High Points of Our Trip to Peru

Reflecting upon what I wrote about our trip to Peru I realize I focused more on the downsides (altitude sickness, the abysmal flight) than I did on what I enjoyed. That's not fair to me, or to the few of you who read my posts. That's just jet lag (even if we were traveling in the same time zone) speaking.

We are blessed to be able to travel, and that we both enjoy it -- though Don will be the first to admit I enjoy it more than he does.

What did I enjoy the most?

Of course Manchu Picchu is stunning, and we had an excellent guide with a dry sense of humor that caught me off guard until I leaned into it. However, I enjoyed myself more when we left the tour group and explored on our own. 

I love a good tour. I take copious notes, snap pictures with my phone, chat with those in our group, and live fully in the moment. That is true no matter where I am on the planet. It is especially invigorating learning about new places in English, with a guide I can have a conversation with.

However, my two favorite experiences in Peru were when Don and I left the tourist district and saw local people enjoying life without performing or trying to please us. They were unapologetically living their best lives.

The first was our first night when we went to the Magic Water Circuit of Reserve Park. The Magic Water Circuit is a series of light shows using fountains as the backdrop. Until we bumped into a tour guide with a red umbrella loudly speaking English to his charges, I felt we were the only non-Spanish speakers at the festival. I saw children racing through the arches of water giggling the entire time as their parents tried to keep up. I saw multi-generational families spending a lovely summer evening in each other's company.

The second was when we stumbled upon Carnavale being celebrated in Urubamba. We didn't expect it. We saw people, mostly women, wearing matching traditional-inspired outfits that clearly looked like costumes heading to a mysterious (at least to us) location. Two days earlier we saw people rehearsing in front of the cathedral, so we suspected a festival was in the making. We just didn't know the details, or if we had time to see any of it before our guide was collecting us to take us to Cusco. I was glad we caught them parading to reviewing stand, as they tossed foam at us and unapologetically included us in their festivities. I wish we could have stayed a few more hours. We did catch some of the partying in Cusco, but as that is a bigger city (not a big city, just larger than Urubamba), and it was later, the reveling was turning violent with water balloons hard as rocks (one hit me in the head and bounced off without breaking, so not sure which was harder). It was not as enjoyable as watching multigenerational groups celebrating together.

If we had had one extra day in Lima, I would have booked a tour of Pachacamac, located about 31 miles outside of Lima it is one of the most important pre-Spanish invasion religious sites, and a huge archaeological destination. As I really enjoy archaeology, this had the potential of being another highlight.

You can't do it all.