Cathedral in Arequipa

The Peruvian Coast: Land of Pachamama

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December 5th 2005
Nobody told me that the entire Peruvian coast is a desert. Its kilometer and kilometer of massive sand dunes. I was expecting jungles with wild monkeys and boa constrictors. It just shows how much I knew about Peru. The trip from Guayaquil to Ica, a pueblito a bit south of Lima, took 31 hours. Thirty-one hours! It was horrible. First, at the Peruvian border, the guard said I needed to pay $15 to ... read more

South America » Peru » Arequipa » Arequipa

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Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1... ... read more