October 17 - 31, 2006 Land Cost: $3,595 U.S. Single Supplement Rate:  $575 U.S. Trip Begins: Lima, Peru Trip Ends: Lima, Peru Detailed Itinerary What we Provide When the word Peru is mentioned, the most likely thing to pop into your head is misty, mythical and seductive images of the lost city of Machu Picchu. Yes…we are going there and will have two full days to explore and walk among the ruins. But what most people fail to realize before their trip to Peru is how much more the country has to offer. Most trips to Peru are so focused on getting to and away from Machu Picchu so quickly that visitors pass by the myriad wonders that this country contains. Our trip is a trans-Peruvian exploration of the history, culture and landscapes of arguably the most varied country on Earth. Peru is divided into 3 distinct, culturally and geographically extreme zones, each of which we will explore in depth, taking time to stop often and look, listen and feel our way across the country. Our trip starts with an excursion along the northern reaches of the Atacama Desert, where some of the largest and most mysterious pre-Colombian civilizations flourished, long before the Incas were ever around. Over 4 days we will, among other things, explore by dune buggy some of the largest sand dunes in the world and learn about and sample Peruvian wines and the notorious Pisco brandy which is the lethal component in Peru’s national drink, “The Pisco Sour”. We’ll stay two nights in an eclectic hacienda which was once the center of the South American Slave Trade. Although a chilling reminder of the not so glorious aspect of human nature, the area was also the birthplace of moving folklore and dance of the Afro-Peruvian peoples. We will spend a day flying over the mysterious “Nazca Lines” etched into the desert floor by predecessors of the Incas. Many people believed the “Nazca Lines” to be much more of an enigma than Machu Picchu. The second portion of our trip will be an in-depth exploration of the Inca Heartland surrounding Cusco and Machu Picchu. After a day to acclimatize to the 11,000 foot altitude in Cusco, we have a series of “off the beaten track” walks to explore the numerous Inca ruins and small indigenous villages surrounding Cusco. Taking time to stop and interact with the local people is often the most rewarding experience of any trip. It is the direct descendants of the builders of Machu Pichu who still farm and work the terraces of their ancestors that we will be visiting, a living culture rich in tradition and pride. Culmination of this portion of the trip will be 2 full days to explore Machu Picchu itself. By having an extra day at Machu Pichu we can explore the enigma of this site in great detail, investigating the 372 native varieties of Orchid and thousands of bird species that flourish in the unique ecosystem surrounding Machu Picchu. The third and final portion of our trip will take us to the Amazonian Rainforest of Peru for 3 nights in a comfortable jungle lodge. After only a 30 minute flight from Cusco, in the high Andes, arrival in the jungle town of Puerto Maldonado is a mind-bending change of scene! To get to our lodge involves a 45-minute dugout canoe ride down the Madre de Dios River to our well appointed jungle lodge situated right at the rivers edge. During the day we will set off on foot and by boat to explore the jungle and its creatures with an expert local guide and the afternoons and evenings will find us relaxing in hammocks in our private screened cabins while sipping fresh fruit juice and watching the sunset. We invite you to join us this October in magical Peru! This itinerary may be changed at the discretion of the trip leader. ( B = Breakfast included, L = Lunch included, D = Dinner included ) Day 1 - LIMA... Arrival in Lima. Private transfer from the airport to the hotel. Overnight at Antigua Hotel in Miraflores. Day 2 - LIMA / CHINCHA... After breakfast at the hotel, we will leave Lima and drive about 3.5 hours to Chincha, where you still can feel the presence of the descendants of African slaves brought to work the cotton plantations here. On the way, we’ll visit several interesting artisan workshops and spend the night at Casa Hacienda San Jose Hotel. Located just 194 km south of Lima, in the department of Ica, Chincha and its environs provide a place to explore and enjoy fun-filled days. We will be staying at the Hacienda San José plantation, a seventeenth-century manor which hides behind its stout walls a history of Dominicans and Jesuits, Spanish noblemen and African slaves. The plantation house lies in the district of El Carmen, 9 miles from the city, and even today has conserved its superb gateways, sweeping chambers and labyrinthine passageways than run beneath it, and through which slaves were smuggled, according to legend. Most visitors to Peru never take into consideration that this small village, overrun and forgotten about in history, was the center of the South American slave trade. Although not an upbeat topic, our visit here will provide you with an additional level of insight and understanding about Peru and its deeply layered cultural history. Thankfully, what has been left behind by this era is some of the