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Journeying Through Peru's Diverse Landscapes: Mountains to Jungle

  • Writer: Wanderlust Mike
    Wanderlust Mike
  • Oct 23, 2021
  • 7 min read

Updated: Apr 24


Peru is a place I've wanted to visit for a long time. The Amazon rainforest was the main draw. But we also enjoyed the capitol of Lima, and the town of Cusco and ruins of Machu Picchu as well. In fact, Cusco and Machu Picchu became our favorite destinations during this adventure! Here's how you can enjoy much of what Peru has to offer for yourself!




PERU 4K UHD | cinematic travel video


Travel map route through Peru
Our journey through Peru



Our 17 day October itinerary:


Day 1 - fly from Los Angeles (LAX) to Lima, Peru (LIM)

Day 2 through 4 - Lima

Day 5 - fly from Lima to Cusco, Peru (CUZ)

Day 6 through 10 - Cusco, with a train ride and overnight in Machu Picchu Pueblo (a.k.a. Aguas Calientes)

Day 11 - fly to Iquitos, Peru (IQT)

Day 12 through 15 - Iquitos (Amazon rainforest)

Day 16 & 17 - fly from Iquitos to Los Angeles




LIMA


We began our adventure in the Barranco District of Lima, at the guesthouse of artist Victor Delfin! Delfín, born in 1927, has a worldwide reputation; his art has been exhibited across South and North America and is housed in major museum and private collections. His son runs the guesthouse on his estate, filled with his paintings and sculptures and overlooking the ocean, at Second Home Peru.


While in Lima we toured the Museo Larco. It contains exquisite gold, silver, and clay Inca and pre-Colombian artifacts, as well as beautiful gardens and an amazing restaurant! And some of the sculptures are a little more, shall we say, erotic?



Museo Larco
Museo Larco


We also explored the Plaza de Armas de Lima, or Plaza Mayor, in downtown Lima. And we toured the intricate Cathedral of Lima, where we saw our first mummies and human skulls in their catacombs and crypts!



Plaza de Armas
Plaza de Armas

Interior of Cathedral of Lima
Interior of Cathedral of Lima



At night we enjoyed Peruvian folkloric dancing, like the famous Danza de las Tijeras, or scissor dance, at La Candelaria in the Barranco District of Lima! We witnessed additional dances like Spanish, Amazonian, Cusco, and many others. We also tried our first pisco sours, a traditional Peruvian drink. And they even got us on stage to dance to the Village People's YMCA as well!



 La Candelaria dancers
 La Candelaria dancers



CUSCO


Next was the town of Cusco, Peru, high (11,000 ft/3,400 meters) in the Andes mountains. It was so high, in fact, that we were prescribed altitude sickness prevention medication called Acetazolamide by our health care provider.


We stayed in the popular San Blas District, at the Tariq Boutique Hotel. The views of Cusco from our room were incredible! We walked down the stairs and cobblestone streets each day to the Plaza de Armas de Cusco. The Plaza is beautiful, especially at night! A statue of Pachacuti can be found in the plaza atop a fountain. Pachacuti was the ninth ruler of the Kingdom of Cusco and later the Emperor of the Inca Empire. Also around the plaza is the Iglesia de la Companía de Jesús and the Cathedral of Cusco.



Room view at Tariq Boutique Hotel
Room view at Tariq Boutique Hotel

Bed at Tariq Boutique Hotel
Bed at Tariq Boutique Hotel

Plaza de Armas de Cusco
Plaza de Armas de Cusco


Women stand along the cobblestone streets near the plaza with their llamas and alpacas willing to pose for a photograph. They suggest you pay whatever you want, but we discovered that anything less than 20 Peruvian soles ($5 USD) receives the comment, "Is that all?!" lol






We also explored the market stalls at Mercado Central de San Pedro (1.3 km, or 17 min. walking from our hotel) while in Cusco as well. You can find everything there, from fresh fruits and nuts, to souvenirs, to cheese and even fish!


Tip: A tip to the wise, stock up on delicious Peruvian chocolate from brands like El Portal Del Cusco and Los Tesoros Machu Picchu while you're at the Mercado!



Peruvian chocolate!
Peruvian chocolate!


The Tariq Hotel also arranged a private guided tour through the Sacred Valley of the Incas for us! We explored the Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary, Salineras salt flats and the village of Chinchero.





The Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary houses Andean condors and tortoises for eventual release. You can also pet llamas and alpacas there as well. And the Salineras de Maras salt pans are fed by a salt water spring which has been used since pre-Inca times to collect salt which is many times saltier than that obtained from the ocean!



Salt Mine of Maras
Salt Mine of Maras


Chinchero has a population of about 50,000. The inhabitants are mainly indigenous citizen of Chanka descent, primarily speaking the Quechuan language. The women of Chinchero all dress in the same clothing and colors! We visited a weaving cooperative where they demonstrated the yarn making, dying, and weaving processes.


The white church of Chinchero, now the Museo de Sitio de Chinchero, was built in 1607 by colonial Spaniards. It lies upon the ruins of the Incas, and it is believed the Incas deliberately destroyed their constructions so the Spanish could not utilize them.



