Where we stayed: Peru

Lima: Most visitors to Lima stay in either upmarket Miraflores or slightly bohemian Barranco.  The old town is reportedly not very safe for tourists at night, although there are hostels and hotels there too.

A day trip to Tipón

Waterfalls of Tipón

On our last full day in Cusco, we decided that we needed to see just one last Inca ruin!

Chilling in Cusco!

Plaza de Armas, Cusco

While I fell in love with Arequipa and declared that I could live there, James’ favourite city in Peru was Cusco.

Machu and Wayna Picchu

Wayna Picchu - shrouded in mist!

Machu Picchu is Quechua - the language of the Incas and still spoken in Peru today - for old mountain. It is overlooked by Wayna (sometimes spelt Huayna) Picchu, which is Quechua for young mountain.

When booking the Inca Trail, we were given the option of spending a little bit more to climb Wayna Picchu once we were at Machu Picchu on our last day of the trail and a quick search on the internet suggested it was worth it for getting a different perspective on the site.

No jumping at Machu Picchu and definitely no streaking

Just before going on the Inca Trail, I had read in the Guardian, that an Aussie and a Kiwi tourist had been arrested after streaking through Machu Picchu.

We therefore kept a close eye on the Aussie couple in our group, but while Alex did get his legs out once or twice, that was as far as it went and they successfully managed to stay clothed. 

The authorities at Machu Picchu are taking this incident very seriously though, hence the appearance of the following sign at the front gate.

I'd love to hear that conversation with the embassy!

There are also other rules and regulations to be followed while in Machu Picchu. The ticket explains that there should be no loud shouting or whooping, but we also found that jumping photos are also not allowed. This was the best we could manage (please don't tell anyone), before being told about this rule.

El Camino de Inca

The Team of Champions!

So we made it!

After 3 long days of walking and a very early start on the fourth, the “champions team” - as we were very aptly named by our guide, Valentin from Alpaca Expeditions - were a very close second through the sun gate to arrive at Machu Picchu at around 6 in the morning.

The sight greeting us was as beautiful as I had imagined. There was mist hanging over the mountains below us and it was drizzling, but we could still see the whole site before us. 

And if anything the mist added to the view and made it seem even more surreal that we were finally there!.

Being vegetarian in Peru

Being a vegetarian in Peru was surprisingly easy. 

Peru is getting itself known as being a bit of a foodie destination and as well as the Alpaca steaks that James enjoyed along the way, this also means that there are an increasing number of (varying quality) vegetarian restaurants.

We ate very well in Lima. Following the recommendations of Neverending Voyage and Indefinite Adventure, we made a beeline for Almazen, where we enjoyed sampling a range of different types of potatoes, cooked in multiple ways with delicious sauces, as well as imaginatively stuffed tomatoes and a yummy stuffed pancake.