Moray and Chinchero
Concentric Circle Ruins at Moray The concentric circles at Moray were different from anything we´d seen so far. The most widely-accepted theory is that these terraced circles were used as an agricultural laboratory, to experiment with what crops (wheat, quinoa, other grains, potatoes, etc.) would grow best at different temperatures and under different conditions. It has […]
Tambomachay to Saqsaywaman
While Cuzco is an amazing city to explore, there’s so much more to see once you get out of town. Surrounded by the Andes, Cuzco was the heart of the Inca Empire. Even before the arrival of the Inca, the Killke culture dominated this region from about 900-1200 AD. There are countless ruins in the […]
Machu Picchu
The train ride from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (aka Machu Picchu Pueblo) was like entering the jungle. Everything got more and more lush, green and wet. There was less agriculture, and more wild. Aguas Calientes itself (named for thermal springs on the edge of town) was another kind of jungle, the tourist kind. Obviously this […]
Pisac: Gateway to the Sacred Valley
To travel to Pisac from Cusco is about an hour by local bus, 2.40 soles about 70 cents US. We sat next to two women who were having a conversation in Quechua and trading goods. One had bread and the other bananas and they seem to have made an agreeable and tasty trade. So far […]
Cuzco: Heart of the Inca Empire
Cuzco History Heart of the ancient Inca empire, Cuzco is located in the heart of the Andes at about 11,000 feet. We’d recently been in Puno, and this was a bit lower. We were glad to have arrived by land, since it gave us the chance to adjust to the altitude. There are a number […]
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 […]
Mérida In-Town
Mérida is the principal city of the Venezuelan Andes. It was founded in 1558, and is known today for its high population of university and other students as well as a wide variety of attractions for tourists. The temperature is generally mild, and at higher altitudes downright cool. The highest peak in the country, Pico Bolivar […]
Colonia Tovar
In 1843, a group of mostly German colonists (240 men and 151 women), arrived to establish a colony. After spending some time in quarantine due to a disease that had broken out on board, the group made the long walk up into the mountains outside Caracas. Most of them were from the Kaiserstuhl region, and the […]
Akaroa
The Banks Peninsula was created by violent volcanic eruptions long, long ago. The result today is rolling green hills with vistas of the sea and picturesque bays from their summits. We stayed just outside Akaroa, originally a French Settlement (though the British jumped in just before the settlers arrived and officially claimed the area under […]
Sweet Penguin: Russell and the Bay of Islands
The 144 islands that make up the Bay of Islands, New Zealand make up an amazing aquatic playground for sailing, swimming, diving and dolphin-spotting. Having stumbled upon a great self-contained apartment available for a couple of nights at a great price yesterday, we were lucky enough to do some exploring here. The spacious yet cozy unit […]