Plaza vendor in front of Museo de Sitio de Chinchero
Plaza vendor in front of Museo de Sitio de Chinchero




MACHU PICCHU (during CUSCO stay)


We took a ride aboard the luxurious Belmond Hiram Bingham train to Machu Picchu! It was an enjoyable 75 kilometer, or approximately 3 to 4 hour, ride from the Poroy train station outside of Cusco. Launched in 1999, the train was named after Hiram Bingham, who rediscovered the largely forgotten Inca city of Machu Picchu. The train consists of multiple dining cars, a bar car with an open bar, and a rear observation car with an open deck and live entertainment. Passengers have brunch on the outbound journey and dinner on the return. I purchased our tickets from Peru Rail, but you may now be able to use the Belmond link above as well.


I also purchased our tickets to Machu Picchu online, and our bus tickets to and from Machu Picchu online as well.



My husband aboard the Hiram Bingham
My husband aboard the Hiram Bingham


Machu Picchu is awesome! Wow! Some archeologists believe that Machu Picchu was constructed as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). In 1911 American historian and explorer Hiram Bingham traveled the region looking for the old Inca capital and was led to Machu Picchu by a villager, Melchor Arteaga. Today, Machu Picchu receives over half a million visitors each year!





Machu Picchu ("old mountain" in Quechua) is the larger mountain behind or above you as you're walking around the ruins. The smaller, more iconic mountain everyone photographs is actually named Huayna Picchu ("young mountain").





The only other place we have been which is comparable is the Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland. There are many other mountains around you, but you cannot take your eyes away from this famous natural monument. Simply stunning! It's like going to the moon, you can't believe you're actually there!





We explored Machu Picchu in the afternoon and again the next morning.


Tip: When it comes to famous international sites like the Taj Mahal, Cristo Redentor, or Eiffel Tower, I usually book two separate days to see it in case of inclement weather on any given day.


We stayed in Machu Picchu Pueblo, also known as Aguas Calientes, overnight. There are many nice hotels in town, as well as restaurants and shops. We lodged at Casa Del Sol, which was just a short walk away from the Machu Picchu bus stop and iconic Manco Capac Square! The pueblo is the terminus for trains taking you to and from Machu Picchu, and is also where you take the bus to the iconic ruins.


Tip: During the rainy season, October through March, it tends to rain in the afternoons and is partly sunny in the mornings. Also during the rainy season, mosquitoes can be vicious! Bring insect repellant and wear clothing which covers your skin.





Plaza Manco Capac de Aguas Calientes
Plaza Manco Capac de Aguas Calientes




IQUITOS (Amazon rainforest)


Our final destination was the Amazon rainforest via the city of Iquitos, Peru. From Iquitos were were taken deep into the Amazon by Amazonia Expeditions, (Iquitos office location) which has two lodges: Tahuayo Lodge and the Amazon Research Center. It's a 3 to 4 hour boat ride from Iquitos to Tahuayo Lodge. And the Amazon Research Center is even further than that, nestled inside a regional conservation area. The accommodations are rustic. Yet the staff go above and beyond to ensure you're taken care of, and the food is satisfying.


Tip: It's super hot and humid, of course, and sleeping at night was like trying to sleep in a sauna, especially with the mosquito sheets lowered around the bed. There's no breeze in the Amazon jungle. Bring a rechargeable fan!



Iquitos, Peru
Iquitos, Peru

Tahuayo Lodge
Tahuayo Lodge

view from Tahuayo Lodge
view from Tahuayo Lodge


We had excellent wildlife opportunities, and spotted pigmy marmosets, woolly monkeys, pink dolphins, kingfishers, hawks, cara caras, blue and yellow macaws, giant river otter, three-toed sloth, common potoo, and hoatzin! We also went piranha fishing, and visited a nearby village. Trekking through the Amazon jungle is definitely not easy. The combination of deep mud, fallen trees, and thorns creates an obstacle course worthy of the most difficult courses in the world!


We were in the Amazon in October, during the dry season. Snow melt from the Andes Mountains was finally making its way to the Amazon river basin, meaning river levels were beginning to rise again from their lowest point. The pink river dolphins were once again entering the smaller river tributaries to hunt for fish. This allowed us to see many dolphins while we were there, since water levels were still relatively low and the dolphins were confined to these tributaries!



three-toed sloth
three-toed sloth

common potoo
common potoo

trekking through the Amazon
trekking through the Amazon



THE CUISINE


When it comes to food, I'll admit, I'm no foodie. But the cuisine of Peru was exceptionally prepared! We enjoyed many delicacies, including Andean trout and stuffed peppers, drinks such as coca tea and pisco sour, and delicious Peruvian chocolate! Stock up on local chocolate brands like El Portal Del Cusco and Los Tesoros Machu Picchu while you're in Cusco!



traditional pisco sours
traditional pisco sours


coca tea
coca tea

Andean trout - looks and tastes like salmon!
Andean trout - looks and tastes like salmon!



Peru is definitely a must see destination, just for Machu Picchu alone! But be sure to explore some of the smaller towns and villages while you're there as well. Meet the people. Watch their dances, their weaving, their way of life. Enjoy their delicious foods. Your life will surely be enriched by all Peru has to offer!

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About Me

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The more I travel, the more I experience and learn. Travel helps me understand that all of humanity is the same, and that all of our planet is precious.

 

My husband and I travel as often as work, and our budget, will allow. I hope you will find our experiences of some use to you.

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