Peru
Area: 1,285,216 km2 (12.87 % the size of Canada, 3.6x Germany, 497x Luxembourg)
Population: 29,496,000 (85% of Canada, 36% Germany, 57x Luxembourg)
Capital: Lima
Currency: Peruvian Soles (PEN)
Time traveled: 26 days
Distance travelled: 4,749 km (overland by bus)
Highlights in chronological order:
- Moche City (Huaca de la Luna)
- Chan Chan city near Trujillo
- Senor de Sipan near Chiclayo
- Views of snow-capped mountains around Huaraz
- Meet with Nicolas and his girlfriend Ana in Lima
- German win over Portugal at EURO 2012
- Parque de la Reserva – Circuito Magico del Agua
- Swimming with sea lions at Isla Palomino
- German win over the Netherlands at EURO 2012
- Sandbuggy and Sandboarding tour in Huacachina
- German win over Denmark at EURO 2012
- Chauchilla Cemetery near Nazca
- Seeing the condors in the Colca Canyon
- Plaza de Armas in Arequipa and Cuzco
- Eating ceviche, alpaca steak and rocoto relleno
- Inti Raymi festivities in Cusco
- German win over Greece at EURO 2012
- Visiting Machu Picchu
- Inca village of Ollantaytambo
- Colourful costumes of indigenous people
We spent almost a month in Peru and have experienced a lot. The rich history, the mountains, the desert and the culture were interesting to discover, not to mention Machu Picchu.
People: We were happy to be able to communicate with the people in Spanish, but sometimes we found they were not the friendliest (especially in the South). We got the feeling they only want money from tourists, which reminded us of Vietnam. Maybe the more tourists visit a country, the unfriendlier the people get (except Thailand). To avoid this, we think doing Vietnam and Peru on an organized tour is better because one can actually enjoy them best.
Culture: Peru is very rich in cultures and fascinating to discover. Although the Incas are the most famous, there were many interesting ones before that. From North to South, we finished with the Inca, which are famous because it’s the one culture that was at its peak when the Spanish arrived. The Peruvians are still proud of the Inca culture and in a way still practise many rituals with Inti Raymi being the most important. They are Catholic, but actually mix their indigenous beliefs with the Catholic ones.
Food: Peru has over 4,000 kinds of potatoes and 35 kinds of corn (more than any other country in the world), a number we cannot even imagine. The food was more varied and better than Ecuador. We often had set lunch menus for 7 soles ($2.5), but for dinner it was usually more expensive as no “menu del dia” exists. Then you pay $15-20, but also get “rocoto relleno” (filled peppers), llama and alpaca steaks, which are very good. Ceviche and Pisco Sour were also some highlights.
Landscape & Climate: The coast is very dry caused by the Humboldt current. Because of the cold ocean current, the water doesn’t evaporate and therefore it doesn’t rain on the coast. The Andes, running from North to South are very high and beautiful, especially around Huaraz and Machu Picchu. The weather was hot during the day, but as soon as the sun set, it got chilly (still ok with a sweater).
Economy: Along with mining, manufacturing and agriculture, tourism seems to be a big industry in Peru. They are very focused on it and try to exploit it to the maximum. There are high entrance fees for all attractions and foreigners have to pay significantly more than locals.
Transportation: Peru is a pretty big country so distances between cities are important. Luckily they have a good network of private bus companies to cover these long distances. Travel is comfortable and many routes are done during the night, so you are not “wasting time” in transit. We found “Cruz del Sur” to be pretty good, but there are many similar bus companies. This is how we covered 4,700km in 26 days. What is a bit weird and unpractical is that instead of having one bus terminal, each company has its own little bus terminal. This is not useful when you are connecting and have to switch bus companies. Unfortunately the train is prohibitively expensive and plane tickets are also a lot more expensive for non-Peruvian residents.
