Peru - anyone been?
Discussion
Right then,
I spent about 6 weeks in Peru in December 04 / Jan 05.
Travelled south from Lima - Lima is the capital and isn't particularly nice, i spent only a couple of nights here, not much to see i didnt think and also quite rough - leaving Lima i travelled overland south to...
Pisco - good sea food - nothing particulalry special here though - a nice enough small town, boat trip will take you off shore to see seals, LOTS of nesting birds etc. Quite a nice place to just chill out, then moved on to....
Ica - again a medium sized town, near to a desert oasis type place where i spent a couple of nights - included some dune buggying out into the desert and some Sand Boarding!
The on to Nazca - Obviosu attraction here is the Nazca lines which are worth seeing - tiny little airplane will make you feel ill swooping and banking around so you can see the shapes drawn in the sand!
From here i went to Cusco - its VERY touristy - but a nice place. Plenty of restaurants, cafes and pubs etc. Its also a fair bit higher than anywhere else. You WILL feel the change in altitude, especially for the first couple of days - little things like toweling off after a shower leave you short of breath let alone things like carrying a suitcase / rucksack up four flights of stairs!
If your going to be doig the Inca Trail (which is superb and i'd reccomend anyone to do it) you'll probabaly book it with a travel company here in cusco. It really is worth doing. I saw in the New Year 2004/5 on the Inca trail!
Other things do do in the area include white water rafting, and other adventure sports. Nice place and you can spend a couple of weeks in the area if your doing the trail.
From Cusco i went to Arequipa - which is a really really nice town, it has a monestry that is quite famous, a great square and is a nice place to spend some time. Its also the base if your into your mountain climbing - local mountain here is a very popular climb and from what i hear not especially difficult. - it may be called el misti?
From Arequipa i moved to Puno which is the main Peruvian town on Lake Titicaca - if you can go here! - Its amazing - huge massive lake thats abrilliant colour, you can also visit a local "community" who live in floating reed houses, built on floating reed islands. Very interesting, or you can visit one of the islands out on the lake which is also a good day out.
Puno is where i sampled Guinea Pig - and its very good - not much meat on one - and it tastes rather like crsipy beef i thought. Good food though - definitly try it.
From Puno i went to Tacna - its right on the chilean border - again nothing special but it where i crossed into Chile.
You'll have a brilliant time the people are very friendly, there are soem amazing sights to see - and doing it all on motorbike should be awesome!
Ay questions gimme a shout!
I spent about 6 weeks in Peru in December 04 / Jan 05.
Travelled south from Lima - Lima is the capital and isn't particularly nice, i spent only a couple of nights here, not much to see i didnt think and also quite rough - leaving Lima i travelled overland south to...
Pisco - good sea food - nothing particulalry special here though - a nice enough small town, boat trip will take you off shore to see seals, LOTS of nesting birds etc. Quite a nice place to just chill out, then moved on to....
Ica - again a medium sized town, near to a desert oasis type place where i spent a couple of nights - included some dune buggying out into the desert and some Sand Boarding!
The on to Nazca - Obviosu attraction here is the Nazca lines which are worth seeing - tiny little airplane will make you feel ill swooping and banking around so you can see the shapes drawn in the sand!
From here i went to Cusco - its VERY touristy - but a nice place. Plenty of restaurants, cafes and pubs etc. Its also a fair bit higher than anywhere else. You WILL feel the change in altitude, especially for the first couple of days - little things like toweling off after a shower leave you short of breath let alone things like carrying a suitcase / rucksack up four flights of stairs!
If your going to be doig the Inca Trail (which is superb and i'd reccomend anyone to do it) you'll probabaly book it with a travel company here in cusco. It really is worth doing. I saw in the New Year 2004/5 on the Inca trail!
Other things do do in the area include white water rafting, and other adventure sports. Nice place and you can spend a couple of weeks in the area if your doing the trail.
From Cusco i went to Arequipa - which is a really really nice town, it has a monestry that is quite famous, a great square and is a nice place to spend some time. Its also the base if your into your mountain climbing - local mountain here is a very popular climb and from what i hear not especially difficult. - it may be called el misti?
