Day 1: Welcome to Peru

We were sitting in the front seats of the bus to avoid people lowering their seats on us and trapping my legs. Still, it proved that the front seats are probably the most uncomfortable in the whole bus.

After 8 hours of agony when my knees were burning with pain, we arrived in Arica, the most northern town in Chile, just 15 minutes from the Peruvian border.

Again, if you read anything about the terminal in Arica, you will know to keep an eye on your stuff and just quickly move where you need to go.

When we arrived in Tacna, it was a similar situation like in Arica. We just needed to cross the road to get to the domestic bus terminal and there were many companies going to Arequipa. First, we just stopped to exchange our leftover pesos for Peruvian Soles and also a $20 (cash is needed to pay the enbarquement fee, the rate was shite so we didn’t change more). I just fucked up and responded to a fella in front of the terminal and he dragged us to buy a ticket and showed us where is the office to pay for the embarquement so I had to give him some money and maybe we could have got a cheaper bus ticket (we paid 35 soles each and it could have been 30). On the bright side, we were on the earliest bus and didn’t have to wait around.

In about 7 hours we arrived in Arequipa. We had a hostel booked in the center and had a 3.5 km walk ahead of us. It wasn’t the easiest because we just spent the whole day on buses but we made it.

The rest of the day we just chilled and left exploring for the next one. I just went to change some more money, stopped at a shop to buy water and some snacks (and 2 bottles of beer) while Clare went to get a well-needed shower, and later we both went for dinner in a nearby local place. We were very happy to see that the prices got a lot better than in Chile. We paid less than 10 USD for dinner and we were full.

Day 2: Beautiful Arequipa

We were really tired from the bus journey and Atacama so we slept late and were just chilling in bed, having coffee. We planned an easy day but as it always turns out before we left the hostel we had a list of at least 5 things to do. On top of that, we made a decision that we wouldn’t stay one more night and just chill but instead, we would head straight to Colca Canyon hiking.

We left around 11 am and just dandered around the town. We must say that Arequipa is really beautiful and easy to walk. We started at the Plaza de Armas and navigated the small streets toward the viewpoint of Mirador de Yanahuara. At the edge of downtown, we stopped to learn about and pet some lamas at Mundo Alpaca (free). On the way back to the center of the town we stopped at Cesar’s Pizza since they had a deal for a large pepperoni for 20 Soles. We also got a traditional ice cream called Queso Helado from a wee woman on the street for 3 soles.

Then we started working on our list of things to do. We stopped to buy snacks for hiking, changed more money, bought shoelaces, and I got a haircut (finally). We packed our stuff and booked bus tickets to Colca Canyon and also to Cusco for when we returned.

We ended up eating dinner at the hostel since it had a nice rooftop. We got a whole roasted chicken and chips. We stored our big rucksacks downstairs and went to bed early since our bus was leaving at 3:30 in the morning.

Day 3: Hot springs in Llahuar

We were up at 2 am, just quickly changed, went to the toilet, and ordered an Uber to the bus terminal. Even though Peru seemed safe so far we were advised to get a taxi during the night and don’t risk anything. We reserved 2 spots on a bus at 3:30 with a company called Andalucia. It cost us 25 soles each. We saw only one more company that had daily buses to Cobanacombe.

Even though the first day we mostly hiked down into the canyon, it still takes time and it's definitely worth it to get the early morning bus and not waste the whole day.

There is also an option to use collectivos to Chivay and then from there to Cobanacombe which should be faster (about 5 hours instead of 6) and slightly more expensive (20+10/15 soles) but we opted for the bus since we read that the collectivos can fuck around a lot if they are not full and the journey can be actually longer.

We arrived at Cobanacombe at about 9:20 am and went for a quick breakfast. We each got a coffee and an egg sandwich for 4 USD. There was some parade going on in the town so we watched it for a bit before we set off.

We chose not to do the popular route that goes first to San Juan but instead headed the other way to a place called Llahuar. Not long into the hike we met a ranger and paid the canyon entrance fee of 70 soles each.

The Colca Canyon is the 2nddeepest canyon in the world and at its deepest point reaches up to 3.5 km.

We had a dog companion on our way that always appeared out of nowhere and posed for photos, so we called him Mufasa. Since we hiked down to the Colca Canyon, the whole track was downhill but it still took us 4 hours to reach the Llahuar Lodge. This is one of only two accommodation options in this part of the canyon. We got a private bungalow with a shared bathroom for 50 soles and ordered dinner for 36 soles.

We were there early in the day but the great thing was that this lodge has natural hot springs right by the river. We dropped our bags in the room and went straight there. Since the springs are right next to the river we could jump between hot and cold water. It was written that the springs are 39° C. Because we were up early we went to take a nap and then went for another dip in the springs at sunset.

Dinner was at 7 pm and it was actually quite nice. We didn’t buy any drinks or water, instead we used our Sawyer filter.

Day 4: Hard day canyoning

Our original plan was to hike to Fure waterfalls and then finish in the oasis Sangalle. It looked OK on the map and it was only 8 km to the waterfall but when I looked closer the elevation gain in those 8 km was 1500 meters! Adding the way to the oasis, we would be on a total of about 22 km and 2000 meters of elevation. We decided that it was probably too much and instead we will do a full loop of the canyon.

We woke up with the sunrise and went for a morning dip in the springs. We had them for ourselves and since it was in the morning they were steaming. We had breakfast in the lodge. Two pancakes with butter and jam + plus coffee and tea for 20 soles ($5) for both of us.

