Alright, so I finally got around to checking out Peru, specifically for its natural wonders. I’d seen the pictures, heard the stories, and thought, “Okay, I gotta experience this myself.” It wasn’t just a quick decision, mind you. I spent a bit of time figuring out what I absolutely had to see.
Tackling the Andes First
First on my list, and probably everyone’s, was Machu Picchu. The journey to get there was an adventure in itself. I flew into Cusco, which is already pretty high up, and spent a couple of days just trying to get used to the thin air. Seriously, walking up a slight incline felt like a marathon. From Cusco, I took a train, which was actually quite scenic, winding through valleys with rivers rushing by. Then, there’s this bus ride up a super twisty mountain road to get to the entrance. Let me tell you, hold on tight for that part!
And then, you walk in, and bam! There it is. It’s one of those places where photos just don’t capture the scale or the feeling. It’s huge, and kind of mysterious, perched up there. I spent hours just wandering around, trying to imagine what it was like back in the day. It was crowded, yeah, but still managed to find some quieter spots to just soak it in. The stonework is pretty incredible, how they managed to build all that without modern tools.
Next up, I decided to brave Rainbow Mountain, or Vinicunca as they call it. I’d heard mixed things – some people said it was amazing, others said it was brutally hard. They weren’t wrong about the hard part. The altitude is no joke, even higher than Cusco. I hired a horse for part of the way up, not gonna lie. It was a slow, plodding trek. But when you finally get to that viewpoint, and the weather cooperates, those colors are pretty wild. Stripes of reds, yellows, and teals. It was freezing cold and windy up there, though, so I didn’t linger too long. Definitely pack warm clothes for that one.
Into the Amazon Basin
After all that high-altitude stuff, I thought a change of scenery was in order. So, I headed down to the Amazon rainforest. Completely different world. Hot, humid, and green everywhere you look. I flew into Iquitos, which is a city you can’t even drive to, it’s so deep in the jungle. From there, it was all about boat travel.
I stayed at a lodge a few hours upriver. The sounds at night were incredible – insects, frogs, things I couldn’t identify. During the day, we went on guided walks and boat trips. Saw a bunch of monkeys swinging through the trees, some colorful birds, and even a sloth moving super slowly. Piranha fishing was on the agenda too, which was kind of cool, though I didn’t catch anything big enough to eat. The guide pointed out all sorts of medicinal plants. It really makes you appreciate how much knowledge is held by the local communities.
- Woke up early for bird watching.
- Took a night walk to see nocturnal critters (mostly big bugs and spiders, to be honest!).
- Swam in the river, which was surprisingly refreshing.
It wasn’t all super glamorous, mind you. The humidity was intense, and the mosquitoes were relentless. Bug spray became my best friend. But seeing that kind of raw nature, so different from anything I’d experienced before, was definitely worth it.
A Quick Look at Lake Titicaca
Before heading home, I squeezed in a trip to Lake Titicaca. It’s famous for being one of the highest navigable lakes in the world. The air was crisp and clear. I took a boat out to the Uros floating islands, which are made entirely of reeds. It was pretty fascinating to see how people live on these man-made islands. They showed us how they build them and maintain them. It’s a very unique way of life. The water is this incredibly deep blue. Pretty stunning scenery all around.
So yeah, that was my little adventure through some of Peru’s natural attractions. It was a lot of travel, a lot of adjusting to different altitudes and climates. Some parts were tough, not gonna lie. But the things I saw were genuinely breathtaking. It’s one of those trips that sticks with you. Definitely made me appreciate the sheer diversity of our planet a bit more. If you’re thinking about it, just be prepared for a bit of everything – it’s not always a walk in the park, but the rewards are pretty amazing.
