LukenDC
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2004
- Messages
- 4,938
Last Saturday my partner and I returned from two weeks in Peru. We visited Lima, the Sacred Valley, Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Arequipa. Peru is one of the most beautiful countries I have seen and the country has excellent facilities and resources for tourists. Some general thoughts:
---Lima was much more sophisticated and pleasant that either of us anticipated. We stayed in the Miraflores section of the city, which I describe as La Jolla meets South Beach. Miraflores and the adjacent area of San Isidro are very upscale and safe. Other areas of the city are grittier, but still interesting and lively.
---Beware of the sun. I went out for 30 minutes without a hat on and that was long enough for me to get a blistering sunburn.
---We felt the altitude in the Sacred Valley and Cusco. We were both short of breath and I had occasional dizziness while my partner suffered from insomnia. Drinking lots of water, abstaining from heavy meals, walking slowly, and drinking a cup of coca tea (available at hotels) when the symptoms were most acute were all helpful.
---Of the four developing countries I have visited (Belize, Guatemala, India, and Peru), Peru has the best road system. Many of the main roads are paved and in good condition. I did, however, see several signs of recent landslides.
---I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of beggars. We were frequently approached in Cusco by people selling trinkets and some of them were annoyingly persistent. Aside from Cusco, however, we did not have any problems.
---We had several fantastic meals. All of the areas we visited offered fine dining.
Some photos:
Lima (Miraflores)
Plaza de Armas
Sacred Valley
Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo)
Machu Picchu
Cusco
Arequipa
---Lima was much more sophisticated and pleasant that either of us anticipated. We stayed in the Miraflores section of the city, which I describe as La Jolla meets South Beach. Miraflores and the adjacent area of San Isidro are very upscale and safe. Other areas of the city are grittier, but still interesting and lively.
---Beware of the sun. I went out for 30 minutes without a hat on and that was long enough for me to get a blistering sunburn.
---We felt the altitude in the Sacred Valley and Cusco. We were both short of breath and I had occasional dizziness while my partner suffered from insomnia. Drinking lots of water, abstaining from heavy meals, walking slowly, and drinking a cup of coca tea (available at hotels) when the symptoms were most acute were all helpful.
---Of the four developing countries I have visited (Belize, Guatemala, India, and Peru), Peru has the best road system. Many of the main roads are paved and in good condition. I did, however, see several signs of recent landslides.
---I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of beggars. We were frequently approached in Cusco by people selling trinkets and some of them were annoyingly persistent. Aside from Cusco, however, we did not have any problems.
---We had several fantastic meals. All of the areas we visited offered fine dining.
Some photos:
Lima (Miraflores)
Plaza de Armas
Sacred Valley
Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo)
Machu Picchu
Cusco
Arequipa
Trip sounds awesome, thanks for your report.