From Arequipa i moved to Puno which is the main Peruvian town on Lake Titicaca - if you can go here! - Its amazing - huge massive lake thats abrilliant colour, you can also visit a local "community" who live in floating reed houses, built on floating reed islands. Very interesting, or you can visit one of the islands out on the lake which is also a good day out.
Puno is where i sampled Guinea Pig - and its very good - not much meat on one - and it tastes rather like crsipy beef i thought. Good food though - definitly try it.
From Puno i went to Tacna - its right on the chilean border - again nothing special but it where i crossed into Chile.
You'll have a brilliant time the people are very friendly, there are soem amazing sights to see - and doing it all on motorbike should be awesome!
Ay questions gimme a shout!
In Cusco you can drink for free all night if you hop from bar to bar taking the flyers for a free drink and then skipping from bar to bar - great fun to try to hit them all!
No particular tips - spent three months there a few years ago - it will be awesome. Guineau Pig tastes like rabbit - pretty fiddly because its so boney but worth eating just to say you have.
Go to the ruins at sacsaymama (or something like that) near cusco - they are very impressive.
Enjoy - very jealous.
No particular tips - spent three months there a few years ago - it will be awesome. Guineau Pig tastes like rabbit - pretty fiddly because its so boney but worth eating just to say you have.
Go to the ruins at sacsaymama (or something like that) near cusco - they are very impressive.
Enjoy - very jealous.
Thanks for the feed back so far guys, especially Dan - please keep it coming. Im a bit worried that i might need a gun for lima! - but then im only there 2 nights.
Yes, doing machu pechu, im doing the "Amazing forest" ride with these guys
www.perumotorcycletours.com
Sadly only a very short trip - not taking in all the country - but not bad for a 40th birthday jolly!
Yes, doing machu pechu, im doing the "Amazing forest" ride with these guys
www.perumotorcycletours.com
Sadly only a very short trip - not taking in all the country - but not bad for a 40th birthday jolly!
I've spent a week or so in Lima and it is a bit of a dump, but it does have some nice areas.
I think you can now only do the Inca trail with a guide, it's a well worth trip over the 3 or so days it takes. Getting to Machu Pichu before the main throng of tourists is a bonus.
I also spent a week on the Tambapota river, basically 2 of us with a guide and a couple of young lads who cooked and set up camp etc. This was an amazing few days.
Also spent a few days in the desert somewhere, that was nice and relaxing but chuffing hot.
HTH
I think you can now only do the Inca trail with a guide, it's a well worth trip over the 3 or so days it takes. Getting to Machu Pichu before the main throng of tourists is a bonus.
I also spent a week on the Tambapota river, basically 2 of us with a guide and a couple of young lads who cooked and set up camp etc. This was an amazing few days.
Also spent a few days in the desert somewhere, that was nice and relaxing but chuffing hot.
HTH
I went in August 2004 for a week, the flight there was fairly long with short stops in Amsterdam & Bonaire. Lima was rough, dirty & fairly scary! Cusco was cooler, lots to see but the altitude hit me & my mum quite a bit, they put her on oxygen. I tried guinea pig in one of the restaurants there, I don't think they cooked it all that much and were fairly excited when I ordered it.
There was a horrific squealing from the kitchens & ten minutes later this horrible looking "frozen in a scream" rat creature was brought, cremated & fully intact, for my eating delight. I had the tiniest shred of flesh from its haunch, which was all pretty grisly and soft, just to say I'd eaten it, we got it on video & I mugged my mother for half of her (well chosen) lasagne.
So, if you're going to opt for guinea pig, go to a place that looks like it's busy/can cook one cos mine was disgusting!!!
