A short while ago I decided I wanted to start traveling more and the result was a hastily planned trip to Peru. How hastily? Well I decided to take a trip, where to go, and bought a plane ticket all within three days. Then about 2 weeks later I packed up my trusty backpack to fly to Peru.  Needless to say I didn’t have much planned out beforehand, which is exactly my kind of trip. Before I left I only had a few set plans.

First, I was going to bring a Paddington Bear. Who is Paddington? Well he’s a bear who left Peru for England. Why was I bringing one? Because upon hearing I was going to Peru, a co-worker’s young son replied “That’s where Paddington’s from.” So obviously I had to take him along with me on my adventure. Not to get too far ahead of myself, but Paddington and I had a great time. Everywhere I went, people recognized him. He was probably the single best conversation starter I’ve ever had on a trip. People who barely spoke any English came up to me and said “Paddington!” I then proceeded to speak terrible, terrible Spanish back to them to explain what Paddington was doing sitting at a table with a random American in Lima.  Should you ever head to Peru, I highly recommend bringing Paddington. You’ll meet more people through him than you will through your meet up app on your phone.

The only other thing I had planned was the typical visit to Machu Picchu. Usually, I’m not a fan of visiting the stereotypical tourist destinations. But has anyone ever gone to Peru and not visited Machu Picchu? I had to go. To prep I read Mark Adams’ Turn Right at Machu Picchu. If you’re going to Peru you have to read this book. And if you’re not going to Peru anytime soon, you should still read this book. Not only is it funny, but it’s surprisingly educational. You’ll learn about the country’s history and more specifically about the Incas.

With those two things planned out I jumped on a plane and made the long trek to South America. When I arrived I found myself in a distant land full of buildings that looked very similar to California. Having been to California I can tell you, the only thing different between walking out of LAX and walking out of the Lima airport is the people in Lima are nicer. Lima is an extremely modern city and frankly a lot cleaner than most American cities.

More to come.