Peru

Ecuador was fantastic, but our sole reason for going was for the Galapagos Islands. Not much else. Peru, on the other hand, was our first country we would explore extensively .

Lexi's friend, Taylor, flew into Lima to join our adventure for 2 weeks giving us the motivation to pick out destinations in advance. Now, we didn't do a great job pulling the trigger on bus rides, planes, and hostels/Airbnb as some of these were a bit last minute. Yet, it all ended up working out in the end. Lima, Paracas, Huacachina, Cusco, and Machu Picchu were our destinations for our circuit around Peru.

Peru, flat out, was just fun. We seemed to always meet up with other travelers and share our experience together. More so, it was also really great having Taylor join us and I'm hoping she enjoyed her time as well. I can only imagine it was tasking for her as she had to endure our last minute style of traveling, strangers sleeping above her in our 4 person hostel, and an 'easy' bike tour that suddenly required us to ride up a freakin' mountain (that's no exaggeration). So for all those things and much, much more, thank you, Taylor. It was truly a pleasure to have another person to talk to and confide in over those 2 weeks.

Without further ado, please see the breakdown of Peru below.

(For a look at more Peru pictures, click here and find the Gallery button)

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Nature & Scenery

Lima - It was quite the change going from Quito to Lima. In comparison, Lima was a much more clean and modern coastal city situated in the desert. All plant life you see has to be maintained by the city due to Lima's lack of rainfall.

We stood in the gringo neighborhood called Miraflores which had plenty of shops and restaurants. This city has a beautiful coastline with plenty of foliage, bike paths, and sidewalks. We did a bike tour of the city and it turned out to be a fantastic way to see the city. My favorite spot of Lima was the artistic and bohemian Barranco District. Beautifully restored homes and amazing bars and restaurants.

Paracas - For any old-school gamers out there, the national park in Paracas was like walking through Zelda's Ocarina of Time's Gerudo Valley (see below). Although my pictures do not validate, I'm hoping you can trust me on this one.

A small desert town situated on the coast. The Paracas National Reserve had some really stunning coastlines with enormous cliffs, red sand, and turquoise waters. Ballestas Islands were something out of Alfred Hitchcock's Birds. There had to be over a million birds.

Huacachina - Towering sand hills casting shadows around a small body of water lined with restaurants and bars. Truly a desert oasis like you've never seen. We went sandboarding overlooking this backpacker haven. Check out my video in the highlights section below!

Cusco - Historical mega churches and scattered plazas all situated in a valley with an outline of mountains in the distance. The 9th highest, in terms of elevation, the three of us thankfully had no altitude sickness. This was one of our favorite cities at it had a great mix of historical sites, walkable plazas, and a bountiful variety of bars and restaurants.

Machu Picchu & Sacred Valley - 1:50 AM. The start of our day. We took a train to the small town called Aquas Calientes which was breathtaking on its own. The train town sits on two sides of a hilly stream giving a relaxed vibe as you walk around shops and restaurants. From here, you take a 20-minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu. I've seen pictures myself, but it's something different being there; seeing is truly believing. From the history to the epic 360-degree scenery, I would have been content if this was the only place I visited in Peru.

We didn't do a whole lot exploring the Sacred Valley although we wish we had. One day we visited a small town called Pisac in the Sacred Valley that had an animal sanctuary and alpaca/llama farm.

Check out more videos in the link here!!! Scroll through to find us feeding llama's and getting to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu.

People

Very similar to Ecuador, people really went out of there way. Whether it was just speaking the same language or passionate about sharing their culture, Peruvian people are happy to have you in their country. It's not something to take for granted when traveling (more on that to come later) and it is certainly something I appreciate it. It didn't matter what city Peruvian people are generally happy and don't mind that I spoke like 2 year old in Spanish. They appreciate the effort and help you along the way. These type of people are the reason why you want to come back and visit. Something, I am sure, I'll do in the near future.

Food

We had some really good ceviche. I'm not always the biggest fan which is a bit odd since I love sushi. Yet, the ceviche was so fresh. And it makes sense, it is, after all, Peru's national dish.

One item that I was willing to try, but didn't actually go through was cuy or guinea pig. I'd say I'm a pretty adventurous eater. Not much phases me. Yet, as I sat there looking at the cooked cuy, I felt disgusted. I mean they didn't even bother to cut off the head or legs. It just looked like a fried rat. And I hate rats. Hate them. If you live in Chicago, you understand the hatred. Nothing is worse than finding that poodle sized rat waiting for you in the dumpster as you throw your trash out, but I digress. I couldn't eat this rat and instead chose the more tender and delicious alpaca. Lexi and Taylor didn't seem to enjoy the taste of alpaca, but I thought it was fantastic. I recommend.

