One Week in Peru: itinerary overview

Posted on July 21, 2013 by Kristin

As of last week, our flights to Peru are officially booked! We’ve been thinking about and discussing potential plans for Peru, so it didn’t take us long to lock down a high-level itinerary for our week in this South American country.

Machu Picchu (picture from the Machu Picchu wikipedia article)

Getting there: After our international flight into Lima (with a short layover in Panama), we will be boarding another plane for an hour and 20 minute flight into Cusco (or Cuzco). From there we will take a taxi (that we booked via https://www.miramarspeedcircuit.com/find-car-rental-accepts-cash/ site) to and from the Sacred Valley. Luckily the taxi transfers aren’t too expensive (we are paying $45-$50 for the hour and a half drive).

Deciding where to stay: Ryan quickly decided on Ollantaytambo as our base for the time spent in the Sacred Valley (including a day trip to Machu Picchu). Our only real options were Ollantaytambo, Urubamba, Cusco, or Aguas Calientes. Ollantaytambo and Urubamba are in the Sacred Valley and the train to Machu Picchu stops in both towns. For us, Ollantaytambo seemed like a better option because there are actually ruins in the town, whereas Urubamba doesn’t have much in the town itself. We decided that Cusco and Aguas Calientes were too far away for the exploring we plan to do within the Sacred Valley. Also, Cusco sits at a much higher elevation, so it is recommended to spend a few nights in the Sacred Valley before spending time in Cusco. Other than the first stop, we will spend 2 nights in Cusco and end up at in Lima for a few nights before heading home.

The Sacred Valley, Peru (picture taken from wikipedia)

The breakdown by city: We will be staying in Peru for a total of 9 nights and have decided to split our time between the three cities mentioned above: Ollantaytambo, Cusco, and Lima.

Ollantaytambo – 4 nights

Arriving: around 5:30pm at the Cusco Airport, and then taking a taxi (~an hour and a half) to Ollantaytambo
What to Do: get settled in the first night, explore the ruins in Ollantaytambo the second day, go on a private tour of the Sacred Valley, including the Pisac market, on the third day (we still have to schedule this), and finally explore Machu Picchu on our fourth and final day in the valley.
Leaving: fairly early in the morning, by taxi, to Cusco

Cusco – 2 nights

Arriving: fairly early (by lunchtime)
What to Do: touring the city, including Plaza de Armas (see picture below), and exploring nearby Inca ruins, potentially including Sacsayhuamán and Q’enko. Cusco becomes lively at night, so at the very least, drinks in the town center are a must!
Leaving: taking a mid-late morning flight to Lima (we haven’t booked this yet, but we will likely leave sometime between 9:30 and 11:00am)

Plaza de Armas, Cusco at night (picture taken from wikipedia)

Lima – 3 nights

Arriving: at the Lima airport, between 11:00am and 12:30pm
What to Do: eat (I can’t wait for the food here, specifically the ceviche), visit the Museo Larco, and explore the neighborhoods
Leaving: 7am flight back to LAX, which gets us back a little after 4pm

Originally, a one week trip in Peru seemed like plenty of time, but now that we’ve done a bit more research, we wish we were staying longer (this always happens). I know Ryan was a bit upset that we cut Lake Titicaca from the itinerary (and especially upset that we would no longer be taking the Andean Explorer from Cusco to Lake Titicaca), but our finalized itinerary will give us time to enjoy the cities we will be staying in, hopefully without feeling rushed.

We’ve spent the most time focusing on the first part of our trip (in and around Ollantaytambo), but we have about two more months to continue to research and make plans for activities so that we can make the most out of Peru!

Weekend Getaway: Wine Tasting in Paso Robles

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Kristin

Paso Robles, located just off of the central coast in California, is a lesser-known wine region specializing in Rhone blends. It was perfect for a one night stop on our way up to the Bay Area for the long Fourth of July weekend. We visited seven wineries in all, chosen based on a little research we did the night before we left.

