PARIWANA BLOG

We booked our Machu Picchu hike a month prior to our trip through a company called Llama Path. We thought that would be plenty of time to reserve our space but the Inca Trial was full so we had the option of doing several alternative treks.

The hike was moderate to advance but you can go at your own pace. We had 6 people in our group, 3 of who are experienced hikers and went at a brisk pace while the other 2 kept a more casual pace and took time to snap lots of photos.

If you haven’t heard of the 4th largest Peruvian city, then perhaps you have heard its nickname, “The Friendship Capital”. Why the bizarre nickname? Chiclayo, simply enough, is known as the friendliest city in the nation.

I arrived in Peru, a country many travelers visit in order to embark on multi-day treks without any contact with civilization, lugging a laptop and a fair amount of work to get done.

I awoke this morning with a desire to go to the beach. From the Pariwana Hostel, I started to walk west toward the water and away from the sun. Along the way there are many stores one could shop at, literally something for everyone and every need.

In the first part of this series (Travel tips for large lanchas), I offered tips for backpackers traveling between Iquitos and other major points in the northern Peruvian Amazon like the Brazilian frontier, Pucallpa, and Yurimaguas in the large lanchas (ferries) that are slow and relatively inexpensive.