The first chapter of the last leg of my 6-week journey through Central & South America, chronicling adventures throughout Peru.
Itinerary:
Day 23 (Lima): Cooking Class, Nail Salon, and Meeting the Chifa Chic@s
Day 24 (Huacachina): Sand Dune Surfing
Days 25-26 (Nazca): Geoglyphs, Lines, and Street Food
Day 27 (Arequipa): Orientation Walk and Spanish Language Tour
Day 28 (Chivay): Llamas, Alpacas, Vicuñas, and Hot Springs
Days 29-30 (Arequipa): Colca Canyon, Condors, Arequipa Nightlife
Day 31 (Cusco): Cooking Class, Orientation to Cusco and the Lares Trek
Day 32 (Cusco): Rainbow Mountain
Day 33 (Ollantaytambo): Weaving Collective and the Night Carnival
1. The Last and Biggest Leg of my Trip
I wrote that my stay in Ecuador was the reason for these trips, which is true. But THIS trip to Peru was the core of what I wanted to do. Of all the sub-segments of the 65-Day South America Tour, I knew I wanted to do one that included the hike to Machu Picchu. Since I found a way to see some of Ecuador, I chose a 3-week segment of the trip in Peru with a short stop in Bolivia (sadly missing Argentina and Brazil – next time!!).
2. Peru
I’m grateful to have seen so much of this country, and that I could leave it feeling satisfied. It had similar climates to where I grew up – mountains, deserts, beaches, and lush valleys – all within a couple hours’ drive. Taking lots of busses meant seeing more of the countryside too, and different kinds of living, from off-grid shanty towns and dense urban settlements, to floating reed islands and remote mountain villages.
3. Travel Log
As I expected, it was harder to make time for these updates as the trip continued. Not only was there less downtime (and decent wifi), but when there was, I didn’t have the energy to sit and write. So this post has been constructed over the past month in a variety of formats (travel journal, notes app, wordpress draft). Then, it started becoming one of those Big Tasks that loomed over me during my rest week following this trip, and has been hard to prioritize over everything else going on in my move to the Netherlands.
Day 23 – Lima Cooking Class
After the fun night out with my friends from the Ecuador trip, I spent my first day in Lima taking a cooking class, with a wonderful guide named Andres. We took a trip to Surquillo Market for some fresh local fruit, then ‘cooked’ (assembled) some signature Peruvian dishes: Ceviche, Causa, and a Pisco Sour cocktail. Andres told us about the history of Peru, and more recently Lima, which would be the first of many lessons I’d get on this trip. Like the other tours, this one was very educational – I learned a lot about the Inca, Quechuan and Andean people, and the recent sociopolotical history of the country, from many different Peruvians.
After the cooking class, I met up with Lisanne for one last time to get gel manicures (honestly SUCH a good idea, my nails still look perfect after 3 weeks of (re)packing, hiking, etc), then met my Third New Group. I was nervous because I knew some of them had spent 2 weeks together in Ecuador for the first leg of the 65-day tour. It was immediately clear who these were, as they all sat together and made jokes with our group leader, Fredy. And they were (almost) all Australian.
Also, this was an “18-30s” tour, and I was worried it might be skewed toward the 18 side, and I’d be among the oldest. Thankfully I sat comfortably in the middle: 25 to 37. This group ended up being great, and although we didn’t bond quite as much as my first, it was a great bunch of new friends to do this adventure with. We were dubbed the “Chifa Chic@s”, since our first dinner out was at a Chifa (Chinese Peruvian) restaurant.
Day 24 – Desert Dune Buggies
This trip started off with an incredible high note, that brought me back to my childhood when my dad would take us out to the desert to ride ATVs & dirt bikes. We took a bus from Lima to our first destination Huacachina, a small oasis town in the middle of the desert. Immediately off the bus, we dropped off our bags and hopped into dune buggies to catch the sunset – after some sandboarding (more like sledding…they wouldn’t let me stand on them).
