Post by Cherbunny on Oct 17, 2006 13:05:08 GMT -6
It's been a couple of days since we came back from Peru and I've been trying to remember all that we did. My mom made the arrangements for a family vacation to celebrate their 50th Anniversary. She booked the trip with www.enjoyperu.com and they did a custom, private tour for the 7 of us. I highly suggest going this route...no rude foreigners...and you can keep to the schedule or not. The guides were local to the area that we visited and were extremely knowledgeable in their country's history. Depending on which guide you get and their beliefs of events, determines what kind of stories go with the ruins you are viewing...Machu Pichu is a prime example.
There is a guide at MP named Darwin, that is extremely animated while performing his tours. He even has his own book (gov't hates this) and his theories on the *Real History of Macchupichu*. We did not get him for our tour, but my brother Dave had him as a guide on his previous trip there 2 years ago. I picked up a book at the Cusco airport as the author was doing a book signing. His book is the *Enigma of Macchupichu* by Oscar Medina. I haven't read it or the other books I bought, but I'll probably make quinoa and corn soup first
Anyway, one thing I did learn from the local people of Peru...
You can destroy their temples, rob their graves, steal their gold, built churches on/with Inka stones, force Catholicism and the Spanish language down their throats, but they will still keep the old ways. The people still speak Quechua, use Coca leaves for altitude sickness, plow fields with ancient tools on pre-Inka terraces, make their own fabrics using natural plants for dyes, they worship PacheMamma, the Condor, Puma and the Snake. They are a friendly and happy people.
I went thru the pics and our itinerary and came up with 68 pics to post. There is NO WAY I'm going to do that to you guys! So, without further ado...the highlights of Arequipa, Colca Valley, Puno, Cusco, and Macchu Pichu in southern Peru.
A view of the terraces used for growing corn, potatoes, grains, etc. on the outskirts to Arequipa.
From Arequipa we went to the Colca Valley, which is deeper than the Grand Canyon. To get there, we had to go thru the summit where people have built monuments to the mountain gods asking for good wishes. Here's the monument Rick & I built:
There are 14 different villages in this valley. We stayed in Chivay:
There is a very poor town at the end of the valley who's name translates into *Little Penis*. I guess these folks just say they're from the Colca Valley instead:
Our main purpose for visiting this beautiful area was to see the condors fly:
I was amazed by the ancient terraces in the Colca Valley:
We went back to Arequipa, spent the night, and drove out to Puno and Lake Titicaca (Shining Puma). There is a group of floating islands that house a *tribe* of people who fled the spanish in 1532. The group of islands are called *Uros* and there are over 50 islands. Only 19 allow visitors (tourists) to show them their way of life. They showed us how they make the islands, cook, garden, fish, and survive. Our guide, Zulema said that they practice birth control and do go to the city of Puno for ultra sounds, otherwise, there is a midwife on the islands to help with normal deliveries. The people all have high blood pressure and cholesterol due to the lack of fruits and veggies in their diet.
We continued on to Taquille and were able to see Bolivia from the top of the island. We had to climb 567 stone steps just to get up there, eat lunch, and hike down to the other side. Rick and I aren't in as bad of shape after all!
We left Puno and were driven to Cusco. We spent a couple of days there seeing ancient Inka ruins and temples. Here's a few:
Sacsayhuaman:
Tipon:
Inka Laboratory: The terraces were built down into the ground to see how different varieties of corn, potatoes, etc. could handle it. These terraces are still irrigated by natural streams that have been diverted into channels. These were built over 500 hundred years ago and are still in use:
Salt Mine: The Inkas discovered a stream of salt water coming from the mountains. They built these terraces to farm the salt. Two villages take care of it now. I bought a kilo of Inka Salt for 66 cents.
Food.....I just love food and would rather eat what the locals do. After a couple of weeks I do want the gourmet version, but even the everyday stuff was wonderful.
A lunch buffet in Arequipa featuring hot stuffed peppers, grilled alpaca, grilled chicken, alpaca burgers, and various salads.
I had to include the fried guinea pig. We thought it tasted fishy.
You can't go to Peru without going to Macchu Pichu. Here's a pic:
My Dad and brother climbed to Huayna Pichu and took this pic of MP:
And here's a view of the town of Aguas Calientes from our hotel room. This is where the train to MP ends. This is also where we got a 5 course lunch including Pisco Sours for 10 soles each ($3.21).
