Although we spent only 13 days in Peru, here are some of our reflections. It should be noted that we only visited Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes and Lima. There is much more to explore in this huge country for another time.
1) Machu Picchu is beautiful, but costs a lot of money
Compared to other historical tourist sites we’ve visited around the world, Machu Picchu is quite expensive. See our posts “Our Itinerary for Machu Picchu” and “Machu Picchu: What We Would Do Differently” for our more details on our experience.
2) Ollantaytambo is an excellent starting (or finishing) point for visiting Machu Picchu
It is a charming, historic town with enough to do to keep you busy for a couple of days. We enjoyed visiting the free ruins and hiking to the Maras salt mines. See our post “Our Quick Guide To Ollantaytambo”!
3) Cusco is a great place to spend a couple of days
It is likely where you will begin your Machu Picchu adventure and despite being super touristy, it is a great place to see. We recommend taking a free walking tour. We used “Wild Free Walking Tour”, which was informative, interesting and ended with a Pisco sour drink! It was the best 2 hours we spent in in Cusco.
4) Alpaca sweaters are awesome, warm and affordable
We each bought one for 25 soles in Cusco. They are fashionable, as locals and tourists can be seen wearing them throughout Peru.
5) Menú (meal of the day) is one of the most affordable ways to eat
Our favourite restaurants offering menú were Kusi (in Cusco) and Aventuras Marinas (in Miraflores, Lima).
6) Honking horns is a way of life in Peru
Enough said.
7) Lima in September is a dreary place to be
The weather is cloudy and overcast every day, and the temperature is difficult to predict. It can feel cold, but humid, or can feel warm with a piercing cool breeze. Needless to say, it was difficult to dress.
8) There is not much to do in Lima
We spent one week there and although we found ways to fill our days, we would have been content with two days.
9) Lima’s metropolitano transit system is easy and efficient
There is only one line, running north/south. After buying a card (4.50 soles), you can load it using machines at the stations. You tap the card to enter the system. You can also share a card, as it can be tapped unlimited number of times at the same station. The system consists of buses running on designated lanes on the highway, which is significantly faster than driving. There are also express buses that do not stop at every station. There are easy to read maps in each station. There is also a metro in Lima, however, since we were staying in Miraflores we did not have an opportunity to try it out.
10) The fruit selection in Peru is delicious and affordable
We regularly enjoyed papaya, pineapple, passion fruit, oranges and mangoes without burning a hole in our pockets. For example, we saw someone selling 2kg of fresh strawberries for 4 soles (less than 2 CAD)!
11) Scotiabank is everywhere!
As Shaleen is a Scotiabank customer in Canada, we found it convenient because there were no fees to withdraw cash.
12) Dual pricing is in effect in many places in Peru
In a lot of places, there is separate price for Peruvians and a separate price for “extranjeros” (foreigners). It costs significantly less for Peruvian citizens to enter museums, historical sites or take transportation.
13) The food scene in Peru is on point
The ceviche is excellent and is found at restaurants throughout Peru. We also noticed an obvious Asian influence, with Chinese restaurants known as “chifa” and many Japanese sushi spots around.
Do you have anything to add to our reflections of Peru? If so, comment below!
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