Macchu Picchu was amazing, we took the train ride there from Cusco, I can strongly recommend warm clothes as the train is freezing pretty much till you get there. The scenery is amazing & is regularly voted one of the greatest train rides in the world. You start off crisscrossing the Cusco slums which is strangely beautiful for its poverty and traverse these gorgeous valleys with snow capped peaks, go through a bit of jungle, alongside these raging rivers & end up in the town at the foot of Macchu Picchu. There you get a bus up to the site & there's a magnificent yet small hotel at the top which I highly recommend staying in, think it was $200 or £200 I can't remember (for a double) which means you can stay well after everyone has caught the last bus home and be there before dawn breaks the next day. Really really worth it to see the sun break through the Sun Gate onto a specific point in the ruins. It's a very spiritual place & if you're feeling fit, the long walk up the next mountain for a different view of Macchu Picchu is recommended also by everyone who's done it. Sadly we didn't as Mum was still short of breath from Cusco, even though the journey to Macchu Picchu is downhill, it doesn't feel it.
There was a horrific squealing from the kitchens & ten minutes later this horrible looking "frozen in a scream" rat creature was brought, cremated & fully intact, for my eating delight. I had the tiniest shred of flesh from its haunch, which was all pretty grisly and soft, just to say I'd eaten it, we got it on video & I mugged my mother for half of her (well chosen) lasagne.
So, if you're going to opt for guinea pig, go to a place that looks like it's busy/can cook one cos mine was disgusting!!!
Macchu Picchu was amazing, we took the train ride there from Cusco, I can strongly recommend warm clothes as the train is freezing pretty much till you get there. The scenery is amazing & is regularly voted one of the greatest train rides in the world. You start off crisscrossing the Cusco slums which is strangely beautiful for its poverty and traverse these gorgeous valleys with snow capped peaks, go through a bit of jungle, alongside these raging rivers & end up in the town at the foot of Macchu Picchu. There you get a bus up to the site & there's a magnificent yet small hotel at the top which I highly recommend staying in, think it was $200 or £200 I can't remember (for a double) which means you can stay well after everyone has caught the last bus home and be there before dawn breaks the next day. Really really worth it to see the sun break through the Sun Gate onto a specific point in the ruins. It's a very spiritual place & if you're feeling fit, the long walk up the next mountain for a different view of Macchu Picchu is recommended also by everyone who's done it. Sadly we didn't as Mum was still short of breath from Cusco, even though the journey to Macchu Picchu is downhill, it doesn't feel it.
A good couple of points there....
If you do take the tourist train from Aguis Calientes (sp) or Cusco - expect to spend less time at Machu Pichu and also you'll be there when all the other tourists are.
We did the full hike which ensured you were at the sun gate for sun rise. Its a magical experience.
and do try and do the climb up the neighbouring peak - its called "whine-a-pichu" (thats not how you spell it but is how you pronounce it) - its a very steep climb in places and quite scary but the view from the top down over MP is worth it all.
The motorbike ride / adventure looks like lots of fun - i didn't venture into the amazon area but it looks great.
If you do take the tourist train from Aguis Calientes (sp) or Cusco - expect to spend less time at Machu Pichu and also you'll be there when all the other tourists are.
We did the full hike which ensured you were at the sun gate for sun rise. Its a magical experience.
and do try and do the climb up the neighbouring peak - its called "whine-a-pichu" (thats not how you spell it but is how you pronounce it) - its a very steep climb in places and quite scary but the view from the top down over MP is worth it all.
The motorbike ride / adventure looks like lots of fun - i didn't venture into the amazon area but it looks great.
Thanks again all.
Am a little worried about altitude, but i ski fairly regularly, so i am hoping it will be ok. Naughty Magpie - thought you would have been used to the height after regular trips to high town !
We visit MP the day after arriving in A. calientes, and have another half day there the day after, so i may try to do the sunrise trip or the other peak, but i guess it also depends on the bars there!
Staying in miraflores in lima - which im hoping will be Ok, probably wont bother with the sites there after the comments here.
Am a little worried about altitude, but i ski fairly regularly, so i am hoping it will be ok. Naughty Magpie - thought you would have been used to the height after regular trips to high town !
We visit MP the day after arriving in A. calientes, and have another half day there the day after, so i may try to do the sunrise trip or the other peak, but i guess it also depends on the bars there!
Staying in miraflores in lima - which im hoping will be Ok, probably wont bother with the sites there after the comments here.
I did a very similar trip to Dan a few years ago. Awesome country and friendly people. I didn't experience anything bad in Lima - Not sure where all this talk of guns came from? - Maybe we were too drunk and happily staggered through the bad areas! Also, the Peruvians are generally quite short, and we towered over them which made us feel a bit safer maybe...
