News from Peru & Day One

Before I get to my own trip, I want to say a bit about what's happened in Peru in the few weeks since I was there. You've most likely heard about the intense rains and the landslides and the tourists who had to be evacuated from Aguas Calientes (a.k.a. Machu Picchu Pueblo), but here's a quick recap anyway. Machu Picchu itself is high on a mountain; there's a swanky, $1,000/night lodge up there, but most people stay in Aguas Calientes, a village of hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops which is in a valley below the ruins. Only official shuttle buses make the 20-minute trip between the two; the photo below shows Machu Picchu and just a few of the many switchbacks on the road down to Aguas Calientes.


There are only two ways into (and out of) Aguas Calientes: on foot or by train; tourists got stuck there a couple of weeks ago when a landslide took out a portion of the railway. The first news I read basically just said that tourists were trapped there until the weather cleared and they could be helicoptered out; I thought "ok, so a bit of inconvenience and extra expense, but that's not so bad." Then I read that Machu Picchu would be closed for a short period and I thought, "ooh, that is bad." I can't imagine how disappointing it would be to get all the way to Peru - or even to Aguas Calientes, as some hikers did - and then to miss out on the highlight of the whole trip! The other night I searched for the latest on what was happening and was surprised and saddened to read that a couple of hikers and one guide had been killed (by falling rocks and in a tent washed away overnight) along the Inca Trail. Reports now are that Machu Picchu might be closed for weeks or even months, which will be a real blow to the economy in an area that relies heavily on tourism. Many Peruvians have lost their homes or their crops.

So, I'm a bit sobered as I reflect on the time I spent in Peru. We had some of the usual travel frustrations, like waiting for luggage and for people; we also got DRENCHED (it is rainy season, after all) and had to do some of our hiking in wet socks and boots. I got some extremely itchy bug bites (but only a few of them; one of the guys traveling with us was covered from foot to knee), and there were also a couple of disputes with our tour guides as to what we had or had not paid for in advance. The recent news from Peru has helped me to put those issues in perspective, though, and has made me truly thankful for safety and for such an enjoyable experience in the beautiful country of Peru.

Ok, now to day one of our trip. Lima is one of those cities that you visit out of necessity because it happens to be home to the nation's major international airport; we ended up spending two days there (one at each end of the trip). It's by no means the most exciting place I've ever been, but we did find plenty to keep us occupied. We also had really good food, and that always helps!

On our first day, my cousin Kirsten and I walked and walked and walked around the city. We started out wandering around central Lima, where we marveled at the intricately carved wooden balconies and inhaled the wafting scents of barbecue and soaked up the warmth of the sun, and where we toured the Iglesia de San Francisco, pictured below. In the catacombs beneath the church, the bones of people buried there are arranged in rather macabre displays. We weren't allowed to take photos, but you can see one here.


After the catacombs tour we found a simple basement restaurant that served heaping portions of some fabulous ceviche (a Peruvian specialty: raw fish soaked in a lime marinade). Our plan for the afternoon was to tour a couple of museums, but all three that we tried to visit were closed - one for renovation and the others, presumably, for the New Year holiday. The three museums were sort of spread out around the city, which was one reason for all the walking we did. To be honest, though, we also had a bit of trouble reading our maps.

In the evening, we walked and walked and walked some more. Suffice it to say that we had a little trouble with the map again - but we did eventually make it (after asking some friendly locals for directions and then taking a bus) to Miraflores, a Lima suburb on the coast. We had dinner there in a restaurant recommended in our guide book and then, to celebrate New Year's Eve, sat at an outdoor table overlooking the Pacific and sipped fruity pisco (sort of like Peruvian tequila) cocktails. We actually finished our drinks and headed back to our quiet colonial house-turned-hotel before 12:00, but were still awake when the fireworks went off at midnight - and continued for a considerable time after that.

I'd like to make it clear that Kirsten and I are not getting too old to stay up on New Year's Eve or anything; it's just that we had to get up early the next day for our flight to Cusco.

And have I mentioned that we'd been walking pretty much all day?