Tag Archives: Peru

Hotel Review: Second Home Peru B&B, Lima, Peru

Posted on by
Reply

Once we chose Barranco has a home base, we quickly narrowed in on Second Home Peru as the place to stay.  It was a great choice! The owner, Lilian, was so helpful and not only provided fantastic restaurant recommendations, but helped us with transportation – she gave us her card to use for the bus (which we just had to load with some money).  We truly felt like we were visiting someone’s home, but also had the freedom of a hotel guest.

Price.  We paid $115 for each room (we stayed in two different ones).  I believe that all of the rooms in the main house were $115, except for the suite, which was $125.  The rooms with the great ocean view were a bit more, around $135/night.  Very reasonable and well within our normal budget for hotels.  Admittedly, Peru is much cheaper than other destinations, but we still felt that the price was great.

Location.  In the Barranco neighborhood of Lima.  I shared my pre-trip assessment of the neighborhoods, and I’m so glad we chose Barranco as our base for the three nights.  There were a lot of options for dining, and it felt a lot smaller than other areas of Lima (in a good way!).  With taxis and public transportation, we really didn’t have any issues getting from one place to another, so staying in Barranco didn’t keep us from visiting other parts of the city.  We were also rewarded with amazing views of the Pacific.

Room.  We stayed in two rooms – No. 1 and No. 4 (if you are looking at the website).  Unfortunately, the rooms with ocean views were all taken up.  A bit about how the house is set up: rooms No. 1-5 are in the main house, all on the second floor.  Rooms No. 1 and No. 2 are on one side – No. 1 overlooks the front garden that needs tree trimming services to be done now (with a very small balcony) and No. 2 faces out toward the ocean.  No. 3-5 are on the other side of the house, with 3 facing out toward the ocean.  No. 3 and 4 each have a door out to a shared terrace that provides a view of the ocean.  Room No. 5 is in the back of that side and is a suite (I believe it has a double/queen bed and a twin), Their walls is like Manchester moveable walls . And there is also a nice terrace on the second floor that faces out toward the ocean.  And there is also a nice lawn with additional (and closer) views of the ocean, which all guests can use. People need to go here if they need the best gardening services.

Second Home Peru, Room No. 1, Lima, Peru

Long story short – I don’t think it’s necessary to have an ocean view room, at all.  We really enjoyed our first room, and it had a closed off bathroom (this was room No. 1, pictured above).  Room No. 4 was also very nice, but while the bathroom area was sectioned off, there wasn’t actually a door (not an issue for us, but may be for some travelers!).

Second Home Peru, Room No. 4, Lima, Peru

All that said, there are three additional rooms that are closer up to the ocean and have balconies overlooking the Pacific.  These would be my top pick (they are a little more expensive), but I would stay in any of the rooms again.

Dining.  Breakfast is offered daily (I think it was from 7am-noon).  Instead of the normal buffet you see at many hotels, the breakfast at Second Home Peru is just like home!  Lilian greets you in the kitchen, which has one large table and a smaller one off to the side.  We were provided orange juice, toast, and cereal upon arrival.  She then served us tea or coffee and made eggs to order!  It was a wonderful time to chat and learn more about her background, while also getting tips for our time in Lima.

Second Home Peru, Lima, Peru

Amenities.  This B&B has many amenities to help make you feel at home: free wifi, TVs in each room, common areas with seats and views, hot tea available 24/7, breakfast, and even an outdoor pool (it was a little too cold while we were there, but it’s great to have the option).  One of the most unique amenities is the art studio of famous Peruvian artist, Victor Delfin.  His daughter, Lilian, runs the B&B and offers daily tours of the studio between certain hours.  Unfortunately we were not able to take advantage of this (next time, for sure!) but we were still able to enjoy Mr. Delfin’s art throughout the house, including paintings each room and sculptures throughout the property.

Second Home Peru in Lima is a gem, and Lilian definitely makes you feel at home.  It was so hard for us to leave after three short nights.  The property is beautiful and we could have spent much more time just relaxing on the grounds, enjoying the view, while sipping tea (or wine).

Cooking in Cusco

Posted on by
Reply

We had an opportunity to cook a few of the popular and traditional dishes of the Andean region.  Through our hotel, Encantada, we booked a lunchtime cooking class for two for $100 (before tip, but this did include the lessons and the food).  The restaurant is A Mi Manera, and it’s worth a visit even if you don’t take the cooking class.

