Peru - A Traveler's Overview

Peru is a South American country with a population of thirty million people. Nearly one third of the population lives in the Metropolitan area in and around Lima, the national capitol. Peru has a diverse climate. I visited during January, which is summer south of the Equator. In Lima, the temperatures were in the 80s. Traveling to the higher altitudes of Cuzco, south of Lima, the temperatures dropped into the 60s. Lima was very dry, while Cuzco had steady rain during my visit. If you plan on traveling while you are in Peru, you may need to pack for a variety of climates. Layering is a good idea.

Peru has several regions that are tourist destinations. The beaches are found more in the northern part of the country. Peru has tropical rainforest, beaches, the Nazca lines, Machu Picchu and a host of other tourist destinations that lie in different parts of the country. While you can travel between locales by bus, it is often more efficient to fly. Most flights arrive in Lima at the Jorge Chavez International Airport. From here, you can take local flights to a variety of destinations. If you are headed to the jungle, you can fly to Iquitos. For Machu Picchu, your destination will be Cuzco. You can hire over-flights of the Nazca lines from Lima, or travel by bus to take small charters over the strange designs.

Domestic flights are fairly easy to book and navigate, although there are taxes on all flights that originate inside Peru. Many of the airlines have smaller aircraft that cannot navigate in rough weather. These include Star Peru, Peruvian Airlines and Taca. LAN Airlines maintains a more modern fleet with the appropriate equipment to fly in inclement weather. You run less of a chance of cancelled flights with the slightly more expensive LAN Airlines.

Each region within Peru offers a unique climate and diverse opportunities for tourism. During my visit, I focused my time in the areas of Lima and the Sacred Valley of the Incas (Cuzco), so my knowledge of those areas has more depth. However, there is plenty to see and do throughout Peru. If I had more time, I would have liked to visit Lake Titicaca, the Rainforest, the beaches and even take a side trip to the Galapagos, which is not far from Peru. The easiest way to examine Peru is to focus on the individual tourist regions and talk about the types of tourism common to those locations. I will lead off with the Capitol, Lima. It is here that your trip may begin (although it is not the only International Airport). From here, you will like begin your journey to the other regions.

Lima

Lima is the capital city of Peru. If you are traveling to Lima, you are likely to arrive at the JJorge Chavez International Airport in Callou. If you are flying into the airport, there are some important factors to consider before you arrive. For safety reasons, it is important to avoid visiting the ATM inside the airport. If you want local currency (soles), you should exchange enough money at your departure airport to cover your taxi fare. Taxi’s will often take payment in foreign currency, especially the US Dollar. You should only use the official airport taxi (Green Taxi). Alternatively, you can arrange a car and driver through your hotel, which may be preferable. If you can avoid arriving after dark, that is an added bonus. The airport taxi to Lima or Miraflores will run approximately fifty soles, or twenty US Dollars.

Theft is a major problem in Lima. The airport is a confused jumble of people, which reaches a peak in the area around the international arrival terminal. Taxi cabs, drivers and family members joust for position around a set of barricades inside the terminal. If you have previously arranged for a driver, they will be among this throng of people holding a sign with your name on it. When you have arranged for a cab or located your driver, take a few more steps to protect yourself. Do not wear clothing or jewelry that is likely to draw attention. Avoid the ATM machine. Lock your valuables in the trunk of the taxi or keep them out of view (on the floor). Keep your windows rolled up, doors locked and be aware of your surroundings. Thieves wait at traffic lights outside of the airport. They will smash your window and steal your valuables before you realize what is happening. Taking steps to avoid being targeted are the best way not to be a victim. As someone who was targeted, I regretfully speak from experience. It was a tense experience that I would not wish on anyone.

Miraflores

Lima has a great deal to offer in terms of shopping, dining and sight-seeing. The currency is the sole, which converts to the US Dollar at about a 1:3 ratio. I generally did the conversions in my head using a forty percent rule, when the number was a bit higher. I would multiply the number of soles by four and then insert a decimal (for instance, 10 soles equals ten times four or forty…moving the decimal one spot results in four dollars). Of course, the exchange rate fluctuates over time and may not be precise from one location to another if you are actually paying in US Dollars. You can find incredible bargains on shopping as well as dining. Lima is home to some world class restaurants that have a price tag similar to a regular steak house in the US. Beware of pick pockets and purse snatchers as you navigate the city. It is good advice not to carry too much cash on your person as you are out shopping and visiting the attractions.

