We have spent 19 days in Peru, where we have seen Inca ruins, colonial buildings, mountains, desert landscapes and South America's biggest lake. Peru is a very diverse country and has a lot to offer, no wonder that it is one of the most popular tourist destination in South America. I have a couple of observations I would like to share with you here, in case you are considering to visit this interesting country.

Attractions

Peru is rich in archeological sites; so if you are interested in history and ancient civilizations, you will definitely find many interesting places to visit. The entrance tickets of the most popular archeological sites (e.g. Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley) got a bit pricy in the past few years, and unfortunately you do not receive any information or map of the site in exchange of the entrance fee. Thus if you want to know more of the ruins you see, you need to hire a local guide at the entrance, which we did not do, so I have no idea, how expensive they are. We thought that the lack of map was a big issue at Pisac, because we had no idea how big the site was, and how much time we needed to see it. Unfortunately we ended up seeing like 70% of the ruins, as we ran out of time. The silver lining is that you can visit the archeological sites on your own by public transportation, and thereby you can save tons of moneyi
With geography that encompasses desert, highland and jungle, Peru is a paradise for the active traveler. The most famous hikes, such as the Inca trail, are quite expensive (and crowded), but you can find several hikes that are beautiful and you can either do it on your own or with a reasonably priced tour. We only hiked in the Colca Canyon - which I cannot recommend - but we met other backpackers, who did trekking in the Huaraz region, and they said it was amazing.However, if you prefer to spend your time on relaxing on the beach or in cozy towns, Peru is not the right country for you. Peru's beaches are very windy and cold, and their towns are very busy and dirty.

Honestly Peru is not really a country, where you can relax: you always need to be alert, which can be quite exhausting. Peruvian towns' have very heavy traffic and it is excruciating to cross the street as a pedestrian, as nobody wants to stop for you even if you do "an Italian" - it is Kasper's phrase for crossing the street despite that vehicles do not give you priority, which works in Italy. Furthermore, if you are "foreign-looking" taxi drivers will always hunk at you, and someone will always approach you with something to sell.You also need to be able to bargain for things and call off the locals scams, otherwise you end up getting ripped off. So if a local tells you that the colectivó you are looking for is not going today, but he has a taxi to take you, do not believe him, just say no gracias and walk away, you will find your colectivó, no doubt.

There are only a very few places which accept credit cards and they charge at least 4% (we could only use our card at Loki Hostel), so you have to have enough cash on you at all times, but then again you need to be careful with that, because you can easily get pickpocketed. 

Peru is an exciting country, but you need to be alert at all times!Transportation

It is very easy and quite cheap to get around in Peru. There are frequent flights from Lima to regional capitals, but the best and most economical form of long distance public transport is the bus. The most popular destinations are served by overnight buses, where you can choose between cama (means bed = a fully reclining seat) and semi-cama (means half-bed = a seat which reclines 145 degree).

There are many bus companies in Peru, and you need to be careful which one you choose, because they range from the luxurious to the downright dangerous. We have travelled with the best and most expensive company, Cruz del Sur, which was excellent: their bus was safe, clean, comfortable and fast. They served hot meals with vegetarian option and they had descent on board entertaining. I would not hesitate to choose them again.In most bus terminals you need to pay a departure tax (usually a couple of soles) before you board the bus. I guess it is kind of city tax, but I am unsure.

As I mentioned earlier, another great way of transportation in Peru is the colectivós (shared minibuses) which connect neighborhoods in big cities and small villages on the countryside. They are cheap and convenient, but be aware that different destinations may have different colectivó paradas (bus stops). For example in Cusco there is one bus stop for the colectivós going to Pisac and a completely different one for the colectivós going to Ollantaytambo. If you are unsure, just ask the locals, they will be able to help you.Taxis are very inexpensive in Peru and they are everywhere. However, you need to think twice before you haul a taxi on the street, because there are many unlicensed pirate taxis, who often commit violent crimes against their passengers. A good rule of thumb is to ask your hotel to call you a cab or take a nice-looking radio taxi with a driver in a shirt. Taxis at bus terminals and airports are generally safe, because they are being controlled as they pay the entrance fee for the parking lot. The other thing you need to pay attention to is the price; the taxis are unmetered, therefore you always need to agree on a price with the driver beforehand. And as you are "foreign-looking" you will get a different price than the locals, my advice is: find out the usual cab fare in advance, and try to bargain with the driver.The main roads in Peru are paved and in better conditions than the roads we saw in the USA. The only dirt roads we drove on was between Santa Theresa and Hidroelectrica and surprisingly some parts in Colca Canyon. These dirt roads make transportation very slow and uncomfortable, because you end up inhauling a lot of dust.

