After an extended stay in Colombia due to being sick, my dash through Peru to reach Cusco in time for the Inca Trail was on.
Lima: Lima, Peru’s capital, is often just an airport stopover for many as they venture on to other parts of the country. I spent 2 nights here and really enjoyed it. It is the food capital of Latin America, or so I was told, specialising in ceviche and is home to the worlds best restaurant of 2023 (the set menu here is $800AUD, tragically out of my budget unfortunately). I embarked on a walking/food tour through the hostel which was very good. We tried ceviche, went to China town for dumplings and tried many exotic fruits that I had never heard of. The tour ended at a Pisco tasting place which was the catalyst for more drinking at the hostel bar afterwards. You know the rest from here; nightclub, copious amounts of pisco, 5am bed time, 7am bus out of Lima, crippling hangover. The joys.
Paracas: A coastal town in Southern Peru, famous for the Paracas National Park, a protected area where you can see an abundance of wildlife. I went to the Paracas National Park but didn’t do the wildlife tour, as it would only disappoint me after being in the Amazon. The reserve itself is visually stunning and I went on a dune buggy tour for sunset which was very enjoyable. Although there’s not much to do here, it was a nice 2 night stopover and it was nice to see the coast again. Amazing sunsets.
Huacachina: A desert oasis or a cheap tourist trap? Honestly, probably both. Huacachina is a very small desert town surrounded by towering sand dunes. I spent 1 night here which was enough to see the main sights of the town and embark on some sand boarding, the main highlight of the town.
Arequipa: Probably the place I wish I stayed more time in. It is the gateway for tours of the Colca Canyon amongst other things but the town itself has stunning colonial architecture amongst a mountainous backdrop. I arrived at about 6am after an overnight bus and explored the city and caught up with Jelle, who was on my sail from Panama.
Nazca: The bus operator ‘Peru Hop’ passes through Nazca en route to Cusco which many people opt to stay a night or 2 at. I was told by various people it is not a place worth staying and the bus stops at the Nazca lines on the way which is what the place is famed for. The Nazca Lines were largely underwhelming so I was happy to walk up to the viewpoint, take a photo that I will likely never look at again, and hop back on the bus to Cusco.
Cusco: Cusco must be one of the most touristy places in the world, obviously, as it is the gateway to Machu Pichu which sees 1.5 million people visit annually. The stalls and sellers were reminiscent of Cartagena, but in a much less aggressive and persistent way. June is festival month in Cusco, with the Inti Raymi festival (festival of the sun) culminating on June 24th, the day I finished my Inca Trail. I wanted to be here a few days before my Inca trail to acclimatise to the altitude and see more of the city before I ventured up the mountain. Cusco was a Central American reunion of sorts, as I rendezvoused with various people I had met over the last 4 months. We watched the England game at the pub as I tried to avoid a repeat of Acatenango.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZziYf4UT5EFmk6xm6