Miraflores

There are plenty of large chain hotels in Lima. Miraflores is a tourist area that has a variety of chain and charming local hotels to choose from. I stayed at the JW Marriott in Miraflores and felt that the area was perfect for tourists. The area includes an excellent shopping center built into the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean called Larcomar. My wife and I felt safe walking in this area, even after dark. There are two excellent restaurants in this area. Astrid y Gaston is ranked among the top fifty restaurants in the world. If you are looking for a scenic seafood restaurant, Rosa Nautica is located on a pier that juts out into the Pacific. Kennedy Park is just a few blocks from the waterfront, with scenic surroundings and a host of shopping locations near the park. This includes the Inka Market where one can find inexpensive crafts from silver jewelry to alpaca sweaters.

There are plenty of interesting activities to undertake in and around Lima. You must travel in order to visit the rainforest, Galapagos, Machu Picchu or the Nazca Lines. But you don’t have to travel far in order to appreciate Lima. There are a number of museums and tourist attractions that can often be visited for just a few dollars. Or, you can coordinate through an organized tour and visit many of the museums with a guide. These tours usually include admission fees. Half day tours of Lima can be found for as little as twenty-eight dollars, including admission tickets, hotel transportation and a guide. Because I was the victim of a crime at the beginning of my trip, I was not able to appreciate all of the tours I had scheduled before my arrival. But I am listing some of the attractions that were on my agenda, to include the ones I missed.

Roaming Around the World Tours

Before leaving the United States, I booked a special trip through Adventures Within Travel. This West Coast company arranged for a driver to pick my wife and I up from our hotel for a half day Ocean-bound trip. This boat ride takes visitors down the coast of Peru past a series of rare bird colonies. Among the special birds on this tour are the blue-footed booby bird and penguins. The highlight of this tour was a swim with the sea lions. The price (eighty dollars) includes a wetsuit rental. You can change into a wetsuit and get into the water with the sea lions, which have no natural predators. Missing this part of my trips was among my greatest disappointments.

My wife and I did manage a trip to the Monastery and Catacombs of San Francisco, which was an interesting tour. These tours are conducted alternately in Spanish and English. We had to wait about thirty minutes of the English language tour. Admission was seven soles per person, or less than three US Dollars. This tour takes visitors throughout the church, which has displays of artwork, woodwork and traditional monk attire. It culminates into a visit beneath the church into the burial catacombs. Slightly macabre, but definitely interesting for the history buffs.

Other museums in Lima include the Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú, Museum of the Nation, Museum of Italian Art, Museum of History, the Larco Museum and the popular Gold Museum. The gold museum was another of the attractions that I definitely felt like I missed. It features many recovered artifacts from the Inca period, showing their craftsmanship with gold and a small remnant of the precious metal that wasn’t plundered and smelted by the Spanish. Most of the museums charge inexpensive admissions. If you book through a tour, you will visit several of these locations with the cost of admission built into the cost of the tour.

Skykitchen tours

If you are interested in the flavors of Peru, you can explore the restaurants on your own. You will find a host of restaurants around Lima that charge the equivalent of two or three dollars for a full meal. I would avoid these restaurants if you value your gastronomic integrity. It is advisable to avoid street food, as well. The Churros look appetizing but may come back to haunt you. Search for restaurants that look and smell clean. Getting sick while you are on vacation can put a huge damper in your plans. You can also experience the flavors of Peru through a gastronomic tour. You can book a variety of tours that include a trip to the market to select the items for your meal. You will then be given a class on preparing the chosen repast followed by the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of your labor. These tours usually include meals native to Peru like ceviche, saltado loma (beef dish), and often the traditional pisco sour (which tastes like a margarita to me).

