Who has been to Peru?

Is that where this creature lives?

I went to Peru and Machu Picchu in ‘95. I don’t think MP has changed much since.

I liked The Gold Museum in Lima too.

Most people just make Macchu Picchu a day or two trip by taking the train out of Cusco to Aquas Calientes, a trippy little town at the base of MP, and then bus it up to the top. If you have the time and inclination, a guided trek can be a great experience. I did an REI trek of the El Salkantay trail, the less crowded, less popular alternative to the Inca trail, and stayed at a series of beautiful, remote guest houses. It was an immersive experience in the vastness and variation of the Peruvian landscape. MP will be crawling with tourists, but it is a must. If you aren't up for trekking and feeling spendy, Peru has luxury train rides, its version of the Orient Express. Check out PeruRail. I took the Cusco to Puno train, had excellent meals and service, and watched the countryside roll by in comfort. I never made it to the jungle, but loved Arequipa, the White City; if you get there, you must check out the Ice Maiden, a mummy of a girl sacrificed at the top of an Andean mountain. Take a tour of the Nazca lines by air. In Lima, there's the Museo Larco with a room for phallic pottery and a lovely cafe. Of course you must try the ceviche and the Pisco. And bring meds for high elevation in case you're one of the poor souls who doesn't acclimate well.

^^Oh, and Lake Titicaca is another worthwhile stop if you make it out to Puno. At the time I went, Casa Andina, a hotel chain, ran the getaway on Isla Suasi, a small private island out on the lake. We stopped at the floating islands and Taquille, where the men knit and embroider. Both were exceedingly touristy, but staying out on the lake among vicuna and viscasa was a treat.

Be prepared to see cuy (guinea pigs) and lama steak on the menus throughout Peru.

It's spectacular - if you like that kind of stuff. Best piece of advice - take a few days in Cusco before you trek up to Machu Picchu to acclimate to the altitude, whether you do it as a day trip or the hike. There's a lot to see in the Cusco area.

Also, spend a few days in Lima itself. Food is great and relatively inexpensive for even top rated restaurants.

Definitely worth a trip.

Machu Picchu is breathtaking. Pictures don't do it justice. It was once of the greatest sights of my life.

I had no interest in going to Peru but my partner really wanted to. It turn out to be one of best trips. It's very tourist friendly with trains and buses plentiful, clean, and running on time. There is such variety in Peru that it's hard what to fit in during a trip. There's Machu Picchu of course, but then there's the Amazon in the north or Lake Titicaca in the south. There are the Nazca Lines and a huge gorge/canyon.

OP, Peru is fascinating, and a dream if you're into ruins and archaeological sites. R3/R4 has some excellent suggestions. To add a little more, Machu Picchu is overrun with tourists and there is no getting around it. It doesn't matter if you visit day or late afternoon - there will be other tourists and lots of them. Still, it's one of the world's wonders and a marvel of Inca engineering. It's a must. I did not like Aguas Calientes, the Machu Pichu town itself, however. A tourist trap with very little charm.

Do yourself a favor and visit the other Inca archaeological sites in the Sacred Valley! Pisac, Moray, and Sacsayhuaman are all amazing sites that receive only a tiny fraction of the traffic that MP does. If you go during an off day, you'll feel like you're the only person there. To visit these sites, DON'T take any of those cheap tours offered all around Cuzco which offer to take you to 4 or 5 different sites in one day. I made that mistake the first time I visited during college. They cram you into a tour bus with 25 other gringos and shuttle you to each site for about 30 to 45 minutes each - hardly enough time to scratch the surface of any site. You spend more time driving around than getting to know the ruins.

Splurge a little and hire a private guide or driver who can take you to a site via private vehicle. That way you can visit each site at your own pace. The ticket to all non-Machu Picchu archaeology sites is sold as a "boleto turistico" for 130/Soles (about $40).

The best decision I made was staying in a small town called Ollantaytambo. A genuine Inca village with buildings, walls, and irrigation canals dating back over 500+ years old. Lots of local people selling handwoven textiles and goods, some who only speak Quechua. The town is surrounded by mountains which still contain ruins which you can see from your hotel window.

Like R4, I also visited Taquile Island, one of the islands of Lake Titicaca. I did a homestay with one of the local families (there are only about 5 families who allow tourists to stay) and stayed overnight for 3 nights. Amazing views of the lake, and very interesting to observe an agrarian, communal society still largely untouched by technology of any sort. Electricity is scarce and WiFi is nonexistent. Bring a few books and a headlamp. Makes for excellent stargazing though. It is both very cold and very exposed to the sun in this region of the country, so prepare for layered clothing and sunblock.

Prepare to eat LOTS of potatoes, prepared in various forms, in this part of Peru. I was good on not eating potatoes at all for about three months after traveling there.

Iquitos is a trip if you want to visit an Amazonian jungle city and the world's largest city accessible only by river or air. Can't get there by land. Only plane or boat.

Trujillo is a mostly bleak city in the arid north of the country. The city itself is unspectacular - lots of cars, noise, and people. What makes it worth going are the amazing pre-Inca ruins outside the city which are still being excavated. The Chan Chan complex, Huaca del Sol, and El Brujo complex all pre-date the Inca and are over 1,500 years old, and in their own right, are as impressive as the Inca ones. Erosion and El Niño has largely eroded many of the features, but there are still temples and friezes you can observe up close. When I went, archaeologists were still digging and taking samples at one of the sites. It felt like the subterranean scene in Fellini's "Roma" where they are still uncovering the 1,000 year old frescoes.

The El Brujo complex, 1 hour outside of Trujillo, has a Moche temple where they unearthed the fully preserved mummy of Peru's only female ruler.. the Lady of Cao. Her tattooed body is on full display at the Cao museum, an amazing museum.

I would say that Peru more than holds its own rather favorably with say, Egypt, if pyramids and mummies are of interest to you.

See White City.

Don't be a smoker. Or former smoker. Or have asthma. You'll die.

The altitude is no joke. Some hotels keep oxygen tanks for the purpose of the unacclimated.

Peru is a place you’ll want to return to again and again.

Great food.

MP is one of those rare places that meet the hype.

I was there about 15 years ago, loved it, what a gorgeous country! Peruvian food is my favorite food!!

The ceviche is amazing. I became very fond of Pisco while I was there, a spirit which is difficult to get your hands on in the States. Quality $3-4 pisco sours available all over the country can be a bit addictive!

Coca tea will be your best friend to deal with the altitude.

Pisac were the best non-MP ruins, IMO. Have a taxi drive you to the top, then hike your way back downhill through the vast ruins, enjoying the mountain views over the valley, until you make your way back to town.

How is the cocaine? Easy to buy?

"The ceviche is amazing."

IT BURNS!!

The Huaca de Sol near Trujillo. It looks like a big, nondescript mound of dirt and sand until you enter the temple and see the 1,000 + year old friezes.

Handwoven Inca suspension bridge.

The Ice Maiden mummy that R3 was talking about.

Will the tea get you high, R16?

You get a little buzzy, but it's not like doing coke, R23.

R18, in the three months that I have spent in Peru, I never once got propositioned for it by total strangers on the street the way I was several times, everywhere, in Colombia. So I imagine it is not as plentiful unless you really seek it out, which I would never advise.

It’s ok. Go to egypt and see the pyramids instead. Or great wall of china

I would argue that Peru has better food than Egypt, cheaper flights for Americans, and a less homophobic government.

Can't say a thing about the Great Wall - have not ever been there, and it's on my bucket list.

Macchu Picchu has a very large and active gay community.

Fabulous cock. World class.

Puru it is! This thread: SOLD!

You can always spot a Peruvian native as their noses are adapted to the cold of such heights. Long with small nostrils to heat air before reaching lungs. Must be extra challenging for blacks on these tours.

^ ????

In Peru all seems to breathe freedom and peace and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils.

No one has been to Peru, OP.

It's a great place to visit. Machu Picchu is fantastic. You have to go see the salt pools at Moray; it's stunning seeing them harvest salt as they have for thousands of years. The food is fantastic everywhere. The people are super, super nice; probably the nicest of any place I've been. When you go to MP, be sure to take the nice train with the observation windows. We used a tour place out of Florida called Best Peru Tours and it was unbelievably great, personalized, service. We had our own guide for just four of us at multiple sites and personal transportation. We loved everything about it.

Been there 5 times. I always had a great time. Altitude sickness is no joke though. Some people it doesn’t bother and others are sick the whole time. Take it easy when you first get there.

R28, Lima has some solid gay clubs, one in particular with a pretty first rate drag show. Legandaris I think it was called, if it's still around. Outside of that, not much public gay life. Of course, Grindr exists everywhere, and it pings off the charts in Cuzco.

It's always been a dream of mine to visit Machu Picchu.

R38, go! It's a once in a lifetime place that will enrich your life! You won't regret it.

I've been twice. Make arrangements to stay overnight at the hotel at Machu Pichu, which will allow you to roam the site at dusk and see the spectacular dawn come up over the mountains. Most of the tourists leave at the end of the day and you feel like you have the site to yourself. Very moving.

I'm thinking of going the week before Christmas. A little bit last minute as I was waiting for my mother to finalize her holiday schedule. It looks like she'll be heading out of the country to visit family. That means I won't be flying out to CA to see her. That leaves me scrambling to find something to do for Christmas and New Years. I have 8 vacation days and want to make the most of it. No staycation.

Macchu Picchu has always been on the list. My concern is that I may not be in shape to trek up to MP. I don't own a car so walking and a little bit of biking is a way of life for me. But A) I work from home so I can go days without stepping out much and B) otherwise I do not work out/go to the gym. I also know I suffer from altitude sickness. I had problems at Mt Fuji from quite early on the trek and the peak is only at 3770m. One of my symptoms is the runs....damnit.

So basically with only a month to prepare, should I even consider trekking to MP? Or just opt for the train ride. The tour I'm looking at offers both options. For the non-trekkers, they offer day trips to the surrounding areas for the 3 days while other travellers are hiking. Then on the 4th day, everyone meets up at MP.

R41, with only 8 days there, I would advise to take the train to Aguas Calientes, and then the bus option up to the top. It takes at least three days to acclimate to the altitude. You won't be disappointed by the day trips to the surrounding Sacred Valley ruins and sites. Too many people make it all the way to Peru only to see just MP, but the surrounding Incan ruins + exploring Cuzco = a very satisfying trip. Enjoy your trip!

R42, thanks for that. I didn't want to regret missing out on the trek for some middling day trips. I think if this was 5 years earlier, I would be adamant about trekking but honestly, I've felt the passage of time in the last 2-3 years. Long walks and biking now leave me sore in places I never once paid any attention.

The llamas and alpacas look so furry and cute!

Mummy of paraplegic boy found near Nasca.

I have not.

R44, llamas and alpacas are cute, but they can be ornery. If you approach one too close head-on, there is a probability that it may spit at you. Better to admire from a little bit of distance.

I used to have a hard time distinguishing them, but llamas are larger, and alpacas shorter with the fine and expensive wool. Theirs is the luxurious wool sold around the world.

R41, definitely take the observation train. You'll walk around enough at Machu Picchu. And don't try the extra climb up and down Huayna Picchu. It's a pretty intense walk/hike up the mountain and you get up there just to see Machu Picchu from above. It's absolutely worth visiting though. Loved everything about Peru.

