Peru as a Destination

Peru

Peru as a Destination

Before making this trip (to hike the Inca Trail) I never gave much thought to making Peru a destination although I have visited many of the countries in Latin America and never tire of the experience.

One of the things I realize after spending some ten days there is that both the country and the people make this a destination worth investigating.

Peru Flag

My experience with the people in Peru was positive without exception. In Lima I had nice, long conversations with the 'Tourist Police' and got about a 30 minute lecture from a taxi driver about all the great destinations in Northern Peru. Then there are the better known destinations of Nazca, Arequipe and the Lake Titicaca region. Personally I would have gladly spent more time in the Cuzco / Sacred Valley area.

A Word about the Food

Once again, no bad reports. Had nice seafood in Lima (including a spicy 'tacu-tacu' - whatever that is - seafood served with rice), in a little place in Calca (in the Sacred Valley) had an excellent roasted pork with a tamale, vegetables and a very nice salsa picante. Several places had variants of chiclo - the giant corn that is common to the region. Also had things made out of the chiclo including a sweet drink and a 'pudding' which was really more like a thick syrup. I personally didn't try any of the alpaca which was served up in several of the places that we ate, but others in my party did and gave it the 'thumbs up'.

Guinea Pigs - Dinner on the Hoof

Final word about the food and to answer a question I was asked repeatedly - no, I DID NOT partake in the cuy! While I am pretty open to try new things wherever I am, and I keep getting told that this is a delicacy, I draw the line at rodents! As we saw, they do in fact raise these guinea pigs for food and seem to consider a feast of them as a special treat, but they are served whole and there's no way to disguise what you are getting!...

Then there are the two uniquely Peruvian drinks: Pisco and Inca Kola... While Inca Kola is way too sweet for me, I did enjoy a Pisco Sour at several stops along the way. (Although I came close to buying an Inca Kola t-shirt, in the end I came away with a Cusqueña (a local beer) shirt instead!)

As a bonus, here is a recipe / instructions for making a Pisco Sour.

Pisco Sour

2 Oz Pisco

1/2 Lemon

1 Egg white (Whisked)

2 Teaspoons Sugar

Shake together the Pisco, lemon and egg white, sweeten to taste and serve over crushed ice with a dash of bitters.

Final Word

Beyond positive things to say about the people, the food, and potential destinations, this is a cheap place to go... And for tightwads like myself, the only thing better than visiting a new place and meeting new people is doing it without spending much money!

So, spread the wealth - go to Peru, spend a few soles and Enjoy!