Blogs from Colca Canyon, Arequipa, Peru, South America - page 35

Last night I stayed in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been! A five hour walk into the second deepest canyon in the world brought us to a gorgeous spot by the Colca river with thermal hot springs under the stars, and a candlelit dinner overlooking towering rock walls stretching up from the river into the sky... I picked up a travelling companion in Cusco where I was talked into visiting the nearby Inca ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Pukapukara, Templo de la Luna (a cave under a large rock with seats and all carved out of the stone and a hole to let in the moonlight on the winter solstice - amazing) and Zona X (another rock riddled with cave-like tunnels through it) on horseback. Snake, condor and puma figures were also carved into ... read more

As we continue our travels around South America we realize with delight that we have no set plan other than to revive our creative ability. That so while in Arequipa we were informed of a 2 night - 3 day trek into and back out again of COLCA CANYON. For more information on Colca Canyon see Colca Canyon, Peru We had been staying at La Posada del Parque and it conveniently has a travel agency on the terrace, very handy, helpful and friendly people. Maribel set us up through the agency aptly named Marlon's travel after her brother, you guessed it, Marlon. We had spent 4 nights at La Posada del Parque and the family began saying how much we must like Arequipa which we both did, very much. Seems most travellers are there for a ... read more

After a few uneventful hours we arrived in Arequipa, Peru's second most-important city (both historically and economically), which is nicknamed La Ciudad Blanca ("The White City") because many of its historical buildings are made of sillar, a perfectly white volcanic rock quarried from the nearby volcanoes. The area was first occupied by Aymara Indians, and indeed it is believed the name Arequipa comes from the Aymara language, meaning "near the peak"; this would be a reference to El Misti Volcano, which at 5,822 meters (19,100 ft) high, towers high above the city. The Incas would later conquer the area, but it was not until the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors that the city was founded in 1540. Consequently the city's architecture has a strong Spanish influence. This is more notable in the Santa Catalina monastery, which ... read more

hello friends and family! sorry for the lag in blog updates. the past 3 weeks have been a string of travel and trips, and i have been admittedly bad at checking in and carving out Internet time. however, i am ready to amend the lapse, so get ready for some updates! after a few days in la paz and the huyani potosi adventure, i set out for Copacabana (the Bolivian version), a small town on the southern shores of lake Titicaca. Copacabana, while somewhat geared to the traversing tourist, is also a nice place to kick back and relax for a few days. there are several day hikes and the requisite string of gringo restaurants and artisan shops, but more importantly....its the launching point for the isla del sol. ever since starting my planning for South ... read more

The boat travels at a deliberate pace through the icy blue waters of lake Titicaca, as the intense sun saps the energy of the passengers sprawled on the roof. Only two hours to go until we reach the floating islands of the Uros people. We notice a fast moving boat on the horizon. An odd site on this tranquil lake, where we have seen all of about 5 boats in 3 days, none of which barely create a wake. We ignore it in solar delirium. Ten minutes later, police sirens are blaring and a loud speaker erupts with warnings. Our boat comes to a halt, but our captain springs to action. A seat is ripped open and life vests thrown to each of the passengers. Our tour guide stays quietly in the corner. Three or four ... read more