The Sacred Baths of Lares, Peru
I have long wanted to visit the town of Lares in Peru so I quickly accepted when I was invited by some friends of mine. Lares is a small city around 5 hours drive away from Cusco. I have read many times about the thermal baths that the city holds and their mystical healing powers. being an old romantic I have always wanted to see if there was any truth in these old tales, so I packed and off I went.
Traveling to the city of Lares is an adventure in itself. You have to travel through rural Peru and you get to see what life in Peru is really like. Seeing the clothes and houses for yourself in all their close up detail is very inspiring. Sadly though, you also get to see the poverty that people have to endure in this part of the world.
We had to pass through what is known as the Sacred Valley and then begin the almost never ending climb towards Lares. We neared Lares as it began to get dark and we erected our tents. The warm baths looked inviting and we stripped off as soon as we could and got in.
It was lovely to be in this remote part of the world, sat in the sacred baths with the stars above. After we had dried ourselves off, we sat around and told each other scary stories until we all fell asleep.
I recommend the trip to Lares to anyone, it is an exciting and enthralling way to visit real Peruvian history.