There is a Wyndham hotel right across the street from the Lima International Airport. Although Lima is a gigantic city of 11 million, it is just a quick stopover for many tourists who are on their way to the interior of the country to see Machu Picchu. In fact, the Wyndham does a very brisk business for those arriving from the States at 12:30 and 1 a.m. in the morning, who then turn around to depart the next morning for Cusco and other cities farther south and east. At 1:30 a.m. the front and bell desks are fully staffed!
There might be folks staying at the hotel who are NOT heading off to hike in the mountains, but you can’t tell by looking at them. Everywhere you look the view is khakis and backpacks. At breakfast (which opens at 4 a.m.), even families are all dressed in khaki and even the smallest kids have backpacks (although you see more red and pink backpacks at this age). Hiking boots and sturdy shoes always round out the ensembles.
It is such a ubiquitous outfit that our last morning in Cusco, I was startled (yes, startled) to see a group of five women at breakfast in extremely fashionable clothing. Tight leather-ish pants, a lacey red blouse and the little short black jacket of one woman definitely caught my eye. And shiny red heels that were so high that if I were to wear them, I would have to super glue my feet onto them to keep from slipping right off. She and the other four women looked lovely and very stylish, but definitely not in keeping with the khaki and backpack set!
What item in your closet do you wear the most?
Trail Baboon 