What to Expect….

I would have to say that Peru has been one of my top favorite places I have visited so far. This country is just so beautiful. I’m sure you realized by now, that the main reason we went to Peru was for Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel situated on mountain ridge that is approximately 8,000 ft above sea level. It was voted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World  and an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Of course, getting here was quite a journey. We had to fly into Lima and spent a few hours there touring a around. Then flew to Cusco and took a 2-hour car ride to the train station. Then took another 2-hour ride on the vistadome train to get to Machu Picchu. But it was all worth it. The view was amazing and just breath taking.

Things to Do….

Hike Machu Picchu of course! We didn’t get to do the 3-days/1-week hike up to the top of the mountain. We were only there for 3 days, so each day we just took the 30 minutes bus ride to the top. We got walk around the whole area and hiked to the Sun Gate. The hike was a amazing. It’s about a 2.5 hours hike there and back. It was very rocky and at times the trail was very narrow and you’re at the edge of the mountain. But the view of Machu Picchu from different angles and distance was breath-taking.

Of course, once you’re here, you should relax, catch your breath and take some time to meditate.

There were a lot of alpaca roaming around the area. They’re really cute and friendly. Definitely pet them and take a picture if you can.

Although being on the mountain was a really neat experience, there are lots of cool thing to do in that town. They have a nice market where you can buy neat gifts. If you have time, stop by one of the massage places. The pricing was pretty decent for a deep tissue massage, which you could definitely use that after hiking Machu Picchu.

What to Eat….

The food in Peru was actually amazing. They are best known for their ceviche and Cuy (guinea pig). The ceviche isn’t the prepared the same way as in the states. The fish is sliced up sashimi style, usually serve with corn, sweet potato and onion marinated in this citrus sauce. It’s delicious and definitely worth trying. You can find this at almost any restaurants. This was offered at the hotel we stayed, so we had it every night there for dinner.

Cuy, the guinea pig, definitely does not sound appealing. However, it actually taste really good. I’ll admit I was a little hesitant to try it, but Dan insisted that I should since it was highly recommended to us. After having a bite, I was hooked. It’s seasoned very well with a garlic salt seasoning, then either fried or roasted in a stone oven. The meat was really flavorful and the skin was nice and crispy.

Ceviche

Cuy

Tips….

The weather can vary each day. It can go from being really cool and chilly to really warm or hot. I suggest layering your clothes. Bring a rain jacket, cause it could get a little misty out. Pack good walking/hiking shoes. Bring a hat and lots of sunscreen. A lot of people asked me about the altitude sickness. I was a little worried about this, since I do tend to get a little sick when riding on helicopters or smaller planes. I brought medicine just in case, but never had to use it. Machu Picchu is about 8,000 ft above sea level, so we did run short on breath quite a few times but never got sick.  My recommendation is to take your time when walking and make sure you are taking deep breaths in and out.

If you are planning on staying in Cusco, I do recommend staying in an oxygen-fill hotel.  This city is a little over 11,000 ft above sea level. You probably won’t feel too bad during the day time, when touring around. However, at night time, it does hit you when you are sleeping. Dan and I were pretty good the whole trip up until that point. We weren’t throwing up or anything like that. We just had a really bad headache, felt nauseous and congested, which made it difficult to sleep. However, please don’t let this discourage from staying in Cusco, I would just suggest and oxygen filled room. Cusco is a really nice town to check out. There are plenty of things to do in this town, as far as shopping, eating and site seeing.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”-Helen Keller