best music and dance which is still demonstrated by the local Afro-Peruvian inhabitants. B, L, D Day 3 - CHINCHA / ICA / NAZCA... After breakfast at the hotel, we will leave Chinca for Ica. Ica is the main town and commercial center for the region south of Lima that we will be visiting during the first days of our trip. Among other things, Ica has long been considered the cradle of Peru's Creole culture. Way off the beaten track, Ica was a very important area for the Spanish colonization of Peru and at one time was the first and only wine producing area for the Spanish colonies in the Americas. Considered the Napa Valley of South America, the grape producing region is unique as the fertile river valleys are cupped on either side by the largest sand dunes outside of the Sahara. Not something that most people would associate with Peru. We will take time to travel through the region and get “interactive” through sampling the wine varieties produced and learning about “Pisco”, the national drink of Peru. Our options for our stay in Ica include the following: 1) City Tour visiting Ica’s Main Square and the Regional Museum, where you can appreciate the mixture of cultures, from the Paracas culture, going through the Nazca, Ica, Chincha and Inca culture. 2) Visit to the Tacama or Vista Alegre vineyards to learn more about the wine growing and wine making processes and sample the regional varieties. For the record, Ica is a major grape growing area for the production of Peruvian Wine and Pisco Brandy. 3) Visit to the Huacachina Oasis to explore some of the world’s largest sand dunes by dune buggy and for the more adventurous among us, trying our hand at boarding down the dunes. Huacachina is a small village built around a palm-ringed oasis surrounded by towering sand dunes. We will visit this small oasis to take in its laid back charm and embark on an adrenaline filled dune buggy ride through the dunes which will hopefully clear some of the local wine and pisco tasting cobwebs from our heads. The Huacachina oasis is a hidden gem and visitors feel more like they are in a Saharan desert hideaway than in the “Land of the Incas”. The waters of the lagoon are said to hold medicinal properties and this area flourished as a resort during the 1920’s boom time for the wealthy elite of Lima. Historic hotels line the lagoon and emit an old world charm seemingly locked in a perpetual time warp! Legend holds that the lagoon was created when a beautiful native princess was apprehended at her bath by a young hunter. She fled, leaving the pool of water she had been bathing in to become the lagoon. The folds of her mantle, streaming behind her as she ran, became the surrounding sand dunes. And the woman herself is rumored to still live in the oasis as a mermaid. Lunch in Huacahina before continuing on to Nasca. Overnight at Andina Nazca Hotel. B, L, D Day 4 - NAZCA / CHINCHA... After breakfast at the hotel, we will fly over the Nazca Lines. The Nazca Lines, discovered in 1927, are the most extraordinary legacy left by the Nazca culture that flourished in the region around 300 BC. The lines are a series of complex designs, some up to 300 meters long which can only be seen in their true dimension from the sky, from an altitude of at least 1,500 ft. The lines that decorate the desert floor have been declared a Mankind Heritage Site by UNESCO, and the ancient mystery of the figures still waits to be unraveled. Theories abound regarding the Nazca Lines and Geoglyphs, ranging from landing strips for aliens to a giant seismograph. The most probable theory is that of María Reiche, a German researcher who believed that the lines were part of a vast astronomic calendar whose figures marked different solar phases. Ms Reiche, affectionately nicknamed the Angel of the Plains by the local inhabitants, was the first to discover the ancient technique of digging into the tough and dry Nazca desert floor and covering the track with stones brought from distant sites. We will take an over flight of the Nazca lines in small 4 passenger Cessna airplanes to marvel at the extent of these creations. Most people who have visited both Machu Picchu and the Nazca lines feel that the latter are much more of an enigma. Why would people who had no means of flying take such effort to create these perfect geometrical patterns and drawings in the desert floor without the ability to view them? Considering this was going on in 300 BC and the people were also performing brain surgery leaves visitors overwhelmed with the experience…. After this amazing visit, we will go to the cemetery of Chauchilla, a pre-Columbian cemetery dating from the late Nazca-period, prior to the Inca Era. Because of the dryness of this desert, the mummies have been preserved very well. After this visit we will go to a pottery shop where the people are making ceramics the same way the pre-Incas used to do it. Our day ends with a visit to the Cantalloc geoglyphs and aqueducts, part of the great hydraulic installation of Nazca, before returning to Chincha. B, L, D Day 5 - LIMA / CUSCO... Today we head back to Lima and board our flight to Cusco. In Cusco we will be greeted by our representative and transferred to our hotel. We