It’s not far from Bakersfield, so it’s a shame we don’t go up and visit (and taste!) more often. Below is a list of where we tasted and some quick information about each tasting room. If you are passing by, it’s worth a stop for a new wine tasting experience!

Rotta
The tasting fee is $5 for 8 wines (we shared). We tried one white, one rose, three reds, and three dessert wines (one served with chocolate!). The lady pouring loves her job and talked to us for an hour as we tasted. Overall it was a fun experience with a nice variety of wines.

Turley
It was a $10 tasting for four Zinfandels, so we shared again. They had a mix of old and young Zinfandels, and it was fun to compare them all. They also had delicious rosemary crackers at the bar – we bought a package for our picnic later in the day. Overall it was the quickest and least personal tasting of the trip, but it’s worth a stop if you are a Zinfandel lover.

Écluse
They have free tastings, so we both had our own. We finally saw the beautiful views we were waiting for (see below). The tasting room is in the barrel room, which was a fun atmosphere. We also were able to taste a 2011 and 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon from the barrel. We’ve done barrel tasting twice before and never have I tasted such drinkable barrel wine. We decided to buy an older vintage of the same wine, hoping that the bottled version would taste even better!

Calcareous
The tasting fee is normally $10, but if you check in on yelp, you get a complimentary tasting. We weren’t a huge fan of their wines (some were just too sweet for us), but the patio area was beautiful (pictured below) and had a view of the valley below. We bought a bottle of white wine and picnicked for lunch.

Jada
The cost is $10 for the reserve tasting and $15 for the signature tasting – both come with small cheese tastes for each wine. One tasting fee was waived with the purchase of three bottles, so we ended up getting the $15 tasting for free. There is an indoor tasting area but you can also take you wine outside to a terrace with tables set up. In my opinion, Jada has the best wines we tasted, but be prepared to spend a bit more (for the tasting and the bottles).

Tablas Creek
$10 tasting for 6 wines – 5 were on the regular tasting menu and they had a bonus rose which was their “wine of the month.” The glass (which was my favorite of all the wineries we visited) was included with the tasting fee. As a bonus, the tasting fee was waived with the purchase of one bottle, so we purchased two bottles and both of our tastings were free.

Caparone
A father and son team own the winery and they specialize in Italian varietals. The six wines to taste were Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Aglianico, Sangiovese, and Zinfandel and they are all 100% (no blends). They only produce 2,500 cases per year and don’t really distribute, so we took advantage and bought four bottles for $16 each (two Nebbiolo and two Sangiovese) – the cheapest stop on our trip!

On our next trip to Paso Robles we will probably taste at different wineries (there are so many to choose from), but if we do repeat, I would prefer to taste at Écluse, Jada, and Caparone, as those were my favorite wines. That being said, none of those were great for picnicking, so choose Turley, Tablas Creek, or Calcareous for a place to enjoy lunch. And finally Rotta was by far the best experience, so if you have time, it’s worth a stop to appreciate a tasting room with history and character.

Peruvian Cuisine: Thrillingly Different

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Kristin

After researching which cities to visit on our short, one-week stay in Peru, Ryan and I started dreaming about the food. We started by watching Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and his newly released Parts Unknown for a quirky chef’s take on the country’s delicacies. The episodes opened our eyes to the new foods we will be able to try and got me researching what we can eat and where we can find it.

Peruvian corn (picture taken from wikipedia)

After even more research in our two travel books (Frommer’s and Fodor’s) and looking at travel sites online, I became more eager to travel to Peru to try all of the food it has to offer. The popular and traditional dishes in Peru are numerous, but there are a few that caught my eye:

1. Ceviche (or cebiche) – chunks of raw seafood marinated in citrus, often including onions and aji peppers. There’s a variation called tiradito where the fish is kept in strips and no onions are included. I plan on trying both during our time in Lima, Peru’s coastal capital (see picture below, from wikipedia).

2. Cuy (Guinea Pig) and alpaca – I’m not sure if I’ll try the cuy, but I am looking forward to a dish with alpaca. Both are popular in Peru and many visitors seek out restaurants that serve these local delicacies.

