As some of you know, I’ll be leaving the U.S. in about three weeks to go live and work in Lima, Peru for two years. Given that Dopers are such a traveled, erudite bunch, I’m looking for people with stories or experiences traveling in Peru or South America in general, as I’m sure we’ll be travelling a lot. So how’s about it? Anyone have stories of the land of llamas, guinea pig on a stick and Macchu Picchu?
Peru is my destination of choice if I decide to run away from my current life. Of course, it wouldn’t be to Lima. Lima is a big, dirty city filled with smog belching cars and trucks. For the most part Peruvians are nice people, but like anywhere else there are some people looking to get ahead by exploiting you and by you I mean gringos.
When you are there take time to go to Cuzco- which is where I would move to- and go down to Nazca and see the lines. Go to the Manu biosphere reserve and marvel at nature. Try the Guinea Pig, it is tasty but probably not something that will be in your shopping cart on a regular basis. Drink lots of Pisco Sours. Hell, drink lots of Peru Libres, pisco and coke. Just don’t mix pisco with Inca Cola, that is vomit waiting to happen, but try the Inca Cola - a sweet and bubblegummy tasting soda that is gold coloured natch. Oh yeah, that reminds me you have to check out the Museo de Oro in Lima. See if you still steal everything with a cordless screwdriver, I’ll take a emerald and ruby encrusted cross and that samurai sword with the ivory handle and sheath if you get the chance 
.
I loved my travel to Peru. What I remember more were passing the municipalities in Lima… You could see on one side of the street a commercial, wealthy residential municipality, and on the other side a middle-class one. Plus in many cases I saw that they had a sign when you were entering a different one.
Inca Cola is great! It was my favorite drink. We were not allowed to try ceviche (they were afraid of food poisoning), so we ate chicken most of the time. Oh, in Cuzco is where I tried cow’s heart… yummy.
Macchu Picchu was quite an experience, although there was other place (damn, I forgot the name) which also had a lot of ruins and I liked it… it was on the way to Macchu Picchu.
I loved Cuzco and the Macchu Picchu trip way better than Lima. My group started in Lima, went to Cuzco and surroundings, then back to Lima… where I started coughing once I realized all the dust and pollution that were around the ruins there.
Lima’s historic center is beautiful, but so was Cuzco’s. Also, it is easier up in the mountains to drink (and chew) coca leaves than it is in the coastal area. I miss that part, certainly, although I still keep a couple of teabags.
There was a thread about Peru a few months ago… do a search for it too.
Well most of the good advice is already given. Lima itself is a nice city and the people too. Humidity is a ridiculous 90%+ ALL the time… wierd. The elite are quite well off… while the city is surrounded by poorer people. If your spanish is good… chances is that prices will be lower… so learn fast… imitate local accent and style.
I loved the INCA tourist places… do visit the Big Museum in Lima first (forgot name… not the Gold museum… the Antro)… it gives you a good timeline of how things developed. So when you visit Paracas and Cuzco, etc… you will better understand how things developed.
Cuzco is great... more fun than Machu Pichu I think... especially if your young.Thanks for the input, all. Cuzco/Macchu Picchu is on our list, especially seeing as we’ll be there for two years and will undoubtedly play host to a lot of guests. Since this will be the first post within a decent flying time from the U.S., lots of our friends have expressed interest in visiting, so I guess we’ll be doing a lot of tourist stuff more than once. And seeing as how one of my jobs will be to assist U.S. citizens who have encountered adversity in their travels, well, I’d jus be slacking not to acquaint myself with the bigger tourist sites.
Gold Museum is definitely on the list, as is a tour of the street food stalls. The bullfighting museum is apparently the oldest in the New World, so I’ll check that out. I have already been introduced to Pisco with hilarious results.
<SIDENOTE: For Founder’s Weekend last week, they filled one of the fountains in the Plaza Mayor with 2000 litres of Pisco and handed out cups. Sounds like my kind of country.>
When the late night street food vendors accumulate, look for one with a deep fry wok and newspapers and some potato-y mash like stuff. They will be shaping dumplings with their own hands and frying them up. I thinks it’s a green pea and spicy goodness filling, looks not unlike a large perogie. Once cooked to perfection it will be served up in the newspaper, you can ask for the spicy green chillie topping if you like it extra hot.
I have no idea what this dish is called, though I consumed a boatload of it. I first had it in Cuzco, where it was the best, but I did find it in other locations by looking around.
And don’t buy ice cream being vended from a cooler on the street no matter how hot you are walking in the sun. Yes, it looks so inviting, but it’s not ice cream, you will be disappointed. The tell is that it’s not melting while the vendor is displaying it. Watch for it.
Of course, speaking some Spanish will be essential, if you don’t have any at least learn some numbers before you go.
If you’re a tea with milk drinker, take extra care. They often put the milk into the cup and then pour over it the boiling water, add the tea bag and serve, in little street cafes etc. The milk is likely not pasteurized, they believe pouring the boiling water into it fixes any problems. This is not the case, but once you bounce the tea bag, add the sugar and taste it, it will seem like any other cup of tea. Those two tablespoons of milk will clear out everything you’ve eaten for the last two days from your system, at record speed, utilizing all available exits.
On the other hand, if you reach Lake Titicaca, by all means have fresh lake trout for lunch, it’s delicious.
Hmmm, all my holiday memories seem to be food related suddenly.
Please share the story.
Again, I recommend going to Nazca. There is a great museum in the town with lots of samples of great Nazca textiles and ceramics, and IIRC a mummy or two. And the lines- you can’t live in Peru and be that close and not go see the lines.
Another thing crossed my mind. At the base of the mountain that Macchu Picchu in on is a town called Agua Caliente. It is small. The main street is the train tracks, but I had the best ever glass of OJ there. Not to mention you need to visit the hot springs there. Situated along the Urubamba river, you can sit in one of three pools while sipping beer and looking at the most incredible view down the river valley. Heaven on earth.
If you’re given free Pisco sours at a barbecue with friends, one should understand that just because they taste like lemonade, it doesn’t mean they’re as harmless as same. Between numbers five and six, my head started to get a little swimmy, but nothing unusual. Then it passed directly from that first-beer-like buzz that gives you a sense of warm camraderie with the rest of the world to “Okay, I need some water and coffee and a chair right now.”
Nazca lines and mummies are on the list, as is llama trekking and a visit to Iquitos to see the opera house in the jungle a la Fitzcarraldo.