By: Alejandra G.CH
Peru is undoubtedly a fascinating destination with a lot to offer. I had the opportunity to visit it for a week and I really wanted to return.
This destination has been one of the most sought after in South America as a destination of gastronomic, archaeological and cultural interest. There is something for everyone, without a doubt, I had many expectations, despite the short time I was able to visit several places of interest and now, some time after the trip, more than the tour I am left with what I liked the most and what caught my attention in Peru.
My tour began in Lima and Cusco, passed through Ollantaytambo and several points in the Sacred Valley.
Lima, the capital city, I had not been able to visit a coastal capital, but we were certainly struck by the path along the sea; Larcomar, a shopping centre embedded in the coast, the movement of young and old occupying the public spaces of Lima late at night.
We all liked the organization and tranquility of Miraflores, the bridge of sighs, we enjoyed the Pacific Ocean, which I did not hesitate to enter as soon as I had the opportunity, one less ocean on my checklist of visits.
Capital cities often have points of interest that remind us of other regions in their country, as they are their representation and point of connection with the world. However, something that caught my attention was a shop on a street that branched off from the main avenue, a seemingly normal little convenience store selling sweets, drinks and candy.
But looking more closely I realized that the store sold typical products from several Latin American countries such as Salsa Valentina, Maltin Polar, Bocadillos de Doña Guayaba. Truly a moment. My Latin people.
Andean worldview
The cultural part of the trip was very satisfying for me; learning more about the history and culture of the native peoples, marveling at how, despite our differences, we have great similarities with the native peoples of Colombia. It is very beautiful to see their similarities in beliefs and how they have mixed with the religion brought by Spain, leading to syncretism, one of the most interesting cultural aspects.
I brought Andean crosses, chakana, for myself and my best friend. A sacred symbol, representing the celestial and divine world, the earthly world and the world of the ancestors. It can be seen in different designs, flags of communities in Andean countries and in celebrations such as Inti Raymi.
Baby alpaca, silver jewelry and other luxury souvenirs.
Although you can certainly travel around Peru at prices not as high as other popular destinations, no one had told me about one of the country’s specialties, silverwork. There are certainly impressive designs both in silver and in Baby Alpaca garments, the finest wool, since it comes from the first cut of an Alpaca. If you want to take any of these home you must have a good budget for it.
Hiking
The Inca Trail was on my to-do list, Cusco was full of visitors with hiking equipment and when we needed to buy some suitable shoes, we found the last two pairs of our size on the busy shopping street, and this equipment is selling like hotcakes.
Tren a Machu Picchu
One of the most fun parts of the outward journey, but not the return journey due to weather conditions.
The train is always a magical way to travel without missing the scenery and at a good speed. The service was from Perurail and we were able to appreciate the vegetation, but we started to get stuck on the road, it was the rainy season and there were landslides further along the road so we had to wait to continue moving forward.
Although the journey had been by bus and train, the day had been long and the group was tired, after seeing one of the wonders of the world, different groups of tourists gathered at the station, it was raining and even if they were not going to board the train soon, everyone was at the station sheltering from the rain, however not everyone could get in. Despite not being high season, there were quite a few tourists, although they were well organized in groups, according to the capacity of the place.
Due to weather conditions, trains are delayed by 3 to 4 hours, according to the scheduled times, and the people gathered at the station began to ask what was happening. Little by little they accepted that the wait would be long no matter what time the ticket said, so to make the wait more pleasant, a large group began to sing popular songs, which most of the tourists at the station knew, songs that Mexicans, Argentinians, Colombians knew… My group arrived at the station around midnight.
Gastronomy
Even though you might expect it to be a world-famous cuisine, it still impresses when you actually try it. Especially because of the use of ingredients common in the region like potato and avocado, used in a way you haven’t seen before anywhere else.
The stars were the causa limeña, the quinoa soup and the chicha morada.
Source: https://alanxelmundo.com/curiosidades-de-un-viaje-express-a-peru/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=curiosidades-de-un-viaje-express-a-peru
