Arrived in Lima in the darkness of the early hours and crawled into our hotel bed for a few hours sleep before braving the big city. Lima is huge but the scale of the streets and buildings of Miraflores would not give you that impression. We made our way to Huaca Pucllana, a temple ruin dating from 200-700 AD and rising over 72 feet above its more recent residential neighbors. from there we ventured through lovely parks, busy streets, and spectacular ocean views before finding our way back to the peaceful patio of our hotel. Lovely day, lovely start to our trip.

Grabbed a taxi to downtown Lima with our guide Edgar and we were quickly immersed in the busy market area east of the main part of the city. Everything was being sold here for block after block of crowded, noisy streets. The Central Market included food stalls selling hearty lunches for 12 soles or about $3.30. The city center architecture is heavy with Spanish influence and rich in historic character. In spite of the crowds it is one of the cleaner large cities we’ve seen too.

Into the Amazon! We arrived in Iquitos, the largest city inaccessible by road, and started our 2 1/2 hour trip to the lodge. We headed south by car to nearly the end of the road and boarded a small boat on the Amazon. The river is amazingly wide and apparently over 60 feet deep right now. We moved onto a tributary- the Yanayacu. In places the river was covered in dense floating plants and vines and the boat struggled to get through. The lodge is a collection of traditional buildings - screen walls, thatched roofs, wood porches- linked by raised boardwalks with separate structures for each guest room. The evening came to life all around the room with an array of sounds I’ve never heard before. This is going to be interesting!

Our adventures continue with a trip back to the Amazon River spotting birds and monkeys along the way. Once at the Amazon we caught glimpses of the pink porpoise curling above the water. Giant lily pads were on an amazing pond off the Yanayacu. The waterways seem endless but many disappear in the dry season. A muddy night walk followed by tequila shots with local sliced limes capped the evening. A full day in the jungle.

We awoke to the sound of steady rain but the skies were not dark nor was there gusty winds or lightning. Storms in the rain forest are much different and it quickly passed and the sun emerged. Today was the day for seeing sloths and before lunch we had spotted 6 different sloths in different locations all along the rivers. One was even actively climbing through the trees. By days end we had spotted 10 sloths and saw cayman, water snakes and monkeys galore. Just cruising along these narrow waterways was amazing enough.

The small village of San Juan sits only a short ride away from the Grand Amazon Lodge but its a very different world. Celebrating its 50th year it has seen its population expand to 120 with new, but traditional style homes and even a hostel being constructed. Their only electricity comes from small solar panels and a couple of generators. The jungle is their toilet. We helped our guide deliver school supplies to the 34 students from Pre-K to 6th grade. They gave us gifts in thanks but we were the ones so thankful to have been allowed to participate. Made our (long) way to Iquitos by boat and car, and enjoyed a lovely evening with new friends from the Lodge. Iquitos is a sprawling city of 600,000 and relies heavily on Amazon tourism but is also vital to local trade and education. Interesting place that I wish we had more time to explore.

Back to Lima today. I actually wish we could have spent the day in Iquitos; it’s oddly reminiscent of Hanoi in 2014. Lima though feels relaxed or maybe it’s just me.

Barranco is only a short ride from Miraflores but is has a vibe all its own. The streets abound with murals, street art and graffiti, and artist shops and galleries can be found around every corner. It feels like everyone is either making art or selling it. The Jade Rivera Museum does an outstanding job of explaining his art and showcasing his works including murals that no longer exist. Great lunch at a highly regarded area restaurant rounded our a wonderful day.

Boarded the PeruHop bus early for our trip south. The coastline and countryside is all desert with mostly meager buildings, littered streets, and walls everywhere. There are some planned vacation communities along the coast with walls and gates. Stopped at an old plantation home that is now a posh wedding venue and then made our way into Paracas. It’s a fishing town that has capitalized on its stop-off location for travelers en route to Cusco, but the National Preserve was lovely. The sunset was worth the long hike and bumpy ride.

After a quick visit at the National Reserve we had an outdoor lunch and Pusco tasting. So many varieties! Arrived mid day in Huacachina to the bustle of backpackers and hawkers. The oasis is one of the last (if not the last) natural oasis in South America. Music thumps from the bars while the hearty scale the surrounding dunes to take in a sunset. The less motivated opt for a dune buggy and some ventured to sandboard back down the dunes. Nice evening with a young couple from Luxembourg. Ahh to be young again.

