Vidal Jaquehua

Hello from Cusco, Peru! I am the co-founder of Adios Adventure Travel and owner of the Peruvian office. My family is from Yanaoca a Quechua farming community in the highlands south of Cusco (at 14,000 feet). It is known as the land of Tupac Amaru, the last Incan King. I was born in Cusco and grew up in the San Blas neighborhood, known for it's artists. One of my neighbors, Gonzalo, got me to go on the Trail (it was a job opportunity, and I took what was available). What I didn't know was that I had to work as a porter on the Inca Trail. At the time, I was a law student at UNSAAC (National University San Antonio Abad of Cusco) so I really needed the income to cover my student expenses. (I probably earned $20usd on 4 days of work.) Being a porter was the hardest thing I have ever done. I didn't care if I got to Machu Picchu. I just wanted to throw away the things I was carrying. After that hike, I slept for a few days so I could recover. Then I remembered Machu Picchu, which was kind of magical, ancient, mysterious, and fun. I tried again because the other porters helped me even though they were super tired as well. Tourists offered me water or fruit along the way, trying to talk to me, even though I could not understand much. After some rest, I thought I could do it again but this time I had proper shoes, and I kind of knew where i was going. It was hard... so after a couple of trips I realized I didn't want to be a mule on the Inca Trail, so I looked for a school for tour guides, where I could get trained and licensed. I learned to speak English by talking to the foreigners during the hikes and using a pocket dictionary I found. I also listened to popular music on tape. I worked freelance for different companies in Cusco, then eventually all over Peru. After that, I started my own company so I could work for myself and be closer to my family in Cusco, where I live with my spouse and children. With the help of my family, I build a house where we host some of our guests. When I'm not guiding or running our company, I take care of the maintenance and management of our hotel and home. I met Jacquie when I guided her group of students to Machu Picchu in 2007. This was the beginning of working together on many trips to Peru and has expanded as we went together to Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile to meet with other small tour operators to set up a support system for arranging trips in each country. Eventually, I became business partners with Jacquie, who has become an experienced adventure travel expert, and we figured out how to create a travel company that would benefit everyone including the people in the places we take our groups. I have shared these special places with Jacquie and oftentimes we are able to include them in our trips to Machu Picchu. Cusco has been my home for most of my life, and our entire team looks forward to sharing the beauty and depth of our culture with you.