My First Week in Peru

On the night of November 2nd, I landed in Lima, Peru and went straight to the hostel. A few hours later my friend Alex arrived and we caught up a bit before heading to bed. Traveling and meeting new people is fun, but seeing a familiar face is always a nice break from the chaos.

With only a day in Lima, we decided to check out the Plaza de Armas where there was a procession going on for the holiday weekend surrounding Dia de los Finados. We also checked out the Museo de Arte Lima (MALI) and just explored some of the city.

The next morning we took Peru Hop to Paracas. On the way, we stopped at some secret slave tunnels and learned a little about their history. After spending the night in Paracas, did a morning boat tour of the Ballestas Islands, which is known as the Poor Man’s Galapagos, and then we did a tour of the Paracas National Reserve.

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Once back on Peru Hop, we headed to an oasis in the middle of the desert known as Huacachina. While there, we dune buggied and sand-boarded down the desert dunes. We only spent one night there at a hostel called Wild Rover, but it was super fun and I definitely recommend.

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The next morning, we took a bus to Nazca where we did a fly over tour of the Nazca lines. Although the elevation and constant motion of the plain made me a little nauseous, it was worth it.

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There wasn’t much to do in Nazca so we decided to take the overnight bus to Arequipa. Upon arrival, we went to the hostel known as Vallecito Backpackers which was perfect because it was quiet and owned by a very nice family. We spent three days in this famous white city which is situated between the coastal region and the Andes. The altitude took a little bit to get adjusted to, but trying the different chocolates definitely helped. Chaqchao Chocolate Factory was definitely geared towards gringos, but it’s organic flavors are definitely worth trying.

While in Arequipa, we did a free walking tour and then checked out a place called Mundo Alpaca where we met some alpacas and learned about how alpaca fur is collected and transformed into clothes. We also went rafting down the Chilli River and did a tour of Colca Canyon. Fun Fact: Colca Canyon is the second deepest canyon in the world at 3,270 meters (10,730 ft) and while we were at the Viewpoint of the Volcanoes, it began to snow.

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From Arequipa, we rode to Puno where we went on a tour to several of the islands on lake Titicaca. On the lake, there are over 80 man-made islands that people live on.

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After our day in Puno, we took a night bus to Cusco and that was the end of our Peru Hop tour. We ended up visiting all of the these places over the course of a week. It was slightly intense, but fun 🙂