. (There was a problem with fraudulent credit cards, apparently.) The key is to click past this first page to the next page which does offer more hope – even if it’s also hard to navigate. For navigation purposes, I used another website http://www.machupicchutickets.com which offers no less than 10 pages worth of instructions on how to buy the tickets.
From what I’ve read, buying tickets ahead is a good idea in general because the number of visitors allowed per day is 2500 (This was done in 2011 to protect the site.) One unanswered question is whether I need to buy tickets in advance if I’m going off-peak in November. Some people say I don’t. But I also don’t want to make the long trip there (which involves a train trip, bus trip, and overnight stay in a town I would otherwise not visit) and not get into see the glorious Machu Picchu (witness my son’s photos adorning this post.)
View of Machu Picchu from Huayna Picchu, showing the Hiram Bingham Highway used by tour buses to and from the town of Aguas Calientes
Filed under Peru
Best Peru restaurants and a Boston-led food tour of Peru!
the temple of Pachacamac
I met the head chef at Taranta, a wonderful Peruvian restaurant in Boston’s North End and he had lots of suggestions for our upcoming trip to Peru, in part because he leads what looks like fantastic food tour of Peru. (for more info see: http://www.tarantarist.com/adventures/)
At his restaurant I had some Cusqueña beer (brewed near Cusco, I believe) which was excellent.
These are the restaurants he recommended (and I’ve made reservations at several!)
– In Arequipa, we need to try these dishes: Rocoto Pelleno (stuffed red peppers made with a fiery hot pepper called rocoto – not the bland red bell pepper) and Chupe de Camarones (Shrimp and Potato Chowder.)
– In Cusco, he said we’ll receive coca leaves when we arrive on the plane and should use them right away to try to avoid altitude sickness. It’s a big no-no to spit out the leaf onto the ground but okay to spit it out discretely into your hand.
– In Urubamba in the Sacred Vally, at El Huacatay restaurant he said we should say hi to the chef Pio who is his friend.
– He recommended the north of Peru including Trujillo area.
– A good day trip from Lima: the temple of Pachacamac, an archaeological site 40 km southeast of Lima, Peru in the Valley of the Lurín River. Wikipedia reports that most of the common buildings and temples were built c. 800-1450 CE, shortly before the arrival and conquest by the Inca Empire.
– For info on Inca terracing (a farming method) he suggested looking up a National Geographic on the topic. The technology is called Borai (?)
– He also recommended a Peruvian restaurant in London – Lima London!
Sending my son off to Peru…without a smart phone
One of the hardest things about dropping my son off at the airport in Omaha this morning is that he didn’t take his smartphone with him (he won’t be able to use it in his destination city: Lima). So of course right after we exchanged our last wave, just before he went through the x-ray machine, – me crying, him looking a little concerned – I thought of something I wanted to tell him. And I couldn’t. Soon enough he’ll be somewhere that he can email us from but not having the ability to text is tough. It’s not like we text that much – I try not to. But not having the option stinks. It makes me wonder how my parents coped when I flitted off to Europe and the Middle East for months on end, just roaming without much of an itinerary, and there was no email or texting option. Back in 1982, our only option – beside very expensive phone calls and not-very-timely postcards – was telegram and I do remember once sending a telegram to my dad for his birthday from Istanbul (when I almost forgot it was his birthday). I made the mistake of wishing him Happy Birthday in Turkish – which he of course didn’t understand so I may have unnecessarily alarmed him and my mom. This was only a few years after the movie “Midnight Express” came out…
Anyway, I hope to get an email from my son sometime tomorrow just telling me he’s arrived in Lima safely. Then I’ll be fine. I think.
Filed under Adventure travel, Peru
places to visit in peru – Huaca Juliana, Caral, El Carmen,
Yes, you could say I’m living vicariously as I read about all the cool places my son will be going during his upcoming semester abroad in Peru. But I may get to visit some of these places too, when we visit him in Lima and beyond. So here are some ideas (with a little help from wikipedia) from the latest itinerary sent by his Peru study abroad program:
- The Huaca Juliana, or Huaca Pucllana’, is a great adobe and clay pyramid located in the Miraflores district of central Lima, Peru, built from seven staggering platforms. It takes its name from the Quechua word “pucllay,” meaning “game,” which in its entirety can be translated as “a place for ritual games.” It served as an important ceremonial and administrative center for the advancement of the Lima Culture, a society which developed in the Peruvian Central Coast between the years of 200 AD and 700 AD.With the intended purpose of having the elite clergymen (whom politically governed several valleys in the area) express their complete religious power and ability to control the use of all the natural water resources (saltwater and freshwater) of the zone, a Great Pyramid was constructed in the Huaca. As a whole, the structure is surrounded by a plaza, or central square, that borders the outer limits, and by a large structured wall dividing it into two separate sections. In one section there were benches and evidence of deep pits where offerings of fish and other marine life took place in order to attain the favor of the gods. The other section is an administrative area. This area contains various small clay structures and huts made of adobe–with some walls still standing–whose function seemed to be to act as the courtyards and patios of the enclosure which is over 500 meters in length, 100 in width and 22 in height.Other remains have been uncovered belonging to the Wari Culture (500 AD-900 AD), which was a direct influence on the Lima Culture society towards the ends of its time period. Of particular note are the remains of the “Señor de los Unkus” (The Lord of the Unkus), which belonged to the first tomb within the ceremonial center to have been discovered completely intact. This tomb holds three separate burial shrouds containing the remains of three adults–two of which have masks–and those of a sacrificed child.
