An Adventure I Will Never Forget
Before I dive into this story, I want to let you know that my wife is a Limenian (Ella es de Lima, Peru), and I am an American with Irish blood that has "muy pocito" Spanish speaking skills.
We decided to go to Peru to visit soon-to-be family and friends shortly after our engagement a few years ago. Our short trip turned into a pretty fantastic adventure of foods, culture, history, landscapes, and more!
Lima, Peru
Lima is love! Everything about this place was filled with culture, new and old. Mammoth skyscrapers, fancy restaurants, and shops stood tall along the green coast. The sent of the sea was potent, but not unpleasant. And, the air was dry and warm.
Food is one of many lures of Peru, and for a very good reason.
This famous dish is a must try when visiting Lima! It's called ceviche, and it might be the freshest "raw" fish I've ever had (and I live in Florida). Ceviche is pretty much anything that lives in the ocean, soaked in a lemon juice for a few hours. That might sound a little off-putting, but trust me on this one, it's worth the taste!
Pisco, Ica, Peru
After enjoying the riches of the Limenian coast, we met with a few friends and took a bus to Ica! Pisco, Ica, the birth place of Pisco brandy, was an intense experience. Everything, from observing the process that 16th century Spanish settlers used to make alcoholic beverages, to feeling the sensations of a time before ours through the taste and smell of an ancient drink, was enough to make us forget that we were half a world away from home.
Paracas, Ica, Peru
Not far from the little town of Pisco, is Paracas. This was a coastal community filled with colorful boats, people, and landscapes (not to mention, an ancient drawing in the sand).
Spending the day on the water was well worth the sunburn! The only way to see some of the amazing wildlife and geoglyphs is by boat.
This is the Candelabra! It's almost 600 feet tall, and has been radio carbon dated back to about 200 BCE. Pictures will never do this thing justice!
Paracas contains an insane amount of wildlife. In addition to penguins and other rare birds, sea lions play, sleep, and mate all over the jagged cliffs and shore.
Huacachina, Ica, Peru
An oasis in the desert. Huacachina feels like how I imagine Mars would be like (minus the space suits).
Our buggies felt like martian rovers that had carbureted engines from a distant past. With every pop and crack of the engine, flames jutted from the un-muffled exhaust pipes. We sped though the dessert, from dune peak to dune peak, until we found the perfect ledge to slide down with a slightly modified snowboard.
There was no incline that was too much for these beefed up six-cylinder monster buggies.
Moquegua, Peru
After traveling back to Lima from Ica, we left our friends to head down to Southern Peru. Moquegua is home to my "nuevo abuelo", and also to a famous dish that I never thought I'd eat.
With breath taking panoramic views as far as the eye can see and plenty of photo ops, who wouldn't bring there bride-to-be and soon to be grandfather on the roof of a four story building....
And, there it was. Cuy, otherwise known as fried guinea pig. This Peruvian delicacy was impressively delicious, but very hard for me to not see my fourth grade pet...
The awkward situation was quickly made better with a small glass of vino and a "cheers to our health".
As the sun began to rest behind the mountains, the temperature dropped into the mid 60s F. This beautiful little town's weather stays sunny, with temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees F all year round.
When the little town of Moquegua slept, I was trying to capture the shimmering city from the rooftop. I couldn't help but watch the sky for hours because of how little light pollution there was compared to home. The visibility of the stars, even with clouds and city lights, was unlike anything I've ever witnessed.
Our Short Adventure Is Almost Over
Back in Lima, it was almost time to go. Before the short drive to the Airport, we made one last trip to the coast for a quick meal with friends. There is nothing quite like eating four star Peruvian food, while being cantilevered over a 200 foot cliff.
Everything about that trip was amazing! I made new friends, met my new family, and my wife rekindled relationships with old friends from school. We both tried new foods, saw new things, and did stuff that we never anticipated.
It has been almost two years since that trip, and it has been decided that another trip is long overdue! This April we are going back. But, this time we are going as husband and wife! There are many new places to go and many more friends to enjoy them with!
Those are just "some" of the highlights of our last trip to Peru. If you've ever thought of traveling there, I highly recommend going! If you don't know Spanish, I advise bringing a friend who does or be sure to learn the essentials.
Follow me on Duolingo as I prepare for our trip in April: https://www.duolingo.com/smkelly2000
Just a side note: I still have sand in the shoes and socks that I wore when we went sandboarding in Huacachina....
Adventure on, steemians!