Peru- 8 Days!

Machu Picchu!

2017 did not start off well for me. Trump was elected, my boyfriend and I broke up, and my students were struggling academically. My sister was out of the country, and my closest friends had all moved away from NYC over the past few years with my best friend Jess leaving in the summer of 2016.  And in January NY is cold and dark.  I needed something to look forward to, something worthwhile. So I called up my best friend Jess and we booked our tickets to PERU!

Roof tops of Cusco- Historical district

Centro Historico, Cusco

The Peruvian Flag and the Cusco Flag

Miraflores Coastline, Lima

Barranco, Lima

Jess and I went at the beginning of March 2017 since this is the earliest I could get time off.  We knew we might be arriving at the end of the rainy season in the mountains at Cusco/Machu Picchu and the hot coastal summer in Lima. Luckily, the wet season was on it's way out. Though it did rain a few times while we were in Cusco it was generally only for a few hours and the view of misty shrouded mountain peaks was well worth a bit of a shower. The fog would burn off quickly enough as the sun appeared each day after a shower and we got the best of both worlds! And Lima was sunny and breezy by the water and hot and hazy in the down town. The diverse weather only made the whole experience more memorable as each location had it's own unique climate!


Peru was welcoming, visually diverse and inspiring, and delicious.  I felt safe the whole time I was there and quite at ease walking around both Cusco and Lima, during the day as well as at night.  Having traveled a good deal as well as just living in NY you deal with a degree of cat calls and hassling from street sellers and the like. In Peru, I was surprised and refreshed to find, that once I said "no gracias" I was left alone. Here or there they were likely to say "okay maybe next time" or the like but that was about as aggressive as it got.  And not once do I recall a cat call (that's not to say they don't cat call in Peru but I did not encounter anything overt or aggressive and felt surprisingly safe). At one point I heard kissing sounds and turned around rolling my eyes, ready to give a "are you kidding me asshole" look, but was pleased as punch to discover the sound was coming from a mother cooing at her infant child! (It was just wonderful!)

The food was great! Peru is known as the culinary capital of South America and with good reason! Gunia Pig and Alpaca are worth a try when in Cusco.  Old traditional Andean tastes, such as Chicha morada (a refreshing sweet blue corn drink) with modern twists are to be found all over town!  Like Cusco, Lima offers a plethora of tastes! Coastal Peruvian cuisines, such as ceviche, are a must but also their fusion cuisines are well worth a taste. We tried their famous Chifa, Chinese Peruvian fusion, and Peruvian sushi! Be mindful though that Peruvian food can be very rich. Be purposeful about where you choose to eat to make sure you are indulging in quality.  If the place it full up, with lines out the door, or your hostel has recommended a spot you're likely not to be disappointed! (We made a mistake on the day we visited Machu Picchu and truly regretted it in the hours to come.  Jess was out for the count for the whole day following, and I was not much better off.) Oh and not to be forgotten, Pisco, the national drink of Peru is perfect in a cocktail to either start your night off or wrap it up!

History is around every corner. The Inca Empire has sites and relics scattered across the county and Cusco, the central capital of the empire when it was at it's largest, is a must see.  Spend your time between the city and day trips around the region to visit the most famous Inca historical sights.  I did not have enough time by any stretch to see all that was worth seeing and encourage folks to take in as many sights as possible. The Spanish history is best witnessed through their cathedrals and state buildings. Moorish balconies, intricate altars, and city plazas are steeped in Spanish influence and heritage.  The blending of these two cultures is fascinating and found in every aspect of their cities and culture.

Peru was a grand time to say the very least! 

8 Day Itinerary 

Day 1

• Arrived late in Lima, and took a cab to a hotel by the airport. Went right to bed.

Day 2

• Flew to Cusco! 
• Stayed in the historic district at Pension Alemana (a lovely B&B with gorgeous views of the city)
• Used the afternoon to wander around the city on foot and take in some shopping and sites
• Dinner at Pacha Papa (enjoyed the Alpaca) 

Day 3

• Woke at 3:30 to catch the bus, to a train, to another bus to get out to Machu Picchu! 
• Awesome day! (However, we had a little run in with not so great food mixed with altitude sickness, and bumpy hours of car sick transportation. To say the least by the end of the day we were happy to make it back to our room.) 

Day 4

• Plans to see other Incan sites were cancelled due to our illnesses 
• Grabbed some soda crackers and Gatorade
• I showered and finally around noon ventured out alone (Jess was down for the count)
• Qorikancha - Once the richest Incan Temple in the Empire it was converted into a church and run by the Dominicans  
• La Catedral
• Iglesia de La Compania de Jesus 
• Shopping! 

Day 5

• Finally enjoyed the free continental breakfast which we had missed out on for the past two days! 
• I headed out on my own again knowing I only had a few hours before we had to head off to the airport
•  Iglesia del Triunfo 
• Got back just in the nick of time to load our things into our cab and make our way to the airport
• Landed in Lima! 
• Arrived in Miraflores! 
• Took it easy and walked to the water (Parque del Amor) for dinner- saw the  most gorgeous sunset and enjoyed the lack of elevation sickness! 
• passed out early! 

Day 6

• Headed to Downtown Lima! 
• Took a self guided walking tour 
• Plaza San Martin
• past Jiron de la Union 
• Iglesia de la Merced Plaza de Armas (Catedral de Lima and Palacio Arzobispal)
• Palacio de Gobierno (saw the changing of the guards)  
• strolled through Parque de la Muralla
• checked out the catacombs of Monasterio de San Francisco
• was overwhelmed by the crowds at Mercado Central and decided to move on to 
• El Barrio Chino for lunch in Chinatown
• walked to MALI (Museo de Arte de Lima) 
• Headed back to Miraflores
• Tuckered out from the day we walked up to Kennedy park where the cate roam free and grabbed some frozen yogurt! 

Day 7

• Spent the day strolling through Barronco 
• saw the bridge of sighs 
• went to Museo Pedro de Osma (absolutely lovely)
•  Ate some fantastic gelato 
• strolled back into Miraflores for Peruvian fusion sushi

Day 8

• Spent the day strolling around Miraflores and the coast line saw the Lovers
• Head off to airport and flew home