Let's visit Peru during this year (2012) summer (August) holidays! The idea was to scuba dive @ Galapagos, too, but it turned out to be too expensive...:-(, but we do not need to be sad, because Peru is magnificent...
It has been one of the best trip I have ever had in my life!!!
I have met amazing, funny, beautiful friends ( Danik and Elisabeth, Michele, Matteo, Thibault, Rémi, Céline, Samuel, Christophe, Justine, Sabino, Thomas, Lorenz, the Austrian and the American girls, the Spanish couple, Gisella, Fernando, Claudia and her boyfriend ) I hope I haven't forgotten anybody!
This time I decided to go to Peru (my friend K seemed to have accepted!!) because I was willing to go to South America and because I was really attracted by the colourful clothes and atmosphere.
Fortunately the flights weren't expensive at all: we found a good deal with Delta (< 700€ round trip) with stop over in Atlanta.
The flight connections wasn't so bad on the way to Peru, while on the way back we had something like 8h stop. We took then the chance to get to Atlanta down-town ehhehe...what a decision!! It seems that the Saturday before the Labour day it's held the Science Fiction Festival. and it was impossible to hang around, anyway we managed to get to the World of Coca Cola.
Getting back to Peru: this year idea was not to organize anything, but to plan things time by time, on site.
In practice the plan is following the Gringo Trail, add the Amazon Basin and if we have the time heading north to the beach.
[We made a tentative plan ( thanks to our Lonely Planet Travel Book), but we kept a spare week, so that whatever was going to happen we had some days before flying back home].
Programme:
DAY 1: Skip Lima the first night and go straight to the Cruz del Sur bus terminal in order to take the early morning bus ( around 3:45) to Paracas - Islas Ballestas - Reserva Nacional de Paracas and afternoon bus ( around 17) to Ica to stay overnight in Hucachina
TIPS:
- water bottles at the airport are quite expensive (soles 7,5, for a 3l bottle)
- the taxi from the airport to the bus terminal could cost around 35 soles (we paid 45)
- take the taxi as latest as possible, because the bus terminal is not in a safe area
- just buy the Ballestas and Reserva tour straight at the Paracas bus terminal, you will find good deals (40 soles + 6 soles - tax- // 35 soles + 5 soles -tax-)
- we booked the bus to Ica @ the Paracas bus terminal (20 soles)
- taxi Ica-Huacachina (5 soles)
- we stayed overnight @ Carola del Sur and we had a discount on the night, because we organized the sunboarding with them
DAY 2: Sunboarding in Hucachina [we meet Danik and Elisabeth, we will have lunch together and we will meet back in Arequipa...Internet is extremely handy in these cases ] then we took the bus in the evening (maybe @19) to get to Nazca
TIPS:
- we stayed overnight @ Inti Wasi Hostel
- Book in advance the sobrevuelo to the Nazca Lines [we did it @ the Paracas bus terminal - contact MARIANELLA ALVARADO CASOS - +56 956 887 434 nellatourss@hotmail.com]; we payed 110 USD and the flight was operated by Air Majoro + 66 soles taxes [we were told that during the high season the prices are sky high]
DAY 3: Visit Nazca + Nazca Line + Bus to Arequipa (maybe @21) [that's the place where we meet Matteo and Michele our 2 additional travel mates :D we will spend wonderful times with them... by playing cards, too!!!]
TIPS:
- even though the flight is quite expensive for a 30min tour and you could have some problems with your stomach, I think it is the only way to appreciate the line
- give it a try to the Pollo a la Brasa in a restaurant in Plaza de Armas [I think it is called Rico Pollo] - pay attention...1/2 a chicken is huge....Matteo and Michele met me carrying the doggy bag :D
- have breakfast as Peruvians do: it's cool!!! On the street by eating bread with cheese, or vegetables, or avocado, or potatoes
DAY 4: Tour around the city to look for a guided tour to Canon del Colca + Lago Titicaca + Machu Picchu + Monasterio de Santa Catilina
TIPS:
- Taxi to Campo Redondo 8 soles
- Monasterio de Santa Catilina: a must (guide - 10 soles; entrance fee 35 soles - credit card accepted w/o surcharge - )
- Look only for the tour to the Canon del Colca
- Pay attention the 3D 2N trekking IT IS NOT for everybody. We talk about 3500/3800 m a.s.l. and the trail it is not that easy as they describe it
- Overnight @ Amazing Home Hostel
DAY 5: Tour around the city with our Italian mates
TIPS:
- Almuerzo @ La Palominno - I am waiting tripadvisor to give me the opportunity to write a review
- It was the 14th August and...we ended up to the beginning of the Arequipa Celebrations!
