Still acclimating to the altitude, we skipped the steep climb up Vinicunca for the more gradual but still strenuous incline up Palccoyo mountain. The long drive and low oxygen at 5,000-meter elevation made for a grueling day trip, complete with dusty clothes for us and Raynaud’s phenomenon for Melody. Our dining options were limited without reservations, but Pachapapa’s baked trout and lamb shank washed down nicely with their chicha morada. We awoke Wednesday to drop off laundry and enjoy our hotel’s buffet breakfast and freshly-washed resident baby alpaca. We then Ubered to Sacsayhuaman, where our driver sent us climbing a steep hill to the fort’s back entrance which left us breathless as we wandered the zig zag walls, lava-rock slide, and cave-like tunnels. We split up on the steep descent through the San Blas district, as Melody and Westley waited for a pizza while I snapped photos of the unimpressive plaza and twelve-angled stone en route to the ChocoMuseo for our Bean-to-Bar workshop. Here, we learned about the chocolate-making process, sipped a cup of Aztec-style hot chocolate, and worked our arms grinding cocoa beans and pouring chocolate molds before returning in the evening to pick up our treats, solve “llama” on Wordle, and share chaufa and chifa hot pot at Chicha. Our early Lima flight and hotel check-in on Thursday gave us some rest before our walking tour of Barranco’s Plaza de Armas, Bridge of Sighs, Iglesia la Ermita, and various murals. Lunch at Isolina included a butifarra sandwich, ceviche, and layered minced meat on rice that did not match the restaurant’s hype. Melody passed out at the hotel, but struggled through her cold to stroll along the Malecon. There, we took in views of the Pacific and watched locals enjoy picnics, playgrounds, and paragliding before dinner at Maido. The Peruvian-Nikkei tasting menu at the “World’s Best Restaurant” were highlighted by freshly-sliced toro and a-la-carte black cod tempura “fish sticks” for Westley. We took a private tour to Paracas on Friday, where our boat tour of Ballestas Island featured pelicans, penguins, and sea lions that were worth the bumpy ride. We toured the vineyard and lunched at CulturPisco, then headed to Huacachina oasis for an adrenaline-fueled dune buggy and sandboarding adventure until sunset. The screwy shower knobs at our hotel led to a cold shower that had me shivering until we warmed up to pasta and pizza for dinner. Luckily, we slept through the Friday night partying before our early drive to Nazca next morning. Here, we toured the Cantalloc Aqueducts and were lucky to catch the nausea-inducing flight to view the Nazca lines before the airport closed down for a sandstorm. With the inclement weather, we skipped the Chauchilla cemetery for an earlier lunch and drive back. Our flight home was delayed by 3+ hours, which scored us meal vouchers at Las Reyes but an extra connection through LAX before we arrived home 6 hours later. Despite the mosquito bites, altitude sickness, and URI, our Peruvian journey was a fulfilling mix of wildlife and culture, luxury and adventure, and a trip to remember.