The Road to Cuzco
San Luis bus company was only 45 minutes late getting started. We left Puno and started climbing. The beginning of the route took us through a number of small, mountain towns. We stopped a few times to let passengers on and off, a perfect time to buy some choclo (giant corn) or a bag […]
Taquile
Our next stop was the island of Taquile. It was a rainy, steep climb, but we were rewarded with views to Bolivia from the main square. We spent some time looking around, and saw a photo exhibition of pictures taken by local residents that was amazing. We learned about the local dress, similar but markedly […]
Exploring Amantani Island, Peru
Amantani Island Amantani Island is in the big part of Lake Titicaca, about three hours by boat from Puno. We organized our trip with a local operator recommended by our hotel, and set out early. After a stop and a look around the Uros Islands, we motored on toward Amantani Island. The first thing we […]
Floating Islands of the Uro
Las Islas Flotantes de los Uro are one of the must-sees near Puno. The story we heard was that when the aggressive Colla and Inka started pushing the indigenous communities of the area further and further towards Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable lake in the world) , people fled in boats onto the lake. They […]
Colca Canyon, Peru
Bright and early, we set off on a two-day excursion into the mountains. Located about 100 miles from Arequipa, Colca Canyon is one of the deepest in the world, about twice as deep as the Grand Canyon! The Cotahuasi Canyon nearby is said to be the deepest in the world, and is only a little deeper. Alpaca, vicuña, […]
Santa Catalina Convent
The convent of Santa Catalina is like a city within a city. It takes up around five acres. It was built in 1580 and later expanded. Nuns lived in the complex for over 400 years, completely isolated from the outside world, and many were buried within the complex as well. Today, a large part of […]
Visiting the White City: Arequipa, Peru
Arequipa, the White City Arequipa is called the white city, as many of its buildings are built from a kind of white volcanic stone, sillar (ignimbrite). There are many churches and a convents, reflecting the strong Catholic tradition brought by the Spanish, who reestablished the city in 1540. The Aymara were the first to settle here. Some […]
Nazca Lines
The world famous Nazca Lines are said to have been created by the Nazca and maybe by the earlier Paracas people between 200 BC and 700 AD. No one knows exactly why they were drawn, but there are many theories. Maria Reiche, the German mathematician, and others proposed that they were an astronomical calendar. Others […]
Verano Negro
We arrived in Chincha just in time for Verano Negro (Black Summer), an annual eventsort of like carnaval, celebrating Afro Peruvian culture, history and traditions. Here and nearby Carmen are the cradle of Afro Peruvian culture, evident in the music, dance and in the people themselves. There isn´t much tourism here otherwise, and the region is clearly […]
Chiclayo y El Señor de Sipán
Exploring Chiclayo Chiclayo is about three hours north of Trujillo in northwest Peru, not far from the coast. It was founded near the Northern Wari ruins, an important archaeological site. There are additional archaeological sites of the Moche (Mochica) and Chimu cultures in this area near the coast. Today, the city is best known for its colonial […]