Category: Peru

The vast majority of people that plan on visiting Peru base their trip around following the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu on a 4 day adventure. There is in fact a much greater list of things to do in Peru, therefore I felt it was important to highlight all the other amazing experiences you could have.

I can hands down say Peru is the best place I’ve visited in my life, offering something for everyone.

Machu Picchu

Ok, I admit, I needed this one in, firstly because it looks epic and is in the new seven wonders of the world. This is the most visited site in South America, with most coming between the months of June and August, meaning sometimes the crowds can be surprisingly big. As Machu Picchu is 2,430m above sea level, you might be surprised how hard it is to breath, so take everything slowly and keep some spare oxygen on you just in case. You will also get the opportunity to watch llamas up Machu Picchu as they walk and spit all around you.

Explore The Rainforest

Behind Brazil, Peru has the 2nd largest amount of the Amazon rainforest, a fact often unknown to tourists and travellers. You will therefore have an opportunity to see one of my favourite animals, the sloth, as it either sleeps or lazily crawl to a tree to sleep. You can follow the jungle canopies to the lodges and the spend the night in the rainforest, listening to the sounds of wildlife.

El Misti Volcano

This beautiful volcano doesn’t require any special permits, meaning you can hike when you like and camp where you like. It is fairly easy to climb the entire thing without too much effort, however I would avoid the winter months when ice can be found all around the volcano, making the walk a lot harder.

White Water Rafting on the Apurimac River

I’m obsessed with white water rafting, and if you are too, then this is a definite for your list. The Apurimac river is about 4 hours from Cusco where you can do 1 or 2 day voyages.

The rapids are class II and III, so make sure you’ve already done some practice white water rafting somewhere else, so you know what to expect.

I didn’t get the chance to go into the Apurimac river, however I did get to do white water rafting in Arequipa.

Sandboarding in the Huacachina Desert

A local will take you by sand buggy up into the desert and then drive you up a tall dune. You then climb on a sandboard (like a sledge, but with your head first) and you fly down the mini sand hill. Sandboarding in Huacachina is hands down one of the most fun activities I tried in this gorgeous country!

This one is great fun and gets the adrenaline rushing, however it does come with the warning that many people do get injured when trying it standing up. I gave it a go and came out ok, but it was a bit scary! Make sure to read my guide on the best things to do in Huacachina.

Colca Canyon

Twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, the Colca Canyon is actually the world’s deepest canyon and is one of Peru’s biggest attractions.

This is another area like Machu Picchu where you have to be careful with breathing as the high altitude does get to you.

The Colca Canyon is home to the almost extinct bird, the Condor, therefore attracting keen bird spotters to the region.

I loved trekking the Colca Canyons with a guided tour, however it certainly helped shed some weight, walking for the entire day.

Lake Titicaca

When my friends returned from South America, they highlighted Lake Titicaca as being in their top three things to see in South America. I therefore couldn’t leave this out, especially as it connects Peru to Bolivia, another place that HAS to be seen while travelling across the continent. You can also tour the floating reed islands in Lake Titicaca to gain an image into how the traditional Peruvian people lived.

 

Surf in Peru

The Peruvian beaches vary from spots for beginners, with surf school’s coating the beaches, to some of the biggest waves in the world, Peru has it all. Whatever your level, it is worth checking out a few of the beaches, whether you plan on getting involved or just watching others ride the waves. Two well known surf beaches in Peru are Mancora and Chicama, both record breaking for various reasons.

Fly Over the Nazca Lines

An image which appears like an alien drew a monkey into the ground, an aerial view of the Nazca lines is a popular option as you wouldn’t be able to make out the details from the ground. The lines were actually produced by the Nazca civilisation, which lived there during the periods of 300BC to 800AD.

 

Paracas

If you wanted to explore the Galapagos Islands but don’t quite have the budget, an Islas Ballestas tour will offer you a cheap alternative. You will see plenty of animals up close, as you witness the Paracas National reservation wildlife.

For the people who aren’t as fond of watching video’s, I have transcribed the video below:

Welcome

Hello, my name is Tom Bourlet and welcome to the start of my video series. Today I’m going to be talking about Peru, somewhere I went for a month in 2013.

I loved every minute of it, It’s probably my favourite country in the world at the moment. Every experience I speak about on this cam show will be on the Spaghetti Traveller, I have detailed each experience on a separate blog post, so this will just be an overview of the entire country.

Lima

The first spot for many is Lima. This is because this is where the airport is. I’m not going to lie, it’s not the nicest place I’m ever going to go to, so if you have a choice I’d skip it, but most people fly into Peru and if you’re flying into Peru then you will go to Lima, so try and keep it to one or two days if you can.

If you are there, I’d definitely check out the Monastery of San Francisco. As part of this tour, you get to see the catacombs below, which is really cool. So that was good fun.

I’d also recommend the Magic Water Circuit. If you’ve never heard of it, have a quick Google. It’s quite a good sight to see, so it will fill the time.

Also, if you’re into surfing, it’s very popular in Lima, in fact it’s very popular all over Peru, but you can do it in Lima. The only issue is, while you will have the waves and the wind, it rains every day of the year, without fail, plus it isn’t the greatest, it was very cold.

Mancora

Your next stop, as I mentioned, surfing is huge in Peru and all along the North West coast surfing is massive in different locations. The one that I found seemed to be everyone’s favourite is Mancora. People who went there loved the hostel, they partied pretty hard when there, so Mancora was definitely a top option if you wanted to try out surfing.

