24 Hours in Peru

When I think of Peru, I admittedly, almost immediately think about Machu Picchu, one of the great wonders of the world. I picked up a trip with a 24 hour layover there and knew I would have to save Machu Picchu for a longer trip so I did a little research on easier things to do. I hadn't ever stepped foot in South America before, so I was very excited to have the opportunity for even just a day!

The flight was smooth and easy. The security is pretty thorough so make sure you don't bring any meats, veggies or fruits or they may have to take it! I didn't bring any because I just wanted to eat local food while I was there.

Once we arrived to the hotel we were welcomed with freshly squeezed pineapple and mango juices (mmmm!) We were also given a drink coupon for a free drink of our choice at the bar. So a few of the crew members changed and met down at the bar for our free drink. The bartender made their specialty for us, which was a very tangy pineapple mixed drink. It was pretty tasty, and strong (or maybe I'm just a lightweight.) lol We arrived around midnight so after chatting for about an hour, we called it a night.

Next morning: The entire crew met downstairs for our free buffet breakfast in the lobby. The breakfast was filled with fresh fruit juices, breads, fruits, salads, egg omelets, cheeses, you name it. They had it all and it was very fresh. It's always nice to leave a tip and they do take USD so it's helpful to bring one dollar bills.

SN: The conversion rate in Peru is 1 Peruvian Sole to .29 USD. Basically our money can go a long way depending on where you are. Apparently you can have a few services done in Peru because its much cheaper. Nails, hair, massages, clothing alterations, some even go for surgeries :0 lol. So I brought some of my uniform pieces to the tailor across the street because I was told he does such a good job (in one day too!) and charges fair prices.

Afterwards, another new flight attendant and I set out for the day to explore. Fortunately a friend of mine, Tami, is a photographer and let me borrow one of her unused cameras. The Canon Rebel XTi to be exact, so I was excited to try it out for my first time! Our hotel is in an area called "Miraflores". The co-pilot told me it was like the "Beverly Hills" of Peru, which means its very safe, has lots of restaurants, shopping, and beautiful beaches. I could still sense the authenticity of the city all around me, yet the overall vibe was still very upscale.

The Peruvian people are all very nice, and helpful. I even got to practice a little Spanish which I always get excited about :-)

We spent the whole day walking around and exploring. Everything looked like it was from a movie. The mall was built on a cliff overlooking the beach. I was told about this, but once you see it in person its really breathtaking!

We got lucky with great weather too, it was originally pretty cool and overcast in the morning, but then the sun came out and the city woke up. The blue skies and surfers were filling up the rocky beach below the cliff so we found our way closer to the water. It took a lot of stairs to reach the bottom, but its definitely worth it.

All along the beach are surfers and surf lessons. I actually can't wait to take a surf lesson the next time I do this trip!

Peru is known for their ceviche and delicious seafood all over. You really can't go wrong with anything you eat, its all very good. We ordered a platter from a restaurant called 'Rosa Nautica', you can find it on the pier, and it had a various selection of food. The waiter had special recommendations for us. So we ordered the grilled octopus (we were originally nervous about this), kebab, shrimp, and fried calamari. All tasted very good and we liked the octopus a lot more than we expected. Something I like to do in new cities is try their local beer. They have a few, but I went with their most popular called Cusqueña, its nice with a very light and smooth taste.

Afterwards we went to the famous Inca Market. It had shops on shops on shops! I wanted to buy something nice and warm. I know they are known for all of their soft sweaters, and scarves. Alpaca's live in this region so a lot of their wool is made from them, it's much softer in comparison to sheep's wool. I'd say this is a must do! I got some cool stuff to bring back and was really satisfied with all that we were able to see and do!

Never underestimate what you can do in a day! If you take advantage of your time; There is much to see and do. I treat my 24 hour layovers more like a "preview" of a city so that when I go back on my own time, I will know what to expect! Here's some extra pics below from the camera I brought with me...and please feel free to leave comments below :)

Hope you find this information helpful!

Until next time.

Xoxo.