Peru Vibes — LIFE WITH DANI

“TRAVEL IS FATAL TO PREJUDICE, BIGOTRY, AND NARROW MINDEDNESS, AND MANY OF OUR PEOPLE NEED IT SORELY ON THESE accounts” - Mark twain

Visiting Peru was undoubtedly one of the best trips of my life! The flights and accomodations looked hella cheap, it's dubbed “one of the world's top gastronomical countries” and duh one of the seven Wonders of the World; Machu Picchu! It’s been a while since I visited Peru but I wanted to share my experiences. Since things have changed, I spent some time researching to include updated information. I’ve been reliving the memories by digging through my emails and our “Peru Vibes'' group chat for all the deets! I visited from August 29 to September 6 2017.

Buckle Your Seatbelts..

My round trip flight from Dallas to Lima was $443 on Spirit Airlines with a layover in Ft Lauderdale. Now I know Spirit gets a bad rap but I actually fly with them quite a bit. Just make sure you know that the only thing included in the fare is the seat! I used to be that person with a checked bag plus a carry on, traveling for 1 week lol but Spirit taught me to pack only what’s necessary. #Growth I like to save my coins! So to make sure everything fit in my backpack, I planned my daily outfits to the T and managed to pack everything I needed. Spirit only allows 1 personal item for free which should fit under the seat in front of you. TIP: to save on space, attach your tennis shoes to your back pack 😆.

Prepare for Landing..

LIMA

Once we landed in Lima, we used “Taxi Green” service to our Airbnb in Miraflores for $18. We stayed in Miraflores and our apartment was beautifully decorated but could get a little noisy in the mornings! It was centrally located with lots of great restaurants, supermarkets, and easy access to taxis. TIP: I visited Peru during its Winter season (May - September) and the daily temperatures fluctuated between 50-60F, so pack accordingly if you plan to visit during this time.

On our 1st full day we grabbed breakfast at Crepes & Waffles and did a little sightseeing around Lima. Later that evening we met Daniel of ‘Foodies Peru’, for a food tour in the Barranco area. We booked via Trip Advisor for $35 (it looks like their price has increased since then) and we communicated with Daniel via WhatsApp. We spent 4 hours with Daniel touring Barranco and stopped at about 6 different locations where we tried Pisco Sour, Mazamorra Morada, Loma Saltado, Trio de Causas, Antichuchos and one of the best damn sodas in life - Inca Kola.

On Day 2, we had breakfast at La Lucha Sangucheria Criolla at the Larcomar shopping center. I ordered the chicharron sandwich with fries and fruit juice. Om nom! Definitely recommend it if you’re looking for something quick, inexpensive and tasty. We had some downtime before dinner and since we had so much fun with Daniel the day before, we spent the evening slacklining with him and his crew. Chiiiile, that stuff is hard - it takes concentration to balance and a strong core! I could barely stay on the rope for two seconds! What I loved about Lima was learning about and trying Peruvian cuisine, beautiful sunset views overlooking the city and the dope street art.

What I look like slacklining 🤣

What the pros look like!

PARACAS, ICA & HUACACHINA

After a fun couple of days, we were ready to discover more of what Peru had to offer. We booked a 2 day tour with PeruHop that included round trip transportation from Lima for $120. They have an option that includes accommodations but we opted for the one without. At about 5 am, we started our 4 hour journey to Paracas where we took a speedboat to the Ballestas Island. On our way we saw the Nazca Lines and once we made it, we saw penguins, sea lions and pelicans galore! We had about an hour after the tour to buy souvenirs and grab a quick bite to eat. Perfect time to get some fresh ceviche. We then hopped back on the bus and made our way to Ica where we had dinner and spent the night at an Airbnb.

PARACAS

ICA

Thanks to the roosters next door the Airbnb, we woke up pretty early! SMH. Our 1st stop was El Catador Winery where we tried Pisco, about 4 different samples of wine and took a guided tour of the winery. We really enjoyed the wines and their prices were reasonable enough to cop a few bottles!

Sweetest guide ever!! amazing wine selection 🍷

HUACACHINA

After a relaxing afternoon at the winery, it was time for some adventure on the sand dunes! Upon arrival in the desert town of Huacachina, we saw the massive sand dunes and the buggies lined up on the street. We met with our buggy driver and after a quick safety instruction, we hopped into the buggy. Speeding through the desert was exhilarating to say the least! Once we got to the top, we were given a lesson on sandboarding and then we jumped right into it. I was super scared and almost chickened out but I’m so happy I went through with it. I was really looking forward to this activity and it did NOT disappoint! I was ready to go again but then I saw my sister tumbling down the sand dunes..no board in sight. It was at that point that I knew I had enough adventure for the day. When we met her at the bottom there was sand in every crevice. I just took my W and called it a day! Lol We were there for about 2 hours and the sunset and the view of the oasis were absolutely stunning. We grabbed dinner at Wild Olive Trattoria & Guest House which was reasonably priced and had delicious food. We then boarded the bus and headed back to Lima.

