Sarah WallockNovember 2022
This October, I took the opportunity to travel to Peru on my yearly travel credit from Backroads, my employer. I work as a Marketing Writer for the active travel company. As soon as the opportunity to go abroad was presented to me, I browsed our trips and shortly after, booked plane tickets to Peru! I planned to travel for one week with Backroads and a few days on either end of the group trip on my own, which totaled a 12-day trip.
Why Travel to Peru?
The magic of South America is indescribable. At 16, I spent one month in Ecuador. I was captivated by the way of life and the warmth of the community. I traveled the country with a summer program staying on farms and learning about the culture. In college, I studied in Bolivia for one month and all of the same feelings came back to me. The Andes were overwhelmingly beautiful, the people were so welcoming and of course, the food was amazing. I have been drawn to South America ever since.
When Your Lease Ends, Book a Flight to Peru
My lease for my house was ending on October 1st, so my brilliant brain booked a ticket on October 2nd. What else would you do? Maybe find a place to live? I packed up my entire house and went back and forth from the thrift store easily 20 times. I called it “the purge.” We packed everything we own into the car and drove south. Finally, Nick and I made it to LA and he dropped me at the airport at 3 a.m. for my adventure. I had been so busy and stressed, I didn’t spend any time thinking about my upcoming trip.
Flying to Another Country
I couldn’t help but cry with joy on the plane. Tears kept streaming down my face as I looked down at first the arid Arizona landscapes and eventually, the cloudy mountains near Cusco. I love to fly. The feeling of going somewhere new is so special. Soaring above the world below you, time stands still.
Maracuya Juice at the Holiday Inn
After landing at Lima Airport, an airport I’d been to twice before, I was fully charged and ready to go. Somehow I was myself again. Navigating a place I knew no one but feeling more confident than ever. Through Customs and Border Control, I went. There I was, standing outside the airport waiting for a taxi. It was a moment I kept trying to visualize but somehow it always looked blurry. Yet, there I stood with my big green backpack on my back, my little blue one my my front and my purple Patagonia jacket on, that I wore every single day of the trip. I really stood out as a turista!
With Nick on the phone, who sadly couldn’t join on this trip, I trotted downstairs for a snack. I was now at the Holiday Inn outside the Lima Airport. I was met by the friendliest waiter and ended up ordering a full meal. A massive glass of maracuya juice, my favorite stuff on the planet, came out, followed by Arroz Chaufa, Peruvian fried rice influenced by classic Chinese fried rice. There, I had a virtual dinner with Nick.
Life had felt so stressful for the weeks and months leading up to the trip. But finally, from tasting the fresh food, speaking in Spanish to the waiter, missing my flight to Cusco, and laughing about the absurdity of everything, I accepted how out of my control most things are. Somehow in these odd travel moments, a wave of calm melts over me. Time was standing still and I was exactly where I was supposed to be. That feeling before a trip, nervous excitement, thrill, and anticipation, it had somewhat faded, because I had arrived.
Hushing My Demons
As a solo female traveler, sometimes my mind focuses on what could go wrong. We all have the tendency to jump to the worst-case scenarios. As I have gotten older, I’ve seen more, and as a result, I’ve become more fearful. At 16 in Ecuador, I had little to no fear. As I have traveled more, I have become more thoughtful and intuitive about my choices. In Peru, I felt totally and completely safe. There were never any instances that made me uncomfortable or nervous.
The one tip I have for solo female travelers for travel to Peru is: book a transfer from the Lima Airport. According to locals, it is not a safe area to walk around or stay longer than you need. This was repeated to me a number of times. I felt disoriented here. I felt glad that I booked transfers while coming and going from the airport. Uber works as well.
Charming Cusco & When Strangers Become Friends
Before I traveled to Peru, I decided I liked Cusco. I decided I could live there. A good amount of people- around 420,000, insane mountains, and colonial architecture- I was set. When I actually did arrive, I loved it. I exited the tiny Cusco airport and walked past a long line of taxi drivers. They were haggling me to grab a ride and I finally found a driver for 20 soles who seemed legit. We wove through the streets of Cusco and chatted in Spanish about the city and asked each other questions about one another.
I arrived to the steps below Sapatiana and lugged my luggage up to Supertramp Hostel. I was greeted by a fellow traveler, now a local, about my age from Argentina. The hostel was full of murals, plants, and boasted a panoramic city view. Throughout my time at the hostel, for one day before the trip and two after, the people at the hostel felt like family. It was a meeting place for like-minded travelers with a warm energy and inclusive vibe.
After exploring the enticing cobblestone alleyways of Cusco and speaking Spanish everywhere I went (or at least attempting to), I returned to the hostel. The bartender welcomed me with a Pisco Sour, the national drink of Peru, similar to a Whiskey Sour, and coca tea. Before I left the hostel for the next part of my trip, I was already missing it and the travelers I met from Colombia, Argentina, the US, and beyond.
Living Large with Backroads in Peru
I was pretty nervous for my first Backroads trip. A trip with Backroads consists of a one-week fully-planned hiking or biking adventure with a group of fellow travelers. Everything is organized for you and all you have to do is show up. For the past 5 months, I had been deep in the backend of the company’s systems, doing content editing and writing.
I arrived to our luxurious hotel with the first-day jitters and awkwardness and let the morning hours wash over me. As we sat down for lunch at a chef’s house, overlooking a glacier in the little village of Maras, I was completely transfixed by the experience. All trip long, my mind was reeling at the organizational genius it takes to orchestrate an international trip like this and keep guests happy and engaged. Don’t get me wrong, I had lots of time to relax as well! But all trip, I couldn’t help but to ruminate over how fascinating it is that Backroads has worldwide connections and has been operating some of their trips for over 40 years.
While I swam in the pool at Sol y Luna, the Relais & Chateaux property in Ollaytaytambo, or when I hiked to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu, or when I drank my daily Pisco Sour before dinner, I carried an immense amount of gratitude with me throughout. Traveling to Peru is a massive privilege. Most people will never get to travel internationally in their lifetime. International travel isn’t something to be taken for granted.
As someone who’s previously slept on floors and couches around the world, worked in hospitality in National Parks, and put in blood, sweat and tears to ensure tourists have a seamless holiday, being on the other side of that was a shock. The grandeur of traveling with Backroads was such an extreme contrast from how I had traveled in the past. There was so much to take in. The experience was incredibly enriching.
I could definitely get used to seeing the world in comfort!