Unless you're relatively confident you won't have altitude issues, I'd opt for the train. If you feel up to it, there's a climb of the small peak on the site that's strenuous enough to get it out of your system.

Never heard of the place. And that bothers me.

Well they certainly dress in lavish, colourful attire.

Lots of red.

Macchu Picchu? OP, I thought you meant Peru, Indiana. I have been to Peru, Indiana, and I don't recommend it.

8 days is plenty. I did Cusco, MP and Lake Titicaca in 9 days. You need 3 days to acclimate to the altitude in the Sacred Valley and during those days you can do Pisac, Moray, etc. Then go to MP. Also, consider taking Diamox for the altitude - I didn't and was ok, but really felt the high altitude. Another person on my trip took it and still got sick. Splurge and take the Hiram Bingham train to MP - you won't regret it.

If you're traveling via bus from one city in Peru to another, it must be said that Peru has the most comfortable buses I've experienced anywhere else in Latin America. Bus-camas (bus beds) that recline a full 180° to a sleeping position, complete with a pillow and blanket. There are bus attendants, often a young lady or a gay mantendant, who walks around to give you a meal or drink. You have your own screen from which to watch a variety of Hollywood films. You can even borrow headphones.

I was impressed! US buses should be half as comfortable...

I've been to Peru but I've never been to me.

The ruins of Choquequirao are amazing.

Best view in Cuzco of the entire city: Limbus Restobar. Food is eh.. ok. Go for the drinks. View is the best, day or night.

The town of Ollantaytambo was my favorite in the Sacred Valley.

Go to Maras...incredible.

Peru inspired these guys to cover this song.

Weren't they recently saying in the news that they might close Machu Picchu down to tourists?

Greatest site on earth. I spent five days hiking in the Andes to get there. Nothing on earth can touch it.

R62, I've heard those rumors over the years, but find it doubtful. MP is Peru's most lucrative tourist attraction, and the entire economy of Cuzco and the surrounding cities is based around it to some degree. I think they may impose new limits regarding management and preservation, but doubt they will close the site any time soon at least.

However, if you would like to visit less popular ruins, I would suggest the Kuelap Fortress in the less visited north. Peru has been promoting it as the MP of the north. These are impressive ruins from a civilization older than the Inca, and they are preserved in good condition.

The cuisine in that region is amazing!

R65, I like the rocoto relleno, a Peruvian version of a stuffed bell pepper.

Is there where the women wear the funny little hats?

R67, if you mean the bowler hats, they're popular with Aymara women in parts of both Peru and Bolivia. The story of how they became popular there is sort of amusing.

Have always wanted to go.

r18 I was there in 1979 and cocaine was easy to find for me. I was in Cusco and just happened to start talking to a guy in a place called the Abraxas. One thing lead to another and he offered me weed and coke. The coke was amazing, nothing like in the States.

Cuzco's San Pedro market is worth checking out if you're interested in how locals shop or if you want to buy anything at cheapest price. And by anything, it really almost is a visual overload on what is available there — fruits, juices, food stall vendors, vegetables, meat market, handwoven goods, chocolate, flowers, erotic statues! Name it, you'll find it there.

Another view of the market.

What is the best time of year to visit?

R73, their winter of May through September is the dry season, where if you're planning on hiking and being outdoors, you don't have to contend with rain. That time is most popular with tourists.

I've been in October and November, and if you don't mind some rain, there are fewer tourists and it's not bad at all.

December through March is their wet season, so while it may be warmer then, it can be soggy.

Was there in late June/early July and the weather was perfect.

Are they always playing this song?

R76, I believe it is the national song of Peru and a source of pride. It's not uncommon at all for live musicians to play a rendition of it at restaurants or other public places.

Yes, r76. Good article in the Washington Post travel section today about an alternative to Machu Picchu, among other destinations. I don't have it in front of me, and I don't remember the name. My ex-next door neighbor, quite a traveller, thinks Peru has the best food in the world.

I've never been to Peru, but I've been to Oklahoma.

I just booked a ticket and will go for an entire month. I am excited.

You go Uruguay, and I'll go mine.

Loved machu pichu and lake titicaca. But be forewarned of altitude sickness. It seems so random who might get it? A totally healthy person is not immune. My travel buddy got it while I was fine. It sucked for him. He didn’t get to fully enjoy the trip. Fortunately he got it after our machu trek.

Miss Coco needs to do a special, [italic] Miss Coco Peru Goes to Peru! [/italic] Think of the comedic possibilities.

Will she visit Lake Titicaca?

R80, how fun! Have a great trip.

BTW, Peru has some of the best Chinese and Japanese food in South America, owing to large Asian immigrant populations, especially in Lima. But they are all over, should you crave some other variety. Peruvian food is quite delicious though - just don't be surprised to see alpaca on some menus in Cuzco.

Can anyone explain why someone named Alberto Fujimori, who went to college in Wisconsin, was the President of Peru for 10 years?

The biggest of crooks.

R87, Peru has large Chinese-Peruvian and Japanese-Peruvian populations. Possibly the largest populations of Asian descent in all of Latin America. Lima has a Chinatown where you can get legit Chinese food, like real dim sum and not just Panda Express style.

Re: Fujimori, he was born in Peru to Japanese immigrants. It seems that depending on who you ask, Peruvians have mixed opinions about him. His daughter Keiko almost won the presidency a few years back.

eh just come down to Peru Nebraska instead, we got our own michy puchi down here.

Don't forget to try different potato dishes, the potato originated there and is still farmed at incredibly high altitudes around Lake Titicaca. They have the most amazing varieties I've ever seen (upwards of 4000 different kinds!).

These cliffside pods are in Peru. Sleep here if you dare.

Let me try that again.

Why of course R84.

I know someone who goes through passports regularly, obsessively visiting new places. He says the two places that didn't underwhelm him after having high expectations beforehand were Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal.

If you find yourself in northern Peru, the area around Chachapoyas is beautiful, lush green, and amazing to explore. The Kuelap ruins are destined to be the next big thing and are relatively untouristy and under-explored. You can now take a cable car from the nearest city to reach them vs. the 3 hour trek it used to take.

The New York Times travel section wrote about the fortress just this year, so it's likely there will start to be an uptick of travelers going there. It's one of their 52 places to go in 2018.

What exactly is the altitude? Has anyone taken the Belmond luxury train??

R91 is not kidding. There are varieties of potatoes I didn't even know existed. White potatoes, yellow potatoes, purple potatoes, dehydrated potatoes, everything in between....

R98, the altitude is no joke. Cuzco is over twice as high as Denver, or over 2 miles (2.1 miles, or 3,400 meters). Lake Titicaca is even higher. I'm an experienced hiker and jogger and I was winded the first few days. Take time to acclimate and drink coca tea.

I have not taken that Belmond luxury train. Looks very nice though!

I can handle Denver and even Los Alamos at 7K ft. Shit 10K ft?? That is no joke. I once went to a wedding at the top of Vail I got drunk on 3 beers and was hungover within an hour.

I'm from Denver, and I had issues sleeping at Lake Titicaca, which is at 12k feet. Machu Picchu is only about 8k feet, and never had any issues since it's similar to camping in the Rockies. In fact, I climbed Huyana Picchu with a lot of sweat. I was 50 at the time, though.

Cuzco is 11,200 feet elevation though so higher than MP. There were four of us and we didn't really have much problem, thankfully. We drank the coca tea and spent a day not doing that much, but we did walk uphill to the town square and you could definitely feel it. After spending several days in the Sacred Valley and then coming back to Cuzco, we were able to do the same walk from the same hotel and it was much easier.

R41 here, looks like my Peru trip will have to wait a bit as I'm going to spend Xmas with family. On the one hand, it'll mean more time to procrastinate. On the other, I'm looking at next July and that means I can train properly.

Altitude is definitely my biggest fear. I walk a bit so it's not like I'm a complete couch potato. I'm just a total altitude weenie though. I visited Mt Wilson in SoCal last year and it's all of a whopping 5,700 feet. Driving up I could feel the change, but was okay. An hour into the the observatory tour though, I had to cut it short and make my way quickly to the toilet. Eight to eleven thousand feet....I don't want to spend my entire trip on the bog. That, along with the headaches and sinusitis.

R104, waiting until July will probably work out pretty well for you. It'll be right in the middle of the dry season.

If you time it right, you might be able to catch the Virgen de Carmen festival in Pisac (nearby to Cuzco) in July. Last time I was in Peru, I stayed in Ollantaytambo during their anniversary celebrations, and got to see locals celebrating with traditional dress and dances. It was pretty cool.

R100, I took the Belmond's Hiram Bingham train last year - worth every penny. You feel like you've gone back in time with all the wood and brass train fixtures and white glove service. You also get great food and unlimited drinks. When you arrive, you get a 3-hour tour of MP with a private guide (they break the train riders into groups of about 10) and then a lame tea-time at the hotel with hundreds of other tourists. I'd recommend you spend another half-day or full-day at MP on your own or with a guide - the Belmond 3-hour tour only gives you the highlights. It is a bit strange though that after a train ride with a heavy 3-course meal and free-flowing booze that you then hike for 3 hours around MP.

If you get the chance, stay at the Hacienda del Valle which is outside of Urubamba. It's five miles outside of the town so it is tough to get to, and you'll probably never find it on your own, but, if you have a driver, it's worth it. The rooms are spacious, the food at the hotel dining room is really good, and the staff is super nice and hard-working.

[quote] I think we can easily assume it's the Aunt Pitty Pat one on the left with the over plucked brows.

Actually I think it's the bearded one on the right.

Sorry wrong thread.

Thanks R106, how much dinero are we talking?

I'm going to double-down and recommend staying a few days in Ollantaytambo once more. It's about an hour and a half drive from Cuzco. You can also take the train from Ollantaymbo to Aguas Calientes (MP), as it's a stop from Cuzco along the rail.

Should you find yourself there, there are plenty of things to do in the area. I've stayed at both Ollantaytambo Lodge and Ollantaytampu Hostel and both have rooms and balconies with breathtaking views of the mountains and Inca ruins. The entire town is in a valley surrounded on both sides by Inca ruins. Inkas Tower is a cafe-restaurant that offers panoramic views of both sides.

Things you can do in an around Ollantay:

Visit Huilloc, a real, traditional non-touristy Andean community where you can see locals making some of the country's best weavings and handmade goods. If you're into shopping for handwoven goods, this is the place to do it.

Visit the little-known Inca fortress of Pumamarca. Some of the best views of the Andes mountains and some of my favorite ruins. When I went, there was not a single other soul there, except for a pack of llamas.

Hike up to the Cacchicata Inca quarry from Ollantaytambo. Here you can see where the Incas extracted massive stones from the mountainside, forming and shaping them into blocks and other shapes, before somehow dragging them down the mountain, across the valley, and up another mountain to where the current ruins are. I went with a guide and it is a strenuous hike, but well worth it. I saw a stone sun dial and a cave with mummified remains. The quarry is littered with fine stonework that never made it to the ceremonial site because the Spanish invasion interrupted their process.

The Pumamarca ruins. You will likely be the only person there.

Carved rocks at the Inca quarry which never made it to the unfinished Ollantaytambo site.

