Day 8 - Any Given Lazy Sunday

New cities mean new routines. However, sometimes, such as when you go to bed at 7am and are a tad sluggish the next day, it's fun to incorporate your normal daily habits from home into your vacation. Sunday was one of those days.

On any given Sunday in the U.S. we would likely wake up a little late, grab a coffee, take a walk, perhaps run a few errands and make sure we are somewhere in front of numerous televisions blasting American football by 1pm ET. That is sort of what Greg and I did in Lima on Sunday. With the late night the night before, we figured it would be in good health to get some extra shut-eye, so we skipped all the pre-game running around and woke up late and went straight to watching football.

Once we were up and about we walked about 30 minutes to an American sports bar called The Corner. With dozens of TVs with every game on, it was exactly what we were looking for. 

We set up shop upstairs where it was a little less crowded. Greg enjoyed a Niners victory while Matt sat in sorrow watching his Eagles lose at home...again.

We hung at the bar for about four hours and then decided to head back home. We took the Malecon, which is the scenic cliff side path that overlooks the ocean.

We grabbed a quick snack from the local fruit cart on the way back.

We arrived home to an empty apartment. Jeremy and Pam were out and about. Here's a shot of the beautiful floor to ceiling ocean view from Jeremy's place. Definitely going to miss that 180-degree beachfront view.

Once Jeremy and Pam got back, we all jumped in the car and headed to Makoto for some sushi. It's only about 10 minute drive from their place so it became a great go to spot for a simple and super tasty dinner. The Salmon sashimi was dynamite.

That literally was our whole day. Nothing exciting, which is what we were going for.  Monday is a bit more of the same, except the TIS crew will dwindle to just one lonely sole. Greg flies out at noon, so it'll just be me (and Jeremy and Pam). I don't have anything fancy planned. Walk around, check out the beach, eat a few more delicious meals and then get ready to fly out Tuesday morning.



Day 7 - Dinner & Disco Part 2: Lima

Thank goodness we had a late check out and an even later flight on Saturday because the combination of the high altitude in Cusco, the smoke-filled Mama Africa disco, and perhaps, just maybe, the over indulgence on the booze and beers made us a little sluggish on Saturday. Fortunately, we didn't have a lot planned for Saturday Afternoon other than a short flight back to Lima. We expected a recoop and recover day, but our kind hosts in Lima - Jeremy and Pam - had other plans. 

We landed in Lima around 3:30pm and arrived to Jeremy's place in the Barranco District around 4:15. Jeremy and Pam were out and about which gave Greg and I the opportunity to relax and recover for a few hours. 

Around 7pm we started to get a bit more spring in our step and we began to realize that this is our last night to go big on this trip. It was a Saturday night, we could sleep in on Sunday, Pam's friend was having a birthday get together, there was talk of another club night...it had potential to be a great night. 

We started the night around 8:30pm with dinner at Rafael, one of the best reviewed restaurants in Lima. From start to finish it was a fantastic feast and was the perfect way to start the night. 

Foie Gras egg rolls appetizer.

Crisp Thai fish with homemade curry and pineapple sauce with coconut Basmati rice.

White fish with Vizcaina Bomba rice, wild mushrooms, shrimp and Jewish artichokes.

For dessert we had classic churros with a chocolate dipping sauce.

After dinner we headed over to Cala for birthday drinks for a friend of Jeremy and Pam. Cala is a restaurant and lounge right on the water and pulls in a hip Lima crowd.  We had a table outside on the patio, which was perfect because it was a nice spring night.

Cala was right on the ocean front; the waves literally crashed under the patio.

The Gang - Matt, Javi, Jeremy, Pam, Pipo and Greg.

Agoura Hills High School alumni shot.

Drinks at Cala lasted until about 2am and then the fun transitioned to a club in the Lacomar shopping center. Our group had grown and now included about 7-8 people, but Pam's friend Javi didn't have any trouble getting the group into the club for free. It's amazing how fun a city can be when you know someone local who is well connected.

A view of the club as we entered from above.

Matt trying to find his way to the bar.

The music was mainly reggaeton and Latin jams, so not the most familiar, but that didn't stop Greg and Matt from getting down.

This is what happens at 5am at clubs in Lima.

We finally left the club around 6am just in time to start to see the sun come up.

