I appreciate your reassurances, crellston! I’ve considered information about bus line safety from you and mlgb and some research I found on line, and taken heart in the safety precautions you mention. I will seek a seat on the lower level (thanks for that recommendation!) and in the middle – not the front right seat, which (I learned to my horror on one truly terrifying ride in Spain) can often seem to hang above the abyss on sharp turns to the left.

I will take snacks for long rides – thanks for that tip, too! And if I end up with eye candy to supplement my snack, bonus! :)

I realize that I’m extremely fortunate – unlike so very many people, the main things that make me anxious are not part of my usual life. I knew that the thought of buses terrified me when I planned this trip, and made a choice not to let fear prevent me from seeing this part of the world. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be afraid of something that one encounters routinely….

One other thought on transport options - stay away from horses! I have attempted riding them in Bolivia, Chile and Peru and it invariably ends in me ending up on the ground, much sooner than planned and rarely on my feet! But maybe that’s just me :-)

@ crellston: LOL! Thanks for a different reason than the one I already had for avoiding horses -- I want nothing to do with saddle sores! And maybe that's part of what I can do to deal with my anxieties about buses: Remind myself, mantra like, "no saddle sores, no worries about staying in the saddle, life is good! .. again ... no saddle sores, no worries ...." ;)

Don’t get me started on saddle sores! A day riding the sand dunes and beaches aroun Vina Del Mar , Chile and I was walking like John Wayne for a week..

I ate very well in Peru!
 

Many thanks to all of you who helped me discover the delights of Peruvian foods! I'm back and I ate some very fine meals and will say more at a later date.

Looking forward to eating vicariously. Hope you overcame your fear of the bus rides, as much as possible!

@ mlgb: You have a good memory, mlgb! I spent a LOT of time telling myself to look UP, reminding myself that bus drivers likely wanted to live just as much as I (do NOT think Swiss pilots!!!), and just reminding myself that I could do worse than to die seeing spectacular scenery. And with many deep breathes, I also reminded myself that I could just as easily have met my maker on some of those roads in Chiclayo or Trujillo or Lima, where the flatness of the road had nothing to do with the perceived safety of transportation -- OMG! So I think I've overcome my fear of riding busses on twisting, turning mountain roads -- yeah! -- (not that I'll ever find them a delight), but I haven't replaced it with a belief that alternatives are safe -- just safe enough. :)

I'm not sure if I actually experienced the garua while in Lima, but there was fog every morning, and there was SOOoooo much that I wanted to see and do in Lima that I didn't make any effort to see Caral. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it, but as you know, there was so much else to see that I can't regret my choice.

More later... thanks for remembering my fear! I didn't go to Peru for the purpose of conquering that fear, but will count doing so among the successes of this trip. :)

Hmmm, this makes me think maybe I should embrace a visit to the bird sanctuary at Iguazu Falls. Maybe I'd get over my bird phobia.

Glad you had a great trip. Look forward to hearing about it.

@ sf7307: There's a lot of research showing that the best way to overcome a fear is to deal with it in a safe environment. So I'd say yes, go for the bird sanctuary! (I haven't been there -- but I hope to go one day.)

At long last, I have begun my trip report -- with thanks to all of you who helped me dine so well while in Peru! :)
https://www.fodors.com/community/sou.../#post16760005