GREAT THREAD! When I arrived in . Cuzco I started heaving when I got off the plane. They took my blood pressure, which was OK for once, and told me not to drink cocoa tea because it had caffeine but to drink alcohol (beer), which Idid. At that altitude the sight of beer made me drunk. I had trout for dinner , which I liked , but I got sick. I was miserable tat night , and some crazy evangelist was conducted a healing mission next to my hotel on the Plaza de Armas. He kept screaming in English "Are you healed?" And I was suffering in . bed murmuring , "Hell No!" But it was nevertheless a marvelous trip. Nothing beats Machu Picchu.

Everybody, women AND men, weave in Huilloc and favor traditional red clothing. This is where I saw and shopped for some of the finest handwoven goods in the country.

By any DL standard, in my late 60's I'd be considered beyond eldergay. Yet, despite my primary care physician's disapproval, I went anyway, though I traveled with a group and my hiking was limited to Machu Picchu itself,. The strange thing about altitude sickness is that in our group it seemed to strike at random, with no regard for age, degree of physical fitness. or gender. I drank the cocoa tea available at all out hotels and brought with me a supply of Diamox, which is used to prevent and reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness. I was fine.

Definitely carve out some time to wander around Cusco, a very cool city. You'll see rainbow flags everywhere and marvel at how gay friendly the place seems to be. If investigate, you'll find that this is the Cusco city flag and it's slightly different from the gay one. Also, sample some cuy (guinea pig). Tastes like chicken, really. So important to the Peruvian people that there's a version of the Last Supper with guinea pig as the main course.

The cuy version of the Last Supper is in the Cathedral in Cuzco. There's also a very cool museum in Cuzco.

Is Cusco close enough to the Amazon to consider a trip there?

A search engine is a program that searches for and identifies items in a database that correspond to keywords or characters specified by the user. I used a search engine called Google and used the words Cusco to Amazon. Many links appeared almost instantly. You should try it.

R118, absolutely doable. The first time I went, we flew into Lima, spent a day there, then flew to Cusco for a week. We then flew back to Lima and took a separate flight to Iquitos and spent a week on a riverboat. Absolutely worth it. Be aware that flight into and out of Cuzco can be delayed by weather rather often, so schedule enough layover to make sure you make your connections.

Planes can't land in Cuzco after 10:00 AM.

R118, the jungle is definitely within reach. You could do as R120 says and take a flight out to Iquitos, or alternatively there are tons of tour outfitters in Cuzco who can book you trips (of varying prices and qualities) to nearby Amazon lodges. Below I link to one such random tour operator.

The Amazon is a once in a lifetime place, but the jungle is rough! I was there for two weeks, and after one week, was worn down from the heat, humidity, mosquitoes and unknown critters. I'm more partial to the cloud forest. You get all of the wet, lush greenery and foliage of the jungle without the heat.

The earliest mummies of Peru predate Egyptian mummies by 2,000 years.

Flying over the Nazca lines is amazing.

Lima airport is where I was stranded for 24 hours when our flight crew went illegal and the airline (I've repressed which one) left us stranded at the gate overnight. There was no food, no blankets even for families with kids, and worse, no communication from anyone. As the sun rose we were bussed to a nice hotel and allowed to nap, shower and eat within a six hour window before being shuttled back to the airport so we could spend three hours getting through security and on to our flight. Peru was wonderful, but the air travel sucked.

R125, I wonder if that was LatAm?

One thing about Lima that I found surprising was how much the Miraflores district reminded me of LA. The coast looks and feels just like PCH, with the seaside bluffs, along Santa Monica going up to Malibu.

Whatever you do in Peru -- DO NOT -- drink an Inca Kola.

You will rue the day if you do.

No one warned me and I shudder just thinking about it.

What's wrong with Inca Kola, r127? I think it tastes like cotton candy.

Bubblegum flavor on steroids! Cloying to the point of nausea.

R127, I have to agree with you. Not a fan of bubblegum flavored soda, and it is omnipresent all over Peru.

Read this: "an acquired taste."

You guys would hate ginger beer. Now that's cloying!

Gimme a Pisco Sour over Inka Kola any day.

Truly a delicious cocktail, and so cheap, like $3, all over Peru.

We’re going to spend this Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Peru. Psyched.

R134, Cuzco?

A taste for the wild and wonderful world of the Cuzco School of religious art (basically a subspecies of Baroque) is recommended. This is the style with the blunderbuss-wielding archangels, fashioned after both Christian archangels and local deities. Everything in the art is syncretistic that way. It's somehow simultaneously campy, humane, and ravishingly beautiful.

In Cuzco there are lots of examples in various collections but I'd especially recommend Qorikancha (for other reasons, too), the Museo del Arte Religioso, the Museo Del Monastério De Santa Catalina De Siena, and the Casa Garcilaso. In Lima go to the Pedro de Osma museum in Barranco.

Fuck that religious shit, instead go to The Gold Museum in Lima.

Christmas and New Year's in Cuzco sounds amazing.

Inca Kola looks like bottled llama piss.

Rainbow mountain in the sacred valley was pretty awesome.

They taste about the same R139.

Agree that the Inca Kola is horrible. Liquid bubblegum. But still worth trying out just for the experience. Pisco sours are really good.

I drank about one-fourth of a bottle of Inca Kola 23 years and I have never forgotten the horror. The rest I left on the bar. Ugh!

Never again!

One quarter of a bottle seems about right.

I like chicha morada - the purple corn drink prepared with fruits and spices, served cold. Very refreshing!

I had to search awhile to find Pisco in the States after coming back from Peru. As indicated, sours made with it are really very good. The same thing happened with Caipirinas after my first trip to Brazil; I was instantly addicted to them. Be aware that a few Pisco Sours will have you under the table at altitude.

Pisco sours are delicious and actually rather easy to make on your own. Although like R146 says, it can be difficult to find Pisco in the US.

Do you need to know Spanish to get around?

Spanish helps. When you get towards MP, there are many Indians who don't speak Spanish either.

R148, you can get around speaking English in pretty much all of the tourist-oriented sites of Cuzco and Lima. Outside of that, some Spanish helps, especially in the more off the beaten track destinations.

Like R149 said, in the high Andes communities, it's not unusual to find locals, usually older people, who speak very little Spanish and communicate mostly in Quechua or, further south, in Aymara.

I did fine without Spanish R148, but I went on mostly tours of Cusco and the sacred valley.

For those contemplating a trip to Lake Titicaca, here's a tip: don't spend any significant amount of time in Puno (the largest city on the Peruvian side of the lake) if you can help it. It's a gritty and not particularly attractive city, with little of interest to tourists. Use it as a base to explore the other islands. Stay on Taquile island. It's far more beautiful and authentic. Alternatively, Copacabana on the Bolivia side of the lake is also much nicer.

It's impossible to find a bar that serves pisco sours in my city, and when I finally did, it was $15 for one, R133!

Bevmo supposedly stocks pisco for those searching for it and finding it difficult to locate.

My elderly neighbors just made the trip so it must not be too strenuous.

Rare aerial footage of MP and other Sacred Valley and amazonian sites in Peru.

National Geographic footage of what the Salkantay Trek to MP is like.

Unrelated to the Inca, this 1,600 year old mummy of the Moche culture was the only female leader of Peru and was only recently discovered in 2005.

I haven't found pisco hard to come by in the US, but maybe I just have good liquor stores near me. Making the pisco sour isn't hard. You put 2 ounces of pisco and one ounce of fresh lime juice in a shaker, add the white of one egg and ice. Shake shake shake. Pour it out into a highball glass and when the foam settles on top shake a few drops of bitters on it. Meal in itself.

OK, last video to satisfy my nostalgia for Peru. Video about the relatively unknown and un-visited Kuelap fortress of Peru's north. The remains of more than 400 round stone dwellings remain from the Chachapoyas culture, which precedes the Inca. These ruins receive only about 40,000 tourists per year, so they're still rather under the radar.

A simple how-to for preparing a Pisco Sour.

The Marriott Cusco looks swank.

Nazca mummy remains in the open desert.

The salt mines near Cuzco are a fascinating sight.

The last handwoven Inca grass bridge. Reconstructed every year in the same spot for centuries.

Colca Canyon near Arequipa is the best place to witness the rather amazing Andean condor in flight.

[quote] The people are super, super nice;

Very friendly, laidback people. The only people that some of them don't like is Spaniards, for many reasons, and especially Chileans for whatever reason.

Peru and Chile fought wars over border territory in the 19th century. Chile won.

From what I gather, Chile is not too popular with any of her neighbors (Argentina, Bolivia, Peru). I know that Bolivia blames Chile for blocking access to the ocean and keeping them landlocked when Chile has endless miles of coastline. That said, the Chileans I've met have all been very friendly, and the men are handsome and good in bed.

I would agree with your friend, R95. Machu Pichu was one of the places that exceeded my expectations.

Peruvians resent Chile for trying to pass off pisco and ceviche as their own, when they are both Peruvian inventions, r167.

The world's 5th highest waterfall (Yumbilla Falls) is in Peru and the hike there is beautiful.

A gay guide to Cuzco.

R41 here, booked my July 4th trip, $400 non-refundable deposit sent and I chose the trek option. I've got my 7 months to get my ass in gear and learn some basic Spanish. Excited and nervous. If worst comes to worst and I can't handle the altitude when I get to Cusco, I pay a fee to switch to the train option.

Part of the nerves is dealing with my manager. I have 2-3 family trips I want/need to take in 2019 so I'm pretty sure he's not going to be happy about another trip on top of the pile. With the family trips, I usually bring my laptop and work most/nearly of the days anyway. For this one, I'm definitely going to be offline and that's probably going to be the sticking point.

I will never go to Peru but I want my kid to go.

r175, Did you mistake this thread for the I Want To Be Underwhelmed thread?

R174, awesome! You'll have a great time on the Salkantay trail. Everyone who goes to the Sacred Valley loves it.

R175, you should consider going if it's possible.

R177, I'm booked for the classic Inca Trail. I've read the Salkantay is even harder than the IT.

R178, I'm jealous! I've been to Peru twice and have not yet done the Inca trail. The first time in 2004, I was a broke college student, and the second time in 2017, timing and scheduling was just off. I did do a lot of hiking at altitude in Peru though - if you have nearby hills or mountain peaks in your area, it wouldn't hurt to do some uphill practice hikes.

In a completely unrelated part of Peru, there is a small town called Leymebamba that has amazing hikes to unexcavated ruins and has a wonderful museum that houses over 200 mummies which were only discovered in 1997.

I loved Cusco.

Abandoned Inca site of Huchuy Qosqo.

I'm a big fan of the Chachapoyas area of northern Peru, which has ruins which have not yet even been scientifically studied by archaeologists. The ruins are covered in years of cloud forest brush. It's as close as you can get to feeling like you're on an Indiana Jones expedition.

is peru the best country to visit ruins?

R184, in the Americas, it arguably is, though Mexico and Guatemala are amazing, too. Guatemala has amazing, intact Mayan Ruins. Mexico also has Mayan ruins, in addition to Aztec, Toltec, and Olmec ruins, among others.

Peru is amazing because it has so many pre-Columbian civilizations, of which the Inca are only the most recent and well-known.

The Chauchilla Cemetery of the Nazca culture.

This naked chef is from Peru.

Impressive short video about Peru's sights from National Geographic.

Ha, I took almost exactly the same photo as that video still image in R188.

Agree with everyone above that MP lives up to its hype, even with all the tourists overwhelming it. Also highly recommend spending several days in Cusco, a charming and very friendly city. Lots of great restaurants there too. We hiked the Inca Trail, which was about 75 percent relaxing and 25 percent strenuous. The views and ruins along the trail were almost as good as MP itself.

And I got up close to several llamas and alpacas, and not a single one of them spit at me!

Peru looks like quite an adventure.

South America is amazing in its entirety.

Thanks to all the posters who have been there. My partner and I are thinking of doing a Machu Picchu trip. Is Peru very gay friendly? We'd prefer to book rooms with one double bed or bigger rather than pose as single men. How was it for couples?

I am reading this book right now -- it is on my list of places I want to see.

Stinka Kola

No homophobic attitudes at all at any of the places we stayed in Cusco, Lima or Aguas Calientes (the base town for traveling to MP).

Unless you are staying at some place adjoining a church, you will be fine , R192.

The number of archaeological sites in Peru is incredible.

I wonder why all of the great Pre Columbian sites seem clustered in two main areas of the entire Americas? Peru being one of them.

Because the Pre-Columbians only had a couple of Starbucks at that time and had no cars so they had to live nearby.

Could a vegetarian survive there? Considering this trip for next year.

R200, actually yes. In Lima and Cuzco, there is no shortage of vegetarian/health cafes and restaurants around. Outside of the bigger cities, it might be a bit more difficult but you can get plenty of soups and dishes centered around potatoes and corn. Hope you like potatoes!

The US dollar is widely used as currency. They like small undamaged bills

R202 is right about small, undamaged bills. When using the 100 Nuevo Sol dollar bill (their most common large bill), cashiers will often double check that it's legit. They've had some problems with counterfeits there. I never had any issues though.

Peruvians are some of the quietest people I have ever met in my life. They make the Japanese seem rowdy.

Maybe that's why Peru has a large Japanese population, R204 and even a former Japanese president.

Maybe that's why Peru has a large Japanese population, R204 and even a former Japanese president.

Whoops, weird double post.

R200, you will likely frequently find giant Peruvian corn (choclo) in a lot of dishes. It's like American corn but way bigger and pale in color.

One thing to avoid is booking a tour that promises to take you to 4, 5 different sites in one day. You will likely spend the majority of your time traveling to each site. Better to thoroughly enjoy one or two sites at most per day, arranging private guide or traveling on your own (this can be done).

One Peruvian dish that I think most Americans would like is lomo saltado. Basically, french fries mixed in a beef and vegetable stew, sometimes served with rice.

And what does DL know about Peruvian cock? Is it delicious too?

R210, I had lots of fun in Cuzco with the random, hot hotel-guy who checked me in last year. 😆 It was very convenient for fun times. Also had another random hookup in Ollantaytambo with a local. Inca cock was nice.

Lima is your best shot at all things gay-related. Cuzco doesn't have a full-time gay bar, but Grindr is off the charts there.

They always seem to be discovering freaky things in Peru. Like this three fingered mummy. Sounds like something from the Weekly World News.

R204, Peruvians in the high Andes tend to be quite shy and stoic, but once they get to know you, are very open and friendly. Bolivians tend to be more quiet.

R212, the alien mummies appear to have had looted body parts. Peru tombs and archaeology sites have had some problems with grave robbers over the years.

R211, I also had some fun with my hotel attendant in Cuzco. Cute, dark haired, eager to please.

LOL R214, maybe it was the same one. 😀

You’re all whores

I liked that Peru was set up well for tourists and tourism. Trains and buses were comfortable and on time. Guides spoke English well. Restaurants and bathrooms were plentiful and clean

Cusco and Macchu Picchu are high altitude. Get some diamox pills from your doctor to ward off altitude sickness

R216, LOL. Traveling does tend to bring out my whoreish side, Peru, no exception.

Here are some suggestions for those who might only be seeing Cuzco:

Best cafe: Qura for coffee, desserts, fresh juices and healthy breakfasts.

Favorite restaurant: Pachapapa. I tried cuy (guinea pig) there, which I know sounds weird to Americans, but it tasted just like chicken! 😂 (Peruvians have been eating guinea pigs for thousands of years, before they became popular pets in the US and abroad, so to them, it's not unusual.)

Best photo op: Any of the number of corners where indigenous ladies stand holding a baby llama or alpaca. You can take a photo with them for a small tip, even hold the baby llama. Agree on the price of the tip beforehand. Don't photograph without tipping (that's rude).

Best museum in town: Qorikancha. These are Inca remains whereupon the Spaniards built a monastery on top of it, so it's a fusion of both. The remaining Inca stonework is amongst their finest, having withstood earthquakes and the test of time. Stunning murals of the Inca cosmology. A bit spooky.

Fun if you're into astronomy: The Planetarium. Family-run, they teach you a bit about Incas and the importance of astronomy. They have telescopes set up outside. I went on a clear night and saw Jupiter and Saturn's rings.

Best restaurant owned by a hot guy: The Churro Bar. The churros are excellent. Checking out the Brazilian guy who owns and runs the place is even better.😀

Would have loved to see the original Inca temple there, R219. And yes, their stonework is incredible. Completely uniform. You can't fit a piece of paper into the gaps between the stones. And not just there, but on so many of the streets of the old city.

R220, the Inca walls of Cuzco are a marvel. Carved stones of different shapes.. I don't get how they put them together so seamlessly.

The Inca fortress above the city is called by its Quechua name, Sacsaywaman, which the guides disingenuously pronounce "saxay woman." "You have been inside Sacsaywaman?" they'll innocently inquire. It's quite impressive and worth going inside.

Since this thread is about all of Peru, and MP gets 95% of Peru's tourism attention, I'll suggest one last site as somewhere different to check out if you have time: the Chiclayo area on the north coast.

The city of Chiclayo itself is forgettable, but it's surrounded by the Lambayeque valley which has huge pyramid cities (250 pyramids in total) and has some of the country's best museums.

Túcume is a site that has 26 pyramids, built over 1,000 years ago.

The 1,900 year old tomb of the Lord of Sipan was found near Chiclayo (in Lambayeque) only in 1987 and is sort of considered the Americas' version of King Tut. There's an entire museum dedicated to just this one discovery and it's one of my favorite museums I've ever been to. The Lord of Sipan's skeletal remains (not pictured here) are on display at the museum.

I like Peruvian french fries R209. Somehow they're better than everywhere else.

Also I concur with the opinion that Peruvians are the quietest people of South America who I have encountered. Perhaps Bolivia too but I have never been.

All these posts later, and nobody's mentioned that Peru is the birthplace of quinoa. Hipsters bow down...

The native Peruvian hairless dogs are regal and a bit freaky.

One of the most ancient dog breeds in the world.

Don't miss the circular Inca terraces of Moray near Cuzco.

The Chinchero ruins in the Sacred Valley are worth checking out.

Every Sunday is the Chinchero market where you can buy artesanal goods and anything else you could possibly want (fruit, live poultry, witchcraft supplies).

I am from the darkest Peru!!!

Speaking of witchcraft, in Chiclayo you can visit the Mercado de Brujos for all of your various witchcraft needs.

I always thought the ancients were kinda retarded with their interlocking stone walls of various shapes.

R229, the Peruvian Ministry of Tourism provides one of those hairless dogs at each major archaeological site of northern and coastal Peru. The groundsmen and employees care for them, and they're allowed to roam the ruin. They're pretty cool and certainly add to the ambience.

Likewise, I like that llamas and alpacas are allowed to freely graze at the Machu Picchu and other sites.

Alpacas taking a breather at MP.

Peru is Beautiful. You need to factor in time (days) to acclimatize. The way you handle altitude sickness is you have to sleep lower than the highest spot you were at. You have to be aware of all the symtoms and take them very seriously.

Cusco is higher than Lima, so you might get your ass kicked with Altitude sickness. Though, Aqua Calientes, where Machu Pichu is, is lower than Cusco. You will still feel the altitude sickness and not be able to do anything, but you will not die.

If you go higher than Cusco, you need more time.

For those into trekking, the Huaraz Andes area of Peru has this type of scenery. Glaciers, alpine lakes, and tall, snowy peaks for ice climbing.

R226, after traveling long distances through other countries in South America, you can come to appreciate Peru's level of quiet, especially on transportation. The other countries are great too, but Peruvians' lack of chattiness makes for nice, introverted time.

Miss Coco Peru is from there so it must be an OK place.

R241, Lima, Peru could use her. They need some better drag queens.

Inka Cola tastes like shit!

I recommend going to the Museo de Sitio Manuel Chávez Ballón the day before going into Machu Picchu, especially for those who are entering MP without a guide. It fills in a lot of the history about MP, so you get a sense of how and why the site was built. Really great displays on the actual construction of the site and the day to day life of the Incas.

Like many places in Peru though, it has an unfortunate and forgettable name ... they should just rename it the Machu Picchu Museum.

If you're in Cuzco, check out the Inca site of Tipon. Gives you a good idea of the Inca's agricultural terracing and water management.

Seeing the oxygen tanks in the Cusco hotel room was reassuring but also a little freaky.

These guys do gay tours of Peru, including the Inca and Salktantay trails. Have never used them, but sounds interesting.

If you travel into small, rural towns in the Andean highlands, don't be surprised if there are pockets of Peruvians who don't speak Spanish, let alone any English. 84% of the country speaks Spanish, meaning around 15% either doesn't, or at least not very well. Quechua is the second language of Peru, existing before Spaniards and the Inca.

The Aymara language is common closer to Lake Titicaca, and is widely spoken in Bolivia.

3 days are recommended in Cuzco for acclimating to the altitude, especially for those planning hikes and trips.

Also, if you're doing a multi-day trek, feel free to tip your porters.. they have a rough job, and they greatly appreciate it.

BTW, an Irishman made a documentary just last year about the Inca Trail porters. I haven't even heard of it until today, but will check out.

Why fly all the way to South America when you can just go to Peru, Illinois?

Those dogs look similar to the Egyptian Sphynx cats, R228. Come to think of it, Peru and Egyptian civilizations seem to share a lot of similarities.

R241, this is the backstory to how Miss Coco Peru got her name.

[quote] I once met @misscocoperu , over ten years ago when I still lived in NYC, and asked her about her name. She said her first boyfriend was from Peru.

So there you have it!

The Xoloitzcuintle: The Mexican hairless dog. Same species as the Incan?

R255, they look nearly identical. Only difference I can see is the Peruvian dogs have a blond-fur mohawk going on. Otherwise, look quite alike.

R253, both civilizations built pyramids, practiced mummification, had advanced astronomy and agricultural systems, and erected temples of worship for the sun and the moon.

The Mayan empire also had similarities.

If you're in Cuzco long enough and get a hankering for Italian food, the restaurant Cicciolina has legit Italian food and probably the best in the entire Andes region.

Sounds like Peru has come a long way from the Shining Path days. Good for them. I remember when it was considered dangerous to visit the country because of insurgent activities.

Here is some cool footage of MP from the 1960s. Nothing has changed!

I was looking for present day drone footage of the site, but couldn't find any that didn't include annoying Youtube personalities and distracting music.