From dinner to drinks to clubbing with friends, it was another great evening in Peru. Huge thanks to Jeremy, Pam, Javi, Pipo and everyone else for taking us out and showing us how Lima does it.

Day 6 - Dinner & Disco Part 1: Cusco

First of all, I wanted to call attention to the fact that this is the 100th post on Travel In Sandals. I always see TV shows make a big deal out of their 100th episode, so I figured I'd mention our milestone as well. TIS started in 2010 with a wild journey to Australia and has made stops in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, all over Europe and now Peru. I'm looking forward to another 100 posts and plenty of more worldwide adventures. 

Now back to Peru...

Greg and I were still on a high from the exciting day we had exploring Machu Picchu so waking up a bit early on Friday morning and catching the 8:30am train back to Cusco wasn't too bad. However, it was a two hour train ride followed by a two hour bus ride so it was a lengthy half-day trip. 

El equipo verde (the green team); Greg and Matt spent so much time together that they started to dress alike.

The train back to Cusco was just one car; the small train in Peru is not the equivalent to the small bus in the U.S.

Train friends...on our train and bus back to Cusco we met Italians Francesca and Natasha as well as Chelsea Football Club's very own Frank Lampard.

Apparently Peru knows Mo...we passed about a dozen of these hand painted Miguel Morales signs on the way back to Cusco.

Peru Sabe Mo

I wish every urinal had a view like this.

We finally pulled into Cusco around 2pm. Fortunately, we were in no hurry; we had no afternoon plans, so we were free to wander, eat, drink, meet people, relax and enjoy vacation.  

The view of Cusco and how the houses climb up the mountain side.

We stopped for lunch at Pachapapa in the San Blas part of Cusco. It was traditional Peruvian food which included an outdoor wood-fired oven.

We started with potatos in a creamy chili sauce.

The main course was the roasted lamb shoulder with mashed potatoes and veggies.

After a relaxing afternoon, we decided to take it up a notch for the evening festivities.  Since it was our last night in Cusco we did dinner at a highly recommended place called Cicciolina. It's among the top spots in Cusco. We increased our group by one; our French friend Valerie - the same girl who was with us when we chased the tour bus through Cusco - joined for dinner and drinks. 

Cleaned up and ready to go.

Remember Cuy - the roasted guinea pig? Well, we finally tried it. We managed to find a place that served it in a more appetizing manner. This is actually shredded Cuy Confit on a bed of avocado and potato puree. A bit different than the fully roasted head-to-tail guinea pig we've seen on previous menus. Glad we tried it, but we won't be making it a regular thing.

BBQ calamari, prawns and scallops.

Tagliolini tinted with squid ink in a creamy coconut milk, lemongrass, and coriander sauce.

Three's Company

Dinner was solid but the post-meal festivities is what left Greg and I a little sluggish on Saturday morning. We heard about Cusco's discos and being that we both dabble in the dance arts, we checked out Mama Africa, a spot spinning a mix of Top 40 and South American Latin hits...perfect!

There was a lot of jumping around, plenty of singing, probably too much air guitar, and I don't know what else. Basically, we dominated the dance floor until about 3am.

Pistolas!

We fly back to Lima on Saturday and wrap up this Peruvian extravaganza with a few more nights in the Capital city (Greg leaves Mon, Matt leaves Tue).

Day 5 - Machu Picchu, the "Old Mountain"

On Thursday morning the alarm went off at 5am. It was still dark out, which was the point since the early start was in effort to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu, which translates to the "Old Mountain" in Quechuan. Unfortunately, the alarm wasn't the only thing that woke us up. The rain was coming down hard. There was definitely no sunrise to be seen, so we skipped the early bus and got an extra hour of sleep.

The plan was to take a two-hour guided tour through Machu Picchu, hike the neighboring Huyana Picchu peak and then spend the afternoon further exploring the area and perhaps taking in a little sun, but unfortunately the morning rain literally put a damper on our plan.

None the less, we stayed the course as much as possible. We took the guided tour and walked the entire Machu Picchu site learning about Incan homes, farming, religious ceremonies, and rituals for honoring the dead. 

Everyone was well equipped for the heavy rain with ponchos, thick jackets, and large umbrellas...

Except us...we learned quickly that our "rain jackets" were more water resistant than water proof, and to add insult to injury, Greg's umbrella was the smallest on the mountain barely covering his head and shoulders.

