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94 Hours in Peru

Sunday to-do list: Cancel Peru

It’s Sunday, the day I marked on the calendar as “cancel Peru”. The last day to cancel my travel plans due to a series of recent events including selling my house, a two-week deadline to vacate, and numerous work obligations.

Instead of “cancelling Peru”, I make a critical move, a move only a mad woman determined to set the trip in motion would make, a move in the opposite direction. I book my flight from Lima to Cusco. Then, like a crazed fool, I book my hotel room in Lima, and a return flight from Cusco to Lima. No turning back now, at least not without economic consequences, that is.

I am scheduled to leave in 36 hours on a trip I had planned on canceling. I scramble to gather the most minimal belongings that will get me to Machu Picchu and back comfortably.

The first indication that I made the right decision is that I am upgraded to first class all the way there. The email confirming the upgrades triggers my excitement for the departure. Scoring a cheap flight on a prime holiday weekend is great but getting upgraded on international flights is a sweet bonus and a great start to the trip.

At the airport:

Armed with a few pages torn out of an old Peru travel guide and some printed pages from the internet, I have at least enough information to reach my destination. Now en route however, I will enjoy the delicious tortilla soup, chicken breast salad, and a crisp white wine served to me in my premier seating here in first class.

Delays in Houston due to maintenance set us back 3 hours but we’re now on our way. Nice upgrade on this 757. Ah, movies and a recliner, great way to begin the evening. I will make the most of this 6 hour flight. And here come the warm mixed nuts and my red wine. I then dine on smoked peppered salmon, walnut and goat cheese salad, and I choose the beef as my entr�e; a choice based on my tour of Continentals Chelsea kitchens a couple months ago. All are superb.

I land in Lima at 2am, but I have managed to catch a nap on the plane when the video system went down, so I feel pretty good. I negotiate for a decent taxi fare to get me to my hotel. There are no taxi meters here; you have to set the price before you get in. My research on the plane told me I should pay no more than $15 to the area I am going. I am in bed by 3am. The good news is that there is no time difference between Michigan and Lima so that’s a bonus on a long trip.

I have a nice hotel, centrally located and in a safe area, Miraflores. Many casinos surround the hotel but the neighborhood is a mixture of all kinds of businesses and close to the beautiful waterfront which I can see from my window.

Taxi from Airport $12
Room for two nights at Lima Crowne Plaza – Free with points

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I wake refreshed and venture out to find coffee and breakfast. I find a neighborhood caf� named “Cherry”. There is a lady sitting there who has a great smile and she draws me in. Alas, she does not speak English and I, no Spanish, so I will not learn how interesting she might be. Note to self: learn Spanish. A few men join her who speak a little English and I am able to find out where I can get internet access.

La cuenta, por favor. The bill, please.
Full Breakfast including coffee and juice $4

I find the internet caf�, no problem. I catch up on work e-mails, reassure friends and family that I have arrived safely and did not meet up with the kidnapper who would surely nab me between the airport and hotel. I print my boarding pass to Cusco.

2 hours internet, 2 printed pages $2

Heading back to the hotel I notice a charming outdoor restaurant advertising cerviche. I am told Lima has the best, being on the water and all. The chef is speaking with some of the patrons and I notice that she has “Le Cordon Bleu” (a respected culinary school), embroidered on her jacket. I think this may be the place to return for a late lunch.

Back at the hotel, I rest and refresh. I have a call from the manager who said when I checked in late last night I should have been put in an upgraded room and if I wanted I could move there this morning. So I do. It is bigger than my new condo. Life is tough on the road.

I venture out once again for my cerviche. In this case it is a mixture of seafood, marinated in citrus juices to “cook” it. I am not disappointed, it is delicious. The chef recommends a nice Peruvian white wine to go with it.

Inca Nova Restaurant- cerviche with grilled sweet potatoes, white corn, and wine $12

To avoid anyone thinking I’m auditioning for a Food Network program, I decide to diversify my activities. I have signed up for a tour. Something I don’t normally do but they serve their purpose when time is limited. Sit back and enjoy.

