Glorious, incomparable Peru…I went on a tour organized through www.coda-tours.com a high-end gay travel company.   

Entry into Peru is through Lima, which in my opinion is unremarkable.  I would spend as little time there as possible.  Instead, fly to Cuzco, the capital of the Inca Empire.  Cuzco is a stunning Spanish colonial town at an altitude of 11,500 feet.  The temperature is moderate year round but oxygen is on short supply.   Anticipate a few days to recover.  We stayed at the Monasterio, a beautifully converted monastery in the center of Cuzco where you can have oxygen pumped into your room.  It does make it easier to sleep.

We traveled to the beautiful Sacred Valley then onto Machu Picchu.  Machu Picchu is a very special place.  I would recommend staying at the Sanctuary Lodge which is the only hotel situated next to the ancient citadel.  It provides you with the ability to enter the park before and after the hordes of tourists return to the bottom of the mountain.  The highlight of my trip was a Quechan ceremony performed by a shaman in the park at midnight after the park had closed.  We had all of Machu Picchu to ourselves.  The ceremony, actually a blessing, involved cocoa leaves, Mother Earth, and set intentions, all sacred elements in Quechan life.  I am grateful to have been included.