Overview
We always say Turkey's geography is incredibly diverse: sea, sand, snow, heat, cold, wildly different cultures, a veritable tourism paradise. Countries fitting that description are genuinely rare, because finding five gems like Ephesus-Pamukkale-Cappadocia-Gocek-Istanbul in a single country is not common at all. After seeing Peru, all my assumptions changed.
Imagine a country that contains one of the driest landscapes on Earth while simultaneously hosting the Amazon. Right behind the desert, there are vineyards producing wine. Go a bit further and you find a desert where you can go sandboarding. Two hours away are the Ballestas Islands, dubbed Peru's Galapagos. The Cusco-Machu Picchu side is a world unto itself. I won't even get into the mystery of the Nazca Lines. History? Check. Culture? Check. But the country is crushed by poverty. While Turkey doesn't face quite the same level of deprivation, we can absolutely compete on wasting the right potential.
Tips & Advice
Cultural notes:
- Peru means "turkey" (the bird) in Portuguese. They share the same naming problem we deal with globally as Turkey. Especially considering Portuguese is widely spoken in the region with Brazil and all, the same scenario applies to them.
- While South America is generally considered unsafe, we experienced zero security concerns in Peru. Despite being very poor, the people are incredibly warm. I always assumed Colombia was poorer and Peru wealthier. Turns out Colombia is incredibly wealthy compared to Peru.
- Cemeteries across the country are generally lush with greenery and decorated in vibrant colors. Some are built in multiple tiers.
- Virtually nobody speaks English in the country. You'll face this problem even at the most touristy spots. Many places don't even have a menu. If you're coming without a tour, it's worth learning basic Spanish beforehand.
- Roads are full of rubble and trash. Unfortunately, environmental awareness isn't strong.
- Alpaca textile products are excellent. Sweaters, scarves, hats, both affordable and high quality.
- Service is extremely slow everywhere. Restaurants, flights, hotels. Prepare for long waits across the board.
- Water bottles come in non-standard sizes: 400ml, 625ml, 750ml, all sorts. Coming from a country where 500ml is the universal standard, this felt very strange.
- Whatever travel time Google Maps shows, multiply it by at least 1.5 to 2. Roadwork or extreme traffic is everywhere, making journey times very long.
- Every city has either a cross or a statue of Jesus built on its highest point. And every city has its name spelled out in giant letters somewhere on a mountain or in the city.
- Peru is South America's biggest guano producer. While the main component is bird droppings, it's apparently a valuable commodity primarily used in gunpowder production.
Geography:
- The Panamerican Highway, the world's longest road at 48,000 kilometers across 14 countries, passes through Peru. You use it specifically when traveling from Lima to the Huacachina region.
- We flew into Lima via Bogota. The views during the flight were truly spectacular. The transition from Amazon greenery to sudden barrenness with the Andes, the majesty of the mountains, ocean clouds blanketing the entire city, absolutely superb.
- Thanks to the Humboldt Current, you can go just a few kilometers from the ocean and find desert. This current apparently causes rain to bypass that area entirely.
Food & Drink
- They have a local distilled drink called pisco, made from grapes. It's the most widespread drink in the country. It tastes somewhere between tequila and rum, best consumed in cocktails. Their most famous cocktail is the Pisco Sour. We quite liked the lighter versions.
- They have a unique vegetable called cassava. It looks like a potato but softer and much more fibrous. We liked the taste. It's common across South America.
- Some fruits are incredibly delicious thanks to the tropical climate. We fell in love with the mangoes.
- There's heavy use of fresh cilantro in dishes. If you're not a fan like us, you need to be very careful.
- They have many different and unusual varieties of corn. Apparently there are 17 types of corn in Peru. Generally larger and plumper than what we're used to.
- Coca leaf tea (from the same plant that cocaine's main ingredient comes from) is widely consumed. Because it helps with the fatigue and discomfort caused by high altitude, you'll see it offered for free in hotel lobbies everywhere. They also sell coca sugar.
- Plantain consumption is very widespread here too. For those unfamiliar, plantain is too firm to eat raw unlike regular bananas, so it's usually fried. Here it's mostly eaten as chips.
- Quinoa is extremely common in the region; you can find it in practically every meal.