Accommodation

You can easily find cheap accommodation everywhere in Peru, even close to Macchu Picchu. We have stayed in nice middle-range hotels and hostels with private rooms. Our most expensive hotel cost 54$ (Lima) and our cheapest hospedaje (not counting Josephine's fantastic hut) was 18$ (Colca Canyon). Except Colca Canyon and Machu Picchu we had descent Internet connection everywhere. Overall, we were satisfied with the places we stayed at, and felt we got what we had paid for.Food

Peru's great geographic and cultural diversity has resulted in a very unique cuisine with many different flavors and dishes. Peruvians love the concept of fusion; their cooking is inspired by European stews, sauces, baked casseroles and Chinese dishes. Many Peruvians enjoy chifas (Chinese-Peruvian restaurants) which is a fusion of local ingredients cooked with Chinese recipes and technique.

We have tried a couple of different Peruvian dishes and I must say they were very much to our liking

Ceviche (marinated seafood)Rocoto relleno (stuffed spicy peppers)
Aji de gallina (creamy chicken)Causa (potato casserole)Alpaca steakWe have also tried some delicious cakes at a charity event, which we stumbled upon in Arequipa.Both Arequipa and Cuzco have their own beer; Arequipeña and Cuzqueña. According to Kasper both of them are descent pilsners, but they are only ok, nothing special.

The alcoholic beverage both of us enjoyed was pisco sour; a cocktail made with pisco (white-grape brandy), egg white, lemon juice, syrup, crushed ice and bitters.We really looked forward to tasting the famous Inca Kola, but unfortunately it was a rather disappointing experience; this soft drink is way too sweet and taste like bubblegum. Kasper said it reminded him of a soft drink called Urge, which is only known in Scandinavia, I guess for a reason...Afterwards we have found a really nice, refreshing soft drink called chicha morada, which is made from purple corn. It tasted great and was very inexpensive.

We also drank a lot of mate de coca (coca-leaf tea) which was available free of charge in every hotel and hostel we stayed at. Coca-leaf tea is a nice herbal tea, which is used against altitude sickness in the Peru and elsewhere in the Andes region. Just a side note; the consumption of one cup of coca tea can cause a positive result on a drug test for cocaine. But do not worry, you won't be drugged by a few cup of coca tea, believe me, I have tried.Health and Safety

Peru is safe as long as you follow the "gringo trail" (the most popular tourist destinations) and take the necessary precautions such as getting back to your accommodation before dark and not wearing expensive jewellery ect.

Stray dogs roam the streets everywhere in Peru (and in South-America in general). They seem pretty harmless, but I was very uncomfortable when they were sniffing me and following me on the street. These poor homeless animals are attracted to the garbage which people just dumb everywhere. It is extremely unhygienic, and I wish the Peruvian government would do something about this problem.

Apart from our little accident at Josephine's hospedaje, we did not have any health issue in Peru. It seems like Peruvians have fine hygenic standards, when it comes to cooking.

The highest altitude we have been in Peru was around 4100m, and we did not have any problems. We started at 3400m in Cusco and stayed around that altitude for a while to get acclimatized. You can never predict altitude sickness; some get it already at 2400m others like me never experience it at all. Spoiler alert: Kasper's new nickname for me is mountain goat, because I ran up to a 5400m high mountain in Bolivia without losing my breath. I do not know what to say, I am apparently functioning well at low oxygen pressure.

People

Peru is a culturally diverse country; about 45% of the population are indigenous Indians whose first language is either Quechua (mainly in the Andean highland) or Aymara (at the Lake Titicaca region). These indígenas are clearly poorer than the rest of the population and they try to make a living by selling things to tourists such as cold water and food close to the archeological sites, or their hand-made jewelery and clothing on the streets, they even sell themselves by dressing up in their traditional dresses and asking for money for their picture. It can be sometimes a bit too much, especially at more touristy places like Cusco.

If you are traveling on a budget and/or want to eat and travel like the locals, you need at least a basic understanding of Spanish. We found that at popular tourist destinations many locals speak some English, but in more remote areas Spanish is a life saver.  All together, I think Peru is an exciting country, which is absolutely worth a visit. You do not need to book a tour, because the infrastructure is pretty descent and you can visit all the popular tourist destinations on your own. On the other hand I do not think we will visit this Andean country again in the near future, because it is not a place you can just enjoy, as you always need to be alert.