Exploring Peru

During winter break I traveled to one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever had a chance to experience, Peru. Peru is the third-largest country in South America and most known for being home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World. I originally was supposed to take my trip to Peru in 2020 but had to postpone it due to obvious reasons. I left Christmas Day and flew into Lima, the capital of Peru, also known as the “City of Kings”. My first day was spent exploring Lima’s central attractions. The Historic Center of Lima features unique architecture and is one of the most popular plazas for sightseeing. Many important buildings surround the center, such as the Government Palace, Archbishop’s Palace of Lima, City Hall, and the Cathedral of Lima. The plaza was filled with both locals and tourists and everyone was very friendly. In the surrounding area, I took a tour of Lima's Catacombs of San Francisco. The catacombs were built in 1535 and are the largest in all of South America. Unfortunately, pictures weren’t allowed in the catacombs, but I took a few outside of the convent.

I ended my first day in Lima by going to another popular attraction there, The Magic Water Circuit. It’s the world’s largest water fountain complex in a public park. It was very crowded, and at first, I was skeptical but all the fountains were very pretty and I stayed for the main light show, which came out really nice in pictures.

I only spent 2 days in Lima, but I left with a really good impression of it. Although it wasn’t as tourist-oriented as Cusco, it felt very safe and everyone was very friendly.

After my 2nd day in Lima, I took an hour and a half flight to Cusco. My first day in Cusco was amazing. I quickly fell in love with the beautiful city. The Plaza de Armas is where I spent the majority of my time in Cusco, it’s the heart and soul of the city. The Plaza de Armas had not just one but two cathedrals. The plaza is filled with impressive Spanish architecture and Inca history. I spent my first day exploring it and taking as many pictures of the plaza as possible. I thought the view couldn’t get any better, but then it was time for lunch. I went to a place called Mistura Grill where I got to eat on the rooftop and had the most spectacular view of the whole plaza and the surrounding mountains. The locals were all very friendly and welcoming. The streets were filled with shops and street stands. Everywhere I looked I saw local girls and women in traditional clothing, with llamas, for tourists to take pictures with. The llamas were very important in the Incan empire and have become the face of Peru.

One of the unique aspects of Cusco is the elevation. The elevation of Cusco is 11,151 feet above sea level. The high altitude means there’s less oxygen to breathe and many tourists often experience altitude sickness. My experience wasn’t bad, I didn’t feel sick, but I could definitely feel the altitude. Even just going upstairs would be enough to make me lose my breath at times. There’s actually a type of plant that helps with altitude sickness called “coca leaves”. Coca leaves are illegal in almost every country because they’re a main ingredient in cocaine. Although in Peru they sell them everywhere! Chewing the leaves or consuming them in tea, or candy helps with the altitude. I drank coca tea a lot to help with the elevation, and I really enjoyed it.

The following day I took a train from Cusco to the town of Machu Picchu. The scenery was beautiful the whole way there. The next day was the big day. The reason I traveled to Peru. Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is an Incan city that was abandoned by the Incas after the Spanish conquest. Most modern archeologists and historians agree that Machu Picchu was built by the Inca Pachacutec, the greatest statesman of Tahuantinsuyo. It was likely built as a refuge for elite members of the Incan aristocracy. Many people travel from far and wide to see the extraordinary architectural work of Machu Picchu.

There are a few different ways to get to Machu Picchu and one of the most popular is taking the Inca trail, a 4-day trek. Another option is by bus, which is what I did. From there, there are different trails to hike. I chose the Machu Picchu Mountain hike which took 2 hours up and 2 hours down. Even though this was the easier of the hikes, it could get difficult at times due to the elevation. Hiking at a high elevation is no joke because the higher you go up the less oxygen you have, making it very tiring and important to drink lots of water. It was all worth it though because when I arrived at the top it was breathtaking (literally). Machu Picchu really is like the pictures. Matter of fact it’s even more gorgeous. It felt surreal. At the top, I had a view of the ruins and the Andes mountains surrounding it. It was magical. The view was definitely one of the most beautiful I’ve ever experienced. I’m making it a personal goal to go back and hike Huayna Picchu, the more difficult and steeper trail. Once I hiked back down, it was time to explore the ruins. I was able to walk through the ancient city and take pictures of it from a different perspective.

After my trip to Machu Picchu, I headed back to Cusco and got to celebrate New Year’s. The unfortunate part was that due to covid, the government put an 11 pm curfew so the plaza had to close before 12. I still enjoyed a nice dinner and got to view tons of fireworks from the balcony of my hotel. In Peru wearing yellow going into the New Year brings good luck, so I made sure to throw on a yellow lay. The next day I took a guided tour of the Sacred Valley. The Sacred Valley was the most important area for maize production during the Inca Empire. It’s known for its stunning landscape and many Incan ruins.

One of my final activities was taking a trip to Rainbow Mountain. I woke up at 4 am and took a tour bus to get there. The mountain is famed for its rainbow-like appearance created by the sediment of minerals throughout the area. I got to experience horseback riding up the mountain. The elevation on Rainbow Mountain was 17,060 feet above sea level, so I definitely made sure to drink lots of coca tea beforehand. There was a lot of snow on the mountain when I went so it wasn’t as vibrant as it looks in photos, but it was still a gorgeous view.

I did so much on my trip to Peru, I couldn’t even add it all in. The highlight of my trip was definitely getting to finally experience Machu Picchu and also getting to know the city of Cusco. Cusco is such a beautiful and charming city filled with culture and amazing food. Out of all the 10 days, I stayed in Peru I never had a bad meal. I would definitely go visit Peru again, maybe even study abroad there. I would highly recommend going, it’s one of my favorite trips I’ve taken.