Peru by Fertur

When my nephew, Jim, and I traveled to Peru in July ’10, I followed the advice I’d read in ITN (Aug. ’09. pg. 24) and purchased a new pair of glasses in Lima. At Optica Santa Lucia (Calle Schell 365, Miraflores), I paid $220 for bifocals with Italian frames. I took a prescription with me, ordered the glasses and picked them up the next day.

En route to get the glasses, we happened to see the office of Fertur Travel (Calle Schell 485, Miraflores, Lima; phone [+51 1] 242 1900 or 445 1760 or, in US, 877/247-0055) and decided to have them set up our tour.

We were well pleased with our agent, Yolanda Bravo Barrocal. We told her the places we wanted to visit and she made all of the arrangements. We each paid $1,500 and considered it a real bargain, given the convenience and quality of services rendered.

The price included transportation (mostly by bus, but some flights); hostal stays; a dune buggy ride in Huacachina; a flight over the ancient lines in Nazca; an Arequipa city tour; a full day to Lake Titicaca’s floating islands and Taquile Island; a tour of Cuzco, and flights Cuzco-Puerto Maldonado-Lima. Someone transported us to and from our hotel in each city.

Yolanda was aware of the best services in the country, even suggesting specific seats on the buses for the best views. She also was knowledgeable of specific safety factors. For example, one would be well advised never to take a bus at night, when most robberies occur. That said, we found a strong police presence in all cities.

The cost of our tour didn’t include meals, but they were very inexpensive. The most we paid for dinner was $14 each for roast duck at a top-end restaurant. We paid as little as $3.50 each for a tasty full-course meal in Arequipa. We were surprised by the variety and good quality of restaurants; we never had a bad meal.

One gem to be recommended in Cuzco is the Divina Comedia (Pumacurco 406; phone [84] 437 640), a short distance from the Plaza des Armes. This upscale, Italian-themed restaurant had live opera entertainment on some nights.

We found the Peruvian people to be warm and gracious, with a terrific sense of humor. Many people went out of their way to help us. I couldn’t have been happier with our experiences in Peru.

JAMES HECKATHORN
Twin Lake, MI