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  • StrangeNewWorlds

Peru - Girls on the Go 2022

Superexcited to meet Annette in Lima for an ADVENTURE!! Läs mer
  • Resans start
    13 maj 2022

    Headed out- the journey begins!

    13 maj 2022, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    How do I always forget just how crazy things get before a big trip. Tying up work loose end took WAY longer than expected, and of course we found stuff that I needed was up in MD and unaccessible. Reminded of the saying from the kid's Scout Leader: looks like you didn't need it after all! Thanks Kev for being so patient as I pretty much lost my mind the last few days.Läs mer

  • Bye Kevin!! Thanks for the lift!

    13 maj 2022, Förenta staterna ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    So...how did I miss that I needed to have a COVID Attestation form to enter Peru BEFORE I checked in? Oh, and that it needs to be electronic? And so ensued a frantic half hour with laptop and cell phone trying to submit a Peruvian form. I kept getting an error message in Spanish. My Spanish is pretty good, but this was a mystery. Tech-Speak in Spanish is every bit as mystifying as it is in English. NOW prepared to launch...Läs mer

  • Paracas

    15 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Stupid early start yesterday, but we had a pleasant bus ride down the coast from Lima to the town of Paracas. We had hoped to take a boat tour of Ballestas Island, which is billed as the Galapagos of Peru. Sadly, weather didn't cooperate and we ended up taking a shorter boat trip to go see our first geoglyph - the Candelabra. We were also visited by a group of friendly dolphins, lots of sea lions and saw many, many pelicans. A lovely lunch followed of local, Peruvian styled seafood and I got to introduce Annette to the ubiquitous Inca Kola. Then on to Huacacina!Läs mer

  • Huacachina Oasis

    15 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    We pulled into Huacachina in the early afternoon. It is an oasis in the desert, with a small lake surrounded by huge sand dunes. It is also a tourist magnet. Many hostels with lively parties; we found a sleepier place. THE thing to do is a sunset dune buggy ride and sandboarding...so we did! We had SO much fun!! Much more like sledding than snowboarding for all but the most intrepid. We were giggling like schoolgirls sledding down these enormous dunes. Bonus was as we were watching the gorgeous sunset from a high dune, we turned around and saw an equally gorgeous full moon rising over the dunes behind us. Just amazingly beautiful. This morning we enjoyed the quiet beauty of the area (for at least a few minutes) before heading out for Nazca.Läs mer

  • Acueductos de Cantalloc

    16 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    After driving through fertile fields of grapes, avocados, oranges, paprika and many other crops, our van climbed over a pass. In the process there was a narrow tunnel that looked like it was carved by hand through the mountain. Very narrow and claustrophobic, with rough hewn rock on either side. Half expected to see a dwarf. Then back into the valley and into Nazca proper. We hired a guide who took us to these aquaducts dating back to the Nazca people, roughly 2000 years ago. Although this area is fertile, it is arid and droughts have been problematic. These aqueducts have reportedly never run dry. Most of it is tunnelled underground, but there are 20 "ventanas" that were used to maintain the channels, with spirals for access. They were seriously cool, some as deep as 40'. And there was another geoglyph easily visible from there- "la felino"Läs mer

  • El Telar

    16 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    We then drove to a geoglyph called Las Agujas de Cantallo (the Needles ). These look like lines to nearby mountains, like Cerro Blanco- the largest sand dune in the world. Then on to El Telar (the Loom), with a spiral (yarn) next to it and a knitting needle between.Läs mer

  • Paredones

    16 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    The Paredones was an early Incan expansion into the area. Stone is limited here, so it was used only at the bases of the most important structures, with adobe being used for most upper walls (which show the wear from the weather). This was interesting, but were flagging from the desert heat by then and we're happy to move on to an indoor museum.Läs mer

  • Museo Arqueologico Antonini

    16 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    This was the last stop. Our guide, Julio, was in his element and enjoyed showing us colorfully painted cloth, pottery, slingshots woven with human hair, ceramic flutes, etc. of the Nazca culture. Most was about 2000 years old. As physicians, we found the mummification and skull modifications intriguing. We could still see the ocularis muscles and nose on a 2000 year old mummy! There were many styles of gravesites with mock sites showing different styles commonly used. I found the whole trophy head thing to be a little unsettling, but the detailed, polychromic textile and pottery- was incredible, often with animal themes. My pictures don't do it justice.Läs mer

  • Nazca Flight!!

    17 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    Edited to add: new photos from Annette!

    We started today with a flight over the Nazca and Palpa lines. It was AMAZING! We were also able to see all of yesterday's sights from above, which was neat. The difference in appearance from the shift in perspective is remarkable. Apparently, very few people choose to fly to the Palpas- it's a little further, and over some mountains which can make it turbulent. We had an early start, and it wasn't bad at all all- even for this nervous flyer. The geoglyphs were generally very clear- but my photos need some cropping/editing. I'll update when I can. In any case, definitely aliens. 👽Läs mer

  • Cahuachi pyramids

    17 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    After the flight, we did a bit more touring around Nazca. To get to the Cahuachi pyramids, our guide put his car in jeopardy for miles down a remote, rough and unpaved road. There were only a few other people there (the road and remoteness no doubt being factors), but it was an impressive complex. We were stunned to see this emerge out of nowhere in the desert.Läs mer

