The problem with Perú is….how to slice the pie

I spent some 14 days in peru. Not quite enough. I guess my bigger frustration now is how do I actually review Peru. In case you wonder this is the 19th largest country on earth you actually can’t quite cover it in 14 days not to mention write one review article on it. So this is what I will do. This blurb is abt how I planned peru in general. It’s technical, abt my strategies. I will try cover Lima a little bit as well. I will then try to at least do Cusco/machu Picchu & Paracas in another blurb. what I did Lima 2 days (capital) Paracas 1.5 days (geological/natural reserve) Nazca 1 day (the giant Nazca lines: NOT alien runways) Cusco 5-7 days (machu Picchu & lots of other stuff) Puno 2 days What you could add The amazons (the added thing u need to do is to get yourself vaccinated for mosquito borne diseases) Arequipa (they call it the city in white, I passed because I thought I saw enough colonial towns in Guatemala; then I realised it’s a mistake because the thing people go see is the giant human sized Condor bird in Colca Canyon) Huacachina (no regrets I passed it - sand dune sliding/ buggies have done in quite a few North African & Middle Eastern places) Lima is 95% chance the port you will enter or exit Peru (unless you travel by land into Bolivia or sth). The joke they have is Lima is constantly 100% humid but never rains. The result? Fog. + poor air quality. If you only go to the old district for the colonial architecture, add one museum (recommended - larco museum), walk the hoods of Miraflores (alongside the pyramid in the city huaca pucllana) and barranco (murals and art), u can’t use more than two days. If you are a photo kinda guy the haziness will be in the way of your eccentricities anyways. The city is big. You will unlikely do buses (poor route instructions). Bad Traffic is normal during peak hour (read anytime after sunrise). Uber is your friend - cause uber is your only friend. BUT! There’s always a BUT right. You can take day trips to Caral & Bandurria - not well known but they are far older than the nazcas and the Incans. That you can add one more day. The other thing people go to Lima for is gastronomy. Maido shot to fame earlier as the world’s #1 restaurant, but there’s a whole array of fine dining installations. Peru is practically a mixing pot of Spanish, indigenous and immigrant Chinese and Japanese culture, and presents a very unique blend of food. In short - sightseeing: 3/5. Transportation: 2/5. Food: 4.5/5. Some little tips by the way. 1. Budget time. The traffic is mad. But the fact you have to uber everything means planning in Lima is actually easy 2. Some hotels make u pay 18% VAT. As a foreigner staying in peru >60 days you DO NOT need to pay. Tell them the day you enter the country they will back off. They may also ask you for 10% service fee, that you can’t do anything about Ok was told my blurb is too long and I can’t type more. See u next blurb (and a few coffees after)