John Rae (pictured) is blind and lives in Toronto. He is 1st VicePresident of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC) and writes about his travels for
The Star in Canada:
LIMA, Peru -– Most visitors to Peru are lured by the marvels of the so-called `Lost City of the Incas,' and most of the 16 participants on the two-week August tour to Peru organized by Traveleyes from Britain, were no exception.
But this group of adventurous travellers was somewhat different. Half were blind, and the other half sighted.
For me, an experienced traveller who is blind, this was my 26th country, my first time on South America, and I was excited about the places I was about to visit.
The group of 16 participants was varied, ages 28 to 83, and included present and retired teachers, some human resources professionals, information technology specialists and one graduate student.
One of the sighted participants had recorded more than 1,000 books for blind readers.
An advantage of taking this kind of tour is that unique opportunities often occur. We landed in Lima, a much larger city than I expected, and hit the ground running.
During our first day's city tour of Lima, we visited the Larco Museum, which displays an extensive collection of pre-Incan art; mummies, rare textiles, precious stones and ceramics.
Museum staff planned for our visit. They had laid out, on three tables, about 20 examples of cast replicas of pre-Incan vessels from their gift shop that we were invited to touch in some detail. There was a great variety; some were of animals and others appeared to represent rulers.
Following our visit, they gave each of us one of these examples to take home. This was a memorable start to our time in Peru.
Most of Peru's primary tourist attractions are located at high altitudes in the Andes Mountains, where visitors can experience altitude sickness. Our tour ascended in stages, which is the best way to acclimatize to the higher altitudes.
From Lima, we took a one-hour flight to Arequipa, Peru's second-largest city, which is at an altitude of about 2,500 metres. Arequipa is known as La Ciudad Blanca ("The WhiteCity") due to the extensive use of a white volcanic rock in the Spanish colonial buildings.
Our half-day city exploration began with an extensive tour of the Santa Catalina Monastery, where we were given an in-depth description of the lives of nuns who lived there.
When we came out of our hotel the next day, we found ourselves in the midst of one of the longest parades I've witnessed; city officials, schools, bands and huge banners. It was part of one of Peru's many festivals, commemorating the city of Lima's founding.
After visiting a large and lively fruit and vegetable market, where we learned that Peru produces more than 300 varieties of potatoes, we visited a museum to see Juanita, The Ice Mummy of the Andean peaks.
We ate lunch on a balcony restaurant overlooking the main square, Plaza de Armas, and watched a less formal parade, which was even more colourful and light-hearted, with floats and dancing, sweets and fruit being thrown out to the cheering crowds, donkeys and music and the colourful traditional dress of the dancers.
We travelled by bus to Puno, located on the shoreline of Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake, from which we took a boat trip to the "islas flottantes," a man-made group of islands that rise six metres above the lake water level.
These islands are made of reeds, and while walking on them, you must be careful to maintain your balance. We were invited into the homes of these warm-hearted residents.
Our visit ended with a gentle floating tour of the waters around their island in a reed boat rowed over the quiet waters by two of our hosts.
We spent a leisurely day travelling from Puno to the Sacred Valley. At the highest altitude point, 4,319 metres above sea level, we paused to take in the vista and the breath-taking ambience of snow-capped mountains. Once at the Sacred Valley of the Incas, some of our participants, both blind and sighted, tried their hands at horseback riding and white-water rafting.
Then, it was time for our full-day excursion to Machu Picchu by train, 2,430 metres above sea level. We journeyed through the Sacred Valley to these magnificent, terraced, mountaintop ruins, situated on a ridge above the Urubamba Valley. They escaped discovery throughout the Spanish occupation, and lay buried until Hiram Bingham uncovered the site in 1911.
Whether you are sighted or blind, the unique atmosphere is breathtaking.
Our guided tour provided an insight into how this terraced city would have appeared at the height of the Incan Empire.
This site is not for the faint of heart or foot, as getting around involves navigating many steep and uneven steps.
Machu Picchu is the toughest place I have ever visited, but the experience was worth all the climbing.
We continued by train to Cuzco, historic capital of the Incan Empire. Although the city was sacked in 1535, numerous Inca buildings and foundations survive, including the original Inca city walls.
At the Museo des Incas, I encountered another kindness, which was so typical of what we experienced all over Peru.
A young security guard took down barriers that enabled me to examine in great detail magnificent models of Machu Picchu, and one other Incan city that is even more remote and harder to visit.
These models gave me an even better picture of the city I had visited, and greatly enhanced my experience from the day before.
Prior to returning to Lima for our homeward flights, we visited Sacsayhuamán, one of the Incan Royal Houses of the Sun.
Some believe it was originally a military fortification, while others maintain it was fashioned to resemble the head of a puma.
Throughout our time in Peru, we met friendly people and sampled a wide variety of food, which included alpaca and guinea pig, a traditional Peruvian dish. Many of the restaurants we visited offered traditional Andean music, featuring the pan pipe.
Liz Frankland, one of my fellow participants observed: "There are plenty of sighted people who find it strange that a blind person would want to travel anywhere, but they seem to overlook the pleasure and excitement of being indifferent places thanks to the atmosphere.
"It can be quite exhilarating being in a busy city like Lima, just to be there. Looking around and drinking in the noise and scents of a market, particularly in somewhere so different as Peru, is really interesting, especially when there is food we never see at home."
John Rae (pictured) is blind and lives in Toronto. He is 1st VicePresident of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC) and writes about his travels for The Star in Canada:
