The forum is a well traveled group and I wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions or favorite places to make sure I fit in.

Hoping to go this late this year or early next but work makes planning the trip months out pretty much impossible but if we hit a slow spot for a few weeks I can leave. Knowing it will be on short notice I'm putting together a itinerary that can work for any time. Museums and Archeological sites are obviously abundant and fit in with my interest.



edit to add what I have worked out right now:
Right now I'm looking at starting in Cusco and visiting Machu Picchu along with quite a few other Archeological sites that you can visit from there (there are around 12 I think) and hopefully fit in a 4 day hike to Choquequirao.

After that maybe down to Lake Titicaca then to Arequipa and come up the coast to Lima for a day.

We need some details before we can help.

Are you an 18 year old girl?

Who is paying for the trip?




https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...0601935/m/4680079524

Male, 32 and I'm stuck paying for my own. That said I will be traveling alone, staying in cheap hotels maybe a hostel or two and possibly even taking an over night bus.

The comments in that thread did remind me of my dad though who wasn't happy about me traveling to Thailand and Cambodia 4 years ago. Just parents being parents.

Any idea where in Peru you are going to go?

The only place in Peru that I know is Machu Picchu.

Right now I'm looking at starting in Cusco and visiting Machu Picchu along with quite a few other Archeological sites that you can visit from there (there are around 12 I think) and hopefully fit in a 4 day hike to Choquequirao.

After that maybe down to Lake Titicaca then to Arequipa and come up the coast to Lima for a day.

Time will tell what all I can fit in, I don't want to be racing from place to place.

Watch out for bot flies.

I have only been to Lima, Cuzco and Macchu Picchu.

Lima is huge, and I mean huge. I would recommend hitting the main downtown Plaza de Armas where Pizzaro's head is entombed. You can see the Palace and the main Cathedral. We also went into the San Francisco monastery and down into the catacombs. Also downtown is the museum of the Spanish Inquisition. Creepy and fun. Huaca Pucllana is right there in Lima as well and worth seeing. they moved the Lord of Sipan from Lima, but that main archaeological museum is outstanding. You must visit the Mira Flores district, in fact it is a good one to base yourself for exploring Lima.

For Cuzco, it is very touristy and easy to deal with, though like all of Peru there will be lots of beggars. I recommend the tourist train to Macchu Picchu, don't freak when it gets pummeled with rocks on the way back into town.

Take lots of 20s and smaller so you can change with the combanistas as needed. Also, you will get change for US dollars in Soles from Wongs(the big grocery store).

Transportation is kind of a trip down there, anyone who wants to be is a cab. sort of like wild west uber. they just throw piece of paper with Taxi on it on the windshield and boom. You negotiate right there before you accept the ride. There are regular cab companies too.

Speaking Spanish will be a huge plus, I didn't run across many English speaking folks down there at all. It was Spanish and Quechua.

the food is out of this world and people are very friendly. Have fun.

make sure to have some cuy.

Thanks ScorpionBoy, that helps quite a bit and it looks like I should plan on more like 3 days in Lima.

I've started learning Spanish during my daily commute, I don't expect to be fluent but by the time I travel I'll know enough to get by.

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
make sure to have some cuy.

Definitely.

quote:

Originally posted by jehzsa:

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
make sure to have some cuy.

Definitely.

We were eating in a small establishment and the German tourists order cuy. when it was delivered to the table it looked like they had caught a guinea pig mid leap and blasted it with a flamethrower. I can still see the little Xs over its eyes, lol. The Germans busted up laughing and so did we.
We had excellent pizza from a wood-fired oven.

We were warned to take only new bills, and sure enough, the locals would not accept any bills that looked used. Before leaving go to your bank and get crisp new ones.

Take lots of 20s and smaller so you can change with the combanistas as needed. Also, you will get change for US dollars in Soles from Wongs(the big grocery store).

quote:

Originally posted by jehzsa:

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
make sure to have some cuy.

Definitely.

Cuy was great. The alpaca steaks, not so much. 30 minutes after dinner, I started puking my guts up and it didn't stop until shortly before taking the train to Machu Pichu next morning, by which time I had lost the previous weeks' breakfast.

The taxi drivers don't speak Spanish, but Quechua. Good luck!

If your hotel in Cusco has an O2 cylinder behind the front desk (ours did) don't be shy. It's heaven in a bottle.

If your tour to Machu doesn't include the bus ride to the top from the train stop, pay whatever they ask to ride it.

Be sure to ask what the hotel at Machu Pichu charges per night. Your hotel will sure look better after the answer.

quote:

Originally posted by GJG:
We were warned to take only new bills, and sure enough, the locals would not accept any bills that looked used. Before leaving go to your bank and get crisp new ones.

Take lots of 20s and smaller so you can change with the combanistas as needed. Also, you will get change for US dollars in Soles from Wongs(the big grocery store).

good point. and you sort of need to be aware of counterfeit money of all types. they even have counterfeit coins. I brought some of them home as a novelty. My uncle lives in Lima so he knew what to look for, I certainly could not tell.

quote:

it looked like they had caught a guinea pig mid leap and blasted it with a flamethrower

WHAT? Are you saying it wasn't a tender suckling pig?

Got to lay off the Pisco...

Another thought: At 11,000 feet, don't buy bottled water labeled "con gas". Unless you want a bath as well as a drink, get your water "sin gas".


Ask me how I know.