Peru & Bolivia Jungle Excursion

 The catch is that you really need at least 2 or 3 days in Cuzco to acclimatize to the elevation before undertaking a trek. And the treks are a minimum of 3-4 days in duration. So with travel, getting used to elevation, trekking and then a day at Machu Piccu, we could easily use up 8 or more days of our 21 day vacation. 

We were concurrently contemplating diverting the trip into Bolivia for either a jungle excursion and/or Salar de Uyuni. So this is what we did...

  (to be continued)

Peru & Bolivia Trekking

 
The next day we had breakfast and started trying to figure out what we were going to do. Cuzco is the launching point for Machu Piccu, either by train or trek. Trekking to Macchu Piccu via the Inca Trail is quite common, but needs to be booked months in advance and planning that far in advance just wasn't in the cards. But there are several other trails, some arguably nicer due to less trekkers, that can be booked one day in advance.

  (to be continued)

Peru & Bolivia Cuzco (Day 4)

 We got into Cusco around 3PM and took a cab to a hostel/hotel a short walk up the hill from the Plaza de Armas (chosen from the Lonely Planet). The hotel wasn't anything special except that it had hot showers. 

It was almost sunset (6 PM) by the time we got out wandering. A pretty easy uneventful wander about evening with some incredible seafood soup that we talked about for days (also some pizza!!).

  (to be continued)

Peru & Bolivia Long Bus Ride

 But in retrospect, we would have considered flying to Cusco as the flights aren't much more expensive and would have saved 20 hours.

On the other hand, the long bus ride gives your body some time to adjust as you go from sea level at Lima to 3500 meters in Cusco (we ran into a few people who flew and were quite rough on their first day in Cusco).

(to be continued)

Peru & Bolivia Night bus for Cusco

  After Pachacamac, late in the afternoon we left Lima on the night bus for Cusco. It was a very nice Cruz del Sur double decker bus with 4 front turning wheels (I found this interesting, Mel less so). We had the front window seats on the 2nd level providing a nice view. There are many bus lines and Cruz del Sur is the most expensive - they video tape all passengers and have pretty top notch bag check in / luggage claim services, so that makes you feel pretty safe (read later stories for other examples of bus service).

(to be continued)

Peru & Bolivia Pachacamac

  On our return from the beach we splurged and had a very nice meal with wine at an outdoor restaurant (reminded Mel and I of a place we ate at in the Italian District in New York).

On our 2nd day and last day in Lima we headed about 40 km south of town via local buses to visit the pre-Incan (built between 200 and 800 AD) city of Pachacamac. (And when I say local buses I mean vans called combis that I think are all privately owned - buy a van and then drive everywhere honking at and picking up people - it's really rather crazy and random, but also quite functional.)

David  (to be continued)

Peru & Bolivia Miraflores

   The central Plaza district is nice, but not that great an area (very relative, but for most cities it is often the highlight).

In the afternoon we headed to our new hotel in the Miraflores neighbourhood, which is much more or a trendy neighbourhood (more touristy too, I guess) and also right on the ocean. We walked down to the ocean, walked on the beach, I nearly got run over by a bicycle, the usual.

David  (to be continued)

Peru & Bolivia Lima

 The next morning we packed our bags and toured (i.e., walked) abount central Lima (with backpacks on our back, which is a rarity). There was a festival or celebration of sorts in the Plaza de Armas (the center square, which every town and city has). Central Lima was okay, but it was hot and muggy , with backpacks, and we weren't all that impressed.

David  (to be continued)

Peru & Bolivia Lima (Day 1 / April 30)

I left for Lima early Monday morning (thanks to Gabe & Rebecca for the ride to the airport!). Flew United to LAX and then LAN Peru to Lima - no points :( Got into Lima that night (actually 12:30AM the next day) and Mel arrived via Air Canada (direct from Toronto) about half an hour later. I made sure my plane got in at the same time as Mel, my personal translator, to avoid having to speak spanish :)

That night we got a mediocre hotel in central district. The hotel wasn't particularily nice, and the area wasn't great, but at 1:30 in the morning, does it really matter?

David  (to be continued)

Peru & Bolivia Travel Blog

Hola!! I'm back in San Fran reflecting on a fun trip to Peru and Bolivia. I know several people who are considering a trip to Peru, so I thought I'd give some details about what we did in 22 days, a little on how we got places, highlights, etc. But mostly, just a lot of pictures, which because the post is so long, most of you just look at the pictures :) Also, more pictures (read WAY too many) at my flickr account (flickr.com/photos/archean1/). 

David

About Kiri Bowers

  Kiri Bowers created her site Travel Bumpkin out of a passion for escapism and discovery. After graduating with an English Literature degree in London, the only thing on her mind was gallivanting the globe. Currently on her second round the world adventure, Kiri has explored her roots in India, found love in Australia and eaten her way all over South East Asia. 

Hawaii Travel Kilauea Iki Crater

Hiking through Kilauea Iki Crater

Hawaii travel introduces you to the ‘Hula’ spirit of Hawaii, and is something that will touch your soul and call you back to this beautiful place time and time again. Hanging out in Hawaii and enjoying what these idyllic islands have to offer, will be a trip you won’t forget.

 Kiri Bowers

Florida 146

 

Florida 138

 

Florida 134

 

Florida 135

 

Nazca 194

 

Nazca 188

 

Nazca 184

 

Nazca 174

 

Hawaii Travel Hawaii Hiking

 Is there a better activity to do for free? 

Well not only does Hawaii have some of the most spectacular treks along its many beaches, rain forests and snow-capped mountains; it also has beautiful waterfalls, gorges and pools, nature at its most divine. Get out there and explore.

 Kiri Bowers (to be continued) 

Hawaii Travel Hawaii Golfing

 Enthusiasts worldwide come to Hawaii for its magnificent golfing ranges. This is a great way to spend a day amongst pristine courses that are both beautiful and challenging. The PGA tour plays one of its world famous matches of golf in Hawaii and the ranges here are not be missed, whether you are a pro or novice.

 Kiri Bowers (to be continued) 

Hawaii Travel / Whale watching

 
Once you’ve seen the oceans biggest creature from afar, why not get up close and snorkel with the smaller stuff? The Hawaiian Islands have some of the best snorkelling in the world. For a tiny fee, you can hire snorkelling gear and marvel at the underwater world in panoramic view. You can of course, scuba dive too but this will cost you a good deal more. Picking up an underwater camera is well worth it here as you can capture the beauty of Hawaii’s reefs really well.

Kiri Bowers (to be continued) 

Hawaii Travel Kilauea Caldera, Volcanoes National Park by exfordy

 The Hawaii Ocean / Hawaii is unique in its ocean wildlife. Most travel agendas for these islands always include whale spotting. Sightings are a regular occurrence here. Whale watching can be done expensively on a guided boat or on the cheap by finding a good spot looking over Honolua beach on the island of Maui. Cross your fingers and with a bit of luck you might see a humpback or two.

 Kiri Bowers (to be continued)