Green Taxi

If you are simply walking around downtown Lima, there are plenty of shops and restaurants that lie in along a pedestrian alleyway near the Plaza Mayor. The plaza area has a tourist feel and is heavily patrolled by law enforcement, providing a sense of security for visitors. The architecture includes several government buildings and historic churches, some of which you can visit without charge. There are taxi stands along the cross streets in this tourist area. However, many of these taxis only service the downtown area. If you need a ride to the airport, you may need to arrange transportation through your hotel. It is a good idea to do this well in advance so you don’t find yourself scrambling for a taxi cab. There may be two dozen taxi cabs, but none may be willing or authorized to carry you to the airport. You can arrange directly through Green Taxi or Tata Taxi using local numbers if your hotel does not offer this service for you.

Peru charges taxes on all flights that originate within the country. If you are flying domestically or international, it does not matter. This fee is incorporated into many of the tickets, but if you purchase domestic tickets from the internet from within Peru, the tax may not be included. If this is the case, you will be assessed the tax when you arrive at the airport. It is equivalent to about thirty US Dollars. It is a good idea to determine if you have already paid the tax or whether you need to set aside enough money to pay it when you arrive at the airport. If you are traveling to another part of Peru, you will be assessed the tax for each originating flight.

Lima may be a stopover point on your destination to Machu Picchu or the Rain Forest, but there is plenty to see and do while you are here. From shopping and dining in Miraflores to a host of museums in Lima. There are plenty of tours that will tie together the highlights of historic Lima which are relatively inexpensive. You may also want to experience the flavors of Peru through a culinary tour. Among the things to remember are to keep your possessions secured, don’t wear jewelry or otherwise draw attention to yourself, arrange taxis through your hotel, keeps windows up and doors locked and make sure you save enough money to pay the airport tax if it isn’t included in your ticket price. With a little bit of planning, Lima has plenty of fun attractions to keep you occupied. My trip was memorable, but would have been outstanding if I had not been the victim of crime. If you find yourself the victim of crime, try to locate the tourist police to file a report. Otherwise, you will find the experience incredibly frustrating.

CUZCO, THE SACRED VALLEY AND MACHU PICCHU

Tambomachay

The city of Cuzco was once the center of the Inca Empire, drawing its name from terminology that means “navel of the world.” The name may also appear as Cusco, Qusqu or Qosco. There have been attempts by the local government to standardize the name, but there is no officially accepted spelling. The city is located at approximately 11,000 feet above sea level, so it helps to have altitude sickness medication prescribed before you arrive. For the unprepared, the locals offer Coca tea that is supposed to help cure the symptoms, which include dizziness and nausea.

Cusco Airport Shuttle

You can travel to Cuzco from Lima by bus. The arduous journey will take you twenty hours and will run substantially less than the cost of airfare (about thirty-five dollars each direction). Not all buses in Peru enjoy a positive reputation. Spend the extra money on a decent bus to ensure your safety and reasonably comfortable travel standards. I opted to fly, selecting first Star Peru. When my return flight was delayed, I had to purchase an additional set of tickets on LAN Airlines because Star Peru was booked the day I needed a return flight. The Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport in Cuzco is approximately ten to fifteen minutes from the city center. You can find a taxi at the airport, but it is safer to arrange for transportation through your hotel or travel agency. I booked my tour through a travel agency, which met me at the airport to deliver me to my hotel.

San Augustin El Dorado Hotel

The hotel I stayed at during my nights in Cuzco was the San Agustin El Dorado Hotel located at El Sol 395 San Agustin El Dorado Hotel, Cuzco 084, Peru. This charming hotel is located on the main avenue in close proximity to the Plaza. The accommodations were nice and the breakfast was awesome. The hotel was less than a five minute walk to any number of restaurants, shopping and attractions. Because I booked through a travel agency, my tours were included in my package. However, you can purchase tours at the Plaza from any number of vendors. Most of the tour groups are cobbled together from the various travel agencies into language groups.

Cusco Tourist Ticket

The City of Cuzco offers a special tour ticket that includes admission into most of the attractions in and around the city. These tickets can be purchased from any number of vendors for approximately $43 US Dollars (130 soles). The tickets include most of the nearby attractions, excepting the Koricancha Santo Domingo, which is an additional 10 Soles (about four US Dollars). While you can attempt to visit these sights with the admission ticket, you will not get the full benefit of understanding what you are looking at. You will also require transportation to the outlying areas. Tours that include the admission ticket can be found for as low as $100 US, so the cost of the tour is well worth the transportation and services of a guide.