There are classes for all different levels, so it doesn’t matter if you’ve never done it before.

Iquitos

Next along you have Iquitos, which is basically your entrance into the Amazon rainforest. 60% of Peru is made up of the Amazon rainforest, so I think people underestimate how much of it is actually jungle. Iquitos is a place I recommend going to, it’s very expensive so this is one of those ones where you have to work out how long you are going travelling for, how long you need your budget to stretch for. So if you’re going for a short trip then definitely check out Iquitos, but if you’re on a long trip, good luck to you!

If you do go, try out a cruise, as their are a lot of cruises that go through their. You can also help look after sick animals, so it’s definitely one for people who like wildlife.

 

Paracas

Back down to Lima again, if you were to head down from Lima, your first stop should be Paracas. This is one right along the coast again. Here you get to see the Islas Ballestas. This is basically known as the poor man’s Galapagos Islands. They’re really good fun, it’s a lot cheaper than the Galapagos and you get to see plenty of animals, such as seals and wild birds.

I really enjoyed it, I did it for my birthday, which was great fun. The other thing is the tour is at about seven thirty in the morning. There is nothing else to do in Paracas, so if you travel there in the evening, you can then do the tour first thing in the morning and leave all your bags in the hostel. Then once you finish the tour, you can then come back and grab your bags and head onto a coach.

As part of the Ballestas tour, you’ve also got the Paracas National Reservation tour, which is all included and that was really good as well. You will get some great photos, you can check them out on my site and it was all really good fun.

 

Huacachina

From here, as you will want to head on as soon as you are done with the tour, the next stop is Ica. BUT, here is the important bit, you actually want to stay in Huacachina. This is right next to Ica and is absolutely unbelievable. Huacachina is an oasis in the middle of the desert and is beautiful, you have to check that out on my site, either look up ‘things to do’ or the sand boarding post I’ve written.

One of the top things I recommend doing is sandboarding and dunebuggying. They get you all in a dunebuggy, about six of you and they fly over the dunes at incredible pace. You are going really really fast, it’s really good fun and there isn’t really any danger (don’t quote me on that, haha) and once you get to the top of the dunes you sandboard down. That is amazing fun!

One safety tip, I did it standing up, because I’m an idiot, but a lot of people said they’ve heard of people getting broken arms and broken legs from standing up, so what most people do is they lie down on the board. Actual guides themselves recommend you lie down on the board. So if you are a bit nervous about damaging yourself, it’s apparently a lot more dangerous than skiing and snowboarding, not that I’ve ever tried that, so I’m not sure why I stood up straight away, but it had to be done!

In the evening it’s worth climbing up the sand dunes for sunset. Bring some food and drink with you and what sunset, I thought it was a really nice moment. Be careful with your camera, sand got in my camera and it broke, so that was the end of that one!

Beyond that, there is a great bar called Huacafuckingchina. You get really well priced drinks there and everyone heads there in the evening, so it ends quite messy in this place.

For food, for your hangover day, La Casa De Bamboo. This place did an amazing Red Thai Curry, it was unbelievable, it made me miss home. They don’t tend to sell Asian food anywhere in South America, I found this was the only place. I grew up on Indian and Thai food, despite living in England, so this was amazing.

One extra bit you need to know about Huacachina, which isn’t the nicest thing to bring up, is that you might need diarrhea tablets and rehydration tablets. It’s not the nicest thing to talk about, but they are quite essential as there are swimming pools in this area and you will accidentally swallow water.

 

Nazca

Further on from this, you can visit Nazca. This is where you will get to fly over and see the Nazca lines. My friend got motion sickness from this flight and so did quite a few people I know. It’s a very small plane, it’s just you and the pilot, but it is a mind blowing experience. Just be aware that if you get motion sickness, you WILL on this flight, so just be careful. Make sure they are certified for flying, their are some frauds in this area!

 

Arequipa

Next is Arequipa; Arequipa is almost like a gateway to a couple of things you can do. From Arequipa I booked the Colca Canyons (all these things that you book, book it in the hostel, the day before you do it). With the Colca Canyons you can do a two or three day trip, I’d recommend the three day one, as you actually get to appreciate it much more.

You can also do mountain biking down a volcano in Arequipa, that’s really good. I really would love to see someone with pictures, as I had no camera. White water rafting was really good fun, I’m absolutely hooked to white water rafting, it’s amazing. Also you can learn Spanish quite cheaply in Arequipa, so that’s worth giving a try.

 

Cusco

The next one, Cusco. Cusco was my next destination, you could actually go Cusco and then Arequipa if you wanted. This is the gateway to Machu Picchu, so it’s a well known area. You’ve got several choices for the Machu Picchu treck. You can do the jungle treck, which involved white water rafting, zip wiring and mountain biking. The mountain biking was so much fun, it was second to Death Road in Bolivia for fun, it was just mind-blowing.

Beyond the Machu Picchu treck, you can also explore Pisac market which is really good. You’ve got all these traditional crazy witch market stuff, it’s really interesting and there is a great tour of the markets.

I’d recommend getting a massage, it sounds like an odd thing, but actually I got one and it was amazing and it cost the equivalent of two pounds, so I was happy to get these all day.

There is also the chocolate museum, that was really good, then you’ve got a cafe at the end where you can try everything, including a cup of melted chocolate! That was good!

