Peru is a top destination with low prices
A friend who was fortunate enough to spend the holidays in Peru reports that it is a remarkably inexpensive country. One of the top travel destinations in Latin America, Peru has the magnificent ruins at Machu Picchu as well as many other attractions. Its capital, Lima, is considered one of the most beautiful cities in South America, a pleasant blend of modern and Spanish colonial architecture set in mountains, and with beaches just a few minutes’ drive away. When the North American colonies didn’t yet exist, Lima was the most important city in the Western Hemisphere.
My friend stayed at the Pension Palao in the city centre where a big double room without private bath cost about $17. She praised the food, service and atmosphere in some of Lima’s better restaurants. Her favorite was Los Condes de San Isidro, an old colonial mansion turned into a deluxe restaurant. It offers French food, elegant service, a piano bar, and a choice of rooms for dining, including an outdoor courtyard. A full meal with wine runs only about $15 a person. At this restaurant, a full bottle of wine costs about $5, a half bottle about $4.40.
Another restaurant with elegant nineteenth-century decor but Peruvian cuisine is Tambo de Oro. It is a little more expensive – a full meal with wine runs about $20 a person. Prices are similar at La Rosa Nautica, a very popular seafood restaurant on the beach near Lima that features Art Nouveau decor. These restaurants are among the most expensive in Lima; there are many others with lower prices. A typical lunch of serbiche, a whitefish marinated in lemon juice, and a beer costs only about $2 in a local cafe.
It is easy to get around Lima inexpensively: a taxi anywhere in the city runs to only about $3. If you arrive without hotel reservations, the government tourist office on Plaza San Martin can book you a room at certain state-owned hotels.
Most visitors to Peru go to Cuzco, a colonial city high in the mountains and the starting point for trips to Machu Picchu. The best way to reach Cuzco, unless you have a lot of time to spare, is by air: it costs about $175 return from Lima. From Cuzco, it costs only about another $15 to reach La Paz, Bolivia, another inexpensive city as well as the highest capital city in the world at 14,000 feet. The trip is by a combination of train, bus and ferry boat and is long but very scenic.
Cuzco itself is a popular destination and very inexpensive. Hotel owners will often cut their already low posted rates by as much as half. At the Hotel Senara, a clean double with bath costs only about $15. At the Colonial Palace, a single runs about $10. Taxis are even cheaper than in Lima, about $1 or less anywhere in the city.
Cuzco is a good place to see native dancing and hear Andean music. If you want to dance yourself try Qhatuchay, while other possibilities are El Truco and El Bukero. El Truco has a restaurant that is considered one of the better ones in Cuzco. Cuzco is also a good place for shopping. Bargains can be found in woollens, alpaca fur goods and handicrafts. The area called San Blas is one of the best places to find quality handicrafts. Naturally, bargaining on prices is expected. An example of the savings available is an alpaca fur jacket, which will cost only about $75 at the Indian market in Lima.
Machu Picchu is reached by train from Cuzco, for about $5 one way. Reservations must be made at least a day in advance. It is cheaper to make the trip on your own than to take a tour, my friend said. If you want to stay in Machu Picchu, there is only one small and expensive hotel, the Hotel de Turistas. A double costs about $60, and you must book the room in Lima, but apparently it is worth it because you get to explore the ancient site when the hordes of tourists have gone.
Peruvian trains are very cheap, but trains and train stations are favorite haunts of clever thieves. On an earlier trip, my friend’s camera was stolen on a train.
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