Where?

1+ week in Peru, “the empire of hidden treasures” with my sister.  1 and 1/2 days in Lima, 3 days in Cusco, and 4 days on the Jungle Trek to Machu Picchu including Santa Maria, Santa Teressa, and Aguas calientes. Peru felt like many different worlds between the coast, the Andes, and the Amazon all contrasting and complimenting each other as you travel. A country still tied to the great Inca civilization in Cusco, yet pushing forward into modern cuisine and lifestyle in the “California-esque” Lima.  Map below includes some highlights of the trip.

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The atmosphere in Peru felt designed for inquisitive adventure seekers. You would have to challenge yourself not to have an amazing time (unless you really hate hiking, in that case please do not go to Peru). Here are the major adventures from the trip:

Paraglide

The best way to see Lima is certainly from the sky. In the miraflores neighborhood they offer 10 minute paragliding rides ($65-$80 depending on if you “know someone”) over the city, ocean, and park. There don’t appear to be any set rules on where you are allowed to fly, and the guides take you very close to skyscrapers which is an amazing experience in itself. The colorful paragliders add a perfect touch of excitement to the coastal metropolis.

Bike

After leaving Cusco at 6AM, breakfast, and a 2 hour bus ride, we were ready to bike 34 miles from the top of the Andes mountains, at 15,000 ft above sea level, down into the beginning of the Amazon. The ride was primarily a downhill ride winding down from the top of the mountains. The real challenge on the bike was to avoid oncoming car traffic, sharp turns, and stay on your bike through small streams crossing the road. You can’t start your day any better than with these views.

White Water Rafting

Taking an evening cruise down Urubamba river with Capitán Segundo. Well not actually a relaxing cruise… While the river (Class III+rapids when we went) does ensure that you will go down river there is plenty of time to get in a good workout at your own pace. The rafts were organized in (4) 7 person rafts which made for good fun having a large crew float the river with you. Rafting was certainly the perfect way to end the day, and doable for any skill level.

Ziplining

This was certainly the longest zipline I had ever done (2) 1 km lines plus a few shorter lines. Each line also had the ability to fly across the canyon in a different pose (normal, upside down, backwards, superman). The views of the canyon below and the mountains at eye level were surreal.

Hiking, Hiking, Hiking

According to the pedometer on my phone we walked 65+ miles over the course of the week in Peru (Lima + Cusco + Jungle Trek), so TONS of hiking and walking around. We did not do THE Inca Trail, but the Incans had many trails which are all part of the Inca Trail network. Walking along these narrow trails up and down valleys and peaks is a grueling yet rewarding experience. If you’re not feeling well, dropping off your bag is a wise idea. I carried my 75L bag, but it certainly made the trip much harder. Words can’t really express the views, so here are some pictures that TRY to capture the setting hiking took place in.

Machu Picchu

The finale of the trip: Machu Picchu. We met at the bottom of the mountain at a security checkpoint at 4:30AM to start our hike. The hike to Machu Picchu is a steep 1 hour hike up 1700+ steps in the dark. This allows you to arrive at Machu Picchu near sunrise before the tourists start arriving en mass. Walking around the site grounds  you are instantly transported back to a pre-colonial Inca religious city. The reason this site is so much more famous than any other Inca site is the setting the city was placed in. Remote would have been an understatement. Today however, there are buses that can take you to the site, along with a snack hut and restaurant =[. You obviously have to use some imagination to piece the ruins together in your head, but the scale that the site was built on defies comprehension. There are two mountains around the site, we climbed the higher one Montaña Machu Picchu ($10 fee). This was the most strenuous hike of the trip, but once at the top, the view was totally worth it. Machu Picchu looks small and the the scale of the Inca empire can be truly appreciated up at that height. After visiting, you have to agree that Machu Picchu belongs on any “world wonders” list as a truly beautiful site.

Eats

The staples of any good Peru trip should include Ceviche in Lima and Guinea Pig in Cusco. Both lived up to their expectations. Although there are a lot of ceviche choices in Peru. It is hard to go wrong with any. We went to get the most variety of ceviche at Puerto Norte near the historical district. It tasted extremely fresh, and the service was great (although no English, which isn’t really a problem). Guinea Pig in Cusco was a brand new experience. It does not taste like anything I have ever had before. The Guinea Pig was stuffed with herbs and then everything else on the pig was edible. While eating at the restaurant, La Cusquenita, we were treated to a comedy/dance routine which made the whole dining experience thoroughly enjoyable.

Our trip through the jungle included eating all type of natural food: peppers (Pinguita de Mono), coca, coco, bananas, coffee beans, termites, roots, and vines. It is an eye opening experience to see food in its rawest form in the jungle. We rarely get to appreciate what goes into making products in our everyday life and our guide Juan Carlos provided an authentic experience into the agricultural side of food in Peru.

Final thought

Peru held its side of the bargain and was full of adventure and excitement, I cannot wait to visit again! I have 6+ hours of GoPro video I am still sifting through, but will be compiling a Peru video soon. So be on the lookout. ¡Hasta luego!