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Anything is possible in Peru, from jungle adventures in the Amazon to sandboarding down some of the biggest sand dunes
in the world at Ica. Ancient cultures can be seen and experienced including the Nazca Lines and the city of Cusco (The City of the Inca).
Great surfing can be done in the northern coast areas where many beaches including Mancora are located!
I have spent a reasonable time in Peru, I had over 2 weeks in Cusco on 2 occasions in 2008 and have travelled up and down the coast from
north to south and back in 2009 for over 2 weeks. I also did a 5 day dash up the coast from south to north in 2010.
There is more I want to see in Peru in the future. Here are my experiences and story.
Cusco:
Cusco is a great town for nightlife, clubs, bars, restaurants and of course, the place to book your Machu Picchu tour! Cusco is not the be all and end all of Peru, but being in the highlands it is a more beautiful place than perhaps the coastal cities are. More
Machu Picchu:
I went on a day trip to Machu Picchu on the train, it took about 4hrs each way from Cusco and cost $105USD for everything included except the entrance ticket to the ruins, there was a group of us with a guide to talk about and explain things. When we arrived, from the train station we got on a bus that drove us up to the top of the mountain which took about 20 minutes. More
San Pedro Journeys:
I and a small group of 4 others went up into the mountains overlooking Cusco to a special place to drink San Pedro, the day cost $70USD, we had an amazing experience which lasted about 10-12 hours. I can't really explain it, but it was very surreal. I saw a rainbow around the sun in an exact circle, not a halucination, I got a photo to prove it. More
Arriving in Lima:
I have had a few experiences in Lima, arriving/leaving by bus, arriving/leaving by plane and with the taxis. A friend from Peru told me "Lima is a dangerous place", another friend from Lima who lives in Cusco told me "Lima is a horrible place, full of horrible people". More
Pisco, Islas Ballestas & Paracas:
My travel buddy and I arrived in Pisco at about 5am from Lima which was a 3hr journey south. From the bus we were hussled by mototaxis for a ride into the center of Pisco. The buses drop passengers on the Pan-American highway because the road into Pisco is currently (2009) inaccessible to buses because of the earthquake in 2007. More
Ica / Huacachina:
We travelled from Pisco to Ica by bus and took a short taxi ride to Huacachina the next morning to stay by the oasis and go sandboarding on the huge sand dunes. We found a great hostel with a pool and bar and outside area with a bunch of macaw as pets that sat and flew around the garden. More
Nazca:
Heading to Nazca by bus from Ica we passed some vineyards, crops in fields, churches and some statues and came into an extended area of mountains with amazing shapes and colors, passed through green valleys with settlements and small roadside villages. More
Arequipa:
One of the highlights in the city of Arequipa is the beautiful Plaza de Armas, a big wide open space of white buildings, cathedrals, trees and grass areas, archways, fountain, chairs, pigeons and people enjoying the sun, the setting is wonderful with the snow-capped mountains in the distance. More
Juliaca / Puno:
We arrived in Juliaca at about 8pm one night and found a budget hotel, we went out for some horrible fried chicken meal. The bed was so horrible we left the hotel at 4am and found a collective taxi-van on the street leaving to Puno by 4:30am. Juliaca didn't look like an attractive town to me. More
Puno to Bolivian Border:
From Puno we wanted to go to Copacabana on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. I have spent a few days at Copacabana on 2 occasions. On my first trip I went there from La Paz in the south and on my third trip from Puno in the north. By mistake from Puno we got on the wrong bus which was going to Desaguadero on the other side of the lake from Copacabana instead of a bus to Yunguyo. More
Chile Border to Tacna:
From the bus and taxi terminal in Arica in northern Chile I got a collective taxi across the border to Tacna in southern Peru. It was the end of the day and the Peruvian people who come over the border each day to sell their products in Chile were packing up at the terminal and getting buses back into Peru. More
Tacna:
