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Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
  • Kadi Kaljuste
  • Brad Ciccarelli
Jan – Mar 2025

Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island

A 30-day adventure by Kadi & Brad Read more
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  • Trip start
    January 31, 2025
    Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island

    And we’re off!

    January 31 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ -1 °C

    Brad and I are at the airport about to board a flight to Lima via Bogota, Colombia.

    We’ve tried to visit Peru twice before: the first time in 2020 and our plans were ruined by the Covid outbreak; the second was in 2023 when we were on a world cruise and the ports in Peru were cancelled because of political unrest.

    We’re confident that third time’s a charm!    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    2Our hotel
    The MaleconTerrace restaurantCorn pie for lunch1Magnificent murals13Paddington Bear is from PeruNikkei dishes for dinner2211Parque Kennedy is a popular spot1Cat hotel3One of the dozens of cats in the park2Dancing in the park

    Lima, Peru - Day 1

    February 1 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    After a long night of traveling, we arrived in Lima mid morning and breezed through immigration and picking up our luggage to meet our escort Julio. Julio went through our itinerary for the coming days, as well as pointed out things along the 45 minute drive to our hotel.

    We’re staying at a boutique hotel in Lima’s lively Miraflores neighbourhood, known for its restaurants and shopping. Unfortunately, our room wasn’t quite ready, so we stored our luggage and went out exploring with instructions from the front desk on where to find lunch. The temperature was a comfortable 25 Celsius, but the humidity was 75% so it was a bit sticky.

    We ventured down to the waterfront area where there are shops and restaurants and had lunch at an ocean view terrace restaurant.

    By early afternoon, we headed back to our hotel to have a rest given the red eye flights we had taken.

    Peru is known as a culinary centre and is home to some of the world’s best restaurants. It’s known for Japanese-Peruvian fusion dishes called Nikkei. We decided to try to get a “walk in” table at Tomo Cocina Nikkei, a short 20 minute walk from our hotel. It’s owned by two former chefs from Maido, one
    of the most famous restaurants in the world.

    The restaurant opened at seven so we made a point of getting there about 10 minutes before the doors opened. There were other people who had the same idea to get a walk-in table. We struck up a conversation with a man from LA. Turned out he had a reservation for three and his dining companions had bailed so he welcomed us to join him. Win-win! We had lively conversation and delicious food.

    We took a leisurely walk back to the hotel through Parque Kennedy, also known as the cat park.

    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/parque-john…    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island

    Bogotá stopover

    February 1 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    When you stop in Bogota, Columbia en route to Lima, you have coffee. Especially when it’s 5:30 in the morning.

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    Foggy morning at Love Park
    Love ParkTemples discovered in LimaGetting ready for the paradeThe famous monument with a monumental mistake. Note the woman.The llama🤣The old town is being restoredCar free pedestrian promenades1The old post officeThe mail slot for the post officeMonasteryQuite moorishMonastery libraryTapada limeña Learn more here: https://www.ancient-origins.net/weird-facts/tapada-limena-0019159The Market1Pisco Sour and Lima's version of Swiss Chalet🥰

    Lima, Peru - Day 2

    February 2 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Had a leisurely breakfast at our hotel and then went to the hotel lobby to meet our guide for our private tour today.Omar, a born and bred Peruvian from Lima, met us with a driver and started by taking us to the coast area and Love Park which is full of mosaics and benches styled after those of the Gaudi Park in Barcelona. It was a bit foggy but lovely nonetheless.

    We were grateful that it was Sunday because Lima traffic is said to be horrible, and Sundays are known to have the lightest traffic. We travelled from the beach area to the Huaca Pucllana archaeological site and then to the city centre where there’s a large square, Plaza San Martín, with monuments as well as government buildings. Given its lent/carnival, there was a special celebration on the Square which was full of people awaiting the parade. It was a wonderful festive atmosphere.

    (One of the most interesting tidbits we learned at the Square was about the monument at the centre of it. The statue includes a woman symbolizing freedom, much like the Statue of Liberty, and the sculptor was asked to include a flame on her head. Ironically, the Spanish word for flame and llama are similar, and the artist assumed that the request was for a llama. So, sure enough, she sports a llama on her head.🤣)

    From there, we travelled to the historic area of Lima which is being rejuvenated. Many, many buildings have already been restored, but there is much work still underway. It was lovely. We ended our tour with a visit to a monastery. We finished up around 1 pm and asked to be dropped off at the market which is expansive and offers all types of Peruvian handicrafts. We didn’t explore all of it because it was so huge. From there, we were able to walk back to our hotel and visit the cat park again.

    We took a bit of a rest before setting out to have a cheap and cheerful dinner. Omar had suggested we go to a typical Lima chicken place, Pardos. It really was Swiss Chalet Peruvian style with rotisserie chicken, salad and fries. It was casual with a very diverse clientele of families, couples, etc. Ideal after our “fancy“ dinner last night. After dinner, there was a casino on the route back to our hotel so of course I had to go lose a few sol.

