I had been counting down the days until Cusco since the moment I arrived in Peru. I'm pretty sure I drove JP crazy with all my talk about llamas and Machu Picchu. We chose to fly with Peruvian Airlines because it was considerably cheaper than LAN, the most popular airline flying from Lima to Cusco. The company cheekily charges a 'gringo' tax for foreigners travelling within South America. I was skeptical of flying with Peruvian Air because most reviews aren't very positive. But contrary to what people have written, the plane was on time and the service was professional. For a one and a half hour flight, it wasn't worth paying more than US$400. Peruvian Air saved me close to US$300. I would happily fly with them again. I was also surprised to know that they allow you to check-in more than 30kg of luggage. This is great for Peruvian people who bring their month's worth of grocery shopping back from Cusco to Lima!

Cusco airport. Look at those clouds!

Not long after we landed and the aircraft doors opened, the air began to feel dry and I had to breathe faster than usual. I didn't feel light-headed but the altitude was noticeable. I was told by JP's family and friends that the first few hours in Cusco should be spent doing absolutely nothing in order to acclimate to the altitude and avoid feeling sick. It is also recommended that you drink plenty of 'mate de coca', a herbal tea made from coca leaves. I had to add sugar because I wasn't a big fan of the taste. Chewing coca leaves is also supposed to prevent symptoms of altitude sickness. Whether or not it really does do the trick I'm not too sure. Perhaps it's just a myth!

'Mate de coca' (coca tea)

At the airport we were met by a cheery man who was waiting to take us to Hotel Golden Inca. The great thing about this particular hotel is that it provides a free taxi pick-up service from Cusco airport. The trip from the airport to the hotel was much quicker than I expected, about 10 minutes. Upon our arrival, we were offered coca tea and given some useful information about the city. The room was perfect for a two-night stay but very close to the stairs which meant that there was a bit of noise during the night. We stayed in the room for about an hour and a half before setting out to wander around the city. By this time it was about midday and we had just missed a light rain. 

The main square, Plaza de Armas, was about 15 minutes walk from the hotel. Along the way, we were caught up in a large crowd of school students who had finished school for the day. I couldn't help but notice their cheeks, which were redder than those of the children in Lima. Altitude increases the risk of sunburn. This explains why their cheeks are rosy red. I'll have to find out whether or not they like to use sunscreen. We arrived at Plaza de Armas where we were immediately approached by people trying to offer us tours of every kind. We collected some brochures and then decided it was time for lunch. Behind the main square there was a restaurant with a pleasant view of a nearby water fountain, so we decided to eat there. We both fancied chicken so we ordered 'milanesa de pollo', a breadcrumb coated chicken beast. The serving size was huge! A tourist at a nearby table appeared to be trying guinea pig for the first time, because after one bite he gave it back to the waiter. Guinea pig is served like a flat pancake, which doesn't make it look very appealing. Overall, the atmosphere was very relaxing and the food was 'rico' (delicious).

I thought these centerpieces were so cute! Salt and pepper jars are attached to the back of the dress.

After lunch we visited several tour operators to organise a couple of day tours. It's much cheaper to book an organised tour than to take a taxi/bus from Cusco to the Sacred Valley. We managed to score a good deal with Apus Tours. After booking the tour, we went to the tourist office to buy our 'bolleto touristico' (tourist ticket), which allows you to visit 16 sacred sites in the Cusco region. This ticket is the cheapest way to see what Cusco and the Sacred Valley have to offer. The price is cheaper for Peruvians than foreigners, but if you present your student card you can purchase a ticket at the Peruvian price (S/.70 vs S/.130). By the time we had bought our tickets, it was starting to get very cold so we walked back to the hotel. Later that night we decided to go out for a snack and it was so cold that I had to wear my pyjamas underneath my clothes. I thought I had brought enough warm clothes to wear. Oh well, I know for next time! 

My 'bolleto touristico' (tourist ticket)

Ashleigh

There's nothing like waterfront dining. But when you peer over the balcony of a restaurant to see only only crashing waves and surfers, a feeling of awe comes over you. Cala Restaurant in the Miraflores district of Lima boasts spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, allowing guests to savour a sensational sunset as they dine. The surfers provide great entertainment while you relax to the sound of breaking waves.

The top level of Cala Restaurant in Miraflores

We arrived at Cala on a Monday night with enough time to admire the clear waters before the sun went down. There were only a few couples in the restaurant, which made for a peaceful atmosphere. The wait staff were very attentive and treated us like royalty. They were pleased to provide us with recommendations as to what to drink. I was recommended to try their frozen strawberry daiquiri, which, I must say, was to die for! Their pisco sour was equally as enticing and it was hard to resist the temptation to order a second cocktail. 

