Peru 2024
P E R U
I've always been intrigued by this world and its cultures. There's so much to know and discover!
Our latest random vacation destination pick took us to South America. Our first time. The weeks and then finally days leading up to setting foot on Peruvian soil were filled with excitement of the newest Unknown to reveal itself.
We landed in Lima late on a warm February night. The air feels familiar with its noticeable comfortable humidity.
After receiving our luggage we opted for a taxi to get us to our hotel 40 minutes away in the popular neighborhood called Miraflores in the heart of Lima. Traffic and how people drive is always a dead giveaway that makes you realize you're in a foreign country. Peruvian drivers seem to communicate by honking. Lets just say, they have a lot to say! Lanes get created randomly when desired and there is NO such thing as a safe distance to ANY car. I learned quickly it's best not to pay attention to what's in front of you when you get to be a passenger. So I looked out the passenger window trying to distract myself from the chaos on the road ahead.
(our hotel courtyard)The first thing I noticed upon entering our 3rd-floor room at our hotel was there were no mosquito screens on the windows. We opened the windows all the way to let the soothing night air in. Aaah, we've made it! The realization sets in: We have arrived in Peru. The adventure awaits.
I'm a planner. There's no vacation that doesn't receive a lot of pre-vacation research that helps prepare us for what to expect and things to do for fun. With that being said we were already aware of some things, such as not drinking tap water (don't even use it for brushing your teeth), toilet paper going in the trash bucket versus being flushed, etc... But how oh-so-boring would things be if we knew EVERYTHING!
As per our itinerary the next day we headed back to Jorge Chavez International Airport, the same as last night to get on to a flight to Cusco, about an hour flight time. Where Lima, the capital is at sea level and is situated right at the Arid Pacific coast, Cusco is high in the Andes mountains at an altitude of 11.152 feet above sea level. Yes, you heard right. Taking off from Lima it seemed as if the city never ends. Because it's literally in a desert there's little green besides what's man-made. Only higher-end neighborhoods are green because they can afford to water said green. Looking out the airplane window approaching Cusco on the other end the Andes mountains are green and steep and Cusco is tucked right into this landscape, making it a picturesque descent.
Let me tell you, if you're looking for culture Cusco is the place to go! We were housed smack dead in the middle of the historic city center within walking distance of Plaza de Armas. Perus old buildings are known for their beautiful hand-carved wooden balconies and there's no shortage of these. The side streets are narrow and made of cobblestone.
Vendors selling their many goods can be found everywhere. Money exchange stores make it easy to get the local currency the Nuevo Sol.
It took almost the whole week we were there to acclimate to the altitude. Nausea and a headache were daily unasked visitors. One of the remedies was cocoa leaf candy, which was available in all stores it seemed.
We walked and walked and walked so much every day. There's so much to see and do. Cusco is pretty much the starting point in every direction of that small part of the large country with excursions being offered everywhere by locals. And, if bought locally, are so much cheaper.
We started day 1 in Cusco by opting for a 3-hour double-decker city tour that gave us so much insight about buildings and ruins in and around the city and was so interesting.
On another day we connected with yet another local excursion agency that gave us a private 5-hour tour of different parts of the nearby Sacred Valley. Even though our driver didn't speak any English, the beautiful nature spoke for itself and didn't require translation.
The highlight was halfway through our week when we got picked up, as scheduled at 4 am by our tour guide who drove us and fellow American travelers to the train station 1.5 hours away. Followed by another hour on that train that eventually got us to beautiful Aguas Calientes, a smaller town at the base of Machu Picchu. This adorable town, surrounded by the Andes mountains, is very walkable. It was only a 5 minute walk to our simple hotel. Our room overlooking the river! Later we boarded the bus for the ride up THE mountain.
Machu Picchu
A friendly English-speaking guide took us on the hike around this incredible ancient village. To stand in a place that was created 9 centuries before us is mind-boggling. And to finally stand in this spot that most of us only know from documentaries or books feels like such an honor to me. A privilege to be treated with respect for what once was.
I stood with 360-degree views that were literally breathtaking and now I was able to walk through this former Incan civilization dating back to the 15th century. This afternoon on this beautiful mountain was awesome, making it the 4th completed item ✔️ on our bucket list.
Looking back it seems Aguas Calientes deserves more attention than it gets. It's split in half by the raging Urubamba River with bridges connecting each side. The sound of the river was incredible and seemed violent. A large charming indoor market was a lot of fun to walk through. We saw MANY tourist items for purchase. Alpaca being so popular many Alpaca things can be found, such as scarves, hats sweaters, etc. Haggling is a common practice everywhere. Jewelry is abundant as well and silver is so very reasonable that I couldn't resist!
While walking through town we couldn't help but notice the many dogs roaming the streets. But unlike Cusco, these here often could be seen in adorable outfits. At times it felt like a canine fashion show was unfolding in front of us.
We had good food and yes, …walked a lot again before taking the train back towards Cusco the next afternoon.
Guinea pig is a very popular meat in Peru. And it's served whole. Head, teeth, and all. And to that, I say…” NO thanks” to any desire to try it just to show how adventurous I am. Nah. Though we did try Alpaca and I wasn't a fan. Other than that the food is very flavorful and good. We stayed away from the touristy establishments. Not only to avoid overspending but to indulge in the authentic experience we wanted instead. The average income in this country is about $ 300 US a month. Yet another reason why it was important to us to spend and exchange our money locally and in the right places.
The day before we were scheduled to return to the US we flew back to Lima and had a chance to see the city by foot (surprise!). But we also took another bus tour and ended up by the government palace super old with wonderful buildings yet again all around us and even got the watch the changing of the guard!
Unlike my expectations, I enjoyed the Pisco Sour tasting that was part of our tour that day. Now I know what the hype is all about. It's so good and there are many flavors!
One of the many things that is unique about Lima is the vendors selling their goods in between traffic. One can pretty much get anything while waiting for a green light: A windshield clean, newspaper, bottled water, food, etc. Pretty creative!
If you're ever visiting Lima and need some therapy look no further than Kennedy Park or "Cat Park". What we were told was it started with people dumping their unwanted cats there. Nowadays these well cared for homeless cats get fed twice a day by a group of wonderful humans and people love to visit and hang out with these cats. There's no shortage of cuddles for these felines. We've even seen cats sitting on people's laps! I enticed a young kitty to play with a little stick that I held in front of it and we shared a moment playing.
Unlike Cusco the center of Lima is modern. Comparable to any large American city. Here we didn't see the older female generation wearing the traditional skirts called "polleras" and equally colorful hats called "monteras" that we often saw in Cusco.
But once you leave the city center I'm sure the " time-travel" begins all over again.
I'm so happy for you two... To have had this wonderful experience!!!! Thanks for sharing it this way.
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