R259, Lima has an excellent museum dedicated entirely to the victims of the political unrest of the 80s and 90s. It's called "Lugar de Memoria."

When I first visited Peru in 2004, it was still advisable to avoid the Ayacucho area of the highland Andes. These days, most Peruvian kids and young adults have no personal recollection of that era.

An even earlier video clip of MP from 1960.

Looks like the site saw fewer tourists back then!

R262, that's still how it looks after hours (which you get to see if you stay at the on site hotel).

R263, lucky!

More about the Ancash/Huaraz area of Peru - it's called the Switzerland of Peru, and it deserves its title. You can stay at a breathtaking chalet or mountain lodge for a fraction of what it costs in the Alps.

One of the guides who accompanied Hiram Bingham to MP.

That pic reminds me, for all their mastery of stone craft, the Inca's never discovered the arch or the capstone. All their windows, alcoves and doors are those odd trapezoid shape.

And don't rent houses for terrorist.

Wow, R249. I had no idea that many Peruvians didn't speak Spanish.

Another interesting fact: There is at least one village in Peru that is almost entirely ethnic Chinese.

What the hell are the actual symptoms of altitude sickness???

You get puke-y? What? The runs?

R268, it does seem very high. Peru is one of only three countries in the Americas where the indigenous population represents the majority of citizens, Bolivia and Guatemala being the other two. The majority of Quechua-only speakers are older, rural farmers who live off in the high, remote, mountainous Andean communities which are difficult to reach, cut off from big cities, and mostly ignored. So the incentive for them to learn Spanish was never quite there.

In general, Peru has a weird dichotomy where the country is very proud of its Inca history, yet at the same time, its living, Inca descendants are marginalized. Things are slowly improving, though...

R270, it may vary for everyone but for me, it's headaches, nausea and diarrhea. I walked up Mt. Fuji and I had to use the squat toilets at every station. IIRC, it was less than an hour of walking between the stations so that tells you the frequency. I'm going to ask my GP for a Diamox prescription. I don't want a repeat of that experience in Cusco and Machu Picchu.

[quote]What the hell are the actual symptoms of altitude sickness???

Death is on the list.

Death is a symptom of drinking Inca Cola, R273.

Death is the outcome of life

Is Peru where those Chilean Olympians crashed into the Andes and had to resort to cannibalism?

My bey, (you may know him as Ari Melber) was there just this past week. Had a great time and anxious to visit again.

FYI: I gave him the tongue bath of his life when he got home.

No, that was Chile, R276.

Christ, who knew I had this burning desire to visit Peru, buried out of sight & mind all my life?!! Thanks for this thread, all of you. It's why I can't quit you, DL.

The first time I went to the mountainous region of Peru, I just could not understand what a lot of people were saying. I thought my Spanish comprehension was bad, and then it dawned on me that locals were mixing Quechua sprinkled with Spanish!

Another tip for Cuzco:

- The streets are very narrow, with sidewalks that are even narrower. Unfortunately, cars are allowed to zoom by on the one-way streets, so quite often you'll have to squeeze by other pedestrians on the cramped sidewalks. (The city really should block off a portion of the streets from cars and make it pedestrian-only). Between this factor and the cobblestone, the city might be challenging/near impossible for the handicapped. There might be tour agencies or hotels who can arrange such accommodations beforehand.

The alpaca ladies of Cuzco. You'll see these ladies (from the rural farm communities) holding an alpaca in the alleys of Cuzco. You can take a picture with them. Just agree on the price of tip [italic] beforehand.[/italic]

R270 I just had a growing headache that knocked me on my back for the rest of the day after I arrived. Slept badly. The next morning I had a couple of tylenol with breakfast and the headache went away, but I basically stayed lying down all day (reading DL on my iPad among other things) because I was so tired—when I moved from bed to desk or bathroom and back it felt better to walk in a semi-crouch. The next day I was okay and could start making the rounds in Cusco, but I was still wobbly and knew better than to try to walk fast.

That's too bad, R283. Did you try some of the coca tea in the hotel? Remember, as you get accosted by people wanting you to eat in their restaurant, if you want them to leave you alone, just say, "Sorry, I already ate." and they leave you alone right away.

What Quechua sounds like (there are regional variants).

You will also be offered massages by eager ladies every ten feet or so as you walk in central Cusco.

LOL. What R286 said. As a solo, gringo male tourist, I was a frequent target of massage offers.

Cuzco in 1950. Quite different!

Gay, erotic pre-Inca ceramics at the Larco Museum.

My favorite ruins in Peru outside of the sacred valley:

Huantar de Chavin. If you're in the Huaraz area, it's a must. 3,000 years old and you get to explore the labyrinth of tunnels - pretty cool stuff.

If you have time in Lima, check out the underground catacombs of the San Francisco monastery. Morbidly fascinating.

Lima also has ruins worth checking out. Huaca Pucllana, pre-Inca.

Most tourists don't spend much time in Lima, using it mostly for international flights and spending a day or two at most before proceeding onward to Cuzco. The Miraflores and Barranco districts are the nicest, scenic parts of the city. The rest of Lima is a rather gritty, chaotic, sprawling, and isn't always so pretty. That said, Lima has amazing, world-class restaurants worth checking out.

The Andes mountains scare the crap outta me ever since watching Alive. They're dark and foreboding.

One note about Peru:

When asking a local for directions, everything in Peru is 20 minutes away. Usually what that really means, is that it will take at least twice that long to reach your destination. If they say 30 minutes away, then you're really screwed or far! 😂

[quote]The Andes mountains scare the crap outta me ever since watching Alive.

I thought about that a lot flying in and out of Cuzco, particularly since it was an older plane.

R293, I get your fear. The Andes are higher and longer than our Rockies, which themselves can be harrowing to fly over in a small plane. Makes it all the more impressive that people still live and farm there.

Peru makes the best damn french fries, like R225 says. Guess because they have the best potatoes.

General Peru tip: when shaking hands (with Peruvian men), give a light handshake, not the sturdy American deathgrip.

I’m in Ollantaytambo right now. Tomorrow we’re headed to MP. Been completely magical. Loved Cusco. May come back to stay for a couple weeks.

R299, I am jealous! Ollantaytambo is one of my favorite places in all Peru. Check out the Pumamarca ruins if you get a chance. Chuncho is my favorite restaurant there, with good coffee and a nice balcony overlook.

Go see the salt levees in Maras, R299! You won't regret it.

A former employee did his Mormon missionary work in Peru and Ecuador, I was dismayed to learn.

R302, unfortunately your former employee probably did a good job proselytizing. I noticed more Evangelical/Mormon churches in 2017 vs. 2004. That's a trade-down from Catholicism, which IMO, is bad enough.

R284, I stayed with a family, and the lady of the house left me with a huge thing of hot water and coca tea bags, which I drank all night. I'll never know if did any good for my soroche, because I still had soroche. Apparently the more effective way is to chew on coca leaves (which I did) along with some sort of reagent that releases the coca power (which I didn't do). The most effective way is to take a pill, which I'll get if I go back to Cuzco or the vicinity.

R299, hope you enjoyed Ollantaytambo!

Conde Nast agrees with DL that Peru is an amazing place to go!

R306, that's a very good list.

For most beautiful though, I would remove any mention of Lima (the historical center looks like every other historical center in a large Latin American city) and the beach town of Huanchaco (it's just OK). Replace them with the towns of La Jalca Grande, Cocachimba, Colcamar, Levanto, the Yumbilla waterfall, and now you're set.

La Jalca Grande was my favorite small town in all of Peru. It's cold though.

Stay in the town of Cuispes for easy access to the Yumbilla and Chinata waterfalls. Five amazing hikes in the area. I did this waterfall rappelling. It was a bit scary but fun.

If you're going to visit the Gocta waterfall, don't stay in Chachapoyas (it's a bigger city and not so pretty). Stay in Cocachimba at the Gocta Andes Lodge. You get good food, coffee, a pool, and this view.

Uros Island on Lake Titicaca is very touristy. An overnight homestay with a family in Taquile Island is better.

Laguna Paron was my favorite lake. You can kayak on it. Just don't fall in.

OK, my last suggestion for now. If you were to have 4 weeks to visit Peru, and you wanted to get a good scope of the best of the country, I would break it down like this:

2 weeks: MP/Sacred Valley/Cuzco with a 3 day diversion to Titicaca

1 week in the Chachapoyas region to see the Kuelap ruins, Ollape, waterfalls, etc.

1 week in the Huascaran National Park area for mountain trekking and Alps-level scenery. Don't stay in Huaraz - it's an ugly, hectic city. There are cuter, smaller towns to use as a base.

Alternatively, you could also stay multiple weeks in any of the above areas and still not finish seeing everything there is to see.

Excited! I'm going to Peru in March!

Remember that movie "The Last Movie" Dennis Hopper shot in Peru? Syl Miles doesn't share your praise of the country.

R315, I haven't seen that film, but sounds like a trip. I imagine Peru in 1971 was much more rustic and difficult to get around.

Now I want to go too!

I would add Lima to any Peru trip. The upscale oceanside area (drawing a blank on its name—forgive me) is lovely. Great restaurants there too.

Just came to me: Miraflores.

R318, Lima is world-class for restaurants, I agree. Great museums and the best nightlife in the country. Personally, I just wouldn't consider it one of the most beautiful places in Peru like the list at R306 does.

R313, you'll have to tack on another week for the riverboat trip on the Amazon. Did that, it's amazing.

R321, you're right! I realized I left out the jungle. The Amazon is not to be missed. Which makes Peru all the more amazing.. how many countries can you experience Alps-like scenery and the Amazon rainforest all in one?

I like the Inca vs. Spaniard chess sets.

The new mayor of Lima is a former footballer who is not bad looking. 😂

Oops, he's the mayor of one of the rougher districts of Lima, La Victoria.^

I'm listening to and enjoying "Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time" by Mark Turner. For a Peru novice, I'm picking up on a lot of basic history and social insights. I'm going to read up on Inca history.

Lots of bi/married tops in the capitals and large cities of Peru and Ecuador. Lima and Guayaquil especially. Had plenty of dick while I was there. I was pleasantly shocked and very sore by the end. All kinds: mestizo, European, smooth, hairy, etc. Pale white American ass is too much for them to resist, seriously.

R326, it's fascinating stuff. I was just reading today about the success rate of Inca brain surgery.

R327, I had quite a bit of fun in Lima too. 😇

Random Peru fact: The Paramount Pictures logo is of a mountain in Peru. Mt. Artesaraju.

The actual mountain.

Peru is apparently a fashion destination for designers and insiders due to alpaca fur.

If you go to the Moray ruins (near Cuzco), you can arrange to eat at Mil Centro restaurant run by chef Virgilio Martinez. Probably considered the best chef in Peru, he was featured on Netflix's Chef's Table last season. The meal might cost a pretty penny though.

His restaurant is right next to the ruins, with a view out to them.^ Personally, I'd rather try Chef Martinez instead of his food. 😂

Make sure you are shown the unique measuring and communication system the Incas worked out using strings with knots tied along the length.

It’s fascinating.

Any other visitors to Peru shown this artifact?

R335, yes! I couldn't really wrap my head around it, but it was extremely complex and interesting.

