So today is our last day in Perú as tomorrow we are off to Bolivia and much in the style of Jerry Springer I would like to take a final thought after this hectic journey to reflect on this country and our experiences.

To my surprise after all the chaos this country has been through they seem to have finally reached a period of peace. With the conquests and dictatorships of the previous centuries and even the problems experienced in the 1980s with Maoist guerilla group Sendero luminoso (Shining path) which took the country to the brink of a civil war, Perú is now a relatively peaceful and happy place.

It is also a country undergoing great developments with an economy that has seen positive growth since 2003. Foreign investments and exports in agriculture, mining and manufacturing have grown and tourism has doubled between 2003-2010. And it is obvious just from travelling around that Perú has become a relatively tourist friendly destination.

Another pleasant thing about Perú is that it really values and protects its various cultural groups. The current president Ollanta Humala is the son of a Quechua labor lawyer and has done a lot to promote social inclusion in the country, such as making it a requirement for native people to be consulted on mining or other activities in their territories. The various jungle tribes also have a degree of protection, and even the jungle itself is attracting more attention as the government is increasingly working on sustainable travel projects for the area. In the areas of Lake Titicaca the local government is working with tourist agencies and has put in place a rotary system so that all families benefit equally from tourism. And about two years ago our Fanny from Amantani installed solar panels so the house has electric lighting and the family doesn’t need to use candles.

But there is still a lot of work to be done. Money from the capital is slow to trickle to the outskirts and many jungle inhabitants especially told me they feel secluded and complain that they do not see the benefits of the taxes they pay. Poverty is also still a great problem, as although the poverty rate has decreased by over 23% since 2002, there is still 1 in 10 people who live on less than $1 a day. And this is never more evident than when travelling through the rural areas of Perú where even those with a slightly higher income struggle to make ends meet.

Nonetheless I think this is a country full of wonderful, kind and positive people and it has been an absolute pleasure to travel in. The mixture of the people with the amazing biodiversity (from coast, desert, to mountains to jungle in less than one month) has made it very special and I definitely recommend it to every traveller!

Highlights

Being in the Amazon jungle
Seeing Machu Picchu in real life
Hanging out with our family in Amantani
Living in an oasis for a day

Going to miss

Menu economico- you get a soup, a main course and usually something else (drink/dessert) for £1-4
Semi cama bus- amazing buses with kinda beds and free food for cheap
Inca Cola and quinoa- I really love it
National costumes- They are everywhere and so colourful and pretty I cant get enough of them
All the amazing people we met!

Not going to miss

Rice and potatoes- almost every single main course in Perú comes with plain rice and boiled potatoes and I don’t even like rice I’m really sick of it
Lack of eye candy- obviously there are exceptions but most Peruvians just aren’t my cup of tea