We set off at around 8:30 am and our first goal was to make it to the Mirador Apacheta. It was the biggest climb of the day, basically straight up 700 m of elevation from the bottom of the river through villages called Paclla and Belen. After that, we descended slightly to villages Malata and Cisñirhua which are above the oasis and we stopped there for a small break at a local shop. From here we continued to the highest point in the canyon, the village of Tapay. This was 100% the most beautiful of the wee villages in the canyon and we were there completely alone. We think many people don’t go here because it’s slightly out of the way and the path didn’t look walked too much. From Tapay, we went back down to the bottom of the canyon to a village called San Juan de Chuccho. Because the popular route goes through here, this village was full of people. We stopped at one of the lodges for our snack and bought a cold Coke.

From San Juan, the route goes back up to the village of Cisñirhua and then down to the oasis Sangalle, but since we had already been in Cisñirhua we wanted to take a shortcut straight to the oasis. But about a kilometer into the shortcut, we were stopped by a local who told us that there was a landslide and this path was no longer passable. Therefore, we had to go back and follow the same route through the villages. This added us some extra elevation gain and we were already pretty busted but we did it. On the way up to Cisñirhua, we even overtook all the groups leaving from San Juan.

From there it was just all the way down back to the river and we finished around 4 pm in the oasis Sangalle. We stopped right in the first lodge called Eden and got the same style of a room, private with a shared bathroom, for 50 soles, plus dinner for 20 each. We changed quickly and went straight into a nice pool in the lodge. We bought a bottle of beer for 15 soles and drank it while we were swimming in the pool. It was a nice finish to a challenging day. We finished with 24.5 km and 1500 meters of total elevation gain. But the cherry on top was that Mustafa showed up while we were swimming after not seeing him the whole day.

Unfortunately, dinner was quite disappointing. We got a plate of rice with chicken curry, but it was very bland and there wasn’t much meat in it.

Day 5: Don’t stop until you get to the top!

We didn’t get breakfast because in order to make it to the bus back at 9:30, we had to wake up at 4 am in the morning to be out on our way around 5 am. That’s because from Sangalle to Cobanacombe it’s straight up 1000 meters of elevation in 4 km!

99% of hikers finish in Sangalle and have to get back to the town using the same trail so it was quite busy but once we overtook some bigger groups we were on our own. I wouldn’t say we had any amazing speed after the 2 days of hiking but the challenge was not to stop until we get all the way to the top! And because Clare is a machine we did it. We reached the small shelter at the top of the incline in 2 hours and 4 minutes! Then it was just another 15 minutes on the flat to the town.

Since we got to the town early, we arranged a collectivo for 8 am to Chivay so we didn’t have to wait until 9:30 for the bus. We got a quick egg sandwich and coffee for breakfast and we were on our way. We paid 10 soles each for the collectivo to Chivay and then another 20 soles each for another collectivo to Arequipa that was leaving at 10 am. We had to endure a terrible 3-hour journey to the city because the second collectivo had no A/C or air and it was absolutely sweltering inside. When he finally opened a window and things started to look better, after about 5 minutes this woman asked to close it. I thought Clare was going to kill her!

When we got to Arequipa around 1 pm and on the way to our old hostel, we stopped for lunch menu near the bus terminal. We got a big bowl of soup each, Clare got fried fish, and I got fried chicken, both with a big plate of rice and salad. We only paid 20 soles altogether and we wondered why do we even cook for ourselves since it’s so cheap on the street?!

Before we got back to the hostel, we stopped to change more money and bought some snacks and water at the shop. The fellas at the Peter’s Hostel were super nice and let us use the showers and kitchen while we waited for our night bus to Cusco.

Day 6: Cusco

With every bus journey, my hatred of this style of transportation grows. They are just not comfortable at all. And I hate the bus smell!

We arrived in Cusco at 7 am, 2 hours later than they advertised but we didn’t really mind since we just wanted to go check in to our next accommodation. Our check-in wasn’t until 10:30 am but the lady let us leave our bags there early. We then went to buy a small breakfast from a street vendor, ate it in the park, and observed some workers’ demonstration.

Since we still had some time before check-in, we went to explore the center of the town. We saw the local markets near the San Pedro train station and then walked to the main square where the Catedral del Cusco stands. We wandered through the small streets of the downtown which are really beautiful and had a break at Iglesia de San Blas.

After that, we started going back to our accommodation. Since we were tired from the Colca Canyon and the bus journey, we spent most of the afternoon hanging in the apartment and later I went to the local market to buy us some food and stuff to cook dinner. Buying things on the street proved to be cheaper than in stores but one of the guys tried to have me on and charged me triple for tomatoes but I could see that his price was way off and walked away. But I must say that the vast majority will give you the correct price and don’t try to scam you.

Day 7: The Inka ruins of Cusco

We started the next day by walking around the central market to the Plaza de Armas and continued up the hill to the church of San Cristobal. Here we stopped for a small break and couldn’t resist a fried treat from a local stand. We then continued further up the hill towards the ruins called Saqsaywaman.

You can buy a ticket to the ruins that includes another 3 archaeological sites near Cusco for 70 soles, but since we have already planned to explore more in the next days we bought a ticket to multiple sites (15 in total, I think) in the Cusco area, including some museums in the town, for 130 soles.

We explored the ruins of Saqsaywaman, the ancient capital of the Inka Empire, which took us about an hour and a half, and then continued along the road to the next side called Q’enco. This is a ruin of a burial place and it’s basically a small cave. It’s really close to the Saqsaywaman ruins so no need to get a taxi. Entrance to Q’enco is included in the ticket. There is also another small site right across the street called Qochapata.

We still had time to explore the ruins further north and there is a bus right by Q’enco that would take you there, but we decided instead to see the free site of Templo de la Luna nearby and head to the town to visit some museums since we wouldn’t have time to go there any other day.