    We also came upon a dollar store that looked eerily familiar. Sure enough, Dollar City in Peru is owned by Dollarama. A bit of Canada in Peru. ❤️    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    On the coast in Pisco, collecting seaweed for fertilizer
    1A couple of swingers😁Fishing boatsBrad heading to the plane to fly over the Nazca LinesOn our way1The Peruvian landscapeParrotClearly a monkeyObviously a spiderDog upside downDog againTree up top and hands on the bottomSpiral1🐒Back to Lima

    Pisco and Nazca Lines, Peru

    February 3 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We had an early start today at 7:30 am
    and got on the road with our guide Omar and driver to take a long drive to Pisco. Pisco is a coastal city about a four hour drive from Lima and known for being the site where the Pisco liquor was invented. It’s also well known for being a take off point for trips to fly over the Nazca Lines. In 2023, we were booked to fly over the lines but civil unrest ruined those plans. We were excited to finally get to see these incredible creations.

    You can learn more about the Lines here:

    https://www.britannica.com/place/Nazca-Lines

    The drive there was through a desert landscape with mountains, sporadic green patches and stretches of squatter houses. It’s a landscape quite unlike any we’d seen before. We had time to stop on the coast in Pisco for a walk along the waterfront before heading to the airport to board a small plane to fly over the Lines. What a sight!

    Brad and I managed to capture some images but they just can’t capture how spectacular it is to see them.

    We had a late lunch at a coastal resort with our guide and got back on the road for the long drive back to Lima.

    So worth the effort.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    Walking along the malecon
    Stunning landscapingIn BarrancoWe love visiting grocery stores. Peru is where potatoes originated and there are countless varieties1Loved these ready to go charcuterie kitsThe bridge of wishesThe murals were spectacular and everywhereThe libraryThe town square1Even telephone poles were used as canvases1Taking a break for a Chicha morada made from purple corn and lemonade

    Last day in Lima

    February 4 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    It’s our final day in Lima and we had no set plans and were able to freestyle. Our guide from yesterday, Omar, had suggested we visit a neighbourhood called Barranco. It was an easy walk from our hotel to the neighborhood, about 30 minutes. And we were able to take the walk along the Malecon, which is the oceanside promenade.

    The neighbourhood was charming, reminiscent of Soho or West Queen West. Tons of cute, boutiques, restaurants, bars, galleries, and murals. It was a wonderful way to spend the day.

    We walked back home by mid afternoon, wanting to rest up for the grand finale: dinner at Central, named the best restaurant in the world in 2023. It’s a fascinating restaurant which showcases ingredients from the various elevations of Peru. We had reserved it back in November after having our reservation in 2020 cancelled by Covid. We were very much looking forward to finally getting there. (I’ll post a separate footprint to share our experience there.)

    We’ve been charmed by Lima. It’s a city that offers interesting sites, a beautiful ocean side, fascinating history and excellent food. What’s not to love?    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    There's a garden courtyard before entering1The menuThis course was seaweed basedThat's charcoal 😲Surprise!The presentation was extraordinaryEvery course was presented with descriptionsEven the dishes and utensils were out of the ordinaryWe were given a number of booklets about the cuisinePork course1A dessert made from every bit of a cocoa fruit, including the skin

    Dinner at Central

    February 4 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    In 2020, we had a reservation to go to Central for dinner. It was then among the top 10 restaurants in the world. But Covid hit and we never made it to Peru. Since then, Central was named the best restaurant in the world in 2023.

    We managed to secure a reservation back in November and tonight was the night. It did not disappoint. We had a 13-course tasting menu with Peruvian ingredients by elevation. An unforgettable experience.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    The historic area is a UNESCO World Heritage site
    Looking Spanish2Six or seven people with typewriters hang out at the Square to type documents for peopleFranciscan Cathedral1Note the depiction of the last supper above the paintingIt's been made Peru relevant. Jesus has a platter of guinea pig.🤷‍♀️Transporting a box home in a scarf/backpackMany people come down from the Andes mountains to earn money by posing for photosGarbage collection is like an ice cream truck coming through with music and people bring their bagsThe braids… Look how intricate they are at the bottomThe conventA room at the conThe rocks were the washing machineThere are 55 paintings around the room, just like a rosaryAnother roomLaundry basins2Alpaca fillet1Lamb for Brad, which he shared with me and I shared my alpaca. Lamb is incredibly mild here.

    Hello, Arequipa

    February 5 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We had a super early start to the day because we had a morning flight to Arequipa. It’s not a long flight, only about an hour and 15 minutes but with any air travel you always have to be at the airport early. The flight was uneventful and our new guide Victor was there waiting for us once we picked up our luggage.

    He informed us he’d be our guide for our entire stay in the region and that our hotel room was ready despite check in being at 2 p.m. so the driver would drop us off at the hotel. Bonus! We’d have time for some lunch and Brad could have a nap. Victor would be back in the afternoon to take us on a walking tour.

    Arequipa is a city of about 1.5 million at an altitude of 2,335 metres so we started taking our altitude sickness pills today before we head to higher altitudes tomorrow. We’ve been to Quito, which is at a high altitude, but this trip we’re going to be going significantly higher in both Peru and Bolivia.

    The other key to avoiding altitude, sickness is to drink water, water and more water. Victor advised us to drink a minimum of two litres a day, which we’re doing.

    We’ve been really surprised at how charming Arequipa is. Founded in 1540, the historical area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and very Spanish. Because we’re in earthquake territory, there are many buildings that didn’t survive but some still remain, including an incredible convent which we toured.

