LIMA
The
conquest of Peru closely mirrored the Conquest of Mexico and the
Spanish influence made us feel right at home. Lima has more
than
eight million residents but retains much of its history. We
had
an excellent walking tour around the historic Centro. The
Larco
Museum has the largest collection of gold, silver, and other artifacts
of the Incas.
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Lima's
Cathedral where the conquestador Francisco
Pizzaro is buried. |
To
see some of the incredible Inca gold and other
treasures, visit the Larco Museum.
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Guards goose-step at the National Palace.
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Lima is a city of beautiful balconies.
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Old mansions have been beautifully restored.
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OLLANTAYTAMBO
We
found Ollantaytambo's Inca ruins to be well worth seeing.
Plus
the altitude is 9,200 feet, a better place to aclimate for Machu Picchu
than Cusco at 11,150 feet. Our lovely hotel room had a vista
of
the snow-capped Andes and a stream running beneath our
window. We
stayed there two days and visited other sites in the Sacred Valley.
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View from our bedroom.
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The
terraced ruins are not to be missed.
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The
stones are joined with hair width percesion. |
A
young llama herder
plays his magic flute on the mountain top.
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An
outline of the Andian cross (shown on my medallion)
can be found on the wall of the Temple of the Sun.
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MACHU
PICCHU
From
Ollantaytambo, we took a 1 1/2 hour Vistadome train to Aguas Caliente
then a 25 minute bus ride to the base of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu was
never discovered by the conquestadores due to its high mountain
location. The altitude, 7900 feet, is lower than Ollan and
Cusco's altitude so we had no problems breathing. It is
simply
spectacular.
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You
have to see it!
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The
Temple of the Sun
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Terraces
cascade down to the river.
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Despite
centuries and earthquakes, ruins are fine.
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We
made it!!!
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CUSCO
I
thought Cusco was just a stopping point on the way to Machu Picchu, but
it is a beautiful city with great restaurants, museums, and many
remenants of the Inca Empire. We enjoyed our time
there.
The altitude is 11,150 feet but we were ready for it. It is
not
the best place to prepare for a trip to Machu Picchu but don't miss it.
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Cusco's
Zocalo is beautiful.
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The
black base was the Temple of the Sun.
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Our
family with our new found Peruvian friends.
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Statue
of Pachacuti, an Incan emperor. |
Another
great Peruvian meal.
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MANU,
HEADWATER
OF THE AMAZON
We
left Cusco at 5 am and traveled over the Andes in a mini-van into the
rain forest jungle which is the headwater of the Amazon. It
was a
four day safari with much time traveling but interesting stops all
along the way. On
our return, the
highway was blocked so we had to take a gravel road along the cliffs
above the river -- it was one lane and terrifying.
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Rain forest
with
endless gravel roads.
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Bambu Lodge,
our
first stop.
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Glacial,
icy, turquoise water leads to our jungle
lodge.
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Prehistoric birds.
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One
of many exotic birds we saw.
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PUNO
AND LAKE TITICACA
After
a six hour bus ride which took us through snow covered passes, we
reached Puno on the shore of Lake Titicaca. The lake is the
highest navigable lake in the world. The altitude, 12,500
feet,
slowed us down a bit. We were able to visit a couple of the
islands and the weather was sunny.
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Vendors and photo
opportunities abound.
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Uros floating islands
are made out of
reeds.
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Boats are also woven
of reeds.
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A visit to Taquile
Island revealed this
tranquil scene.
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AREQUIPA
Although
Arequipa was a one day stopover on our way to see the Condors, I fell
in love with the city. Arequipa is surrounded by volcanoes,
one
higher than Mt. Kilimanjaro and still active. The city was
exceptionally clean and green.
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The surrounding
countryside is spectacular.
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The cathedral's twin
towers crown the large
Zocalo.
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Snow
capped mountains are always in view. |
Reminescent
of Oaxaca, arches surround three
sides. |
Melting
snow keeps the city green. |
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CHIVAY
AND COLCA CANYON
A
must-see on our Peru safari was the condors, world's largest birds
with a 10 foot wing span. To be there in the morning for
their flight, we had to spend a night in Chivay. It is a
small, beautiful, clean town. We swam in a thermal pool
nearby and got up at 5 am to get to the canyon on time.
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The
Valley of Chivay |
We
passed llamas and alpacas on the way. |
Swimming
in a
thermal pool was a real treat. |
Brother
Jimmy
holds an alpaca
with one hand
and a falcon on his arm. |
A
condor soars above the Colca Canyon which is twice
as deep as the
Grand Canyon. Condors are so large that they need the morning
heat rising up to get them started. |
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NASCA
LINES
The
Nasca Lines were made famous by the book "Chariots of the
Gods."
No one knows why they were made. They date from 500BC to
500AD. We soared above them in a six passenger single prop
plane
which had to bank repeatedly so we could get pictures. Thank
heaven for Drammine! It was difficult to get photos as the
desert
sand was white and the sun was overhead.
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All
aboard!
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Sharp
contrast
between desert and farmland.
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Most
famous is the
astronaut.
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The
spider was easy
to see.
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The
condor spreads
his wings.
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