Soaking up the view whilst sipping on a strawberry daiquiri

One of the best views in Lima

Before we had finished our drinks, a waiter brought to the table a basket of bread, which was accompanied by olive oil, plain butter and olive butter (left). Oh my goodness! The olive butter completely blew my mind! Before Cala I never knew such a type of butter existed. If you haven't tried it before you have to put it on your bucket list. I searched high and low for it in the supermarkets but haven't been able to find it so I think I'll have to persuade the chef to share with me his or her secret recipe. Following the warm bread we tucked into some fresh calamari and yuquitas, the Peruvian version of French fries made from a type of root vegetable known as Yuca (it tastes very similar to potato). 

Who knew bread could be so yummy!

I look forward to trying Cala's 'postres' (desserts), which are supposed to be delicious. To be honest I didn't think that restaurants like Cala could be found in Lima, but I was wrong. Being close to the water made me think of Sydney and I felt very at ease. Cala is a must if you want to treat yourself, although for such a location the prices are more than reasonable. 

Ashleigh

Last Thursday we went to MATE Museo Mario Testino in Barranco. JP was curious to see it as he'd never been before, and hearing about it made me excited. MATE is the only museum in the world that has a permanent exhibition of Mario's photography. There is also a separate room that houses temporary displays of works by other Peruvian photographers. Admission to the museum costs S/.15 (about AU$7). It was so quiet inside that you could have heard a pin drop!

The first room featured flawless photographs of Kate Moss. I still can't decide whether I prefer the black and white photo or the vibrant up close and personal body paint shot. Mario first photographed Kate nearly 25 years ago so it doesn't surprise me that she is also a good friend of him and an inspiration to his work. In fact, he has even created a book for her as a tribute. The book, which is available to purchase at MATE's gift shop, is a large collection of his pictures of her.

The story goes that Mario handed Kate a box of face paints and
 told her where and how to paint them.

There was something about this portrait that held
my attention for longer. 

Particularly fascinating was the 'Alta Moda' (high fashion) room which exhibits photographs of Peruvians in costumes unique to the mountains around Cusco. The garments are designed in a way that the different images on the fabric convey certain messages about the wearer, such as what his or her occupation might be. At the Inca markets in Miraflores you can see tonnes of items of clothing with similar colourful, elaborate designs. JP told me that these costumes are still worn by people living in the mountains today.

Traditionally, these costumes are worn during festivals or when
a family member has died.

The highlight of the museum was without a doubt the room dedicated to Mario's portraits of Princess Diana. A security officer opened the door for us and as soon as we stepped inside the room we both said, "Wow!" Diana was smiling at us from every angle of the room. Mario's intention was to make her look natural and to create a sense of intimacy. You can't help but admire the portraits and wonder what she might have been thinking at the time. Her smile brings the room to life and the Versace dress only makes the encounter that more special.

Only Diana could pull of this magnificent dress!

A beautiful way to remember a beautiful princess.

Doing my best Diana impression!

Mario was at MATE the day before we visited so we'll have to keep an eye out and see whether he's due to come back for a visit anytime soon.

Ashleigh

Easter Sunday was a quiet day for us as we were a bit exhausted from the day before. I was sad to learn that Easter eggs aren't much of a tradition in Peru. In fact, I only remember seeing them in one particular supermarket. That morning we both fancied a snack so I suggested that we go to Arabica Espresso Bar in Miraflores. The coffee shop had been recommended by a number of travel bloggers for its cosy atmosphere and superb coffee.

The red doors made Arabica easy to find

A great thing about Arabica is that it's away from Parque Kennedy (Kennedy Park), which attracts a large number of travellers and Limeneans. I don't think you'd come across it unless someone told you about it. But the bright red doors would no doubt grab your attention if you happened to pass through the street. The staff gave us a warm welcome when we entered, and before choosing where to sit, we stopped to stare at the deliciously decadent chocolate goodies on display.

Bright colours made for a happy atmosphere

The shop has a tiny but super cute outdoor area which can seat around five people. We initially made ourselves comfortable on a velvet lounge but then decided to move inside to play a board game. Arabica is not a 'board game cafe' as such but you can entertain yourself with Jenga and test your skills at trivia with a couple of other games. We played Jenga and the room was so quiet that when I knocked the tower over people jumped. If you're in the mood for reading, you can always pull a book or magazine off the shelf. If you weren't playing a game or reading, you were either chatting to a friend over coffee or browsing the Internet.

The shop's outdoor seating area

Minutes before the tower was no more

During the time we were there, several customers ordered a second coffee. The coffee was one of the best I've had in Lima and the latte art was beautiful. If you're not a fan of coffee, you have to go and try one of their banana and chocolate chip muffins. The muffin we shared was fresh, moist and unbelievably delicious! The 'zig zag' of chocolate sauce on the plate only made it more exciting to eat.

