advice on meandering up peru
Replies: 7 - Last Post: Jan 21, 2013 5:51 AM Last Post By: Kirsten87
jump to
advice on meandering up peru
Hey y'all,I bought a plane ticket to Brazil, but then wound up with a job in Ecuador (teaching English), so I'm getting off the plane in Lima about two weeks before work (which will be in Loja). So I don't have to get right down to business (and rent), I was considering exploring Peru for a couple of weeks (on the Cheap, as a young, adventurous female).
Anyone have ideas? Good spots? I've been searching the cities on the map, but haven't found much firsthand information.
Thanks,
Amanda.
1
Amanda, have you thought of maybe getting a copy of a travel guide? It will contain the accumulated experiences of a series of fiirsthand observers who do this for a living.Given that you've only got two weeks you route will probably involve going north from Lima to Quito with stops along the way. The guidebooks should provide you with advice on where to stop.
Download (or borrow from a public library) a copy of the most recent Lonely Planet Guide to Peru and Ecuador and you should be all set.
3
Indeed, that is what guidebooks are for. As it is a matter of "meandering up Peru", this is what one would think of:Trujillo and Huanchaco (archeological sites / surfing)
Huaraz (Cordillera Blanca mountains)
Cajamarca (history / museums)
Chiclayo (famous museum in Labayeque)
Máncora (beach life)
You can't very well do all this in the time you have available. And there is much more.
4
For a wonderfully adventurous two weeks, consider the following:Spend a few days in Lima, which is magnificently cosmopolitan, then make a B-line for Chiclayo. See the Sipan museum and poke around on the coast a bit. Then hop a bus up to Chachapoyas and visit Kuelap, Gocta Falls, etc. Do some hiking. Then take the beautiful mountain route up into Ecuador, from Jaen to Loja.
5
Although I did not put Chachapoyas and the mountain route into Ecuador in my shortlist, I agree with aslukas' recommendation.6
The combination of Aslukas & Casaana's post will easily keep you busy for two weeks.An off the beaten track (among foreign travelers) is Chanchamayo which is inland from Lima, two towns on the edge of the Amazon rainforest with interesting excursions. You could find any type of accommodation there, from dirt cheap to resort like places.