    The convent was actually a private one. Wealthy families would pay $10,000 in the 1800s to have their daughter live there along with her companion/maid. As you’ll see in the photos, the accommodations were pretty sweet for that era.

    For dinner this evening, Victor recommended a restaurant where we could try alpaca meat and we were keen. Brad and I are always adventurous eaters. That said, we decided to order two different meals. One of us would order alpaca the other would order lamb and share them. That way, if we didn’t really like the alpaca we’d have something else to eat. The alpaca was fine, but it was actually flavourless. Not at all like beef or lamb. Just kind of boring. But we’ve tried it and we don’t need to have it again.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    View of the volcanos from just outside Arequipa
    1Further along our drive up, we started to see vicuñasVicuñas crossing1Vicuñas follow the Alpha in their group2Drinking Inca/coca tea to prevent altitude sickness1Llamas!🥰More llamas2Llama petting1An infantChewing coca leaves, another preventive measure1Reaching today's high pointSurrounded by volcanos at 4910 m1The volcano behind us is even higher.Chivay is a small town of 7,000Town Square1The hats women wear indicate what native language they speak1

    Into the Andes

    February 6, Arabian Sea ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    Today’s start wasn’t too early; 8 a.m. and our guide and driver met us to head up into the Andes. Arequipa is already at a high altitude (2,235 meters) but we were heading much higher. We had started our altitude pills yesterday morning and were advised by Victor that we’d be doing supplementary herbal things to ensure that we had a comfortable climb. In order to prepare for the ascent, we stopped at a shop that sold coca leaves as well as herbal pills.

    Once we reached around 4,000 metres we stopped for coca/inca tea. When we reached 4,400 meters, our guide Victor instructed us how to get the coca leaves ready for chewing. We did as instructed and were surprised at how soon we felt our tongues slightly numbing as Victor had predicted they would.
    We were grateful for Victor‘s coaching.

    We made a number of stops along the way to admire the landscape and to look for wildlife. We succeeded in seeing vacuna as well as Andes rabbits. We stopped at a llama farm and went to a lookout where we saw numerous volcanoes. Once we’d seen the volcanos at the 4,910 altitude level, we travelled downward to a town where we’ll spend two nights. It’s called Chivay, has a population of 7,000 and is a gateway to Colca Canyon, tomorrow’s destination.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    The children dance before school
    Parents didn't approve of girls and boys mixing so boys dressed as girls to hang out with them.At Colca Canyon2Terrace farmsThe section of the Canyon where it's most likely to spot some condors1Yes!Spotted at a distanceSoaringThree meter wingspan7A juvenile condor, more brown than black1Cactus fruitSampling a Colca Sour made with cactus juiceMany women of the Andes wear traditional clothes as their regular wardrobeBenches outside the marketAnother hatDeep frying, some sort of pastryHauling home their purchases3Note the ceilingIt's made from plastic water bottlesThe market has everything from apparel to hardware and electronicsAlpaca meat. We've seen it on virtually every menu here in the Andes and had it for lunch todaySpotted as we walked back to our hotel

    Colca Canyon and Condors

    February 7 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    Today was a big day. We set out at 6:30 a.m. and stopped in a small town of about 1,000 to watch children dance. The children from the mountains come to the town square and perform traditional dances in order to raise money for their school to buy new equipment. It was incredible.

    From there, we carried on to the big event of the day: the Colca Canyon, the second deepest Canyon in the world and twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. And to hopefully see some condors. Condors are scavenger birds that are huge with a wingspan of three meters. They glide as opposed to flapping their wings to fly. They use thermal air to lift them skyward.

    Our guide Victor explained that there were never any guarantees that we would actually see them soar. We were extremely fortunate and saw a number of them at a distance and some quite close. It was thrilling.

    After spending a few hours doing that we headed to lunch in another small town but had a drink before hand. The local specialty is called a Colca Sour, a take on the Pisco Sour but it’s made with cactus juice. It was quite tasty.

    After lunch, we returned to our hotel just as it began to rain and relaxed, having gotten up so early. In the early evening, we set out to the town square and explore the town market.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    Comfort stop and Inca tea
    We were held up on a highway due to roadwork and a Hawker came selling toilet paperBecause of the long drive, we chose to have a packed lunch as opposed to going to a restaurantAltitude of 4,413 in the lake region. This is not Lake TiticacaAt the festival. Wild!Stylized traditional clothingContemporary2A bottle of Johnny Walker Red. Dancing with a alcoholic beverage was common.One of the bands11More boozingQuite a fashion showThey were happy to pose

    Puno on Lake Titicaca

    February 8 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Today was a driving day. We left the Colca Canyon area at 8:30 this morning and took the drive to Puno on Lake Titicaca. We made occasional stops along the way, including for Inca tea, lunch and comfort stops. (One of the side effects of taking the prescription altitude pills is frequent urination.)

    We arrived at our hotel at 3:30 p.m. and said our goodbyes to Victor and Juan.

    Victor had told us there was a major festival going on in Puno and that we should try and go. It’s the celebration of Candelaria, the patron saint of Puno and has groups of people dancing in the street to marching bands. It’s a huge deal in Peru and the surrounding countries. Of course we wanted to check it out. You can read more about it here:

    https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/artic…

    The hotel front desk called a cab for us because our hotel is a distance from the city center, but on the lake. We realize now how wonderful that is. (We ran into a guy from Vancouver we met a couple of days ago and his hotel is near the main square. He said he couldn’t sleep, even with ear plugs.)