Looking at this is making me hungry again!

A great little coffee shop and fantastic service! If you need to put your feet up or are after some peace and quiet, Arabica is the place to be.

Ashleigh

This morning we woke up bright and early to go to the markets. I have shopped at large markets in Thailand, and like most Sydneysiders, I have been to the fish market and Paddy's Markets. But let me tell you, nothing prepared me for the size of the Gran Mercado Mayorista de Lima. I was completely blown away! There were separate warehouses for garlic, potatoes, tomatoes and greens like broccoli, lettuce and celery. We had to get in the car and drive from one to the other because they went for miles. There was probably about a 2-minute walk between each market but given that it was warm and that the bags were heavy, it was easier just to drive.

Sacks of potatoes are stacked like Jenga blocks

I think they were a bit short of garlic

I found it interesting that you weren't able to buy just one garlic or two limes. For instance, if you want to buy avocados you have to buy a kilo. A kilo of limes costs S/.1 (less than 50c). You might be thinking, what on earth would you do with that many limes? Lime is a key ingredient in many Peruvian dishes (e.g. ceviche). They probably go through more limes than we do Vegemite! The limes here don't taste as sour as the ones that we have in Australia. And lemons are hardly anywhere to be seen! They're a bit more expensive and not commonly used in cooking.

Pineapple perfection!

I have never seen so many limes!

What amazed me about the market was the amount of produce that male workers were carrying in their wheelbarrows. You could see the sweat on their faces and it was evident that they were tired and sore. I didn't see any women carrying wheelbarrows. They were either cleaning up the vegetables and/or collecting money from customers. A lot of women even had their babies with them. It was an eye-opening experience and I recommend that tourists go and have a look at this farmer's market for themselves. I particularly admired the hard work of the workers in what was a very fast-paced environment.

Ashleigh

This morning we came to the conclusion that good coffee in Lima is impossible to come by so we've decided to give tea a go for now. The cacao tea we bought from the Choco Museo in Miraflores convinced us that there must be some great tea shops here waiting to be found. We did some research and came across one called Quinta Esencia, not far from the markets where we buy our favourite mango juice. It looked very cute and we were particularly attracted to the fact that the menu was adventurous and wide-ranging.

When you enter the shop you immediately take notice of the large cabinet filled with tea cups, teapots and just about everything you could imagine that is tea-related. The first level has a hotel lobby vibe and is quite modern in its decor. It was hard to make a decision but I couldn't go past chocolate and coconut. We decided to share the tea because it was HUGE! Our eyes opened wide when the salesperson showed us the size of the mug.

I could get used to this!

After ordering we went upstairs to the 'bookstore'. There were comfortable lounges with brightly-coloured pillows and a large wooden table in the centre of the room which was surrounded by bookshelves. As soon as we sat down we felt very much at home. The relaxation music took us to another world and had we stayed longer, it would've been easy to fall asleep or get lost in a book. There was silence in the room as people sipped on their tea and read or browsed the shelves.

The 'bookstore'

Learning Spanish from a children's pop-up book

The tea was a great choice and I can now understand why you'd want the giant-sized mug all to yourself. I guess you could say that Quinta Esencia is a place you might have dreamed about didn't know actually existed. Such a great concept, we'll be back soon for sure! 

Ashleigh

Last night we paid a visit to Parque de la Reserva to check out the highly rated music, water and light show that the park delivers nightly. If you've ever been to Vegas, then you'll be familiar with the Bellagio's fountain spectacle. Unlike the show at the Bellagio, which is free, la Reserva collects an entry fee of S/.4 (less than US$1). The Magic Water Circuit is also said to be the largest foutain complex in the world. When we entered the park I felt like I was in Disneyland. There must have been more than a dozen fountains, most of which were illuminated and dancing to the rhythm of the music. Fast food stands and several stalls selling plush toys were also present.

We arrived just in time for the 8.15pm show, which took place at the largest fountain in the park. The colours were brilliant and the country of Peru was effectively showcased through stunning images and animations that were projected onto the water. Almost everyone was wearing a smile as they watched the lights change and water climb higher and higher. Funnily enough, the Backstreet Boys, ABBA and Queen were among the show's song list. 

There was one fountain in particular (called Maze of the Dream) which caught our attention and brought out our inner child. Who wouldn't be tempted to try and make their way through about five vertical walls of water without getting wet? The fountain attracted people young and old and kids couldn't care less if they were told to stop running by the security officer. All that mattered was having a good time and making it to the inner circle. Most parents did not seem to mind that their kids came out of the water looking like drowned rats.

The park was a great way to spend the night after some much-needed crepes and waffles. I have no doubt I'll be back there soon...next time with my bikini on! 

Ashleigh