Peru’s got personality. There is no denying it.

Here are just a few things that made Peru so different.

– Getting receipts for everything, no matter how small the purchase. And when you didn’t seem interested in the receipt, they looked horrified. Really, I don’t need a receipt for the 20 cent bathroom usage.

– Popcorn: everywhere, cheap, and delicious.

– Dogs that love to bark and chase moving cars. Every car, every time.

– People honking their car horns just to make sure they work every 5 seconds.  At one point, Joe said we would take the next cab that honked less than 5 times to get our attention.  It took awhile to find that cab.

– Nice busses, some even with full 180 degree lay down seats. The lack of central bus terminals was a bit annoying.

– Tours. They come crazy cheap, but lack in outstanding quality.

– Insane traffic and traffic directors. We’re looking at you, Lima. Be careful when the traffic directors are not following the lights- it makes crossing the street very interesting. We consider it a major victory that neither of us got hit by a car while in Peru.

-Friendly people. Not quite as “tell me your life story” like in Colombia, but very helpful, smiley, and nice.

– There seems to be somewhat of a trash issue in this country. Some towns were pretty dirty (side eye to Huaraz).

– Bus Strike

– Best food tasted so far; the seafood alone made this whole trip worthwhile.

Traveled for: 37 days

Cost per day of travel:

$32.00 per person, per day, but this does not include the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu hike, which added a fair amount to the budget.

Places Visited:

Chachapoyas, Huanchaco, Huaraz, Ayacucho, Huancayco, Lima, Huacachina, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Arequipa/Colca Canyon 

Favorite Stop:


Machu Picchu and the Inca trail were the major highlights of the country.

New Phrase Learned:

Bathrooms here are called “Servicios Higienicos.”

Moments We Remember:

– The moment when clouds lifted from Machu Picchu and we got our first glimpse of the site

– Watching Kristen “almost” wipe out in the fountain in Lima; she still got soaked

– Traveling with Teresa (Kristen’s sister)

–Ice climbing on Kristen’s 30th birthday

Quote:

“This is kind of like extortion.” -Kristen.

Biggest Surprise:


-Lima’s amazing food and great atmosphere.  Kristen and Joe have decided that they would like to return to Lima some day to try more of the amazing seafood and take in more of the culture.

-Lucking out and catching the train from Huancayco to Lima which runs only a few time a month.

–Getting stuck on a bus.

Item We Packed That We Couldn’t Have Lived Without:

– Turns out our warm clothes finally paid off.  In Peru, we were always either at sea level or above 10,000 feet, high on some cold mountainside.

Total Time Spent Apart From Spouse:


Two(ish) hours. Again, we took turns suffering from “food issues,” and the other would do the Sprite and crackers run.

Would We Do Anything Differently:


– We would plan out Huaraz better (day trips weren’t as easy to do as we assumed).

– Taken the 6 am bus from Lima to avoid the strike.

Would We Return:


-Once again, the question is not would we return, but when.