After we decided we were going to South America, the one big trip that Justin and I both agreed we should do was Peru. The main thing we wanted to see, because we’re so original (hah), was Machu Picchu. Peru was actually the first trip we’ve taken since we’ve been in Buenos Aires. We hadn’t even been anywhere else for a weekend! So it was interesting to be in another Spanish-speaking country but see how different it was from Argentina.
Our trip took us from the coast to the mountains, and even to a bit of jungle. We spent three days in Lima, one in the town of Ollantaytambo, one in Machu Picchu and four in Cusco. (FYI, in case anyone’s planning a trip to Peru, I think this itinerary worked out well, which I was thrilled about because I obviously stressed over it for weeks!)
Machu Picchu was amazing and definitely lived up to the hype. Justin fulfilled some food dreams in Lima, and I loved the setting along the ocean. Cusco, surrounded by mountains, was beautiful but incredibly touristy. However, it had a lot to keep us busy. Our trip definitely stuck to the main tourist trail in the country, but I would love to go back and get to know some other, less-visited parts of Peru.
So without further ado, here’s more about part one of our trip to Peru: the capital, Lima.
Three Days in Lima
After waking up at 3 a.m. to get to the airport in Buenos Aires, and then experiencing the scariest turbulence of our lives while flying over the Andes mountains (which were beautiful at least!), we arrived in Lima around noon. (Direct flights from BA are about five hours, but we had a layover.)
While researching our trip, I read a lot of blogs and articles that said to skip Lima if you have limited time in Peru. I think it depends on what you’re trying to fit into your trip, but we really enjoyed Lima!
Lima is a huge city with almost 9 million people, but tourists generally stick to a few specific neighborhoods, including Miraflores, Barranco and the historic city center. Getting around Lima, for tourists, is best done by foot or cab. The bus system looks pretty confusing. One cab driver told me the government is working to make it more organized. But for now, there are all kinds of buses and vans going around, picking people up and dropping them off wherever (or at least that’s how it seemed)! So, it’s not recommended that tourists take the buses, which is fine by me anyway. Most friends of mine know that I’m not a fan of buses. (This stems from an incident in college when I went into D.C. and took the bus going the wrong direction. To this day, buses always make me hesitant! It took me three months to take the bus in Buenos Aires.)
Highlights of Lima
Here are some of the main things we did in Lima!
- Walk around upscale Miraflores and bohemian, artsy Barranco. These neighborhoods are on cliffs overlooking the coast. I used this nifty self-guided walking tour to make this nice walk, with stunning ocean views and colorful old mansions, a little more informative. (We did most of the tour but split it up over two days.) I was especially happy to get my beach fix at least once this time of year, since I’m missing summer back in the U.S.! (Have I mentioned that enough yet?) It was a little too cold (between 60 and 70 degrees) and gray (normal for Lima this time of year, we’re told) to actually lay out on the beach, but we walked along the sand and I got my toes in the water. It was also super humid, which was fun in our hostel that didn’t have any kind of temperature control!
My favorite spot to admire the view was at a little creperie, Beso Frances, on the cliff overlooking the water, where we went after Justin surfed one day!
- Eat great food. I’m going to ruin my rep as a budget traveler and general cheapskate by sharing this, but we ate lunch at Central, which is ranked as one of the top 10 restaurants in the world. This was all Justin’s idea of course, but it was definitely the most unique and interesting dining experience I’d ever had, and one of the highlights of the trip for Justin! On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lima was where I discovered my favorite food of Peru: tequeños, fried wonton dough filled with cheese and served with guacamole. We ended up eating them everywhere else we went in Peru. I genuinely do not understand why these are not a thing everywhere.
- Drink pisco sours. We tried our first of the trip’s many pisco sours while in Lima! Pisco sours are made with lime juice, egg white, simple syrup, bitters and pisco (a type of brandy made in Peru).
- Take a free walking tour of the historic downtown. I thought this area was really beautiful, with grand, Spanish-style buildings surrounding huge plazas. Plus, our tour guide, Pepe Lucho, was a hilarious character, and I’d definitely recommend the tour company, Inkan Milky Way. (We later did a tour through the same company in Cusco!)
- Visit cats in Parque Kennedy, of course. Parque Kennedy is famous for its cats, who lounge in the grass, in trees, on park benches and even in people’s laps. Unfortunately, none of the cats wanted to be my friend. But they’re cared for by a nonprofit that also works to get them spayed and neutered, and sometimes adopted.
- Get drinks at Ayahuasca bar. On our last night in Lima, we went to this bar in the Barranco neighborhood after it was recommended to us by a friend from the U.S. and also someone from Lima. It’s in an old mansion from the 1800s, so it’s giant and maze-like, which made for a really cool atmosphere. We almost didn’t go out that night (look out for a future blog post, traveling in your early 20s vs. late 20s), but we were glad we did!
Next Stop
We were happy with our three days in Lima, but we definitely would have had enough things to do if we had more time there. After Lima, it was on to the small town of Ollantaytambo before Machu Picchu!
Stay tuned for my next post to learn more about what it was like finally seeing the world wonder-status Incan ruins and also what it’s like to stay in a small town during a Christian Pentecost festival that’s mixed with Incan traditions. (Spoiler alert: It involves getting woken up by a marching band at 6 a.m.)