Friday, August 22, 2014
Monday, August 11, 2014
Hotels, Restaurants, Flights, and a few comments about all those things.
First, here is a map of Peru with the hotels and notable restaurants tagged in using Google. You should be able to click on the list to the left to zoom into the particular item, and then click through to that item's URL if it has one. Very nice.
The flights to Peru are not really convenient. We landed at about 10:30 PM, and when we came home our flight left Lima at 11:50 PM.
But it made us think a little differently than we usually did.
I had a driver pick us up in at the airport and take us to the hotel. It was more expensive than just grabbing a cab, but not much more. I was worried he wouldn't show up (which was a problem later) but that night it worked out fine. We used a company called Akatori.
The first hotel we used was the Belmond Miraflores Park. An excellent property, and they treated us pretty well. When we arrived they gave us a Pisco Sour to enjoy as they did all the paperwork. In each hotel they would need your passport and your tourist card. DON'T LOSE YOUR TOURIST CARD! We were told that over and over again. I asked what would happen if you lose it, and they just shook their heads and muttered.
During those first three days in Lima we had a couple of great meals. I think our favorite was a Chez Wong. A ten table restaurant where you have no choice except for what you want to drink. You generally get a cheviche, a tiradito, and a stir fry, in that order. We got an extra stir fry, not sure why, but we did. Honestly, we could have done without the last stir fry. Just say no to too much food.
Another great meal we had was at Central, which we shared with our friend Fico and Betty. A very fancy place in Miraflores, we had the tasting menu that had an interesting conceit - it was based on the altitude of the ingredients.
We also at at La Mar, a famous cevicheria that takes no reservations. Many cevicherias are only open for lunch, but since this is now famous, I think it is open for dinner as well.
Our flight from Lima to Cuzco left at 11:30 AM, and landed an hour later. We had a driver from the hotel take us to the airport.
In Cuzco we stayed at the Monasterio Hotel, which was, indeed, and old monastery. It was nice to get into the sun after four days in gray Lima, and we had our first meal in the courtyard. Brother Matthew and Laurie stayed here when they visited Cuzco, and I think they enjoyed it as well.
This was a funny place, though. They "upgraded" us to a Jr Suite, but it had no windows! We swapped down to a "deluxe" room that had a nice view over the rooftops of Cuzco (El Ciudad de Teclas Rojas)
We had a couple of good meals in Cuzco, but I think the most memorable was at Uchu, a Peruvian steakhouse. They serve the steaks on hot stones, which you use to finish off the cooking. We also had a good meal at Chincha there.
In Machu Picchu we stayed at the Sanctuary Lodge. I think the best thing you can say about this place i that it is in the park. It is not bad, but it is expensive and they sort of think they are a resort. They are not. But it gives you a chance to see Machu Picchu as few people see it.
Between Cuzco and Arequipa we stayed at the Tambo del Inka. A nice big room with a nice view. And a short walk to town. We had a nice dinner at Q'anela there one night.
To get from Urubamba to Arequipa we had to leave the hotel at 6:00 AM to catch our 9:00 AM flight. It was a slow but very pretty ride. But we didn't have Victor Hugo to keep us company.
In Arequipa (both times!) we stayed at the Libertador! It was fun. Quirky, as I said below.
The Colca Canyon was another hotel that had grand asperations that it didn't really quite live up to. It is called the Casitas de Colca Canyon, and the place was very pretty.
On the way back to Arequipa the next day we stopped at a buffet lunch in Chivay called Cusi Runa. Fun enough! We did get shaken down for a sol or two for the bank. The fried chicken and the white soup were great.
Our final flight left Arequipa for Lima at 7:30 AM (!) and for the last night we stayed in the B Boutique Hotel in Barranco. That may have been my favorite hotel of the trip.
And for our last couple of meals, we had ceviche at Amoramar. I would put this above La Mar, believe it or not. We walked there from our hotel, though we were told this was inadvisable. We walked back, too. We were told this was inadvisable as well. We survived.
But the food highlight of the trip was certainly Astrid y Gaston in Lima. All I can say is it was one of the very best meals I have had in my life (we did the tasting menu). Go if you can get in.
Finally, we flew home after spending several hours with our good (and generous) friend Fico, who let us spend the afternoon with him. Our flight left Lima at 11:50 PM, landing in Houston at 6:30 AM.
A great trip.
The flights to Peru are not really convenient. We landed at about 10:30 PM, and when we came home our flight left Lima at 11:50 PM.
But it made us think a little differently than we usually did.
I had a driver pick us up in at the airport and take us to the hotel. It was more expensive than just grabbing a cab, but not much more. I was worried he wouldn't show up (which was a problem later) but that night it worked out fine. We used a company called Akatori.
The first hotel we used was the Belmond Miraflores Park. An excellent property, and they treated us pretty well. When we arrived they gave us a Pisco Sour to enjoy as they did all the paperwork. In each hotel they would need your passport and your tourist card. DON'T LOSE YOUR TOURIST CARD! We were told that over and over again. I asked what would happen if you lose it, and they just shook their heads and muttered.