Lexi's favorite snack was a bag of fried plantains and I admit, they were quite addicting. This 3 ingredient (salt, oil, plantains) made for a healthy snack for us to indulge on quite frequently.

Overall, food was good, but the ceviche was the one item that impressed.

Safety

For the vast majority of the trip, I felt safe. I have a light backpack that I wear that also has a lock on it so I'm not overly concerned. I think that if you take the proper precautions and hold your belongings close to you, there should be nothing to worry about. Peru, in our experience, is a very safe country. However, we did have one close call.

One day on a walking tour in Cusco, we did encounter a strange individual. Our guide was explaining the historical points of a particular street when this man comes within a few meters of us leaning against a wall pretending to be on his phone. He was staring at the girl's purses and my pack. The guide felt his presences and simply said let's keep walking. As we walked to the next block towards more people, we turned around watching this man meeting up with another sketchy character. They eventually walked away and the guide stated we should keep an eye out for potential pickpocketers, especially on that street.

Now, I'm not telling this story to strike fear in your hearts and discourage you from traveling to Cusco or any city for that matter, but it exemplifies why you need to keep your head on a swivel. Cusco ended up being one of our favorite cities and I would definitely go back.

Highlights

Lima Bike Tour - For $40, we did a half day bike tour riding through the city and along the coastline. It was quite beautiful and we got to see parts of the city we probably wouldn't have done on our own. It was all fun and games until we got halfway through the tour. Let me be clear upfront. When we booked this bike tour, it stated that it was an easy, casual bike ride through the city. One review on TripAdvisor even said that their grandpa did this tour. Sounds easy, right? Well, their grandpa must have been Lance Armstrong because I don't know many grandpas doing a 45-minute trek up a small mountain or very large hill. However you want to cut it, it was a steep incline. It turned out to be a really great workout which I enjoyed, but would have been nice to know ahead of time. We were not expecting to have our lungs sucked dry. Poor Taylor was bright red in the face and huffing for air. I apologize for calling her out, but I was legitimately concerned she was going to pass out. In the end, it was funnier than anything. We cruised down and had a beer with lunch at a pretty cool restaurant.

The value was great and even though we had an unexpected uphill battle to ride, it was worth it. We even met a cool, bee-loving girl from Savannah. We all ended up getting dinner and drinks the next night which was the most we had to drink in some time. I even learned a whole lot about bees that I never thought possible! Thanks, Laurie!

Cruz del Sur - This Peruvian bus company is quite amazing. It's the most comfortable way to travel throughout the country at a very affordable price. We spent $21 (VIP seats) for a 5-hour bus ride from Huacachina to Lima. The VIP seats are essentially LA-Z-Boy chairs that fold down to a bed. You have a TV in front of you and are given a lunch/snack along with pillow and blanket. Way more comfortable than flying on a plane and scenic route to boot.

Huacachina (sandboarding) - If you are ever considering going to Huacachina, go to the Bananas Hostel. Best food and accommodations around. Your room fee includes 3 different activities for each night: Pisco Tour, BBQ Dinner, and Sandboarding.

You may also really like this place if you're single and in your early 20's (or not in your 20's if you enjoy being a creeper). 90% of the people staying here are very young backpackers and the majority being girls. I didn't mind, but I could tell I was a bit older than others. I really showed my age when I asked people what they did for work…most haven't even started their careers. Nevertheless, it was really interesting to learn people's backgrounds and understand what had driven them to travel. I wish my younger self would have had the same courage as some of these kids.

The sandboarding, though, was the main attraction here and rightfully so. You lay down on a waxed board (or stand up if you can snowboard) and fly down these large sand slopes with the sun setting in the background. I had a blast doing it.

The day before we went sandboarding, we were told that one girl forgot to slow herself down. As a result, she went head first into another sandbank bruising her face and leg. To those who know me, it would not surprise you that I laughed when I heard this. I laughed a lot. I repeated this story to another girl at our hostel bar. That girl turned out to be the one who went head first. It was at night so I didn't notice the giant bruise on her face. Talk about awkward!

Machu Picchu (shocker!) A must see! The few words I write down won't give you the satisfaction or historical depth required to fully appreciate this place. The spiritual aspect involving nature and animals, how it was hidden from the Spaniards, the history of Hiram Bingham, the Quechua language are only a few things you learn on a tour here. Our guide Rodney with Alpaca Adventures was so passionate and informative. He really made our trip to Machu Picchu.

Lowlights

Garbage - It was a bit sad to see the amount of garbage on Paracas beach and in the city of Ica (in route to Huacachina). They were the heaviest of offenders, but it seemed that every city had garbage bags somewhere. No one puts it in a garbage can; it's scattered on the street or streets. Makes you appreciate waste management back home.