CUSCO & MACHU PICCHU

You can't go to Peru without visiting Machu Picchu right? RIGHT! This leg of the trip was highly anticipated. After seeing so many pictures online, I was excited to get up close and personal with this well preserved Incan Citadel. To be honest, planning our visit there required SO much research and decision making. The flight to Cusco. Taxi to Poroy. Train to Aguas Calientes. Bus to Machu Picchu! It was definitely the most expensive leg of the trip but was totally worth it.

Our early morning 1.5 hour flight to Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport in Cusco (closest airport to Machu Picchu) was $150 RT on Peruvian Airlines (no longer operating) and included a meal. A quick Google Flights search will show other options. In preparation for our visit to Cusco, we took Acetazolamide - a prescription medication for altitude sickness prevention since it is 11152 feet above sea level. TIP: We struggled on our 1st day! I mean barely able to make it up a flight of stairs. It’s recommended to start the medication 24 hrs before accent but man! I feel like we needed to start pre-medicating sooner. Cocoa leaves - a natural remedy, were also offered at the airport and at our Airbnb but the altitude medication is what really saved us.

Journey to Machu Picchu

Reserve a taxi ahead of time for the Cusco to Poroy leg of the trip as the trains leave pretty early for Aguas Calientes. Our Airbnb host was kind enough to reserve a ride for us with a driver she knew. We used Inca Rail Train Company and round trip tickets were approximately $150 which included a drink and light snacks. After about 3.5 hours we made it to Aguas Calientes! Yasss! We thought that was it but surprise bish...there was a 30 minute bus ride to Machu Picchu which was $25. Bus tickets are sold in a sales module located on Hermanos Ayar avenue, a few meters from the train station.

With several options for tickets, prices for entry to Machu Picchu vary. We went with the Machu Picchu only option for $45. Since Machu Picchu is heavily visited, they allow entry every hour starting at 6 am to 2 pm and you may stay on the premises for 4 hours. Once you’ve decided on your dates, the easiest way to purchase tickets is by heading to the official site. Booking in advance is important since only 2500 visitors are allowed each day. I recommend buying tickets online but they are also available for purchase at Ministerio de Cultura in Cusco and Machu Picchu Cultural Centre in Aguas Calientes. TIP: Pack a light lunch or snacks with you to munch on. There is a cafeteria outside the entrance but the options are limited and a bit pricey. Restrooms are also located outside but you are only allowed to re-enter once so plan accordingly.

Once we made it inside we spent our time exploring the site, appreciating the incredible views and feeding llamas. The experience is one that will be forever etched in my memory and I’m happy I took beautiful pictures as a reminder of this amazing day. After taking the bus back to Aguas Calientes, we grabbed dinner at one of the restaurants and shopped for souvenirs. Remember to take cash with you! TIP: If you have more time, spending a night in Aguas Calientes would be a good option. A day trip is definitely doable but it would be nice to feel less rushed.

CUSCO CHILLIN

Exhausted from our day trip to Machu Picchu, we spent most of our last full day in Cusco sleeping. Once we finally emerged from zombie mode, we took a free walking tour that I found online. Super easy - just Google “Free walking tour Cusco” and you’ll see various options. We visited Plaza de Armas, Santo Domingo Church, Iglesia de La Compañía de Jesús (Church of the Society of Jesus) and Sacsayhuaman. We ended our day hunting for deals and steals in the market and dinner of course!

Bring cash to take pics with these babies!

LAST LAP

Getting home was quite the ordeal as Hurricane Irma made her way to Florida. My flight was canceled out of Ft. Lauderdale and it was a struggle finding tickets because most were cancelled or sold out. I literally spent two hours refreshing Southwest’s website trying to find a flight. Luckily, I was able to find a connecting flight through Austin. Whew chile, the stress!! Despite the last minute cancellation, my time in Peru was wonderful - the food, people, sites and overall good vibes exceeded my expectations and would definitely recommend adding this country to your bucket list. If you have extra time, here are some activities I wanted to do but never made it to:

Paragliding in Lima

Visiting Maras & Moray

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions about this trip or others!

Until the next journey...