First Trip to S.America Part 1. Peru
 

First off, I want to thank all of the folks on this forum. Your posts were a huge help to me as I planned this trip. Second, let me tell you something about us. We are in our mid-fifties/early sixties, independent travel addicts who retired early to feed our habit. We are into history and culture and have a bit of an obsession with wine. We have traveled extensively in Europe plus we have spent a good amount of time in Asia and the Pacific. This was our first visit to South America, and the trip exceeded all of our expectations. If you have any questions, I’ll be glad to try to answer them.

Since this was a 7-week trip to Peru, Chile (including Easter Island) and Argentina, I am splitting up the report into three parts by country.

We left the Lehigh Valley (in Pa.) on a little puddle-jumper bound for Toronto. I know that this seems like an odd route to take to South America, but we were using frequent flier miles for this trip, so we took what we could get. As we headed north in the tiny, low-flying plane, we got a glimpse of Niagara Falls in the distance. I took this as a good omen.

We spent one night in Toronto staying near the airport. This was not in our original plans, but Air Canada cancelled our flight so we had to come up a day early. (Thanks Air Canada. Oh, and thanks for not notifying us as well. I accidentally discovered the cancellation when I was rechecking our flights two weeks before we left.)

We never ventured too far from the hotel, but we did play the slots at the Woodbine Race track and enjoyed a walk around the shopping mall. I was struck by the diversity of Toronto’s population. It looked like all of the world’s immigrants (who can no longer get into the U.S.) are now coming to Canada!

The next day, we had plenty of time to catch our 5:10 flight to Lima, so we slept in and took it easy. Our flight to Lima was not one of the best. This was an older plane with an in-flight entertainment system that kept breaking down. Those movies really do help to pass the time. So, we were glad to arrive in Lima (even though it was midnight).

I always feel my most vulnerable when I first arrive in a new country, disoriented and foggy from flying. Luckily for us, Domingo, the driver from our hotel was there to meet us. (As you will see, our track record for hotel pick-ups later in the trip was pretty poor.) Domingo had lived in the U.S. for many years and it was a real treat to be able to speak English. Domingo gave us a warm welcome and was more than happy to answer all of our questions. He also gave us his card with his cell number in case we ever needed his help. What a great feeling to already have a friend here!

I know that most people seem to avoid Lima and make a beeline for Cusco, but we decided to stay for four nights and check it out. I should also add that our travel mode is pretty much slow mo. We find the more we travel, the longer we like to stay in each place. And now that we are retired, we have the luxury of taking our time.

We were surprised how much we enjoyed Lima and found it to be an excellent introduction to the country. We stayed at Hotel Aleman in the Miraflores district. The hotel is located on a main drag, but is quiet and peaceful, sheltered behind a courtyard with a locked gate. We felt totally safe and were within walking distance of the Larco Mar Mall. The staff at Hotel Aleman spoke little English (other than Domingo) and our Spanish is basic at best, but I was very impressed with the customer service. Everyone at the hotel took a genuine interest in our well-being and went out of their way to make sure we enjoyed our stay.

We spent our first sightseeing day walking around our new home. We walked around the Laro Mar mall which is a very cool little shopping center carved out of a cliff with the crashing waves of the Pacific as a backdrop. We ate lunch at a place called Pardo’s Chicken which was good (and cheap). And, I drank my first chicha morada (made from purple corn). I loved this sweet & cinnamon-spicy drink and ordered one every chance I got from this point on.

We also got a kick out of all the paragliders floating overhead. I swear it looked like some of them came awfully close to the office buildings. My husband was tempted to try it, but didn’t feel up to a possible office building collision on his first day in South America. We walked all along the coastline with a stop at Love Park (impossible to miss with a big statue of a couple in an amorous embrace) and then headed back into town with a final stop at the Inca Market which is filled with Inca crafts. (If only I didn’t have to carry souvenirs around for the next 7 weeks!)

The following day was our Lima Tour Day. We took two tours with LimaVision: the city tour and a tour to Pachacamac. The city tour was an excellent intro to Lima. We were impressed with the beautiful squares of Plaza San Martin and Plaza Mayor. We even got to see the changing of the guard. Yes, security was more than noticeable with tourist police and armored vehicles at the ready on Plaza Mayor. But rather than feeling intimidated, we just felt safe.