Taxi Cab Driver - From Lima Airport to our Airbnb, we decided to take a cab ride for 60 Soles or roughly $20 bucks. When we got dropped off, he asked for 80 soles. When I asked him why he said because it took longer than he expected even though I gave him the address and also no meter was running. It's 2 AM and I just didn't want to fight him over it so I give him 100 soles as I only had 100's on me. I grab my luggage then turn to him expecting change, but he is starting to drive away. I stop him and ask for change and he tells me it his tip and drives off before I can even argue. What a dick. Since then, I've been exclusively taking Uber.

Merchant Car-like Salesmen/Saleswomen - I'm stretching here as I understand that these people are trying to make a living, but you get attacked like flies on shit when you walk by shops or restaurants. Someone is throwing a menu in your face or coming up to you to show you their painting or jewelry. Again, I get that they are trying to make a living and doing their best to get by in life. Yet, it's tiring and you just want to look on your own terms without the guerilla advertisement. This isn't just isolated to Peru as we seen it throughout all countries we've visited so far, but Cusco and Paracas were the worst at this.

Cutting our Peru trip short - I really wish we stuck it out and saw more in Peru. Lake Titicaca and Arequipa would have been nice additions. We were fully anticipating going to Lake Titicaca near Puno, but a few travelers and reviews discouraged us from going. We heard that the Bolivia side near La Paz was much better, but we didn't have visas to go. Therefore, we thought it best to save it for another trip. In addition, it was a 4-5 hour bus ride from Cusco to only spend one day there. We knew our next stop was Chile, but our closest destination in Chile, Atacama Desert, was over 24 hours in travel all in a bus. And after Huacachina and Paracas, we were feeling a bit tired of the desert landscape so we were considering skipping that as well. We thought it best to fly back to Lima and head to Santiago. Flight cost was reasonable (~$225 for 2 flights: Cusco to Lima, Lima to Santiago) so we thought it best to move on and relax.

Strange & Weird

Cars have the right away - Cars do not stop for you in Lima. We almost got hit crossing the street even when we had the light. Keep your head up and wave those hands! Massage Parlors - So many women asking you if you want a massage in Cusco. Now, I don't know this for sure, but a few Google searches suggest that some of these solicited massages may actually be leading you to a brothel.

Kidnappings and Women's Rights - Not strange or weird, but really sad. Per our tour guide in Machu Picchu, women really didn't have many rights as late as the 1970's. Spanish descent men would go into villages and kidnap native women either to marry or worse, rape. Nothing would be done legally to help stop this. The village women, in effort to prevent this, would cover themselves in their own feces in hope that the smell would deter these men from kidnapping them. A horrible issue that wasn't and isn't widely discussed.

Pronouncing Machu Picchu - Machu Pic'chu (mah-choo peeK-choo) means Old Mountain. However, Machu Picchu (mah-choo pee-choo) mean Old Penis. Try to say it right. The pronunciation really does matter here.

Snapple, again, I'm just feeding you golden material. I want that job writing fun facts. Please reach out!

Line etiquette - Yes, I'm going there. As petty (RIP Tom) as standing in line may be, there is an etiquette that everyone should follow. • Wait your turn • Respect your neighbors' space ○ This includes NOT touching people • Do not cut in front of someone • Wait patiently or at least act like it Peruvian's couldn't give a f**k to any of the bulleted items. Every airplane I'm about to board or exit I have encountered someone pushing me from behind, cutting me, or breathing on my neck. One lady thought it would be fine to hold onto my backpack as we exited the plane as if I'm some type of walking cane. Another time, I'm standing in line at a restaurant and a group just goes straight to the front cutting right in front of me. Respect the line etiquette people of Peru!

Recommendations

Lima - I heard a lot of negative reviews before going so my expectations were really low. Lexi and I both enjoy the city life so if that isn't for you I get why you would want to pass. However, we both really enjoyed it here. I would recommend staying for at least 2 - 3 nights. Check out the Barranco District.

Paracas - Pass. Outside of this awesome pizza joint called Misk'i, I can't really say anything is a must see. The national park and Ballestas Islands were OK, but I don't think you have to do it if you are in Peru.

Huacachina - Visit! It's a bit out of the way and if you are coming up from Chile or down from Lima, I would recommend hitting this place up for 2 nights. It was a lot of fun and likely nothing you've seen before.

Cusco - Go! If I had to choose between Lima and Cusco, I'd go with Cusco. It really does have a good blend of history, tours, and restaurants. Not to mention, the Sacred Valley up to Machu Picchu is worth visiting as well.

Machu Picchu - It's the primary reason you go to Peru. If you don't have this on your bucket list, I suggest you add it.

#Lima #Paracas #Huacachina #Machu #Picchu #Cusco #peru