We arrived late afternoon at the Hilton Garden Inn, Cusco where we paid (rather than redeemed Hilton Hhonors points) for nights since the rates were so cheap (~$70/room per night). With our Hilton Diamond status, we were given suites, which were quite comfortable and more than adequate for our group. We had booked an exciting overnight excursion for just the adults to the Via Ferrata and SkyPods near Ollantaytambo and we had brought our nanny, Cristina, to Peru with us from Santiago, Chile (primarily to watch the kids while we went on this excursion), so this worked out perfectly.
The adults were off around noon of our second day in Cuzco and we were taken to some cliffs just outside Ollantaytambo looking back towards Urubamba. We were given our gear and some safety and other instructions and then we began our journey (climb) up the Via Ferrata to the SkyPods where we would spend the night suspended 1,200 feet above the valley floor.
The SkyPods are glass capsules that are bolted into the cliffs 400m above the valley floor and they have an amazing view of the valley below. It took us a few hours to climb up to the SkyPods (stopping to take some pictures along the way), and then we settled into our suspended hotel for the night. Our guides brought us drinks and a 3 course dinner with soup/salad, mains, and desert. The beds were great (very comfortable) and the view of the stars in the sky and the lights in the valley below was amazing. This was a very unique experience and one of the highlights of the trip for sure.
We woke up early the next morning with the sun and had breakfast on top the SkyPod. Then we climbed up a bit more and had fun finding our way down to the bottom of the valley on a zipline course that they had set up. There were 7 ziplines that zigged and zagged their way down the cliffs and ultimately led to the bottom. It was a great way to end our adventure.
Our guides drove us back up to Cuzco and we reunited with the kids after about 24 hours. They enjoyed their time in the hotel, but were anxious to see us.
Looking up towards the 3 SkyPods from the valley below.
Zooming in on the SkyPods.
Alex, Rick, Cody, and Eliza looking up on the SkyPods.
Eliza, beginning the climb up the Via Ferrata to the SkyPods.
Cody, climbing the Via Ferrata to the SkyPods.
Eliza, hanging off the cliff on the Via Ferrata.
Our group, climbing the Via Ferrata on our way to the SkyPods.
Alex, Rick, Eliza, and Cody, stopping for a break on the way up to the SkyPods.
By the time we were arriving at the SkyPods, it was beginning to get dark.
We were served a delicious dinner inside the SkyPods.
Close-up view of the SkyPod from below.
Cody and Eliza, waking up in the SkyPod in the Sacred Valley, Peru. The SkyPod we stayed in had a queen size bed and 2 single beds.
Our crew, enjoying breakfast on top of one of the SkyPods.
Breakfast on top of a SkyPod...we were all strapped in.
Close-up of breakfast after a great night sleep in the SkyPod.
Cody, climbing the Via Ferrata on the way to the SkyPods.
Eliza, practicing her yoga on top of the SkyPod.
After arriving back to Cuzco, we took the kids out to the "plaza" and wandered around for a bit to see some of the architecture and sights. We found a local market and wandered through there, looking at all the trinkets and alpaca items. We had some lunch and looked for some games for the kids and then headed back to the hotel.
Centro of Cuzco with our crew.
Cathedral in Cuzco at night.
View of Cuzco from the Hilton Garden Inn.
Those of us in the group that were not too tired or sick of seeing ancient ruins, headed out to the ruins at Sacsayhuaman, right in Cuzco. These ruins were obviously a gathering place where large groups of people could come together (potentially a marketplace). It was a rainy afternoon, but we enjoyed our time wandering around Sacsayhuaman.
Cody, Sawyer, Ryder, and Nash at Sacsayhuaman.
Amazing to see the giant rocks at Sacsayhuaman carved to fit together so tightly.
Sawyer, Nash, Eliza, and Ryder at Sacsayhuaman.
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