Peru – Two Brits Abroad

The big fat guide to South American bus travel

April 19, 2015 Sarah Comments 2 comments

Long distance bus travel is likely to form a central component of any South American trip. For cash-strapped backpackers, an overnighter also helps save money as it gives you a nights accommodation as well as the means to get from a to b. The level of comfort (and safety) of South American buses depends on the country you’re in and the bus company you go for. On one bus, we were served champagne (yes! champagne) after our meal (yes! we were served a…

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Photo Friday: Viewing the moon

February 20, 2015 Sarah Comments 2 comments

Looking through our photos from our South American trip, I found these amazing pictures that we took of the moon! Even more amazingly, they were taken on an iPhone! While we were in Nazca in Peru, we went to the Maria Reiche planetarium at the Nazca Lines Hotel. Maria Reiche was a German researcher who dedicated her life to research on the Nazca Lines and was successful in raising their profile and ensuring the protection of the Nazca desert.The planetarium offers nightly shows about…

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Crossing Borders: In pictures

January 27, 2015 Sarah Comments 0 Comment

We crossed a number of land borders throughout our 6 and a half months in South America – quite a novelty for two Brits! Here are some of our border crossing photos. Leaving Peru, we were pleased that the border crossing was well marked with the iconic Peru sign and a big bottle of Cusquena beer! We walked across the border into Bolivia and were less delighted with the queue for Bolivian immigration that we were confronted with. We left Bolivia…

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South American top tipples!

January 25, 2015 Sarah Comments 1 comment

Pisco Sour: Peru and Chile One of our favourite foodie discoveries from South America was the Pisco Sour. Pisco is a grape brandy made in both Peru and Chile. In Peru, lemon, angostura bitters, sugar or syrup and egg whites are added to the brandy to make a Pisco Sour. Traditionally in Chile, the egg white and the bitters are not added. First Pisco Sour! It is the national drink of both countries and both lay claim to have invented…

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Where we stayed: Peru

July 11, 2014 Sarah Comments 1 comment

Lima: Most visitors to Lima stay in either upmarket Miraflores or slightly bohemian Barranco. The old town is reportedly not very safe for tourists at night, although there are hostels and hotels there too. The Bridge of Sighs in Barranco near Barranco Backpackers We decided to stay in Barranco and loved the colourful buildings and relaxed atmosphere of the area. Miraflores was nice, but walking around the area you feel like you could be anywhere in the world, whereas Barranco felt…

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Our quest to visit a Peña

May 12, 2014 Sarah Comments 0 Comment

In South America, peñas are or (are supposed to be) bars or restaurants where people get together to play traditional folkloric music, eat, drink and be merry. Intrigued, we first attempted to go to a peña in Arequipa, Peru. However, the one listed in the Lonely Planet just didn’t exist. We asked a couple of locals if they knew where it was. They didn’t. One of them looked it up on his iphone and found the Lonely Planet entry and sent…

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Copacabana and the Isla del Sol

May 7, 2014 Sarah Comments 1 comment

The beautiful Isla del Sol The Isla del Sol is another island on Lake Titicaca, but is reached from the Bolivian side (see previous post on our visit to Puno in Peru). We had been told that the island was a ‘must see’ in Bolivia and so we left Peru behind, crossed the border and made our way to Copacabana. Bye bye Peru! Hello Bolivia! Hmmm let’s hope this doesn’t take too long! The small town made me feel even…

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Poor old Puno

May 6, 2014 Sarah Comments 0 Comment

Puno from the Condor viewpoint Puno sits on the edge of Lake Titicaca on the Peruvian side and it’s from here that you can arrange trips to some of the islands on the lake, including to the floating “Uros” islands that are made entirely from reeds. Puno itself feels pretty rundown and rather unattractive. It looks a little like there was an attempt to brighten up the promenade along the lakeside about 20 years ago, with paved walkways, benches and…

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A day trip to Tipón

April 29, 2014 Sarah Comments 0 Comment

Waterfalls of Tipón On our last full day in Cusco, we decided that we needed to see just one last Inca ruin! Terraces of Tipón We hadn’t bought the expensive tourist ticket that you need to visit the sights in the Sacred Valley, but I’d worked out that you could buy a partial ticket for a local ruin and we decided on Pisac. However, following a discussion with an American expat when out and about, we decided to go to Tipón, which…

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Chilling in Cusco!

April 27, 2014 Sarah Comments 4 comments

Plaza de Armas, Cusco While I fell in love with Arequipa and declared that I could live there, James’ favourite city in Peru was Cusco. And despite the huffing and puffing that comes from strolling around a city at such high altitude we really enjoyed a good 6 or 7 days there pre and post Inca Trail, taking in the sights, visiting Inca ruins, meeting llamas in the street, stuffing ourselves at the local market, eating out with our new…

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