Here, read this:

R337, thanks. Here is another Inca calculating instrument, the yupana. Used as a sort of abacus.

A good time to visit Cuzco might be around June 24, when the city holds the Inti Raymi Festival (Inca Festival of the Sun). They do a very real theatrical recreation of what such a festival was like centuries ago.

This article, at least, recommend Cuzco as a possible retiree destination.

Just completed my first preparation hike for July. Ten and half miles, moderate terrain, 4 hours. Unfortunately, my area doesn't have much for mountain peaks. So no high altitude training unless I fly somewhere.

R341, congrats! 10 miles in 4 hours is impressive! Sounds like you should be fine for the Inca Trail.

That trail is littered with dead hikers.

R343, I have never heard that? Seems thousands do it every year without incident.

The snowy Ancash Cordillera Blanca area, however, is more dangerous, with all of the dangers of ice trekking, avalanches, and getting lost in the high, snowy Andes. Proceed only with the most well-regarded, experienced guides and all of the right training.

Since I like to promote other, lesser-known parts of Peru that deserve tourist attention, another one of my favorite small Peru towns: Tupe. 4 to 5 hours from Lima. Villagers speak Jaqara, a language of the Wari civilization which proceeds the Inca. There are only around 500 people left who speak the language.

PREcedes*^

R342, I was shocked that I was able to complete it in that time frame. To be honest, if I had it my way, I'd have taken my sweet time. But the hiking group I was with seems to race through hikes. Which I find a bit wasteful. What's the point if you're not going to take the time to stop and look around? In short, I was dead last finishing the hike and everyone else finished the hike around 3-3 1/2 hours. My saving grace is that I completed the 10 miles while a handful of people stopped at 7.5 miles.

Huancaya, Peru is lovely, with a set of gently cascading pools. Nearby town of Vitis is also idyllic and peaceful.

R347, I like to take my meandering time on hikes too. I did a few hikes with a gay hiking group whose main objective (besides hooking up) seemed to be competing for who can dash to the peak the quickest. I prefer slow and steady.

The slow, pretty town of Vitis. Lots of small, Andean villages in Peru look like this. I love the Peruvians' use of adobe, mud-bricks in constructing their homes and other structures. Life seems unchanged from a century ago.

I had no idea that restaurant was so close to Moray, R334. We had a personal tour of Moray and were the only people there and I didn't really notice anything around it. It was still definitely worth visiting.

R351, glad you enjoyed Moray. It's quite the site.

Chef Martinez has two restaurants, as far as I know. One in Lima and another next to Moray. If I ever go back, I'm eating there.

Important, new info regarding MP:

[quote] In 2017, the UNESCO World Heritage site introduced time entry to tackle the amount of people visiting each day, but now they have made entry even stricter with hour-specific time slots.

[quote] This means you will need to book a slot between 6am and 3pm and you must arrive within an hour of your entry time or you won’t be allowed to visit. This means if you book the 11am slot, you must arrive before 12pm to be let in. Once in, the four-hour visitation limit still applies, and visitors need to be out by 5:30pm each day.

In other news, Peru is making it easier to reach the Choquequirao site, which is only 40 miles away from MP. As it currently stands, accessing these Inca ruins was only possible via a strenuous, 5-day hiking trek. Now they are putting in a new road and a cable car.

I love photographer Mario Testino's work on indigenous Peruvian fashion. (He took the last photographs of Princess Di before she passed).

He calls the series Alta Moda (High Fashion), also a reference to the fashion of the High Andes.

Last one.

Thanks so much R355. I've been wondering how I can repurpose my old TV trays.

R358, lol!

OK, a few more, why not.

I like the hat.

Testino had a few exhibits based on Peruvian fashion. As did John Galliano.

There's a wild Andean Mountain Cat native to Peru and parts of Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. Nearly impossible to spot, however!

That cat is adorable, R363.

R364, here is the Andean Cat in motion if you want to see how it moves.

For those looking for a less popular, more challenging trek to MP, there is the Ausangate trek. I think you would have to be very acclimated to the altitude for this haul, though.

I've been to Nice, and the isle of Greece.

Is that helpful?

For those wanting to do the Ausangate trek, there is a 5 to 7 day lodge-to-lodge trek, where instead of roughing it in a tent, you end up spending each night at a different lodge. Strenuous hike, but you end up spending each night in luxury with hot showers and such.

I'm going to Peru in March, bitches!!

R369, lucky! If you're spending any significant amount of time in Lima, try to nab a reservation at Central restaurant. It's ranked one of the top 10 in the world.

Other good Lima restaurants:

Pan de Chola (for baked good and sandwiches), Maido, Anticuchos Grimanesa.

ValeTodo is fun for a gay romp.

Lima is your one chance in Peru to have good international food of all stripes.

There is a famous Peruvian buffet (I know, buffets are usually awful) in Miraflores. Get a reservation and go. It’s amazing. You get one free Pisco Sour. Best buffet ever. I can’t remember the name of the place, but you should be able to find it online.

This thread has me seriously considering Peru for my next trip. I still have questions though... -Is Airbnb recommended here? -What would be the ideal length of the trip? -How is the flight down there? I’ve heard flying in South America can be very turbulent. I fly a lot, but lose my shit with intense turbulence.

R373, AirBnB works just as well in Peru as anywhere else. I used it in Cuzco once to stay with friends and we ended up getting a better deal than staying in hotel. We had a whole apartment to ourselves with kitchen, views of the city. Had a great time.

Ideally, for a Peru trip, at least 2 weeks would be nice. It also depends on how much of the country you aim to see. If Cuzco, MP and the Sacred Valley are the only objective, two weeks is good - and I say that realizing that that is about the maximum amount of time that most Americans can swing. If you're retired or can stay longer, then oh my God, four weeks is great. I strongly recommend seeing the Ancash region and the Chachapoyas region — these regions see so few tourists in comparison to Cuzco and they have a lot to offer.

I like to travel at a slower pace and really take a region in. But with 2 weeks, you could do a Nazca-Arequipa-Cuzco trip, or Cuzco-Amazon, Cuzco-Titicaca. Lots of possibilities!

R373, I forgot to address the last part of your question regarding flights in Peru. I've flown probably a dozen or so times over the Andes in South America, and it's always been smooth sailing. It's a rather amazing sight when you're coasting above the snowy peaks. Millions make the flight to Cuzco every year without issue, so you should be fine.

Speaking of Cuzco, Robert De Niro was just traveling there, and he was awarded the keys to the city.

He also dined at Central Restaurant. Maybe he was reading this thread! (j/k)

One more thing that you might want to do in Cuzco is visit the Traditional Textiles Center. They have a nice little museum, shop, and the space is even set up so that you can observe traditional weavers working on their craft.

If you want to try your hand at weaving, there are lots of workshops in the Cuzco area where they'll teach you some of the fundamentals. You probably won't emerge as an expert, but it will make you appreciate all of the work that goes into it!

I signed up for a workshop in Chinchero where they demonstrated how they still use natural dyes to achieve the different colors of their garments. To achieve the red color below, the ladies use ground-up cochineal insects found on cactus plants.

Peru should just make Cusco the capital. It's where everyone wants to go anyway.

R379, about 9 million Limeños might have some issue with that. It would make a much prettier and more iconic capital though.

Here is the video of De Niro in Cuzco. Seems like he had himself a nice time.

Of possible interest, one can find witch markets in Lima, Cuzco, and other large cities. Quail eggs, love potions, snake skulls, voodoo dolls. Peru might be one of the 'witchiest' and most superstitious places I've ever been. Interesting to see, but I wouldn't mess around with it...

Ooops, the link to where you can find the markets for your spells..

As I wrote up thread, I visited Peru in 1995.

All people visiting that country since that time are just copying me and, at bottom, want to be me.

R384, lucky. I would like to have seen MP in 1995. Fewer tourists, I'm sure.

Here's MP in 1972. I love these old videos of the site.

I haven't been to Cusco, but I've been to Costco. Same thing, right?

Hah copycat R384, my first visit was in 1985.

Random Peru fact: Tupac [Amaru] Shakur was named after Tupac Amaru II, an Inca leader who led an uprising against the Spaniard conquistadors of the time.

Another view of the Kuelap fortress in Peru's north. Their civilization lived in round, stone structures, and it is definitely worth visiting this vast and less-visited site.

is there a Starbucks at any of these sights?

R390, no, Dee, but in Mexico, Wal-Mart somehow managed to get permission to build a store within 1 mile of the Teotihuacan ruins!😲

Is that where the traditional women wrestle?

R392, that's Bolivia. It's called cholita wrestling and it's wild!

If there isn't a Starbucks with internet I am not going.

Cusco is beautiful, and very much worth visiting,. Lima is a hideous and huge dump, but you can eat incredibly well there. (Peruvian food is the best.)

R394, Cuzco does have a Starbucks, in the historical plaza of all places, believe it or not. At least the city forced them to be discreet and blend in with the surrounding architecture.

Thank God those heathens gave us a Starbucks.

[quote] Lima is a hideous and huge dump,

Outside of Miraflores and Barranco, I unfortunately tend to agree with this. Lima has great food and museums, but the rest of the city is not aesthetically pleasing. In a lot of ways, it reminds me in many eerie ways about my own city (LA) -- a sprawling, coastal, dusty, concrete beast ruled by cars and traffic. The best of Peru is certainly outside of Lima.

I've seen videos of those gals, R393. They look tough as nails!

R399, in general, rural, Andean women are on a different plane of toughness -- tilling their farms with a baby wrapped on their back, or any other number of tasks. It's a common sight all over.

Our shuttle van from the Lima airport to our hotel downtown was mobbed at a couple of intersections with people sticking their hands in the windows begging for handouts. Not a great intro to the city. The Miraflores area was much nicer.

Interesting fact: it is estimated that Peru has 15 uncontacted tribes in the Amazon region.

Sounds great R402. I should go introduce them to the Word of God!

and which word and god would that be?

R403, these tribes are deep in the Amazon rainforest. Good luck finding a way there -- even getting to Iquitos is an ordeal. And the jungle kicks your ass, or at least it kicked mine.

Interesting fact: Peru's Amazon is home to a boiling river which kills anything that enters it. Cooks you to the bone.

Peru is considered one of the six cradles of civilization.

Good news for those who are wheelchair-bound. Access to MP is now wheelchair-accessible through a travel company.

Ugh. If you've seen the pics you've basically been there.

R409, silliness! So much to appreciate about the site besides that one iconic photo which everyone takes.

Wrong, R409. Having been there, I promise it isn't the same.

wheelchair-accessible in Peru means some poor incas get paid to carry you around.

R409, I've been lucky enough to go to MP twice, and I would still like to visit a third time in my lifetime.

In both trips, I've spent around 3 months total in Peru, and there is still so much stuff which I haven't yet seen. I would travel there again in a heartbeat.

The Cordillera Huayhuash is a part of the country that has some of the most spectacular scenery.

Peru has plenty of these phallic statues to help you with all of your fertility needs.

I don't usually like too many Youtube videos, but I enjoyed this video (it's in Spanish though). He visits Huilloc, one of my fave Peru small towns. Also, he's easy on the eyes. I believe they're gay. Or maybe they're just Spaniards. It's hard to tell with them. 😆

Well, I tried Inca Kola yesterday and it was as shitty as everyone says it was.

