Peru Trip Report
Peru was my 51st country and one of the most beautiful I've seen in a long time. I didn't expect to see snow covered mountains in the Sacred Valley but they were there in all their glory. It goes down as one of my favorites.
Day 1 - Landed at Lima and stayed at an Airbnb place in Callao
Day 2 - Had a little time to see the neighborhood, then a LAN flight to Cusco and taxi Ollantaytambo. Had just enough time to see the ruins and walk around the town a bit
Day 3 - Went to Salineras and Moray then walked around Urubamba a bit. Then by collectivo to Chinchero to see the ruins and walk around the town.
Day 4 - 6:10 AM train to Aguas Calientes. Arrived at Machu Picchu around 8:15. Zigzagged around the crowds for a while then climbed up to the Sun Gate. Had lunch back in the town then did the three hour walk to the Cataratas de Mandor and back. Took the 6:10 PM train back to Ollantaytambo.
Day 5 - Hiked up to the Inca Granaries, then did part of another hike but eventually the trail was blocked by a large cow so I turned back. Took a very slow collectivo to Pisac in the PM and walked around for a couple of hours.
Day 6 - Taxi to Cusco. Climbed up the 552 steps from San Blas to the top of the city. Saw a couple of churches, then taxi to Sacsayhuaman, then walked back.
Day 7 - Saw a couple of small museums, spent a while sitting in the Plaza de Armas, enjoyed the Museo de Coca then walked up to the Cristo Blanco. At night, climbed the 552 steps up again for a night view.
Day 8 - LAN flight back to Lima. Saw the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral and Plaza San Francisco. Walked around Magdalena and saw the sunset over the ocean.
Day 9 - Wandered the market in Magdalena, walked around Barranco and Miraflores. Late night flight home.
Accommodations:
Three Airbnb places - one night in a place in Callao that smelled like a cat litter box, though there was no cat. Another in Cusco that was quite a nice place in a residential neighborhood but a quick taxi ride from the center. And the last one was a huge apartment in Magdalena. Stayed at the Tunupac Lodge for 4 nights in Ollanta, a clean, family run place that is about as quiet as you can get in Peru.
Train to MP - Took the Expedition going and the Vistadome returning. The extra money for the Vistadome is not worth it. The Expedition is much better since it has regular rows of seats, rather than the two facing two with little legroom on the Vistadome. The only difference is the Vistadome serves drinks in real glasses instead of plastic.
Weather - On my trip to Asia last spring I had 10 consecutive days of cloudy, rainy weather. Peru was the opposite - bright and sunny every day. The rainy season began in Cusco the day after I left. In Lima, the garua gave way to two beautiful sunny days.
Altitude - Had trouble sleeping the at first in Ollanta though it got better with each day. Walked around Moray and Chinchero at 12,000 feet for a few hours on my second day with no trouble at all. I felt it a little on my first night in Cusco, but just a little.
Language - I don't know how much English the locals speak since I mainly used Spanish. It's surprising how few visitors even try to speak Spanish. In the US at least, the majority of us have either studied it in school or learned a bit from Sesame Street.
Safety - I felt much more relaxed in Lima and Cusco then in Bogota or Quito. I climbed up toward Sacsayhuaman both early in the morning and at night with no trouble.
People - Everyone was quite nice and service was always good. Everyone was honest and didn't encounter and cheating or scams.
What I liked:
Moray - The ruins are really stunning.
Chinchero - Both the town and ruins. There were few tourists when I was there and while the ruins themselves are ok, the views of the mountains cannot be beat. I felt like I was in The Sound of Music.
Pisac - Didn't have as much time as I'd have liked, but it's a nice place to walk around for a few hours. And even for those of us who hate shopping, the market is fun.
The Sun Gate - The crowds at MP were too much, even early in the morning, but the climb up to the Sun Gate and the crowds thin out and the views cannot be beat.
Aguas Calientes - It is not nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Yes, it is touristy and people will try to sell you things, but there are many places in the world that are much worse. And the waterfalls make for a good, less visited afternoon.
Cusco Plaza de Armas - Clean, sunny, peaceful and a pretty site both day and night.
Lima Plaza de Armas - Hard not to wowed the first time you see it.
Magdalena del Mar - A nice residential area with a good market and great sunsets over the ocean. Reasonably close to all the tourist areas.
Lima Airport - Surprisingly modern and efficient. Immigration, checkin and security are a breeze. Makes you wonder why we can't do that here in the US.
The Food - The best food of any place I've been in a long time. The Hearts Cafe in Ollanta has vegetarian sausage which is to die for. Quinoa, a non-descript place in the main plaza, has great rocoto relleno. Granja Heidi, Korma Sutra and Tacomania (right next to Korma Sutra) are all highly recommended. I also had a great aji de gallina at a place in a residential neighborhood in Cusco whose name I cannot remember but which has one of those lunch specials for US $2.
The ease of getting away from the tourists - Even in this most touristed of destinations, it is remarkably easy to get away from the busloads. Just walk a few blocks from the main plaza in Ollanta or Pisac or even Aguas Calientes. Visit Chinchero. Stay in a residential neighborhood in Cusco or Lima.
What I didn't like:
Ollanta and Sacsayhuaman ruins - I suppose if you are an archeology buff, they will be exciting. Otherwise, both are afternoons of zigzagging around picture takers and tour groups. Entry fees are way too high. As an alternative, you can get perfect - and free - views of the Ollanta ruins from the parking lot below or from the Inca Granaries on the other side of town. The views of Cusco from the Cristo Blanco are just as good as from the ruins but are free
Stray dogs - It is always tough for dog lovers to see though at least the dogs in Peru look healthier and better fed than those in Central America and Mexico.
Lima drivers and traffic - You are putting your life in your hands every time you get in a taxi. And don't expect to get anywhere quickly.
Next trip - 5 days on the beach in Costa Rica