I was taking a writing class this past semester and decided to reach into the past to resurrect our trip to Peru and render it on the page as practice. The trip was just under three weeks long, but we managed to go from the Andes to the Pacific, seeing major highlights of the country.
PERU HIGHLIGHTS
I started planning our trip to Peru in June, roughly five months before our planned departure date. It was one of the countries that had recently re-opened to tourism after the world shutdown for over a year due to COVID-19, and which I really wanted to visit. At the time, they had one of the highest death rates from the virus, but I wasn’t deterred so long as going there could do some good for the local economy.
Normally, I like to travel independently, however, a tour guide is required on the Inca Trail even if going by oneself. I specifically looked for a locally owned and operated company that could give us the best experience of the trail while adhering to reasonable safety protocols given the circumstances. After reading reviews, I chose Amazonas Explorer and sent them an email. The next day I received a response from Andrea who informed me that the trail was closed, quite possibly until 2022. Disappointing, but understandable. She explained that the problem was how to enable 200-plus trekkers and 200-plus porters, cooks and guides per day to cohabitate in limited-sized campsites with little or no space for social distancing all while observing proper hygienic and safety protocols.
Patience with some persistence does pay off and on the first of July, after regularly following the news in Peru, I read that the Inca Trail had reopened. It seemed almost too good to be true considering only a month had passed since my exchanges with Andrea. I quickly sent her an email, reaffirming that my preference would be to hike the Inca Trail if it was, in fact, open. Within a few hours she replied, confirming that the trail would be open with 50% capacity. They already had one departure planned for October. For the next several weeks, we emailed each other, with me reviewing the proposed itinerary, asking questions, and making changes, while Andrea helpfully answered my questions and made suggestions based on her knowledge of the region. By July 23, with the Inca Trail hike locked in, the major portion of our trip was finalized and I paid our deposit.
While hiking the Inca Trail was going to be the highlight of the trip, I wanted to make the most of the two weeks that we were going to be in Peru. My final plan included time in Urubamba, Cusco and Lima.
Urubamba
We spent three nights (or two full days) in Urubamba before the hike to acclimate to the altitude. During this time we experienced local culture through the Quechuan weaving tradition and a unique cooking method called the pachamanca, visited several important sites such as Pisac, Maras and Moray, and met incredibly warm and friendly people.
Cusco
After our hike we were driven back to Cusco where we spent two nights. It was another wonderful way to soak up Andean culture, whether exploring its many retail shops or trying delicious food in restaurants around the Plaza de Armas.
Lima
To cap off our trip, we spent four nights in Lima before heading back home. The city reminded me of San Francisco with its long shoreline. It was also a gastronome’s delight. The diversity of Peruvian cuisine was impressive. We also managed to do a day trip to visit the Nazca Lines which I booked on a whim.
I used Amazonas Explorer to organize all aspects of our itinerary in Urubamba (guide, transportation, hotel, tours and meals as requested, etc.). They helped me arrange our transport to Cusco and booked the hotel there, but otherwise, we were on our own. I arranged all our flights on LATAM, including domestic travel between Lima and Cusco.
We covered a lot of ground in two weeks, but also barely scratched the surface of this amazing country. I had to make difficult choices about where to go because I didn’t want to rush around, and frankly, it’s not the way I like to travel anymore. In the end, I feel like we hit the highlights, but would love to go back another time to do more hiking, and of course, to enjoy its delicious food!