We visited the Regional History museum and since we were hungry we stopped for some street food. We ended up having a fried egg with chips and rice, fried fish with boiled potatoes (normal and black potatoes),  and Picaroni (fried donut circles). Each of these items cost us 5 soles ($1.5).

After food, we stopped at the Museo de Sitio Qorikancha and walked back to our place. We had to pack and get our stuff ready for tomorrow’s trip to Machu Picchu.

Day 8: The race for tickets to Machu Picchu

We woke up around 5 am, got a coffee, and headed towards the Cuzco Main Square where we had a collectivo arranged for 6:30 am to take us to Hidroelctrica.

The bus took its time, stopping twice at arranged points for us to buy souvenirs or food and waiting for about 30 minutes at both places. Since the end of the journey is on a gravel road we ended up arriving at Hidroelectrica 45 minutes late. Some people and sites will tell you that the last part is a suicide but it’s really not that bad, just a wee bit bumpy. Plus, we were there during a major construction. There is probably a highway by now.

We set off immediately because we knew that there are only 1000 tickets released for the next day for Machu Picchu and we wanted to get the morning ones. We had 11 km ahead of us and we were in Machu Picchu town (Aguas Caliente) in 2 hours. We arrived at the ticket office slightly after 4 pm, got a line ticket for 6 pm, and were told to come back.

We headed to one of the restaurants for a beer. We ended up having the worst hospitality incident here because we asked about 3 times what they have happy hour for and were told that we could get 2 for 1 on small beers. We got it twice, plus we ordered nachos while we were there. When I went to pay, I even had a small tip in my hand to give it to them, just to find out that we were charged double and didn’t get any 2-for-1 deal. We told them this is not what they told us at the beginning and they lied that they never said anything and started making stuff up. The bill was supposed to be 43 soles and they wanted 60. I ended up throwing 50 on the table and we stormed off.

When we got in the ticket queue at 6 pm and got to the window to purchase tickets, we found out that all the morning tickets were already sold out. To get these tickets, we should have been leaving Cusco at least 4 hours earlier but we couldn’t see any bus like that online. We had two options: 1) don’t buy the tickets now and enter the line again earlier tomorrow, 2) buy tickets for 12 pm tomorrow. In both cases, we would miss the bus back and have to reschedule it for the next day and spend an additional night in Aguas Caliente. We ended up going with the second option because we didn’t want to just sit around for a day. We paid 152 soles (you must pay cash!) each for Circuit 2 + the Inka bridge. Also, don’t forget your passport!

Since September 2024 they have 3 circuits to choose from (when we were there they had 4) + additions like the Inka Bridge, Huayana Picchu, etc.
Check out the circuits beforehand so you know what you're buying. 

If you're coming with a tour, check with them what circuit ticket they have for you. Often they have #3 (before also #4) which is the shorter one without the famous terace. You may want to buy an extra ticket. 

Because the accommodation under Machu Picchu isn’t the cheapest, we brought our camping stuff. We ended up camping in one of the two campgrounds by the river for 40 soles per night. The first night we also made our own dinner.

Day 9: This was on my bucket list for a long time

Since we had the tickets for 12 pm, our morning wasn’t rushed at all and we could enjoy sitting around in the camp and have a few coffees.

We left just after 10 am and stopped for some small sandwiches just by our campground. We then headed for the stairs to the entrance to Machu Picchu. It’s a steep climb but we weren’t in any hurry and still made it in 50 minutes. The other option was to take a bus but that costs like $12 and we would do anything to save some spondulees.

When we got to the top we had to check my backpack in a locker because they don’t allow you to take any big bags in the site. Because the water wasn’t working the toilets were free, otherwise, this is the only toilet at Machu Picchu and you can’t leave the site and use it and come back! (very very important piece of information!)

We got in right at 12:00 pm and walked straight up to the upper terrace for the famous photo of the entire Machu Picchu town. It was exactly as I imagined and more! We walked to the Inka Bridge and all around the Machu Picchu site and took hundreds of photos (I probably will end up with like 3 when I get through them). We didn’t get the morning tickets but instead we got the chance to see the town in full sunlight as well as covered in clouds because it started raining while we were there.

Definitely something to remember and I wish everyone could have the chance to come here once in their lifetime and spend some time in this hidden city in the clouds. I remember having a printed photo of Machu Picchu on the wall of my cubical while I worked in the US hoping to come here one day.

We took our time and left the site after 3 pm. We walked down the hill and to the town of Agua Calientes. We found a nice spot right on the main road and got dinner and beer.

Day 10: Long way back to Cusco

The next day was fully dedicated to getting back to Cusco. Again, we had an easy morning and didn’t have to rush packing. We walked back the 10 km trail to the Hidroelectrica and stopped just 5 minutes away for lunch (let’s be honest here, we stopped for two lunches, fat bastards).

The collectivo again took its time but we were in Cusco at 9:30 pm as they said. On the way to our accommodation, we stopped for some street food for dinner. We had meat on a stick for 6 soles and egg with rice.

We got well needed shower when we arrived, did a little bit of research for the next day, and went to bed by around 11 pm.

Day 11: The west part of the Sacred Valley

This was our last night in Cusco and for the next two days we booked a car. Before we could go pick it up, I quickly ran to the city center and exchanged an additional $200.

The process of renting the car was smooth but we paid more than we thought for less because we got quoted $40 for the car and thought that an extra $10 a day would cover a fully comprehensive insurance. In the end, we paid $74 and only had third-party coverage on it. The renting took a wee bit longer and we didn’t leave until after 11 am.