The restaurants in Cusco are the best in the whole of South America, so try out ALL of them. They’re not cheap but they’re worth it. Clubbing in Cusco was also really good fun, so check them all out

 

Lake Titicaca

Next, the final place I’m going to speak about is along Lake Titicaca. You’ve got several place you can go to, such as Puno, but it’s up to you to make a decision. I would take a look at the floating islands and do a complete exploration of Lake Titicaca, it’s an unbelievable experience and this is where you head into Bolivia.

 

I hope this was useful, I’ll chat to you soon!

Lima is normally everyone’s first port of call in South America, however I probably wouldn’t stay there for more than three days. You can see most of the sights within a very long day, or spread out over two days, while the nightlife is great, however the town has a dead feeling about it and doesn’t offer much of a change in culture from Europe. As you begin following the Gringo trail, eventually leading you to Machu Picchu and Huacachina, there are a couple of places you have to see in Lima first.

I would recommend staying at the Pariwana hostel as it is great fun and does seem to attract some absolutely legendary people.

 1. Plaza De Armas & the Government Palace

Right on the banks of the Rimac river you have the Government palace, where you will regularly see troops marching and playing music, mainly for tourists I presume as everyone was out with their cameras every day. These buildings are enriched in history and their are a number of tours available. Do watch out for people who pretend to be your friend and list of footballers names, they are just after a bit of money, fair enough to them but it can be a bit frustrating at times.

2. Church Of San Francisco

Peru’s list of things to do in most of its cities and towns are overly based around visiting churches, which doesn’t really get me jumping out of my seat, however if you’re going to see one in Lima, this is the one. The swarm of pigeons outside will allow you to feel like your in Trafalgar Square, but with the cacophony of Peruvian locals speaking Spanish. You can visit between 9am and 5:45pm, while it does get a bit busy around early afternoon. However the main appeal for this visit isn’t actually the church, the reason you HAVE to go is because their are catacombs below, which you are allowed to tour and will definitely cause you some surprise. Around 75,000 bodies are believed to be down there!

3. Huaca Pucllana

The first thing we did when we arrived was we toured the Huaca Pucllana. In fact you can read about touring Huaca Pucllana here. To be honest, I did find myself a little bored through the tour but this might be down to my ADD, therefore you might enjoy it a bit more than me. There is also a mini farming section where they have a number of the local plants and animals stabled on the grounds, which is great fun. This was also the first llama I had ever seen so it brought me great joy!

4. Drinking in Miraflores

While there wasn’t a huge amount I would highlight from this dull city, the nightlife was definitely a positive. The bars are great fun and we were treated like royalty in the club by everyone there. Admittedly we were aware it was down to the fact that everyone saw us as wealthy foreigners, but it’s a cool feeling, especially as you feel broke leading up to going travelling. If you’re staying at the Pariwana hostel, I would recommend joining in with the drink games there first, before walking into town and hitting a club, which they do quite late. Make sure you try a Pisco Sour, my personal favourite!

5. Paragliding in El Malecon

This was apparently a possibility that many people recommended, I would have loved to have tried it but honestly I didn’t find the place they ran it from and was quite short on time, but this would definitely give you fond memories and would change it up from churches every day. The reason why I wouldn’t strongly recommend this would be because Lima is notorious for clouds every day of the year, therefore the views really wouldn’t be that great, if you could see anything at all!

I didn’t manage to get an image either, so I’ve thrown in my whole video of South America, hope that will be useful!

 

6. Magic Water Circuit

We walked the entire way from Miraflores to where the Magic Water Circuit was, which took several hours, just to find that it was shut, so definitely make sure it is open before you begin your journey. The Magic Water Circuit is said to be absolutely beautiful, with shows of water and light shooting across the grassy scenery to amazing effect. If you do manage to go, I would love to see images or a video!

 

7. Eating in Restaurant Comedor Cordano

This one featured in all the guide books as the place to eat, which was evident by the vast number of their cakes once you were inside. We also went for the most traditional dish, which tasted a bit like refried beans, I loved it but Lawrence wasn’t such a big fan, so I might be in on my own with this one!

8. Check Out The Local Dogs

This one was probably the oddest thing I truly didn’t expect to find in Peru, which was that everyone seemed to dress up their dogs in bizarre costumes, without seeming to be looking for money. They all seemed to like the attention of having a dog in a human costume, much to my amusement. In fact I’ve made a whole post on the dogs of Peru.

The Ballestas islands are composed of many rock formations that a variety of Humboldt current coastal marine ecosystems inhabit.

As they are the preferred habitat of the booby, inca tern and guanay cormorant, the Ballestas islands are an ideal place for birdwatchers or those who love observing birds. Meanwhile, in the sea it is the sea lions that catch tourists’ eyes and that are an unforgettable performance as they swim and jump nearby.

Marine reserves to conserve wildlife

From Piura to Moquegua, the national reserve system of Guano islands, islets and capes (RNSIIPG) is made up of 22 islands and islets and 11 capes along the Peruvian coast, covering a total of 140,833.47 hectares.

The natural protected area is considered key to the conservation and scientific investigation of thousands of coastal marine species and ensures the sustainable use of diverse hydro-biological resources that benefit the local reputation.

