Reflections on Peru - Part 2

This is part 2 of my Peruvian adventure.  In this entry I cover my impressions of Cusco, The Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Lima

Cusco

Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire, and is fueled today by mass tourism.  This is due primarily to 2 factors:
1. It is the gateway to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.
2. It is simply charming on its own.
This is a fun place just to walk around and explore, which we did a lot.  But at an elevation of 10000 feet, short uphill walks can be taxing.  To alleviate altitude sickness, visitors are encouraged to drink cocoa tea.  This was always available in our hotel lobby and I consumed it regularly. I did not suffer any ill effects from the altitude, but some common side effects are headaches and nausea.  So bring your Excedrin and Pepto just in case.   

The walls of "Sexy Woman"

An ear of Cusco corn

On a hilltop overlooking the city there is an Inca fortress called Sacsayhuaman.  We learned that for English speakers, you can come close enough to the pronunciation by just saying "sexy woman."  We hired a local guide at the entrance and were given a short half hour tour which was informative and worth the time and money.  The Inca architecture of the stone walls is very enthralling and worthy of admiration, as is the case throughout Cusco.   After that tour we walked back to the city -- about a half hour walk downhill.  On the way we stopped to get a snack from a street vendor selling choclo con queso.  This is basically boiled corn on the cob served with large chunks of cheese.  The kernels on Peruvian corn are HUGE compared to typical American corn.  It was a great snack to have on our walk back to the city.   

Back in the central city, we next visited another Inca site -- Qorikancha.  This was the "Court of Gold" which was looted by Pizarro's soldiers in 1533.  The foundations still remain and you can admire the precise masonry of the Incas as you attempt to visualize the walls completely covered with gold as they originally were.  

Cusco Street approaching the central plaza

Inglesia de La Compania de Jesus -
 Cusco's "Smaller" cathedral on the plaza

Aimee made a friend on the plaza while I toured La Cathedral 

Cuy!

By this time I had been in Peru for several days, and I thought this would be a good time to try eating cuy.  For some reason Guinea Pig is a delicacy here, and I am always eager to indulge in the local flavors.  There was a group of us at dinner who wanted to try it, so we ordered one for the table.  It came out roasted golden brown and quartered (plus the head).  It was actually quite good, although somewhat gamey in texture and not very meaty (like a chicken wing, but much leaner)

The Sacred Valley

This valley near Cusco is featured prominently on most tourist maps.  This is due to the combination of its incredible scenery and some very significant Inca archaeological sites.  We enjoyed a very scenic drive here which lasted most of the day.  

The first stop was at Pisac. After a long ride up to a hilltop, we toured an Inca citadel which also provided a spectacular viewpoint of Pisac's other attraction - the seemingly endless agricultural terraces along the sides of the mountain. There is actually a difference in elevation between the bottom terraces and the top ones such that it accounted for differing climates.  So warm weather crops could be planted near the bottom and cooler weather ones near the top.

Alpacas

We later visited a community which produced and sold various items made from alpaca wool.  They farmed their own herd of alpacas and wove yarn from their fur.  Alpacas and llamas are the essential livestock here and account for many articles of clothing, as well as for meat.  And yes, they are cantankerous creatures and if you get near them they will spit on you. 

The Inca Citadel at Pisac, overlooking the terraces

After this it was time for lunch.  We were treated to another wonderful Panchamanca meal in a remarkable setting in the valley.  This one was very demonstrative of the traditions of the native Quechua people, and included an introduction to a drink called chicha, which is a fermented corn beer.  It even had some unexpected native dancing afterwards.

The scale of Pisac is immense,
and the terraces cover the mountainside

The next stop in the valley was the site of Ollantaytambo.  This site also features a massive Inca fortress overlooking a series of terraces, and is one of the most significant archaeological sites in the valley.  Also, the town itself is the best surviving example of Inca city planing.  It has been continuously inhabited since the 13th century and still has some cobblestone streets constructed by the Incas.  This town is also the beginning of the world renowned Inca Trail.  A typical trek from here to Machu Picchu will take 4 days.  I will definitely be doing this on my next trip to Peru! 