My favorite parts of the tour were the colorful cloisters of San Francisco and pre-Inca treasures at Banco Central–gorgeous gold jewelry and fascinating pottery. Gaining a better understanding of pre-Inca civilizations is one of the best reasons to spend some time in Lima.

We ate lunch at a restaurant called Junius (not cheap but highly recommended). Junius offers a buffet of Peruvian foods which was great fun. Loved the alpaca and the asparagus soup. We also drank our first pisco sours which are made from grape brandy and similar to whiskey sours. These babies are really good!

Our afternoon tour was not as good as the morning but still worthwhile. Pachacamac is a pre-Inca ceremonial center built 1,000 years ago. While the background on the site is interesting, only two of the pyramids themselves are in the process of being restored, and you need to use your imagination to picture a place that once glowed like fire from the sheets of gold that covered the walls of 15 pyramids. The most shocking part of the tour was the drive outside of the city. Lima is a desert city although with all the green parks that irrigation provides, you would never know it. Outside Lima, you are suddenly surrounded by sand and thousands of shantytown shacks hugging the sides of the sand dunes.

With our new interest in the pre-Inca world, we spent the next morning at Huaca Pucllana another pre-Inca pyramid within walking distance of Hotel Aleman. Most of the walls here are original and although the site is much smaller, it is better restored than Pachacamac and I enjoyed it more.

As I said, we really liked Lima. People were friendly and helpful everywhere we went. We are always cautious but never felt unsafe. Best of all, our new knowledge of the Pre-Inca world was a perfect introduction for what was to come.

Next day, we flew from Lima to Cusco on LAN (first of many LAN flights). I had read the high praise for LAN airlines on the Forum and we can’t agree more. The planes are beautiful and the service is great. More to come. Sorry this report is so long. I didn’t realize I had so much to say.

Thank you, Reen, for a great report.

I am very much looking forward to the Argentina chapter.

Great reporting, it's not too long, really!

Enjoying your report and looking forward to more! I for one prefer an entire trip report in the same thread because I think it's easier to keep track of. As people post responses, you have to look in different places to keep up. Just a thought. Regardless, can't wait for the rest! Thanks.
Karen

I second Karen's suggestion to keep trip reports on one thread. ((*))

We had arranged for the hotel to pick us up at the Cusco airport, but somehow we never found each other. Not sure what happened, but we had no problems hiring a cab to Casona los Pleides, a terrific little B&B called in the artsy St. Blas neighborhood of Cusco. I loved the location (even though we did have a steep climb up at the end of each day). The English-speaking French owner, Melanie, took good care of us and gave us lots of advice. Cocoa tea is available 24 hours a day (I thought it helped with the altitude, but my husband said it did nothing for him.) and breakfast is above average with eggs individually prepared. Casona los Pleides has no heat (and the nights can be very cold here), but the comfy bed had a double layer of comforter plus an alpaca blanket. Best of all, at night we asked the staff to light the little chiminea. It was so romantic and took the chill out of the room.

We spent three nights in the charming city of Cusco. Lots of things to do here. You need to buy a Billeto Turistico for about $43 at the tourist office. Pricy, but it does cover most of the Inca ruins in the area. The cathedral was stunning and the English audio guide was very good. When I went there, they were asking for a passport or driver’s license as collateral for the audio guide. I really wanted the audio guide, but had no ID on me. I went to the desk, hat in hand, and explained my predicament. The young woman looked me over and said, “I’ll take your hat!”

We were also impressed with the Qorikancha ruins. We hired a guide named Segunda at the entrance (easy to do) and she gave us great tour explaining things that we never would have understood on our own. She also taught us how to say I love you in Qechuan: Mono coy key.

We took a cab out of town to explore the Inca sites of Q’enqo, an interesting mix of natural landscape and Inca stone, and the awesome temple of Saqsaywaman (pronounced like “sexy woman”). Very worthwhile. We hired another local guide at Saqsaywaman and even though Hector’s English was a little rough, he did a good job of leading us around the huge site.

On Sunday afternoon, we stumbled into a major parade on the Plaza des Armas with hundreds of dancers each troupe with its own marching band. The costumes were wildy colorful and the little kids were especially cute. (For those familiar with Philly, it was kind of like an Andes Mummer’s parade.)