The RNSIIPG is administrated by SERNANP, which is a specialised technical branch of the ministry of environment, whose mission in the reserve is to conserve the biological diversity of the coastal marine ecosystems that inhabit the cold waters of the Humboldt current and assure community of these species’ biological cycles.

Did you know?

The Ballestas Islands are the second most popular nature reserve destination of foreign and local tourists registered in 2012, with more than 213 thousand visitors.

A reserve of many climates

Due to its presence along the entire Peruvian coast, the reserve has many unique and diverse coastal climates.

Northern zone: scarce and irregular precipitation.

Central zone: frequent drizzle.

Southern zone: much cloud cover and relatively high humidity.

Interesting fact:

En route to the Ballestas islands the “Paracas Candelabra” or “Candelabra of the Andes”, which is a prehistoric geoglyph, can be seen. The Candelabra is of large dimensions compared to the Nazca lines and the Pampas de Jumana and is of mysterious origin, antiquity and significance. This impressive figure can only be viewed from the sea, as land access is prohibited.

Getting there

Location: The Ballestas islands are found 40 minutes from the coast of the Paracas district, which is one hour from the city of Ica and four hours from Lima.

Access: The Ballestas islands can be reached from Paracas on a boat route that allows visitors to come in close contact with nature in a safe way. The full circuit, which runs at 8am and 1pm, lasts 2 hours.

Tour: Tickets for the boat tour to the Ballestas Islands can be bought in the city of Paracas and Pisco.

Please note: Disembarkation of passengers onto the islands is not permitted so as not to disturb the residing fauna.

Live the best adventure

Around the Ballestas islands a variety of activities can be enjoyed, such as bird and marine mammal watching, boat trips and recreational diving. These activities would be designed to offer you a unique experience in touch with nature.

However, remember that these activities can only be undertaken if you are accompanied by a guide and are respectful of the species habitat.

Do not throw rubbish or waste into the sea, so that the beaches can stay clean and the fauna stays healthy. Also, try to avoid making loud noises, as this can perturb the tranquility of the fauna. When you take photos, avoid entering or invading the fauna’s territory. Final tip is to ensure that your visit is made with a company whose nautical transport is authorised by the direction of captaincy (DICAPI) of the port of Pisco.

Now have a great adventure and let me know how it goes!

When planning the trip to Machu Picchu, we were read all the alternative routes, as the traditional Inka Trail you have to book 6 months in advance. This didn’t bother us however as the original Inka trail is about double the price for basically the same experience, therefore we debated between the alternative routes, which I have highlighted below:

• Salcantay Route: You will climb some of the 20,500 feet high Salcantay mountain, while the trek will last for 5 days, with some unbelievable views.
• One day inka trail: This is the one you pick if you are really short on time, while you also have the option to camp overnight.
• Inka jungle trek: This will offer you the chance to try some more adrenaline boosting sports, such as mountain biking, white water rafting and zip wiring.
• Lares route:  You start in a small town called Lares and the trek lasts 3 days, while the views are, once again, spectacular.

So we chose the jungle trek and set the alarm for 6am. We were picked up by our guide at 6:30 and jumped on the minibus as we met all of our team, which was 7 of us. You can leave your baggage in the hostel, therefore I would recommend just bringing a small bag, big enough to carry a few bottles of water, a change of clothes, sun cream, toiletries and some snacks.

The mini bus will take you up to the top of Abra Malaga, which is 4,200 metres above sea level and incredibly cold. You will need a jumper and a hat for this part of the trip. Once you get out of the bus, you put on all your gear and get ready to tear down the roads on your bike.

The mountain biking was easily one of the best things I have ever done, as you go about 25 miles per hour down the mountain for 50 kilometres, flying past cars and buses on cliff edges. The start is a bit difficult as the top of the mountain is incredibly foggy so you can’t see further than 2 metres in front of you. This didn’t stop us however as we all raced each other down.

One of our group, Larry, did actually come off his bike, but it wasn’t due to dangerous roads, more our competitive natures as we all paced it past each other.

You stop a couple of times on the way down, however the biking lasts altogether for 3 hours. As you start to go down, the temperature increases so you do need to strip off the coat and hat after a couple of hours.

After three hours of biking, you get back into the van so they can take you to the place where you eat lunch. The food on the trek was a bit repetitive and lacked meat, however it did the job and I absolutely loved all the soups (you get a starter and a main course). After lunch you jump back in the van for 30 minutes and then you begin your trek. You definitely need to apply some mosquito repellent at this point as they really do begin to bite from this point onwards.

After about 30minutes/1hour of walking, you arrive at a stopping point in the jungle where we got the chance to try some really interesting foods and drink.

We had an alcoholic drink with a snake in, as well as the locally produced chocolate.

We also got to see a monkey and an odd looking animal which I presumed was a wombat for a while.

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the monkey as it was tied up and couldn’t move more than a metre. I risked the threat of rabies and stroked any dog that got anywhere near, I can handle a bit of foam in the mouth!

We then began walking again for another hour and then arrived at the place where we would spend the night, Santa Maria. Soon as we got there, we ate lunch and Reyner (the guide) set up the white water rafting. The white water rafting lasts about 1.5 hours and costs 90 soles, which is about £22.50.

 

I loved the white water rafting, but I am a little addicted to rafting and going to try it every opportunity I get.

The location for the white water rafting is absolutely filled with sand flies, so our legs were torn apart, deet didn’t do a single thing.

After the white water rafting, we returned to the hostel to play cards and have dinner.

