Straight from the plane into the rush hour of Lima that looked to me like any other Latin American city all the way north to Tijuana: two-storey breeze-block, electric cables and a sea of Toyota and Hyundai motors.
I stayed in Barranco a southern suburb considered as a bit arty. I also visited the nearby Miraflores district- a commercial hub where the main hotels lie- both affluent and well maintained with well-kept pavements and CYCLE lanes.
Peru is not poor like Bolivia and the middle class fill the restaurants of this part of southern Lima.
There is a beach for surfers in Barranco but the sea is too cold for casual swimming despite the sub-tropical latitude.

To read the complete report:
http://andrewchum.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/peru.html

Thanks for posting, Andrew. I didn't get much of a feel for whether you enjoyed your trip, but you certainly covered a lot of territory.

Enjoyed it hugely.Took four weeks.
Overwhelmed by MP in a good way.
Also Pisaq.
The coastal towns are not the Cote d'Azur but I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and the gringo company there.
The ride up from Arequipa was wonderful
A

Good to hear. I will be in Peru for 2 weeks starting late April and will be spending time in the Sacred Valley, Cusco and Lima. Really looking forward to it.

Amazing trip. Loved the pictures! You really covered a lot of ground. Maybe next time try to squeeze in a visit to Máncora, if you want to see more Peruvian beaches.

Beautiful pictures! The 'General tips' are very helpful. Thanks for posting.