“Did you go to Machu Picchu?”

Typically, this is the first question that I get when I mention that I went to Peru.

No, I did not visit the iconic city of the Incan Empire, the 500-year-old archaeological treasure trove of clues about what life was like in the area before the arrival of the conquistadors.

I climbed 18,000-foot glaciated peaks, hiked to beautiful turquoise lakes situated below the snowcapped Andes, sampled traditional Peruvian food and exotic fruits from the Amazonian jungle, visited ruins of pre-Incan civilizations, and learned to make pisco sours. An eight-hour bus ride from Lima along the misty coastline and over perilous mountain roads took me to Huaraz, the jumping-off point for adventurers heading out to explore the area.

Mountains

The Ancash region boasts breathtaking vistas of jagged, snow-capped peaks towering above farms and rural villages. In addition to being a popular mountaineering destination, the area is known for multi-day treks through the Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Huayhuash.

I arrived at Quebrada Ishinca – a scenic valley below the surrounding peaks of Urus Oeste, Nevado Ishinca and Tocllaraju – by way of a collectivo (shared taxis that travel along the main roads in the region), taxi and foot. Being alone, the high and highly technical Tocllaraju was not an option, so I set my sights on Urus and Ishinca – beautiful peaks with great views and nice summits. Solo glacier travel isn’t usually the best idea, but I had it on good authority that there wasn’t any danger of hidden crevasses on either of those mountains, so I went for it. The summit ridge of Urus was heavily corniced and there was one scary snow-bridge crossing on Ishinca, but other than that, neither route was especially dangerous.

Lakes

The valleys below the mountains of the Cordillera Blanca are home to many alpine lakes, colored brilliant shades of blue and green by glacial water. Many of these lakes (“lagunas,” as they’re called locally), such as Laguna Churup, Laguna 69 and Llanganuco, are popularly visited on day trips from Huaraz.

I woke up bright and early for a 5 a.m. departure from the hostel to the trailhead for Laguna 69, but as is typical in South America, 5 a.m. was more like 5:45 a.m. The van arrived at the trailhead at 9:30 a.m., and I set off up the trail. After two and a half hours of hiking through grassy meadows and up steep switchbacks, I glimpsed the glossy, turquoise surface of the lake. At 15,000 feet, the cloudy weather made for some fairly cold temperatures. So after taking a few photos, I hurried back down the trail to the comforting warmth of lower elevations and areas more sheltered from the wind.

Food

In recent years, the culinary culture of Peru has taken off. Lima’s booming restaurant scene earns it a place on any respectable “Foodie’s World Tour” destination list. The city is known for its cebicherias, Peruvian-Asian fusion and fine-dining establishments, including those of world-famous chef and restaurateur Gastón Acurio.

After arriving in Huaraz and checking in to my hostel, one of the first things I did was to buy some anticuchos – skewered, grilled cuts of beef heart – from a street cart. Two skewers cost 5 soles (about $1.75), and they were served with potatoes, hot sauce and a small amount of beef tripe. I wasn’t too keen on eating tripe, but I wasn’t going to be rude, so after liberally dousing it in hot sauce, I ate it. It was part of the adventure.

The experience of traveling alone – of not having an all-inclusive package or a preplanned itinerary – was an important element in being able to truly explore the mountains, cities and culture of Peru. The climbing and trekking in the Ancash region still make it somewhat of a tourist destination, though far less popular than places like Cusco, Arequipa or Mancora.

And there’s nothing wrong with those places. Peru is fascinating for history and archaeology buffs and travelers who want to lie on beaches and drink pisco sours just as much as it is for adventurers who want to travel off the beaten path and explore the area.