This to me was the trip of a lifetime; I went there in June of 2006 and spent a very full two weeks travelling around seeing the sights from Lima down to Arequipa. This was the first faraway trip I had organised independently and given the wonders of the computer it was surprisingly easy.

First I left from Edinburgh to Amsterdam with KLM and made the onward connection to Lima only stopping to re-fuel at the island of Bonaire just off the coast of Venezuela.

Arrived in Lima for an overnight stop at Manhattan Hotel, I had arranged a taxi at the airport and was glad to see my name on a board after such a long flight.

Next morning I was back at Lima Airport to fly on to Arequipa, this time an internal flight with Lan Peru, once we were clear of foggy Lima the views of the countryside and the Andes were spectacular. Arequipa Airport is very small but enjoys a fantastic setting and it was a short taxi ride to my accommodation, it was called "Home Sweet Home" and as I had booked everything over the web I hoped it would be true to its name. Arequipa is close to the border with Chile and proved to be a very pleasant city with plenty to see lots of tourist shops and a very good local beer. Well Home Sweet Home certainly suited me I had a private room with WC & shower, it was clean enough and family run, and the, breakfast was freshly made and delicious.
There is a lovely "Plaza de Armas" square and I spent a lot of time looking round the shops and stalls soaking up the atmosphere.
Highlights of this part of the country are "Colca Canyon" to see the Condors, with a 3 metre wingspan they were just like a glider as they came toward you out of the blue. The trip lasted 2 days with transport, guide and one night B&B in an hotel in Chivay. Excellent value at on $20.00 The city of Arequipa is quite pleasant with .

Next onto Puno on the Intercity bus, before leaving our luggage was security checked, we were seated, videoed, and the door to the driver was securely padlocked. Soon after leaving there was a game of bingo organised, different! Anyway there was lots to see like Llamas, Alpacas and Vicuñas. We passed through some pretty basic towns and I kept a careful watch on the luggage hold just in case mine was preferred to someone else’s. It was an excellent trip through fantastic scenery, over some very rough roads but I arrived in Puno on time and did get my own case back from the melee that passes for baggage reclaim.
The highlight for me in Puno was to see Lake Titicaca and the Floating Islands, I had not arranged this trip in advance, but the hotel did all the bookings for me including a taxi to the port, so what could be easier. Like the whole trip so far this was an amazing sight, floating islands were made of reeds as were the houses and we were allowed to wander as we pleased. Then onto one of the islands in this the highest expanse of fresh water in South America, lunch was served by a local family and we were given a taste of life through dancing and crafts.

My next stop was Cusco, again by bus, an 8 hour trip which stopped and various archeological sites, one of which was an 16c church in Andahuaylillas, because of earthquakes in 1950 it had hardly a straight wall but inside the decoration and use of gold was a sight to behold.
My prime reason being in Cusco is it is the stepping stone to the fantastic experience of "Machu Picchu"
This was an early 6.00am start but my accommodation did all the booking and arranged a taxi to the rail station. The train zigzags up the hill from Cusco and travels through farmland on a very "shoogly" track, this clearly explained the reason for my coffee cup being only half full. Anyhow we arrived at Machu Station and boarded the buses for the uphill ride to Machu Picchu itself.
Still a little bit of an uphill walk but the sight that awaits you is beyond words, I had seen it on TV many times but to see it myself was wonderful. The guide we had spent a lot of time explaining in great detail the history of the city, but I got fed up and went off alone round the buildings and up one of the peaks (well I am a munro bagger).
All too soon it was time to get back on the bus and return to the station and make our way back to Cusco, am amazing day I will never forget.

Cusco itself holds a fantastic amount of Inca ruins and I was lucky to be there at "Corpus Christi", the street parades were really something and the eating was something else; my first taste of Guinea Pig. Cusco is a very pleasant town with plenty to see especially the local market, a bit intimidating at first but get in there! I took local trips to see Inca ruins at Sacsayhuman, Tambomachay, Pukapukara, and Qenko. Just how they put these close fitting stones together is truly amazing.

Sadly my next stop was Lima and homewards to Edinburgh via Amsterdam.

All the accommodation I used was bed & breakfast, single room with private facilities, prices varied but around $15.00 per night was excellent value, I arranged it all on-line and maybe I was lucky but I experienced no difficulties.
All people I met were very friendly and at no time did I feel unsafe or threatened. I had never travelled independently before but I would recommend it if you want to get out there and meet the locals.

This is a trip I will never forget, and although I try not to re-visit places, I just might be tempted to return.