    It was such bedlam once we got downtown that we ended up jumping out of the cab and walking towards the music, which wasn’t far. The videos and pictures tell the story. At one point, it was so crowded in one of the narrow streets that Brad and I were basically trapped and couldn’t move forward. After about five minutes we decided we’d had our fill and backtracked. We walked away from the activities and got a cab back to the quiet of our hotel.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    On the Reed Island
    Children at the cooking potEggs from these birds are part of the dietFishing stocks have depleted, so Canadian trout have been introduced into the lakeOne of the housesA family of four sleeps hereStill cookingShy cutieSolar power was recently introduced for the islandsMayors on Taquile IslandEntrance from the pierTerrace farmingYoung trinket sellerKnitterKnitting with crochet hooks1This boy is 14 and improving his weave. (He also needs to clean his nails 😉)Abad explaining to us the hat that mustn't leakPerformance1Brad joins in21Performers2Gorgeous views

    Lake Titicaca

    February 9 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We had a 7 a.m. start to take a boat ride on Lake Titicaca to visit two of its islands. The first island was the one that Brad and I were particularly excited about. It’s one of the famed Reed Islands. The second was an island called Taquile and is about a 90 minute ride from the shore.

    Our guide, Abad, guided us around the Reed Island and explained that there are 120 of these islands on Lake Titicaca. The islanders have traditionally relied on fishing but fish stocks have depleted so they’re welcoming tourists to visit. There’s a rotation and each island gets a turn if they’re interested.

    The islands are made out of reeds and each platform is about three metres thick.
    We were on one that’s 11 years old and they typically last about 35 years. The reeds on the houses reed replacing every eight months. You can learn more about them here:

    https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220814-the…

    Taquile is an Island with a population of about 2,200 famous for its textiles which were proclaimed "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO. What was particularly fascinating about the island culture was that the men knit and the women weave.

    The men knit with standard knitting needles, but they also knit with crochet hooks😲, which, as a crocheter, I found absolutely fascinating. There is a very dense, tight knit that is done with two very fine crochet hooks. Young boys need to master creating this tight weave in order to be marriage ready. Once they’ve mastered the technique and believe that they have woven a tight enough hat, they’re ready to propose. When they do, the future father-in-law will pour water into the hat to ensure that it doesn’t leak and he isn’t lazy..

    We were able to walk around the island and see the terrace farms and enjoy a wonderful lunch. This adventure took the better part of the day and. The festival we went to yesterday is in full swing in the city centre so we decided we were going to have a quiet night in and simply have dinner at our hotel restaurant because we have another early start tomorrow morning.

    We’ll be taking the train to Cusco.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    Cusco bound
    MenuWelcome cocktail at 10 AMSnacksDancerFashion showThe train goes right down a street and the vendors waste no time getting back to businessLunch...cream of potato soupBeef filletCheers🍷🍷DessertBrief stop to stretch our legsChurchAltar1The scenery❤️Tea timeIn Cusco waiting for street meatYum!

    Train to Cusco

    February 10 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    It was a travel day today. We boarded a train in Puno for the 10-hour ride to Cusco. When we arrived at the train station, we were the only ones in the waiting room. Shortly after, another couple arrived. We were a bit puzzled because we figured there should be a lot more people. As it turned out, there were 14 of us in a 65 seat car. There was another passenger car that was empty. This is a luxury train operated by Peru Rail, but serviced by Belmond.

    We were surprised that there was entertainment on the train - a four piece band performed, there was a fashion show and a dancer. So unexpected. We were served a three course lunch with wine and afternoon tea later. There was an outdoor observation area at the back of the train that allowed us to wave to people as we passed through towns, sometimes in the middle of a street!

    We met a couple from Australia and spoke with them a fair bit. The time flew and the train arrived in Cusco on time. Our escort, Ruth, was there to greet us and deliver us to our hotel which is the 500-year-old former home of Cusco’s first bishop.

    After getting set in our room we went for a walk in search of something to eat. We ended up having some street meat which was delicious. Cusco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and we’re excited to explore it further.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    At the Parwa Cultural Centre
    Guinea pigsPeru is the birthplace of the potato and they have more than 4,000 varietiesOne of the educators at the centreA street in ChincheroCesar tells Brad about the Spanish takeover of this Inca siteChurch of Senora de MonserratThese Inca built walls use no mortarStepsThe ruinsThe ruins of Túpac Yupanqui palace and Spanish buildingsThe Incas used these terraces as agricultural labsThe Sacred ValleyThe Sacred ValleyAt the bottom of OllantaytamboLooking down, but still not at the topBuildings on the side of the mountain😲Almost at the topWoohoo! Made it to the SunTemple2These capsules on the side of the mountain are hotel rooms for mountain climbers

    The Sacred Valley, Peru

    February 11 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    What. A. Day. It was our first day delving more deeply into Inca culture and history and it did not disappoint. It was the perfect precursor to our eventual trip to Machu Picchu.

    Our driver Juan and guide Cesar picked us up at 8 a.m and our first stop was to the Parwa Cultural Centre to feed some alpacas and Guinea pigs and learn about traditional ways alpaca wool is washed, dyed and woven. This facility was a collective of five families.