  

The fortress and terraces of Ollantaytanbo

Machu Picchu

A short train ride (about 2 hours) through the Sacred Valley from Cusco brought us to the town of Aguas Calientes.  This town is in a narrow valley at the base of Machu Pichu, and serves as the gateway for almost all tourists. The town itself had the feeling of a resort ski town, where everyone is either a tourist or is catering to the tourists. There are no roads into the city.  The only other way to get there is on foot (via the Inca Trail).  The train seats are typically booked well in advance and it can be hard to plan this trip individually.  So if you are planning a trip here, save yourself a headache and book it through an agent.  Also, don't try to do this as a day trip from Cusco.  It is certainly possible, but staying overnight will allow you to see more and enjoy it without feeling rushed.  I actually was able to spend most of 2 days at the ruins and it was well worth it.  There is actually a hotel just outside the gateway to Machu Picchu -- The Sanctuary Lodge.  But the price is just as steep as the road to get there.  The hotels at the town below are only about a 10 min bus ride away, and about a tenth of the price. So you can decide if it would be worth a splurge.



As with most tourists, this was my primary attraction to Peru... my Bucket List item.  I wanted to see this, and finally I was here.  It definitely lived up to all my expectations.  After a short winding bus ride from the town at the base, we eagerly went through the entrance and into the expansive grounds of the ruins.  Although there were many other tourists there, it did not seem crowded at all. There are many parts to explore, and many places to find a moment of solitude to just take it all in.  And everyone has a camera!  Make sure yours is fully charged and ready to go.  You will use it... a lot!  But being in such a majestic setting as this, it is important to remember that you control the camera.  It does not control you.  Don't focus too much on getting that perfect shot. At some point, make an effort to put the camera away for a time and just enjoy the scenery with your own eyes.  Let it make an impression that you will always remember. 

If you have some time, there are 2 side excursions that I would highly recommend doing while there: 1) Climb to the top of Huayna Picchu.  This is the peak at the far end of the ruins which can be seen in the stereotypical photo.  It looks very steep, but there is actually a trail to the top.  But get there early if you want to do this.  You will need to sign in for a slot at the gate house.  Only a limited number of hikers are allowed past the gate house to the trail (for safety reasons since it is so steep and narrow).  2)  Hike the last portion of the Inca Trail from Machu Picchu to the Sun Gate.  This section is about a mile up a gradual slope, and leads to a fantastic viewpoint overlooking the entire ruins.

The view from the Sun Gate. This gives a good perspective of the access road as well as Machu Picchu.

For a self-guided tour, I highly recommend the guidebook The Machu Picchu Guidebook by Ruth M. Wright and Alfredo Zegarra.  It has a LOT of good information and seems to be the definitive work on this subject.  

Chinchilla

The Sanctuary Lodge, just outside the main entrance to the site

The mountain mist in the early morning 

Trumpet Flowers below the "Guardhouse"

Lima

Lima is basically the gateway to Peru, being its capital and largest city.  This is where my Peruvian adventure began and ended.  Every notable stop on this trip included a culinary lesson.  Here it was ceviche!  Although I have had this style of preparation before, I had never quite understood how it was done.  It always seemed very odd to me that you can "cook" raw seafood simply by immersing it in lime juice at room temperature.  We were treated to a fun demonstration at a local restaurant where they prepared shrimp, scallops, and some sort of white fish in the ceviche style.  It was remarkably simple.  We just squeezed the juice out of a lot of limes, then added chopped red onions and cilantro.  Then we added the seafood and after about 5 mins it was ready to eat.  YUM! I can see why this would be such a fitting meal for a warm climate.  I also was introduced to another seafood specialty: grilled pulpo (octopus).  I had heard that it was a popular item here and I thought that I should at least try it.  And I am glad I did because now I am a big fan of it and have enjoyed it many times since. Just try to avoid getting the suction cups on the tentacles suck to your tongue since it can be very hard to get off.  OK... not really....