We started out in the bar and we were provided with two menus.  We thought we would have to choose one, but they had each of us pick the one we wanted to do, so we did it all!  Here’s what the lineup looked like:

Drinks: Chicha Morada (Kristin), Pisco Sour (Ryan)
Starter: Quinoa Atamalada con Arroz (Kristin), Cebiche (Ryan)
Main: Rocoto Relleno (Kristin), Lomo Saltado (Ryan)
(Good news: some of the recipes are on the restuarant’s website!)

I started with my drink, the non-alcoholic chicha morada.  The base was pre-made, and it’s created by boiling purple corn and chilling the resulting mixture.  This made my part very simple: I cut up some pineapple, added juice from one juice, an ounce or so of simply sugar, and blended those with the purple corn juice in a blender.  Ryan’s pisco sour was a bit more complicated, involving an egg white and alcohol, but the result was delicious!

Cooking Class, A Mi Manera, Cusco, Peru, Drinks

Once our drinks were prepared, we moved over to the kitchen to start the real work.  The ingredients were already out and some of the early steps were pre-prepared for us.  I went to work on one side and Ryan on the other.  I started with the rocoto relleno (stuffed pepper) dish and Ryan with the cebiche.

For my dish, I started with a mixture of egg, milk, and cheese, which would eventually by poured into a dish with my pepper and potato.  I wish I knew what I stuffed the pepper with (it was pre-made by the chefs), but it was ground meat with veggies.  The potato was already boiled, so I just had to peel the skin and place it in the dish alongside the stuffed pepper.  Add a little sliced cheese on top, pour the egg/milk/cheese mixture in the dish, and it was done (well, after simmering on the stove and then baking in the oven).

Cooking Class, A Mi Manera, Cusco, Peru

Ryan’s cebiche (the recipe is on the site), was made with the expected fish (he used pejerrey), red onion, hot peppers, limes, and cilantro.  However, there was one surprise ingredient (missing on the recipe online): milk! Since Ryan made this dish first, the fish was able to sit in the acidic sauce and cook for the remainder of our class.

The lomo saltado and quinoa atamalada recipes are also on the website.  We had a lot of fun with this and we were able to mostly prepare it on our own (except for the rice and french fries).  We even shaped the rice into a pyramid and half sphere!  Ok, so we had some help with rice molds (here are a couple I’m thinking about ordering: pyramid and half sphere) – these were used for all dishes we ordered that came with a side of rice.

Cooking Class , A Mi Manera, Cusco, Peru

We ended the class by sitting down to enjoy our food (the finished products are pictured above)!  We dug right into the cebiche, which had already been sitting out for a good 20 minutes.  Neither of us were brave enough to try the “tiger’s milk” (ok, I wasn’t feeling well, otherwise I definitely would have), but we did enjoy the spicy result of the fish.  The quinoa was creamy, cheesy, and thick and perfect for a cool fall or winter day.  The lomo saltado tasted like the ones we had in Ollantaytambo at the restaurant – I think this is definitely something we’ll be able to recreate at home with little difficulty.  I do wish I had the details about the meat mixture that was stuffed inside the pepper.  It was much more flavorful than any stuffed pepper I’ve ever made.  I’m sure the Andean cheese on top helped that!

I would highly recommend this class to anyone who enjoys cooking and learning about a new type of cuisine.  It made the Peruvian dishes seem less intimidating, and I’m excited to try a few of them out at home!  Nati and her team were very sweet and helpful.

Hasta Luego, Peru!

Posted on by
Reply

We’re enjoying our last night in Peru by sipping on wine while watching the ocean in the distance.

20131005-171751.jpg
We’re sad to leave, but excited to share stories from our many adventures: Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu, Pisac, Cusco, and our amazing culinary experiences in the capital of Lima!

For now I’ll leave you with a couple of (iPhone) pictures and save the rest for when we return.

20131005-172108.jpg
A view of the Sacred Valley from the fortress in Ollantaytambo

20131005-172259.jpg
A sneak preview of Machu Picchu

20131005-172412.jpg
The city of Cusco from Sacsayhuaman

Hasta luego!

