Peru 2019

This will be about my exploration of three cities in Peru (Arequipa, Cusco, Lima) and some sites we visited!

Rainbow Mountain

I was recently invited to Arequipa, Peru, the hometown of my friends, Pia and Kuky. I met Pia in 2015 while she was a nursing student at my place of work. We started to hang out and she told me her sister, Kuky, founded a non-profit organization called Señorita that helps fund higher education for young women. Fast forward four years later and I find myself traveling to Peru to help this organization as well as the community.

Our dream team were Kuky, Pia, Brittany, Kimber and me. I met Brittany in 2017 through Pia. Kimber was a new friend to all of us and we loved getting to know her on the trip. Kuky first met her at church.

Kuky!

Pia!

Brittany!

Kimber!

me!

We left Friday evening for a short layover in Mexico. We headed to Lima close to midnight. After a long layover, we arrived to Arequipa at 1:30pm. We were greeted by Kuky, Pia, uncle Mario and his children, Chiara and Tomas.

Left to right: Brittany, Kimber, Pia, me, Kuky

Uncle Mario made us Chilcano, a drink using the brandy, Pisco.

We went to uncle Mario's to have "dinner". I learned that in Peru you have breakfast in the morning, dinner at 2pm and then tea time around 6pm. We met some more of the family here and shared our introductions. Aunt Andrea, Aunt Marita, her son Fernando and Mama Frida all joined us.

Rooftop view. Chiara, Pia and Kimber. I love the different tiles on the floor.

Family dinner.

white corn.

Did you know there are over 4000 types of potatoes in Peru?

Dessert! Canastitas y Canelones.

After dinner, we headed to Mama Frida's where Brittany, Pia and I would be staying for the week. Kuky and Kimber stayed nearby at aunt Marita's.

Señorita

The next day, we met with some of the Señorita girls and their mentors at a sandwich and juice shop called Pura Fruta. I loved getting to know them and hear about their dreams and aspirations. One of them recently graduated from culinary school. Another girl gave each one of us a chocolate bar with a sweet note to thank us for supporting them. From our fundraiser, we paid for the girls' meals and also gave them money to buy clothes. After lunch, we walked around town.

Plaza de Armas

Buñuelos

Later that day, Kuky told us it was custom to eat buñuelos on Sundays so we went to a small one table place to try these fresh warm doughy treats. They were so good with honey!

Arequipa

Arequipa is 2,335 meters above sea level and is framed by three volcanoes. Chachani, El Misti and Pichu Pichu. It's named the White City for the sillar (volcanic rock) used in buildings. We took a 4 hour bus tour on Monday and it didn't disappoint! I learned that coca leaves are used to combat high altitude and Kimber and I had a heart racing experience when we flew in the air!

Our tour bus.

Catedral Basilica

Alfajor. This soft delicious cookie with dulce de leche will melt in your mouth.

El Misti volcano seen from Yanahuara overlook.

Coca leaves. Used to make cocaine but when left in its natural form, it has many health benefits and is chewed to fight high altitude.

Gearing up for my first experience on a swing.

Weeee! Mirador de Carmen Alto.

Kimber ziplined and had a blast!

Chachani and El Misti volcano.

Pizza and Pasta

For dinner, we went to Kuky's friend's restaurant, La Cañería. The owner, Christian Velasquez, greeted us and spent the evening sharing his passion and vision of the restaurant. Simply stated, he loves pasta and pizza. He also loves to repurpose so his restaurant uses repurposed wood for the flooring and pipes for the furniture and light fixtures. He went to school for culinary arts, architecture and public relations so La Cañería encompasses it all. I truly enjoyed meeting Christian and see the fruit of his love and labor.

Calzone with my favorite fruit in Peru, aguaymanto.

Aguaymanto. A sweet and sour superfruit. You can actually buy this at Sprouts! They are also called goldenberries.

Owner Christian Velasquez in center.

Many craft pizzas to choose from.