The driving was stressful because Peruvian drivers can be pretty aggressive on the road and there are many buses and collectivos stopping and re-joining the road. But after we got out of Cusco it was pretty nice and easy. You just have to keep your eyes open for hidden speed bumps and dogs.

The scenery during the drive was beautiful as you navigated the different valleys. We headed straight for the furthest part of the sacred valley to a place called Ollantaytambo (there are more Inka ruins further but this was the furthest we could go in two days). We visited the local ruins and hiked all the way up to Inka Watana. The city was also pretty and we bought some souvenirs and meat on a stick for a snack.

Our next stop was the salt mine Maras. We didn’t know how to get there and ended up on the other side of the mine but actually it was for the best. We knew that this site was not part of our BIC ticket and we would have to pay extra and because we came from the bottom of the mine we got a great shot of the site without ever going in and paying.

We then continued through the town of Urubamba and across the hill to the town of Maras (yes, this is the correct way to come to the mines), but we continued further to the ruins of Moray. Moray was amazing because it looked so much different than anything we have seen so far. These Inka ruins consist of terraces but not the usual on the side of the hills but in small valleys in circles. It was possibly used for agricultural research by the Inkas but we all know those are landing platforms for spacecrafts :D.

We walked around for a bit and left just at 5:30 pm when the site was closing. We drove back down the hill to Urubamba to find something to eat. It ended up being harder than we thought but in the end, we found a wee woman selling brosted chicken and we got a beer as well.

After dinner, we headed up to our prepicked camping location – the parking lot of an archaeological site named Machuqolqa. The parking lot was in a bend and away from the road enough to not be seen. It was harder to find a good empty spot in Peru to pitch the tent so we slept in the car.

Day 12: Tons more Inka ruins

The morning was rainy and we were up quite early so we hung around the site, made coffee, etc. Around 8 am we put on our ponchos and headed to see the site. It was nice and it was free and we were the only people there.

Next, we drove just a few kilometers further across the hill to a nice little village called Chinchero (it’s actually big but there is a wee old part). We got in with our BIC ticket and walked around for a bit. The rain stopped while we were there.

Our next stop was the town of Pisac and the above-standing Inka ruins of the same name Pisaq. It took us about 2 hours driving to get there and a paved road led us all the way above the town to the ruins. We walked around and even visited some parts on the south side that the majority of people didn’t walk towards. Clare bought a bracelet from a lady with a baby goat. We spent a little bit over an hour at the ruins and drove back down to the town for some lunch. We got a massive plate of ceviche and bought some snacks at the local market.

It was early afternoon and we still had two more sites ahead of us so we drove straight to the next place called Piquillacta, made a short stop at Rumicolca just across the road, and finished with Tipón. We were done exactly at 4:30 pm which was the closing time for the ruins.

We wanted to do the same thing as last night and sleep at the next site we wanted to visit in the morning. Unfortunately, the parking lot had a gate and the ruins nearby didn’t have the best location since there was no coverage from the road. We stopped for dinner and drove around for about an hour until we settled with a spot near the ruins of Q’inqu at the edge of Cusco that we had visited the other day.

I don’t know what happened if it was maybe the rain in the morning, but once we stopped cold sweat came over me and I spent the night bundled in my sleeping bag wearing a jacket and a hat.

The beginning of the night was fine but around 1 am in the morning, the police came and told us that we had to move. We drove to the parking lot of the ruined Puka Pukara north of the town but didn’t stay there since a car parked near us and 2 fellas got off and stayed there in the dark. It looked shady so we drove a few kilometres further and ended up by the side of the road. Fortunately, it wasn’t too busy and no one bothered us anymore.

Day 13: Adiós Cusco

In the morning, we drove to the ruins of Tambomachay. Very small place so we were done quickly but it had toilets and it was open since 7 am, so we stayed there for 2 hours getting breakfast, making guacamole for the afternoon bus ride, and getting washed. After Tambomachay, we went just across the road to Puka Pukara, another small ruin.

That was us done with everything (except some museums) on the BIC ticket so we drove to Cusco looking for a supermarket to buy more snacks for the upcoming 22-hour journey on the bus.

We returned the car at 11 am and got a taxi for like 7 soles with all our stuff to the bus terminal. The bus left on time at 13:30 and it wasn’t actually that bad. It was one of the more comfortable ones during our trip.

The bus didn’t have any stops and just around 9 pm, a woman sitting behind us tapped on my shoulder saying that she has problems breathing and doesn’t feel well. I ran to the front of the bus, knocked on the cabin of the driver, and using the translation app tried to explain to him what was going on and if they could stop the bus for a bit. The second driver came with me to the back and with the help of one of the locals who spoke some English we explained what was happening. We then spent the next 30 minutes talking to Dorothy trying to keep her mind off the issue and keeping an eye on her. The bus eventually stopped and police officers took Dorothy to a local hospital while the bus waited at the main square. This at least gave us an option to stretch our legs and get some street food. We got some meat on a stick for 2 soles and tried to get chicken with rice but it took too long and the bus started leaving without us on the board. Luckily, it was driving towards us and we saw it moving so it didn’t leave us there stranded.

Day 14: How we missed Ica and chilled in Lima

The rest of the night was fine and the doctors gave Dorothy some sleeping pills to help her calm down.  We were up with the sunlight and felt in the morning that the drive was starting to get too long. It didn’t help that the bus stopped in Ica to let some people off and we realized how we screwed up not leaving there as well since this was one of the places we wanted to visit for a day but didn’t feel like it was worth the 4-5 hour drive from Lima. We eventually got to Lima at 1:30 pm, basically exactly in 24 hours.

The bus terminal was near the center and our hostel was south in Chorrillos, just on the edge of Barranco town district. As we found out later, the bus system in Lina can be difficult so we were glad that we got an Uber from the terminal.

