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 Latin America: Peru, (Bolivia)
29 Mar 2011 - 08 Apr 2011
After Argentina we went to Peru. Peru is a country we always wanted to visit. Peruvian people, Lima in the Pacific ocean, the valleys and gorges in Arequipa area, Titicaca the highest lake in the world, Cuzco, Incas and Machu Picchu were things we were willing to have a closer look. We had left other places like trekking in the Andes (Alpamayo peak etc), the coastline parks, Atacama desert and Nazca lines, Amazon etc. There are many places to visit in Peru and 10 days are not enough to cover even the half.
We arrived at the capital Lima late in the evening. We have arranged for a car to pick us to the hotel, so we avoided the taxi drivers (legal or not) which bothered us from everywhere. The night lights with the fog covering everything created a wizard view of the city. We arrived at the hotel after half an hour, in the area of Miraflores, which is the most rich area in the city aside the Pacific ocean coast. It was past midnight, so we went directly to bed.
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29 Mar 2011 |
Peru: Lima |
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The first interesting thing about Lima was the fog. The fog, coming from the Pacific ocean, covered most of the high buildings and highways. This is caused to Humboldt current. It is a cold ocean current coming from Antartica and ... » |
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30 Mar 2011 |
Peru: Arequipa - Chivay |
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The mini bus took us from the hotel at 08:05. Once more, we were the only no-Spanish speaking persons among the 18 people of the group. We stopped at a mini market in order to buy water, biscuits and coca leaves for the altitude. The guide explained ... » |
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31 Mar 2011 |
Peru: Colca canyon |
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We wake up at 06:30. The first stop was at the beginning of the Colca valley, in order to see the fields of the locals. The second stop was at a small village. Outside a catholic church locals were selling souvenirs and various products all ... » |
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01 Apr 2011 |
Peru: Arequipa |
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This day we walked around Arequipa. We went to Monasterio de Santa Catalina, a large monastery where rich nuns lived. Inside the monastery there were streets with names, houses with living rooms, cuisines and bedrooms, no like cells. The walls ... » |
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02 Apr 2011 |
Peru: Puno and lake Titicaca |
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In the morning we walked to the shores of lake Titicaca which is the lake on the highest altitude in earth (3800 m). The larger part belongs to Peru but the smaller east part belongs to Bolivia. There is a group of people the Uros who ... » |
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03 Apr 2011 |
Peru: Lake Titicaca and La Paz (Bolivia) |
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We were traveling by bus to Bolivia since early in the morning. At the borders, we got off the bus and went to the police station and the passport control. Then we walked for 300 meters and passed under a gate which marked the territory of Bolivia. ... » |
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04 Apr 2011 |
Bolivia: La Paz |
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We visited the Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna) , which is an interesting place on the outskirts of town. The area is so named because it resembles the surface of the moon. It is a lunar landscape that was formed by huge quantities of fossil ... » |
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05 Apr 2011 |
Peru: Cuzco |
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Early in the morning we took again a bus for Cuzco, the last stop of our travel. The coach was very comfortable and two-levels. We had only two brief stops during the trip. The first place was full of local sellers and the second was in a modern ... » |
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06 Apr 2011 |
Peru: Machu Picchu |
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It was very difficult for us to wake up at 05:00, but we were going to visit Machu Picchu. At 06:00 we took a mini taxi to Ollantaytampo, where the road ends. Then we took the train of Perurail. The trail was wonderful inside green scenery and ... » |
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07 Apr 2011 |
Peru: Cuzco |
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We visited the ruins of the ancient city of Inca in Sacsayhuaman. The ruins are located on a low hill outside the city. The stones of the walls are huge, polygonal and built very precisely. We had also a nice view of the whole ... » |
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08 Apr 2011 |
Peru: Cuzco |
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This was the last day of our travel, after 28 days total in Latin America. We walked around the local markets of Cuzco for gifts and ... » |
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Travels