I had the soda once. It wasn't that bad.

I'm surprised at the strong aversion to Inca Kola. Yes, it is cloyingly sweet, but no worse than many a children's drink like Hawaiian Punch or what have you.

Inca Kola is not so terrible. (The worst soda I've ever tasted is Moxie from Maine). Inca Kola tastes like bubblegum-flavored soda.. some people like that flavor, I guess.

Richard Gere at MP.

Interesting fact: shrunken heads were only ever documented amongst a few Amazonian tribes of Peru and Ecuador.

Hide the guinea pigs R421.

R423, lol!

Here is Zac Efron at MP.

Other Peruvian archaeological sites of interest: El Gran Pajaten, south of Leimebamba.

The cliffside sarcophagi of Carajia.

The tombs of Revash.

How did they end up with such a strange border anyway?

R428, I'm not sure, but this is the historic (1711) map of Peru. Border disputes with Chile and Ecuador probably helped alter it.

Seeing the Inca quarry site above Ollantaytambo was one of the cooler things to see. You can see giant, carved out stones and a sun-dial which were meant to be transported before the Spanish disruption. At this site, there is even a cave with mummified remains still in there.

These are the mummified remains at the Quarry site. Somebody left coca leaves there as an offering.

Went there once in 1997. Loved it!

I went there with my husband and we loved it. We flew directly into Cusco and stayed there for several weeks. The first couple of nights I felt awful though. Breathless, awful headache, was sick etc. Fortunately, the hotel we stayed at had oxygen which provided some temporary relief. OTOH, my husband was fine. We thought it would be the other way around, that he would get sick, and I'd be fine. Definitely rest up and let yourself acclimatize to the height.

One of the cutest animals in Peru. The vicuña.

It's a nice country. but I feel that it is stuck in the 80s compared to its neighboring countries.

R435, Peru is definitely a country best visited for its past. Some of the smaller, rural towns feel more like the 1880s!

In some places, maybe closer to the 1580s.

That animal looks related to an ostrich R434.

R438, they're a little funny looking, but their wool is considered finer than that of the alpaca, and it's worth it's weight in gold. It's substantially finer than cashmere.

Damn. I wanna go.

IF you'd like a vicuña coat, this one can be had for $14,000.🤣

R440, you should go. Peru has a treasure trove of sites, and it really should be high up there as one of the world's most visited countries. Unfortunately, Peru's Ministry of Tourism is understaffed and just not very competent. 95% of their tourism efforts and attention is focused on Machu Picchu ⸺ to the exclusion of other sites. Every non-MP site I went to, the locals complained about this. Other countries with their archaeology sites would be promoting the heck out of them.

I still laugh when I hear the word Titicaca.

Yeah I think of Saffy's friend.

Be prepared to eat lots of potatoes.

R445, yes, I was potato'd out for awhile after my time there. Peru certainly contributed the potatoes part to "meat and potatoes." I did like their dish, "papa a la huancaina" -- potatoes swimming in a sorta spicy cheese sauce.

The pyramid city of Caral, about 3 hours north of Lima, is worth a visit. It's the most ancient city of the Americas, dating back to around 2600 BC. You can visit the remnants of their pyramids, still in good condition despite suffering the effects of wind erosion and exposure to El Niño conditions.

I like that coat, R441. Too bad about the price.

Corn is originally from meso America and there are many strange varieties grown in the Andes.

Some of the kernals are huge and colorful and some are infected with a smut which makes them a delicacy.

Be prepared for street vendors selling little bags smutty corn and flavored big-ass corn.

R419 -- IN NO WAY can Inca Kola be compared to Hawaiian Punch. Hawaiian Punch is sublime.

Inca Kola is ridiculously sweet and over-flavored with a myriad of flavors, but with bubblegum being the chief identifiable flavor.

Definitely an acquired taste, if you can ever develop a like for it. To each his own, I guess.

Glad I tried one once and glad to be able to tell people how utterly awful it was 30 odd years later.

R448, for the price of their wool, I realize that clearly I'm in the wrong profession and what I need to do is buy some vast grasslands somewhere in Montana and raise myself some vicuñas on a farm.🤣

In all seriousness, vicuñas can only be sheared once every three years and when you do, you only get about 150 grams of wool. And they don't do captivity well. Male vicuñas will fight each other and can't be kept in close proximity to each other. Hence the reason their fleece is so rare and expensive.

Play this song on your car radio when you move, r451

^^ The song.

[quote] Can anyone explain why someone named Alberto Fujimori, who went to college in Wisconsin, was the President of Peru for 10 years?

Peru is the only country in Latin America where people correctly guessed that my boyfriend I was traveling with was Japanese. Everywhere else, the default assumption was Chinese. I wonder how much having had Fujimori as a president had to do with that.

R449, the corn of Peru is massive and pale. I do sorta prefer the smaller, sweeter, yellow-kerneled corn of US/Mexico.

R453, lol.

Connie Francis and Belinda Carlisle. Oh. Wait. Sorry I thought you said has beens in Peru.

Openly homosexual former Tory MP Matthew Parris traveled around Peru back when it was wild and woolly to do so, and wrote a fairly well known book about it. I read the book after I got back from Peru, and actually didn't like it much; there was a kind of obliviousness, and it wasn't quite as well written as I expect from a Cambridge man.

R457, some of Mario Vargas Llosa's novels are the best about Peru.

Interesting fact: Peru was one of the places that James Michener regretted never visiting and writing a book about.

Paracas, 3 hours south of Lima, is worth a diversion. You can visit the Islas Ballestas (called the Poor Man's Galapagos) and see tons of species of birds and marine life. On that same boat tour, you can see the candelabra geoglyphs along the red sand coastline.

In Paracas, you can also visit the Paracas History Museum, where you can view the elongated skulls ⸺artificial cranial deformation ⸺ which were favored by the nobility of the Paracas culture.

That hair on the skull freaks me out, R460.

R461, yeah, the level of preservation on some of Peru's mummies, especially the Nazca ones, is such that they still have hair and soft tissue after more than 1,000 years.

^Is that Ms Coco Peru?

[quote]I wonder how much having had Fujimori as a president had to do with that.

According to Wiki, R454, Japanese Peruvians make up 5-7% of the population and they've been there since 1899, so they're very familiar with Nipponese.

Wow, this thread just keeps going and going, who woulda thunk?

R464, that is true. Lima has a Museum of Japanese immigration which, unfortunately, I never had a chance to visit.

Fujimori, himself, remains a polarizing figure in the country. Peru is divided about equally half and half (does that sound familiar?) between those who still support him and those who don't. The rural Peruvians I met seemed to love him for using an iron fist to eliminate Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) ⸺ the armed, Maoist, insurgency group who terrorized the central Andes for two decades. Others have other opinions. It's still a touchy, contentious subject which rarely gets brought up in mixed company.

In case anybody is wondering how/why Japanese immigrants ended up in Peru:

[quote] At the end of the nineteenth century in Japan, the rumor spread that a country called Peru somewhere on the opposite side of the earth was "full of gold". This country, moreover, was a paradise with a mild climate, rich soil for farming, familiar dietary customs, and no epidemics, according to advertisements of Japanese emigration companies.[citation needed] 790 Japanese, all men between the ages of 20 and 45, left Japan in 1898 to work on Peru's coastal plantations as contract laborers. Their purpose was simple: to earn and save money for the return home upon termination of their four-year contracts. The 25 yen monthly salary on Peru's plantations was more than double the average salary in rural Japan (Suzuki, 1992)

Below is an image of Fujimori dressed in traditional clothes, visiting tiny, rural communities who had never had a president visit them before ⸺ part of what helped his appeal in the area.

R465, Peru is worthy of such a thread. I've been fortunate enough to have visited 27 countries, and if I had to rank them, Peru would be in the 1 or 2 spot.

Apparently, streaking at Machu Picchu was a thing for awhile about 5 years back. 😲 Seems that Peruvian authorities have clamped down since then....

Wow, I kinda wanna try this Inca kola just to see how bad it is.

You'll only need to try once, R470!

R470, Inca Kola is omnipresent in Peru. You can get it anywhere and will be offered it everywhere. Peruvians are very proud of their national soda, and it's more popular than Coca Cola.

Try it once, like R471, and have a pisco sour instead. Or a maracuya sour ⸺ a passionfruit pisco sour.

Now, pisco sours on the other hand are fantastic! And I'm not a drinker.

That looks like a UFO skull, R460.

R474, artificial cranial deformation was performed by a few civilizations. It involved deforming the normal growth of an infant's skull via headbinding ⸺ the process took about six months. It was meant to denote a higher social status, but yeah, to our modern eyes, it has a rather freaky looking effect.

I guess it was more noticeable than driving a Lexus or wearing big diamonds.

R476, lol! The royalty favored being buried with their favorite jewelry and gems ⸺ headdresses, earrings, and ornaments made of gold, silver, copper, and precious stones.

So Peru or Egypt for a trip? My partner and I have always wanted to see the pyramids but Peru is a lot closer.

I really, really want to go to Egypt but am not sure it's necessarily safe still. I believe most tours have armed guards. At least you'll be safe in Peru (I've been there and it was great).

R478, I would choose Peru. Not to discount Egypt, but there's just more scenic diversity (jungle, coast, mountains) and a larger cluster of different civilizations ⸺ the Inca, Nazca, Chachapoyas, Chavin, Moche, Chimu, Wari ⸺ with different styles of ruins. Peru is also safer, as R479 mentioned, and not gay-hostile.

Egypt has the sphinx though.

So does Peru!

R482, Peru also has a mountainous ruins of Marcahuasi --- stone formations thought to be 10,000 years old, some of which resemble human, animal, and religious figures. One of them resembles the sphinx.

Even in Lima, you can see ruins. The Huaca Pucllana is surrounded on all sides by the modern low rise apartments and restaurants of Miraflores.

Peru over Egypt just for the ceviche alone R478

R485, Peruvian ceviche is much better than poke... more acidic and flavorful. If it ever caught on, it would be just as big as the millions of poke bowl places which have sprouted up in the last 5 years or so.

I went to Macchu Picchu in 1989 and it did not disappoint. I would go again for sure.

A 1,000 year old, curled-up mummy was unearthed just within the last year, corresponding to the Pachacamac culture ⸺ a 50-year-old woman sitting in a fetal position.

Over 100 dog mummies have been found in Peru, nestled near human remains ⸺ likely their owners who requested that their pets be buried with them for the afterlife.

Dog looks taxidermied.

If you spend time in Cuzco, it's possible you'll be given coca leaves to chew or to brew in tea. Just remember, do [italic] not [/italic] bring any coca leaves back with you to the US, as it's considered illegal.

After unpacking clothes from his trip to Peru, a friend found out afterwards that he accidentally brought back a small handful in a shirt pocket ⸺ oops!

But do enjoy the coca tea while you're there. It's very soothing and helps with the altitude.

I want to go but the altitude sickness thing scares me.

Start at sea level aka Lima, then work your way up the elevation

Don't let the altitude stop you, R493. We went with friends are were all fine and didn't encounter any other tourists complaining about it.

R494, what R495 said. You just need to set aside a few days to acclimate. Afterwards, you'll be fine.

Someone on another thread said it has amazing witch markets.

