It’s time for our annual dispatch from Peru, and this year’s adventure began with a dramatic start. Just as we landed, news broke that Peru’s sitting president had been impeached and removed from office, with the constitutional successor stepping in.
Now, before the headlines sound the alarm, it’s worth noting that this is actually the seventh president in six years. So, when my amazing group turned to me with raised eyebrows, I simply smiled and said, “Welcome to Peru!” Life carried on as usual, and unless you’re following local politics closely, you’d never know anything had happened.
From there, we made our way to the Sacred Valley, staying well hydrated to adjust to the altitude and preparing for our visit to the iconic Machu Picchu. If you are wondering why we tackled this so early in the trip, stay tuned for Part II and you’ll understand why.
Despite one traveler arriving late due to missed connections (and experiencing our signature WGS® service in action), we headed to the ruins as planned. A morning train took us to Aguas Calientes, followed by our private bus up the mountain, bypassing the usual two-hour line in true #bigfivin style.
Back in the Sacred Valley and onward to Cusco, we had a little surprise planned: an evening of cocktails and dinner at my favorite resto-bar in old town. It’s a hidden gem I discovered during the pandemic, now home to one of the top mixologists in Peru. While many of Peru’s culinary legends got their start in small, off-the-radar kitchens, it’s the cocktails here, and their unforgettable names, that truly set this place apart.
Check out this video to kick off our journey, and don’t miss Part II, where we venture so far off the beaten path, we became some of the very first visitors.
The End of the Beaten Path
Those of you who saw my Peru images on social media know it was one of the most epic adventures ever as we discovered Peru beyond Machu Picchu. This will be a three-part dispatch, so stay tuned as part 1 may look familiar, and parts II and III will look decidedly “BigFiveish.” One of the other aspects that I was most excited about was the introduction of synthetic media to enhance your client’s in-country experiences. I know you are likely asking, what does he mean by synthetic media?
I mean digital renderings of me and my father, aka avatars that have our likeness, both in sight and sound. This adventure allowed us to test the application, and it spurned so many ideas that we are beginning to plot out and design, all for you. In this video, our avatars make their first appearance. As you watch them, let your imagination run wild.
Our first stop was one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu. Now you will laugh, maybe even cringe, when I say this. As amazing as Machu Picchu is, we wanted to see it first to get that box checked.
That is not to take away from the “how magical this sight is” but rather an acknowledgment that we mark the end of the beaten path with this visit because of how unorthodox our next activities will be.
Check out this week’s video, and make sure you wave to Digital Founder, my father’s avatar.
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