Ceviche

We stayed in the Miraflores district, which is considered to be the most affluent neighborhood in Lima.  As such, it is a very comfortable area for tourists and first time visitors (like myself).  It was easy and safe to walk the streets, and there were many shops and restaurants to explore.  The ocean shore was not far either, although there is a high cliff overlooking the water and no real attractions or beaches at the water level.  But it did make it an ideal location for parasailors.  We saw many of them flying over the cliff as we strolled along the cliff side walkway, and were offering rides for $50.

The Cliff walk in Miraflores is worth a stroll

We had an important decision to make on our last night in Peru: Where to eat dinner.  This brought us back to one of our inspirations for this trip -- Rachael Ray's TV segment highlighting some of Lima's finest restaurants. On that show she visited some restaurants in some spectacular settings: La Rosa Nautica located on a huge ocean pier, Huaca Pucllana which dramatically overlooks the pre-Inca ruins of the same name, and Astrid y Gaston which is a pinnacle gastronomical delights.  We chose Astrid y Gaston, which was a good choice since it is now among the world's top 50 restaraunts! At least I can say that I have been to one of them!  And it truly lived up to the expectation. It was the perfect culmination to a memorable trip.  

Final Thoughts

Peru is very inexpensive, and can be a great alternative to Europe in that regard.  But English is not widely spoken here and it is extremely helpful to know some basic Spanish. You do not have to work around the summer/winter seasons.  It really only has 2 seasons: wet and dry (summer is the dry season).  The temperature does not vary much during the year, and is usually moderate.  And as I focused on here, it has some spectacular sights and amazing food.  I found the people to be generally friendly and inviting.  The country in general seemed to have a very casual attitude and was very informal in most places.  For me, this was a fantastic trip and left me with some great memories. 

I highly recommend it to anyone.       
    

Reflections on Peru - Part 1

For me... food and travel go together. Great sights should be complimented by great tastes.  You have heard the saying "You are what you eat."  But it is where you eat it that can make it very memorable. 

Peru was my introduction to South America, and to the southern hemisphere. I was drawn to it initially by the mystique of Machu Picchu.  But then I saw a Rachael Ray TV show in which she highlighted the many gourmet restaurants in Lima.  That stirred an inspiration in me to actually consider experiencing it in person. To me, an ideal destination has not only great sights to see, but also great food and beverages to taste along the way. 

I did not really have any references or personal accounts from other travelers to guide me.  So I did some online research and found a tour company which had an attractive website and an itinerary that seemed an ideal fit for me.  The company was Gap Adventures (now just called G Adventures).  The tour was called "Gourmet Peru". It covered all of the sights I really wanted to see, plus it featured some cooking demonstrations and some traditional meals.  I discussed it with my girlfriend and primary travelling companion -- Aimee.  She  did not need any persuading.  So we booked it, and also were able to book free flights with our Skymiles (epic win!!).  And if you are like me, the first thing you do when reading a blog is scroll to the bottom to see how long it is. So I thought best to split this post into 2 parts since it seemed rather lengthy for one post. 

Islas Ballestas
We flew into Lima, arriving late at night (I cover Lima at the end of this post). The next morning we met up with the rest of our tour group and set off.  The morning bus ride gave us a chance to get introduced to the others in our group.  There were only 9 of us, so it was a rather intimate tour and we meshed well together for the entire trip.  I'm always a little skeptical about doing extended tours since the itinerary may be restrictive and you may not like the people you in your group.  But fortunately this was not the case here and I quickly had the sense that I had chosen well.

The first stop was Pisco, where we took a morning boat tour of the Islas Ballestas.  These islands are touted as the "poor man's Galapagos .  It hosts a variety of avian and aquatic life, but most surprising to me were the tropical penguins.  Yes, they are not just in the antarctic or zoos.  But the islands' primary resource is guano (aka avian fecal material), which is highly valued as a fertilizer.  Yeah... we learned to cover our heads here! It was an enjoyable start to our trip.

Pisco - It's not just a drink

Sampling Pisco

Next we toured what Pisco is most famous for: a distillery in which the Pisco liquor was produced.  This is a potent white brandy that is the basis of Peru's (and Chile's) national beverage - the Pisco Sour.  It is a very refreshing cocktail and it seemed to be offered everywhere in Peru.  And it's REALLY good and goes down too easily!  I was also introduced to another common Peruvian beverage: Chicha Morada.  This is a non-alcoholic drink made from purple corn and spices.  If you like the flavor of clove, then you will probably like this.  Now I understand why high fructose corn syrup is the basis of so many other drinks.

