my experience
I visited Peru with my orchestra during our tour to South America (You can read the whole blog about the trip, written by my conductor Benjamin Zander). We only stopped for a couple of nights in Lima, and stayed in a hotel in a part of the city where we weren't given much freedom to explore. It was my first time ever in South America, and when I did get out of the hotel a little bit with my friends on the last day, I was fascinated with the South American culture. At one point, our orchestra drove through the poor districts on the edges of Lima, which left quite an impact on myself and my fellow players. We also visited Pachacamac, a city of ruins currently bein excavated, that's supposed to be even bigger than the famous Machu Picchu.
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basic facts
Must go to places |
- Machu Picchu: The famous ancient ruins complex in the mountains of Peru, built by the Incans. I couldn't go on tour, but my sister Tessie went this summer and came back glowing
- Salt ponds of Mara: Incredible natural world wonder, where the ground for miles is perfectly smooth, flat planes of hardened salt. Sometimes the surface is reflective, which can almost seem like an optical illusion! My sister went there as well, and was blown away.
personal tips
As a city, I would not recommend Lima for a long stay. If you go to Peru, take advantage of the culture that can be found in the countryside! My brother, for example, spent 3 weeks on a mission trip in the mountains.