It is sunny and 70 degrees, feels like spring. Oh, it is spring, almost summer. I forget I am on the other side of the equator. I feel fortunate to catch the perfect weather.

Four-hour tour of Lima $25


What did I see and learn on the tour:

Peru is the fourth largest exporter of olive oil (there I go with the food thing again).
They don’t get heavy rains in Lima, only drizzle.
There are over 2000 casinos in Lima.
They have been battling with the Spanish forever.
There are 30 meters of bones beneath the St. Francis Assisi church.
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People on the tour are from Columbia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Spain, US, Turkey, Mexico, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, and England, which in itself is amazing since there are only four people on the tour. Actually, about twenty people.

We see the art museum designed by Gustaf Eiffel, palaces, various neighborhoods, plazas, squares ( I have not learned the difference), catacombs, churches, the waterfront, a shopping center, and I meet some interesting people.

Returning to my home base, I clean up and head out for the evening. I try a Pisco Sour, the national drink. It is good but after I drink it I learn there are egg whites in it. One out of every 20 eggs in the U.S. has salmonella. That is why you cook them and take a chance when you have fresh Caesar dressing. I didn’t want to bet on Peru’s ratio; too late now. I meet up with a couple gentlemen from Sweden and they have good stories about their work here. There are some occupations you can’t make up and they had two of them.

Pisco Sour – free, compliments of the hotel
Glass of red wine – free, compliments of the Swedes.

I utilize the bartender’s local knowledge and ask him where there might be a good restaurant for seafood. I like to pretend I am the Rachel Ray of Peru (when I’m in Peru).
On my way to dinner however, I have to pass the restaurant I ate at earlier that day and the chef is out there once again. I think she is playing many roles. I decide to eat there.
She whips up a vegetable composite of asparagus, fried cheese, mushrooms, onions, and unknown vegetables and a surprising berry sauce that was great. I tell her I am a food writer and I will make sure to give her restaurant a good rating.

Dinner with wine $10

After dinner I walk and check out the Casinos. I wonder how they are different from American Casinos so I walk into one. Well, there are American slot machines and people who are acting just like anyone using a slot machine would. Nothing too exciting so I move on after taking a walk around the place.

It’s getting late and I have a flight in the morning so I return to my hotel room, and watch a little TV. There are a lot of American movies with Spanish subtitles. Hey, this would be a good way to learn Spanish. I’ll start now.

It’s Thursday and I’m off to the airport. The cab ride is nerve-wrecking. He’s taking a lot of risks and there appears to be only one rule of the road, avoid hitting each other.
All of a sudden, the taxi driver stops the car, jumps out, runs over and opens my door, takes his hands and pulls up the glass in my window, locks the door and slams it. Then he proceeds to lock all of the doors. I perceive this action to mean we are not taking the scenic route. He obviously knows a better one. I am very lucky to have found him.

I am relieved to arrive at the airport safely. I pay my departure tax and with no lines, I zip through security and arrive at my gate. I �m off to Cusco, gateway to Machu Picchu.
I land in Cusco, only an hour flight and catch a taxi to my hotel only to find they do not have my reservation. My printed confirmation does not refresh their memory. I ask if I can use their internet to see if my account had been charged and they agreed. There was no charge but since they were full, I must find another hotel. After walking up and down the cobble stoned, hilly streets, I find one that is even better value. It is 12:40pm and I inquire about purchasing train tickets to Machu Picchu. She said they need to be purchased by noon but if I hurry to the train station, there may be a chance. At the train station, I am told that all of the trains are sold out. Imagine coming all this way and being so close and not being able to go?! I inform her I only need one ticket. There was a man standing very close to me and sure enough, she thought I needed two. She leaves and comes back and says there is one seat on the Hiram Bingham Orient Express and it is $547, round trip. I know she is right about the price because I saw Samantha Brown on the Travel Channel and this is the train she took. It is a luxury train. What could I do, I had to go to Machu Picchu. I hand her my VISA and gulp. She informs me that they do not take credit cards. I beg her to hold the seat while I go from ATM to ATM to secure enough cash. I do, and I have my ticket to Machu Picchu.