    The methods and materials that are used in the dyes are fascinating - different seeds and herbs and even insects. In fact, the Peruvian shades of red are all from a bug found in cactus! It was fascinating.

    From there, we visited a town called Chinchero. It’s an ancient Inca town and includes ruins of the Tupac Yupanqui Inca palace and a Spanish church from 1607. The church is being restored.

    Next, we visited Moray, which the Incas used as a sort of agricultural lab with different micro climates at each terrace level.

    Our final stop was Ollantayambo, an ancient military, religious and agricultural centre from the mid 15th century. It’s strategically located on a mountain and demonstrates original Inca urban design. We successfully climbed up to the top despite the altitude. (Brad and I have been taken aback by how winded we get climbing stairs in these altitudes.)

    You can read more about the Sacred Valley here:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Valley

    It was a long and exhausting day, so we had a quiet night.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    The ruins above the city
    Cusco lies between mountainsOne of the best lookoutsThe royal mortuary siteThe caves where bodies were prepared for mummificationThe Inca temple became a Spanish monasterySpanish sectionThe wall on the left has mortar and is from the Spanish period. Wall behind is Inca with no mortarConvent courtyardInca artifactsSilver shawl pinsCusco main squareCathedralThe town squareNikkei cuisine for lunchThe food in Peru is excellentDinner

    Exploring Cusco

    February 12 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    We had a relatively late start today, 9 a.m. and Cesar came and met us with a driver to take us on a tour of the city of Cusco. We haven’t actually had an opportunity to visit the sites here, just walk around in the evening. We were really looking forward to learning more about this beautiful city.

    Cusco (or Cuzco) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a population of about 500,000. It was the capital of the Inca kingdom until the 16th century Spanish conquest. Most people use Cusco as their gateway to Machu Picchu.

    Our first stop was to the ruins of an Inca fort, Sacsayhuaman (pronounced sort of like sexy woman😉) above Cusco, about a 15-minute drive from our hotel. In addition to seeing the ruins, it provided one of the most spectacular views of Cusco down below. From there, we went to another site which had been the Inca’s royal mortuary. It was where they prepared bodies for mummification.

    Next, we drove down to the historic city centre and toured the Inca Koricancha temple which the Spanish turned into the Domingo Convent. The original Inca sections are still standing despite numerous earthquakes.

    Our last stop was at the Cathedral Basilica of the Virgin of the Assumption built by the Spanish. It took 108 years to build and and was completed in 1654. Unfortunately, no photography was permitted there.

    It was now early afternoon and Brad and I were starving. Cesar suggested a couple of restaurants before we said our goodbyes. We chose Lido, a Nikkei restaurant. Delicious.

    It was raining once we finished lunch so went back to our hotel to relax and pack our backpacks for our extremely early train to Machu Picchu tomorrow morning. We’ll be leaving our luggage at the hotel since we return to Cusco when we’re finished our two days in Machu Picchu.

    For dinner, we chose a restaurant called Murano serving contemporary spins on traditional Peruvian food. Delicious.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    Boarding the train
    Our private Vistadome carThe scenery is amazingGorgeous landscapeMachu Picchu village is a half hour from the Unesco siteLove the waste binsNot much to the town other than businesses catering to touristsFinally here!As you climb up, more and more of the site is revealed1Seeing more2The siteThe paths are the original Inca trails with stones laid by the Incas3So majesticThe entrywayThe quarryIt's estimated up to 1,000 people lived hereAn altarGuard houseThere was an obelisk in the centre that a former president had cut to allow for a helicopter to landOn their winter solstice, June 21, the sun will rise and shine through the centre windowFarm terracesWe even saw a rainbow 🌈 ❤️

    Cusco to Machu Picchu

    February 13 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Today was the day we finally made it to Machu Picchu after our plans to visit five years ago were scuttled by Covid. Getting here is complicated. We had a 5:30 a.m. pick up for a 90-minute drive to the train station. The hotel in Cusco had prepared a boxed breakfast for us which we planned to eat on the train.

    The drive was scenic so it wasn’t torturous. Once at the train station, we waited for our train to be ready to board. Brad and I presented our tickets and when we looked at the clipboard that the man was holding, we saw only two names on it. Ours. He then directed us onto the car. We asked if we were the only passengers on the car to which he responded yes. So, we had a private railway car to Machu Picchu! Bonus! We were able to move around the car and stretch our legs as well as sit in different seats for different vantage points.

    The train ride to Machu Picchu Village is about two hours because there are inevitable delays along the way. We had at least two 10-minute delays. Upon arriving at the Machu Picchu train station, our guide, Roger, was there waiting for us and explained that we would head straight to our hotel, drop off our bags and then he would meet us again at 11:30 a.m. to grab the bus to Machu Picchu which is about another half hour ride. We had an opportunity to walk around the village a bit before meeting up with Roger.

    The process of getting on the bus is quite simple - just line up and wait your turn. The buses run continuously. Tickets have a timed entry which is strictly enforced. Upon arriving at Machu Picchu, you present your passport and your ticket and are directed to the circuit to which you’ve bought a ticket. There are three circuits. We had tickets to circuit two. Tomorrow, we have tickets for circuit three. As you can imagine, it’s a fair bit of climbing, sometimes on stairs with proper bannisters, other times simply rock steps, so it’s somewhat arduous.