  • Chaucilla cemetery

    17 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    We stopped by a local fruit stand between the pyramid and this cemetery, where we tried prickly pear fruit and another lychee-type fruit. The cemetery itself was also remote, down another lengthy unpaved road. It was a major burial ground for the Nazca. Unfortunately, many, many of the tombs were destroyed by grave-robbers. Nonetheless, there are still undisturbed tombs and there were a dozen opened and on display- mummified remains and their possessions. The preservation of hair and even skin is remarkable, given they are ~2000 yrs old. Again, we were among very few visitors, and there were no access controls protecting the area.Läs mer

  • Museo de la Catedral de Arequipa

    18 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    After a brutal all night bus trip further South, we pulled in to Arequipa at around 0500. It was dramatically colder, and higher- about 7,600 feet. Fortunately, Annette had arranged for a super early check in, and by 0600 we were in bed on sound out. Much later that morning, we ventured out to explore the Plaza de Armas, and this Museum known for housing "Juanita." She is the mummified remains of a 12 year old girl found atop Mount Ampato, a volcano nearby, in 1995. She had been buried in the ice for centuries, and was even more remarkably preserved than the other mummies we had seen. Physical evidence of trauma (and her placement on top of the mountain) suggest she was killed as a sacrifice. Alas, photos were not permitted, and it was a little creepy anyway. On a happier note, I found a coffee and chocolate house- 🤩 and got to try another new and tasty fruit ( the little orange guys).Läs mer

  • Basilica Catedral de Arequipa

    18 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    After Juanita, we stopped at the cathedral that is the centerpiece of the Plaza. We got a tour of both the cathedral and the museum. The cathedral took major damage in the 2001 earthquake (8.4 on the Richter scale) which toppled a spire which crashed through the roof and barely missed the massive organ inside. It's all been well reconstructed, but wow. Anyway, the cathedral itself is gorgeous, and we were up on the roof by the bell towers just in time for sunset. Very nice indeed. The museum tour showed us many beautiful religious objects, but both Annette and I felt an uneasiness with what felt like an ostentatious display of wealth in an area with so much poverty. On a completely different note, we went to an AMAZING restaurant for dinner. Alpaca- cute, fluffy...and delicious.Läs mer

  • Salinas and Aguada Blanca Nat'l Reserve

    19 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ⛅ 43 °F

    We took a day trip up (literally - it was at >14k feet!) To Salinas and Aguada Blanca Nat'l Reserve. Very international group, and we became friends with a guy from Paris who spoke great English and virtually no Spanish, and a couple of young ladies from Lima- one spoke pretty good English, one none. The day was fun: we stopped at Mirador viewpoint to see the 3 volcanoes surrounding Arequipa: the iconic and still active Misti, the 19,000 feet tall Chachani and Pichu Pichu, followed by a simple breakfast at a small local place en route (where the guide was strongly recommending coca leaf tea ( the leaves were on the table) to combat the effects of altitude. Then UP! The Reserve itself was stunningly beautiful...and I got to see flamingos!! 🦩Most have migrated, but there were still quite a few stragglers. We also saw 3 types of camelids: vicunuas (wild), alpaca and llama (domesticated). The site was gorgeous.Läs mer

  • Lojen Hot Springs & Lake Ubinas

    19 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    After Salinas, we got wet. First we went to a Hot Springs, which should really be called a lukewarm springs. Still at high altitude, and cold. But it was fun to splash around and the mud was said to be good for the skin- much smearing occurred! Then we went to Ubinas reservoir in the shadow of Ubinas volcano (another active one). There we took a quick spin on a kayak, just for fun. At the end of all this we headed back toward Arequipa and stopped at a place renowned for it's traditional food. My favorite by far was a rocoto relleno: a stuffed pepper with an intriguing filling with meat, raisin and a bit of cheese on top. Annette is enjoying the variety of potatoes (over 1000 types here!). After the tour, our friends from Lima invited us to go with the to Mirador- a church plaza that looks out over the city for a lovely view. All in all, a long but fun day.Läs mer

  • Rafting the Chili River

    20 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    After a lovely breakfast on the terrace overlooking the Plaza de Armas, we took off for a river rafting trip down the Chili river. The group was once again extremely international and a lot of fun. When we tried to take a selfie, the whole vanload got in on the game! The canyon was gorgeous, and the river was mostly class II and I think one (possibly 2) class III, which is more intense than I've ever done. It was AMAZING. And it just might have included a ~25' jump from a rock...Läs mer

  • Monesterio de Santa Catalina

    20 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    After a quick shower and change, we changed gears completely and toured a 16th century monastary that is actually a UNESCO world heritage site. We had a fantastic guide, which really helped it come to life. It is a beautiful place, with each area named after a different region of Spain. We only wished we had a bit more time to enjoy the ambience!Läs mer

  • Anashuaco Quarry

    20 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    We toured a quarry where the white stone made from the ash of volcanic eruptions was hardened. This material is used in the construction of the Basilica and many other structures in Arequipa. The next layer is pink, and came from a different eruption. There are statues of each color throughout the city.Läs mer

  • Viewpoint of the Volcanoes

    21 maj 2022, Peru ⋅ ⛅ 43 °F

    The highest place I've ever been outside of an airplane at 16,100 ft. From this viewpoint we could see essentially a ring of about 10 volcanoes. And one erupted while we watched!! Super cool...and, yes, I also mean that literally - windy and cold!!Läs mer