Hotel Majoro, NazcaWe arrived in Arequipa the next morning, checked into our hotel, and had a chance to shower and rest before meeting Carlos for a stroll through the old section of the city. This is a charming area characterized by colonial architecture and narrow cobblestone streets winding between buildings constructed with white volcanic stone. We soon experienced what would be a recurring theme in most of the cities and towns we visited—the Plaza. The Spanish explorers (more appropriately termed “treasure hunters”) certainly deserve a lot of criticism for their harsh treatment of indigenous people throughout South America. However, the Plaza represents one of their more positive legacies. Most plazas are large open spaces often surrounded by important buildings such as churches, government palaces, etc. They typically encompass parks with gardens, mature trees and fountains. They are a welcome gathering place for the locals who enjoy visiting on park benches or carrying out business. In fact, we came across a group of men with old fashioned type writers. They represent Peru’s version of Legalzoom.com. If you need a document such as a building permit, or any other legal paperwork, forget the lawyers! All you have to do is head over to the plaza and pay a small fee to have it typed out on the spot!
We stopped for lunch and had another opportunity to sample the local cuisine. Carlos loves pork and makes no apologies for it! In fact, he dreams of visiting the United States some day and feasting on southern barbecue! He introduced us to Chicharrones which consists of pork rinds fried in their own fat. I tried the Rocotos rellenos (stuffed peppers) which was delicious. Most dishes are served with potatoes of which there are hundreds of varieties, rice and corn. We quenched our thirst with Pisco Sours. The drink is made from a grape brandy, lime juice and egg whites blended with ice. It is very good and tastes like a marguerita.
After some shopping, we headed to an alpaca outlet. Peru is known for its fine Alpaca wool products and we had a chance to see some animals up close and get a general idea how the wool is processed, dyed and used to make sweaters, scarves and blankets. I thought the prices were very reasonable and we purchased several beautiful sweaters. For the most part, alpacas and llamas are docile animals. However, being members of the camel family, they have one nasty habit---they like to spit! We were warned that if you see their ears fold back, stand clear. In fact, at another alpaca outlet in Cusco, my wife was suddenly enveloped in a steamy cloud of saliva! You haven’t really been to Peru until you have been spit upon!
That evening, our kids were exhausted and decided to stay at the hotel while my wife and I walked to Zig Zag restaurant for dinner. We had a chance to taste alpaca steak which was delicious. It is similar in taste and texture to veal. After a satisfying dinner at one of the best Peruvian fusion restaurants in the city we soon learned how reasonable the prices were. In fact, most of the upscale restaurants we dined at during our trip were cheap by American standards. A dinner for two including wine, appetizers and desert was typically less than $100!
We've used Adventure Life for several trips in the past and have always been very pleased with them. The staff is personable and professional at the same time. Erin put this trip together for us in just a few days, and it has everything we were looking for! I recommend them without hesitation.
benn
1 month ago
I served as the person responsible for planning a trip to Galapagos and Machu Picchu for a group of 14 people. Jane with Adventure Life was very helpful throughout the process. Making suggestions, offering insight, and in the end helped me overhaul an initial plan into something even better. Also, Jane makes all the plans including the flights within and between Peru and Ecuador. Thanks to her this is going to be a stress-free adventure. After making the final decision about the trip, Jane gathered the contact information for all the travelers and sent out the details to each traveler individually with links to pay deposits, upload passport info, and personal preferences. She also ensured a group email was sent out to the entire group welcoming us to the trip preparation process. Our trip is a year from now and we are excited to make this once in a life time trek. I am happy to have organized things through Adventure Life. However, two small issues came up that were a little off putting. First, Adventure Life adds $50 per person to the cost for each traveler as a donation to a Galapagos conservation fund. I think this should he offered as something that can be added at each traveler’s discretion. Instead, it is automatically added, and each person must ask to have it removed if they do not want it included. Second, although the trip deposit may be paid with a credit card without incurring an additional fee, the balance must be paid in another way to avoid a 3% credit card fee. Maybe this is standard with all travel agencies. In the end I would definitely go through Adventure Life for the next big trip.
Brenda Nielsen
2 months ago
I think it was very helpful that Franny and I spoke on the phone. I think she had a better idea of what we were looking for, and she planned a great itinerary for us!
Elizabeth
3 months ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
3 months ago
Easy.
Great work on the follow up and details by Waru.