EXPERIENCE THE WONDERS OF PERU, FROM HIGH-TEST COCKTAILS TO FLOATING ISLANDS
Find vibrant cities and breathtaking natural wonders, writes
CUSCO
For almost everyone who visits it, the fascinating city of Cusco will take your breath away. Literally. Situated at nearly 3,400 metres in the Peruvian Andes, the altitude takes some getting used to. Visitors would be smart to stick close to their hotel and rest easy for the first day or two. Take some altitude sickness meds or drink copious amounts of coca tea, which does lessen the symptoms somewhat. The old city is built on hills that gravitate out from the Plaza de Armas central square. Here you’ll find the imposing Santo Domingo Convent which the Spanish conquerors built on top of the Incan Temple of the Sun (Qoricancha) to remove any trace of the once-powerful Incan Empire.
While Cusco spreads across numerous hillsides and envelops the airport, it is Peru’s seventh-largest city with 505,000 residents.
It is easy to explore the cobblestoned streets and just as easy to lose yourself down any number of numerous alleyways. But that’s half the fun of discovering a new city. You’ll wander across quaint cafés and interesting bars, restaurants serving anything from vegetarian fare to alpaca steak and the delicacy that is cuy (guinea pig). Don’t miss the authentic San Pedro market for its overflowing stalls of salts and chocolate, fertility powders, cheese, vegetables, flowers and even fresh milk. There are smoothie and juice booths at one end and fast-food stalls at the other.
Lodging runs from simple hostels (under $50 US) to five-star hotels such as Monasterio ($545 US per night with breakfast or $1,172 US per night for a superior room infused with oxygen to help acclimatize to altitude) or Palacio Nazarenas – both Belmond hotels, Antigua Casona San Blas, the JW Marriott El Convento or its Palacio del Inka (rates starts at $387 US). A good mid-range option is Casa Andina Hoteles ($170 US) which has four standard hotels and one premium in the central part of the city. Two of the standards are on opposite sides of Plaza de Armas so you can’t find a better location.
LAKE TITICACA AND THE FLOATING REED ISLANDS
The border between Peru and its eastern neighbour Bolivia passes through the middle of Lake Titicaca. Local stories abound about smugglers crossing the lake to sell contraband goods in a midnight market in the rough and tumble city of Juliaca. We took their word for it and skipped a middle-of-the-night stop.
But the lake itself is worth a visit. Rural villages are spread out along the shoreline while the city of Puno sits on the west side. You can overnight with a farm family during a homestay arranged by Intrepid Travel on several of their Peru tours. It may be out of your comfort zone, but the personal experience will give you a perspective of Peruvian life that you wouldn’t otherwise get. You’ll likely have your own room and an attached bathroom, eat and possibly cook with the family and partake in activities such as planting, harvesting or tending to animals like sheep. Peruvians are friendly people genuinely interested in sharing their culture with you.
The biggest draw of Lake Titicaca is the floating reed islands. Originally constructed as a means to avoid paying taxes, the 120 islands have become a way of life for their 2,500 inhabitants. They are made by cutting reeds at their earthen-bound roots in shallow water, tying large blocks together and then layering fresh reeds on top, and can take up to a year to finish. They are abandoned after about 15 years as they become too heavy to sustain the households. The process begins again.
Most islands have solar panels for power but residents must go to the middle of the 285-metredeep lake for fresh water. There are schools and clinics on the larger ones and they all have small boats for fishing, reed collecting and island hopping. Large, elaborately decorated reed boats are used for short visitor tours. Each island has a leader and one mayor oversees them all. He or she decides which islands are open for visitation on a given day, spreading tourism dollars around.
OLLANTAYTAMBO
This quaint town is in the heart of trekking country. Hikers begin their four-day, 42-km trek to Machu Picchu from here, while those opting for the comforts of the train have a less than 10-minute walk to the station.
Reminiscent of many backpacking communities in India and Nepal, the town boasts numerous hospedajes (hostels) and guest inns down numerous cobblestoned alleys. A slightly higher-priced option is the charming Tunupa Lodge on the way to the train station. Lovely appointed rooms, a generous breakfast, and on-site alpacas make for a memorable stay.
The town has many restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops including the Awamaki boutique which sells purses, scarves and other handicrafts from the community it supports. There are also trails leading up to Incan ruins dating to the 15th century. The giant staircase of over 150 steps is considered one of the most impressive feats of Incan engineering and one of the most well-preserved examples of its stonework.
PISCO SOUR
You can’t visit Peru without trying the national drink. A simple concoction of one part each of simple syrup, egg white, and lemon juice with three parts pisco, shaken and finished with three drops of aromatic bitters. Be warned, it packs a wallop courtesy of the liquor made from distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof spirit.