by Jimmy Im
You don’t have to tell me that Peru is one of the most exotic countries in South America but leave it to “Pedro” to not only state the obvious but also give a personalized, detailed argument. Pedro isn’t a guide nor is he a tour operator. He’s a local ‘mo who introduced himself to us at the Plaza Mayor in Lima, the square lit up in golden lights to resonate something of the past. His outright friendliness to us translated as ulterior motives but when he introduced us to a local restaurant off the beaten path where my friend Matt and I enjoyed one of the most authentic dishes of “lomo saltado” (a traditional meat dish in Peru), our dubiety mitigated. It was an unusual moment, this stranger’s hospitality, and we found out soon enough it’s not uncommon. Pedro, like many Peruvians, was thrilled to meet foreigners. After all, Lima isn’t the most sough-after city in Peru, but things are surprisingly changing. The gay scene is burgeoning (most bars and clubs are in the high-end Miraflores neighborhood along the beach), and travelers are stopping for more than a day or two before venturing out to the country’s more popular attractions, like the Amazon and Machu Picchu. Even Pedro agreed our one-night stay was too short. “Lima is changing. Come back in a few years and it will be a completely different city.”
But like most other travelers to Peru, we were lured by the exotic Amazon River and booked a ticket right away on International Expeditions cruise. Aboard the 28-passenger boat Amatista, we set sail from Iquitos onto the largest river in the world. Don’t expect to be pampered; there’s no spa, no beach port stops, no casino, no high-end restaurants, no swimming pool or personal balconies but the ship serves an adventure that can’t be duplicated elsewhere. International Expeditions was the first tour operator to traverse these waters almost thirty years ago, and still remains a favorite for those who want to get their hands dirty in the Amazon (in fact, the cruise celebrates its thirtieth anniversary this year, and was highlighted in 1,000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz, who will join their September journey).
The Amazon is hot (we’re right on the equator), humid, with bugs and bats and mosquitos to fend: I knew I had to leave the diva back home to fully enjoy one of mother nature’s best offering.
However, our guides knew the jungle like the back of their caiman-bitten hands and made the experience quite streamlined. We encountered four species of monkeys, threetoe sloths, and a substantial number of the 1800 species of birds. We fished for pirhanas that, when captured, bore razor-sharp teeth as if making a statement. We took 14-passenger skiffs deeper into the lagoons and channels to get closer to the wildlife, sailing the brown river as grey and pink dolphins flung themselves out of the water at irregular intervals. One of the highlights was the three minutes of silence. Engine killed, we listened to the soundtrack of the rainforest: chirping birds and crickets, frogs sliding on oversized lily pads, slithering of snakes, the shaking of branches upon the monkey’s bounce. Exoticism indeed.
My inner diva returned when we arrived in Cusco, the small city where the Spanish conquistadors invaded. History still resonates in Plaza Del Armas with its Spanish colonial architecture, just as much as it rings in at the Relais & Chateaux and Inkaterra property of La Casona. The 16th-century former manor home offers 11 sublime guestrooms, with heated floors and, generously sized bathrooms. For something a little more quirky, Fallen Angel restaurant recently added five hotel rooms that literally fell out of the pages of a David LaChapelle photo book. The gay owner who loves the gay guests will, like Pedro, build you a customary itinerary on the nightlife in Cusco.
The mother of all experiences, however, is Machu Picchu. Here, the lost city is so breathtaking, it justifies the lack of oxygen (you’re 10,000 feet altitude). The Machu Picchu Puebla hotel, a comfortably rustic hotel option in Machu Picchu town, awaits your reservation (unfortunately, sans “Pedro”).
Jimmy Im is a freelance travel writer based in New York City. He is one of the hosts of “Confessions of a Travel Writer” on the Travel Channel and writes regularly for top publications around the world.