Dog Rescue

On Tuesday, we drove 1.5 hours to the coastal town of Mollendo. To get here, we drove through a mine and then the road became a twisty roller coaster ride. I was able to handle it during the day but when we drove back at night, it was hard to see the headlights so I opted to close my eyes and listen to some tunes. Here in Mollendo, we met with Malena, a woman whose passion is to help street dogs be neutered/spayed. Her desire is for people to adopt instead of shop. She keeps a bucket of water in front of her house for the strays. A hairdresser, Malena spends most of her time helping the animals. She is overwhelmed with the need as locals often drop off injured dogs to her. The day we visited, she had a puppy that was just hit by a car. With our fundraiser, we gave Malena a donation for her organization, Huellitas Patitas, to continue sterilizing street dogs.

En route to Molleno

House of Malena

The brown puppy is the most recent rescue. He was hit by a car.

We all piled into a taxi to take the dogs to the beach for some exercise.

One of a few street dogs who came up to us. This one followed us the longest. He had an unknown excoriation on his back. Pia got him some water. We named him Chocolate. (UPDATE: Chocolate's wounds have healed!)

Praying for Malena and her organization.

Chuck E. Cheese's

We went to the orphanage Casa Hogar El Amor de Dios and took the younger children to Chuck E. Cheese's. Many of them have never been. They had a fun time playing and eating pizza. This was made possible by our fundraiser. Thank you donors! There was a sweet little girl who exchanged her tickets for stickers. After receiving them, she quickly gave them all to Kimber.

You guys, they have lionhead bunnies!

The girls loved touching Kimber's hair.

Kuky and the girls looking for a taxi.

One of many taxis.

Some of the kids called it Chuck E Chuck E Cheese.

The boy couldn't reach the pedals so Kimber sat him on her lap and pushed for him.

This sweet girl gave all the stickers she earned to Kimber.

This sweetheart loved sharing her ice cream with Pia.

She also wanted to give Kimber some ice cream.

The girls wanted a selfie.

Chelawasi

For dinner, we went to Kuky's friend's restaurant, Chelawasi. I am not a burger gal but must say their burgers are quite tasty! The owners are Canadian-Peruvian. Casey lived in Oregon and his wife is Peruvian. If you want great burgers and craft beer, check out this place.

Behind the bar with owner Casey.

Pizza Night

The following evening, we went back to the orphanage so we could treat the older girls to a pizza dinner. Before we ate, the girls danced for us. Afterwards, we talked and played with them. Kimber and Pia enjoyed a game of soccer.

Brittany serving Inca Cola.

Kimber serving pizza.

Sunday Service

We attended service at La Capilla Church with Pastor Coco. I love hearing worship in a different language.

Pastor Coco in red.

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After service, we had lunch with more of the family at a beautiful outdoor seating restaurant called La Cau Cau. A comida criolla (creole cooking), the restaurant is a mix of Peru and African influence. I saw on the menu that they had guinea pig. I couldn't get myself to try it though!

Do you see the guinea pigs?? Look up.

That evening, we got on the bus at 8:30pm for a 10 hour ride to Cusco. The seats reclined which I'm so grateful for! I do have to warn that the road is very curvy so there is alot of movement and it's noisy. We were also on the top half which could have contributed to the motion. It reminded me of when I was on the train for 24 hours in China. So wear earplugs if you're a light sleeper!

Cusco

We made it to Cusco at 6:30am! Elevation 11,200ft. I could feel it! We arrived at our hotel and had lunch at Las Frescas, Cusco's first salad bar. They offered many fresh and healthy dishes including juices. Before reaching Cusco, we were told to not overeat as digestion is a bit harder with the high altitude.

Las Frescas. Small place with healthy food.

Outside Las Frescas building. These faces are called "frescuritas". They represent being bold and carefree.

At 2pm, we went on the city tour. We started with a walk around the main square, Plaza de Armas.

Cusco Cathedral

16th century Church of the Society of Jesus

Cusco was once the Inca empire's capital. It is now a World Heritage Site. They say it is in the shape of a puma.

The head of the puma is Saqsaywaman. This complex has a fortress, temples and was a location for ceremonies. The stonework is quite impressive!

Qoricancha

Qoricancha was a religious complex that also housed the Temple of the Sun. It was the center of the Inca World. The Spanish built the Santa Domingo Church and convent on top of Qoricancha. In the grassy field, there is a shape of the Inca trilogy: condor, puma and snake. The condor represents the world of the gods, puma is the living and the snake is the world of the dead.