The Cuzco City Tourist Ticket has a watermark that will be inspected at each stop on the tour. The various historic sites will use a punch device or stamp to mark your admission with each visit. The tour includes the highlights of the attractions in and around the city. The ticket is only good for one admission to each location, but is valid for five days from the date of purchase. The ticket includes admission to: Cuzco Cathedral - My tour started at the Cuzco Catherdral, which is a centrally located attraction. The entrance to the Cathedral is located adjacent to the central plaza, Plaza de Armas. The cathedral has two sections, which are explained as part of the tour. Without a guide, you will never know the truth about the “black Jesus” located in the cathedral or the numerous private altars that surround the main chapel. The tour is filled with fabulous art, priceless antiques and incredible wooden carvings with intricate details. It also features a huge portrait of the Last Supper, featuring Cuy (Guinea Pig) and a Judas that bears a resemblance to Francisco Pizarro. The cathedral is the starting point for most tours. As you exit, local merchants will snap your photograph. By the time you reach your third or fourth attraction, they will be waiting for you with cut-and-paste postcards featuring your freshly minted photograph. They run about five soles (under two dollars).

Religious Art Museum – Many of the attractions on the Tourist Ticket can be visited without a tour group. They are all within a short walking distance of the Plaza de Armas. The Religious Art Museum is about one block away from the central plaza. Apart from the organized tour that I took, I spent the rest of my daytime hours in the Immigration Office in Cuzco. Unfortunately, I was unable to see some of the walking tour sites. The Religious Art Museum is known for its Andean Art and religious artifacts. It is among the locations that I otherwise would have visited.

Church of San Blas – This church is located about ten minutes walking time from Plaza de Armas. It features a pulpit carved from the trunk of a cedar tree. This was another attraction that I missed. Individual admission to this historic site is 15 soles (about six US Dollars).

Regional History Museum – This museum features pre-Colonial artifacts such as pottery and textiles. It also houses Colonial art and has a room of contemporary art. It is another of the attractions that I felt unfortunate to miss.

Sacsayhuaman - It is believed that Cuzco was originally built in the shape of a panther. The head of the panther was atop a hill. That area is now known as Sacsayhuaman. The pronunciation of this name is very close to “sexy woman” which is a joke that all of the tour guides seem to relish telling. The site is mostly just a series of large stone walls, but the expansive spread gives visitors an opportunity for some decent photographs and some light hiking to get to the top of two opposing hills. Tour groups are admitted at one side of the ruins and are herded like cattle toward the back area where the buses and vans are staged while tourists enjoy the history lesson. There are plenty of opportunities to buy gifts from the local merchants who flock around the buses as you exit the ruins and prepare to depart for your next location.

Qenko – This was the last place we visited during my tour of the city. The entire tour lasted about six hours, so I was beginning to lose interest by the time we reached Qenko. We had been followed by photo-stalkers, bombarded to purchase “baby alpaca” gear and had traversed several ruins. This rather small ruin includes a small cave with an altar. The maze of rocks includes a crevice that allows a sliver of light in. Our guide suggested that during the Winter Equinox, the light comes directly through the crevice to bear direct light on the altar. The ruins were interesting and fairly easy to navigate after a long day of walking.

Puca Pucara

Puca Pucara - Puca Pucara, which is also known as the “Red Fortress” is located along the same route that our bus took the day after the Cuzco tour when we visited the Sacred Valley. We passed this site on both days, but did not get out to take a look around. Instead, we went just past this location to visit another site that included a ceremonial spring and other ruins. That site is the next one on the Tourist Ticket, Tambo Machay (Tambomachay).

Tambo Machay – Like Puca Pucara, this site was mildly interesting, but lacked the impressiveness of some of the other sites we visited. This site included an opportunity to take pictures with some local weavers and a host of local merchants selling giant ears of corn. The waterfalls are a short hike uphill. The stonework at the waterfalls showed the incredible craftsmanship of the Inca but did not have the scale that tower over visitors at many of the other sites.

