Peru round-up

It's almost a month since I got back to the UK and I somehow haven't got around to finishing the last couple of posts I planned for this blog.

First up, a Peru round-up!

Why go to Peru?

Go to Peru if you want fascinating history, awe-inspiring ruined cities, stunning landscape and interesting food.

My top three Peruvian experiences:

•  The Salkantay Trek and Machu Picchu - I can't really split up the trek from Machu Picchu, as, to echo our tour company's slogan, the journey was as important as the final destination. The group was so great and the whole experience truly memorable, culminating in that 6am view of the early light over Machu Picchu. 
• My Capachica Peninsula homestay. It was a very chilled out two days, but it was lovely to meet people in their own environment, eat proper local food, and sit for an hour gazing over Lake Titicaca. 
• Colca Canyon - for a combination of reasons why I'm picking the Salkantay and Capachica Pensinsula! Colca combined the scenery and sense of achievement of the former with some of the isolation of the latter. 

You know you're in Peru when ...

•  A lady is standing on the street dressed in traditional costume either clutching a lamb or towing an alpaca and asking for you to take her photo (I never actually did).
• You're standing at a crossing waiting to get to the other side of the road and three taxis drive past beeping at you, just in case you might actually be wanting a taxi instead of simply crossing the road.
• There's a random parade going on to celebrate a religious festival, the fact it's Sunday, or the local university!

What to pack when going to Peru

Layers. Lots of layers. And suncream. On the coast it's hot and dusty but at altitude it can be chilly. Except when the sun's out, when it's hot again and you're liable to burn in no time at all.

Annoyances and things to look out for

As a solo female traveller I felt safe in Peru at all times, although a few people seemed astonished I was on my own (given that I met a few other women in a similar position this was odd, but there you go). Single rooms were reasonably-priced and I was well-looked after eating alone too.

It wasn't all perfect though! A few things:

Peruvian traffic is truly awful. The big comfortable tourist buses are a good, cheap way of getting around but your driver will take bends on mountain roads fast and wide. Best to buckle up and trust they know what they're doing. Taxis in towns are cheap and seem fairly reliable, save for the driver I got in Arequipa who drove in circles and almost failed to find my hostel.

There was a S./ 400 limit on ATM withdrawals at most ATMs for much of my stay, which was a pain. When I needed to withdraw a large amount of US dollars to pay for the Salkantay trek I had to go to a bank and get it over the counter. I stuck to bank ATMs as in Brazil, although I'm not sure if the skimming issue is the same in Peru as Brazil. 

Prices of things are definitely elevated in tourist towns - food, drink and entry to attractions. Foreigners are charged substantially more to visit attractions than locals (which I get, but I wish the same applied in the UK!)

What I've missed most about Peru

The vibrancy and colour of the place, especially the bright clothes worn by the locals away from the bigger towns; and the fantastic fresh fruit.