How Ed Droste Spent Two Wild Weeks in Peru
Machu Picchu has always been on my travel bucket list. Impossibly beautiful, it’s one of those destinations that I have dreamed about since childhood.
In the past year, my good friend KT Auleta, a fashion and art photographer, has been working on an incredible new handmade leather bag line called Portos Collection. The bags are sourced and hand-crafted in Peru by a third-generation saddle maker. KT was heading down to visit the workshop, film, and travel a bit, and being the travel addict that I am, I thought, "Maybe I’d like to come?" Now was my chance.
Not only does Peru hold the mountainous mystery of the Inkas nestled in the Andes, it also encompasses huge swaths of precious Amazonian rainforests, vast grasslands, open deserts, and the Pacific Ocean running up its west coast. The international food scene has also begun to take off recently with a new generation of renowned restaurants and chefs. (Plus there are 4,000 varieties of potatoes. Who knew?)
After a flurry of texts, we both agreed we had to go. Because there was a lot to see, we agreed on a time frame of at least two weeks. We were lucky my hotel critic friend steered us to the Belmond and Inkaterra properties that have locations throughout the country. This allowed us to sample Peru’s diversity and we were never once disappointed.
Upon landing in Lima, we were met with the city’s infamous grey layer of fog. Through dense traffic and mostly tree-less streets, we ended up at the Belmond Miraflores Park in Peru, which is located in the cliffside neighborhood of the same name. Our hotel, Miraflores, which means “behold the flowers," was a mix of newly built luxury glass buildings, charming Colonial Villas, lush parks, and misty views of the Pacific.
This modern skyscraper hotel is located in the perfect neighborhood for a first time visitor to get their bearings. Fairly wiped from the long journey, we were warmly greeted and offered an amazing meal at their in-house restaurant, Tragaluz. I’m often skeptical of hotel restaurants, so I wasn’t expecting much, but both KT and I agree: it was among one of the best meals we had in Peru.
The next day, I met KT and her production team for lunch at a lovely local favorite called Cantarana. Located in the artsy neighborhood of Barranco, it is walking distance from Miraflores. We sampled a delicious, freshly-prepared ceviche plate and some other tasty traditional dishes. I never imagined I could crave something like ceviche daily. But, given the simple way it is prepared in Peru—raw fish in lime juice plus onion, cilantro and garlic—I found myself ordering it every meal.
After lunch, we meandered back to our hotel for the night: the charming, modern colonial Villa Barranco. Later, we spent time peering through the decorative courtyards, the many neighborhood restaurants, the still-shuttered bars, and crafty shops.
The next day, we took a short one-hour flight to Cusco. It was like nowhere I’ve ever been: A golden, dusty, sunny city at the impossibly high altitude of 11,200 feet. This was the first shocking thing to me. I’d been that high before, but only for an hour or so skiing or hiking. I’d never ever spent a few days at such incredible heights, and, wow, I was physically not ready for it. The smallest wander up a hill felt like a massively arduous undertaking and had us both wheezing.
With our weak lungs in mind, we slowly made our way up to the gorgeous Saqsaywaman ruins just above the old city center before even checking into our room (we were quite early). I often think about how different areas of the world have different light, like how California light is much different than a sunny day in London. Some lights are similar, such as Berlin to Amsterdam. But, in general, light is quite regional and unique. I will tell you I’ve never seen anything quite like the light at Cusco at 11,000-plus feet up in the Andes. It was like we were constantly living in golden sunset hour.