- Caral, or Caral-Supe, was a large settlement in the Supe Valley, near Supe, Barranca province, Peru, some 200 km north of Lima. Caral is the most ancient city of the Americas, and is a well-studied site of the Caral civilization or Norte Chico civilization.
- El Carmen, the (Afro-Peruvian) district which is predominantly black, with all its cultural manifestations. It is the center of the (Chincha) province of folklore, romantic people happy, boisterous set in a large valley Chincha. It is the bastion of black genre, since the first settlers were blacks of Angola and Mandingo. Afro-Peruvian culture has thrived in Chincha Alta, and the Afro-Peruvian residents of El Carmen district practice many traditional dances. The use of the Cajón drum, maracas and other traditional instruments figure prominently in Afro-Peruvian music, which is popular throughout the region. Here’s a blog with good information on all things Peru: http://enperublog.com/2011/04/30/perus-african-side-chincha-el-carmen/
Filed under Peru
Notes for Peru
Before I return my Peru travel guides to the library, time to jot down a few notes:
From Fodor’s: (other good book: Cusco and Machu Picchu from Moon Handbooks)
– ESSENTIAL PERU ITINERARY: Day 1: Lima; Day 2: cusco; Day 3: sacred Valley; Days 4 and 5: machu Picchu; Day 6: cusco to Lima (my aunt has recommended day 2 in Sacred valley (to get used to the altitude) then days 3-4 in Cusco and day 5 in Machu Picchu; with Amazon River extension: Day 6: cusco; Day 7-10 Iquitos and Amazon Cruise. (We’ll also spend more time in Lima because our son will be living there.)
– Lima where to stay: Barranco neighborhood vibe “bohemain, historic atmosphere, appeas to younger people; pros: neighborhood vibe; cons plenty of fbars, restaurants, lovely architecture (methinks this was a tongue-in-cheek “con”). Second Home Peru!!
– Cusco, where to stay: Ninos Hotel – i.e. children’s hotel. Not only sounds like a lovely place but proceeds donated to are of local disadvantaged children. Sounds too good to be true. “immensely popular” so must book way ahead.
– Sacred Valley – Pisac market! (tuesday, thursday, Sunday) and town of Ollantaytambo and salt pans at Salineras (below)
which remind me of the calcium-deposit waterfalls in Turkey’s Pamukkale (below).
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– When to go: Sundays are free for locals so busier in Cusco then. “for near-ideal weather and manageable crowds, fall trip!”
– for altitude sickness: prescription drug acetazolamide/diamox; don’t drink alcohol or caffeine; mate de coca (team made from coca plant)drink lots of water. (bottled, even when brushing your teeth and order drinks with NO ICE – traveler’s diarrhea sounds like no fun. One folk remedy is chamomile (manaznilla) tea))
Filed under Peru
Gathering string for our eventual trip to Peru – Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Amazon!
Our son is studying in Peru this summer and fall so we’re gathering some string in plan for a trip to see him, perhaps in November. Below are suggestions from my aunt in NYC who was there last December, my friend S. who went there on her honeymoon 12 years ago and some info from Fodor’s and other websites:
– Lima – famous Peruvian restaurant ASTRID Y GASTON. This is the flagship restaurant of Peru’s most famous chefs – Gaston Acurio and Astrid Gutsche) Peruvian food is supposed to be among the world’s best. They offer a culinary tour of Peru that looks fantastic: http://taste-of-peru.com/culinary_programs/programs.php;
Hidden discreetly behind a nonchalant facade (though one of an antique colonial house), on a busy side street leading to Parque Central, is this warm and chic modern colonial dining room and cozy bar. It continues to be my favorite restaurant in Peru. Gastón Acurio is the celebrity chef of the moment, with a burgeoning empire of fine-dining restaurants not only in Lima but also a handful of other cities on the continent (one opened in San Francisco in spring 2008) and a cooking show on TV. His signature restaurant in the capital is warm and elegant, with high white peaked ceilings and orange walls decorated with colorful modern art. In back is an open kitchen, where Gastón can be seen cooking with his staff, and a secluded wine-salon dining room. The place is sophisticated and hip but low-key, a description that could fit most of its clients, who all seem to be regulars. The menu might be called criollo-Mediterranean: Peruvian with a light touch. Try spicy roasted kid or the excellent fish called noble robado, served in miso sauce with crunchy oysters. The list of desserts — the work of Astrid, the other half of the husband-wife team — is nearly as long as the main course menu, and they are spectacular.
They are featured in the 2011 documentary about Peruvian food/chefs/farmers and the September gastronomic fair in Lima – Mistura: the power of food.
