Peru

Hey all,
Had an awsome trip November last year for 6 weeks in Peru. Stayed in Lima for most of it and met quite a few people my age who took me out clubbing a few times to Laco Mar where we danced till 5am drinking Barena beer and pisco sours (REMINDER: do not mix pisco sours with any other alcohol when drinking! and if you want to keep standing till the early morning hours, do not drink more then 4 of them!haha, they're lethal) Reggeton is a popular music for the younger crowd (mix of reggae and hiphop) but they've also got restaurants that hold shows supporting cultural dances (some of the names I cant remember but mesmorizing to watch) and the peruvian music with the bambo flutes are beautiful.
Lima is huge and it all depends on where you plan to stay while your there. The waterfront has a spectacular view and its definately something you should make a day of. Laco Mar is the centre for shopping and are open as late as 9pm, there's also a beautiful ice cream shop not far from Laco mar, ask any local and I'm sure they'll know where it is! Also, for the adventurous type, you can sky-glide (is that even what its called) over the cliff face of the waterfront all the way down to the beach below!
The food in Peru is mind blowing!!! If your into seafood, make sure you try a typical peruvian dish called 'Ceviche' and check out Cala (my favorite restaurant in Costa Verde, Lima!!) Its a hip restaurant/bar, the food is excellent and the view from the balcony is well worth the experience:) Plus, if you like your dessert, Cala will do nothing please your taste buds!! I went there twice just for dessert!

My second part of the trip was a quick (couple hour flight) to Cusco where I stayed at Casa Andina (not recommended if your on a budget, but if you got the cash, it couldn't have been more perfect!) There are hostels there as well but make sure you do a thorough background check on whatever one you decide to stay at as some can be pretty dodgy. It will help also to speak a bit of the langauge but don't let that scare you if you don't know any. I walked around at night and the lighting on the old church in the centre of cusco is gorgeous. I also went to a random market (yes, another tourist trap but worth going to!) People in this town were so friendly and were more then welcome to help me out when I got lost on the way back to the hotel. It would be a good idea to check out the museum while your there aswell! Due to the high altitude I dont recommend eating too much especially anything heavy such as red meat as it can really way you down and walking up one level of stairs makes you feel like you've climbed Everest twice! Eat light and drink plenty of coco tea (they'll advice you about it when you get there but I found it to be really helpful in over coming that feeling of being tired and week).

I then took a train to Agua Calientes which is the town directly below Manchu Picchu. The train ride had beautiful views of cusco from up high and the country side along the way. They also serve you lunch so no need to worry about food but if listening to a remix of celine Dion played with peruvian instruments all the way to your destination isn't your cup of tea, I'd take your own music with you to have something a little more appealing to listen to. Make sure you book the train in advance if you plan on going to Agua Calientes as they can be fully booked and leaving times as brutal as 5am.

A really nice place to eat while I was there is Inka Wasi. The staff are so friendly you leave with a bubbly happy feeling!! (though that could have just been the jug of sangri I drank which was equally delicious) and the food portions are huge so thats always nice. Oh and look out for the creatively carved vegetables that accompanies your dish!..very interesting indeed...Hmm..

The bus ride up to Manchu Picchu almost made me pee my pants I was so nervous.. its a zig-zag road that takes you all the way up to the top but there is nothing between the road and the cliff face and when two buses are trying to pass each other on a corner.. yeah, you catch my drift but remember, its completely safe (they do it more then 20 times a day, everyday, every year and there hasn't been a problem before) so just try to sit back and relax.. hey, you could always indulge in a jug of sangria before hand and you'll be sweet:)

as for manchu picchu, wont say a word. Its a secret best left told through your eyes:)
all I can say is that the whole experience up there blew me away and as for any advice, GET YOURSELF A GUIDE. otherwise you wont know what your looking at! Plus, there's a buffet restaurant up there thats awsome if you wanna grab a nice feed before heading back down.

Peru was awsome and only wish I could have seen more of it!!

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