Blogs from Peru, South America - page 5

http://www.heygo.com Coporaque Village The tiny village of Coporaque is a great way to take in the stunning region & enjoy glorious views of the distant volcanoes, including the active Sabancaya which spews ash into the sky, gorgeous terrace views, flowering cacti, and crumbling stone ruins. We walked through pastures, visited the church which was badly damaged in the 2016 earthquake. This is a small town located on the right side of the Colca River, in the Western part of Chivay (Capital of the Colca Canyon), it has 900 inhabitants, it is located at 3583 meters above sea level, most of the inhabitants they are still cultivating their land following the knowledge of their ancestors and they are still wearing their typical costums. The temple of Santiago Apóstol de Coporaque, is a Catholic construction, which is located ... read more

Poet, novelist, and travel writer William Graham resides in Stowe, Vermont. Many of his works of fiction have been inspired by his trips to the southern hemisphere. See his South American Novels series on Amazon. Several feet above the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean flew millions of birds called skimmers that were flying to spend summer in the North American continent. From horizon to horizon, the avian convoy stretched and undulated like a giant snake. It was a marvelous display of nature’s beauty. And where did I see it? In a wildlife refuge in Lima, the sprawling capital of Peru. For many visitors to Peru, the number one travel goal (and with good reason) is to visit the Incan sites in and around Cuzco and then make the journey to the iconic Machu Picchu. Expl ... read more

The Colca Canyon is one of the most beautiful areas in Peru famed for its colourful and traditional towns and for its wildlife. There are over 100 species of birds including the giant Andean condor. The Colca Canyon is also one of the deepest canyons in the world. It is, in fact, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. Another location I never dreamt I would be able to visit but with heygo virtual guides another place I can cross as having seen, although not the same as actually physically being there it will do for now. The Colca Canyon 11,975ft & Valley are paradise to nature lovers. The Colca Valley is 186 miles north of Arequipa, and holds one of the world´s deepest gorges, cut by the Colca River, which flows 250 miles from its ... read more

http://www.heygo.com 26th February - Chincheros Incas Textile Techniques. Another trip I didn’t want to miss, these virtual trips are often more than one date but I had missed out earlier and just by chance managed to book one thus afternoon. To the Incas gold was merely an adornment. Far more valuable were their alpacas, Vicuña which produced an ultra-soft fleece that they wove into clothing, rugs and tapestries. These textiles – not gold – were used as currency throughout the empire. Soldiers and high-ranking officials were paid in alpaca garments, and clothing woven from vicuña wool was so highly prized that only members of the royal family were allowed to wear it. The Inca had developed this ultra-fine fleece through centuries of selective breeding. They culled all but the best male alpacas and separated vicuñas and ... read more

After writing for almost a year about other people having Covid, I now have the opportunity to give a first person account of having Covid in Cusco. Thankfully, I had a very mild case. I had a fever for two days and a slight cough the third day after the fever was gone. Unfortunately, the person who brought it to my home was so sick that I had to play nurse for about a week, before a family member could come get him. I’ve done the contact tracing, which goes from my houseguest-turned-patient to his family, who live in a small town in the Sacred Valley. When I first realized that this was probably Covid, I found a list online of places in Cusco that supposedly can test for Covid. Of the 57 places listed, I ... read more

Lima - 22nd December 2020 The Main Square of Lima is located in heart of Lima, founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535, is a World Heritage Site, declared by UNESCO. The Square was the headquarters of the Spanish Colonial Government and was heavily damaged during the earthquake in 1746. Lima is the second largest desert capital city after Cairo in Egypt. The city is located on a desert strip between the Pacific Ocean and Andes Mountains. The Government Palace was originally built by Francisco Pizarro, governor in 1535. The most recent alterations to the building were completed in the 1930s. It was interesting listening to our guide,Vanessa, talk about the distinctive balconies. During the Spanish Colonial rule of the 17th and 18th centuries, the stand-out features of public and private buildings was the addition of balconies ... read more