As for Matt, the tour guide singled him out of the group of 20+ people as being the most soaked and therefore the most in need of his extra poncho...I guess this is what you get when you send two California boys to the Andes.

The entire Incan civilization is estimated to have had close to 10 million people at its peak, that's equal to the population of Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico combined. And one of the dynasty's biggest achievements is not only the creation of Machu Picchu, which is arguably the most famous sight in all of South America, but keeping it hidden from the Spanish when they invaded in the 1500s.  The Spanish sacked Lima, Cusco, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and numerous other cities and sites, but because of its location on the top of a ridge tucked between bigger mountain peaks, the Spanish never found Machu Picchu.

There are different theories on what exactly Machu Picchu was used for, but the most popular belief is that it was a gathering site for numerous tribes of Incas to meet, exchange goods, worship, and live. The Incas eventually abandoned the city in the 1500s and it was left to be reclaimed by nature.

10,000 Incas started work on Machu Picchu in 1450 and it's believed to have taken 70 years to build.

 It's believed that one of the reasons the Spanish never found Machu Picchu is because the area is often cloaked in clouds and mist and therefore tough to see.

Machu Picchu is one of the most well-preserved ancient sites in all of South America and amazingly, it looks today very much as it did when it was created. 

Machu Picchu is comprised of an upper and lower section of houses, temples, plazas, and terraces. The higher class lived toward the top and tended to have better stonework.

Once the morning guided tour ended we decided the heavy rains were not the right conditions for hiking Huyana Pichu, the "Young Mountain." Instead we took shelter in the picnic area with some fellow travelers who were also hoping to wait out the rain.

Greg enjoying a juice box while waiting out the rain.

Even the locals were in the picnic area taking shelter from the elements.

After a three hour rain delay, the weather cleared a bit so we got back on the "Old Mountain" and finished exploring. Our patience paid off as we were able to see, experience and capture amazing images of the area. It is one of the most beautiful and surreal places we have ever been. Everywhere you looked was an amazing view. Hopefully, the pictures below give you a sense of Machu Picchu's size, architectural intricacies, engineering prowess, and how the whole site is nestled into a massive mountain range. 

The clouds began to clear in the afternoon allowing for picturesque views of the entire Machu Picchu ruin.

Greg striking the Colin Kaepernick pose on top of Machu Picchu.

Speaking of football, the expansive grassy areas throughout the ruin would have made for perfect athletic fields.

Cut with stone or bronze tools, the edges of the stones were rubbed smooth until they merged together perfectly.

The Temple of the Three Windows was used for ceremonial rites.

The Temple of the Sun is the only round structure within Machu Picchu and has two tower windows that align to the points where the sun rises on the summer and winter solstices.

The ruin was an intricate maze of walkways, stairways, plazas, rooms, and terraces.

It's still a mystery how the Incas managed to transport the massive stones and granite they chiseled from the mountain cliffs.

The stones in the walls were fitted together flawlessly like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle without mortar.

One of the most exhilarating and scary parts of the ruin was the "Inca Bridge," which is a back entry pathway to Machu Picchu cut into the side of the mountain. The Incan army would take the bridge when returning from battle.

The Inca Bridge path is about 4-feet wide and winds around the side of the cliff face.

Living on the edge. There's no rail or guard on the Inca Bridge; it's just a straight drop.

Greg tested his limits; you can see that the path is not that wide and a bit rocky at some points.

It's about a 2,000 foot drop from the pathway to the valley floor.

Matt trying to feed the llamas, but they wanted nothing to do with him.

Greg on the other hand was a llama whisperer.

A view of Huyana Picchu, the iconic mountain peak that acts as the backdrop to Machu Picchu.

At the end of the day, I'd say we succeeded. It wasn't a homerun since it was rainy in the AM and still a little cloudy in the afternoon, but overall we explored the 15th century ruin from top to bottom, took some amazing pics, and got the full experience we were hoping for.

The last picture of the day...almost no clouds...definitely worth the wait.

We descended the mountain by bus around 4pm. We dried off and then took a brief ciesta before grabbing a bite to eat and exploring the small town of Aguas Calientes. 

While walking around Aguas Calientes we came upon a local park with recreation soccer games going on.

Dinner consisted of street meat from the local vendors outside the rec league field.

Matt went with the carne...what type of "carne" is still TBD.

Friday we head back to Cusco for a relaxing day in the Incan capital city.