Private room with bath, breakfast and free internet for two nights $70
Taxi roundtrip to train station $3
Train ticket on one of three Orient Express Trains in the world $547
Experience of a lifetime: Priceless

It’s 2:30pm on Thanksgiving and with my ticket in hand, I decide to find some lunch. With all the excitement, I haven�t eaten. I decide on a restaurant a few blocks from my hotel. I have a grilled vegetable skewer, avocado salad and slices of local cheeses, grilled as well. I�m hanging out, listening to the Eagles, and feel relaxed. For a moment I think about my son who is in Todos Santos Mexico, perhaps at Hotel California and listening to the same music. Cusco is precious. It is old and the architecture is amazing. I will go out and discover more this afternoon.

Lunch $3

Back at the hotel I find the altitude has gotten to me and I decide to rest. I take a half-hour nap and feel much better. Back on the streets I buy postcards, and stop for tea in order to write, address them, and to people watch. I’ve developed a group of dear people who collect the postcards I send, including my sister. She has every postcard I’ve ever sent her. I love going through them and it touches me that she saves them.

Now I have been told that Guinea Pig is what they eat around here. I decide to go for the second most desired meat of the locals and order alpaca. I know it’s Thanksgiving but there is no turkey to be found so let’s go out on a limb here. It arrives with sliced avocados, tomatoes, onions, small fried cheese cubes ( I’m loving this custom of frying cheese), and some sort of sauce. It is delicious, tender, lean, lighter than beef, darker than pork, and much more juicy that either.

I meet a group of Canadians and I join them for a glass of wine. They have been to Machu Picchu today and have a great report. I had lots of questions and they were eager to answer. The evening slips away with the conversation; I really look forward to tomorrow. I walk the square, buy some bottled water and return to the hotel for some rest. It starts to drizzle.

Drizzle turns to rain and it rains all night long; a downpour actually. I cannot sleep. I tell myself the rain will subside and the sun will come out tomorrow. I even catch myself singing the song from Annie, “the sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there’ll be sun”. It’s the altitude. Wishful thinking (and singing), but it is still pouring when I have breakfast. In spite of the rain, I do find a taxi easily and make sure he knows where this special train station is. He says he does but on our way there he all of a sudden does not know where he is going. I stay calm on the outside but inside I worry that I am going to miss the train. He makes a call and learns no more about where we are going. Then miraculously, we see a royal blue train off in the distance, winding through the mountains. We just follow the train and soon we are at the station. The rain has stopped and the sun has come out; it will be an incredible day. My driver asks if he can come back and get me tonight. I agree.

The train station is empty; I am the first one to arrive (I allowed an extra hour due to my fear of missing the train). I am greeted by this very handsome man dressed in a tuxedo. He offers me a glass of champagne which I gladly accept. This “IS” a movie. Then, dancers and musicians come out of nowhere and begin their Peruvian show for an audience of one…me. As others arrive, we are escorted aboard. There are four cars: two dining cars, one bar car, and an observation car. The dining room looks like a movie set with shining brass, carved wood, and tables set for royalty. It is thrilling. There are about 40 people per dining car and we all greet each in anticipation, knowing that each of us has their own story as to why we are each here. I meet Carla, a 44 year old traveling from Washington D.C. and we immediately bond. In further discussion, we find we have both climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, been to Katmandu, hiked the Annapurna range in Nepal, and share several other travel adventures. She is also traveling alone. She has an MBA and does legal consulting but confesses that she only works long enough to earn money to travel and is always planning her next getaway.

The train is moving now and it is announced that brunch will be served at 10:45am. It is now 9am. There is continental breakfast and anything you want to drink. The countryside is beautiful. There are many farms along the river and as we travel the mountains begin to appear. They get taller and taller and soon we are in a deep gorge having to stoop down near the floor to look out the window in order to see their peaks. It is some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen.

Brunch is served, a three-course affair and Carla and I can’t stop talking. She is staying the night on the mountain at the lodge. A big splurge for her but she is looking forward to having Machu Picchu relatively to herself tomorrow morning before the crowds get there.

The entertainment consists of a guitar player and drummer. They both sing. They play Spanish music that has us dancing. We are all giddy with anticipation of our arrival at Machu Picchu.

