http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/juan-franco/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from juan franco en-us Fri, 25 Dec 2009 22:07:14 +0000 Fri, 25 Dec 2009 22:07:14 +0000 the last time i went from close to sea level to over thirteen thousand feet without oxygen in something other than a commerical airline i was skydiving for a rush and to feel alive today it was to go to the neighboring state to ica where nasca is located into ayacucho where at a little over 13K feet the air is clean and pure the landscape oposite to the coastal town of nasca climate went http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ayacucho/blog-5326.html going below the equator makes one feel like time has roleld back... the southern cross a familiar yet distant memory stands out as do the vistas aromas and langaugetechnology has permeated the rich cultural structure of the decendants of the incas internet by the sol high speed thousands of computers thousands of people typing their anxieties fears and hopes into the vastness of cyberspa http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Lima/blog-5073.html Into the dayhellipSurrounding the lsquopizza streetrsquo are what appears to be an ocean of bodies all young dark and beautiful. Walk down the street and on your left are lovely dark skinned young women soliciting businesshellip not for sex but for me to come into the perspective restaurant and have dinner. The activity got heavy in Miraflores at about ten at night and went until abo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Lima/blog-5107.html it had not rained in Lima since 1972 that is until last night i would not be so bold as to suggest i brought the rain but it was the last time i was there living in arizona was not the desert the desert is where there is no vegetation at least that is what i think of when i think desert brown sand hot the road from lima to pisco was pure desert.we sat on the top of the tourist bus http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Pisco/blog-5160.html he could not have been more than about nine years old he looked at my dish of food recently eaten and glanced into my eyes puedo all i had left was letuce tons of onions assorted pieces of uneaten ceviche...the starkeness of the white sand dunes the pacific ocean and the oasis which is pisco was hard to take in my eyes saw white sand green from the grapes chile cotton and corn plant http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Nazca/Nazca-Lines/blog-5201.html Sun came out again this morning so i knew it would be a good day...morning came early and we were off to the flight. before leaving for the airport to see the nasca lines danny el italiano and i had a little early morning breakfast... so tony do you have your name on you cloaths so people will know wo you are if the plane crashes asked danny after the fun and games i took a picture of t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Nazca/Nazca-Lines/blog-5252.html something funny happened to me on the way to the hamock cocks and men have several things in common no not that that they want everyone to know how important they are and want everyone to look at them and then the yeventually etiher go away or shut up...if you are at a small provincial restaurant and out of courtesy the owner you are served a bowl of soup caution it may be hot and it http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Nazca/blog-5289.html have you ever spoken to a sheep and heard a response back if you have not spoken to an animal perhaps try it first when no one is around and then as you become comfortable with your sanity try it around others after spending the day walking in 100 degree weather in the hot desert of nazca looking for Petrogliphs which created before the nasca civilizatition ' i came upon a herd of sheep ' http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Nazca/blog-5360.html Sunday is a good day to spend developing a web site for the people of Nasca...For over twenty years i accumulated money and stuff working like a mad man to get to the top of corporate america VP Sales for the Americas Australia VP Consulting VP Sales EDS VP Sales blah blah blah At fourty i realized the top of the 1 of wealth in all of the world was a shame badge not an accomplishment. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Nazca/blog-5395.html As the day starts at 4am the group of four men prepare to repalce their counterparts in the segment of the mine which belongs to the cooperative of two families. A total of about twelve men and boys and an equal number of women and girls ranging from the age of eight to sixty. I suppose the reason why it stops at sixty is the nature of the work.Before the four men climb into the hole they work http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Nazca/Gold-Mining/blog-5490.html At 13178 ft 4016m the air is clean clear and thin in oxygen. A most austere and harsh environment for human survival yet perfect for the national animal of Per the Vicua the condor and a few other robust animals. Pampa Galera is the largest reserve of Vicuas in the world containing roughly 6500 vicuas in 6500 hectares. The animal is considered an endangered specias sa the came http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ayacucho/Pampa-Galera/blog-5602.html Thirty years ago my poor table manners led me to the kitchen to eat with what we called the servants. At that point in time in my life we were affluent with four servants. Between the livein gardner cook houskeeper and nanny we were well served.Tonight I found myself choosing between eating some chicken and fries alone at the table or joining one of the servants in the kitchen the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Nazca/blog-5654.html S 15 50.318 W 074 18.707Some people places and things can not be properly described a photo seems to be a lacking solution to properly reflect the true nature... Puerto Inca is such a place.The Inca a direct decendant of the Sun would be carried by from Cusco to Puerto Inca some 400KM away for him to enjoy the beach sit at his gold plated seat and discuss whatever it is gods discuss http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Puerto-Inca/blog-5944.html Arequipa the capital of the state of Arequipa is located at 7300ft asl in the central cordillera de los andes an old colonial style town with buildings churches and the plaza de armas town square just as it was some two hudred years ago when the spaniards conquered peru.Upon arriving from the coast of arequipa via the twisting turning and long nine hour ride on the cattle bus locked insi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-5975.html S 16 23.578 W 071 30.984From the somber mood on Good Friday the Arequipeos came out in full procession from the main Cathedral to one just down the road. The faithfull crowds with candles in hand outlined the route which the Cross of Christ was to lead along with the Virgin Mary in a much more elaborate and magestic promendade. All of this with the masses and the elite of the Roman c http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-6012.html Invite PETA to Arequipa Peru to experience a great sport bull fighting no not man vs. beast but beast vs. beast... An absolutely enlightning experience which has a great correleation and application towards mankind for instance the bull that makes the most noise before the fight is usually not the victor. Photos to follow. When a society does not have a massive technology base it re http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-6045.html You know you are alive because you can hear noises and there is a constant pain in your head and stomach the perspiration continues to cover everything has it been three days or four days is this still cusco every inch of your body hurts your joints scream out in pain and you can not keep thoughts in order time flows in and out of context as you pass in and out of consiousness alo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/blog-6255.html Some of the thoughts or bits and bytes flying furiously around in my mind need to get out so i thought i would make a personal note and followup later FREE PRESSin peru i watch news from peru colombia bolivia brasil chile argentina china korea france uk syria and 6 other nations i feel like my brain can freely function i am not being spoon fed news which has been pre packa http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/blog-6330.html at the emergency room after having my bodily fluids examined with microscopic scrutiny it was 300 soles nuevos a script for a bunch of stuff and call me if you need to in three days....Everywhere i watched the TV in the last 36 hours in peru it was about the life of one man and the good he did in confronting communism castro the argentine dictatorships pinochett and gw bush as well as sev http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/blog-6331.html S 13 30.471 W 071 58.834A MA LU YA DO NOT LIEA MA SU WA DO NOT STEAL A MA QUELLA DO NOT BE LAZYHowever phoenitically incorrect and my appologies to those fluent in quechua these are the three sacred words passed down from the Inca to the people of the TAHUANTINSUYO...The greatest and oldest empire developed in the American continent and that had the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/blog-6377.html