Phil's Travel Journal | Peru - Reflections on My New Favourite Country!

Phil has trekked in Nepal, walked the Camino, and still found himself at home one June wondering why he hadn't booked anything. This is his Travel Journal: three months in South America, one country at a time.

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Arriving in Lima after a 36-hr challenging & re-routed journey, the excitement to explore trumped exhaustion and I ventured out. It felt surprisingly European initially - a statue of Paddington Bear, Starbucks, TGIFs... where was the native South American culture? Later we got to gather as a group and we met Mr Pisco and his Sours; now we're authentic!. The trip and our group of trubadours were well and truly initiated!!

Through a combination of adventures, experiences, & some fabulous meals, Peru introduced itself as a stunning blend of culture and beauty. Our group bonded quickly and we even tenderly embraced the difficult "Stuff" - the dreaded "Splitwise" 🥳🙈😂

So many memories created - Surfing sand dunes at Ica, our Dune Buggy levitating over steep drops, not quite catching a plane to see the Nazca Lines, Paragliding over the Lima Coastline... only to be joined later by the Amazon Rainforest, Macaws at dawn, Capibaras in their natural environment, searching for Caymans...

The entry into Ollantaytambo was welcome, the Sacred Valley, with it's striking Inca architecture. An opportunity to allow the pace to slow and to embrace the altitude. Machu Picchu was the bucket list experience I had always hoped it would be. Having let go of my hope to walk the Salkantay Trek to arrive there, the extra gift was Inca Rail, a train ride through the mountains... what a wonderful journey enhanced by the Peruvian dancing and pan pipes on embarcation.

Cusco was a revelation, a fabulous and vibrant city, home to the Inca civilisation of old amidst embracing a modern age and culture. A side trip to Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain) provided one of the most spectacular natural mountain vistas I've ever experienced!!

So, did I mention the food??? Peruvian cuisine & restaurants will live high on my list of best meals ever! Fabulous!

Nineteen days & 649 photos later (after culling many many more), it was time to wave goodbye... hopefully Hasta la próxima... Wow!!

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Phil's Travel Journal is written by Phil Wilson, who is spending three months travelling through Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina on a DECADES Gap Year. DECADES runs small-group, multi-month trips for adults over 50, with the accommodation, routes and logistics taken care of.

Thinking about a gap year in retirement? Start with our free Gap Year Guide, or read more first-hand accounts, starting with Arthur's first diary entry.