Our favorite restaurant was Pachapapa’s right on St. Blas square. We sat outside with a gas heater to keep us warm. Plus they gave me a blanket that was perfect to keep my legs warm. Very atmospheric with live harp music and friendly service, too. We ate delicious soups and a wonderful pork stew in a tomato sauce with rice and squash.

We spent the next three nights in Ollantaytambo, my favorite town in the Sacred Valley. I had contacted Percy Salas (who I learned about on this forum) and arranged for him to be our private guide. We have been very pleased with private guides recommended on the forum and Percy was no exception. Percy drove us from Cusco to Ollantaytambo. I know we could have taken a taxi, but we enjoyed getting to know Percy and appreciated his comfortable car and careful driving. Percy also dropped us off at the train station in Cusco so that we could pick up the Machu Picchu train tickets that I had ordered via the Internet. I had planned to pick them up in Ollantaytambo, but Percy said it was better to get them in Cusco.

We spent our first day in Ollantaytambo wandering the narrow streets lined with Inca walls and getting giggles from well-mannered children in sparkling clean school uniforms. What a tranquil place. And what a change from Cusco where you are accosted by crafts sellers and shoe shine boys every time you turn around. We did some souvenir shopping and even got a load of laundry done at the lavanderia on the square (supposedly the only one with a washing machine).

The next day we did a full day tour with Percy beginning with the ruins looming above Ollantaytambo. We did a lot of climbing (the high altitude was no help), but we took our time and the sun temple at the top was well worth the climb. Then, Percy drove us to Pisac where we hit the colorful market for some souvenir shopping (lots of choices here at what seemd to me to be very reasonable prices). Then, we and ate lunch sitting out in a pretty courtyard. Refreshed, we tackled the challenging climb to the ruins above Pisac. The views of the terraces here were some of the best we have seen. And it was so peaceful -- we almost had the place to ourselves!

On the way back, we stopped at a chicha bar (recognizable by the red plastic bag hanging out front). Chicha is an alcoholic drink made from corn. Not bad. I liked the sweeter, pink lady version. It was a great day – we learned so much from Percy. And when he dropped us off at the hotel, he explained to the Spanish-speaking staff that we wanted to leave our luggage with them for two days while we went on to Machu Picchu.

In Ollantaytambo, we stayed at the Hostal Orquideas. For $30, we had a decent size room with double bed and nice bathroom. Basic but perfectly acceptable, and a view of the ruins on the mountainside above us. My two favorite restaurants were Chasqui’s (wonderful trout) and KB Tambo’s. At KB Tambo’s, I ate an incredible breakfast for about $4: an excellent tomato/bacon/cheese omelet the size of the plate, fresh papaya juice, roll with butter & jelly, herb tea, and a bowl of their incredible guacamole. Thank goodness my husband and I shared!

Thanks for the encouraging comments. And a special thank you to Karen -- your Trip Report was a real inspiration to me! I see the point about including the whole trip in one thread. But is there a way I can change my subject line? If not, I will at least do Chile and Argentina together.

On our third morning in Ollantaytambo, we left our luggage at Hostal Orquideas (as we had arranged) and took the train to Aguas Calientes. The train station is just a short walk down the road from the hotel. PeruRail was well-organized and, unbelievably, we were the only people on our 12:36 train! Our steward, Angel, suggested we move up to the very front row where we had a totally unobstructed view out the huge viewing window in front of us. Angel became our personal tour guide pointing out sights along the way (I loved it when he threw bread crumbs out the window of the train into a fish pond and the trout went crazy.) This is definitely one of the world’s great train journeys. The scenery was unforgettable with awesome glaciers, the roaring Urabamba River, and then the switch to lush tropical landscape.

We stayed in Aguas Calientes for two nights so that we would have one uninterrupted day at Machu Picchu without having to worry about catching a train etc. I had booked a room at Hotel Hanaqpacha at the HostelWorld website on the internet. However, when we arrived, we were told that our room had a plumbing problem so we were being moved to their sister hotel. (We learned later that this hotel switch is a common ruse at this hotel.) The sister hotel was in a poor location, but in fairness, the manager did reduce the price and gave us a fan (since the room was very hot and opening the window drew tons of insects). This sister hotel was alright, but the whole experience left us feeling taken advantage of.