During those first three days in Lima we had a couple of great meals. I think our favorite was a Chez Wong. A ten table restaurant where you have no choice except for what you want to drink. You generally get a cheviche, a tiradito, and a stir fry, in that order. We got an extra stir fry, not sure why, but we did. Honestly, we could have done without the last stir fry. Just say no to too much food.
Another great meal we had was at Central, which we shared with our friend Fico and Betty. A very fancy place in Miraflores, we had the tasting menu that had an interesting conceit - it was based on the altitude of the ingredients.
We also at at La Mar, a famous cevicheria that takes no reservations. Many cevicherias are only open for lunch, but since this is now famous, I think it is open for dinner as well.
Our flight from Lima to Cuzco left at 11:30 AM, and landed an hour later. We had a driver from the hotel take us to the airport.
In Cuzco we stayed at the Monasterio Hotel, which was, indeed, and old monastery. It was nice to get into the sun after four days in gray Lima, and we had our first meal in the courtyard. Brother Matthew and Laurie stayed here when they visited Cuzco, and I think they enjoyed it as well.
This was a funny place, though. They "upgraded" us to a Jr Suite, but it had no windows! We swapped down to a "deluxe" room that had a nice view over the rooftops of Cuzco (El Ciudad de Teclas Rojas)
We had a couple of good meals in Cuzco, but I think the most memorable was at Uchu, a Peruvian steakhouse. They serve the steaks on hot stones, which you use to finish off the cooking. We also had a good meal at Chincha there.
In Machu Picchu we stayed at the Sanctuary Lodge. I think the best thing you can say about this place i that it is in the park. It is not bad, but it is expensive and they sort of think they are a resort. They are not. But it gives you a chance to see Machu Picchu as few people see it.
Between Cuzco and Arequipa we stayed at the Tambo del Inka. A nice big room with a nice view. And a short walk to town. We had a nice dinner at Q'anela there one night.
To get from Urubamba to Arequipa we had to leave the hotel at 6:00 AM to catch our 9:00 AM flight. It was a slow but very pretty ride. But we didn't have Victor Hugo to keep us company.
In Arequipa (both times!) we stayed at the Libertador! It was fun. Quirky, as I said below.
The Colca Canyon was another hotel that had grand asperations that it didn't really quite live up to. It is called the Casitas de Colca Canyon, and the place was very pretty.
On the way back to Arequipa the next day we stopped at a buffet lunch in Chivay called Cusi Runa. Fun enough! We did get shaken down for a sol or two for the bank. The fried chicken and the white soup were great.
Our final flight left Arequipa for Lima at 7:30 AM (!) and for the last night we stayed in the B Boutique Hotel in Barranco. That may have been my favorite hotel of the trip.
And for our last couple of meals, we had ceviche at Amoramar. I would put this above La Mar, believe it or not. We walked there from our hotel, though we were told this was inadvisable. We walked back, too. We were told this was inadvisable as well. We survived.
But the food highlight of the trip was certainly Astrid y Gaston in Lima. All I can say is it was one of the very best meals I have had in my life (we did the tasting menu). Go if you can get in.
Finally, we flew home after spending several hours with our good (and generous) friend Fico, who let us spend the afternoon with him. Our flight left Lima at 11:50 PM, landing in Houston at 6:30 AM.
A great trip.
Barranco, the end of the trip
We ended our Peru trip in the Lima neighborhood of Barranco. It was the "beachfront resort" area where the rich people in Lima built their houses in the early 20th century. Most of the houses are now rather run down, but the local government is not allowing them to be torn down.
So some of those houses are being renovated (as hotels, such as ours below)
or as restaurants or museums.
We liked to call it The Montrose of Lima, but the analogy is really incomplete.
The houses were fantastic
and we found some nice small coffee shops:
run by a young man whose grandparents own a coffee finca (La Campiña) from which he gets his green beans. He roasts his own coffee and uses a nice Astoria lever espresso machine.
They were so cute!
We enjoyed wandering about the neighborhood, but were told over and over again by many many people that it was a dangerous thing to do.
We never experienced anything that I considered remotely dangerous, but maybe we were lucky.
I loved this tree coming right through the street
The Malecon, which extended all the way from Miraflores, gave you a nice view of the ocean.
This was our hotel.
They had some great art.
I will post a couple of more things before I close out on Peru
Condors and More!
The next morning we left the hotel at 6:30. Which was a bit inconvenient since they didn't open their breakfast room until 6:30. But they were nice enough to open it 15 minutes early for us, so we could get some coffee and treats.
But we were able to get up to the Mirador Cruz de Condor at about 8:00 AM. We didn't stop at all on the way up, knowing that the condors are active only early. We were surprised to see a couple of buses stopped with the tourists pouring out to take a look at something that would certainly be there on their way back down the mountain.
But it paid off for us. The Mirador was almost empty when we got there
and the condors were flying quite close very frequently:
It was a big chilly, and the crowds started to get bigger as we were watching:
Doreen could have used warmer clothes.
These terraces were about 2,000 years old. People have been farming here for a very long time.
Here I am, enjoying a mirador.
and you don't really get a feel for how deep and steep this is, but it is deep and steep.
The little town of Mara has a nice white church
This was not an unusual sight:
Finally, for Brother Matthew, a photo of a huge cement plant just outside of Arequipa.
A great trip. I can't say enough about it.
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