Peru #5

Mid March 2019 – length of stay 29 days

For a Frenchy whom lived for the last 10 years near the coast and for an Aussie who lived almost his entire life next to the ocean, we were very excited to go to Peru as we knew we would finally reach the coast. But before that, we needed to check out some incredible sites that Peru has to offer including the food!

People

Not bad, not good, our opinion on Peruvians is average! We didn’t have any bad experience, but we can’t say we had an amazing experience with Peruvians! They were not particularly welcoming or friendly or even curious as the rest of the South America has been so far (except for of few)!

Highlights

Lima; a great city with all aspects that a city requires

Maccu Picchu; a unique human heritage but unfortunately, not everyone could afford it

The National park Huascaran with the Paramount mountain logo and the turquoise lagoon

The oasis village Huacachina in the middle of the sand dunes

Lobitos beach; not a touristic spot, friendly locals, cheap fish and good to learn surf

Lowlights

Rubbish is everywhere! Unfortunately, recycling or putting rubbish in designated areas is not part of their life. They do provide bins in touristic areas only and dumped the rubbish 5kms after town where it is hidden from the tourists. It is so unfortunate that the country is an opened rubbish tip.

Food & booze

Finally, our bellies were grateful! From the cheap local food to the famous restaurant with the rated best chefs in the world, Peru has not disappointed us.

The country offers different climates and soils, their food is then very versatile. A few good listed restaurants offered a degustation menu with more than 12 courses showcasing the differences within Peruvians region and local produces, often matching drinks too.

Wine is not the best at all but we can’t blame them, it is a matter of climate. But they have other good drinks, even without alcohol (like chichamorano)!

Camping scene

If you stick near the tourist attractions, you end up paying for campsites or carparks. It is then pretty hard to find something decent for free as most of the land has been exploited for the tourism sick. If you travel around the Andes, it is very mountainous or “canyonous” and again hard to find a flat and quiet area.

Towards the coast, it is easier to find free camp, but you should be a bit more careful than usual about where you camp. We often asked the locals near by to know if it was safe before staying in one spot.