    Machu Picchu is at a lower altitude than Cusco so the feeling of being out of breath wasn’t bad. Completing the circuit took about 2 1/2 hours. We managed to climb to the viewpoint where you can see the entire Lost City and then ventured down so that we could see the buildings close up.

    It’s everything I imagined it would be.

    We’ll have a quiet night and dinner at the hotel to rest up for another visit to the site tomorrow.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    Arriving at the site in the morning means more cloud cover
    2Morning vibe2The terraces are huge1Peekaboo!1The stairs are often times very steep and uneven.1There was a serenity there in the morningYou can see workers all over the site, removing lichen2Guard house on topThe two types of Inca masonry on display: the bottom with no mortar, the top with mortarWe are here in the shoulder season and we found it quite busy.Back in Machu Picchu townLove the street lightsThere are statues and public art everywhereValentine's is quite an event in PeruHappy Valentine's Day 😘🤣2Lunch

    Machu Picchu and back to Cusco

    February 14 in Peru ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We had another entry ticket to Machu Picchu for 8 this morning. This time, it was for circuit three which we found a little less challenging than yesterday’s circuit two. It was also interesting to go when the weather was significantly different from yesterday because we were there in the morning. The cloud cover over the mountains gave the site a very eerie feeling. You could feel the remoteness and isolation far more than when it was sunny during yesterday’s visit. Still mind-blowing.

    Once we were done, we went back to Machu Picchu town and explored the area, had lunch, and headed for the train station to take the 90 minute trip to Ollantaytambo. When we arrived, our escort Ruth was there to greet us with a driver for the 90-minute drive back to Cusco.

    It’ll be a quiet night for us. It’s our final night in Peru as we fly to Bolivia tomorrow.

    Brad and I have reflected on the two weeks we’ve spent here and concluded that this is one of our favourite trips we’ve ever taken. Peru is so full of history and rich culture and the people are warm and welcoming. And the food is delicious.😉    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    Lots of bulk snacks
    They appeared to be various types of puffed wheat or cornLots of muralsDownhill5A bit shocking 😲One of the tourist streetsThe stereotypical, traditional, bowler hat that Bolivian women are famous for wearing.Making a beltAnother muralAnd anotherUphillCarving meat off a ham making sandwichesDehydrated animals at the witches marketOne of the witches market storesAnotherBolivian fast food chain CopacabanaTasty!Over our heads on the horizon, those are all buildings

    Bye Peru, hello La Paz, Bolivia

    February 15 in Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Our two-week Peruvian adventure ended this morning when we flew out of Cusco to La Paz, Bolivia. It’s only an hour-long flight. We’re now back to a slightly higher altitude, and we’ve also moved an hour ahead.

    Our guide, Franz, was waiting for us at the airport and led us to the car and driver to go to our hotel. La Paz is in a valley and has a population of about 750,000. El Alto, the higher ground above La Paz, has a population of about 1.2 million.

    Franz won’t be taking us around La Paz until tomorrow so he suggested we take a wander around our immediate neighbourhood including a market full of handicrafts and souvenir stuff as well as the “witches market” which he said he would explain to us tomorrow. We told him we wanted to go somewhere informal for dinner, not where tourists go. He suggested we go sample Bolivian fast food fried chicken at a place called Copacabana. So that’s what we did.

    The market isn’t a building but an area of a number of streets. Franz warned us that there were lots of hills in La Paz and he wasn’t kidding. Much like in Peru, alpaca wool and lamb’s wool items dominate the shops. The witches market was stocked with dehydrated animals😳, talismans and herbs. Looking forward to hearing more about this tomorrow. We did go to Copacabana for dinner and the fried chicken was fabulous. No cutlery is available but there are sinks at the front of the store to wash your hands.

    Our first impressions of La Paz is it’s a colourful, bustling city with street venders everywhere, traffic chaos and plenty of murals. We’ll have a better sense of it tomorrow after we tour around.

    We’re spending the night in and resting up for tomorrow.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    Valley of the Moon
    The tallest spike is called ladies hatBeautiful landscaping1180 view of La Paz from the lookoutAt the lookoutThe cable car stationThere are 10 cable car linesOn the cable carIn the historic areaThe gallery of one of Bolivia's most famous artists2Roberto Mamani Mamani's studio (No, not a typo. His name is repeated 🤔)The cathedralThe original president's palace in the foreground and the modern building behind it replaced itGuards2The original legislature and the new building behind it replaced itTown square statue of Pedro Domingo Murillo who led the fight for freedom from Spanish ruleFruit and vegetable marketWitch marketA sample offering that would be burned to Pachamama, Andean Mother EarthHerbs, amulets, dehydrated animalsDancing in the streets

    Touring La Paz, Bolivia

    February 16 in Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Well, we wandered around a little bit on our own yesterday afternoon, today we had a proper tour with our driver, Jesus, and our guide, Franz. We started out with a little bit of a drive from our hotel to the Valley of the Moon.

    Over the centuries, the valley has been shaped by winds and rains to create this unusual landscape of white chimneys. That’s because the surface is clay instead of rock. It’s a spectacular site. While it’s a protected natural site, the city of La Paz has grown right up to it which makes it somewhat surreal.

    From there, we hopped back in the car and drove to a lookout point to get perspective of just how sprawling the city is in a bowl with houses and buildings all the way up to the sides. It’s really unlike any other place we’ve seen.

