A travel vlog by Nate Buchanan documenting day two in Peru's Sacred Valley with Kwoda Travel. The couple (Nate and Kara) and guide Luis visit viewpoints over the valley and the colorful fields of Chinchero, then go to Lake Purai (noted in the video as supplying ~40% of Cusco's water) for a paddleboarding session with snacks, drone footage, animal interactions (alpaca/llama), and local food (empanadas/corn-based snacks). The segment emphasizes the paddleboarding instruction, playful yoga/turn attempts, and local hospitality.
Chapters
Low, low, low, low, low.
The flip.
At least you went out with style.
Today is day two in the Sacred Valley with Kwoda Travel. Today will be paddle boarding, visiting a local village, and of course, eating some more delicious food. This hotel is incredible. Last night we enjoyed the hot tub and the sauna and rested our sore muscles from horseback riding yesterday. My butt's still a little sore this morning, though.
Good morning.
How are you?
Good. How are you?
Pretty well.
It's a very good morning. Sorry we're late.
Buenos dias. Buenos dias.
Everything was basically controlled by the movement of the sky, and everything is connected to this valley.
So we are currently en route to the lake where we will be paddleboarding. But we made a quick stop at this viewpoint overlooking the Sacred valley. Luis has really gotten into the vlog, which we really appreciate anytime a guide gets into the videos because it makes our life so much easier. So this morning, he suggested we get up an hour earlier than planned and come up here to this viewpoint so we could get a time lapse of the clouds moving over the mountains. I think it was a great idea.
Sam.
All this area is full of different.
Oh.
You're so cute.
Ciao. Ciao. Bye.
Bye.
They were adorable.
Gracias.
So we just made another quick stop overlooking the fields of Chinchero. Its nickname is the land of carpet because all the different fields turn different colors and it looks like carpet spread out across the valley. So we're about to put the drone up again.
Now it's time to go paddleboarding. Gracias.
We just arrived at Lake purai. It supplies 40% of Cusco's water supp.
So, yeah, we have some fruits for you, some snacks before we hit the water. Oh, fantastic.
Coffee.
That's the key word. Coffee.
My favorite.
I expected to show up to the side of a lake with a couple paddle boards set out, but instead, we're greeted with this beautiful building. Fresh fruit and coffee.
Much is grassy.
These are my new favorite fruits. No clue what they're called, but you open up this shell and there's a beautiful orange berry inside.
Gooseberry.
A gooseberry. That's what it is.
Or golden berry in Europe.
I'm about to do probably one of the best things I've ever done in my life, which is feed an alpaca an apple.
Look what I had. He's excited. Look at his face.
You scared him with all of your excitement.
Look at his little mouth. They only have bottom teeth, right? Where's that llama? We just gotta change into our wetsuits. I Think we both agree this is the best fitting full body wetsuit we've ever had?
Hope so, because I have a good feeling this water is gonna be really cold.
I don't plan to fall in the water, but you know that.
And separate a little bit so you don't hit each other. You paddle before?
Yes.
She's got her breathing now. It's time to go.
Keep filming in case she falls in when she stands.
Carrie, are you cold sweating?
Kind of want to jump in now?
We're currently learning some turning techniques. I have a good feeling that I'm about to go in the water, so I put the wetsuit back on. Uh. Oh, I might go in the water right now. Ah, nice.
Just filming now. Nice going. Yeah.
Come on. Lower the center of gravity. Look at the nose of the board. Eyes on the nose. Eyes on the nose. Weight on the back, weight on the back. Come on, come on. Lower the center of gravity. Sit on the back feet. More weight on the back.
Come on, come on. Relax. Breathe, breathe, breathe. Good, good, good. Breathe. More weight on the back feet. Seat on the back feet. Really good, really good. Put the. But if you lose balance, stick the blade in the water. Recover balance immediately.
There you go. There you go. Recover position.
Breathe.
Enjoy the water.
Lower the center of gravity. No, here.
And.
Oh, gosh, that one looks a little less.
And picture yourself doing it. And do it. Okay, there you go. There you go.
You got to work your way back.
Oh.
Oh, no way.
More weight on the back. More weight on the back.
Come on, come on, come on, come on. You.
You got it. Yeah, there, you got it. No, no, no. Stay low, stay low, stay low. Finish in the air.
Finish in the air.
Good.
Dang it. I knew what's gonna happen eventually.
Can he do it?
Yeah, mine was better.
Come on, breathe. It's bouncing. Don't bounce.
There you go. Good.
Good.
We just got changed into some dry clothes. Paddleboarding was a blast, but I'm not gonna lie. When I saw it on the itinerary, I was a little skeptical considering that we've worn down jackets every day since we've been in Peru. But it ended up being amazing.
The sun was out. I built up so much body heat in my wetsuit that we jumped in the water. We were so hot.
I couldn't imagine swimming before we left today.
No.
It was such a good way to experience the surrounding areas. It was fun getting to try all the new tricks. Yoga turn tricks.
Our guide was so good, he never fell in.
And as soon as we got back, it started raining. It's currently raining. And now we are about to sit under this really nice pavilion and have what I'm sure will be a delicious one.
What is it called?
Empanada.
Oh, it's an empanada.
Made out of corn.
Yeah.
And sprinkled on top after fasting.
That's what we have as a frying, you know, a corn cookie. Yeah.
What do you think?
Really good.
Lunch was amazing. Pretty much like every other Peruvian meal has been. I love the food here. I could have laid in that hammock all day long. But it's time for the next adventure.
