© 2018 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
South America…here we come!
Packing up that manila folder filled with many hours of research, bookings, reservations, tickets and general information was so final. If it wasn’t in the folder, chances were that it wasn’t going to happen.
So, unlike many other trips I have taken in the past, where I had a general plan but booked on the fly, this one had specific items that had to be booked in advance. With my husband in tow, I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about his having a good time and things working out as they should.
More than anything, I wanted my husband to enjoy the things that I have previously experienced in Lima and experience new things together in Cusco and Machu Picchu.
After a quick six hours in the air, we were touching down in Lima and making our way through customs and immigration. Arriving at our hotel, we were pleased to find that we had been upgraded to a beautiful suite and despite the late hour, we still had time to grab a nightcap at the hotel bar.
So far, so good!
After a hearty breakfast the next morning, we headed out to explore the Historic Center of Lima.
San Francisco Monastery was first on our agenda. Having visited this UNESCO World Heritage site on my first visit to Lima (read about it in my post Lovely Lima), I was eager for my husband to experience its refined beauty and history. Only having to wait a short time for the next English tour, we were taken through the alluring structure which also contains a library and catacombs.
After a short walk around the Plaza Mayor…and a few selfies…we headed to the Cathedral Basilica of Lima (read about my first visit in my post Cathedral of Lima). Officially inaugurated by conquistador Francisco Pizzaro who is also entombed in the cathedral, the church incorporates a small ossuary and the Religious Art Museum of the Cathedral of Lima. Every single one of the fourteen individual chapels is worth inspection, as each seems to be more ornate and more elaborate than the other.
After a walk through some of the small markets and a glimpse at the Presidential Palace, we jumped back into a cab and headed back toward Miraflores. Traffic of course, was at its usual, almost standstill. Heading down Avenue Arequipa, we made a quick decision to stop our driver near a street heading to Huaca Pucllana (read about my first visit on my post A Peruvian Pyramid), a great adobe and clay pyramid which served as an important ceremonial and administrative center between the years of 200 and 700 AD. Luckily, an English tour was about to commence and were able to follow along, learning about the historic structure.
Finally, we headed back toward Parque Kennedy in the center of Miraflores. Walking through the park, I pointed out the Church of the Miraculous Virgin (read about my first visit in my post The Colonial Church) and City Hall. Guiding my husband toward a store, La Quinta, with tables piled high with clothing, he inquired as to whether he was going to get some of the churros that I always talk about. Yes, but first a little shopping expedition (read more about it in my blog post Shop Til You Drop)!
Not only did my husband find a great many shirts of the popular brand that he loves here at a fabulous discount, but he even went back after churros for a few more!
Eager to rest our feet and relax for a while, we found a great little restaurant with amazing Peruvian cerviche. A couple of beer later, the toll of our adventurous day was catching up. Knowing we had a full day ahead of us, it was time to enjoy our suite for a few more hours and get some shut eye.
Cusco was calling!
So, we were up early the next morning and heading even further south into Peru. Though is was an arduous task getting to the airport, even with easy Saturday traffic, the check-in process with LC Peru was quite simple and before lunchtime, we had already checked into our hotel in Cusco.
Headed down the hill behind our hotel, we soon got our first glimpses of Cusco’s main areas, the San Francisco Plaza and the beautiful Plaza de Armas flanked on the east and south by the alluring Cusco Cathedral and the Iglesia De La Compañia De Jesús and on the north and west by restaurants and shops.
The streets were busy with residents going about their Saturday business and we joined in with the errands we had to attend to. Though we enjoyed walking along the streets of Cusco and admiring the impressive colonial architecture, open spaces and occasional street art, we were seeking out the ticket office to purchase our bus tickets for Machu Picchu prior to heading to Aguas Calientes. Not realizing that we were required to bring our passports for purchase, the agent agreed to use our driver’s licenses and pictures of our passports that we both had in our phones.
Finally, with tickets in hand, we set out to accomplish the last of our tasks of the day, collecting our tickets for our Sacred Valley tour the next morning. This tour had been set up for us by a friend of a friend. As we found the office, met the agent and paid for the tour tickets, we were instructed on our pick up time in the morning and what our day would entail…lots of stops, beautiful ruins, interaction with the local people and lunch. Very excited about to hear what our upcoming day, we bid our travel agent goodbye and continued our explorations of the Plaza de Armas, culminating with a scrumptious, Peruvian dinner.