    Our next adventure was to sample the public transit system here. Because it’s impossible to build a subway here the solution has been cable cars. We found it incredibly innovative and impressive.

    Next stop was the historic area, including narrow, winding streets as well as the main square with the cathedral, the presidents palace and the legislature. Because it’s Sunday, everything is very low-key, and even the cathedral had already closed its doors.

    Our final stop was to visit the vegetable and fruit market as well as the witches market. We had walked around the witches market yesterday, but didn’t really understand the items for sale there. Franz explained that the old rituals are still followed by great numbers of people here. The most common of these rituals is to make offerings and to burn the offerings with a particular wish or prayer in mind such as wealth, travel, health, etc.

    We then went for a late lunch and came back to our hotel for an afternoon rest. La Paz is so hilly that there’s a lot of climbing. The high altitude does sap your energy.

    Franz advised us Sunday evenings are particularly quiet in La Paz; even most restaurants are closed. We purposely had a big lunch so we went out and found a snack for dinner. We heard music so thought we’d go find it. Sure enough, there was a parade underway as part of carnival celebrations because it’s Lent. It was similar to the celebrations we saw in Puno in Peru - music and dancing. An unexpected treat!    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    The drive there allowed us to see the Bolivian landscape
    Arriving at the siteSo glad I didn't wear my stilettosNotice how intricate the carving isOne of the museums… No photos allowedThe site where the priests and royalty livedThe Sky Temple.3How did they cut the stone?One of the monolithsAnother monolith. The largest one discovered is in a museum on site where photographs are not allowNotice this monolith has two left handsThe entrance to the Earth temple that aligns with the summer solstice sun on December 21The sun gate was carved from one piece of stoneThe entrance to the Earth temple aligns perfectly with the monolith.The underground templeThe sculptures of human faces are all around the underground templeMonolith in the underground templeH blocks used to build walls. How did they carve them so perfectly?Llama lunchBrad approvesLa Paz after dark. The vendors are out in full force.

    Tiwanaku Ruins, Bolivia

    February 17 in Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Our guide Franz and our driver Jesus picked us up this morning to take us outside La Paz to see the Tiwanaku Ruins which date back to 400 to 900 AD. The drive there takes about an hour-and-a-half but is well worth the drive. The site is an important and interesting window into an advanced pre-Inca civilization. It’s a UNESCO world heritage site.

    The ruins were discovered in the early 1900s but weren’t really excavated until the 1960s. The ruins cover a lot of ground and include two museums. Brad and I were fascinated by their ability to carve stone when the only metals being used in that period were silver, gold, and copper. As you’ll see in the photos, the monoliths have detailed carvings, and the structures and stones used have precise cuts. How were those cuts made? It’s a mystery. You can read more about it here:

    https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/567/

    It was mid afternoon by the time we got to the La Paz so we had a late lunch/early dinner. We were keen to try llama which we hadn’t found anywhere in Peru and sure enough we found a restaurant that served it. It was quite beef-like and delicious. When we finished lunch, it had started to rain so we went back to the hotel and relaxed before going out later once the rain had stopped for another walk around.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    One of the streets near our hotel
    Wonderful muralsThe traffic is insane. The vans in this video are private buses that most people use to get around.A mallWe saw clusters of police at random Street corners1Changing of the guardOne of the downhill climbs. The orange you see at the skyline is all buildings.Children playing after schoolThe uphill climb we needed to take regularly to get back to our hotelShe's knittingGustu is Bolivia's best restaurantBread, butter and a spicy spreadBrad's appetizer was tomatoes and various beansMy appetizer was Amazon River alligator cevicheBrass entrée: Amazon fishMy entrée: lambWe shared a dessert of chamomile ice cream1

    La Paz at leisure

    February 18 in Bolivia ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    It’s our last day in Bolivia and we had a day at leisure, meaning we could do as we pleased. We’re feeling quite comfortable in our neighbourhood so we went meandering through the streets.

    One of my favourite things in any city is to find a grocery store which we did. You can learn a great deal about the way people live by exploring a grocery store. What’s notable here is that the butcher counter is very small and at the back end of the store. The shelves and sections of starches such as corn and potatoes are large. Not surprising.

    We had a snacky lunch because we wanted to save our appetites for dinner at Gustu, ranked as Bolivia‘s best restaurant and ranked 38th in Latin America. It’s particularly noteworthy because it was opened and is owned by one of the founding partners of Noma in Denmark.

    Gustu exceeded our expectations on every measure. The food, the service and the ambiance were excellent. We also had a wonderful bottle of Bolivian wine which should help us get to sleep. We have an EARLY flight to Lima, Peru and then on to Santiago, Chile tomorrow with a pick up at our hotel at 3 a.m.😩

    Bolivia is on the very cusp of emerging from the third world. The people are kind, friendly and entrepreneurial and have the will to improve their prospects. We’re confident they will.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    Brad in front of our charming Ivy covered hotel
    2Our roomPumpkin soupCod frittersChicken salad that was so huge Brad and I could not finish itMuralA glass of wine on our balcony

    La Paz to Lima to Santiago

    February 19 in Chile ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    It was a travel day for us with a super early pick up or late depending how you view things. Jesus and Franz were at our hotel at 3 a.m. to deliver us to the airport for a 6:10 a.m. flight to Lima. We had a couple of hours stop over and boarded another plane from Lima to Santiago.