We went to Pisac which is known for the market on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Here's where the locals grocery shop:
We really enjoyed the country and the people of Peru. Rick and I want to check out the cultures of the Aztecs and Mayans.
It's good to be home~
Cher
There is a guide at MP named Darwin, that is extremely animated while performing his tours. He even has his own book (gov't hates this) and his theories on the *Real History of Macchupichu*. We did not get him for our tour, but my brother Dave had him as a guide on his previous trip there 2 years ago. I picked up a book at the Cusco airport as the author was doing a book signing. His book is the *Enigma of Macchupichu* by Oscar Medina. I haven't read it or the other books I bought, but I'll probably make quinoa and corn soup first
Anyway, one thing I did learn from the local people of Peru...
You can destroy their temples, rob their graves, steal their gold, built churches on/with Inka stones, force Catholicism and the Spanish language down their throats, but they will still keep the old ways. The people still speak Quechua, use Coca leaves for altitude sickness, plow fields with ancient tools on pre-Inka terraces, make their own fabrics using natural plants for dyes, they worship PacheMamma, the Condor, Puma and the Snake. They are a friendly and happy people.
I went thru the pics and our itinerary and came up with 68 pics to post. There is NO WAY I'm going to do that to you guys! So, without further ado...the highlights of Arequipa, Colca Valley, Puno, Cusco, and Macchu Pichu in southern Peru.
A view of the terraces used for growing corn, potatoes, grains, etc. on the outskirts to Arequipa.
From Arequipa we went to the Colca Valley, which is deeper than the Grand Canyon. To get there, we had to go thru the summit where people have built monuments to the mountain gods asking for good wishes. Here's the monument Rick & I built:
There are 14 different villages in this valley. We stayed in Chivay:
There is a very poor town at the end of the valley who's name translates into *Little Penis*. I guess these folks just say they're from the Colca Valley instead:
Our main purpose for visiting this beautiful area was to see the condors fly:
I was amazed by the ancient terraces in the Colca Valley:
We went back to Arequipa, spent the night, and drove out to Puno and Lake Titicaca (Shining Puma). There is a group of floating islands that house a *tribe* of people who fled the spanish in 1532. The group of islands are called *Uros* and there are over 50 islands. Only 19 allow visitors (tourists) to show them their way of life. They showed us how they make the islands, cook, garden, fish, and survive. Our guide, Zulema said that they practice birth control and do go to the city of Puno for ultra sounds, otherwise, there is a midwife on the islands to help with normal deliveries. The people all have high blood pressure and cholesterol due to the lack of fruits and veggies in their diet.
We continued on to Taquille and were able to see Bolivia from the top of the island. We had to climb 567 stone steps just to get up there, eat lunch, and hike down to the other side. Rick and I aren't in as bad of shape after all!
We left Puno and were driven to Cusco. We spent a couple of days there seeing ancient Inka ruins and temples. Here's a few:
Sacsayhuaman:
Tipon:
Inka Laboratory: The terraces were built down into the ground to see how different varieties of corn, potatoes, etc. could handle it. These terraces are still irrigated by natural streams that have been diverted into channels. These were built over 500 hundred years ago and are still in use:
Salt Mine: The Inkas discovered a stream of salt water coming from the mountains. They built these terraces to farm the salt. Two villages take care of it now. I bought a kilo of Inka Salt for 66 cents.
Food.....I just love food and would rather eat what the locals do. After a couple of weeks I do want the gourmet version, but even the everyday stuff was wonderful.
A lunch buffet in Arequipa featuring hot stuffed peppers, grilled alpaca, grilled chicken, alpaca burgers, and various salads.
I had to include the fried guinea pig. We thought it tasted fishy.
You can't go to Peru without going to Macchu Pichu. Here's a pic:
My Dad and brother climbed to Huayna Pichu and took this pic of MP:
And here's a view of the town of Aguas Calientes from our hotel room. This is where the train to MP ends. This is also where we got a 5 course lunch including Pisco Sours for 10 soles each ($3.21).
We went to Pisac which is known for the market on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Here's where the locals grocery shop:
We really enjoyed the country and the people of Peru. Rick and I want to check out the cultures of the Aztecs and Mayans.
It's good to be home~
Cher