Day 2

We got up at 7am, a bit of a lie in considering I passed out at about 9pm, and then tucked into a pancake and banana milkshake, meal of kings! Day 2 is where the walking really kicks in, as we began treking some of the original inka trail. You walk along some insanely steep mountain edges as my fear of heights really played up. Reyner also talked to us about the history of the Inca empire and the Spanish colonisation.

We stopped for lunch at Quellomayo and then chilled out on some hammocks for a good hour, desperately rubbing our mosquito bites.

After several hours more of hiking through the jungle, we arrived at the Urubamba river, which we had to cross by a cart and pulley, which was great fun, as you can see below:

Once you get to the other side, you are at the hot springs, where we spent about 3 hours chilling out in the water and rubbing our bites against the wall for any form of relief. The Santa Theresa hot springs were good, however I get happy feet after a good hour in them and was definitely craving dinner.

We then headed on to our hostel about 10 minutes away on the bus in Santa Theresa. The dinner didn’t quite fill us up, however you are quite well located, therefore we headed into town for some burgers and jugo de naranja. If you want, you can also go clubbing in this town, however I was wary of the 7:30 alarm and the long walk ahead, therefore I had a beer and hit the hay at 11pm.

Day 3

On day three you leave Santa Theresa to trek towards Aquas Calientes, the closest town to Machu Picchu. First thing in the morning however, you can go zip wiring. I shamefully backed out as my fear of heights finally stopped me from doing something on this trip, however everyone who did it absolutely loved it, therefore if you aren’t afraid of heights I would definitely recommend giving this a try. The cost is 90 soles, like the white water rafting, while you get 6 goes on the wire in a number of different locations across the mountain.

The view from the toilet was unbelievable as there was no wall, meaning you pissed while facing the jungle. The only odd part was that people were zip wiring above, however they couldn’t really see anything as they fly past at 60 miles per hour and probably are more focused on the great views rather than my bare ass.

We then took the bus for an hour, however there was a landslide  which completely took out the road. To be safe, we jumped out and ran across the road, while one member of the group was lucky to survive as a massive rock just missed his head.

Running from the landslide was actually a really good buzz and definitely helped wake me up. After the bus, and some great tasting lunch, we began trekking again to Aquas Calientes, which has the well known route along the rail tracks. It was a really fun walk and was great watching the train fly past, as you can see below:

Once we made it to Aquas Calientes, we had a celebratory Pisco sour and had our final dinner together. It was a bit sad as I loved my adventure with Victoria, Damien, Elliot, Beto, Larry and Ben. We stocked up on water and snacks as we were told the food and drink in Machu Picchu is 4 times the price, then we went to bed after absolutely rinsing the wifi for the first time in 3 days.

The showers in the hostel were amazing, while the staff were also really friendly and were happy for you to leave your bags there while you went off to Machu Picchu.

Day 4

The final day was here, as we got up at 4am (I didn’t realise that hour existed before this day) and left the hostel at 4:30. The walk up the mountain to Machu Picchu is meant to take an hour, however we paced it and got up there in 45 minutes, however I definitely regretted it when my top was coated in sweat. If I can offer one recommendation, it is to bring a spare top, as you will want it for photos once you are up there.

Reyner then guided us around Machu Picchu for about 1.5 hours, talking about the history and the surrounding area (you could see the snowy tops of the Salcantay mountains). We hadn’t booked Huayna Picchu, however I didn’t feel the need to go up there anyway as the views were astounding from where we were.

We felt a bit tired, therefore once Reyner left, we had a 30 minute nap on the mountain, to be woken up by a llama standing right over us. It was a great surprise and allowed us to get some close and personal photos with the goofy looking animal.

We walked across to the Inca bridge, which was ok as it’s only 10 minutes from the main area, however you can’t really go very far. The highlight of the Inca bridge was the very steep edges which once again left me more nervous than a whore in church.

Eating snacks while looking out at Machu Picchu was one of the most surreal things I have ever done, while I couldn’t help but think paragliding would be epic over the mountains.

We got really lucky with the temperature as it was sunny the entire day, however the day before it was rainy and cloudy, so we definitely counted our stars.

We stayed at Machu Picchu till about 2pm, when we went back down the hill (took about 35 minutes) for some lunch and to get back on the WiFi. My train was at 6:45pm so we hanged out until then and then began the journey back.

Machu Picchu certainly lived up to its reputation as being a modern wonder of the world and a place you have to visit before you die.

I would also recommend the jungle trek and definitely try to go with Reyner as he is great fun and really made the trek enjoyable from start till end.

In 1579, less than 40 years after the Spanish arrived in the city of Arequipa, the Santa Catalina De Siena convent was founded. Known in English as the monastery of Santa Catalina, this impressive structure took me by surprise at just how large it is. However, here is the bad point: it was rated on tripadvisor as the number one thing to do in Arequipa and the cost is 35 soles, however I found it to be average, maybe even boring, while I feel the cost should be closer to 10 soles.

I will try to illustrate exactly what you will find in the monastery while visiting Arequipa.

The buildings of the monastery date back from the XVI to the XIX century. Evolution has been marked by seismic movements which shake the regions periodical additions, reconstructions and modifications.

The parlour

From here, the nuns communicated with the outside world. Communication was made from behind double wooden bars. There was a semi-penumbra for the filtration of light through a type of alabastar called ‘Huamanga Stone’.

