Peru

[Miles Barnard]

Hi All. I’m going to Peru in January and looking for suggestions on good public gardens or other landscapes to check out. Itinerary is Lima – Cusco – Machu Pichu – Puno – Arequipa – Lima. Thanks in advance

[Miles Barnard]

Brian thanks for the suggestion. Looks really interesting. Where did you stay in Cisco and did you like the place?

[Miles Barnard]

Brian that’s great info again. We have some friends that live in Lima so for the short time we have allocated at the end of the trip we’ll rely on them to take us around. We are planning to hang out in Ollantaytambo (9,200′) before heading to Machu Pichu to acclimate to the altitude. Your experience sounds awful, but makes for some real memories, right? Let me know if you think of anything else. You didn’t go to Colca Canyon outside of Arequipa did you? We’re trying to decide if we should try to squeeze it in.

[Kevin J. Gaughan]

I would suggest visiting Valle Chilina outside of Arequipa. You can catch a cab out there from town, and then just walk around. Nice way to see some old school irrigation techniques in action. Also worth taking a peak at is the promenade in Miraflores in Lima. There is one part that has at beautiful mosaic serpentine seat wall. I hung out there for a while watching the paragliders soar above the ocean. If you had to miss anything in the itinerary, i would make it Puno. Overall I found it to be a pretty ugly city with not that great of access to the Lake. The tour of the Uros Islands (the only reason to go really) was pretty terrible, it felt very disneylandish when the native Uros women started singing “It’s a small world” as we were leaving the island. Kind of a shame, because their history is pretty unbelievable.

I am not sure if you booked your trek already to Machu Picchu, but if not, I would highly suggest Peru Treks. A really good company with great guides, good environmental ethics, and they take care of their porters.

Enjoy the coca leaves!

[Jim Del Carpio]

Miles,

You lucky b#%*rd, I’m envious. I’ve got too much going on right know,otherwise I would go. First off, I’m peruvian. Born and raised till I was 8. What I can tell you is there is so much to see and explore. You’ve really got to narrow down your objectives and goals. Peru is very diverse, coastal, valleys, mountains, desert, the Amazon. You feel me, as my daughter would say. I can direct you to the following ezine. livinginperu.com. You can read all about my beautiful and rich country and find what your after. So, enjoy and may the inca gods be with you.

Jaime

[Jim Del Carpio]

One more thing, here is my suggestion. Look for someplace that you’ve not heard from others. Lot’s of people been there and done that. Not that there is anything wrong with seeing Machu Pichu and Arequipa and the other places mentioned. There is a lot, lot more to Peru than those typical sites. Nazca Valley is one example. So, take it all in. Be happy fellow traveler.

[Miles Barnard]

Kevin thanks for the comments. I have been having the same thoughts about Lake T and Puno just from reading about them. We might tain to Puno from Cusco and then go right to Arequipa and out to Colca Canyon. Anybody been to Colca Canyon. Thanks again Kevin.

[Miles Barnard]

Jim thanks for the thoughtful response. I’m always afreaid of trying to pack in too much and never have time to just sit somewhere and take it all in. Like I mentioned to Kevin, we might bag lake T. and Puno. I’ll do some reading about Nazca Valley and check out the ezine. Thanks!

[Miles Barnard]

Kevin I forgot to ask you about the train from Cusco to Puno. Did you do this train trip? I’ve been told it’s a beautiful ride, but if it’s nothing special I might consider flying from Cusco right to Arequipa.

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