Arequipa And Picking A Canyon Arequipa is just pretty. In this lovely city of Southern Peru with the distant icy peaks of Chachani Mountain and Misti Volcano constantly watching, I found the best ceviche and welcoming backpackers. Most use this place as a launching point to visit world-class canyons. Getting there: connections through Arequipa are easy. The bus… Read More
Backpack Peru It’s hard to summarize something that offers so much. Definitely start with Machu Picchu, and from there you’ll find lakes, beaches, jungles, and deserts. Some say Peruvian cuisine is the most underrated in the world. The rich indigenous culture is still evident all over the country. Still trying to grasp this beautiful land myself, I’ll keep updating… Read More
Lima In A Day Lima is huge. This capital rises over the Pacific and is divided into 43 districts, some newer and richer, some more historic and less wealthy. As always, we saw as much as we could without collapsing from exhaustion, and spontaneously threw in a football match in the national stadium. Day Eight Crashing on couches… Read More
Pisac and Cusco With little time left in the Sacred Valley, we couldn’t appreciate the overdone, overpriced feel of Pisac and quickly moved along to the markets and architecture of Cusco. I’d say the cold and altitude added to the charm of this bustling city that was once a trade capital of the Inca Empire. Day Six (cont.) A very… Read More
Ollantaytambo After hiking over 40 miles in three days, we were all about the naps and gourmet breakfasts of Ollantaytambo. Stumbling into Munay Punku Bed and Breakfast was never part of the original itinerary, but we couldn’t break away and indulged in an extra night. Day Five The Argentines continued on to Cusco while the… Read More
Machu Picchu: The Big Day Watching months of anticipation, uncertainty, and planning pay itself off was dreamy. I’ll certainly look back to this day for the rest of my life. The following is the narrative component to the information outlined in my first Peru post. Day Four 4:00am I was more than ready to jump out of bed after… Read More
Urubamba to Aguascalientes Rather than take the outrageously priced train, we reached the town at the base of Machu Picchu via busses, taxis, and a little hiking. At all points of the journey, many other backpackers had the same intentions. For less stories and more facts, read this post. Day Three After eliminating the spider that had… Read More
Salinas and Urubamba I had never encountered a site quite like the chunky terraces of brown, gold, and white Incan salt pans. This striking mountainside is located right outside the town of Maras, and currently produces cattle salt licks and souvenirs. We then hiked downhill to Urubamba, but I recommend spending the night in Ollantaytambo. Day Two (cont.) For $3 a person… Read More
Chinchero: The Right Amount Of Touristy It seemed like everywhere I turned tourism agencies had overtaken the Sacred Valley. Chinchero was one of my favorite stops because it’s skipped by most yet offers the same activities as other villages. This means it’s more budget friendly, but more importantly, Chinchero had a superior market and less crowded ruins. I had stayed up all night attending yoga… Read More
Machu Picchu 2016: A Guide For Low Budgets A few internet searches quickly discourages a cheap backpacker or financially challenged college student from bothering to visit this Wonder of the World. My goal here is to provide updated information so you don’t have to miss out on an unforgettable hike, regretting it until you one day return, something that is never guaranteed and always… Read More