Planning a Machu Picchu Day Trip from Ollantaytambo

Posted on by
Reply

For us, Machu Picchu was the catalyst for planning a trip to Peru.  Although we later learned of Lima’s revered cuisine and the spectacular views in the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu is still the most important stop on our itinerary.  Accordingly, a lot of research and thought went into our ultimate plan for a day trip to visit Machu Picchu from Ollantaytambo.

Seeing Machu Picchu at sunrise was an important consideration in our planning.  Many visitors accomplish this by staying the night at Aguas Calientes (the town right below) the night before and catching the first 5:30am bus up to the site.  However, most of the lodging in Aguas Calientes is very expensive, and the town itself is described as run-down and devoid of character.  This realization, combined with reports of extensive fog in the morning and the discovery that trains from Ollantaytambo leave as early as 5:07am (arriving in Aguas Calientes at 6:34am), led to our decision to do a day trip from the Sacred Valley, as opposed to doing an overnight stay at Aguas Calientes.

Trip reports from others stress the importance of planning ahead of time.  There are a limited number of trains that run to Aguas Calientes, and it is sometimes impossible to make plans once arriving.  Even over 2 months ahead of our trip, we found that several train options (including one we figured would be the most convenient were already booked).  Additionally, the park itself limits the number of visitors to 2500 per day, and only 400 per day (in 2 time slots) for climbing Huaynapicchu (a popular hike within the park).  Two months ahead, there were still 167 slots in the later afternoon climb and 2450 for general admission, but I did notice that in the current month, several days had no availability.

Luckily, both train and park tickets can be obtained online.  Although visitors can also go through tours or travel agencies, it is usually more affordable (and I think more fun) to plan independently.

Train tickets are available through 2 companies: Peru Rail and Inca Rail.  Most trains leave from Ollantaytambo, which is a great base for exploring the Sacred Valley.  Four trains per day (including the luxurious Hiram Bingham train) leave from Poroy near Cusco, traveling through Ollantaytambo on the way.  We decided to take the earliest train, the 5:07am from Ollantaytambo, to enable to us to get as early of a start as possible.  We selected the 6:22pm return train, given that it wasn’t long after the 5:30pm closing time for the park.  Besides the Hiram Bingham, Peru Rail has two different classes of train: the Expedition and Vistadome, but we paid more attention to the times than the type of train.

Booking on the Peru Rail website is fairly straightforward.  As with train operators in Europe, Peru Rail recommends you use a Visa card registered in the Verified by Visa program.  Unfortunately, fewer and fewer cards are participating in this program (I just read confirmations that Chase cards dropped out of this program).  We decided to try our luck with our United Mileage Plus Explorer Card from Chase, even though it’s not in the Verified for Visa program, because it now has no foreign exchange transaction fees.  To our surprise, it worked!  However, we later learned that because it was not a Verified by Visa card, we need to pick-up paper tickets at a Peru Rail office when we arrive in the country.  Verified by Visa transactions can get e-Tickets.  We are going to try and contact Peru Rail to see if there is a way around this limitation, because the hours and locations of their offices are not the most convenient.

Tickets to the Machu Picchu park are available on the website administered by the Ministerio de Cultura.  Despite frustrating lag time, Flash, and unreliable language selection, we were able to secure our tickets.  The first step is to select “MACHUPICCHU” in the left drop down and the desired admission (general or a Huaynapicchu time slot) and then you can view availability on different dates.  This is all done with the “Reservas” or “Reservation” tab selected on the top.  After inputing information for participants, you are actually granted a reservation without paying.  The next step is to select the “Pagos” or “Payments” tab to use pay for your reservation.  You’ll need the reservation code from the first step.  Unlike Peru Rail, cards with Verified for Visa registration appear to be mandatory on this site.  We were unable to get our Chase card to work.  After paying, the last step is to use the “Check-in” tab to enter the reservation code one last time to retrieve e-tickets that can be printed-out and used for entrance.  

Expect to pay a lot for the Machu Picchu experience.  The combined cost of the train tickets and site admission cost us $368 ($184/person). That price does not include the cost we expect to pay for a bus fare once in Aguas Calientes ($12 R/T).  However, it is nice to have the peace of mind that our transportation and admission are guaranteed before leaving.

One Week in Peru: itinerary overview

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Sacred Valley, Peru, South America

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
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!