Tambomachay

The Inca baths, this archeological site was a ceremony for water. The aqueducts flow water to the bottom of the structure.

At the beginning of the walk to Tambomachay, you can take photos with these Quechua ladies and their llamas

After greeting this smart doggy, he went and herded his donkeys. He took their rope in his mouth and happily ran up the hill.

Pictured with our tour guide. He was so wonderful. Walking with a cane, he was faster than me.

Puca Pucará

This was our last stop and it was getting pretty dark. Puca Pucará is a military ruins site. It translates to "red fortress".

Machupicchu

A bus picked us up at 3:50am to take us to the bus station an hour away. It was very cold! At the bus station, there are shops to buy hot drinks and breakfast. Our train left at 6:40am. It was a beautiful view during our 1.5 hour ride. We got to the town of Aguas Calientes where we got on another bus for about 20 minutes and then arrived at Machupicchu. We toured for about 2 hours. It was so hot so dress in layers depending on when you go. I still can't believe I was here. It's breathtaking. Machupicchu is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This ancient Inca site is called "Old Mountain" or "Old Peak" when translated from Quechua to English.

Train station. It's early and cold!

Was tough to see the view on the train because windows fogged up but the afternoon ride back provided breathtaking views!

Town of Aguas Calientes

Macchupicchu!

You can stamp your passport!

We bought our sweaters in Peru. It was so hot though so we quickly took them off!

Our amazing tour guide.

20 minute bus ride from Machupicchu to Aguas Calientes

Lunch time.

Coca tea.

Laguna Humantay

The bus picked us up at 4:15am and after some time and quite a few switchbacks on narrow roads, we reached the town of Soraypampa to start the ascent to Laguna Humantay at 10:30am. It's steep and the high altitude adds to the challenge. Brittany and I opted for the leisurely horse ride. We had an adventure as well which included horses wanting to go their own path to steal corn from the farmers. Laguna Humantay is 13,779 feet above sea level and is formed by the thaw of the Humantay mountain. After enjoying the beautiful view, we all hiked down together.

We stopped for a little breakfast before the hike. We are not photo ready.

Peruvian dog. They're hairless so people put clothes on them.

No idea who the guy is.

Rainbow Mountain

Recently, snow melt on a mountain revealed an array of colors due to mineralogy. In 2016, a trek opened up for people to visit Vinicuna aka Rainbow Mountain. A bus picked us up at 4:15am and we embarked on a full day adventure. The summit of Vinicuna is over 17,000 ft which is comparable to to Everest base camp. It is very challenging! That is why I took a horse. My friends trekked it all! There were llamas grazing by the Ausangate Glacier and I felt like one of them as I chewed coca leaves to fight the altitude. I did have to summit for the breath-taking view. Literally. We were told to only spend 15 minutes max up there due to the thin air. I quickly felt nausea and needed to descend. This day was one of my favorites. I've been wanting to go here for a while. The pictures don't capture the real life vibrancy. We had a sunny day so all the hues shined brightly.

Kuky and Kimber hiking up.

My horse.

It gets dusty up there.

Reunited hugs. That's how we are. A loving group.

We celebrated 4th of July on Rainbow Mountain.

It's so hot!

We made it!

After Rainbow Mountain, we drove around various lakes. We were really tired but enjoyed our moment!

Lima

We spent our last few days in Lima visiting Kuky's and Pia's family. Lima is the capital of Peru and lies on the Pacific coast. It is a busy metropolis unlike the small towns of Cusco and Arequipa. The evening that we got to Lima, Kuky's aunt Sandra took us to eat at Tanta and then we walked the artsy area of Barraco. The next day, we went to the port city Callao where we ate lunch and then went inside a multi-level building called the Ronald building where artists displayed their work. There is a rooftop area with views of the city. Callao Monumental is a project to transform the city showcasing urban art. As we walked, we could see vibrant murals and visit galleries and cute shops.

rooftop at Ronald building

ceviche!

Breakfast with Tío Jose and María Luisa

Food and Family

Here is just a little of what we ate. I very much enjoyed the ceviche and trying all the new fresh fruit! I also loved spending time with Kuky's and Pia's family. I love how close they all are. This trip was one of the best trips of my life!