The work room

In this room, the nuns received important visitors, with previous authorisation from the arch bishop. You can actually observe the antique labour of the nuns and a group of images from the XVIII century which represent the last supper.

Music

In order to provide a musical background at Saint Catherine’s convent, a selection has been made from music that was performed in the viceroyalty of Peru in the 16th, 17th and 18th century.

The 16th century music is of Renaissance style, employing polyphony, usually with three to six voices and no instrumental accompaniment. Within this category there are works composed by Giovanni da Palestrina of Rome, Christobal De Morales, Tomas Luis de Victoria and Francisco Guerrero from Spain. Their music was imported from Spain in the 16th century, when the viceroyalty was still undergoing a process of establishment.

The profundis parlour

This was the place destined for wakes. It’s name comes from Psalms 130: “From the depths I will call for you. Oh yave!” The thirteen images of nuns which had passed on to the afterlife and painted afterwards hang upon the lateral walls and represent nuns who lived in the monastery between 1691 and 1884.

The Eucharist room

This area is served to produce Eucharist wafers. In the room I found a sieve, which was used to obtain very fine flour with which made the Eucharist wafers.

The Eucharist Wafer

The wafer is a small, thin, round piece of unleavened bread which is consecrated during the celebration of mass and becomes the body of Christ which was offered in sacrifice to amend for our sins. In the centre are the initials JHS, which stands for Jesus hominum salvator, Jesus saviour of man.

Primera Celda De La Calle Toledo

This cell features a pitched roof. In this cell, we can see the beams and a knot, which support a woven rush mat made with reed and on top of it are the roof tiles. Next to it, the room has a vault as a cover. In the complex, small windows, with wider outer edges to collect light, were the architectonic solution used to light the rooms, despite the use of lunettes.

Segunda Celda En La Calle Toledo

This cell features a vault, which has been repaired, keeping its characteristics as a corner vault. Its spaciousness, natural lighting and ventilation allow us to imagine the existence within the monastery, of the first free school where poor girls of the city were instructed. This school dates back to the first years of the republic. The christian doctrine, music, house chores and calculus were taught.

Celda De Madre Cipriana Centeno

This cell features the iron cross which has an ornamental motif, a Greek amphora surrounded by 2 snakes with a triangle at the top with a face with closed eyes, following the style of the Cadeceus or the Aesculapius wand. The truncated stairs of the back patio leads to the second floor, however very little remains.

The cemetery

Here, the nuns who lived in  the monastery between 1827 and 1969 are buried. Even today, when a nun dies, the body is buried in a crypt situated within the cemetery.

The jars outside also looked pretty cool, probably not the best description but I liked them:

You also got the opportunity to climb up some stairs near a fountain, where you will get a view of the entire city of Arequipa. I would strongly suggest going up there, however be careful with the steps as they are a bit steep for elderly or young children.

I had mixed fortunes while in Huacachina, with a bit of a stomach bug, however this was a really impressive area which you have to visit if you are in Peru. I stayed in the banana hostel, which was highly recommended to me, however I would say it was relatively good, however a large amount of people got food poisoning from their food. No worries though, stay at the Banana hostel and simply eat across the road at this amazing restaurant which serves an unbelievable Thai curry. Below I have listed my top things to do in Huacachina, however if you can think of any more, do let me know as I would be more than happy to add them to the list.

1) Sandboarding and dune buggying

This is hands down one of the greatest things you can do in South America and is a pivotal part of your trip in Peru, however some accidently miss this from their itinerary. In fact, we only heard about Huacachina from other hostel stayers in Lima, however the sandboarding and dunebuggy was enough for us to be sold. The cost was 35 sole, which is under £10 and you get an unforgettable experience. You are taken out on the dune buggy at ridiculously fast pace over the dunes, followed by sandboarding, whether standing up or lieing down. You can book this for either 10am or 4pm.

2) Sunset in Huacachina

Climbing up the sand dunes at around 5pm, you should get to the top perfectly in time to watch the beautiful sunset over Huacachina, as the oasis becomes alight. The walk up is a bit tiring, however it is definitely worth it and shouldn’t take you longer than 20 minutes. I would also recommend bringing up a celebratory drink/meal to have with sunset.

3) Have a Pisco Sours at Huacafuckingchina

There is a bar very close to the banana hostel, facing the oasis, with the amusing name Huacafuckingchina. It is a place of blurred memories and a hell of a hangover, but I can’t doubt that it was great fun! Pisco sours is the traditional Peruvian drink, with Pisco, lime/lemon juice, egg white and Angostura bitter. Be careful though, the Pisco sours hit you really quick, be prepared for a heavy night!

4) Pedalo on the Oasis

You can hire out a pedalo on the oasis for a good couple of hours. Not the most exhilarating thing to do, however this normally goes down well with couples. I would also recommend timing this so you aren’t in the midday sun, maybe try to do this in the morning, then the dune buggy and sandboarding at 4pm.

5) Thai curry in La Casa De Bamboo

Leaving England, one of the only things I desperately missed from back home was a good curry, as it certainly is impossible to find one in South America. Rumour had been circulating around our hostel of this great place to eat a Thai curry, dead close to our hostel, so we ventured over and ordered the Thai curry, costing 18 soles (£4.50). It lived up to expectations and made a great big smile on my face as I tucked into the glorious curry. If you are in the area and looking for good food, definitely try La Casa De Bamboo.

