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…
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…
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…
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…
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. …
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…
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…
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 pretty steamy summer right now). Trujillo lies in northwestern Peru,…
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 World, with lots of fellow travelers from different backgrounds and…
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, a ceremonial and religious center which first came into use…