Washington DC Specialty Coffee Guide: 2018 Edition

This is the third in my series of guides to specialty coffee shops in Washington, DC. Part 1 (2015) is available here and part 2 (2016) here, but the map below includes coffee shops featured in all three posts.

After two wintry visits to Washington, DC, in February 2015 and 2016, I was pleased when the opportunity arose for me to attend a conference in the city in the more clement climes of October. Although I had very little free time, I managed to visit seven specialty coffee shops — six that were new to me, and one that had undergone a major refurbishment since my last trip — mainly by getting up extra early and going for a coffee run. 

Six Specialty Coffee Spots To Visit in Lima, Peru

When planning my two-week Peru trip, I soon realised I wouldn't manage to squeeze a visit to a coffee farm into my packed itinerary, as I did in Costa Rica. But I did my best to visit as many coffee shops as I could, including in Cusco, Arequipa and especially Lima. I spent two full days at the start of my trip and an afternoon at the end in Lima; I could have cut a day and reallocated it to another city but I wanted to have time to visit a few of the specialty coffee shops I'd researched.

In Peru's 'White City', Monastic Secrets Written in Volcanic Stone

From Puno, my next stop is Arequipa, Peru's second most populous city, which is nicknamed the 'white city' on account of many of the buildings in the historic city centre being constructed from sillar (ashlar) — white volcanic stone. And speaking of volcanoes, Arequipa has not one but three in close proximity — the appropriately named El Misti, as well as the extinct Pichu Pichu and Chachani.

Great Lake: Exploring Lake Titicaca and Puno

To journey from Cusco to Puno, the Peruvian gateway to Lake Titicaca, there are several options, including flights and bus journeys of various lengths and comfort levels. I like the idea of Inka Express's ten-hour trip that includes stops at four places of interest along the way ($53 including drinks and lunch, plus 50 soles for entrance fees). You can book a similar transfer tour here. Internal flights in Peru invariably involve a lot of faff and a good chance of delay, however, and Puno has no airport, which means flying to Juliaca, an hour's drive away. 

I arrive at the Inka Express terminal on the outskirts of Cusco's historic centre at 6:30 am on a sunny Monday morning. I am less tired than expected after the Inca Trail and I have my Espro flask full of coffee. The seats are very comfortable and I soon doze off. 

Our first stop is San Pedro Apóstol chapel in the village of Andahuaylillas. Known as the 'Sistine Chapel of the Andes, it looks nice from the outside but inside, it's an incredibly beautiful work of eye-poppingly intricate baroque art, from the colourful murals on the ceiling to the huge gold altar. No photographs are allowed inside, but they give us a CD containing some images (sadly no time machine to go back to 1995). 

Next up is a brief visit to the Incan Temple of Viracocha, Raqch'i — an interesting site but perhaps a little underwhelming the day after Machu Picchu. 

Sunrise at Machu Picchu: My Four-Day Inca Trail Trek

Note: this is a long post, including my reflections on the four-day Inca Trail trek I took with Llama Path in 2018, and practical information on planning and packing. I hope you find this useful; please feel free to leave questions in the comments.

“This is ‘Inca flat’,” our guide Aiben tells us wryly as we walk along a rocky path with a moderate uphill incline. The Incas were made of extremely stern stuff, we soon learn. A Franco-German family and I are trekking the 26.5-mile stretch of the Inca Trail that runs from km 82, near Ollantaytambo, all the way to Machu Picchu. 

This stunningly well-preserved Incan site discovered accidentally by the American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911. 'Inca' originally referred only to the king or ruler, and the trail we are following is one used by the emperor Pachacuti and his entourage when journeying to his ‘summer house’ at Machu Picchu.

Sacred Sights in Cusco, the Incan Capital City

I booked my flights to Lima and Inca Trail trek with Llama Path in January, but didn't firm up the rest of my Peru itinerary until a couple of months before my trip. I arranged my whole holiday around the Inca Trail to ensure that even if my trek was delayed, I would have the best chance of being able to go. Inca Trail trekkers are advised to travel to Cusco — the erstwhile Inca capital — at least three days before their trek to acclimatise to the altitude (3,400 metres above sea level).

Clifftops and Ceviche: A Weekend in Lima

As with many large cities in Latin America, Lima isn't the main reason most people come to Peru. But if you're flying into the Peruvian capital, it's well worth spending at least a couple of days in the city. There's plenty to see and do and it's a foodie's paradise, from world-beating tasting menus to fresh and flavoursome ceviche at low-key counters in the mercado central.