Click here to see our Peru Highlights photos over on SmugMug
Peru was the second country we visited on our trip. Coming here was a lifelong dream come true for Kat and a spiritual adventure for both of us. We climbed mountains, visited sacred places, walked in the footsteps of the Inca, & hung out at Machu Picchu. We met amazing people, some of whom we will be friends with for life. We saw Juanita, the frozen Inca mummy, & spent some time in a convent that was closed off from the world for 600 years.
In Peru, we survived food poisoning, 10 hour overnight bus rides, and a hostel with no running water. But we also found some of the best sandwiches we’ve ever eaten, the best limonada in the world, & saw our first movie dubbed entirely in Spanish (Hombre Arana ~ Spider Man).
Number of Days in Peru: 20
Places visited: Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Chinchero, Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes, Arequipa
Currency: Soles
Number of Hostels we slept in: 4, plus 3 nights camping on the Inca Trail
Favorite Hostel: EcoPackers in Cusco for it’s excellent service, great people, good atmosphere, fantastic breakfasts, and a killer location one block off the main plaza
Average cost of a private double with shared bath in a hostel: $35/day
Price for a private double with no reliable running water: $16/day
Average cost of a meal: $4
Average cost of water: $1.50 for 3 liters
Cost to purchase 100 small cookies at Panko Bakery in Lima: ~$6
Modes of Transportation used: Taxi, bus, plane, train, and our own two feet (we walked a LOT, including 42km on the Inca Trail)
Favorite drink: Toss up between limonada, Cusquena Negra Cerveza, & Pisco Sours
Local Soda: Inka Kola – kind of like cream soda but bright yellow
Number of hours spent in Spanish class: None, school was over
Number of hours spent studying/doing homework: NONE! We were finished. But we did use Spanish everyday.
Favorite place to eat: A little Mexican/Italian/Peruana restaurant on a side street off the main plaza. Can’t remember the name but we ate there at least once a day and became friends with the woman who owned the place. Her grandmother’s limonada recipe is the stuff dreams are made of.
Favorite place to shop: The Local Mercado for backpacking snacks and good sopas
Favorite place to hang out: Machu Picchu
Number of Guinea Pigs (Cuy) eaten: 0
Number of Alpaca steaks eaten: 4
Kiva loan recipient: Fiorella Carolina – to build herself and her little girl a room to live in
Coming up this week: time in a Convent, more stories from Machu Picchu
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