While strolling the town, we encountered a street vendor who was selling a strange looking fruit. The Spanish name did not help me, but I recognized it to be similar to a Prickly Pear Cactus fruit.  This was another introduction for me... or as I like to call it: a random food encounter (RFE).  So I had to try it.  Fortunately there was a local couple who were buying the same thing, and they kindly demonstrated how to eat it.  Gestures work very well when language is a barrier!  

The Nazca Lines
The next day we were treated to a plane ride over the mysterious Nazca Lines.  These were created by aliens about 1500 years ago and include a variety of depictions: a hummingbird, a monkey, a spider, an astronaut, several runways for spacecraft, and even an ancient Mr. Potato Head! Apparently these are so well preserved because there is almost no precipitation here.  One can only truly appreciate these formations from the air, and there are plenty of pilots eager to take you for a ride.  And it is well worth the price!  Do it.

A Thunderbird

Ancient spaceport?

Mr. Potato Head alongside an Alien

Now that's a big spider!

Pachamanca

Then it was time for lunch.  For that we were treated to a traditional Peruvian meal: Pachamanca! This ancient style of cooking is distinguished by burying the food in a hole in the ground and then covering it with hot stones.  After about an hour and a half, the food is cooked and ready to eat.  This was mainly a meat and potatoes meal, supplemented with corn and tamales.  Peruvian meals almost always feature some sort of corn or potato.  We enjoyed that meal a lot!


Sand Dunes

This was yet another surprising feature of Peru's many landscapes.  A short ride from Pisco and Ica lie the Huacachina sand dunes.  This area featured some impressive dunes the size of mountains, some over 3000 feet!  Here we boarded a dune buggy for a riding tour of the dunes.  Now I had thought that this would be more of a casual sightseeing tour.  But the driver started out with the pedal to the floor and it turned out to be an adrenaline pumping ride more like a roller coaster, up and down and all 

Sandboarding - the bottom is further than it looks

around the dunes.  We reached the 
peak of one of the tall dunes and our driver stopped and pulled out a sandboard.  This was something like a desert snowboard.  He waxed it up, looked at us and said "Who wants to go first?"   I was not really prepared for this, or I would have worn different clothing.  But Aimee bravely volunteered to be the first down the hill.  She got on and zipped downhill head first.  You can't really steer or stop a sandboard without getting a lot of sand in your face.  You just have to go until it stops.  After about 10 seconds, her ride ended and she got up with a big grin on her face (So big I could see it from the top of the dune where I was).  We all took our turns riding down and repeated it on several other hills. It was a lot of fun and a very welcome surprise.  And yes, we continued to empty out a lot of sand from those clothes over the next few days.

Arequipa

Our ingredients for the cooking demo 

After an overnight bus ride from Nazca, we arrived in Arequipa.  It is the second most populous city in Peru, and is ominously located at the base of a  volcano.  It has a picturesque plaza at the center of the city, and has a very colonial appearance but cosmopolitan feel.  We spent most of a day just walking around the city.  For lunch, we were treated to a cooking demonstration. It featured stuffed peppers with rocoto sauce, lomo saltado (a common Peruvian dish with yet another meat-and-potatoes variation), hand lots of other yummyness (I can't remember it all!).

Stuffed Pepper

Lomo Saltado

After lunch we visited the Santa Catalina Monastery.  This historic colonial landmark is characterized by its expansive colorful buildings and serene courtyards.  It is a fun place to just explore and find some solitude in a serene setting. And also a great place to use your camera!

Wall of flower pots Santa Catalina

Courtyard at Santa Catalina

We left Arequipa from the airport, and boarded a short flight to Cusco. The airport runway is next to the base of a volcano.  It was very unusual to see a huge mountain out of your window as you are taking off.  But landing is probably hair raising!

Arequipa Airport under the volcano

The next post will resume in Cusco, and will also cover the absolute highlight of the trip - Machu Picchu.

Continued in Part 2...