Pisac Inca Ruins

Pisac - Pisac is a marketplace located on the winding road from Cuzco to Ollantaytambo. There is a shorter route to Ollantaytambo that bypasses Pisac entirely. Pisac is known as a location for fine jewelry. We visited Pisac after spending the morning at the Pisac Inca Ruins high above the city. We descended into Pisac in our full-sized bus, navigating the narrow alleyways with amazing precision. Locals walked along the side of the bus, inches from being crushed between steel and stone. They seemed unfazed by the behemoths lumbering down the narrow alleys. Any arts and crafts you could possibly think of purchasing are for sale in the large Pisac market. Our tour included a visit to a local jeweler who showed the craftsmanship that goes into each piece of jewelry. There are better places to buy alpaca and art, for Pisac, stick to the silver.

Ollantaytambo - At Ollantaytambo, my Sacred Valley tour included admission to the Temple Hill and Temple of the Sun. This ancient ruins sits atop a large hill overlooking the city. The Inca were in the process of building a new temple at the time the Spanish arrived. They ran off into the valley, using the Inca Trail that stretches all the way into the rain forest. Visitors can observe the rapid disappearance of the local citizens when they witness the large stones that were dropped in place along the incredible ramp the Inca built for dragging the stones to their temple from a quarry located miles away.

Chinchero – Neither of my tours included a visit to Chinchero. This was a portion of my ticket that went unused. With more time to spend in Cuzco, I may have attempted to get to this location which is known for scenic landscapes and architecture. It was night time when my Peru Rail bus passed through this region, so I was unable to even glimpse the landscape.

Pachacutec Monument – This monument sits above Cuzco. Visitors can climb the interior of the small monument, which features a statue memorializing the Inca King who spread the empire of the Inca throughout South America. The small structure stands about forty to fifty feet tall. I did not have time to visit the interior of this monument during my trip, but did see it in passing. I don’t feel as if I missed anything by not having entered the monument.

In addition to my hotel and tours, I did a bit of light shopping and had a few meals during my stay in Cuzco. I tried alpaca in the Sacred Valley at a restaurant called Tunupa. This meal featured live entertainment, which was one of the highlights of my tour (in addition to a good meal). However, in Cuzco, I did not eat any local food other than the delicious breakfast at our hotel. Instead, I found a Korean Restaurant off the Plaza de Armas that featured pricey but decent Korean fare. It was not the best I have had, was off the beaten path and was a bit pricey for the going price of a meal in Cuzco. However, it was interesting to try Korean food in an ancient Incan city.

Shopping included a variety of upscale boutiques, where alpaca sweaters and coats can easily run three hundred dollars. Compared to the twenty-five dollars for an alpaca sweater at the markets, this may seem a bit steep. However, the boutiques offer more trendy fashions and a variety of sizes. In the markets, sweaters are pretty much “one size fits all.” This can create problems if you are looking for gifts for specific people back home. Most of the shopping is centered around the Plaza de Armas and stretches off down a few of the main roads that branch off of the plaza.

Cuzco is an interesting city. Formally known as the navel of the world, the city once held dominance over the entire continent of South America. To think that such a tiny town, with a population between 300 and 400 thousand was such an important place of distinction does not require a stretch of the imagination. When you have an opportunity to visit the ancient ruins and see the incredible craftsmanship and organization of the workers who created this city, it all makes sense. There is plenty to see and do around Cuzco. From excellent dining (at reasonable prices) to a plethora of museums and ruins, there is enough to keep visitors busy for days. A Five-Star Destination and gateway to Machu Picchu

THE AMAZON JUNGLE

When people think about the Amazon Jungle, the country that comes to mind is Brazil. While Brazil is home to the largest section of jungle, the second largest portion of the rainforest lies in Peru. Nearly sixty percent of Peru is rainforest, stretching from the border countries of Brazil and Ecuador down along the eastern mountains nearly reaching Machu Picchu. While one third of the population can be found in the area around lima, the vast Amazon Jungle accounts for only ten percent of the population. This population is centered in the cities of Iquito, Pucallpa, Tarapoto and several smaller cities.