After 3 � short hours, we arrive at the base of the mountain. We embark on the bus that will take us to the top. Carla and I make sure we are in the same group; the one with the cute guide. He likes Carla very much so we’ll get the best tour.

The first sight of Machu Picchu was very emotional for all. The enormity of the site sets in for me but also a fear that I won’t be able to experience it fully in the short time we have (five hours).I listen politely to the guide but my mind is down there with the llamas. I find the explanation fascinating as to how each block was made from the granite of the mountain and how Hiram Bingham discovered the site in 1912 but after an hour I just had to excuse myself telling the guide I was torn between learning and experiencing. I knew I had to do the later as I could not bear the thought of leaving without having those moments of solace to take it all in. The rest of my time was spent climbing hundreds of granite steps, stopping occasionally to talk to a llama or just sit and gaze at the site. It was a perfect day, sun and then overcast but still perfect. How lucky that I have one day and it is a flawless one.

Alas the time has flown by and I am thankful I have spent more time then most people do here. We meet back at the lodge for beverages and a snack before we are safely returned to our chariot.

After a round of Picso Sours, we all share our stories of why we are here. One boy, the only child on the trip, was my favorite. He described the five-course dinner as “better than the cafeteria at the Louvre”. He had been to Paris last year for Thanksgiving.
Steve, a guy from Australia who was here as a result of extending a work trip. He and I had dinner together and shared stories of wanderlust and how the people on the train were different than most other people we knew.

Hours of conversation pass quickly and soon we arrive at the station. My driver is there waiting for me and delivers me back to my hotel. A well-needed shower washes off the sweat of five hours hiking Machu Picchu but the memories can’t be washed away. I can barely sleep as I relive the day over and over in my mind.

I wake to another beautiful day, catch a taxi and soon I am back at the Lima airport. My flight to the U.S. is not until late tonight and when I go to print my boarding pass out at the airport’s internet caf� I am informed that their printer is broken. Continental is not open yet as they only have the few night flights. I cannot get into the secure area of the airport without a boarding pass and I have 9 hours to wait. A lady who is noticing my frustration says “come with me” and grabs my hand and leads me out of the airport. I resist at first, not understanding why she is doing this. She says “my friend, travel agency, short walk”. She has an airport I.D. and is well dressed so I see no immediate red flags here. She points across the busy highway at a shopping center. “There”, she says. So, we go “there”, about a 10 minute walk through hundreds of Peruvians. Still holding my hand she leads me through the crowd. She tells the person at the travel agency of my problem. I give them my reservation number and they print my boarding pass. I tell her she is an angel and offer her some money. She refuses. Back at the airport I gain access to the international departure lounge with no problem. I am warm, relaxed, and well fed because of her kindness.

Flights back to the U.S. are non-eventful and I arrive earlier than anticipated. All of the demands that nearly caused me to cancel my trip have been forgotten and I am ready to face the challenges tomorrow morning when I return to work.

Next Sunday, I have marked on my calendar, “plan another trip”.

Thanks so much. I visited Machu Picchu in 2005. I would love to go back. I'd take the Hiram Bingham in a heartbeat. Brought back wonderful memories.

Thanks mannica. I will be posting a link to my pictures tonight so check back tomorrow if you're interested. CK

nice trip report look forward to seeing the pics.

manneca, thank you so much for posting this report on here, it was a fantastic read.

I spent a month in Peru over Easter this year and even though the way you went about your trip was almost the polar opposite to the way I did mine, it still brought back a lot of incredible memories.

My favorite line. I LOLed.

For a while right after college, I lived in a closet. It was a walk-in though. The only private "room" in the loft apartment I shared with 4 other guys. Nothing like laying down and having someone knock on the door because they needed some clothes.

Really looking forward to the pictures.

Why do you think you were UGed on the way down?

When we attended the Continental DO in Houston, they informed me that it was an upgradable route. They said it depended on the equipment and the 757 is first class not business class so the upgrad possibility applies.
However, because it was a deaply discounted fare ($490 all in), I only received 50% Northwest EQMs on the IAH-LIM portion. Not a problem.