will have free time to explore before spending a relaxing evening at Hotel Casa San Blas Boutique Hotel, a place with a friendly, homey atmosphere, located in the historic artisan’s quarter of San Blas, just two blocks from Cusco´s main plaza. In the plaza we’ll be able to find a wide range of arts including workshops and stores belonging to woodcarvers and carpenters, stonemasons, jewelers, weavers, antique dealers and painters. Cusco is the hub of the South American travel network, and in this respect, is reminiscent of Katmandu in Nepal. Cusco means “navel of the world” in the local Quechua language and was once the administrative and religious heart of the Inca Empire. People flock to Cusco to see the most fascinating and accessible archaeological ruins on the continent. Massive Incan-built stone walls line most of Cusco’s central streets and form the foundations of both colonial and modern buildings. The streets are often steep and narrow and are thronged with Quechua-speaking descendants of the Incas. Cusco will serve as our base as we get off the beaten track to explore the hundreds of archeological sites surrounding the city and adjacent valleys. Our local guides are all from Cusco and are eager to share their love of this city with you. From the early morning produce markets where goods are still brought in on the back of Llamas, to the cosmopolitan dining and nightlife, Cusco has it all. We devote an entire free day in Cusco for guests to experience it as they like and fill up their suitcases with local handicrafts for our friends and family back home who are not fortunate enough to be here with us. B, L, D Day 6 - CUSCO... After breakfast, we will walk to visit Cusco’s surrounding ruins: the fortress Sacsayhuaman overlooking the city, Q’enko, Puca-Pucara and Tambomachay ruins. Our first stop will be Sacsayhuaman, one of the most amazing Incan constructions - Visitors to this magnificent Inca fortress, which overlooks the city of Cusco, cannot fail to be impressed by the beauty and monumental scale of this important Inca site. The origins of this amazing construction are uncertain but the fortress is generally attributed to the period of Pachacutec, the man who essentially founded the Inca Empire. Then,we’re off to Q'enko (Zigzag), one of the finest examples of a rock artfully carved in situ, showing complex patterns of steps, seats, geometric relief and a puma design. The rock is an excellent example of the Inca 'Rock Worship'. In Inca cosmological beliefs, large rocky outcrops were held in reverence, as if they possessed some hidden spiritual force. After that, we will be amazed by Puca Pucara (Red Fort), site situated on a hill with superb views over the surrounding countryside. Puca Pucara was more likely a tambo, or kind of post house, than an actual fortress. Travelers may have lodged here with their goods and animals before entering or leaving Cusco. An alternative theory is that it served as a guard post controlling the flow of people and produce between Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Finally, we’ll visit Tambomachay (Cavern Lodge), commonly referred to as the 'Baños del Inca' or Inca baths. Tambomachay was a site for ritual bathing. The excellent quality of the stonework suggests that its use was restricted to the higher nobility, who may have only used the baths on ceremonial occasions. In the afternoon, we’ll visit The Temple of the Sun, the Famous Twelve Sided Stone and the San Blas neighborhood, one of the most picturesque communities of Cusco. It is characterized by narrow and steep streets that zigzag among old colonial houses constructed with walls of Incan stone. Overnight in Cusco. B, L, D Day 7 & 8 - CUSCO / SACRED VALLEY The beautiful Urubamba River Valley or “Sacred Valley” is situated 9 miles north of Cusco and 2,000ft lower in elevation. Our first couple of days in the Andes will be spent here in order to acclimatize, enjoy the pleasant climate, walk through native hamlets, explore Incan archeological sites and bargain in Indian markets. The Valley is still a very important agricultural center for people of the Cusco region and is the best center for an in-depth and insightful exploration of the current way of life in the region. Some of the highlights that we will visit on day walks in the valley, besides the typical Inca Ruins of Pisac and Ollantaytambo include: -The circular ruins of Moray. Built during the height of the Incan Empire, Moray is still somewhat a mystery but past investigations have uncovered some phenomenal evidence to support the theory that the ruins were used as an agricultural experiment station. Among the concentric terraces, hundreds of varieties of local crops were discovered and temperature readings from the lowest to highest terraces have exceeded 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This work has suggested that the Incan Nobility had experimented with crop hybrids and used the site to predict yields. While visiting this site, our guide can fill us in on the mystery as we appreciate the dramatic landscape surrounding it. -The Salt Mines of Maras have been in continual production since before the consolidation and expansion of the Inca