Iquitos. With nearly half a million people, Iquitos is the largest city in the rainforest. It is accessible through Coronel FAP Francisco Secada Vignetta International Airport. The city is located just one thousand feet above sea level and has a tropical climate. Many tours of the rainforest originate here. You can also find tours of the Pacaya-Samiria National Preserve and boat trips that travel 2,000 miles downriver, to the Pacific Ocean. Round-trip flights from Lima on LAN Airlines run about six hundred dollars per ticket.

Pucallpa. Pucallpa is slightly smaller than Iquitos. Tourists arrive in Pucallpa via the Captain David Abenzur Rengifo International Airport. Pucallpa has jungle lodges where tourists can stay. The lodges feature a variety of water sports for visitors. Jungle tours include bird watching and sloth watching. There are river expeditions which include fishing, canoe trips and shopping in nearby villages. Roundtrip tickets from Lima on LAN Airlines run between five and six hundred dollars per ticket. A number of local tours are available through the internet.

Tarapoto. Tarapoto is the third largest Amazonian city in Peru. With a population nearing 200,000, the city is substantially smaller than Iquitos and Pucallpa. There are a number of tourist sites around Tarapoto, to include nearby waterfalls and lagoon. The area also boasts a spa, archaeological locations and plant and animal jungle tours. Tarapoto is serviced by Comandante FAP Guillermo del Castillo Paredes Airport. Tickets from Lima to Tarapoto on LAN Airlines will set you back between five and six hundred dollars per ticket. The hour flight can be found substantially cheaper on Taca Airlines, at two hundred dollars per ticket.

NAZCA PROVINCE

The Nazca Province is located driving distance from Lima. This region is known for the Nazca Lines, which are large designs carved into the desert and visible from the air. The Nazca Lines are a popular tourist destination. Trips to this region can be booked through local tour groups in Lima. There are buses that take tourists on a day trip to the region, including a half hour flight over the lines. These trips normally include visits to local restaurants for a traditional meal. The geoplyphs number in the hundreds and were believed to be created between 450 and 600 AD. They depict a number of geometric designs as well as a variety of animals. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From Nazca, these tours run as cheap as one hundred dollars per person. From Lima, the tours can be done by bus or airplane. The airplane tours are far more expensive, in the range of six hundred dollars. The bus tours can be done for two hundred dollars.

LAKE TITICACA

If you book an organized tour of Peru, it may include a visit to Lake Titicaca. The region is serviced by Peru Rail, if you visit on your own. The trip by rail is only done on certain days, traveling for ten hours between the Sacred Valley and the Puno region. At an altitude of 12,500 feet above sea level, Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. There are plenty of archaeological sites as well as floating islands to see. The archaeological sites include stone mazes, a sacred puma rock at Challapampa, and a host of structures at the Isle of the Moon. The Uros people of Lake Titicaca create floating islands made of reeds. They also have small agricultural islands.

CHACHAPOYAS

Chachapoyas is often overlooked by tourist. However, this region is rich in archeological ruins. The region is named for the inhabitants and means “people of the clouds.” They were among the last people in the region subdued by the Inca during their expansion throughout South America. Among the ruins is a fortress stronghold called Kuelap. The ruins predate the Inca and include more than 400 ancient structures built one thousand years ago. A museum in Leymebamba contains mummies preserved by the Chachapoya. This area rivals Machu Picchu in magnificence and may eventually experience rapid growth in through tourism. Four and five day tours to this region will set you back about one thousand dollars.

Peru is a diverse nation. The country has twenty-five regions that cover a diverse terrain, climate and culture. It is a country where a visitor could spend weeks and still not see the major attractions. With a host of regions separated by rugged terrain, travel can be completed by a combination of bus, boat, car, train and airplane. If I had a month, I think I might be able to squeeze in all of the major attractions that hold my interest. But the country has such a diverse set of regions with so many interesting attractions, that I might feel pressed for time, even with a full month at my disposal. As it is, I spent eight days in this country and still feel I missed too much in the two regions I visited. If I get a chance to return, the Amazon is high on my list of destinations, followed by Chachapoyas. Peru is an awesome tourist destination with plenty to offer her visitors.