Peru Part 1: Lima to Cusco

NYC to Lima, Peru

I convinced my parents to take a day trip to NYC, maybe see a broadway show, wander around, oh and drive me to JFK so I didn’t have to deal with the train to subway to subway to AirTrain or the overpriced Uber/Lyft/Cab. That afternoon I saw my first real Broadway show (Aladdin), and that evening I was at JFK waiting to board my first solo international flight for my first ever trip away from North America.

My flight was delayed. By six hours. Only after we boarded on time, I got through most of Top Gun: Maverick, we deplaned, sat, and wandered around a basically empty airport before boarding again around 5:30 am. I then watched the last twenty minutes of the movie and promptly fell asleep.

Getting to and from airports is always more stressful than it needs to be. No matter if you’re getting picked up by a friend, dropped off by an Uber, renting a car, or taking public transit. It’s never easy. I opted to coordinate an airport pickup with the hostel I was staying at my first night to avoid attempting to figure out a taxi or bus in a foreign country, with a different native language, after an overnight flight. He had a sign with my name on it and everything, just like the movies.

After checking-in I do what I always do on my first day in a new city — I walk. I wandered about 15 minutes to historic Lima, grabbed a quick bite of food on the way, and ended up heading towards the Convent of San Francisco and the catacombs underneath. Tours for non-Peruvians cost s/15 (about $3.75 USD) and are offered in English and Spanish. No photography is allowed inside, but I don’t think you need photos to understand that piles of bones buried underground are a bit creepy. In addition to the Catacombs, the architecture and the art of the monastery itself is impressive.

Peru Hop to Cusco

Peru Hop is a hop-on, hop-off bus tour that travels from Lima to Cusco, continues into Bolivia, and is filled with plenty of stops in between. The company has recommended itineraries but you can create your own flexible trip however you want. I needed to be in Cusco by a certain date for my pre-trek meeting for the Inca Trail, so I opted to stick to their recommendations. Logistically, it’s probably one of the best ways to get to Cusco while still seeing a decent amount of the country on the way. Bilingual, very knowledgeable guides (shoutout to Christian and Mari), lots of included activities, and the ability to meet travelers from all over. Our stops included:

Paracas

Included: Paracas National Reserve Tour. Took the bus through the preserve with narration by a guide and plenty of stops at overlooks, viewpoints, and photo ops. We had enough time to go wander and grab coffee before the tour. Since we were switching buses we were able to store all of our stuff at the hotel that served as the meeting point.

Huacachina

Extra: 2-hour sandboarding and dune buggy tour in the desert oasis

Cost: $20 USD

Our driver took us over the steepest dunes and that itself was worth the cost. Sandboarding is a blast. It’s been almost a month and I think there is still sand in my Sunglasses.

Our HopGuide told us if we made it back in one piece his buddy who owned a bar would give us all free drinks. And he did. We headed to the hostel bar to keep the fun going until the wee hours. I’m not usually a huge partier but apparently, I am when I’m abroad. Stayed the night in town. PeruHop can help book accommodations and offers discounts.

Ica

Included: Tasting at Netto Pisco Vineyard. Pisco is the national drink of Peru. Nothing says fun like shoving a bunch of hungover people on a bus to go taste more booze.

Nazca

Included: Nazca linesviewing tour. You can see a few of the famous Nazca lines from the tower. PeruHop can coordinate a Nazca Lines flight, starting around $80 USD, you just might miss out on the pisco tasting depending on your schedule.

After Nazca, it’s the overnight bus to Cusco — a late stop to pick up and drop off some folks, and an early morning stop for the same. The buses are pretty darn comfy, the seats recline nicely, and they provide cozy blankets. Grabbing a travel pillow (or at least a balled-up sweatshirt) is recommended. The bus arrives in Cusco around 6:30 pm, and the guides have already coordinated taxis/vans (cost included) to take us to our hotels/hostels/airbnbs.

While meals weren’t included, the Guides often passed around menus for lunch/dinner allowing us to select our order so they could call ahead to the restaurant. Not only was this useful for the language barrier (much easier to ask the Guides a food question than the restaurant staff who may or may not speak English, especially if you have any dietary restrictions), it helped save time. Most places accepted credit or debit cards, especially Visa, but ATMs are pretty easy to find. A full meal — meat, carbs, and veggies could cost around $10 at a nice restaurant, and our buffet lunch on the way to Cusco was $9.

And I was just getting started. Cusco, the Inca Trail, and the journey home are still to come.