Our drivers were thrill-seekers, so the drive out to the desert was more fun than sledding – and the sunset was such a magnificent view! Seeing everyone was on board for the more extreme kind of activities, any doubts I had about the group had disappeared.
That night, about half the group stayed up after dinner talking, and eventually we started playing Pishtaco, a Peruvian version of “Werewolf” I picked up before I left Lima. I’m always nervous about introducing new board/card games, especially with new groups, but was again pleasantly surprised it was Really well received! Doing this kind of group travel has really got me more comfortable and confident in taking the lead in these kinds of settings, which I’m grateful for.
Days 25-26 – Nazca lines
Our next destination was Nazca, famous for its massive lines and geoglyphs etched across the desert by the area’s pre-Inca inhabitants. I was getting to know some of the other Lima-joiners better as we splintered off during downtime: two lovely gals from the UK (Ronnie and Connie (names unrelated)), and an incredible Indian-Australian (Preethi), who was eager to split off from group meals to wander the city in search of fun and street food (against the recommendation of the very cautious Fredy. To be fair, many of the old group got sick from food in Lima – but Preethi and I were built different).
Nazca is an interesting town, seemingly struggling to meet its own demand thanks to The Lines, which stood out among an otherwise unattractive region for tourism. The town was small, with little aside from a few blocks of a main street (mostly restaurants) and a small plaza. Connie and I sat and watched some food competition for World Food Day, and I returned with Preethi later that night for some Excellent Street Burgers.
Oh, and the LINES! I skipped doing a flight (nauseating and expensive) but saw some of them from a lookout, after visiting the museum for the woman who literally put the Nazca Lines on the map. It made me think about what, if anything, I’d be willing to dedicate so much of my life toward studying. Maria Reiche was a total badass, and seemed to have the ‘cooky old lady’ energy I aspire to.
Day 27 – Areqeuipa
After Nazca, we headed to Arequipa, our leader Fredy’s hometown and 2nd-largest city in Peru, via my first Night Bus! I love new experiences, and was curious what sleeping in-transit would be like. I had a miserable time and got 3 hours of low-quality sleep. Then we had a 15-minute turnaround at our hotel, for Fredy to show us around, and then I immediately had to join the City Tour I pre-booked (regrettably).
My tour of Arequipa ended up being just me and a Swiss woman, and our guide Jeffrey. I did my usual surface-level convos with our guide in Spanish, explaining that I didn’t know much “yo hablo un poco español, pero no sé muchas palabras”. The Swiss woman spoke fluently (I later learned she just took a course a few months ago), so our guide asked if we wanted the tour in English or Spanish. I opted for the challenge, which I don’t Regret…but I definitely had a harder time retaining the information, especially on such little sleep. But Jeffrey spoke slowly and clearly, answered my questions, and transitioned to English for more complex explanations.
Arequipa reminded me of Quito – a flat city sprawling out between mountain peaks. In this case, the mountains were volcanoes (not entirely dormant either)! Seeing mountains in every direction reminded me of my hometown in the Inland Empire. There was even similar traffic, and unwalkability, just like home! 🙃 Aside from the tour, we didn’t venture far from the city center – it was pretty and had everything we needed, plus you’d have to take a taxi to get anywhere else.
Day 28 – High Pass & Hot SprIngs + Chivay
After the first day in the city, we ventured north with local guide Romero to visit the Andes Mountains and get our first taste of Real Altitude. We stopped along the way for llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas, the former two of which I’d be seeing a LOT more in the next week. From the Volcano Viewpoint in the High Pass (4910 M) we eventually reached our hotel in Chivay, a tiny mountain town, for a quick turnaround to some hot springs with incredible views.
The springs were separated by temperature, with the hottest water in small huts. The hottest was pretty intense for most of the people who tried it – but I found it slightly colder than the baths I take, so I soaked in it for a while. However, the tranquility and mountain views from the outdoor springs were worth spending most of my time there, as it was genuinely one of the most relaxing environments I’ve been in.
