If you’ve been following along with my last few blogs, I’ve been recounting my recent trip to Peru.

Day 4 meant a travel day and a new destination. Although I was sad to leave the jungle, I was excited to see what our next adventure had in store. After one last breakfast at Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción, we boarded our boat back to civilization and the airport. We got through security quickly and waited for take-off of our short, one-hour flight to Cusco.

As soon as we landed in Cusco, we hit the ground running. We boarded our van and went straight to a local alpaca and llama farm where we learned about the different alpacas and llamas, their habits, and where they can be found. We also had a little demonstration on how locals use their wool and fur to create local textiles and goods. Afterwards, we went across the street to a small textile museum to see different examples of those textiles, arts and goods. I’m happy we got to explore the museums because the gift shops at the end were a perfect opportunity to get souvenirs from the locals.

Once done at the museums, we headed back in the van for our two-hour bus ride to our hotel, Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba. On the way, our driver pulled off to the side of the road so we had the opportunity to experience one of the best look-out points of one part of the Sacred Valley. We got to see small villages, the Inca terraces and stunning views of the local mountains.

Even though I wanted to take in all the views during our long drive, I couldn’t help but close my eyes for a little nap so I was rested for the night ahead. Once we got to the hotel, it was dark out, but I could still tell how stunning the property was. We were welcomed at the grand entrance by the friendly staff and shown to the hotel lobby for a welcome drink and an overview of what to expect during our stay.

When we were done with our welcome drink, we were escorted to our casitas on the hotel’s golf cart so we could settle in, change out of our travel clothes and get ready for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.

At dinner we enjoyed delicious wine, homemade bread, unique dishes and sweet dessert. I ordered the spicy shredded chicken and rice, which was amazing — it may have been one of my favorite meals during the trip. All my other travel companions ordered the nightly special, which was alpaca. I was nervous to order it as a full meal, but one of them told me I could try a piece of theirs if I was interested. I ended up having a little taste, and I have to say it wasn’t that bad!

After dinner we were so exhausted from our day of travel, we headed back to our rooms for a good night’s sleep before the day full of adventure awaiting us.

— Mary Melnick, social media & editorial manager