http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Peru en-us Sun, 08 Nov 09 16:18:44 +0000 Sun, 08 Nov 09 16:18:44 +0000 Off to CuzcoAnd so our real circumnavigation of the globe begins. We're off to Cuzco in Peru to spend a few days acclimatizing before we begin our slightly unconventional trek through the Andes.It's a very early start. We're all packed up again minus some of the things we needed specifically for Africa and while this is the biggest excursion away from home during this trip it's also our third so http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/Cusco/blog-451188.html Day OneThis morning we got up early got on the bus and drove straight to the airport for our trip to Cusco where we will spend the next several days. The city of Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire and is built in the shape of a puma an animal worshiped by the Inca. The word Cusco means navel of the world in Quechua.Upon arriving at the Cusco airport we got on our bus and headed rig http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/blog-450784.html Today our adventure in South America began. We arrived in Lima around 430 AM but didn't leave the airport till around 6. After meeting our tour director and our group we got on the bus and headed to our hotel the Casa Andina Private Collection in Miraflores. Upon checking into the hotel we were escorted to a delicious buffet breakfast. There were chocolate pastries fresh fruit pancakes http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Lima/Lima/Miraflores/blog-450763.html Leaving Cusco behind us we now travel south very close to the border with Bolivia to a place called Puno on the shores of Lago Titicaca.We have tried to use trains in South America wherever possible but your choices are slim. In Ecuador just two or three short routes that were nowhere near the destinations that we visited. In Peru just two routes. The first from Cusco to Machu Picchu which w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Puno/Puno/blog-450707.html Machu PichuWe awoke in darkness and some were far more awake than others. Irsquove never been a morning person but waking at 4am to start hiking in the dark for an hour or two is pushing the limits of my civility unless itrsquos a race and therefore competitive. Poor Penny has to deal with whatever fragile mask of humanity I can put on until my mind catches up with my body and manages http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Machu-Picchu/blog-450323.html Ihr werdet es nicht glauben ich schreibe aus einem Spa.Ja ich bin in Lima am shoppen shoppen shoppen. Ist toll. Zudem bin ich zutiefst verwirrt. Hier fuehlt man sich in gewissen Vierteln wie in Europa und es gibt viel Schweizer Kaese zu kaufen und so Zeug Schoggi. Verwirrend. Habe zwei lustige Chilenen als Zimmerkollegen und mit denen bin ich jetzt im Tuerkisch Bad. Das kostet 7 Franken fuer http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Lima/Lima/Lima/blog-450302.html All Saints Day and the locals celebrated with a civic and military parade around the main square known as Plaza de Armas. All the local worthies were settled in a canopy placed outside the Cathedral and the march pass began. It consisted of amongst others the army police government workers schoolchildren and even the road cleaners they came last with their brooms and shovels. Very colourful http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/blog-450052.html Jaja der Simon ist nach Ecuator ins schoene Peru gereist. Zuerst nach Mankora da hab ich ein paar meiner ersten schoenen sauberen Wellen gesurft und dann nach Lobitos ins Los Muelles Surf Camp. Die besten Wellen Perus leider ohne Swell. Das heisst nicht wirlich viele und nicht grosse Wellen. Ich hab ab trotzdem viel Spass gehabt und viel gelernt. War genial. So in einer Welle zu surfen ist t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Piura/Piura/blog-450027.html This little stretch of the journey was the toughest thus far. It came as quite a disappointment to us that the roads were not roads but dusty tracks which really put our bikes to the test. We soon arrived at a small town called Chincheros where we attracted a fair bit of attention mainly from the youth of the town who were once again mesmerised by the rugby ball. Unfortunately this meant t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ayacucho/Ayacucho/blog-449982.html Machu PicchuWe are on the airplane flying from Peru to Salvador Brazil. We were in Machu Picchu yesterday.Tomorrow is Halloween at home in the USA. Halloween has been my favorite holiday foras long as I can remember. Kim and I both love dressing up and staying in character for the evening. One of my first memories was dressing up as the Riddler one of Batman's enemies. I think I was in the f http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Machu-Picchu/blog-449890.html It has been called one of the Wonders of the World and I can understand the reason why but the problemis that there are many others who think the same. We arrived at 10.30am and it appeared that all the other tourists in Peru were there as well. Although there are restrictions on numbers walking the Inca Trail leading to Machu Picchu there is no restriction on the number of people entering this w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Machu-Picchu/blog-449816.html Lago Titicaca The Uros islands 10am. Standing on a floating manmade island made solely out of reeds somewhere within the worldrsquos highest navigable lake itrsquos an odd feeling. Lago Titicaca is big really big so big it spans across two countries. On our way here our guide pointed into the distance and said that Bolivia was in that direction. Even standing on top of the roof of the bo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Puno/Lake-Titicaca-/blog-449778.html Inca Trail to Machu Picchu FAQWhat is the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is the most popular trail in the world. It is a sacred path used by the incas in ancient times. Inca Trail to Machu Picchu History The Inca Trail was used only for royal sacred and political reasons it was not just a route to this particular place its structure was built as a spir http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/Cusco/blog-449695.html 26th30th October 2009 The big day finally came I had spend so long counting down the days and then suddenly it felt like it came so quickly. I barely slept thenight before my first flight but the hours awake were well spent spooning aidenI tried my hardest to prepare myself for the moment that I had to say goodbye but nothing could prepare me for how hard it actually was. The realisation of ju http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/blog-449511.html The Inca Trail and Machu PicchuOct 21 24 2009CastmembersThe Hikers Kristy Kirstin Alan Rainuka Byron Helen Susan Asif Kelvin Janet Lisa Cathy David Alona and Dave meThe Guides Raul and RolandoThe Porters Too many to nameOct 21 2009 Day 1After individual briefings on Oct 20 our intrepid group of South American explorers were picked up by bus in Cusco starting at 600am. B http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Inca-Trail/blog-449048.html The Mission........ Trek to Machu Picchu along the Inca Trail and raise money for Marie Curie Cancer CareMission status COMPLETE The history bit......Machu Picchu Old Peak is a preColumbian Inca site located 2430 metres 8000 ft above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru which is 50 miles northwest of Cuzco and through w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Inca-Trail/blog-449031.html Cusco itself is crowded overpriced and absolutely rammed full of tourists.... no wonder it is overpriced as the locals have cottoned on to the fact that the many rich americans that come here can pay much more than they're used to. Unfortunately this has led to more street hawking than I've seen anywhere else in both Ecuador and Peru. You can't walk two steps without being offered the same hats http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Pisac/blog-449023.html Hello DarlingsGreetings from Puno where on the shores of lake Titicaca the world's highest navigable lake though noone seems to be entirely sure what that means. And this is our last day in Peru We had a final day in Cusco and they were having a big festival. This consisted of lots of people marching each group accompanied by their band. Pretty much everyone in Cusco seemed to b http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/blog-448750.html The flight over the Nazca lines yesterday was great. The plane held 6 people and veered from left to right to ensure that everyone in the plane got a chance to see each of the lines. The pilot also spoke a little English so he was able to point out to us what we should be seeing. At first they were hard to spot but it got easier once you knew what you were looking for. Some are absolutely enormou http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-448688.html Hello allTwo weekends ago I went on a great little trip to Nazca and Ica They are to the South of Lima and in a more desert climate. We started by taking a bus down to Nazca about 6 hours away. We woke up early to see the Nazca lines. We rode in this little tiny airplane that flew over some of the famous ones. It was so neat My favorite was the Condor. No one is exactly sure who made the Nazca http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ica/Huacachina/blog-448440.html