Peru Culture

A cute little town with a good nightlife, but not too much to keep the traveller there for a long time. The Islas Los Uros (aka Islas Flotantes) although very touristy, are well worth a visit as they are so unique. I have heard stories about the other islands we missed saying that the homestay situations can be awkward cause they try to get you to dress in traditional clothes, in a dress like Snow White in Disney land sort of thing and is detrimental to the culture. We did go to Isla Del Sol off Copacabana and it was absolutely amazing. Hiked the whole island and definitly reccomend it. If you want a splurge you can get to Cuzco via several ruins with a guide on a plushy tour bus for $25. Colectur takes you quite reasonably to Copacabana through the border. You have to pay 1 Boliviano to get into Copacabana, but nothing to the border gaurds when you are crossing.

The town of Trujillo: Trujillo is a pretty city placed on the dry desert coast of Peru. In the center of the city close to "la plaza de armas",the city square, there are many colonial buildings. There are some dicoteques - personaly I've only been to La Barra once, really shortly, so I cannot tell much about the place. Whereas I've been to "El Mecano" several times. In "El Mecano" they play reggatón, salsa and latin pop and they have decorated the place in a nice formel one style. In the center there are several shopping centers with all kinds of cheap clothes, jewlleries of e.g. silver which is a lot cheaper than in the Western World, teddy bears, ect. Arqulogical cites outside the town. If you go on trips just outside Trujillo there are many beautiful arquelogical places to visit, especially the moon temple or, "la huaca de la luna" as it is called in Spanish, is an amazing ruin which maintains its coloured and figurative decorations. Chan Chan on the way to Trujillo's beach Huanchaco, is the largest Pre-Columbian city in Southamerica. It is very interesting, but hire a guide, because without the background history it might just seem like uninteresting huge sand walls. Bring sunblock, because the sun is very strong and you easily get burned if you don't take care. Food: Personally I strongly recommend the homemade burgers of Trujillo. You can get them with all sorts of dressing and especially with a lot of chilly(called aji) they taste amazing; pineaple(piña), "papitas"(chrisps) and guacamole are also recommended along with traditional dressings as kechup and mayonnaise. Besides burgers taditional fish dishes as cebiche/ceviche, and all the dishes of "pescado frito", fried fish are great in Trujillo as it is near the ocean. Rice with chicken/duck,"arroz con pollo/pato" is also aleays nice as well as a stuffed potato, "papa relleno", or sticks with spiced cow heart,"anticucho". Take care: Many of these dishes can e bought in the street stalls and personally I really like the culture of eating in the street, but if you eat e.g. ceviche be carefull and eat a proper place with pices not below 5 nuevo soles. Do not eat in the stalls in the markeds if your stomach is not very used to peruvian food - even many peruvians say it is disgusting ind would never eat there. Take special care with pizza, as many people, my self inculded, have had food poisoning from pizza.

Visit Chavín de Huaraz. Small village near the famous ruins of Chavin - Peru's oldest major culture.

From Cuzco to the Machupichu, do not take the train from Cuzco. Take a local bus Cuzco - Pisac - Urubamba -Ollantaytambo then the train to Agua Caliente In Picas you have the Sacred Valley (nice small trek) In Urubamba you have a a nive view on the valley and the salt culture.

The city of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incan Empire, was placed on the World Cultural Heritage List by UNESCO in 1983, and is without a doubt one of the most important destinations in Peru. There are Incan buildings waiting for you to discover them among its cobble-stoned streets, ones like the Koricancha and the palace of Inca Roca as well as Andean Baroque structures from the Colonial Period like the Cathedral and the Church of the Company of Christ. In addition, you can visit the picturesque neighborhood of San Blas where the best artisans in the department have set up their workshops. This magical city also has an exciting nightlife with cafes, restaurants, and bars for all tastes. Just ten minutes away from the city, there are the massive walls of the Sacsayhuamán fortress, and a few kilometers from there, you find the archeological sites of Qenko, Pukapukara, and Tambomachay, Incan buildings constructed completely with stone.