South America

November 2018 - March 2019 Read more

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South America skip's retirement travel
Galapagos
December 16, 2018 in Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Island chain in the Pacific Ocean most often associated with Charles Darwin. Puerto Ayora is the main town on this island, Santa Cruz. The first pic looks out my hotel room over Puerto Ayora, while the second is a view of the island from the water. Third is a lava tube, of which there are many on these volcanic islands. Third is at the Charles Darwin Research Center; 5th is part of the tortoise breeding program at the center, and last is an adult tortoise is the wild.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Galapagos--Bartolome
December 17, 2018 in Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
A small island with little vegetation located about a 3 hour boat tide away. First is a look up at the ash cone that we climbed. Second is the view from the top with Isla Santiago in the background. The pinnacle in the 3rd pic was created by the US Air Force in WWII from the base in the Galapagos set up to protect the Panama Canal. It saw no action, and some bored folks bombed the island. The split off pinnacle is the result. Next is a native cactus. Then in the water you can see the original volcanic cone that has been eroded. Finally there is a native crab on the rocks.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Galapagos--North Seymour
December 18, 2018 in Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Another of the Galapagos, this one only about an our by boat and more vegetated. Lots of wildlife here. We were greeted by a sea lion as we climbed from the small boat onto the rocks. Then there is a view over the island. The third pic is a land iguana in a native cactus, their only food. Next are frigate birds, probably juveniles, followed by a male frigate bird displaying to look for a mate. Finally my favorite--the blue footed booby.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Guayaquil
December 20, 2018 in Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Ecuador's "business" capital. The city is named for the native chief (Guayas) and his wife (Quil) who lived there at the time the Spanish came. The first pic is a statue of them at the city hall. Then a look along the waterfront on the Guayas River, a look at Santa Ana hill, where the original Spanish settlement of this town was located. Then a view from the top of the hill (after 444 steps to get there), a street in that neighborhood and lastly some of the oldest houses in town.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Lima--Old Town
December 22, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Capital of Peru. This is where most of the colonial architecture remains in town. Here is the main square, a street scene, the cathedral, the Franciscan church (there are catacombs here but no pictures allowed) and a beautiful rotunda.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Lima
December 22, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Newer parts of town in and around Miraflores, where I stayed. First a couple pics along the waterfront overlooking the Pacific and the beach. Then along a main boulevard in Miraflores. Finally the central market where I tried Peruvian seafood broth, a scallop on the half shell and various indigenous fruits and vegetables.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Lima--Ceviche
December 22, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
A highlight for me in Lima was a cooking class in making ceviche, what is described as the national dish of Peru. First, the ingredients: raw flounder (in this case--any very, very fresh fish can be used), lemon juice, onion, seaweed and more. Then the chef showing me what to do, working on it, the final result and ready for enjoyment. It was reeeeaaally good! Of course, before the cooking class was a class in making a traditional pisco (Peruvian grape-based alcohol) sour. That was good too.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Cuzco
December 23, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Capital of the Incas. First a look over the city, followed by the building housing the ruins of the I can temple if the sun. Then a wall of the temple and a look at blocks cut for Incan "Lego-like" construction. Then some art that means that Cuzco is the center and Incan trails radiate out to the empire--analogous to "all roads lead to Rome." Finally, the Incan cross with arms to the 4 directions, pointing to the 4 elements and more.Read more
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Incan ruins above Cuzco
December 23, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
First are 2 looks at Quenqo, a site where mummies were prepared. It was always done underground, with vriuis sites for offerings included. Then Tambomachay, the temple to water, one of the 4 elements of Pachamama, mother nature. There is an aqueduct to Cuzco that still functions. Finally is Saqsaymaman a major ritual site, always in three levels--underworld, this world and sky; snake, puma, condor, the respective animal gods.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Chinchero
December 24, 2018 in Peru ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
Incan village known for textiles. The first 2 pics are of a textiles demonstration by local descendants of the Incas. Then a village street and some of the ruins uncovered.

