Peru Wrap-Up

Facts and Figures
Length of Stay:  Two months
Miles Traveled:  2,115 (2,865 since landing in Quito)
Cities and Towns Visited:  Piura, Trujillo, Yungay, Lima, Pisco, Huacahina, Arequipa, Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes, Puno, Isla Amantaní, Tacna
Intercity Buses Taken:  8
Times Jeff Ate Alpaca:  3
Times Magge Ate Pizza:  Lost count

Rankings and thoughts in the full post.

Jeff's Top 3s
Meals - Overall, I was not impressed with the food in Peru, as it was generally bland and boring.  That being said, there were a few highlights (Magge's top 3 will probably all be Hawaiian pizza).
1.  Thai-style chicken in a peanut sauce, Llanganuco Lodge, Yungay.  The four dinners we ate here were all among the best we had, but this one was my favorite.  The carrot soup first course sounds gross (at least it did to me), but was also delicious.
2.  Alpaca steak, Sancollay, Arequipa.  My first time eating alpaca was also the best at this "pre-Incan" restaurant.  The cuts of meat were grilled on hot volcanic rocks, adding to the uniqueness of the meal.  While eating cuy was more of a novelty, alpaca was genuinely good and worth eating again.
3.  Pollo enrrollado, Keros, Puno.  Chicken stuffed with cheese, peppers and spinach, in a blackberry sauce.  This dinner was a nice way to end a day of sitting all day on a bus from Cuzco.

Stays
1.  Llanganuco Lodge, Yungay.  I would love to go back there.
2.  Inka Frog, Lima.  This was easily the nicest hostel in which we've stayed so far on this trip, and was nicer than most hotels as well.  Very clean, very friendly, and even had a DVD player so Magge could watch Twilight.
3.  Bruce Peru apartment, Trujillo.  There's no way Magge agrees with me that this should be in the top 3, but I liked having a fridge, kitchen, couch, and a Canadian family that provided endless unintentional entertainment.

Experiences - This was the most difficult list to put together, including the Ecuador wrap-up.  I'm not including the month we spent volunteering with Bruce Peru, as that stands on its own.
1.  Ollantaytambo.  The town, the ruins and the surrounding scenery would each have been a highlight on their own.
2.  The hikes around Llanganuco Lodge.
3.  Sandboarding in Huacachina.  Was it as culturally, historically or naturally as significant as the other things we did?  No.  Was it a lot of fun?  Yes.

Magge's Top 3s
Meals
1.  Any of the wonderful meals we had at Charlie´s Lodge - that includes the amazing breakfasts as well.  I would list Charlie for all three, but Jeff would get mad at me.  I´m probably going to get in trouble for not listing a specific meal from Charlie (I´m such a rebel!), but I simply cannot choose and don´t want to shortchange any of them.  Jeff takes these lists really seriously.
2.  Chicken Curry in Cusco with awesome ginger and honey tea.
3.  I have to include Hawaiian pizza, seeing as how many times I have eaten it.  The one I had while we were in Puno was probably the best.

Stays
1.  Llanganuco Lodge (shocker)
2.  Our first overnight during the Colca Canyon Trip - OK, the place itself wasn´t so nice, but the hot shower was probably the greatest thing ever.
3.  Camino Real Touristico, Puno - more because the people there were so nice than anything else.

Experiences
1.  Hiking - the Cordillera Blancas and Colca Canyon
2.  Bruce Peru Christmas party. I had the best time with those kids.
3.  Lake Titicaca
4.  Sand boarding in Huacachina

Quick Thoughts

• Ecuador does many things better than Peru (better food, more fruits, lower cost, fewer touts, more ice cream), but it can't match the major sites of Peru.
• I have heard more cars honking in the last two months than I heard in my previous twenty-seven and a half years, and that includes four years in New York City.
• Every meal in Peruvian restaurants either comes with rice or potatoes (often fried) - and it's usually both
• For some reason, most bus rides in Peru are overnight, even if they're not really long enough to warrant it.  Neither Magge nor I had good luck sleeping on these buses.
• As Magge said in her Titicaca post, there are tons of parades here.  The first time we saw one, we though it was great.  By the time we were in Puno, we were ready to leave the country.