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ELLE travels Peru's gold mountain
El Dorado, the Lost City of the Incas, how Lara Croft! But there's more than one way to enjoy Peru's treasures.
By Helen Buttery
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BEST LIST …
Hotel
Originally a hacienda, the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel blends into the lush land below the Machu Picchu ruins. Honour the ancient Incan sun god with a morning sun salutation on the outdoor patio, while hummingbirds feed on bird of paradise blooms. After a day at the ruins, return to the hotel's spa for a reflexology session, a native orchid oil massage or a eucalyptus leaf sauna.
Romantic hot spot
You'll have to get up early, but watching the sunrise from Intipunku, Machu Picchu's Sun Gate, is worth it. Hold your honey's hand while the mist lifts and the sun's rays reveal the Lost City of the Incas.
Nightlife
Watch the winding Urubamba River empty into the Amazon from Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel's Mikhuna Wasi restaurant window while enjoying corn appetizer with spicy cheese sauce, grilled Andean trout or Peru's traditional dish, lomo saltado (beef prepared in a Peruvian-Creole style). In Cuzco, the Inka Grill's Túpac Turín alpaca dish is legendary. Afterwards, chill out in the Cuzco Los Perros couch bar or get all revved up in El Muki or Mama Afrika.
Shopping
The Spanish came to this area for the hidden gold, but tourists come for gold, silver and bronze. Joyeria Aldo in Cuzco has several lines of jewellery including modern, silver and an Incan line. The Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel also has an outstanding custom-designed silver jewellery collection. Shops surround Cuzco's Plaza de Armas, and bartering is expected, whether you're buying pottery or a poncho. Alpaca 111 offers the softest alpaca textiles, including tailored coats and sweaters, and La Casa de la Llama makes exquisite leather wallets and purses. An excursion to Pisac Market just outside Cuzco is a must for the experience alone. Peruvian women in traditional dress sell woven textiles brighter than rainbow-coloured Skittles,if you have room, a handmade rug is well worth lugging home.
In the limelight
Hotel Liberator
www.liberator.com
Macho Picchu Pueblo Hotel
www.inkaterra.com/mpph
Alpaca 111
www.alpaca111.com
Commission for the Promotion of Peru
www.peru.info
Machu Picchu Tourist and Travel Information
www.machu-picchu.info
Air Canada flies direct from Toronto to Peru's capital, Lima, three times a week (www.aircanada.com).
Photography of Peruvian women showing off their wares in Pisac Market courtesy of Helen Buttery
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