Peru didn't leave as big an impression on me as many other countries. I think part of it is that I was ready to return home after I left Easter Island, so I was less enthusiastic about checking stuff out, especially anything other than Machu Picchu, which is the reason I put Peru on my tour.
Also, other than Machu Picchu, nothing about Peru really stood out to me in a very good way, even though as I think about it, more things should have stood out in a good way. The food was interesting, but varied a lot in quality. The good food was very good, but a lot of it (even the same meals at different places) tasted like cheap imitations of the good meals. Still, I'll say that I like Peru's food, but it wasn't my favorite. I'm for sure going to add more avocado to my diet. I've heard it's fattening, but I do not care.
Lima seemed like kind of a dump, other than the neighborhood I stayed in, which was pretty nice. I'm glad I could meet up with my new friends who lived there. Seeing them made my day in the city more enjoyable than otherwise, although neither one of them loved Lima, and they might have turned me off the country a bit more than if I hadn't met them. (Among other things, one of the two was kidnapped and robbed in Lima, although I don't think he suffered any lasting harm. Both said that pretty much everyone they knew in Lima had been a victim of crime.)
Cusco had one big thing in its favor: It still looks like it did back in the old days -- well, the oldest part of the city, at least. Although, even that was both good and bad. Good in that it looks different from other cities around the world, which, to my disappointment, look much more alike than I'd hoped. Bad because it got really tiresome to constantly have to squeeze against a wall as a car drove through the one-lane streets with no care for pedestrians or the fact that the road is only about one foot wider than the car. If the old part of Cusco were pedestrians only, or the taxis took more care, it would probably be fine, although the hills would still challenge one's legs and lungs.
Machu Picchu was definitely worth the stop, but I think I appreciated it more on an intellectual level rather than because it really impressed me. Like my impressions of Peru generally, I think I've just seen too many really cool things recently. So Machu Picchu was just one more set of ruins. And unlike a lot of other things I've seen (like in Cambodia and Sri Lanka, especially, where I didn't know what to expect), I had very high expectations. The area around Cusco had more ruins, too, so I got to spend more than one day looking at old things, which was good. I confess I did not get out to see all of the local ruins. I was too lethargic, either from boredom and apathy or from altitude sickness. Southern Peru could be a very good place for others to visit. And it wasn't bad for me, just... the luster had worn off travelling or something.
Note I am writing this at at Lima's Airport, which is not the worst I've been in, but is not efficient at all. Fortunately, the long lines at security and immigration weren't a problem, because it looks like my flight to San Salvador will not be leaving on time anyway. This of course has my stomach in knots because I only have a one hour layover to catch my flight to Dulles. The delay is caused by a late flight from San Salvador, so I hope that means that whole airport is behind schedule, and I won't miss my next flight.
[Hours later, writing from the next plane before take-off:] We landed in San Salvador about 25 minutes late, which meant when I got off the plane I was able to walk to the gate next door and get in line to board the flight to D.C. Whew! I only got to see a snippet of San Salvador's airport, but it seeed to have no air conditioning (in 90 degree heat!), it was crowded, and it smelled like B.O. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...
So where was I? Peru. The people were ... ok. At least the ones I interacted with at hotels, restaurants, etc. were accomodating and gave help when asked. Few people were actually friendly, though, and the masses of people... well, the phrase "born in a barn" kept popping into my head. :| Which it didn't anyplace I else i visited. I wonder if Jose is reading this. If so, he's a major exception -- friendly from the start, lots of fun to hang out with.
Anyway, I would not try to dissuade anyone from visiting Peru. There was enough about it to like, and a lot of things to see, that a person who's not weary from travelling could like it a lot.
[Hours and hours later:] I'm home! :D
Also, other than Machu Picchu, nothing about Peru really stood out to me in a very good way, even though as I think about it, more things should have stood out in a good way. The food was interesting, but varied a lot in quality. The good food was very good, but a lot of it (even the same meals at different places) tasted like cheap imitations of the good meals. Still, I'll say that I like Peru's food, but it wasn't my favorite. I'm for sure going to add more avocado to my diet. I've heard it's fattening, but I do not care.
Lima seemed like kind of a dump, other than the neighborhood I stayed in, which was pretty nice. I'm glad I could meet up with my new friends who lived there. Seeing them made my day in the city more enjoyable than otherwise, although neither one of them loved Lima, and they might have turned me off the country a bit more than if I hadn't met them. (Among other things, one of the two was kidnapped and robbed in Lima, although I don't think he suffered any lasting harm. Both said that pretty much everyone they knew in Lima had been a victim of crime.)
Cusco had one big thing in its favor: It still looks like it did back in the old days -- well, the oldest part of the city, at least. Although, even that was both good and bad. Good in that it looks different from other cities around the world, which, to my disappointment, look much more alike than I'd hoped. Bad because it got really tiresome to constantly have to squeeze against a wall as a car drove through the one-lane streets with no care for pedestrians or the fact that the road is only about one foot wider than the car. If the old part of Cusco were pedestrians only, or the taxis took more care, it would probably be fine, although the hills would still challenge one's legs and lungs.
Machu Picchu was definitely worth the stop, but I think I appreciated it more on an intellectual level rather than because it really impressed me. Like my impressions of Peru generally, I think I've just seen too many really cool things recently. So Machu Picchu was just one more set of ruins. And unlike a lot of other things I've seen (like in Cambodia and Sri Lanka, especially, where I didn't know what to expect), I had very high expectations. The area around Cusco had more ruins, too, so I got to spend more than one day looking at old things, which was good. I confess I did not get out to see all of the local ruins. I was too lethargic, either from boredom and apathy or from altitude sickness. Southern Peru could be a very good place for others to visit. And it wasn't bad for me, just... the luster had worn off travelling or something.
Note I am writing this at at Lima's Airport, which is not the worst I've been in, but is not efficient at all. Fortunately, the long lines at security and immigration weren't a problem, because it looks like my flight to San Salvador will not be leaving on time anyway. This of course has my stomach in knots because I only have a one hour layover to catch my flight to Dulles. The delay is caused by a late flight from San Salvador, so I hope that means that whole airport is behind schedule, and I won't miss my next flight.
[Hours later, writing from the next plane before take-off:] We landed in San Salvador about 25 minutes late, which meant when I got off the plane I was able to walk to the gate next door and get in line to board the flight to D.C. Whew! I only got to see a snippet of San Salvador's airport, but it seeed to have no air conditioning (in 90 degree heat!), it was crowded, and it smelled like B.O. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...
So where was I? Peru. The people were ... ok. At least the ones I interacted with at hotels, restaurants, etc. were accomodating and gave help when asked. Few people were actually friendly, though, and the masses of people... well, the phrase "born in a barn" kept popping into my head. :| Which it didn't anyplace I else i visited. I wonder if Jose is reading this. If so, he's a major exception -- friendly from the start, lots of fun to hang out with.
Anyway, I would not try to dissuade anyone from visiting Peru. There was enough about it to like, and a lot of things to see, that a person who's not weary from travelling could like it a lot.
[Hours and hours later:] I'm home! :D