This was hands down the most fun activity I have done since arriving in South America and well deserved the hype. The dunebuggying was extremely exciting as he drove us over almost vertical drops at incredibly fast pace. Please don’t do this if you have a weak stomach though, as someone on our buggy kept throwing up, this isn’t for the weak stomached as the drops are big! But trust me, you will LOVE this!

After riding around for about 20 minutes, you get to the top of a really high slope and you are handed the boards, along with a bit of wax to apply to the bottom of the board before each drop. We first tried lying down as we were informed this is the way everyone did it. While the images are always of people standing up, apparently barely anyone stands up and boards down the sand hills, while all the others in the hostel had done it lying down…CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

 

Me and Laurence performed one lying down and then instantly swapped to a standing position, which really got the blood rushing, but wasn’t as scary as we thought, nor painful. We did have a couple of tumbles but it doesn’t really hurt and you get right back up again.

 

You book the dune buggying and sand boarding as a combined activity and it cost 35 Sole, which is just under £10, so not bad! It lasted about 2 hours, however I think it could have lasted a lot more if the woman wasn’t being sick, but people on the buggy all felt guilty on her so we agreed to head back a bit earlier. It is why I really stress that you shouldn’t do this if you have a weak stomach as as well as making you sick and embarrassed, it quite honestly puts a downer on others trip when they have to stop an hour earlier.

 

Make sure you bring a camera, as we forgot so we had to ask two friendly people on our trip to take some photos of us and then email them to us. Plus, they took some absolute quality shots!

This is one of those things you have to do if you are in the area, while I also included it on my list of things to do in Peru. The Colca Canyons are the deepest canyons in the world, while you will have some amazing and contrasting views when hiking this glorious trek.

You will most likely have to pick between the two or three day trip so I will try my best to summarise the benefits and disadvantages to both, however I did the two day trek and was happy with it.

You start the day at 3am, as you lumber out of bed and drag your bags down to reception, where you are picked up in a minivan. The minivan had around 10 others in, so the group was relatively large. You then have a three hour drive to Chivay where you will eat breakfast, consisting of bread, jam and tea. After 45 minutes recharging the body, you jump back onto the bus (make sure everyone is on, they almost left one behind in our group).

Remember to have some money prepared, as you will have to hand over 70 soles at this point to enter the protected area.

After this, you take a 45 minute drive to a great spot for photos, which is the Cruz Del Condor, where we managed to see two condors. I can’t promise you will see one, but everyone I spoke to saw some while at Cruz Del Condor, so your chances are high.

You jump back into the minivan for the final time, as you take a 20 minute bus ride to the place you start your trek, which is Pampa San Miguel, which is 3,280 metres above sea level.

After taking some snaps of the beautiful scenery, the guide will offer you two options, to do the proper trek which is 6 hours (plus an hour for lunch), arriving at the oasis around 5pm, or taking the quicker route and going straight to the oasis, which would mean you would arrive there at 1-2pm.

We obviously took the main route as it would feel like cheating if we took the easier way out, but the Oasis was told to be legendary, therefore we could see the temptation to take the short cut.

The first three hours you are consistently walking down hill, so people react differently to this challenge. I found this bit very easy, whereas some people found their legs turned to jelly from constantly walking downhill.

Along the walk, the guide will point out significant things you should keep notice of, while he will also share some amazing stories of this history of the area. I can’t express how great our guide was, as he single handedly made the trip a bundle of laughs.

When you get to the bottom, you will notice a bridge, while you can also use this as an opportunity to dip your toes in the water. I did find this place amazing and it is one part where we felt a bit jealous of the people of the three day tour as they had time to relax by the water, whereas we had to quickly move on.

From here you visit a small area where people live and are very happy to sell you water and sweets. This was a good point to buy some much needed water as it was cheaper here than anywhere else through the trek. The woman selling them is dressed in traditional Peruvian clothing and sells them from her small stand, of which is her main source of income. They don’t spend money on material items, so all their money goes towards their children and the big parties they have in the area (which is apparently quite a lot).

We then carried on walking, while the terrain became very much different as you crossed sides, so for the last two hours you had been walking on incredibly dry land, whereas on this side, it was much more greener. You were surrounded by plantation and trees, with streams running across the pathway. What gives the plants life isn’t the river, but the natural springs from the mountain. You can tell from the image below how much the terrain contrasts from one side of the bridge to the other.

You walk for 20 more minutes until you reach the point where you will eat lunch. The lunch is a two course meal, with an amazing soup, followed by a dish of alpaca meat and every carbohydrate that ever existed. We found over the past week that Peruvians love their carbs! We regularly ate chips, rice and pasta with a bit of meat as a main course.

 

Now here is where the debate of two or three day treks come in. The people doing the 3 day trek spend the rest of the day here, after three hours of walking. Speaking to a couple of people, there isn’t a huge amount to do here, therefore it could get boring if you were on your own, however the bungalows you stay in are amazing and the beds are top notch.

We said goodbye to everyone staying the full stretch as we took off on another three hour trek, while the guide continued to point out the different plants and how they have influenced Peruvian history. For example, Peru and Chili have fought for a long time, even up until very recently, as Chili feels it should have ownership over some of Peru’s land. The traditional alcoholic drink of Peru is Pisco sour, while the Chileans mix Pisco with coke. If you ask for this while in Peru you will definitely be spat on, or at least thrown out of the bar.