R497, that was probably me, and yes, it does! Located in the larger markets in cities like Chiclayo, Lima, and Cuzco, it's an experience browsing through it ⸺ elixirs, strange brews, animal paws, herbs, sword staffs, voodoo dolls, anaconda 'oil, dried snake, love potions. You name, it's there.

R498 What stores in the U.S would you recommend?

R499, sorry, can't help you there. I only visited the witch market as a sort of novelty -- not a practitioner of it (or any religion). It was interesting to observe though!

I've been to Peru, but I've never been to me.

I do like the view of the narrow, cobblestone Cuzco streets at night, dimly lit up.

The narrow, Inca-walled alleys of Ollantaytambo.

Isn't Benjamin Bratt Peruvian?

He is half Peruvian on his mother's side, R504.

Idahoans and Ireland would love it. So. Many. Potatoes.

The Inca military outpost of Puca Pucara are near Cuzco and worth checking out.

The site of Tambomachay was a sort of spa resort for the Inca elite. You can get there from Cuzco via taxi, bus, or hiking.

I wanna ride a llama.

Sorry Fester,riding a llama would be akin to riding a goat—not really possible.

R509, not unless you're a very tiny human or child, and even then, extremely doubtful. Llamas are pack animals that only carry up to a certain amount of weight on their back ⸺ a tour guide gave us an exact weight in kilos, but I forget. Any more than that limit and they sit down and refuse to budge.

Forbes correctly lists Peru as one of the best places to visit on a budget.

(And it's even better on a 'splurge,' because you can get 5 star treatment for just-above normal prices)!

It's also one of the best places to go on a tour of coffee and chocolate (cacao) farms/processing plants.

As long as the lady is paying, why not take the vicuna, R441?

A mass sacrifice site was just unearthed in Peru this past month, pertaining to the Chimu culture (not Inca) in the 15th century -- of humans and llamas; perhaps in an attempt to stem the rains, flooding, and mudflows of El Niño.

Them llamas good eatin’?

R516, llama tastes good. Pretty inoffensive, like a gamier beef (think venison).

The Huaca Huallamarca pyramid, with a view of modern, urban Lima sprawl in the background.

KFC is inexplicably popular down there amongst the middle and upper classes.

R519, yes! KFC is the definitely the only real popular American fast food chain. It's a whole dine-in experience, with families sitting at tables, restaurant style. They even have a KFC on Cuzco's main plaza, but at least it's somewhat tastefully blended in.

A room full of eerie, masked idols found in the Chan Chan citadel this past year.

Parque Rio Abiseo is a gorgeous and little-traveled part of Peru. Access is a little tricky, as you need special permission, but it's worth it to explore some of the country's most pristine nature.

If you do the Inca trail, Sayacmarca is one of the ruins only you'll get to see. Beware the steep stairs.

I plan on going to Machu Picchu in the summer and I hope it's not too crowded.

R524, there will be people there, and there's no getting around it. But this year, they are implementing a new system to stagger tourists into different time blocks -- that way, not all tourists are swarming the site at once. I think it'll work better in the long run.

Who do I have to sleep with to get a tour of Machu Pichu before or afterhours?

R526, with MP, impossible I would think. Unless you personally know someone very high up -- like the head of the Ministry of Tourism. Even high-profile celebrities are photographed sharing the ruins with the masses.

In other sites, it's possible. I visited Pisac and Ollantaytambo afterhours because I became friends with someone who knew someone -- a lot of Peru is like that.

Is the film Apocalypto based off of the inca?

R528, no. Apocalypto was sort of a weird, not-so-accurate mishmash of both the Aztec and Mayan civilizations, incorporating elements of both cultures. It was probably supposed to be set in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, though I believe it was filmed in Veracruz. It was sort of entertaining if you could get past who the director was.

I am surprised nobody has made an epic Inca movie yet though. They should.

R526, as I have mentioned several times, stay at the hotel on-site and you can have access before and after the crowds of day-tourists.

Don't pass up the magic mushrooms on sale in town! A friend took them at MP and said lying on the mountain tripping was, literally, a peak life experience.

R530, sorry, I forgot. What an amazing experience it must be to be at the site without crowds.

R531, that reminds me of another popular reason tourists visit Peru: to try ayahuasca and hallucinogenic San Pedro cactus (both legal in the country). Met a lot of people who've tried both and sounds like they trip balls. Ayahuasca sounds scary to me; the whole experience -- has to be administered by a shaman, and when you drink the vile tea, you vomit. Yikes, no for me. There are some scary, cautionary stories out there. I would not recommend.

ayahuasca sounds dope

R533, I know of more than just a few, scary ayahuasca stories. Keep away, kids, is all I have to say about that...

Just returned from a vacation to South America, including 10 days in Peru. I was advised to take altitude sickness medication (Acetazolamide) 1-2 days BEFORE I left Lima to go up into the Andes, but I did not follow the advice, since I've been to places like Denver, Mexico City, and Haleakala without a problem. Bad mistake.

I flew from Lima to Puno and knew 30 seconds after getting off the plane that I would have problems. Moderate to severe altitude sickness was much worse than I ever imagined, and totally immobilized me. It ruined the 10 days I spent in Puno, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, Aguas Calientes, and Machu Picchu. It took 2 days after I returned to sea level to get back to normal.

Since there's no correlation between getting altitude sickness and your age and/or health, my recommendation is be be safe and take your medication as suggested. Peru was a beautiful country. Don't ruin your trip like I did.

R535, yikes! Sorry to hear that. Altitude sickness is definitely no fun.

If you want a (relatively) inexpensive planned trip to Peru from the US, I highly recommend Kaypi Peru Tours. We did their 10-day Cultural Immersion Trip and it was fantastic. Guides/drivers were great, hotels were well-located, clean, and safe, and every transfer happened on time, as advertised. And plenty of time to explore on our own. This was our itinerary:

Day 1: Fly to Lima, Peru (plane fare included)

Day 2: Tour the city of Lima.

Day 3: Fly from Lima to Juliaca. Travel to Puno.

Day 4: Take a boat trip to the Islas Uros floating islands and Amantani Island (staying with a local family).

Day 5: Travel by boat to Taquile Island, then return to Puno.

Day 6: Ride a tour bus to Cusco.

Day 7: Spend the day at leisure in Cusco.

Day 8: Take the train to Machu Picchu.

Day 9: Tour Machu Picchu, then return to Cusco.

Day 10: Fly from Cusco to Lima then home to the United States.

Did I mention that I found this trip on Groupon Getaways? I was very careful at first, but the price was terrific and there were 300+ five star reviews on TripAdvisor, so we went for it. So glad I did. Worth waiting to see if it comes up again on Groupon, as we saved 50%.

R537, nice suggestions. That's a good itinerary for people who have limited number of days in the country.

The unsung heroes of the Inca trail: the porters. Please tip well if you go on a trek that employs their labor.

Did you have an Inca Kola, r537?

R540, why yes, I did! This was not my first trip to Peru, but it was for my husband. He agreed with me that it tastes a lot like Bazooka Bubble Gum (remember that?).

Wow. Great thread!

The Guardian recommends an alternative to the Inca Trail, the Incas' Royal Road to the Chavin de Huantar site.

This is not good news. An airport possibly being built in the Sacred Valley. Hope it can be stopped.

In better news, archaeologists have discovered that the ancient Wari in Peru were Big beer brewers, Major party animals.

I like the sweet purple corn drink they serve to you in Peruvian restaurants

Purple (Inka) Drank !?

R546, that's chicha morada. It's very delicious. Almost every little market in Peru sells the purple corn that they boil down to achieve the deep purple color.

My Inca Trail trek starts in 5 weeks and I haven't booked my flights.

Is Avianca a reliable airline?

R549, I've had nothing but pleasant experiences with Avianca. On time, good prices, friendly flight attendants, smooth flight, decent entertainment.

Good luck on your trek! I'm sure you'll love it.

My first flight with them from Lima to Cusco back in the early 90s was 3rd World all the way. No assigned seating (so there are a pressing rush at the gate and people carrying on chickens..

I believe I flew an airline called Fawcett when I was there.

Are there any nice beaches there?

R553, the beaches are not the most scenic in terms of a quintessential tropical beach with clear water and white sand. Those would be located further up in Colombia. Mancora, up north, is probably the nicest beach with warm-ish water. The southern beaches are cold and tend to be overcast -- excellent seafood though.

Ah, fuck...flight prices have gone up to over 1,200 for a decent flight. A couple of months ago, they were 800. Why, oh, why do I keep putting things off!

R555, sorry to hear. Flight prices will definitely be the most expensive thing in Peru! Everything else is such a bargain.

If you're lucky, you might get to see this red river flowing near Cuzco.

OP, if by Peru you mean me, then yes.

Some pretty Andean scenery.

Those two nice gay boys. They weren't there very long.

And another.

What the coastal scenery looks like along the Paracas reserve.

R555, did you go on your trip to Peru yet?

R563, no, in 3 weeks.

R249 I'm surprised such a large number don't speak Spanish.

R565, yep. A good chunk of people in the high, rural Andes predominantly speak Quechua. The tourist areas will have mostly all Spanish speakers, and the very popular areas will have younger English speakers and guides.

Countdown to Cusco in 3 days...

R567, wow! Have a great trip!

R567, how was your Inca trail trek?

Trek was great and hard. I know it's not exactly climbing Mt. Everest but just because every tom, dick and harry has hiked the Inca Trail doesn't mean you should just show up with a ciggie in hand and no training at all. The trekking companies want business so though they do implore people to train for the hike they also don't want to exclude people. They want as many people to sign up as possible. It's a delicate balance.

I'm back at work so I can't go into every detail but my advice for those interested--get in shape. It's true being in shape doesn't mitigate high altitude sickness but it's a lot shittier if you are affected by the high altitude AND you're not fit to hike. The guides will turn back people they think aren't going to make it to the end. The first day of the classic trail hike is pretty easy-going and even then some people can't handle it. Probably due to adjusting to the high altitude. There are are some 2-10 minute stretches where you go up and you puff a bit but overall the first day is a bit of a stroll. The 2nd day to Dead Woman's Pass is all killer, no filler. The altitude really wrecked me but I inched my way to the top and even though going down on all those steps was jarring, just going down a few hundred meters helped with my overall wellbeing.

Overall, happy to finally have done it but once is enough. I also learned I'm too old for that camping shit. I'm no diva but hot showers and flushing toilets are now my bare minimums for any future travel.

R570 is R567...sorry

R570, glad to hear you made it! Thanks for the report back.

You're right -- hiking in the Andes is no joke. The hardest hike I ever did was part of the Inca Quarry trail and it kicked my ass. And I consider myself a pretty good mountain hiker back home here.

Yeah, I heard from others who did the Quarry Trail--it's shorter than the Inca Trail but on day 2, they climbed two passes up to 4400 meters. Oh lord, no thanks. I'll take long distance any day over going up uphill.

R573, it was the first time in my life I had to stop hiking and take a 15 minute break because I felt breathless. At the quarry, I got to see a genuine Inca stone sundial and mummified remains in an open tomb, so it was worth it.

Here's a 7-night tour to Peru (including airfare from the US) for $999. I know nothing about this company and saw the deal originally on Travelzoo.

No posts on here for quite a while. Surely someone went to Peru within the last month. It's the best time to go.