MANCORA & THE NORTH, PERU

Traveling through the never ending desserts of Northern Peru, we finally made it the seaside resort town of Mancora. There is not much to see along the way, only a few dry and dusty small cities.

We first crossed Trujillo, a sleepy outpost in proximity to the more touristy town of Huanchaco, a small beach side resort village with towering waves. Further north, Chiclayo has a pleasant restaurant scene but really not much else. The only attraction we would suggest in the area is the coveted Museo Tumbas Reales Sipan featuring the treasures once belonging to the Mochica civilization who lived between 200 - 700 AD. The museum, rated amongst the 10 best in the world, holds tons of gold jewelery, ornaments and the remains of the Lord of Sipan himself. Hostal Amigo is one of the best, if not the only option in town.

In Mancora we stayed at the Loki Hostel which looked much more like a resort than a hostel. Great food such as the traditional alli de gallina or special menus such as the Mediterranean buffet or barbecued tuna kebab meant we actually ate a large portion of our meals there. Around town there are also a mix of local restaurants offering the usual all starch diet of fried fish with rice and fries, a few burger and pizza joints and some more upscale places.

This destination marked our first initiation to surfing, which regrettably comes after more than 9 months of traveling. Classes at the Mancora Surf Club consisted of a bit of theory and then tossing you out amongst the crashing waves while waiting for the words "ariba" which meant it was time to stand. A brisk start which resulted with a few adventures amongst the sharp coral frantically trying to regain the board as the waves threw us around and hearing pleas from afar by the instructor screaming "levante Juan, levante". Despite many aches and bruises we were hooked. Hopefully in time we can overcome our fears and gain the ability to gracefully ride the waves.

LIMA, PERU

If traveling to Lima during the winter months (June-August) don't expect to see much sun. Every time it came out we would cheer and stumble out onto the streets to catch a few rays. Although always cloudy, it never rains, making a person walking around with an umbrella clearly a tourist.

Modern and vibrant, we spend the week in the Miraflores neighborhood, roaming the cafes and great seafood restaurants the city has to offer. Lima is said to have one of the best restaurant scenes in the world and we were not disappointed. The chupe, a hot seafood soup, the popular ceviche served with an entré of leche de tigre, and wonderful suchi, are what occupied most of our time. Numerous juice bars throughout the city are also great for a quick lunch and a boost of vitamin C.

We made a short visit to historic central Lima and visited El Museo del Convento de San Francisco which houses catacombs holding over 25,000 bodies. A stop at the nearby Bar Cordano after the visit to savor their stiff pisco sour is a must in order to unwind after visiting the stuffy underground chambers.

We stayed at a small, quiet hostel we recommend, called Condor's House, Besides relaxing between meals we also had the chance to run into many friends whom we had met earlier during the trip.  We had a blast spending time with them, adding an unforeseen punch to our stop in the city.

MACHU PICCHU, PERU

After experiencing frenzied Cusco, we were hesitant in making our way to the ultimate tourist attraction of the region, Machu Picchu. We decided to take the train from Ollantaytambo, one of the cheapest options, costing about $70 each, which is an outrageous amount for a two hour train ride in South America. Another $60 each for the day pass to visit the site and we were ready.

Aguas Caliente, or Machu Picchu town, is set in a beautiful, tropical setting with an raging river running through it. It has tremendous potential but the final result is atrocious. Overrun by tourism with an appearance of having been built overnight, we didn't meet one person who visited the place and had enjoyed the experience. Nearly all restaurants are identical, serving mediocre and overpriced pizza, pasta or grilled meats. We spent two nights ceaselessly being haggled in this ugly, unfriendly town.

We chose to hike up to the ruins instead of taking the bus. Setting off at 5 am we made the steep climb in about an hour, passing many wheezing and sweaty people who struggled up the hill. While short, it is by no means an easy trek. We got to the entrance and lined up with the crowd waiting for the gates to open. Once inside, perched on a hilltop we waited until 7:30 for the sun to rise on Machu Picchu along with all the other visitors snapping away pictures.

Having taken the coveted "myself with Machu Picchu in the background pictures", we headed up the Wayna Picchu, a steep mountain overlooking Machu Picchu. The hike up is vertiginous but the views from above are beautiful. On the way back we visited the rest of the mystical city, getting lost in its winding alleyways and interconnected buildings.

Overall, the location of the site, hidden amongst the surrounding green mountains, is impressive. The constructions, made out of massive rocks fitted one into another and aligned with perfection, are remarkable. Unfortunately the visit itself is rather disorganised, overcrowded and pricey, making the overall experience seem overrated.

CUSCO & SACRED VALLEY, PERU

Arriving in Cusco we were overwhelmed by the intensity of the city's tourism. It was an obvious shock after experiencing the relative tranquility of Bolivia. The constant haggling from vendors and restaurants quickly annoys, it was like nothing else we had seen in South America. Nevertheless, the city is beautiful, featuring grand colonial buildings built above the original rock solid Inca foundations. Cusco also has all the western treats, such as nice restaurants, many bars, nightlife as well as many fast food chains such as Starbucks and McDonald's, for those feeling homesick.

We took a guided tour to visit the surrounding Inca archeological sites, along with a huge group of nearly 30 other people all following the flag raised above our tour guide's head. It only cost about $5 and now we know why, it's an experience best forgotten. The Cafe de La Paz with its friendly waiter as well as the Pariwana Hostel situated in an old mansion with a great central courtyard, provided us with a much needed oasis in this hectic tourist mecca.

Next, we took a short bus ride to Pisac in the Sacred Valley to visit an Inca citadel perched high up on a mountain. The long and arduous six hour hike and the view below were the highlights as opposed to the rather modest ruins above. The town itself is also pleasant during the afternoon once the busloads of tourists have departed from the town square which hosts an elaborate artisanal market. Ulrike's Cafe which has good food and excellent wifi and the Pisac Inn which makes an excellent pisco sour are both recommend.

Our final stop before heading to Machu Pichu was Ollantaytambo, a beautiful town overlooked by a giant fortress build by the Incas. The sheer size of the site, cut within the mountain side, is highly impressive. It's one of the rare sites where Spanish colonizers lost a major battle against the Incas. The town itself has changed little since precolonial days, with stone block houses and a stream running along its major street. We highly recommend spending some time here in what we consider to be the most pleasant stop in the entire Cusco area.