Finally is a picture taken between Chinchero and Maras of an archaeological site. You can see the Incan terraces for agriculture. The buildings to the left are granaries. The Inca understood well local microclimates, and located all facilities to rake advantage of the gifts Pachamama gave, including using clinate to optimize storage.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Moray
December 24, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Pronounced More-aye, this is an astounding place. Here the Incan were way ahead of Europe scientifically. They would bring seeds from all over their empire and work to domesticate and acclimatize crops for differing microclimates. This way, they adapted plant species to the many elevations, valleys and all the rest. It is said that had as many as 3,000 varieties of potatoes alone. They did likewise with many others. Likewise, they developed the terraced system if agriculture.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Marasal
December 24, 2018 in Peru ⋅ 🌧 20 °C
Pre-Incan salt works now operated by the community of Maras, hence the name. They have been making salt here for thousands of years. This is not a mine. It is a natural salt spring where volcanically warmed salt laden water flows out of a single spring. The salt water is directed to various basins where the water evaporates and crystalized salt is harvested. The first 3 pics are various views over the drying operation. The 4th pic looks from the drying pools to the spring house, then the spring house and finally the spring itself.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Christmas in Cuzco
December 25, 2018 in Peru ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
The first pic is from the hotel balcony. The main square is to the left. At midnight on Christmas Eve, the sky over the city lights up with fireworks. Since I've never been really able to photograph fireworks, please envision fireworks being shot over all of what you can see plus more to the sides. I have never seen such a display spread over the entire city, and not just Roman candles either. These were mortar sized works. Pretty amazing. The second is in the cathedral, right after the Christmas Eve mass. The third is a new image for the craziness of last minute Christmas shopping. Santurantikuy is a festival where the square is jammed with vendors and people from all around the region, buying, selling, eating, drinking partying and more. It's a zoo. Then a view of the square and a pic of one of the indigenous groups parading and dancing around the square on Christmas day.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Amazon lodge
December 26, 2018 in Peru ⋅ 🌧 29 °C
A view along the Madre de Dios river on the way to the lodge, followed by the view from the bar with the river in the background and the bungalow where I stayed. Then some resident critters: a couple of macaws and an agoutiRead more
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Some more Amazonian critters
December 28, 2018 in Peru ⋅ 🌧 27 °C
Caiman, squirrel monkey peeking out, giant river otter (up to 6 feet in length), and a prehistoric bird whose name I didn't not recall, and a tarantula.
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South America skip's retirement travel
Amazonian rainforest
December 28, 2018 in Peru ⋅ 🌧 30 °C
A look at the forest and a couple critters
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South America skip's retirement travel
Pisaq
December 30, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Eastern end of the Sacred Valley. Large military installation to protect Inca territory. Agricultural terraces. Now so archaeological site. It's one thing to hear about Incan civilization and all the we're able to invent. It's another entirely to be in the midst of it and see it first hand. Quite mind blowing.Read more
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Colonial pisaq
December 30, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Market in the colonial town built at the base of the mountain where Pisaq is located. There are pics of the central square, a bit of the market and the oldest oven in town, dating from the 1700s
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South America skip's retirement travel
Ollantaytambo
December 30, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Another mind blowing site, strategically located at the junction on 3 major Andean valleys:the western end of the Sacred Valley where it meets a valley to the rainforest (toward Puerto Moldanado) and the main valley running toward the Pacific. This is a major strategic, ritual and economic site for the Inca.
The last pic is the temple of the sun. The 4th pic is some of the hydraulic engineering of the Inca. This is still working as designed. Notice the sedimentation basin above the outflow. This is to clean the water for priestly purification rites.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Machu Picchu from above
December 31, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
One of the seven wonders of the world. The first 2 pics are the more familiar views. The third is a look along a portion of the original Inca trail leading to Machu Picchu from Cuzco. 4th is a view of the surrounding area from on top. 5 looks down into some of the houses, and the last is the main gate where the Inca trail in a previous picture enters the city. Notice the trapezoidal shape. That's seismic engineering at is best. These structures have withstood numerous earthquakes over hundreds of years and are still standing as built with original stoneRead more
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Machu Picchu in the city
December 31, 2018 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
More pics from the city itself. The first is the temple of the sun. At the winter solstice, the sunlight falls on the center of the altar from the visible window. There is another window in the wall to the right for the summer solstice. The second pic is half of the Incan cross. At the winter solstice, the bottom half forms as the shadow. Then some llamas, followed by a sun time keeper (clock and seasons marker) carved from a single block of stone and set on the highest point. Then the temple of the condor and some of the terraces. These terraces are primarily for structural support and erosion control. The agricultural area is separate from the town.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Machu Picchu Pueblo
January 1, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
This is the town at the base of Machu Picchu where the trains arrive and the hotels and restaurants are located. Also know as Aguas Calientes for the hot springs/thermal baths nearby. The first pic is the main square. Note at left of center on the upper floor facade the Inca crosses. Also, yellow is the color of good luck at New year's here. And the statue is Pachacuteq, the most famous Incan king, also credited with starting Machu Picchu. SEC and is the view from my hotel room, followed by one of the streets in town. The last two are rock sculptures in town. The are many. These are Pachacuteq overlooking a stylized Machu Picchu and Pachamama (earth mother) embracing creation.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Andahuaylillas
January 2, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Tiny Town not far from Cuzco that has a church sometimes called the St. Peter's on the new world. The pics here are all outside the church: the facade and the town plaza. The interior has a no photo rule. So there are none here of the incredible Andean baroque with gold leaf, the original stone floor of the Incan temple torn down for the church to be built.
However, in this case I was able to find a link to a photographer's site the is even better. The link is: http://rutadelbarrocoandino.com/en/la-ruta/san-…Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Raqchi
January 2, 2019 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
A major administrative and religious center south of Cuzco. The first pic is of the remains of a major Incan temple that is about the size of a football field. At the left end is the only remaining circular column of the original 22, 11 each side of the central wall. The second pic is a rendition of what the temple might have looked like. Others argue that there was no roof and the columns were a solar observatory, 11 for the morning and 11 for the afternoon. If you look closely at the third, you will discern a portion of the city wall, 3 m high and 7 km long. Then another view of the area, inside a house in the upper class area. Finally, the wall of the chief priest's house.Read more
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South America skip's retirement travel
Abra la Raya
January 2, 2019 in Peru ⋅ 🌧 12 °C
Highest point on the road from Cuzco to Puno. Elevation is 4,335 meters or roughly equivalent to the top of Pike's Peak, and that is in the pass, not the mountains. The mountain with the glacier in the second pic is about 5,600 meters. The pass is between the volcanic and tectonic parts of the Andes. There are pics of both sides. The last pic is a nearby flock of alpaca, including some new born as this is the birthing season.Read more
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