Buying our tickets for Machu Picchu (M.P.) was not a simple process. First, we had trouble finding the bus station although once there purchasing our tickets was easy. Then, we headed to the INC office to buy our M.P. tickets. The price was 244 soles for the two of us, but the cashier (If you can call him that) could not make change. I don’t mean that he was out of change, but he was not set up to provide change at all. Luckily, a policeman and another man standing nearby helped us out with some change.

Aguas Claientes is like a giant tourist trap with some of the worst construction we have ever seen. Besides, we were just so excited to be there. We found a decent internet café and we ate a fabulous dinner at Indigo Feliz – top quality in every respect.

The next morning, we were in line for the Machu Picchu bus about 6:00 a.m. We each had a bottle of water, but we would later wish that we had stocked up on a couple more! You really need to bring plenty of water with you. The ride up was a bit harrowing, but the incredible views took my mind off the road. The weather was clear and sunny and the Andes were looking totally awesome. We got a quick glimpse of M.P. (be still my heart) and then we were there.

As we waited in line, a nice guide named Alain asked if we would like his services. He had a clam low-key manner and we liked him right away. So did the brother and sister from Wisconsin standing in front of us in line. So Alain, spent the next 3 hours showing the 4 of us around. He turned out to be a great guide – very enthusiastic.

What can I say about Machu Picchu that hasn’t been said before? It is simply one of the most marvelous places I have ever seen. We scoured the place soaking up every detail from the wonderful fountains to the king’s chamber with the ensuite bathroom. My engineer husband was totally blown away by the brilliance of the Incas, and I just felt swept up in the pure magice of the place.

After our tour, we wandered on our own and then hiked up to the Sun Gate. This was fairly challenging and longer than we anticipated (plus we ran out of water), but the views were so worth it. We have pictures of M.P. laid out in front of us that are so awesome, I can’t even believe they are real.

By the time we got back from the Sun Gate, we were bushed (and so thirsty). We exited, got our passports stamped and headed straight for the food stand. The water was 3 times the normal rate, but believe me, I would have paid anything for a cold agua at that point. We took the bus back down and dragged ourselves back to the hotel (with a stop for ice cream on the way). I should mention that I had a really bad cold (combination of high altitude and temperature swings, I think) – don’t want to sound like a total wimp. One other “wimpy” comment: watch out for the sand flies. I thought I was fully protected, but I got about a dozen bites on my hands! (I am a magnet for insects.) Those little bites are VERY annoying .

We took the backpacker train back to Ollantaytambo the next morning. The train was a basic, slow-moving train packed with budget travelers. But, the views were still terrific and we thought it was a good value for a return trip.

When we arrived, the train station at Ollantaytambo was a zoo. We had never seen it like that and were very glad to see Percy’s smiling face. We picked up our bags at the hostal and did some sightseeing on our ride back to Cusco. The salt pans at Maras, dating back to the Incas, are an intriguing sight. No one knows where the spring or the salty water that fills these pans comes from. We even saw villagers dancing around in one of the pans (that’s how they break down the salt). Our second stop was at Moray, another fascinating site. These concentric terraces are believed to have been used as a laboratory to test various plants at different altitudes. The site is also thought to be a center of energy and is considered a mystical spot. In general, we are just amazed by the ingenuity of the Incas.

Back in Cusco, we said goodbye to Percy. All of our time with him was invaluable. We learned and experienced so much that we never could have done on our own. It felt so good to return to Casona los Pleiades where we were welcomed back like old friends.

Reen - glad my trip report was useful to you and also glad you enjoyed Percy. We thought he was great. And you stayed at the same hotel we did in Ollantaytambo! We thought it was a great deal. Our room had a view of the ruins. I know exactly what you mean about MP - we had the same feelings about it.
Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip! I'll look for the thread.
Karen

The following day we took the Cruz del Sur bus to Puno. I was confused by the bus pick-up location and time. The bus originates at the Cruz del Sur office and then stops at the bus station. Luckily, we always arrive early because when the cab dropped us at the Cruz del Sur office, the bus was just about ready to leave! The bus ride wasn’t bad. We had the usual assortment of characters: whistlers, singers, and those with strange odors. We used the time to relax, look out the window, and write in our journals. They did show movies, but these were geared to their main market, young male back-packers.

