Bucket List Trip: Peru
- LoAroundTheGlobo
- Jul 8, 2019
- 6 min read
Updated: May 3
Spring Break 2019
My mom, my brother, and I had a quick six days to make magic happen. And that we did. We flew into Lima as that's the major international airport, and soon realized that intra-country travel was going to be a bustle. We originally hoped to just train/bus over to Cusco and Machu Picchu, but realized we had to fly over the Andes Mountain Range. So we waited in a ticket line in this partially-outdoor, very humid airport to book our flights into Cusco.
Once we made it to Cusco, we checked into our adorably modern hotel and walked the town. There were gorgeous plazas, bustling markets, random shops, beautiful murals, cobblestone alleyways, and tons of churches/cathedrals frozen in time. We walked through this one marketplace that looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss book: fish heads floating in ice buckets, children selling candy, rainbow mounds of fruits stacked high, and juices fermenting in sub-sanitation-standard containers. We milled about, enjoying samples as we walked along, trying unique desserts, and talking with locals when smiled at.
We continued walking and stumbled upon a plaza, flooding with people, as a women's march protested through the streets chanting empowering words. The next day, we began our trek to Machu Picchu, one of the world's Seven Wonders, but let me tell you -- this was one of the most difficult places to get to in the world that I've ever been. We set out on a 2 hour bus ride that winded through small villages, then boarded a 3 hour train ride that parallels the Incan Trail (as some brave travelers walk the path, which takes about 4 days along narrow footpaths), and finally arrived to the town that sits in the valley of this historic landmark.
There's the option to take another bus that navigates along a switchback road to the top of the mountain, but we opted to hike it, which is 2 hours directly vertical (closer to 2.5 hours accounting for elevation-change-induced breaks). We huffed and puffed our way to the top until the trees cleared, the clouds parted, and the ruins began to emerge. Overlooking Machu Picchu feels eerily like you're on top of the world, with all of modern civilization below you, all its modern-day bustles out of earshot. There weren't as many tourists as I'd expected, a pleasant surprise indeed. So we spent the next 4 hours eavesdropping on tours, walking/climbing the ruins, and being humbled by its grandeur even all this time later. We doted on the alpacas that happily graze in the lush greenery of the mountains, and just marveled at how spectacular this civilization was/is.
We made that long, treacherous hike back down towards the town, and rewarded ourselves with grub (including the very Peruvian Pisco Sours) until we had to return to our train. We joked how easy it was to spot the adventurers who had hiked the entire Incan Trail, as their sweat glistened a worthy sparkle.
On our train ride back, we peered through the ceiling's windows at the expansive and green Earth above us, and bonded with a family from Texas. We laughed with them as the staff put on a "fashion show," which included Peruvian-made scarves and an encore of a brightly-colored, mask-donning creature. We spent another day back in Cusco before making our way back to Lima for a couple of days. In Lima, we took a taxi along the beautiful coastline to Mira Flores, one of the most popular districts in the city. There, we enjoyed a sunset dinner before walking around the shopping mall that was built into the side of a cliff.
In our taxis (one of whom jammed out to Michael Jackson), we saw locals weaving in-and-out of traffic, families walking the busy streets, vendors pawning off whatever they could, and dogs roaming around like well-fed chickens. Our Airbnb in Lima was cool and featured a rooftop pool, where we were able to appreciate the sprawling population of this capital city. Orange-colored rooves with a layer of sand/dust reached for as far as the eye could see. But alas, we had to embark on the final leg of our journey: Paracas, a small beach town about 2 hours by bus from Lima.
Paracas was an incredible place. It's a teeny tiny town, but rich in culture and adventure. On our first evening there, Timmy convinced us to go dune-buggying around this picturesque beach village. I paired up with this young guy from Venezuela, who told me how he'd fled from home in search of work. He was teary-eyed as he shared his story, about how he sends most of his paycheck home to his mother and siblings. He explained that his story is not very unique; because of its fairly-lax immigration policies, many Venezuelans have settled in Peru, while many others made it to Colombia. During the political, social, and economic despair that is sweeping through Venezuela, he shared how many young men like him were forced to flee, to earn money elsewhere and just pray that their families are OK each day when they call home.
This kid was such a gentle soul, didn't seek pity nor help, just wanted to be met with understanding. His smile beamed brighter than that silky, setting sun as he toured us all around his transplant home, and he made sure we had an unforgettable experience. Back at our resort that evening (with pools and beachfront views and bars/restaurants and staff everywhere), I couldn't help but feel thankful and lucky for the life I was born into. His story resonated with me more than he probably ever could've imagined, but I'm grateful for the lessons it taught me: not to take a single day, thing, person for granted in this life.
The following day, we went on a tour of the national park, which included a boat ride out to "Sea Lion" Island, where we saw dozens of colonies of this noisy, aggressive creature, and hundreds of other species like birds, lizards, and fish. We hiked out towards some red-dirt cliffs, dined at a seafood hut alongside some pelicans, and trekked across some searing-hot dunes.
During our final morning, we lounged by the beach that has restaurants and shops along it and met an adorable puppy who seemingly just discovered that sand tastes guuuud. We encountered a couple more Venezuelan refugees before boarding our bus back to Lima. We had one final day and only a couple hours into the night left in Lima and were determined to enjoy the world-famous cuy of Peru (guinea pig). Apparently it's more popular in the rural parts of the country where farmers raise and breed what we know to be cuddly pets in our culture, so we were unable to find anywhere in Lima that sold it. Nonetheless, we wandered the crowded streets, encountering a heated political protest, and passed by hundreds of nighttime shoppers.
It was a quick 6 days, but we'd packed them so full of adventure and gratitude. From the awe-inspiring views of Machu Picchu to the quaint vibes of Cusco and Paracas to the fast-paced attitudes of Lima, we were worn out and happy as we headed back to the US. It's always an incredible time for me to be able to speak Spanish, so I loved every minute of our encounters with locals, Uber drivers, waiters, and tour guides because I got to understand their culture and share a piece of my own. I just love South America generally, and have always been humbled by the welcoming people of all its nations.
As some of their societies are still "developing," what I've learned is that they're a hard-working and proud group. They value family, faith, and futbol. And they love visitors, because only when we're immersed in their culture are we able to appreciate their diligence and resilience. Only then are we able to realize that we're not so different when it boils down to it. Only then are we able to see that we all bring something unique to this table called Earth.
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To Do or Not To Do?
Yes, but a word to the wise: Machu Picchu is genuinely one of the most remote places I've ever been. I definitely think anyone interested should make the trek, but just know what you're in store for. It's a difficult, and at times dangerous, journey, but it's worth every ounce of effort.
I 100% recommend everywhere we went, as even Lima and Paracas offered something heart-warming and special to the trip. It's truly a beautiful country and its people are friendly and helpful. I will say, however, that it's a good idea to travel with someone who speaks Spanish pretty fluently, as many locals knew not even a word of anything else. The reason I say this is because my mom (who speaks extremely broken Spanish) could've been taken advantage of financially had I not been able to step in and barter. Everything is super cheap there, but the locals sometimes give into the temptation to set a "tourist price" so just be aware that speaking English may literally cost you.
Otherwise, be sure to hydrate while adventuring as the heat (being so close to the Equator) will literally suffocate you otherwise, and pack light but comfortable. Don't be flashy and don't be fancy, just drink it all in and enjoy!
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