Empire. Our walk through this honey-combed marvel is a treat as we can still see local people harvesting salt and carrying the product out for distribution with mule trains! Overnight at Sol y Luna Hotel and Spa, an enchanted lodge situated in the heart of the Sacred Valley. B, L, D for both days Day 9: SACRED VALLEY / MACHU PICCHU. After breakfast we head to the train station for our trip to Machu Picchu and the Machu Picchu Citadel. People have described their experience at Machu Picchu as a voyage through time, an opportunity to relive the history of the Incas. There is a particular magic here unlike any other place on Earth. The ruins of Machu Picchu, rediscovered in 1911 by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham, are one of the most beautiful and enigmatic ancient sites in the world. While the Inca people certainly used the Andean mountain top (9060 feet elevation), erecting many hundreds of stone structures from the early 1400's, legends and myths indicate that Machu Picchu (meaning 'Old Peak' in the Quechua language) was revered as a sacred place from a far earlier time. Whatever its origins, the Inca turned the site into a small (5 square miles) but extraordinary city. Invisible from below and completely self-contained, surrounded by agricultural terraces sufficient to feed the population, and watered by natural springs, Machu Picchu seems to have been utilized by the Inca as a secret ceremonial city or royal refuge. Two thousand feet above the rumbling Urubamba River, the cloud shrouded ruins have palaces, baths, temples, storage rooms and some 150 houses, all in a remarkable state of preservation. These structures, carved from the gray granite of the mountain top are wonders of both architectural and aesthetic genius. Many of the building blocks weigh 50 tons or more yet are so precisely sculpted and fitted together with such exactitude that the mortar less joints will not permit the insertion of even a thin knife blade. Little is known of the social or religious use of the site during Inca times. The skeletal remains of ten females to one male had led to the casual assumption that the site may have been a sanctuary for the training of priestesses and /or brides for the Inca nobility. However, subsequent osteological examination of the bones revealed an equal number of male bones, thereby indicating that Machu Picchu was not exclusively a temple or dwelling place of women. We have 2 full days to explore the site on foot, learn about the theories surrounding its existence and draw our own conclusions. *Twilight Walk- Guided trek along our hotel’s property to discover key aspects of Andean spirituality. Visitors will take in the magic of the evening while experiencing the spiritual integrity of Machu Picchu. Our Twilight Walk includes visiting the Rocotal Observatory and pre-Inca sacred petroglyphs, where Peruvian ancestors offered rituals to the Pachamama (Mother Earth). B, L, D Day 10 - MACHU PICCHU / CUSCO... After breakfast, various scheduled eco-activities will be available at the hotel grounds: *Bird-watching Walk - Take Guided stroll through the hotel’s gardens. "It is possible to observe 172 species on the grounds of MACHU PICCHU PUEBLO HOTEL, including the splendid Andean Cock-of-the-Rock" –The Magazine of the American Bird Conservancy, 2000. Highlights include the world's largest concentration of hummingbird species (16) and various endemic birds. *Orchid Trail - A trained guide takes guests along the hotel's Orchid Trail, to view hundreds of orchids and the lush vegetation of the Machu Picchu Cloud Forest. Attractions include 372 native orchid species that bloom throughout the year, as well as four new-to-science orchid species discovered at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. Then, we will have lunch at Café Inkatera, a restaurant which offers a blend of Andean Cuisine and architecture with a contemporary approach creating an innovative culinary concept. Offering impeccable service, the restaurant is set under a traditional Amazonian palm thatched roof and is decorated with regional crafts. Both an experience and a destination, this exclusive restaurant features an unrivaled atmosphere in an intimate setting overlooking the Vilcanota River. We will then walk to the station to get the Vistadome train service departing to Ollanta. Upon arrival, travelers will be greeted by our representative and transferred to Cusco. Overnight in Cusco. B, L, D Day 11: CUSCO... The day will be free so you will be able to organize your leisure as you choose. Overnight in Cusco at Casa San Blas Boutique Hotel. B, D Day 12: CUSCO / PUERTO MALDONADO... After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll transfer to the airport for our midday flight by Lan Peru to Puerto Maldonado. Upon arrival, the group will be greeted by our representative and transferred to the City Pier where we will board our boat and head down river to the Reserva Amazónica for lunch. After lunch we’ll visit the Canopy walkways, a unique experience on the longest rainforest Walkway in the world! There are seven hanging bridges between, and in trees, mostly linked up with eight platforms inside or around the trees. They