We both got needed showers and walked to Chorrillos for food. We found a nice wee place serving a 12 soles menu with ceviche and later stopped for some street desserts. We got back to the hostel and I think we were asleep before 9 pm.

Day 15: Downtown Lima

You could hear everything in the hostel so we got woken up just before 6 am by other people having breakfast downstairs, but at least that gave us a chance to enjoy the hostel terrace and a few coffees before we headed to explore the town.

Google Maps are not great for finding buses in Lima...

We planned to get a bus to the center, but after standing on a street and just staring at passing buses with numbers and names we didn’t know we gave up and took a taxi. We got off a few kilometers away from downtown at the Circuito Mágico del Agua park. It was closed when we got there so we continued north towards the Park of the Exposition. We stopped for lunch and ice cream on the way. Before we reached the center, we changed money near the General José de San Martín monument and plaza where we found several exchanges.

The Lima downtown is very old, with a colonial vibe, and plenty of nice buildings. The town also has a lot of boards with information about different streets and allows you to learn about its history pretty easily (not very common in South America). We made a loop around the center and headed back to the park Mágico del Agua. The entrance was 5 soles each and we just relaxed there for a bit before we went to get a bus back to our hostel. It’s a nice park but if you skip it you won’t miss much.

We were able to get a bus back because during the day we observed different buses and found out that instead of trying to find the non-existent bus line numbers that are online we just needed to hop on one that had the area written on it. It was peak traffic so it took over an hour to get to our place. We actually went a few more stops further and went for dinner in Chorrillos.

Day 16: The pyramids, Miraflores, and Barranco

We made a decision to move to a different hostel for the next two nights to be closer to the airport and also because of the noise and barely functioning WiFi. We packed our stuff in the morning and made avocado toast with eggs for breakfast. We left our bags in the hostel and set off to the Huaca Huallamarca.

Huaca Huallamarca is an old city, later used as a burial site in the shape of a pyramid. It was reconstructed by archaeologists and you can access the different terraces and also the top of the pyramid. There is a small museum and everything is written in both Spanish and English. The entrance was 10 soles.

We then walked back south towards our hostel and along the way stopped at Huaca Pucllana, another pyramid, but this one was closed. Continuing further we walked through Miraflores and its coastal parks, finishing in Barranco. Miraflores is a more modern part of the town with new residential buildings and a mall, while Barranco is trying to keep its older and more traditional look. Both places are very touristy which worked for us since we were looking for a bar to show the semi-finals of the Champions League. We got a beer tower and some nibbles and watched Borussia Dortmund get through.

We got back to our hostel at 4 pm and got a taxi to the other side of the town to our new hostel. It was again peak traffic so it took an hour to get there and we also messed up the address and had to walk the last 15-20 minutes. We just left our bags in the room and went to look for dinner. We got some street food (chicken and rice) and a six-pack of beer and ate it on the roof of our hostel. We spent the rest of the night researching our next steps after Lima.

Day 17: The port of Lima and a submarine

Our hostel had a free breakfast so we took our time in the morning and before we even could go to the town we had stuff to do. The main thing was laundry that we eventually got done in a small place near our hostel for 26 soles for about 6 kg of clothes. The second thing was to change more money to have soles for the upcoming boat trip and an Amazon tour. We found an exchange nearby but decided to try our luck somewhere else to get a better rate.

Today, we went to explore the port area of Lima. We took collectivos and buses on the way and ended up taking 3 different buses before we got where we needed to. We walked around the area and noticed a submarine museum. Since neither of us had ever been on a submarine we decided to give it a go and for 20 soles each we got to read a little bit about the submarines making history in Lima (unfortunately all in Spanish) and go into the submarine itself. We were there with only two more people and it was a great experience.

We continued further to a part called La Punta and since it was 2 o’clock we found a restaurant serving Menu del Dia and playing the second Champions League semi-final. This place had a better atmosphere than the one yesterday which made it nicer even though Munich lost against Real Madrid.

We then walked back to a spot where we saw buses passing by and found one that was going exactly to the area where we lived. Since we didn’t walk that much we decided to get off about 5 km away from our place and walk back. Along the road, we found an exchange with a better rate and changed money. We also stopped to get our laundry and buy a few things.

The plan was to get rid of some of the food we were carrying on our backs so we cooked in the hostel and made pasta with eggs and some veg.

Day 18: Finding Eduardo II

We packed our bags last night to have time for everything in the morning. Since we decided to do a longer tour in the Amazon rainforest, I went next door and changed more dollars. We had breakfast and headed for the airport.

The flight was easy and we were in Tarapoto on time. We had no time to waste so we got a tuk-tuk for 10 soles from the airport to the collectivo terminal. This wasn’t the usual van-style collectivo but instead, these were shared 7-seater cars. We got lucky and there was one just ready to go. We paid 30 soles each, our bags were on the roof, and we were away slightly after 1 pm. The road is twisty and we had to cross some mountains but it was ok.

We arrived at Yurimaguas (still don’t know how to pronounce it correctly) after 3 pm and got a tuk-tuk to our accommodation. We took tuk-tuks today because everything was around 3 km away and we needed to save time. We just left our rucksacks at the hostel and walked straight to the port of La Boca. We saw two large cargo boats ready in the dock and immediately we were approached by a local fella asking if we were going to Iquitos. He then took us on the smaller of the two boats called Eduardo II and started showing us around. The boat was already at least half full and we could see some other foreigners on board. We were told that the boat is going to leave tomorrow morning at 7 am and we couldn’t believe our luck (we were expecting that we might hang around the town for 2-3 days before we got a boat). We got two tickets for 200 soles and went to buy hammocks. This boat had no cabins and only one sleeping floor that was mostly occupied by cargo. We should have maybe taken our time and walked to the town market but we got our hammocks from the seller at the port for 45 soles each, including the ropes. We could have saved some money or gotten better quality in the town but we wanted to get them on the boat early to secure our spots there.