Now, I am adventurous eater, but my husband is not. There are two things that I wanted to try in Peru and alpaca was one of them. After deciding on one of the many restaurants in the square, we found a nice, little place, overlooking the beautiful plaza and ordered this unique entree. Believe it or not, my husband decided to join me on my quest to try something new! Though we found it not to be as tasty as we thought, we were glad we had a new experience under our belt. One of many to come in the next few days!
After much planning and travel, it was time! Our Machu Picchu adventure was just beginning!
For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.
San Francisco Monastery
- http://museocatacumbas.com/
- Address: Jirón Lampa, Cercado de Lima 15001, Peru
- Hours: 0900-2015, daily
- Admission: Adults, S / 15.00 (about $4.46 US), Students, S / 8.00 (about $2.38 US), Children, S / 3.00 (about $0.89 US)
Cathedral Basilica of Lima
- https://arzobispadodelima.org/
- Address: Jirón Carabaya, Cercado de Lima 15001, Peru
- Hours: 0900-1700, Monday-Friday, 0900-1200, Saturday, 1300-1700, Sunday
- Admission: General, S / 10.00 (about $3.00 US)
Huaca Pucllana
- http://huacapucllanamiraflores.pe/
- Address: cuadra S/n, Calle General Borgoño 8, Miraflores, Peru
- Hours: 0900-1700, daily
- Admission: Adults, S / 12.00 (about $3.57 US), Children Under 12, Students and Teachers, S / 6.00 (about $1.79 US)
LC Peru
Machu Picchu Bus Tickets-Consettur Machupicchu S.A.C.
- Address: Av. Infancia, 433, Wanchaq, Cusco
- Hours: Monday-Saturday, 0800-1245, 1500-1800, Sunday, 0800-1245
- Ticket Prices: Foreign Adult, S /24.00 return, Foreign Adult, S /12.00 single, Foreign Child, S /12.00 return, Foreign Child, S /7.00 single. Adult National, S /15.00 return, Adult National, S /8.00 single, Child National, S /8.00 return, Child National, S /5.00 single. Student National, S /10.00 return, Student National, S /6.00 single.
- Tickets can be purchased up to 7 days in advance, valid for 3 days but for 1 use only. Passports or national ID required for purchase.
Machu Picchu Bus Tickets-Inter Bank
- Address: Av. El Sol, 380, Cusco
- Hours: Monday-Friday, 0900-1300, 1400-1800, Saturday, 0900-1300
- Ticket Prices: Foreign Adult, S /24.00 return, Foreign Adult, S /12.00 single, Foreign Child, S /12.00 return, Foreign Child, S /7.00 single. Adult National, S /15.00 return, Adult National, S /8.00 single, Child National, S /8.00 return, Child National, S /5.00 single. Student National, S /10.00 return, Student National, S /6.00 single.
- Tickets can be purchased up to 7 days in advance, valid for 3 days but for 1 use only. Passports or national ID required for purchase.
Machu Picchu Bus Tickets-Aguas Calientes (Bus Stop)
- Address: Av. Hermanos Ayar S/N
- Hours: Monday-Sunday, 0500-2100
- Ticket Prices: Foreign Adult, S /24.00 return, Foreign Adult, S /12.00 single, Foreign Child, S /12.00 return, Foreign Child, S /7.00 single. Adult National, S /15.00 return, Adult National, S /8.00 single, Child National, S /8.00 return, Child National, S /5.00 single. Student National, S /10.00 return, Student National, S /6.00 single.
- Tickets can be purchased up to 7 days in advance, valid for 3 days but for 1 use only. Passports or national ID required for purchase.
Machu Picchu Bus Tickets-Machu Picchu
- Address: Bus Stop
- Hours: Monday-Friday, 0730-1730
- Ticket Prices: Foreign Adult, S /24.00 return, Foreign Adult, S /12.00 single, Foreign Child, S /12.00 return, Foreign Child, S /7.00 single. Adult National, S /15.00 return, Adult National, S /8.00 single, Child National, S /8.00 return, Child National, S /5.00 single. Student National, S /10.00 return, Student National, S /6.00 single.
- Tickets can be purchased up to 7 days in advance, valid for 3 days but for 1 use only. Passports or national ID required for purchase.