July 16-18

After introductions with the group in the lobby and a quick check to make sure we had all we needed for the rest of the evening, we exited the Pullman, climbed into what would be the first of many transit vans (12-passengers plus) and drove to the Huaca Pucillana Restaurant, which sits directly across from, and with great views of, the pyramid it is named after.  Built from seven staggered platforms, it served as an important ceremonial and administrative center for the advancement of the Lima Culture, a society which developed in the Peruvian Central Coast between the years of 200 AD and 700 AD.

We were seated at a table on the patio and served a complimentary Pisco Sour, our first but not the last of the trip.  We’d be enjoying a multi course meal to include two small first courses and then a main, followed by dessert.  The first course consisted of small soft potato puffs stuffed with a mild cheese, subtle but good.  Next up was Ceviche with sliced onions and some kind of round grain. 

The entrée though was the star of the show; I’ve not had much Sea Bass and it is pricey where we live and other less expensive cuts of fish (salmon, halibut, swordfish, and cod, etc.), being ubiquitous are often the choice I make.  I now can see its appeal, firm white moist meat that takes on a hint of what it is cooked or topped it with.  I’ll be ordering more in the future. 

Finally, we had a choice of a couple of desserts, and we opted for a merengue concoction, and a chocolate tower with a mousse filling.  There were both tasty, but by then our taste buds had been exhausted.  We settled our bar tab (the meal courtesy of the tour) and made our way back to the Pullman ready for the first full day of the tour to begin the next day.

This tour would include several meals, but not all of them, unlike our Nile River journey with Intrepid in 2019.  This was a worthy trade off in exchange for having every single one of our excursions covered by the cost of the tour.  Given the level of hotels we were staying in, breakfast was always provided by the hotel, and all of them were buffets of varying complexity and depth, but all providing a necessary start to each day. 

The next day, Monday, was free for us until midafternoon, when we were scheduled to fly to Arequipa to spend two nights and a full day.  We were given the option of a couple of walking tours, one being of the Miraflores district and after some thought, I decided to opt out and save my walking efforts for later in the trip.  Joanna though did the Miraflores tour and as so often happens when we travel around the world, found the neighborhood to be strikingly similar to our neighbor here in Los Angeles, Santa Monica. 

The morning passed and after checking out of the Pullman and storing our bags with the staff downstairs, I found a comfortable chair in the lobby and waited for our tour group to convene at the appropriate time so that we could take off to the airport.  One bonus of the premium level of this tour is that all transportation days were taken care of, including the three in-country flights we would take (Lima to Arequipa, Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, and Puerto Maldonado to Lima). 

Intrepid offer four levels of tours, which are:

• Premium – the best accommodation, most comfortable transport, exclusive unique experiences and their most experienced leaders.
• Comfort – more inclusions, more comfortable accommodation, and a more relaxed pace.
• Original – a mix of included activities and free time, meals and food freedom, standard and unique accommodation.
• Basix – simple, comfortable accommodation, local transport, and plenty of free time for the independent traveler.

Here is a link to descriptions of the various styles:

https://www.intrepidtravel.com/us/about/trip-styles

Although the most expensive of the group, Premium is still relatively reasonable when compared to other similar tours offered through competing companies.  We’ll talk about this some more at the conclusion of the trip. 

We checked in at Lima International with Luis handling all the details and assisting us with checking our bags and providing us with our boarding passes.  All of our flights would be on LATAM on older, but well-maintained Airbus 319’s, 320’s, and 321’s.  LATAM was the flag carrier of Chile until its privatization in the 1990s; it is the predominant airline in Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, and is the largest airline in Latin America, serving Latin America, Northern America, the Caribbean, Oceania, Asia, and Europe.

We landed in Arequipa a couple of hours later and after picking up our bags, shuttled into downtown, a long journey as these older cities feature narrow congested streets leading into the historical centers.  We double parked a couple of blocks from Casa Andina Arequipa, our lodging for the night.  As would be the case with most of the hotels we would be frequenting, it was located on or near the main plaza, and featured a modern interior residing in an older building. 

Checked in, we shared a beer I’d purchased in the lobby, a black lager from Cusquena, one of the largest brewers in Peru and just about the only beer we ran into during the trip.  Then again, we mostly drank Pisco Sours and any of the very good wines produced in Peru, Chile, and Argentina.  At the appointed hour we met our group in the lobby and exiting went a couple of doors down to the Restaurant on the Top, as it names implies our dinner site on the roof of the building. 

Known foremost for its incredible view, we were glad to be seated at the edge of the patio with the plaza and the Basilica below us.  We started off with what would be a standard drink for all of us, the Pisco Sour and were soon provided with warm ponchos to ward off the evenings chill.  It’s important to mention here that July in Peru is the middle of their winter, and it could get cool in the evenings, particularly in the higher elevations we would be visiting for most of the trip.  That being said, we did not get any rain and daytime temperatures were consistently mild and sunny. 

It was a memorable first night, as everyone at the table gave a brief description of where they came from, what they did for a living, and where they had traveled and were going to travel.  It was the start of us all getting to know each other better and would provide a grounding for what would be a harmonious couple of weeks together.  As for the food, I don’t recall what Joanna consumed but I had a large piece of flattened chicken breast that was good but not great but would tide me over until the next day.  It had been a good first day of the tour and we truly looked forward to the walking tours we’d encounter the next day.  More on that later. 

Links

Huaca Pucillana Restaurant: https://www.resthuacapucllana.com/?lang=en

Intrepid Styles: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/us/about/trip-styles

Casa Andina Arequipa: https://www.casa-andina.com/en/destinations/arequipa/hotels/casa-andina-standard-arequipa

Restaurant on the Top: https://restaurantguru.com/On-the-Top-Arequipa