Peru - Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail
Peru is such a special place. We took a bus from Copacabana (Bolivia) to Puno (Peru Border) and then on to Cusco. It was the first time I've ever walked across border - how cool is that? What's more is that my phone changed the time as we walked over with the 1 hour time difference. Famous for both gastronomy and also of course, Machu Picchu.
The sol (S/) or PEN is Peru’s official currency. Banknotes are issued in 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 soles denominations. There are also coins of 10, 20, and 50 cents, as well as 1, 2, and 5 soles.
The coins are great to use for small markets or to go to the toilet (baño) or at bus stations for the privilege of being inside the terminal.
Places we have visited in Peru:
- Cusco
- Inca Trail and Machu Picchu
- Nazca
- Lima
Cusco:
We have enjoyed this vibrant city so much. We especially like that you can actually flush the toilets and not use a bucket of water! (unlike Bolivia haha) Peruvian food is absolutely amazing and I have some recommendations below.
Visiting Cusco, we arrived in on Saturday morning after an overnight bus and decided to stay awake and enjoy a city tour to orientate ourselves. This is a great way to get to know what the main attractions are, where to eat and what to visit during your time.
City Tour: We did this free tour (tip based) with Incan Milkyway Tours and was fabulous! - Approx. 2.5 hours and very informative. We tipped around 25SOL each which is about $10 AUD.
San Pedro Market: Each section is well signed - eg. Clothes (ropa), Juices (jugo), Meats (carne). My advice is to get the menu del dia (soup and main) for around 7PEN which is about $3.00 - just stay away from the salads as these are washed with the standard water, not great for our stomachs here! I also bought a really nice hoodie for around $24.00. - Me wearing said hoodie below!
San Blas: Considered the artisan neighbourhood of Cusco, this area has many things to see such as the Temple of San Blas, the viewpoint for sunset, coffee shops and many galleries and where the Coca museum is also located.
MAP - Museo de Arte Precolobino: This was interesting to learn all about the Pre Incan cultures and pretty cheap to get in. I would recommend a couple of hours for this one.
Inka Museo: This was all about the Incans and their reign (really only 150 years!) and we had a very passionate English speaking guide. Around 2-3 hours
Bean to Bar- Chocolate making at the Choco-Museo: We learned about the process of making chocolate and then made some ourselves to take home! - Bean to Bar Experience
Humantay Lake: A stunning lake around 3.5 hours away from Cusco. This is part of the Salkantay Trek which you can also finish at Machu Picchu - Humantay Lake Tour
Rainbow Mountain: We didn't go to the "real" rainbow mountain (Vinicunca) as it was a harder hike and also at altitude but opted instead for the lesser known mountains (Palccoyo) where there are several different rainbows! This was much less crowded according to others we spoke to.
Cafes: Organika cafe - 2 full breakfasts and 2 coffees each - $48.50 - This was also all farm to table and enjoyed it very much.
Cafe D'Wasi - Matcha Latte - 13PEN - approx. $5.30 - DELICIOUS!!
Restaurants: New Garden - Organic and have a vegan menu and a separate menu for all meat dishes - the steps to get there from our hostel were a killer though!
Ofrenda Peruvian restaurant - Amazing food - not "cheap" but great value for money.
Intrepid Tour - Inca Express - Inca Trail and Machu Picchu
This tour actually went above and beyond my expectations. I’ve never travelled with Intrepid before and was extremely impressed by the organisation, communication and setting of expectations.
The Inca trail is a multi day hike and is honestly one of the hardest things I’ve challenged myself to in my life. Over 4 days of actual hiking, I learned so much more about hiking and also making things easier for myself during the time but this experience was including gourmet meals from chefs who catered to my dietary requirements, porters who carried our strict weight limited bags through the whole trail and set up our tents, meals and toilet for us along the way. The little touches were things like applauding us for coming into camp for lunch or dinner for the evening when we reached our destination, napkins folded to different shapes and warm water for washing our faces each morning/evening once the hike was done for the day. The guides also brought us coca tea each morning to help wake us up and also with altitude.
The other thing I learned was the pronunciation of Machu Picchu is actually Machu Pik-Choo as if the first C is not pronounced it actually means (Old Penis) lol! Machu Picchu means old pyramid, pointed side or multi sided cone in the Quechua language.
I’d highly recommend travelling with Intrepid if you want off the beaten path but also sustainable travel and group tour style.
The tour we did was: 7 day Inca Trail Express
Nazca:
Have you heard of the Nazca civilisation? And what about the Nazca lines? This area is in the dessert - near Ica and Paracas and is full of history - 1000 or so years BEFORE the Incans! Around 100BC - 800AD. They had amazing aqueduct systems, pyramids, and of course, the Nazca Lines. These are a group of geoglyphs that are etched into the earth there. There’s several hundred of these but mostly remain a mystery as to why they were made and how they were made. Aliens? Maybe!! But I think we forget how smart some cultures and people are!
Attractions:
Nazca lines 30 min flight - $80USD + airport taxes and government tax
Aqueducts tour - 1 hour - $15AUD per person
Pyramids tour - 3 hours - $30AUD per person
Lima:
Lima and indeed Peru in general is a vibrant place with a big focus on Gastronomy, including ceviche. There are so many areas worth exploring here but I stayed in Miraflores. This area is great for restaurants and nightlife and a good start to staying in Lima.
The city itself is so large, it took us around 45 minutes to get from Miraflores to the Historic city centre.
Walking tour - this was around 3 hours and based on tipping but recommended was around 50SOL
Circuito mágico del Agua - This was an amazing little park and is in the Guinness book of records for it's sound and light show on the water - simply encapsulating when watching the story of the history of Lima projected onto the fountains. The show is around 15 mins but you can spend much more time looking at all the different fountains and grab a bite to eat as well.
April, 2024