I arrived in Tacna in the evening from Chile with the intention of staying 1 night and continuing north to Camana the next day after having a look around Tacna which is precisely what I did. After 2 bowls of chicken soup from across the road and a good nights sleep, in the morning I wandered around the city and headed for the main plaza to take a few photos. More
Moquegua:
I turned up in Moquegua after leaving Arica in Chile in the middle of the day, going across the border into Peru to Tacna bus terminal by co-op taxi, then from Tacna by bus for about 150kms to Moquegua. I chose to visit Moquegue simply because I had already stayed in Tacna, Camana and Arequipa a year before. More
Camana:
I was glad to arrive in Camana after a not so pleasant bus ride from Tacna, it took about 9hrs and I was in desperate need of some soup, I asked a few restaurants if they served soup and they all kept telling me the same name of a place where I could get some, I found it by the plaza and indulged. More
Huanchaco / Trujillo:
Although I was not in Huanchaco in peak season I enjoyed the laid back and relaxed atmosphere here for a couple of nights while spending a day visiting some of the archaeological sights in Trujillo and nearby Chan Chan. I was also interested to see the famous banana boats that the locals use for fishing, the beach and some surfing. More
Trujillo to Piura to Mancora:
Heading north from Trujillo via Chiclayo took 3-4hrs and north again up to Piura took about another 3 hours or so. The scenery on this first leg up to Chiclayo is nothing spectacular, grey mountain ranges, dusty little towns and lots of rubbish on the side of the road. More
Mancora:
I arrived in Mancora at 11pm from Trujillo, stepped out of the taxi-van and was immediately hounded by 4 mototaxi drivers asking if I need accommodation and that they knew of a good place. All talking at the same time, I asked 3 to move away and took a short ride to a cheap crash pad by the beach which cost only 15 soles ($5USD) per night, it was a basic room with my own bathroom and bed with mosquito net. More
Mancora to Tumbes to Ecuador Border:
I caught a co-op taxi-van north from Mancora to Tumbes to cross the border into Ecuador, the journey took about an hour and a quarter and cost me 15 soles, I would say it's possible to get that ride for about 10 soles. The coast is really nice as you travel north to Tumbes, beautiful bays, fishing villages, a statue, hills at the back, I saw accommodation at various points along the way. More
Ecuador (Macara) to Sullana to Piura:
Exiting Macara in Ecuador for Peru is straight forward, you can get your exit stamp at the border, walk across the bridge and get your entry stamp for Peru on the other side. Once this is done, there are co-op taxis waiting there to take you to Sullana which is about 130kms away, there is also hot food (chicken and rice etc) available while you wait for the taxi to fill up. More
Chimbote:
I stopped in Chimbote for a few hours to have lunch with a friend who lives there and then we travelled 6hrs by bus to Lima. The prices of the buses varied a lot, we got a ticket for 20 soles in first class which is a good deal. Chimbote is a place that makes fish oil, the whole city smells like fish, quite strongly, so unless you love the smell of fish, I wouldn't bother staying here. More
Nazca to Chincha Alta:
I left Nazca in the early afternoon up to Ica and at the bus terminal hopped on a bus to Chincha Alta arriving in the late afternoon, this was the next place I had decided to stay on my 4 day dash up the coast of Peru from south to north. Before Nazca I had come from Moquegua during the night. More
Chincha Alta to Piura:
I left Chincha Alta after lunch on a bus up to Lima and then took another bus north during the night up to Chiclayo and then took another bus to Piura, this part of my dash up the Peruvian coast from south to north would take 22hrs from leaving Chincha Alta to arriving in Piura. More
Piura to Tumbes:
I arrived in Piura for a 3rd time but this time to stay the night, the other 2 times I was just passing through. This was part of my 4 day dash up the coast of Peru from south to north, I had just spent 22hrs traveling all the way up from Chincha Alta south of Lima and this was where I would have a rest for the night, it was early afternoon when I arrived, I found a bed in a cheap hotel on the main drag. More
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