Definitely try to haggle for the price of the boat ticket. We were asked for 130 soles at first and he took our offer of 100 right away. People who spoke Spanish got it even for 80 soeles.

Happy that we sorted out everything, we walked to the town and started collecting supplies for our two-day journey. Food was provided on the boat but we wanted to have some extra. We bought some fruit, stuff for guacamole, ham and cheese for sandwiches, rum + coke, and 7 liters of water each. We also stopped for dinner.

We could have spent the first night already on the boat for no extra charge but we have already booked and paid for the hostel. It at least gave us a chance to go and buy all the necessary stuff without worrying about our belongings.

Day 19: The first day on the river

We were up at 5 am to finish packing and head for the boat. We were told that it would leave around 7 am and we wanted to be there at 6 am at the latest. When we got to Eduardo II, workers were already bringing more stuff on the board and there was a new pigsty. Some people were still asleep from the night before.

We settled at our hammocks and one of the first things was to try them. They weren’t very comfortable because the fella didn’t tie them the best so we had to do some alterations. It still wasn’t the best but we learned later how to attach them better. We got to know the people around us such as Dan from Switzerland, Sophia from Germany, and later Michal from Poland. More people joined later, mostly from France. I believe at the end there were 12 tourists like us (+ 2 kids) and about 20 locals. The rest of the ship was various cargo from chairs, a fridge, mattresses, juices, cement, and rice to cows, pigs, chickens, and about a million eggs.

The boat doesn’t leave until it’s full so the people who were already on the boat before us were told 6 pm yesterday and we were told 7 am. In the end, the boat left at 11 am.

The breeze was great while the boat was moving but the sun was strong so we had to move around to stay out of it since we had our hammocks at the edge. The lunch was served right after we took off and we were very happily surprised. We got a decent portion of chicken with rice and it was tasty.

Bigger lunch box/food box/Tupperware you bring, more food you get.

Be smart, be fat!

We spent the rest of the day talking to other people, reading, napping in the hammocks, and writing this diary. Dinner was a chicken soup with rice and it was also very nice. We made some guacamole later to eat a wee bit more and went to sleep around 9:30 pm. The boat wasn’t noisy or anything and it just got a wee bit more louder when it was docking during the night to leave shipments or people in different villages.

Day 20: Amazon River Vol. 2

Clare slept relatively well but I couldn’t sleep at the beginning so I was reading on and off until after midnight. That’s why when I woke up breakfast was being served and everyone seemed already awake for hours. Breakfast was the poorest meal of the day with the usual Peruvian-style watery portage with a lot of sugar and a few pieces of bread. We had some leftover granola and chocopuffs and they made it better. There was also some sad news in the morning including one of the cows that didn’t make the night. When I came to the front of the boats, the cow was already being butchered.

The rest of the day ran similarly. The boat continued down the river with occasional stops and we occupied ourselves with reading, writing, talking, or just simply watching the passing nature. We had a longer stop in a wee village called Maypuco and we had a chance to get off the boat and walk around for a bit. We stopped in a local shop and got a Cusquena Gold beer for 8 soles. When the boat was leaving, two of our fellow travelers were missing and the captain had to take a small boat to return for them.

The lunch and dinner were similar to the day before. First chicken with rice and noodles, later a chicken soup with noodles. I did a small workout just before the dinner and when the sun set we started drinking our rum and coke and ended up talking with an Australian fella named Ian until at least 10 pm.

We had to pre-pack our bags because we were getting closer to Nauta and the rumor was that we could be there at 5 in the morning. The boat goes further to Iquitos but all the Amazon jungle tours start from Nauta and since Clare found a guide living in Nauta we decided to get off there.

Day 21: Happy Mother’s Day from Nauta

The rumor wasn’t much off and we really arrived at Nauta with the first light. We quickly packed any leftovers and untied the hammocks. We got off together with about 7 of the other foreigners and had to try to find our guide named Kevin.

Because there was no signal on the boat and more importantly because we don’t pay for internet, we didn’t know how to find him. When we finally got on WhatsApp (thank you Sophia), we found a message that he will be waiting in the port. I started walking around shouting the name Kevin (yes, just picture the scene from Home Alone) around but got no response. Then a different tour guide appeared and was trying to sell us a tour. We told him that we were waiting for a guy named Kevin. At the same time, a nearby tuk-tuk driver started calling someone. Once the tour guide left, the tuk-tuk driver approached us saying that he was Kevin’s brother and that he would take us to him. I was very skeptical about that but Clare saw him calling immediately after we mentioned Kevin’s name and she trusted him. About 5 minutes after we got in his tuk-tuk we were by a small river house and there was Kevin. As it turned out, Kevin got Malaria at the beginning of the week and was still getting over it. Nevertheless, we were happy that we found him and Kevin spoke perfect English so we started planning the tour. Since he was still a wee bit sick and scheduled for one more injection, we agreed that we would start the next day.

We stayed in a hotel in Nauta where we paid 80 soles for a room. That was the most expensive room we had in Peru so we were pretty sure he ripped us off (especially after we got to talk with Ian later). But to be fair, we did check in at around 7:30 am, we were able to get hot water for coffee and store our bags while we were on the tour.

You would not believe how doing nothing on a boat can take it out of you. We ended up napping for about 4 hours in the hotel before we got out and went for some food. During the walk, we saw two stages being built for the Mother’s Day celebrations later.