Days 29-30 – Colca Canyon & Arequipa Night Out
We left early the next morning to catch incredible sights of Andean Condors riding thermals along the sides of Colca Canyon – one of the deepest in the world. That day, like most others on this trip, we were lucky with weather and timing, neither of which were guaranteed, and saw at least 5 condors flew around in clear skies (video). It was one of a few moments on this trip where I really Felt the Weight of what I was doing and seeing, so I took some time to reflect and appreciate how fortunate I am, and the work it took to get me here.
We made it back to Arequipa in the late afternoon – enough time for another Street Food Adventure before getting ready for a fun night out with the group. By now, our group chemistry was strong, and we convinced our leader Fredy to join us. He took us to a disco on the nightlife street of Calle Zela, where we danced the night away. I was surprised there were a lot of queer Peruvian women there, who welcomed our group with drinks, dancing, and some flirting 😉
Nothing special about the next day, aside from finally having downtime to rest and recalibrate in Arequipa. Then we took our 2nd night bus of the trip, and I actually slept like 8 hours!!
Day 31 – Cusco
Our first morning in Cusco was an orientation: breakfast at a diner, a brief city walk, and some alpaca gear window-shopping.
Then I had my 2nd cooking class of the trip where we made… ceviche (again), Pisco Sours (again), and Lomo Saltado (grilled beef & veggies). In seriousness, the cooking was much better than the first class – we actually got to use heat, and do more than just mix pre-measured ingredients. And the cocktail we made with fresh passionfruit juice was genuinely one of the best drinks I’ve ever had.
Finally, we met at a G Adventures office to get briefed on the highlight of the trip: our hikes to Machu Picchu. I opted for the less traditional “Lares Trek”, since I heard the Inca Trail was a bit touristy, and crowded with people. (While I definitely don’t regret my choice, I do think I’d like to come back someday to at least hike the mountains around Machu Picchu, if not the Inca Trail too). After a quick dinner, I went to bed for an EARLY (4:15) start the next morning, because I signed up for a high-altitude hike to Rainbow Mountain.
Day 32 – Rainbow Mountain
As its name implies, Rainbow Mountain is a multicolored geological formation caused by various mineral deposits and glacial oxidization. Although it’s apparently one of the “must-see” destinations in Peru, I had never heard of it before this trip, and really only booked it because it was a challenging hike. The mountain itself was cool, but the views of the surrounding mountains, glaciers, and valleys were what really stood out to me.
There is a secondary location nearby, called the Red Valley, which was pitched as an ‘extra’ thing to see after the mountain. The photos I took don’t do it justice, but I am not exaggerating in saying it was one of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen.
By the way, hiking at this altitude WAS hard as hell, especially the steep slopes at the top. But we took breaks and made it through, and I felt really prepared to start the Lares Trek two days later.
Day 33 – OllentayTambo
The next day our group traveled from Cusco to Ollentaytambo, closer to the start of our Machu Picchu hikes. On the way we stopped at a women’s weaving collective in a small Quechuan community, which had partnered with G Adventures as part of their community development arm, Planeterra.
I missed the stop to take an important but difficult phone call, and reached some sad conclusions about my ability to stay connected to my community back in Columbus. In Ollentaytambo, a Street Food Adventure turned into a City Adventure, and a surprise Carnival helped lift my spirits some. Then it was bedtime for an early start to our Machu Picchu hikes the next day.
The next morning, Connie and I had a surprisingly emotional goodbye with the rest of our group, and started our journey on one of the greatest physical accomplishments of my life so far: the 3-day, 33km, 1500 vertical meter hike that is The Lares Trek.
To Be Continued…
💜 Ada
Post 7/8 of Ada’s 2024 Latin American Journey (1100+ Photo Album)
- Mayan Adventure (14 Days)
- Local Living Ecuador (7 Days)
- Sandboarding & Sunsets (21 Days)
Leave a Reply