Julie Rutledge's List: Peru

• The bus from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu takes about 20 minutes and costs  US$7 each way (US$14 return).
• you can see  splashes of pink and orange flowers growing on the slopes - these are actually  the orchid Wiñay Wayna which can be commonly seen throughout the region.
• if you really want to get to Machu Picchu early I would recommend  arriving by about 5:00am since during the peak season there can be quite a queue  by 5:15am!! It speeds things up if you buy your bus ticket in advance, either from  the ticket office in Aguas Calientes the night before
• The last buses depart Machu Picchu at about 5:30pm, be sure to check the time of the  last bus as it can be a long walk back to Aguas Calientes if you miss it (well  about 1 hour if you follow the more direct route rather than follow the road)
• Why do so many people want to get to Machu  Picchu by 6am in the morning? Climbing Huayna Picchu.
• As from May 2007 the government has put a limit of 400 on the number of people who can  climb Huayna Picchu, the mountain that you see rising up behind Machu Picchu.
• As soon as you  enter Machu Picchu its recommended that you make your way over to the base of Huayna  Picchu where you'll find a small hut handing out the tickets to climb. The  tickets are free. The first 200 people can climb Huayna Picchu straight away,  however they all have to be back down by 10am
• It takes about an hour to reach the top climbing slowly - not  recommended for sufferers of vertigo.
• Unfortunately if you are arriving by the Inca Trail or by train  the same day then it is becoming increasingly difficult (in fact almost  impossible in the peak months) to climb Huayna Picchu the same day. You'll just have to spend the  night in Aguas Calientes and return early the following morning. 
• IMPORTANT NOTE:   Tickets to enter Machu Picchu can no longer be bought at the entrance to   Machu Picchu itself. You now have to buy the entrance tickets at the   Machu Picchu Cultural Centre in Aguas Calientes (10m from the main Plaza, opens at   5:15am). The entrance fee in 2010 is 126 Peruvian Soles (which is approximately   US$44).
• hey only accept payment in Peruvian Soles and rarely have any   change so make sure that you take the exact amount.
• If you can, best to buy the entrance   tickets the day before.   Alternatively you can buy the tickets in Cusco at the Instituto Nacional   de Cultura (INC) offices which can be found at Calle San Bernado a few   blocks from the main Plaza de Armas). The tickets are valid for 3 days   from the day of purchase which means you have time to travel to Aguas   Calientes, stay the night and enter Machu Picchu the following morning.   However once you enter Machu Picchu they are only valid for that day. If   you want to return to Machu Picchu the following day then you have to   buy another ticket!!
• Machu Picchu opens at 6am and stays open until 6pm. You can take small bags into  the ruins but anything larger must be left at the luggage store near the  entrance for 4 Peruvian Soles a piece (about 1.5USD) - remember to take exact  change!.

11 more annotations...

• Hotel España

     

   $8

     

   $12  

     

   $13

     

   $15  

     

  Central  Lima. Popular  budget hotel situated next to the San Francisco Convent and 4 blocks from the  Plaza de Armas

     

  Hostal  de las Artes

     

   $9 

     

   n/a 

     

   n/a

     

   $18

     

   Central Lima. Nice colonial building popular with backpackers. Dorm rooms also  available from only US$5 per person!!

     

  Malka Youth Hostel

     

   n/a

     

   $18 

     

   n/a

     

   $20

     

   San Isidro district. Clean, inexpensive and secure and is ideal for backpackers  and students.

     

   Hostal  Roma

     

   $13

     

   $20

     

   $16

     

   $25

     

   Central  Lima. Popular hostal often full.

• By Air: the two nearest airports to Mancora are Tumbes and Piura. There  are daily flight between Lima and Tumbes (flight time 1hr 30mins) with TANS.
• By Bus: There are several bus companies that operate the route Lima to  Mancora. Most buses depart Lima at about 4:30pm and arrive in Mancora the  following morning at about 10:30am. Recommended companies are Ormeno and Cruz  del Sur. Buses depart Mancora at about 5pm and arrive back in Lima for about  11am.

• One of the most well-know beaches is   Punta Sal (80km from Tumbes), a long   white-sand beach considered one of the finest in Peru.
• One of the most well-know beaches is   Punta Sal (80km from Tumbes), a long   white-sand beach considered one of the finest in Peru.
• One of the most well-know beaches is   Punta Sal (80km from Tumbes), a long   white-sand beach considered one of the finest in Peru.
• One of the most well-know beaches is   Punta Sal (80km from Tumbes), a long   white-sand beach considered one of the finest in Peru.
• One of the most well-know beaches is   Punta Sal (80km from Tumbes), a long   white-sand beach considered one of the finest in Peru.

3 more annotations...

• visit another Patagonia park, such as Queulat, home to bursting fuchsia plants, the elusive huemúl
• Slightly farther north is the practically unvisited Tolhuaca National Park, full of monkey-puzzle trees and red-crested woodpeckers the length of your forearm.
• Do… hike to the El Morado Glacier
• This one is much more accessible, your starting point being Cajón de Maipo (near Santiago).
• Another option is a day trip from Puerto Natales to the Serrano and Balmaceda Glaciers via a 4-hour boat trip past sea lion and cormorant colonies.
• ice blocks, plus take a short forest hike.
• go to Argentina for the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the world’s only advancing glaciers.

• Do… hike up on the Zorro Vidal path

   

  This trail takes about 40 minutes at a reasonable pace and is accessible from the Bellavista (Pio Nono) entrance. Or rent a bike on the Pedro de Valdivia side and pedal up (30-40 minutes).
• mote con huesillo (a drink made with hyper-sweetened peach punch, reconstituted dehydrated peaches, and wheat kernels) from the vendors at the top.
• Cerro San Cristobal mini-do: the Japanese Garden
• Do… take the bus

• Do… hit up Calle Bandera to buy used clothing

   

  Or, better yet, head for nearby Patronato, a zany warren of blasting music and inexpensive clothes, manufactured in Chile (or China) for a fraction of the price (and some say quality) of what you’ll find in big-name stores like Falabella or Paris.
• Don’t… eat salmon
• throw in a “¿cachai?” (”get it?” in local slang)

12 more annotations...