3. Lomo saltado (“jumping beef”) – beef mixed with tomatoes, peppers, and onions, and seasoned with soy sauce. It is often served over rice.

4. Anticuchos – meat skewers often served as street food, but can also be found in restaurants. Traditionally, the skewers are made of beef heart.

5. Papa rellena – mashed potatoes rolled into balls, stuffed with meat, and deep fried (see picture below, from wikipedia).

6. Rocoto relleno – spicy pepper stuffed with ground beed, onions, olives, and a hardboiled egg, topped with cheese.

7. Chifa (Chinese food) – the Asian influence in Peru is strong, and the Chinese food is said to be delicious. Lima even has its own Chinatown, which will be worth a visit for the best Chinese food in the country.

8. Pisco Sours – no trip to Peru can be complete without trying the country’s cocktail – a mixture of Pisco (grape brandy), citrus, sugar, egg whites, and Angostura bitters. I hear it goes down smoothly!

We are definitely looking forward to the culinary experiences in Peru. I don’t normally gravitate toward meat dishes, but reading about the flavors in these traditional foods is making my mouth water. I’ve also read about so many other dishes including Peruvian staples such as corn, potatoes, rice, quinoa, beans, and peppers. These dishes make up the food that Bourdain describes as “thrillingly different.” I’m ready to step outside my comfort zone and try the Peruvian cuisine!

Memories from Santorini

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Kristin

Our 3-night stop in Santorini during our honeymoon was perfection…

…beautiful sunsets…

…breakfast with a view…

…adventure…

…fresh and delicious food…

…endless sea views…

…relaxing with wine…

That’s why I am so thrilled that Ryan and I are planning a return trip to the island of Santorini, Greece in Spring 2014! I can’t wait to share details about our first trip – including what we loved and what we wish we had done. With 3 short days, we weren’t able to cover everything on our list, so there are many activities and restaurants that we are looking forward to trying out on this next trip!

Cruising in Exotic Waters

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Kristin

I have always wanted to go on a cruise, so I was very excited to see a Celebrity Cruises booth at the LA Travel Conference. Ryan has never really been interested, but he’s (almost) changed his tune after we took a closer look at some of the more exotic cruises that Celebrity has to offer.

And while cruise ships are notorious for small rooms, the Celebrity ships look very nice and some of the rooms even look, dare I say, luxurious! Sure, you may pay a bit for a room with a view, but all things considered, cruises can be very cost effective.

The veranda stateroom, picture from the Celebrity Cruises website

However, it wasn’t the rooms that we were so impressed with – it was the wide variety of options. We were particularly captivated by the South American, Panama Canal, and Asian cruises (which included stops in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan). I’ve always associated cruising with some place tropical – namely Mexico or the Caribbean, since those seem to be the popular choices from LA and Florida. The idea of exploring a new place, but not committing to one or two cities, is an especially attractive characteristic of cruises. It’s hard to imagine only 8-10 hours in my favorite cities, but if I think about a cruise as a way to “scout” locations for future trips, it doesn’t seem so bad!

Below is the route for one of the cruises that was really tempting – a South American cruise with stops in Antarctica! This particular cruise is 14 nights and starts in Argentina (Buenos Aires) before making two stops and then continuing on to Antarctica.

The only catch is that there are no actual stops in Antarctica; instead the ship “cruises” by Schollart Channel, Paradise Bay, Gerlache Strait, and Elephant Island on days 7 and 8. However, the views of Antarctica are breathtaking, even without stepping foot off of the boat. The picture below is of Elephant Bay (from here), and the real thing has to be much more amazing.

I don’t know when I’ll be able to convince Ryan to go on a cruise, but this South American cruise is high on my list!

SuitcaseJournal

Travel experiences and insights from a young couple

Category Archives: Travel

One Week in Peru: itinerary overview

Weekend Getaway: Wine Tasting in Paso Robles

Peruvian Cuisine: Thrillingly Different

Memories from Santorini

Cruising in Exotic Waters