Read the rest of our Peru adventure here
Another day, another continent! It only took 4,000 miles and three planes, but the Penny Press has jet set for. . . Peru! Let us know if you want Delta movie recommendations; pretty sure we’ve seen at least A through M by now.
After a week-long family trip to this South American destination, we’ve gotten to add a new continent to our travel diaries (plus, gotten to take some pretty cool pictures). Follow along over the next few days to see how we packed in alpacas, Andes, and more ancient history than you’d learn in a semester of EHAP.
We started off in Puno, a highland port city nestled among the mountains around Lake Titicaca. The lake is the highest navigable lake in the world at ove 12,500 feet above sea level – and boy did we feel it. Our hotel (and every other institution in the city) offered coca leaf tea to help with altitude sickness, but even bathing in the stuff wouldn’t have helped our headaches.
We checked into the lovely Hotel GHL Lago Titicaca after a trip from the airport and took a much needed rest for the afternoon before finishing off with a pisco sour nightcap (the first of many on this trip). The locals lovingly call this place the Alcatraz Hotel because of its location on an isolated peninsula. Despite the alarming name, the views were unlike anything we’d seen before. Our rooms looked out over the seemingly endless lake, which greeted us with a blazing sunset over the water the next morning.
As if the sun didn’t already, our phenomenally encyclopedic Lima Tours guide, Roy, woke us up bright and early for a day trip to the islands on Lake Titicaca.
Together we took an enchanting boat ride to our first stop of the day: the floating islands of Uros. Here, a small ancestral society resides on top of about 100 man-made islands fashioned from totora reeds from the surrounding marshland. The Uros people fled to the lake to escape the arrival of the Incas and other invading groups hundreds of years ago.
Upon our arrival to the islands, we were greeted with a song by a few locals. We got to learn about the local culture by peeking inside a home, picking up a couple handmade souvenirs, and even trying on a few items of traditional clothing. We even got to take one of the reed cat-shaped boats for a spin. It was truly a one-of-a-kind travel experience.
After an hour and a half journey, the S.S. Penny Press docked for a very different experience on the (not man-made) island of Taquile, which hosts about 2,000 inhabitants. Located in the middle of the lake, this island offers stunning views of both Peru and Bolivia.
We went for a nature walk (or a brutal hike, as our uphill-averse mom would call it) through their farms, markets, and villas. We ended our visit with lunch at a family-run restaurant, where we were treated to local trout, quinoa and breathtaking views of the surrounding crystal waters.
Hopping back on the boat, we cruised back across the lake feeling like we were in the pilot episode of Miami Vice. Squeezing in a few book chapters and a nap was ideal to fuel the action-packed days ahead.
Our night-cap dinner consisted of traditional fare in Puno’s main square. Ellie was the sole adventurous eater, opting to dine on a local delicacy: guinea pig. Our childhood pet rodents Pippin and Wally would not have enjoyed the cuisine here. The rest of us had our share of quinoa soup, traditional flatbreads, and – of course – pisco sours to round out the meal.
SHOP ANNABELLE’S LOOK
Shirt: Free People | Pants: Madewell | Sunglasses: Anthropologie (similar) | Vest: Penfield (similar, similar) | Boots: DSW (Crown Vintage)
SHOP ELLIE’S LOOK
Sweater: Madewell (old) | Pants: Alex Mill (similar) | Fanny Pack: Amazon (currently out of tan color) | Sneakers: Hoff (similar)
Road trip time! Instead of flying to our next destination, we decided to take the scenic route by driving through the mountains to Cusco. Our van ride ended up being ten hours with all our stops, but it brought us car-stopping views and plenty of Incan history trivia facts to impress future friends and flings.
We first stopped in the town of Pucará for a trip to its famous Pucará Lithic Museum, whose impressive archaeological galleries boasted sculptures, pottery, and artifacts from Incan and pre-Incan times. We put on our thinking caps for this visit (Annabelle’s ranch-inspired one was from Anthropologie, if you’re wondering).
The city’s other claim to fame is its renowned coffee shop, most famous for its “exotic coffee” that uses coffee beans recycled from the, um, droppings of a raccoon-like animal. Because nothing says morning pick-me-up like recycling a raccoon’s breakfast into your own.
We then headed to the small village of Raqchi, home of the Temple of Wiracocha, the Sun God of the Incas. After Machu Picchu, this site was the most important to the Incas.
The ruins also consisted of a marketplace, farm, and the civilization’s university. The serene location’s’ cute cows and sprawling peaks make us a tad jealous of this prime 1300’s real estate.
The highlight of the day was at our last stop in the town of Andahuaylillas, whose 16th century Spanish church is known as the “Sistine Chapel of the Americas.” We’re sure Michaelangelo would be rolling in his grave from jealousy if he saw this place: the ceilings were covered in ornate frescoes and gilded carvings that could easily rival those in Italy.
After a long drive, we finally arrived in our second town of the trip: Cusco. Ellie’s good friend Sadie studied abroad in the gorgeous city, and had plenty of recs for us (don’t worry, we’ll pass along a few). One of those was for dinner at the swanky Limbus Bar, which offered panoramic views and “experimental” cocktails served in shoes and mini volcanoes.
SHOP ANNABELLE’S LOOK
Shirt: Urban Outfitters | Jeans: Urban Outfitters | Sweater: Vintage | Hat: Anthropologie | Boots: DSW (Crown Vintage)
SHOP ELLIE’S LOOK
Blouse: Lucky Brand (similar, similar) | Cape: Anthropologie (rented through Nuuly) | Headband: Free People
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