The walk became much more uphill, while I found this part the most tiring, probably because the legs were already pretty exhausted and heading up into higher altitudes definitely was a bit of a struggle. However, as someone said to me, I will say to you, it is hard but most definitely achievable. You shouldn’t face too many issues, but just make sure to have breaks when you need them.

The Oasis was very nice, while it felt unbelievable to crack open a beer and swim in the pool after 6 hours of walking, but the water did get cold quick, we quickly vacated to the bar. The temptation to properly drink was there, however we were all aware of the 5am wake up call, therefore after one pint and some very tasty dinner, I hit the hay.

We woke up to the dreaded alarm as it buzzed in my ears, reminding me of the imminent trek I was about to take. We said goodbye to Sangalle, the official name for the oasis, as we began to climb up the mountain.

The temperature was pretty cold, being 5am, however you quickly warm up as you walk up the hill. I actually found the second day quite easy, mainly due to the cool temperature and the fact that you’re in the shade for 90% of the uphill walk.

 

Remember the uphill walk is not a race, have plenty of breaks and keep hydrated. If you really feel like cheating though, you can take a mule up the hill. If you decide to take the mule, you also get a bit more of a lie in, as the mules leave the oasis at 6:30am.

When you make it to the top, you can get some really good photos with the volcanoes as a backdrop, or the canyons right behind you. This area is called Cabanaconde and is 3,280 metres above sea level.

From here you have to walk to Chivay where you will eat breakfast (this time you do actually get eggs, an epic change from just bread and jam, but you do also get bread and jam).

 

Once you have eaten breakfast, you get into the minivan and head to the hot springs, where there are about 4 different pools, all different temperatures. I tried the hottest one and found it to be ok, but you definitely couldn’t stay in there for long, while others really struggled just to get in the hottest spring.

Ooh, almost forgot to mention, to get to the hot springs you have to walk over a really dodgy bridge, it’s amazing, like something from Indiana Jones. Only two people are allowed at a time on the bridge, so you all wait your turn to make the fun walk over. Don’t worry, I’m probably overselling it but I really enjoyed the bridge.

The hot springs were great, but it did get a bit dull after a while as you spend a good hour here. After getting changed back into normal trekking clothes again, we climbed back on the bus to go for lunch. The lunch cost 25 soles, so remember to pack some money! It was actually an amazing lunch though, being a buffet of the traditional Peruvian foods, offering you a great chance to tick off some foods to try before you die.

There are then two more stops, the first one is Patapampa and is the highest point they take you to, at 4,900 metres above sea level. You will notice if you walk too quickly when you get out of the van, you are instantly out of breath.

Here you will get to take some great photos of the volcanoes of the Andes, while the stop lasts about 20 minutes.

The final stop before you are taken home is to an area filled with alpacas. You can’t get too close as they are scared and will definitely spit on you, however the photos you can take are pretty cool. There fur is meant to be amazing to feel, however I didn’t obviously manage to get close enough. I would also recommend taking some shots of you on the road, jumping or doing something crazy, as the road stretches for miles, making the pictures quite cool. It only took one of us to do this before everyone jumped onto the road to get some crazy photos.

If you took the tour, do let me know in the comments below anything you feel should also be mentioned. I’m sure I left a lot out, so please do help to add anything that might be of use.

 

What To Bring:

• Money – I’d say about 150-180 soles
• towel
• plenty of snacks
• about 6 litres of water, although you could bring less and buy some there, however it is a lot cheaper in Arequipa

 

White water rafting has been top of my personal list of things to do before I die for about 10 years now, so it surprises me it has taken this long, however it certainly lived up to the reputation. We did the rafting on the Chili river in Arequipa, which is a mix of grades II, III and IV, however it really didn’t feel that scary at all. I felt it was a good ‘first impression’ of white water rafting as it was exciting, however it also left a sense of urgency to try a much harder location in the future.

We booked the rafting through our hostel, however you can easily book the trip in town, while we paid 80 soles (that is about £20), which included delivery to and from the location (it was about a 20 minute drive from our hostel). It also included the wet suits and a small snack at the end.

The rafting lasted 1.5 hours, however it certainly flew by as I was having the time of my life. The whole trip last 3 hours when you included transportation and getting changed.

You will be picked up at 8am from your hostel and will be taken to the ‘grotto of virgin of Chapi’, with some unbelievable views of the volcano, overlooking the rapids.

They also stopped part of the way down where there is a place you can cliff jump off into the water. I have a horrid fear of heights, however I overcame this to jump into the water, letting out an unmanly yelp on the way down. You can see the step by step process below, comic book style:

Eventually you end up and are given a small bottle of water and a pack of oreo’s. Once you have got changed, you climb back in the van and the guide will load the photos onto CD’s where he charges the equivalent of 10soles per person, however if someone doesn’t pay, then that cost is then put onto the people who are paying. It still works out as dirt cheap though, so we paid the equivalent of £3 for 94 photos of our adventures, all amazing shots (as you can see above).

Things You Need To Bring

• Don’t forget to bring a towel (Towelie quote)
• sun cream – you don’t overly need it as your body is mostly covered, so this is only for people who burn instantly
• a dry change of clothes to get into once you are done
• swimming suit or something to wear under the wet suit (just underwear would be fine)

 

I would definitely recommend giving this a try if you’re in Arequipa, it was amazing fun and you won’t regret it.