Two Weeks in Peru: Salkantay, Machu Picchu, and the Nazca Lines

I had two weeks in Peru. The Salkantay trek was the hard part. Machu Picchu and a flight over the Nazca Lines were the reasons the hard part made sense. Lima filled the gaps with food.

The Salkantay trek is a long walk through the Andes. From the high points you look out on mountains and valleys for a long time. That is the day I was tired and glad I had booked it.

Machu Picchu

From the trek, Machu Picchu is the obvious next stop. Terraces, temples, and the ridge it sits on. It is on the New Seven Wonders list, which I already knew and did not need. Walking the site is enough.

The Nazca Lines

The Nazca Lines only really work from the air. I flew over them: animal figures and geometry cut into desert, still without a settled explanation. Astronomical markers, rituals, something else.

Lima

Lima is worth a few days even if you came for the mountains. Colonial streets, good museums, and Peruvian food that is better than the in-flight magazine version.

I would do the trek again. I would still take the small plane.