Peru Highlights: My First 5 Months

My adventures in Peru began up North, as I took a 2-day overland journey from Vilcabamba, Ecuador to Chachapoyas last October.

At the time, it was exhilarating to be on the move.

A series of buses, rickshaws and share taxis got me from one destination to another in a fairly efficient manner.

I'll always prefer arriving in a new country by land, as it draws out the experience.

Flights are more comfortable, and save time and energy, but are inevitably anti-climactic.

They lack the slow build of anticipation and anxiety as you approach a border crossing.

Highlights of Peru

In Chachapoyas, I visited Kuelap, an ancient stone fortress built upon a mountaintop, and the Gocta Cataracts, which are purported to be the 3rd tallest waterfalls in the world.

I then boarded one of Peru's clean and comfortable long-distance buses for the ride to Trujillo.

I enjoyed the Huaca de la Luna ruins, but was bored by the better known Chan Chan complex.

I escaped the city noise for a few nights at the beach in nearby Huanchaco.

After a week on the coast, I boarded another bus and went back into the mountains, the Cordillera Blanca to be exact.

Huaraz is a sizeable city of about 100,000 people which acts as the main hub for the region.

From Huaraz, I visited Pastoruri Glacier, which is situated 5,000 meters above sea level, and I visited Huascaran Mountain (Peru's tallest) on the Day of the Dead.

I arrived just as the low season was starting, and regrettably, talked myself out of going on the 4-day Santa Cruz trek.

From Huaraz, it was a scenic, but a surprisingly short journey to Lima.

Arriving just as Summer was getting underway, I quickly settled into life in the big city again.

I explored Peruvian cuisine via Astrid & Gaston, sampled the nightlife, and caught up with some blogging friends (Gareth at Tourist 2 Townie, Benny of Fluent in 3 Months, Barbara of Hole in the Donut).

Later on, I'd also meet Lainie and her son Miro (Raising Miro) and Erica and Shawn of Overyonderlust.com.

I flew to Cusco to do the 5-day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu before flying to Florida for Christmas with the family.

New Year's was celebrated back in Lima, where I enjoyed a few trips to the beach and continued to live through February.

Likes

• Low cost of living, even in Lima
• Cuisine
• Girls :)
• Friendly people
• Summer weather in Lima
• Big mountains
• Comfortable inter-city buses
• Major roads are surprisingly well-paved (smooth rides)

Pet Peeves

• Drivers honking their horns incessantly in Lima  (Buenos Aires is much quieter in that respect)
• Lack of green in Lima (By comparison, Buenos Aires is like the jungle -- lush, tree-lined streets, and lots of green)
• Earthquakes -- I experienced 4 in 3 months. Even the small ones are unsettling.

Favorite Foods

Why I'm Going Back

There are still some major highlights to see in the Southern part of the country, including:

• Amazon rainforest near Puerto Maldonado
• Sandboarding at a desert oasis
• Scenic flight over the Nazca Lines
• Good food in Arequipa
• 3-day hike in Colca Canyon
• Puno and Lake Titicaca

I'd say the cost of travel in Peru is a little higher than in Ecuador, but less than Colombia.

It's definitely one of the cheaper destinations in South America.

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Dave's 160-page, all-original Lima Travel Guide is available for Kindle.