are located in the Inkaterra’s private Ecological Reserve. Visitors can experience a part of the rainforest ecosystem seldom seen by human eyes. The Canopy Inkaterra can be considered as one of the most sophisticated canopies in the world for its camouflaged design and its specialized construction with ecological materials, avoiding the negative impact in the environment. This evening we’ll have the opportunity to view caimans (mainly crocodiles) in the river (or a nocturnal Walk, depending on the season.) The wildlife is remarkable, from giant and colorful macaws, to toucans, parrots, tapirs, tamarin monkeys, owls, the gorgeous Southern Amazon Red Squirrels, as well as a large variety of monkeys. Reserva Amazónica has the world record for ant species in a single place. Later at night, we will have a typical Amazonian Dinner, after having a “class” on Amazonian Gastronomy. After this long but exiting day, we will spend the night at Reserva Amazónica, the best travel infrastructure available in the entire region. B, L, D Day 13 - RESERVA AMAZÓNICA... We start the day with a Buffet–style tropical breakfast. After that, we head to Lake Sandoval, a 20-minute upriver voyage on the Madre de Dios by outboard motor boat. Then a guide will accompany our group through the rainforest. On our 1.9 mi trail we will see a variety of plants and large trees, some toads, frogs and reptiles, a diversity of birds, and dancing multicolored butterflies. At the end of the path, we will embark by rowboat to glide along the canal through the aguajal marsh to spectacular Lake Sandoval, the most magnificent lake of the Tambopata National Reserve. This lake offers an extraordinary landscape of calm waters surrounded by aguaje palms and other primary forest trees. During the excursion it is possible to observe the rich flora and fauna of the place such as the giant river otters – an endangered species, caimans, aquatic turtles, primates like black and white Machín monkeys, howler monkeys and Amazonian birds: the Hoatzin or Shansho (a prehistoric-looking bird), macaws, parrots, black skimmers, herons, among others. It will be possible to swim in the quiet and lukewarm waters of the lake. At midday we’ll return to Reserva Amazónica to have lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll travel by boat to Rolín Island, a fauna rescue center, located across from the lodge. We will disembark on the island and have a 10-minutes walk through the tropical forest to enter an ecosystem with an important biodiversity of birds such as herons (ibises and snow egrets), Pauraque, Caracara, hawks, vultures and other small birds which use this habitat to nest. It’s likely that we’ll also see some reptiles, mammals, and amphibians. We’ll also learn about the rescue and reintroduction project for primates, such as the Red Howler Monkey (Alouatta seniculus), the White-fronted Capuchin Monkey (Cebus albifrons), the Black Machin (Cebus apella), and the Maquisapa (Ateles paniscus) and the Pichico (Saguinus. Return to Reserva Amazónica for another tasty Amazonian Dinner. Overnight at Reserva Amazonica. B, L, D Day 14 - RESERVA AMAZÓNICA... We begin our day with a tropical breakfast buffet at the lodge followed by a visit to a native Amazonian farm. We’ll travel by motorboat to Gamitana creek to observe exotic birds, monkeys, tortoises and alligators and have the opportunity to interact with some of the locals for an initiation to their native fishing techniques. On our way back to Reserva Amazónica we can watch the sunset followed by evening nature presentations on a variety of Amazonian topics. Dinner together at the lodge’s campfire. Overnight at Reserva Amazónica. B, L, D Day 15: PUERTO MALDONADO/ LIMA... We will have our last tropical breakfast buffet at the lodge before returning to Puerto Maldonado and transferring to the airport. We’ll depart from Puerto Maldonado airport by LAN Peru and arrive in Lima in late afternoon. B Walking The World Guide Meals as indicated in the itinerary Train tickets (Vistadome coach) Bus tickets to and from Machu Picchu ruins Full board at Reserva Amazonica All admission fees to scheduled stops All ground transportation while on tour Cusco Tourist Ticket (BTC) Unique and original Journal of your trip Fourteen nights lodging in Hotels (double occupancy) Local Guide Walking The World T-Shirt or Hat Airport Transfers International and local airfare: Local airfare at this time is approximately $410 U.S. Personal expenses Gratuities Unu Spa Services International Airport Taxes U.S. $28 Domestic Airport Taxes U.S. $15 Read about Peru

MAKE IT SIMPLE... Simply make your travel arrangements through our agency - New Horizons Travel. Working with Sarah-Miles Clark at New Horizons Travel, 1-800-864-4364, will assist both you and us in negotiating the best rates and in the overall coordination of your trip plans. If you choose to use another agency, we must receive a copy of your detailed travel itinerary with your final full payment 60 days in advance of the trip. This information enables us to meet you at the airport whenever possible and to see that you are returned conveniently for your departure.

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