After a morning in Huacachino we boarded the bus for Arequipa. The road started through vast desolate deserts and then wound through huge barren mountains. Stopped at a roadside tower to see some of the hundreds of ancient lines in the desert known as the Nazca lines. These were made for reasons unknown between 600BC and 800AD.

We survived the night on the bus and arrived in the pre-dawn to the white city of Arequipa. Charming place to explore with hidden courtyards all along the way. All the buildings are made of sillar stone- a white stone from volcanic ash. The buildings mostly have arched ceilings of the same stone including even our hotel room.

Beautiful day in Arequipa and we could see the mountains from our hotel. El Misti is still an active volcano and over 19,000 feet high and looms above the city on clear days. Shops abound with alpaca, llama, and vicuña products- beautiful and useful animals. The markets here are also fun to explore with the variety of potatoes being one of the more unusual finds.

Started our day with a trip to the quarries where they get the sillar stone used throughout the city. Huge white cliffs of ancient volcanic ash where stone cutters are cutting and shaping the stones by hand. Surely there is more machinery involved somewhere but here they display only the manner that has been in practice for centuries.

Long day on a bus from Arequipa to Juliaca to Cusco. The mountains are beautiful and we quickly climbed to over 14,000 feet. Llama, alpacas and vicuñas ran about the hillsides. Lakes and streams cut through the valleys where small villages clustered along the roadside. The overcast day would have been a bust if not for the friends we made on the bus. Charles and Lisa from Luxembourg were the best part of the day and Peru Hop.

Pisac is a great place to relax. The 9,700 foot altitude encourages slow movement and regular breaks. Clay brick structures and stone paved streets are the norm. Kids and dogs both wander about the streets carefree. Shops abound with tourist fare, art, crafts and sudo-medicinals. There is a somewhat hippie vibe to the place with inns and shops focused on mindfulness, yoga, and meditation and much of the crowd largely matches the mood.

Amazing day in the Pisac Archeological Park. We started at the northernmost point and highest elevation- accessing by taxi- and worked our way generally down to Pisac. The Incan ruins are little understood but thought to date to the 1400’s. The site was occupied by other Indian cultures for centuries prior to this. There were incredible constructions and beautiful vistas the entire walk. Although hard to calculate the walk was between 4 and 5 miles and covered over 1,600 feet in elevation change.

Ollantaytambo was home to one of the last Incan stands against the Spanish. The ruins of the fortress and terraces did not disappoint. Enormous stones form a temple area near the top causing you to question how it was ever built. The site also includes an elaborate system of channels routing water to fountains. Add to all this a charming town with excellent food- couldn’t ask for more.

Today we hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu from km 104 and through the Sun Gate. This short trail covers around 7 to 8 miles with the first 3 1/2 hours mostly uphill. We traversed over rocky trails through dense tropical forests filled with flowers and fruits. The rain stopped early but the air was still heavy with humidity. The altitude made the walking more difficult but we persisted and were rewarded with spectacular views of Machu Picchu. What a day!

We returned to Machu Picchu to explore the site with a local guide. So much to see and try to understand that even our four hours of exploring was hardly enough. The site covers an area approximately 1,700 feet by 650 feet and includes more than 150 structures and lots of steps. It is truly an amazing place.

We have seen such beautiful wildlife I feel the need to capture more than a day allows.

Drizzly day but off to explore Sacsayhuaman (pronounced sexy woman). The short but steep taxi ride to the entrance still left us 12 minutes of steep, rocky path to the first of the ruins. The ruins cover a large hilltop overlooking Cusco where the Incas held off the Spanish for ten months. \240The large zig-zag walls and foundations of temples and fortifications are all that remain as the Spanish took the smaller stone to build their churches in Cusco once they had defeated the Incas, but it is still quite remarkable to see. The Spanish architecture is quite the contrast but nice in its own way. Last night with our Luxembourg friends. We will miss them.

Last day in Cusco was for wandering, shopping, eating, and just enjoying the city. The streets are made for exploring and included old churches, Inca ruins inside a convent, and fabulous views while we sipped a wine in San Blas. We hate to leave this charming place.

Last day in Peru was just about relaxing and eating. Found a spot for Papas a La Huancaína for lunch and Nikkei sushi for dinner. Spent time along the cliffs watching paragliders walk off the cliff and soar above the park and streets below. Amazingly they circle around and land where they started. Beautiful.