- Get to bed early...the alarm clock is extremely early in the morning for the trekking
DAYS 6/7: The Canon del Colca Trekking + La Cruz del Condor + Aguas Termales + Mirador de los Volcanes + Way back to Arequipa + Night Bus to Puno
TIPS:
- Do the trekking only if you are trained
- Despite I wasn't as trained as I was supposed to be (I had problem with my butt and my back during the sand boarding), I can say it was a great experience: I saw once again the Milky Way after ages...There was a great atmosphere: the French guy lighted a fire
- I would suggest you to do what the other mates did - by bus
- If you wish there is a tourist bus connecting Chivay and Puno (Turismo Sillustani) but it is quite expensive and then you need to overstay in Puno [round about 35$]
DAYS 8/9: Los Uros + Amantani + Taquile + Overnight in Puno (the Italian reunion after some days)
-until the last minute we didn't know if taking an overnight bus to Cuzco or overstaying in Puno, taking a decent shower and having a good sleep in a real bed-
TIPS:
- Los Uros: too touristic - Do they really live in those conditions?
- Amantani: Wonderful Home Stay Experience
- Taquile: so so - I didn't like too much all the rules we had to follows; normally they are common sense rules, but some of them were a bit too much (if you do not ask, you are not allowed to take picture of any inhabitants)
- Overnight stay @ Tayka Hostel
DAY 10: Bus to Cuzco + 1/2 "day off"
TIPS:
- bus: 40 soles, but I strongly recommend the company TOUR PERU
- we went doing some laundry [calle chihuampada next to an internet café; 3,5 soles/kg @ ARTESANAS NINAN de NINAN AUCCACUSI ESTEFANIA cell 974 72 81 34 - 984 22 19 92; calle chihuampata 529] and some shopping!
- Pantastico: some snacks!
- Dinner @ The Cross Keys Pub
- Overnight stay @ Home Sweet Home Mirador
DAY 11: Destination: Aguas CalientesTIPS:
- Stop @ El Buen Pastor Pasteleria/Panaderia in San Blas
- If possible try to avoid the by car tour - we did it...to risky track to get to the Hydroelectric
- The 9 km from the Hydroelectric to Aguas Calientes are quite cool: it took 2h - keep a torch with you, at the end we got there at 7 pm, and at 6/6.30pm it is dark!!
- If you do not wanna walk to the Machu Picchu entrance, buy the bus ticket the day before the entrance [the ticket office is opened until 9 p.m.]
DAY 12: Machu Picchu + way back to Cuzco
TIPS:
- Machu Picchu: one of the most beautiful natural wonders I have ever seen
- Dinner @ The Muse Too
DAY 13: Shopping around Cuzco after some very sad goodbye to the German and Italian mates + bus to Puerto Maldonado
TIPS:
- Mercado de San Francisco: full of good stuff
- Mercado de San Pedro in order to have something to eat // pay attention at milk/cheese
- Overnight bus to Puerto Maldonado Internacional Palomino (50 soles), bought at the bus station, otherwise in the city was far higher than 50 soles
DAY 14: Puerto Maldonado
TIPS:
- Some rest @Hospedaje Acuario [Tripadvisor review as soon as it is available]
- Look for the flight to get to Lima; in our case the cheapest one was operated by AVIANCA TACA; the office is located @ Hostal Cabana Quinta; the lady Yaquelin Velasquez (yaquelin.velasquez@aviancataca.com)
DAYS 15/17: Tambopata + Madre de Dios + Lago Sandoval
TIPS:
- Overnight @ Willy Mejìa Cepa Lodge
- Tour Guide: Victor Yohamona Dumay victorguideperu@hotmail.com [Lonely Planet] - he found us @ the bus terminal
DAY 18: Comunidad Infierno + Puerto Maldonado
TIPS:
- Totally skip the Community: nothing to see, nothing to do, it doesn't make sense anymore to ge there; the lodges gives money to the community, so that they do not have any kind of interest in keeping their old habits ( no traditional clothes anymore, no artesanias, nothing)
DAY 19: Puerto Maldonado + Flight to Lima
TIPS:
- After 3/4 days in Puerto Maldonado there is not much to do and see...after the n time visit at the market, you can simply have a rest/read at the Main Square
- Moto taxi to the airport: 7 soles
DAYS 20/22: Lima + Flight back to US
TIPS:
- Mercado de San Francisco: full of good stuff
- Mercado de San Domingo: good stuff
- Eat Los Churros de San Francisco
- In downtown you can have back those menu from 5,5 soles up to 9 soles (lemonada included) as elsewhere in Peru, but in Miraflores
- Taxi from Miraflores to the airport: 35 soles
- Overnight @ B&B Wasi Indepndencia Miraflores - 12 km far away from the centre - we did it on foot the first time (2.5h) then we used to catch the buses/combi to or from Miraflores [1 soles/1.5 soles each way]
- I wouldn't stay more than 2 days in Lima - the weather is not as good as in the mountains or in the forest
GENARAL TIPS:
- ATMs: the max amount we could withdraw was 350 soles @ BCP, otherwise the average is 200 soles - pay attention at the commisions -
- Rest Rooms: they normally ask for 1 sol, 0.50 soles
- Toilet Paper: bring toilet paper with you; you won't find it, normally
- Lip Balm//Moisturizer//Body Lotion: @ high altitude, you get really dry skin
- Isotonic or Hypertonic Salt Water Solution
3 weeks + souvenirs: € 2.400
Enjoy,
V.
No comments:
Post a Comment