Peru

Uros

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…

Colca Canyon

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…

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…

Plaza de Armas, Arequipa

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…

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…

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…

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….

Trujillo, Chanchán y las Huacas

Yet another overnight bus took us 500+ km north of Lima to the city of Trujillo, founded in 1534, and known as the City of Eternal Spring (although it´s a…

Lima

After a couple of months in Caracas, Lima is a big change.  Things seem more relaxed here, and there is a noticeable tourist presence.  We are also back in Hostel…

Santuario de Pachacamac

After a quick geocache find at a pretty lookout near our hostal, and with a new SIM card inserted in my cell phone, we head south from Lima to Pachacamac,…