    We’re now two hours ahead of Toronto. But thankfully, we’re now almost at sea level so no more altitude issues. We reached our hotel, (which is super quaint and a Chilean national treasure) in the late afternoon, unpacked, went for a walk and found a place for dinner. Our room has a balcony so we bought a bottle of wine during our walk and had a glass of Chilean wine before bed.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    2Chilean palm trees
    Gorgeous park in the middle of the cityBlack neck swan1Tree huggers😉On the cable car1Statue of the Virgin Mary on the top of Cerro San CristobalFunicular down1The rideQuaint historic neighbourhoodThe palace where Allende committed suicide as Pinochet took powerOur guide said he's never ever seen flowers laid hereChile has bizarre cafés, dubbed coffee with legs. Think Hooters coffee shop😳More coffee with legsOne of the many pedestrian promenade streetsTown SquareObligatory cathedralAnd of course, a statue in fountainA wine bar lunch. A flight of bubbly for me; glass of red for Brad.Another pedestrian promenade street

    Santiago, Chile

    February 20 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We’ve been to Santiago before but it was five years ago and it was not long after political unrest and forest fires. Because that experience was unusual, we decided we wanted to have a city tour and see Santiago without those issues. We’re so glad we did!

    Our guide, Jose, and driver, Mario, first took us to a beautiful park, where we saw Chilean palm trees, and black neck swans. From there, we traveled to a cable car and climbed up to the famous statue of the Virgin. Views of the city from that lookout were excellent. For the downward ride, we took a funicular.

    From there, we went to the historic area with quaint shops and restaurants. Next stop was the main government square with the presidential palace where Allende committed suicide before Pinochet took power. (Chile has a tempestuous modern history.)

    We ended our tour with Jose in the city Square and promenade area. Santiago‘s pedestrian streets are numerous and fabulous. Jose had recommended a wine bar for us to go to for lunch which we did. It was fantastic.

    After lunch, we strolled around the promenade pedestrian area and then walked back to our hotel which took over an hour in 29° heat. (We ended up with 22,925 steps today.) We had a bit of a rest and went for dinner in the our hotel neighbourhood. We have another early start tomorrow for our flight to Easter Island/Rapa Nui.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    Our welcome
    6Lovely leiFor Brad tooWalking the coast. It's a volcanic islandThe hibiscus are huge and everywhereSwimmingWaterfront lunchThe boardwalkRough watersVolcanic rocks

    Rapa Nui/Easter Island

    February 21 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We left our hotel in Santiago at 5:30 a.m. for the 5-hour flight to Easter Island/Rapa Nui only to arrive there and discover the flight was delayed by an hour. 😩 The time passed quickly enough and we were on our way! Easter Island is the most remote inhabited island on the planet. It’s a Polynesian island 3,700 kilometres from the coast of continental Chile and a Chilean territory.

    Upon arrival, we were greeted by a band and dancers and presented with leis in the Polynesian tradition. We were dropped off at our hotel to spend the rest of the day at leisure. We took a walk along the coast, had a late lunch at a waterfront restaurant and did some more exploring before returning to our hotel for a quiet night.

    Tomorrow, we’ll begin touring the island and learning more about its history and the monumental moai statues that have made it so famous and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.    Read more

  • Peru, Bolivia & Easter Island
    When I first saw the 15 in a row, I gasped
    These 15 moai were reerected with the help of the JapaneseThey're so imposingClose upFrom the backThis moai had its head reattachedCarved a distance away and erected hereCarved from a single stoneThis one is sunken. The typical ratio is head 1/3, body 2/3.Another that sunk1They're all over the island, wherever there were villagesThe terrain is so wide open that the moai can't be missedThe quarry where the moai were sculptedUnfinished moai at the quarryA magnetic rock that is believed to have been brought here by the first kingA beachThese seven near the beach are the best preserved. They were found face down in sand.This lone moai seemed portly relative to the othersSo much detail visible on theseSunset

    Moai Day, Rapa Nui/Easter Island

    February 22 in Chile ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

    Today was moai day! They’re what Rapa Nui/Easter Island is famous for and what makes this place so incredibly special. There are about 7,000 people living here today, but there were 17,000 living on the island in its peak in the 1700s. Because Rapa Nui is the most remote inhabited island in the world, the people here remained insulated from the rest of the world. They established their own rituals, including building moai.

    We spent a full day visiting sites within the national park to see tumbled as well as re-erected moai. The most impressive site has a platform of 15 that were restored in 1996. The tallest of them is 8.7 metres and weighs 81 tonnes. The proportion of a moai is usually 1/3 head and 2/3 body. Many of the ones we saw were sunken. There are about 900 spread across the island.

    The statues were built in about 1400 to 1650 A.D.. And they were built from single pieces of stone and brought to their sites. How this was done is still a mystery. Each statue is representative of a royal tribe member and is erected as a monument upon their death. The moai are erected facing the village. There were hundreds of these villages with their own moai and when conflicts arose, villagers would go tumble an enemy’s moai. You can read more about them here:

    https://www.easterisland.travel/easter-island-f…

    The moai are so regal and imposing. Pictures can’t do them justice. Seeing them in person is a real privilege.    Read more

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