When we got back to our hotel, I got a message from Ian asking if we wanted to head out for a beer and we met later at the Plaza de Armas. We walked to a small bar near the river and shared a few beers. On the way back we stopped at the plaza to check out the music but it was getting delayed and delayed so we ended up going back to our hotel after 8 pm since we needed to have stuff ready for tomorrow and make dinner.

We had some leftover avocado, ham, and cheese so we had all that for dinner and packed our bags. We could only take our day packs and had to store everything else in the hotel.

Day 22: Welcome to the Jungle, We got fun and games

We got up at 6 in the morning because we still had some packing to do, wanted to get breakfast and coffee, and had to find some exchange to get more cash. All this needed to be done before 9 am when we should leave for our Amazon tour with Kevin.

We got everything packed, got hot water from the hotel for coffee, and ate some more leftovers for breakfast. We then headed out to get some more cash. We already knew from yesterday that there is no cambio in the town but found out that we could ask in the shops to pay extra with our card and get cash back. After a little bit of time, we found a shop that would do it for us for an extra 5%. Since we were there, we also got some rum and coke and lifted 200 soles cash.

We got to our hotel just 15 minutes before we were supposed to get picked up but Kevin messaged that he will have a small delay because he was still at the hospital waiting for his last Malaria injection.

We got picked up at 10:30 am and our tour started. We only drove for a few minutes to the river and there was already a boat waiting with Kevin’s family Driving the boat was Kevin’s dad, who used to be a tour guide and still does them in Spanish, and Kevin’s wife who cooked for us. There was also Kevin’s 5-year-old daughter. They took us down the main river Marañón and then via a shortcut to Rio Ucayali. The connection of these two rivers, about 1 hour down the river from Nauta, marks the beginning of the Amazon River. We then took a side stream near the village Libertad called Paraporoto and continued upriver to Kevin’s family house which they also use as a lodge. We arrived after 1 pm, settled in our room, and were waiting for lunch.

After lunch, we talked with Kevin about the plans for the afternoon/evening. We scheduled swimming in the Amazon with pink dolphins and a night walk in the jungle after dinner. It was very nice to be able to discuss the itinerary and not just follow one. This way we could tell Kevin what’s most interesting for us.

We left by boat just before 4 pm and only drove for several minutes before we were already able to see dolphins. We never knew you could find dolphins on the river like that! They were not coming closer to the boat and also the wind was making waves so it was harder to spot them but we saw a few before we stopped at a muddy shallow island for a swim. Kevin just told us several frightening stories about the river so he definitely didn’t make it easier to go in but once we jumped in it was all fine. We had to make noise and splash the water to scare away potential stingrays. The bottom was very muddy but the river was shallow so we could walk on our knees to stop getting stuck. You can’t see anything in the water because it’s so brown. While we were swimming some dolphins came closer and we could see them not more than 5 meters away from us. We didn’t swim towards them because you really could see anything approaching you in the water.

Just before we got in the water the rain started and it was just getting stronger. By the time we were leaving it was fully raining and it didn’t stop until later at night. Because of that, we had to cancel our evening walk in the jungle and after dinner we just chatted with Kevin about the jungle, local customs, and what we can do tomorrow. We had some rum and coke before bed and only got a wee bit disturbed by the mouse in our room. The lodge was also full of mosquitos but we were assured that it is harder to get malaria in the jungle than in the city because of the water pollution.

Day 23: Hunting for a jaguar

It was still raining in the morning so we couldn’t do sunset on the river and it looked like we won’t be able to do much. Kevin told us that we would do more exploring from the boat when the rain calmed down. But then his cousin appeared and Kevin came to tell us that the house was going to be used for the Iowaska ceremony and we would have to move to a different one. We talked about the ceremony and he explained everything and told us that we could stay but he doesn’t want his daughter to see it because there should be around 25 people and there will be a lot happening and too many spirits, not all good, awoken.

We moved to a lodge slightly further upriver belonging to a family friend. At first, it was strange that we had to move but at least we occupied ourselves during the rain and the new accommodation was actually newer and nicer. Don’t take me wrong, Kevin’s house was lovely but since they are working on a new lodge the old one is not getting the attention it needs.

Another silver lightning was that the rain calmed down and we could go for a walk. We both got a pair of rubber boots and set off up the river. Before we got off the boat we saw Makaws and Tamarin monkeys hanging in the trees along the river. We started our walk learning about a wild mango tree, trying the mango, and also finding out that ants plant larvae into the seeds. We found some of them and ate them raw. They were quite ok. We then collected more for dinner.

We walked further into the jungle, learning about different trees, and how they can be used as medicine. We had to cross a lot of flooded parts and Clare’s boot turned out to have a small hole and she started taking on some water. We also found a small snake Alfaninga and Kevin tried to catch it but it got away. We spent a long time watching a sleuth hanging in the crown of a tree eating slowly. Later we spotted a family of small Munsaky monkeys and red Titi monkeys. We also heard a roar sounding like a jaguar but couldn’t find it anywhere. We emerged from the jungle just across the river from our lodge and Kevin’s father ferried us across.

We got a shower and amazing catfish for lunch and rested in hammocks since the walk was pretty exhausting.

We arranged to go fishing in the afternoon and left around 4 pm. On the way, we saw a family of Fraighly monkeys and more dolphins in the river.

We didn’t get very lucky fishing in the Brown River branch so we went to try it in the Black River where piranhas are more common. It took a while and I already thought that we wouldn’t get anything but then we started getting luckier and finally I pulled out a piranha. Clare got another fish (Mohara) basically at the same time. Later Kevin got one piranha as well and Clare caught a small catfish. I didn’t know that catfish have small spikes on their fins and had to learn the hard way. The one Clare caught, landed on my leg and got immediately stuck. Kevin had to come forcefully rip it out. I was glad that the catfish was small.