We arrived on time at the bus station, but our hotel pick-up was nowhere to be found. This was becoming a disturbing trend. So, we hired a cab ourselves (which is not difficult, but I always feel better with a taxi provided by a hotel). The folks at Conde de Lemos hotel were very apologetic for forgetting to pick us up and actually this was one of our nicest hotels with a large room and an exceptional breakfast. We stayed here in Puno for three nights. We ate dinner at La Casona, a classy place with old irons hanging on the walls. Great food.

Next day, we did a tour of the Uros Islands with All Ways Travel. When I first saw these island made of totora reeds, all I could think of was that it looked like Disneyland. It is incredible that everything here is made of reeds: houses, a look-out tower, even the boat we took a ride in. We liked the restaurant owner who carved a pond out of the island floor to create a trout pond and the good-natured bargaining when we bought souvenirs. Uros may be overly touristy, but we really enjoyed it. Plus, in this flammable environment, Uros is a no smoking island!

We ate dinner at an unassuming place called Don Piero’s that I really liked. We were treated so well; we felt as if we were visiting friends. And the food was so good. I ate the best trout I have had yet served on a platter with this eye-popping array of rice, fries, fried banana, a fried egg, avocado, beans and tomatoes. What a feast!

The next day, we took another tour to Sillustani. Our guide was not the best. It was a tour in both Spanish and English which never seems to work out well. Our guide was much more comfortable speaking Spanish , so we didn’t get as much info as we would have liked. But, it was definitely worth seeing the impressive funeral towers called chullpas and the lake surrounding the site was quite picturesque. We stopped at a local homestead on the way back where a family opened their doors to let us see how they live. Fascinating to see their bedroom and the guinea pig pen. The wife gave us an impressive demonstration of how to use a slingshot and we even got a snack of warm bread made from quinoa, alpaca cheese, and the tastiest tiny potatoes. It’s one of those things that make you feel like a voyeur, but what an experience.

The following day, we took the Inka Express bus back to Cusco. Inka Express does a great job of combining sightseeing with transport. We thoroughly enjoyed the 5 stops along the way (including lunch). We especially liked Raqchi, site of the largest Inca temple with an Inca wall 45 feet high and the colonial church called “The Sistine Chapel of the Americas.” The nickname is an overstatement, but the colorful church interior was beautiful. Our bus tour guide, Dante, was a wonder. That guy spoke to us non-stop for the whole day—very informative.

We arrived in Cusco and guess what? Our ride wasn’t there to pick us up. This time, Dante called the hotel for us and a cab arrived within minutes. We stayed for two nights at Ninos II which deserves its fine reputation. I especially loved eating breakfast in the sunny courtyard. For our last day in Cusco, we decided to go all out and eat cuy (guinea pig) for lunch. Not sure that I would do it again. The meat wasn’t bad, but I couldn’t get past the presentation (head and all).

We flew on LAN again from Cusco to Lima where we had a long layover and then flew to Santiago. We felt pretty overtaxed today: we paid a domestic departure tax to fly out of Cusco, an international departure tax when we left Lima, and an arrival tax in Chile.

Thank you for your post -- really enjoyed it. Will you be posting a link to online photos?

Many years, decades in fact, have passed since I visited the Macchu Picchu complex.

Your report is itching me to visit it once more.

Great reporting.

On the "chicha" subject, I remember that in those days (40 years ago, Gee it is a long time!!) when I visited Bolivia and Peru, chicha was made by women who chewed the corn and spit it back to a cauldron with boiled water. That liquid was left to ferment and then it was served.

This manufacturing process discouraged me to experiment the beverage then.

I wonder if there is a new manufacturing process.

jfcarli - glad that I didn't know the full scoop on how chicha was made before I drank some. LOL! Our guide Percy explained the chicha-making process and the woman at the chicha bar was making some while we were there. No mention of the spitting and chewing, but the chicha was still being home-brewed.

Hi Reen,
Your post gave me the idea of taking the train from MP just to Ollayantambo and having Percy drive us back to Cusco. I was going to leave our luggage in Cusco...then spend 1 night in Pisac and 2 in Ollay before going to MP...and then taking the train back to Cusco. But, the only train running on the return is the Backpacker, which I really didn't want to take for such a long ride...and if I did it your way...I'd have my luggage with me in the Sacred Valley. I already bought my train ticket, but I probably could get off in Ollay. So, my long-winded question is...how much did it cost to have Percy pick you up at the train stn in Ollay and drive you to Cusco?
Thanks much for all the great information.