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– for Lima lodging: Second Home Peru in Barranco neighborhood looks like good place to stay, judging from Fodor’s. http://www.secondhomeperu.com/location-second-home-peru.html
Lilian Delfín runs this extraordinary, and unique, small inn in the longtime, coast-hugging home of her father, the well-known Peruvian painter and sculptor Victor Delfín. The place is perfect for the relaxed and still slightly bohemian neighborhood of Barranco. This is no bland B&B; the idiosyncratic 1913 home is replete with artistic flavor — and multiple works by Delfín, who recently turned 80 and continues to paint every day (the artist’s studio and living quarters are apart from the main house, tumbling down the cliff). Though the house overlooks the ocean and the rooms are exceedingly spacious and elegant, the rambling two-story house — something like a Tudor-Craftsman — is probably not for everyone. But many, especially those interested in the arts or spending a few days in town, will find it a magical home away from home in Lima. To my mind, it’s one of the coolest and best-value places to stay in all of Peru. My large room had a beautiful wood floor and beams, a huge picture window framing the misty gray Pacific, deep claw-foot tub, and what felt like the most luxurious linens in Lima. If you ask politely, Lilian may take you to visit her father’s fascinating studio, where a giant puma-head fountain spouts water into the swimming pool (open to guests). But at a minimum, you’ll get to have breakfast at Delfín’s funky, Gaudí-style, neo-medieval kitchen.
– Cusco – spend at least two days there, first night that arrive stay in Sacred Valley which is lower altitude (to avoid altitude sickness; My aunt stayed at Sol and Luna Hotel and ate at Hacienda Huayoccari. Also visited the salt mines?
| HACIENDA HUAYOCCARI |
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While a large part of this valuable cultural legacy is to be found at museums in the City of Cusco, the mansion today houses a vast collection of folk art, with pieces dating back to the seventeenth century. Colonial paintings, ceremonial goblets known as keros, pottery, porcelain, and Huamanga stone relics are just part of what you will discover during your visit. A blend of Spanish traditions with indigenous customs inherited since the dawn of time, this plantation manor is a perfect spot to sample life in the country, learn about typical locally harvested products and admire the colourful flora. This visit culminates with a superb meal prepared with fresh produce of the plantation. The current inhabitants of the house, the Lambarri-Orihuela family, will be your hosts
Hacienda Huayoccari ***
There are two double bedrooms available in this lovely secluded Hacienda, built in the Fifties by one of the most prestigious families in Cuzco: landowners and art collectors. It is located 2km uphill from the main Cuzco Urubamba road, very near the village of Calca, approximately 1 hour drive from Cuzco. Huayo Ccari is a private home. The price reflects the privilege of staying in a private home and not the hotel-type facilities of lodging in this category. It provides beautiful surroundings, amazing garden and views, antiques and folk art throughout and delicious food. Electricity goes out when the last person retires and there is no television or international direct dialing. Hot water and electricity 24 hours. The house is lived-in by its owners and receives guests to private luncheons by appointment only. One of our favourite spots in Peru. |
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They hired driver to get to ruins. Fantastic huge market in Cusco. Spend more time here than Macchu Picchu. They stayed at Hotel Monasterio in Cusco. (beautiful, pricey – gets high praise in fodor’s. Another option: La Casona. I like the idea of the Ninos Hotel – not only cheap but proceeds from our stay at this “children’s hotel” provides medical and dental care, food, etc. for 250 disadvantaged chidlren who attend day care on the premises. Very popular. Need to reserve way ahead. http://www.ninoshotel.com
There’s also a Second Home Cusco: a a Bed and Breakfast located in the historic district of San Blas. Second Home Cusco offers 21St-century comfort in a Colonial house conveniently situated. Second Home Cusco features three junior suites, furnished in an eclectic style. Each Suite has a private bathroom, queen-sized –bed, cable TV, telephone and other amenities to ensure an enjoyable stay. A continental Breakfast is served each morning in the sunny patio.
We also have two sisters locations:
www.laposadadelabuelocusco.com
www.secondhomeperu.com
stay in Ollantaytambo/Cusco: www.elalbergue.com
– Macchu Picchu – can do day trip, don’t need to stay overnight.It’s a lower altitude. My friend S. was in Aguas Calientes.
– Amazon – Everyone seems to leave from Iquitos, historic Amazon port city in northeastern corner of Peru. from Lima spent three nights on a boat. limited hotels.(Fodor’s recomends three-day cruise to Pacaya Samiria Reserve.)
Here’s my friend S’s account: In the rainforest, took a boat along the Amazon and then the River Napu to some jungle lodges. We had our own guide there, hiking every day and enjoying really great meals. No hot water, outdoor showers, cots with mosquito netting, a great adventure . The highlight of the rainforest part of the trip was the ability to go up to the canopy on catwalks that ran from platform built around a tree to another. We were quite high, and the catwalks were quite scary at first. We launched our trip to the rainforest from Iquitos. At that time, you could only arrive by air or by boat (no roads into the place).
– Lake Titicata – my cousins went there. lots of birds, big canyon. Aqua something. Fodor’s says the lake is the highest navigable lake in the world.
– My aunt mentioned pills you can take three days in advance to ward off altitude sickness.
Filed under Peru
TakeBetsywithyou 