We finished with the sunset and headed back to our lodge. Clare and I stayed behind on the boat and got two more catfish. We could have stayed longer but the mosquitoes were everywhere and we had to pack it.

Before dinner, we went for about an hour-long night walk looking for different insects. We found a tarantula and Clare held it in her hands (I kept my healthy distance as usual). We also saw a black widow and another smaller but poisonous tarantula. We were looking for some bigger animals when we heard a sound that Kevin interpreted as possibly being a jaguar or a leopard. Unfortunately, when we tried to follow it we could not get any further, and then the sound disappeared. But we discovered a local fox-like animal, Soro.

The dinner was delicious! We had chicken with mashed potatoes and then almost all the fish we caught. We finished the day with a cup of tea and went to bed after 9 pm.

Day 24: The unexpected rain in the rainforest

I didn’t seem to be sleeping the best since we got to this part of Peru but I guess it was because of the hot and sticky nights. It didn’t help to see a small tarantula on the wall next to me when I woke up!

Similarly, like the day before the rain was falling and was possibly even heavier. Nevertheless, we left after breakfast to do some exploring on the boat but quickly changed plans as the rain picked up even more. We went back to the lodge, put on long sleeves, trousers, and rubber boots, and headed for the higher ground part of the jungle to learn about the medicine plans and some survival skills in the jungle.

Kevin and his dad showed us different things like where to find fresh water (we drank it from a vine of a tree), different fruits that you can eat, and Kevin talked about how different plans are used to cure a variety of illnesses. Clare even tried some medicine for her throat. Kevin also made a bag and a fan/mosquito swat from a tree leaf and a swing from tree vines. At some point, it was raining pretty heavily but at least it kept us cold in the forest.

We got back just at noon, got a shower, and had another amazing meal. We then chilled in hammocks and got a wee nap before the afternoon exploring.

The first part of our afternoon was a boat ride up the “brow river” and trying to see some more animals. It was nice and we saw some birds and monkeys but the same type we had seen before. Because of the rain, not many animals were around.

Our original plan was to go camping in the jungle. However, that was not possible because of all the rain. So instead of going camping, we headed to see Kevin’s village Libertad. On the way there we stopped at a local shop and bought everyone a beer and some sweets and juice for Kevin’s daughter. We learned that the local word for cheers is “Naquima”. After seeing the village, we took a smaller boat to go look for Caimans. They come up at night if it’s not raining and if they are not too big they can be caught with bare hands. We found one eventually and Clare went straight away to hold it. It was a small one, about 25 cm long.

When we got back to our lodge, we asked if we could go look for the big toads (Waaloo) on the other side of the river. We went after dinner and it didn’t take long to find one. It was super strange because it was just sitting there thinking we couldn’t see it and wasn’t moving. Since Kevin told us that they were good to eat, Clare was determined to hunt one. Clare took the machete from Kevin and tried to kill it but missed. The frog didn’t go far and Clare got lucky with the second shot. Since we were there, we looked for one more and I got one as well for tomorrow’s lunch.

Day 25: Farewell to the Amazon

We went for one more exploration in the morning trying to find animals around the “black river”. But it was raining lightly and after a while, we had to give up because they were all hidden deep in the forest. Good that we took with us one of the fishermen’s kayaks and Clare and I spent about an hour going back to the lodge on it.

We had to pack our stuff while Kevin’s dad made a BBQ from the toads we killed yesterday. We had a big brunch with catfish and frogs and were on our way back to Nauta around 11 am. Just as we were leaving, Kevin’s dad spotted the Woolley (Chorro) monkeys just across the river. This is the biggest kind of monkey in this part of Amazon and we spent a few minutes observing them.

The boat ride took about 2 hours and we could still see more dolphins on the river. When we got to Nauta, Kevin’s brother was waiting on us and took us to the local bus terminal to get collectivo to Iquitos. The bus cost 12 soles each and took about 2 hours.

Kevin

Kevin was a great guide and we really enjoyed the private tour. The price was also much better than what we have seen online and the food was amazing.

+51918725537

We didn’t do much in Iquitos because we were pretty tired from the jungle tour, plus Clare started to have a sharp pain in her ear, possibly from the river water. I went for a quick walk around the town looking for food and we ended up eating just around the corner. Fortunately, Clare’s ear got better and we hoped it would improve overnight.

Day 26: Time to leave Peru

We got up early to catch our flight and got a tuk-tuk to the airport. We were staying close to the downtown and the airport was about half an hour (12km) ride from there and cost us 20 soles. The airport was very small but it had a lounge where we got breakfast and coffee. We had over an hour delay but we made it just in time for our connection from Lima. We were a little bit worried about our bags but they made it as well.

Our flight was to a town called Piura, about a 4-hour bus drive from the border with Ecuador. We first walked to the bus terminal looking for the only company that we could find online that had buses between Piura and Cuenca (Super Semeria). There are many other buses going to Ecuador but they all go to Guayaquil and we didn’t want to go there because we read that it’s not the safest and also further away from the mountains. We managed to find the bus company and got tickets for 120 soles each (not cheap) to Cuenca for 8:30 pm.

It was around 2 pm, so we stored our bags at the terminal and went for a walk around the town. We stopped for Menu del Dia for lunch and continued further to the center. On the way, we bought local honey and banana chips. The town wasn’t anything special but it was nice to walk around and we even made it to a local mall where we bought some more food for the bus journey and used their WiFi.

We got back near the terminal around 7 pm and stopped for dinner with our last 33 soles. We got ceviche and salchipapa to finish with something local.