Miraflores is i think where a lot of the night life is. The clubs were awesome! - We met up with some Peruvian girls we met in Cusco (Cusco is a popular holiday place for Peruvians too) who showed us the best places to go and took us out to some great clubs and kept us entertained
I didn't like Lima much as a city, grey and overcast. I would spend more time elsewhere if i were you.
Stay on an Island on Lake Titticaca if you can, really interesting. Puno was cold though.
Get to Machu Pichu as early as you can. I did the 4 day trek and got there for sunrise. 2 hours later and the place was swamped with tourists which spoilt it.
Altitude affects people in different ways. Young fit people could take 10 steps and be knackered, older more unfit people were bounding up the mountains, and vice versa. Just have to see how you feel. You are advised to aclimatise to the altitude for as many days as you can.
I was so close to being sick after flying in the plane at Nazca!! haha!
Enjoy! - It's an awesome country!
Oh, and if you get the chance go to the Colca Canyon near Arequipa - Seeing the Condors soaring above us on the thermal currents was one of the best things i have ever seen!
Miraflores is i think where a lot of the night life is. The clubs were awesome! - We met up with some Peruvian girls we met in Cusco (Cusco is a popular holiday place for Peruvians too) who showed us the best places to go and took us out to some great clubs and kept us entertained
I didn't like Lima much as a city, grey and overcast. I would spend more time elsewhere if i were you.
Stay on an Island on Lake Titticaca if you can, really interesting. Puno was cold though.
Get to Machu Pichu as early as you can. I did the 4 day trek and got there for sunrise. 2 hours later and the place was swamped with tourists which spoilt it.
Altitude affects people in different ways. Young fit people could take 10 steps and be knackered, older more unfit people were bounding up the mountains, and vice versa. Just have to see how you feel. You are advised to aclimatise to the altitude for as many days as you can.
I was so close to being sick after flying in the plane at Nazca!! haha!
Enjoy! - It's an awesome country!
Oh, and if you get the chance go to the Colca Canyon near Arequipa - Seeing the Condors soaring above us on the thermal currents was one of the best things i have ever seen!
Lima's a hole
Flew in from LA and spent 4 days there, then took a bus to Arequipa before then going on to Cusco. I found that worked fine re aclimmatising, as Arequipa's about 1/2 - 2/3 the altitude of Cusco.
Arequipa's a great little town and, as mentioned, the monastery is well worth a visit, if only to see the mummy
Friendly people too. Yes, the mountain is called Misti - I didn't climb it, but the bloke of a couple I met did. They got halfway up during the evening, then camped early before setting off at 1:30 am to get to the top for dawn. Took about 9 hours I think - 3 in the evening, 6 in the morning. Then 45 minutes to come down that top half - there are loads of ash "streams" that you simply surf down on your feet 
Again, as said, Cusco's touristy, but great. Just ignore the hawkers. The main square - Plaza del Armas - is pretty impressive, as is the view from the church up the hillside. You can also be Mr Brit Abroad and hit the highest Irish bar in the world - Paddy O'Flaherty's (also on Pl.del Armas).
One thing to be wary of though is the drug peddlers at night time. Not dangerous, as such, but they will be bugging you to buy cocaine amongst other things. And I don't mean in shady corners, but sitting right on the streets and alleys surrounded by restaurants. Rumours abound that some of them are police stings, but how true that is, I don't know.
The market's well worth a visit too (and don't forget to 'aggle
), and is right next to the train station that takes you to Aguas Calientes.
A.Cal. exists purely for tourists climbing Machu Picchu. It's all hotels, restaurants and bars. In fact, it didn't exist before the train line was laid to the bottom of the closest mountain. I stayed two nights, so when I arrived I didn't have to leg it up to M.P. Meant I could get up early and up the mountain in a vaguely relaxed fashion and not worry about missing my train back either.
I spent some more time in Cusco before hightailing it all the way down to Tacna and over the border - I was out of time and had to get to Santiago in Chile for a flight to NZ. Tacna's just a border town really.
Thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm conscious that I barely scratched the surface and want to go back. Also Chile - I only really spent time on buses with a 3 day break in Pisco Elqui (about 2/3 the way down to Santiago, just east of La Serena).
Oh, you'll probably get loads of advisories about keeping valuables close etc etc - certainly in Arequipa and Cusco, that's no more than you would at home. I had a small bag slung over my shoulder with my wallet, phone etc in, and a 2 grand DSLR around my neck most of the time. Never had a problem. In fact, I dropped a 20 soles note in Arequipa and a couple of locals shouted at me and pointed to it on the floor. Mind you, most of them wanted to take my photo, rather than the other way around - don't think they see many kilts.
Some random photos here : http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingbadger/sets/721...
Mostly Cusco, some Lima and Arequipa beforehand, and a bit of Chile at the end.
Oh, another thing - travel agents here will tell you, you need to book with them to get into Machu Picchu as numbers are limited. That's nonsense. It's the climbing of Waynu Picchu that's restricted. You can pick up tickets for everything at the multitude of shops in Cusco, although you might have to wait a few days.
Flew in from LA and spent 4 days there, then took a bus to Arequipa before then going on to Cusco. I found that worked fine re aclimmatising, as Arequipa's about 1/2 - 2/3 the altitude of Cusco.
Arequipa's a great little town and, as mentioned, the monastery is well worth a visit, if only to see the mummy
Friendly people too. Yes, the mountain is called Misti - I didn't climb it, but the bloke of a couple I met did. They got halfway up during the evening, then camped early before setting off at 1:30 am to get to the top for dawn. Took about 9 hours I think - 3 in the evening, 6 in the morning. Then 45 minutes to come down that top half - there are loads of ash "streams" that you simply surf down on your feet Again, as said, Cusco's touristy, but great. Just ignore the hawkers. The main square - Plaza del Armas - is pretty impressive, as is the view from the church up the hillside. You can also be Mr Brit Abroad and hit the highest Irish bar in the world - Paddy O'Flaherty's
(also on Pl.del Armas). One thing to be wary of though is the drug peddlers at night time. Not dangerous, as such, but they will be bugging you to buy cocaine amongst other things. And I don't mean in shady corners, but sitting right on the streets and alleys surrounded by restaurants. Rumours abound that some of them are police stings, but how true that is, I don't know.
The market's well worth a visit too (and don't forget to 'aggle
), and is right next to the train station that takes you to Aguas Calientes. A.Cal. exists purely for tourists climbing Machu Picchu. It's all hotels, restaurants and bars. In fact, it didn't exist before the train line was laid to the bottom of the closest mountain. I stayed two nights, so when I arrived I didn't have to leg it up to M.P. Meant I could get up early and up the mountain in a vaguely relaxed fashion and not worry about missing my train back either.
I spent some more time in Cusco before hightailing it all the way down to Tacna and over the border - I was out of time and had to get to Santiago in Chile for a flight to NZ. Tacna's just a border town really.
Thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm conscious that I barely scratched the surface and want to go back. Also Chile - I only really spent time on buses with a 3 day break in Pisco Elqui (about 2/3 the way down to Santiago, just east of La Serena).
Oh, you'll probably get loads of advisories about keeping valuables close etc etc - certainly in Arequipa and Cusco, that's no more than you would at home. I had a small bag slung over my shoulder with my wallet, phone etc in, and a 2 grand DSLR around my neck most of the time. Never had a problem. In fact, I dropped a 20 soles note in Arequipa and a couple of locals shouted at me and pointed to it on the floor. Mind you, most of them wanted to take my photo, rather than the other way around - don't think they see many kilts
.Some random photos here : http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingbadger/sets/721...
Mostly Cusco, some Lima and Arequipa beforehand, and a bit of Chile at the end.
Oh, another thing - travel agents here will tell you, you need to book with them to get into Machu Picchu as numbers are limited. That's nonsense. It's the climbing of Waynu Picchu that's restricted. You can pick up tickets for everything at the multitude of shops in Cusco, although you might have to wait a few days.
Edited by Famous Graham on Tuesday 25th August 00:36
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