Getting off the couch after our protracted international travel intermission, we are revisiting South America for a two-month trip to Perú. After touching down in the capital city of Lima, we will take the bus through southern Perú, stay a while in Cusco, and hike a trio of multi-day treks along the way.
To get around southern Perú, we will hitch a ride on Peru Hop. Peru Hop is a long-distance bus carrier that allows us to hop-off at any of its stations, stay as long as we like, and then hop-back-on to reach our next destination.
After a few short but interesting hops, we will jump-off the bus for a week in “The White City” of Arequipa. Set amidst three spectacular volcanos, and with a colonial historic center constructed almost entirely of white volcanic building stone, Arequipa is arguably Perú’s most beautiful city.
From Arequipa, we will visit high-altitude Lake Titicaca, complete a three-day trek into Colca Canyon, and finally board a Peru Hop bus destined for the Inca capital of Cusco. In Cusco, we will settle down for three weeks to leisurely look around the city and nearby archeological sites in the Sacred Valley.
From a trailhead in the Sacred Valley, we will embark on a five-day trek to reach Machu Picchu, the most famous icon of the Inca civilization. Our plan is to limp into Machu Picchu for the June solstice, just in time to thank the sun god for sparing our lives on the trail.
As if a five-day slog to Machu Picchu is not enough trail time, the final destination on our two-month Perú itinerary is the Cordillera Blanca and hiking mecca of Huaraz. In this section of the high Andes Mountains, we plan to make several day hikes before concluding with a four-day trek on the popular Santa Cruz route.
With challenging hiking treks, interesting Incan and Spanish colonial history and architecture, and inspiring natural and cultural wonders, our upcoming trip should be the kick in the pants that we need after our long-drawn-out travel interlude. At long last, we are returning to South America to renew our month-at-a-time adventures in Perú.
Feature Photo: The Lima Letters at the Plaza de Armas (main city square) with the Chicory Champs flag. The Chicory Champs are a crazy circle of friends in our new neighborhood in Arizona. The beautiful flag was stitched by the talented Joan “Betsy Ross” McSweeney.
Month at a Time Travel 
A great trip. Enjoy.
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Thanks, Neil. Sorry I have been such a stranger. I finally got up off the couch and started traveling around and looking at things again. See ya!
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Fantastic itinerary, it is great to see you guys travelling again. Brian and I absolutely loved Peru, I am sure you will have a great time. The altitude can be hard, but we found Diamox helpful, but also drinking the coca leaves tea. We found the buses in Peru great, the hop-on hop-off sounds very good indeed. I am looking forward to following along 😀
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Thank you, Gilda. We appreciate the well-wishes and information on managing the altitudes of Peru. On our Machu Picchu trek, we will exceed 15,000 feet! We are catching our first Peru Hop bus this morning. It should be an interesting experience, and hopefully gets us to where we want to go. Continued fun travels to you and Brian in Greece. Your IG pictures have been stunning.
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Love it !!enjoy all the exciting history Peru has to offer keep sharing !
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Hola Marci and Stephen. Thank you for commenting on the blog. It is wonderful to hear from you from España! Esther and I hope you and Stephen are having a fun and interesting trip, and that your Sangria glasses continue to overflow. It will be great to share stories when we see you guys back in Arizona.
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I’m SO excited for you both! (And for us to be able to go along virtually) Soak it all in!
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Hola Joanie. Esther and I are SO excited to receive your comment. So far, our Perú experience has been amazing. Peru Hop has been such a fun and efficient way to see the country. Our informative English-speaking guide is super well organized and always happy and smiling. I could never do his job, but I bet you could! We have also met many other friendly and interesting travelers from around the world. Thanks for traveling along with us from Big Sky country. Big hello to Dean’o too!
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Ah, howdy stranger, welcome back to the world of travel! Look forward to reading all about it.
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Hello Phil & Michaela! I apologize for being such a stranger. It is wonderful to be back on the road, exploring the spectacular landscapes and fascinating historical sites of Perú. We are currently traveling rather quickly through the southwestern part of the country. Of course, we could never keep up with you guys! I see that you are currently somewhere in Africa, experiencing the full richness of your destinations. I will be checking back in on you, once Esther and I slow down for a while.
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I am so excited to be traveling with you again (okay, only virtually but…)! I’ve never been to Peru so I will be very interested in what you see and do. Looking forward to your pictures and commentary. Have fun!
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I have missed you too, Janis. Esther and I are so excited to be back in South America to pick up where we left off before the pandemic. Perú has the highest per capita covid death rate in the world, so they remain very strict with vaccination and booster requirements, and mask mandates in indoor spaces. Despite the return of tourism, we have been very impressed with their compliance and disinfectant efforts. I am looking forward to publishing a few more posts from Perú and continuing our always-enjoyable correspondence.
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Nice to see you traveling again — and posting about it, to boot. I’m glad you went back to South American again after your “interruption” back in 2020. The Peru Hop sounds very convenient; I hope it turns out well for you. – Marty
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Hola Marty. It does feel good to be traveling again. So far, the Peru Hop method has proven efficient and logistically advantageous. After a harrowing overnight bus journey, we have just arrived in the beautiful Spanish colonial city of Arequipa, Peru. Here, we are taking a much-anticipated rest after a whirlwind start to our trip. I hope you and Gorgeous are doing well. – Joe
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That sounds awesome. I’m looking forward to your stories, (and hope you’re in hiking shape. 😉 )
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Hey Dave. It is great to hear from you. I see that you have been traveling in Mexico. I am excited to read your recent posts, now that we have arrived in Arequipa, Peru and slowed down our travel pace a bit. At 7,700 feet of altitude, Arequipa should be a good intermediate acclimatization locale, as we prepare for our upcoming higher altitude treks. On the downside, the Peruvian cuisine has been so delicious that I am putting on extra pounds that will have to be hauled along the trail. Qué será será.
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I was making the same cuisine comment to Facebook friends about halfway into the Mexico trip…
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Good to see you black in the blogging community! I’ve never been to Peru, so I’m really looking forward to reading about your trip and the photos, of course. That hop on bus sounds like a fabulous idea! Enjoy your trip and thanks so much for sharing it…
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Thank you, Ann. I am sorry to have been such a stranger. It is wonderful to re-connect with you and resume our delightful correspondence. As an amateur travel blogger, I only find it fun to post while I am actually traveling. Once I get home, I get busy being lazy, planning our next trip, or with other interests like reading, cooking, hiking, and playing golf. I hope you and your family are well. Life is good!
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Awesome post! So glad you’re back at it! Maybe we will cross paths yet!
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Thanks Ellen & Theo. It is great to be back doing what we love. It has been somewhat cumbersome considering the remaining pandemic precautions. Hopefully, things will continue to improve, and we can all enjoy safe and healthy travels for years to come.
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