After deciding not to do the Laguna 69 hike, we needed a new plan for our last day in Peru. We put our brilliant minds together and came up with what we thought was a good one.

The airport we were flying home from was over an hour away, so we set to searching for a place to stay that was closer to the airport. We thought it would be nice to have a shorter travel day, and Google Maps showed a hotel 3 minutes from the airport, so we went ahead and booked it for that night.

Having settled that, we set to packing our bags and getting a taxi lined up to take us out that afternoon. We had breakfast in the upstairs room with picture windows and enjoyed our first clear view of Huandoy.

After breakfast, we walked 30 minutes to the Caraz Market. It was crowded with fruits, vegetables, butchered chickens, bags of live guinea pigs (a delicacy here), random cuts of pork, and lots of herbs, corn flours, and other foods. We were definitely the only tourists there, so between my sunburn and us being so clearly American, we drew some interesting comments. It was fun to put my limited Spanish vocabulary to use, and I was inspired to study it more.

On the way there, we also came across purple corn drying on the sidewalk.

We still hadn’t tried one of the quintessential Peruvian dishes, ceviche, so the chef at IntiRumi Inn said he would make it for us for lunch before we left. He offered to let us watch him make it, but I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to eat it if I watched the poor fish being diced and tossed in lemon juice mere minutes before being put on my plate. It was bursting with my favorite flavors (onion and cilantro) and I was so glad we got to try it, but I could only eat so much before the chunks of fish started to look a little too fresh. The white sweet potatoes and fresh and toasted corn he served with it were delicious.

After lunch, our taxi showed up to take us to Cuesta Serena Boutique Hotel which was about an hour away. We drove back a long lane and somehow found ourselves on the most pristine and peaceful property we saw all week and it had a view of Peru’s tallest mountain, Huarascan.

We were immediately welcomed and treated with such luxury. We knew we had made the right decision. They carried our bags to our room, showed us the grounds and our beautiful room and bathroom. They had a spa on site and booked 1 hour massages for both of us. The lobby had fresh water and dried leaves to make tea whenever we wanted to. One of the ladies even helped us order dinner, and delivered it to our room. The Wi-Fi worked and the water was hot!

After being in Peru for a week, it sure was nice to live the spoiled American life again and realize how many of our daily comforts we take for granted. If you’re feeling discontented, I recommend that you plan a trip that’s far enough outside of your comfort zone that it scares you a little.

This morning they had a driver lined up to take us to the airport, but we had time to eat a delicious breakfast with a view of Huascaran before leaving.

Back at our favorite tiny airport, we were dropped off at the front door, went straight through the only security lane with no one behind or in front of us, and were boarded for our flight less than an hour after we left the hotel.

We were so glad we had improvised so we didn’t have to start the morning with a harrowing drive and lengthen our travel day even more.

The 40 minute flight from Huaraz to Lima is by far the most beautiful I have ever been on. It also happened to be a perfectly clear day, so the view of the Corderilla Blanca was gorgeous.

Many hours later, we made it to the Atlanta airport and are currently waiting to board our (delayed) flight to Columbus.

I am trying to keep my peeling skin under control by slathering it with Vitamin E crème we bought from the herbalist at IntiRumi Inn. I am disappointed in myself for coming home looking like this. I shall never again underestimate the sun at high altitudes, regardless of temperature or clouds.

Thanks for following along on another adventure!

x Ella